Tag Archives: Blu-ray/DVD reissues

Comedy, Drug Culture, Male Bonding, Road Movie

Blu-ray reissue: Withnail & I (****)

July 28, 2025 Dennis Hartley Leave a comment

By Dennis Hartley

(Originally posted on Digby’s Hullabaloo on July 26, 2025)

Withnail & I (Criterion Collection)

Writer-director Bruce Robinson’s 1987 study of two impoverished actors slogging through 1969 London with high hopes and low squalor has earned a devoted cult following (guilty as charged). Richard E. Grant excels as the decadently wasted Withnail, ably supported by Paul McGann (he would be the “I”).

The two flat mates, desperate for a break from their cramped, freezing apartment and mutual descent into creeping fear and paranoia, take a trip to the country, where Withnail’s rich eccentric uncle (Richard Griffiths) keeps a cottage. There are so many quotable lines (“We want the finest wines available to humanity. And we want them here, and we want them now!” or “We’ve gone on holiday by mistake.”). Ralph Brown nearly steals the film as Danny the drug dealer.

Previous DVD and Blu-ray editions have been frustratingly problematic in terms of image and/or sound quality (I think I’ve owned them all), but the 2025 Criterion edition finally puts those issues to rest with a proper 4K restoration (granted, the film was purposely shot in low light and muted brown and grey tones to match the characters’ melancholic mood; still, this is the best print I’ve seen to date). Extras include two audio commentaries, a new short with Robinson and Grant, and Withnail and Us (1999), a documentary on the making of the film.

Action, Adventure, Royal Intrigue

Blu-ray reissue: The Three Musketeers / The Four Musketeers (***1/2)

July 28, 2025 Dennis Hartley Leave a comment

By Dennis Hartley

(Originally posted on Digby’s Hullabaloo on July 26, 2025)

The Three Musketeers/The Four Musketeers (Criterion Collection)

I try to avoid utilizing trite descriptive phrases like “rollicking adventure” – but prithee forgive me, good sir or madam if I doth declare Richard Lester’s diptych to be a right rollicking adventure, indeed (bet you’re glad I didn’t say “bawdy romp”). This umpteenth adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s classic swashbuckler (screenplay by George MacDonald Fraser) was filmed in one shoot but released in 1973 and 1974.

Aside from some light court intrigue, both films tend to forgo any deep narrative exposition in favor of acrobatic swordplay and door-slamming slapstick…but are you not entertained? How could you not be with such a fabulous cast: Musketeers Michael York, Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, and Richard Chamberlain are ably supported by the likes of Raquel Welch, Faye Dunaway, Geraldine Chaplin, Charlton Heston, and Roy Kinnear. Colorful, exciting, frequently hilarious and rich in period detail, it’s perfect escapism.

Criterion’s 2025 double disc set features gorgeous new 4K restorations of both films. Extras include a new documentary by critic David Cairns, a 1973 featurette with behind-the-scenes footage of director Richard Lester, and a written essay by film critic Stephanie Zacharek.

Action, Adventure, Corporate Intrigue, Neo-Noir

Blu-ray reissue: Sorcerer (****)

July 28, 2025 Dennis Hartley Leave a comment

By Dennis Hartley

(Originally posted on Digby’s Hullabaloo on July 26, 2025)

Sorcerer (Criterion Collection)

The time is ripe for a re-appraisal of William Friedkin’s expertly directed, terrifically acted update of Henri-Georges Clouzot’s classic 1953 noir, The Wages of Fear. This existential action adventure (which I think is closer in spirit to Herzog’s Aguirre, the Wrath of God than Clouzot’s original film) was greeted with indifference by audiences and critics when it was released in 1977. Maybe it was the incongruous title, which likely led many to assume it would be in the vein of his previous film (and box-office hit), The Exorcist. Then again, it was tough for any other film to garner attention in the immediate wake of Star Wars.

Roy Scheider heads a superb international cast as a desperate American on the lam in South America, who signs up for a job transporting a truckload of nitroglycerin through rough terrain. Excellent screenplay by Walon Green. Tangerine Dream provides a memorable soundtrack. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore-a genuinely pulse-pounding adventure that slips in a fair amount of subversive political commentary.

Criterion’s 4K restoration displays a marked improvement in image quality over the relatively bare bones 2016 Warner Blu-ray edition. Extras include the excellent full-length 2018 documentary Friedkin Uncut, a new conversation between filmmaker James Gray and film critic Sean Fennessey, a written essay by film critic Justin Chang, and more.

Conspiracy a-go-go, Family Issues, Mystery, Neo-Noir

Blu-ray reissue: Night Moves (****)

July 28, 2025 Dennis Hartley Leave a comment

By Dennis Hartley

(Originally posted on Digby’s Hullabaloo on July 26, 2025)

Night Moves (Criterion Collection)

Set in Los Angeles and the sultry Florida Keys, Arthur Penn’s 1975 sleeper stars the late Gene Hackman as a world-weary private investigator with a failing marriage, who becomes enmeshed in a case involving battling ex-spouses, which soon slides into incest, smuggling and murder.

As always, Hackman’s character work is top-notch. Also with Jennifer Warren (in a knockout, Oscar-worthy performance), Susan Clark, Edward Binns, Harris Yulin, James Woods and Melanie Griffith (her first credited role). Alan Sharp’s intelligent, multi-layered screenplay parallels the complexity of the P.I.’s case with ruminations on the equally byzantine mystery as to why human relationships almost seem engineered to fail. One of the best neo-noirs of the 1970s.

Criterion’s 2025 reissue marks the third edition of this film I’ve owned; the image quality of the new 4K digital restoration handily tops all previous home video versions. Extras include a new audio commentary by Matthew Asprey Gear, author of Moseby Confidential (a terrific read for fans of the film), a new audio interview with actor Jennifer Warren, a written essay by critic Mark Harris, and more.

Con Game, Cult Movie, Dramedy, Heist Caper

Blu-ray reissue: The Linguini Incident (***)

January 27, 2025 Dennis Hartley Leave a comment

By Dennis Hartley

(Originally posted on Digby’s Hullabaloo on January 25, 2025)

The Linguini Incident (MVD Marquee Collection)

While this film was originally released to theaters in 1992, it may be a misnomer to label the 2024 Blu-ray as a “reissue”, due to the project’s strange and byzantine history. As director/co-writer Richard Shepard explains:

The movie was taken away from me, re-cut, barely released, and opened on the weekend of the 1992 L.A. riots. Even though it garnered some nice reviews, many missed the point (I believe the San Francisco Chronicle complained about the number of trees that were destroyed printing the script), and the film soon disappeared onto dusty video store racks of unloved VHS, and inglorious midnight cable runs. Still, the film had its ardent fans, but the fact was — I wasn’t one of them. […] The film was released at various times [in different cuts and lengths] not only as The Linguini Incident but also as Houdini & Co., The Robbery, The Restaurant, The Incident, and yes, Shag-a-Rama.

The director expounds further in that essay, which is included in the accompanying booklet-it’s quite a saga. So what version is on the 2024 Blu-ray? Well, it’s what one assumes to be the ultimate (and belated) director’s cut (which according to Shepherd is essentially a new film).

Having never seen any of the previous (and next to impossible to find) versions, I can’t compare the newly minted cut to anything but itself-which I found to be a quirky, uneven but ultimately fun and undemanding 90-minute caper dramedy.

I’ll admit to never having even heard of the film until this release; what intrigued me to check it out was a.) David Bowie’s involvement and b.) Shepherd at the helm (huge fan of his hit man dramedy The Matador). The main attractions here are the two leads (Bowie and Rosanna Arquette) and the New York City setting. While it was shot in 1990, the film shares an identifiable vibe with 1980s “downtown scene” time capsules like Desperately Seeking Susan, Liquid Sky, After Hours, Smithereens, and Downtown 81.

MVD’s package includes a sparkling 4K transfer of the new cut; the original theatrical cut (not restored), a full-length documentary about the making of the film, and a commentary track with the director and members of the cast and crew. Perhaps not essential viewing for all tastes, but a definite must-have for Bowie completists (guilty!).

Gangsters, Neo-Noir

Blu-ray reissue: Prime Cut ***1/2

January 27, 2025 Dennis Hartley Leave a comment

By Dennis Hartley

(Originally posted on Digby’s Hullabaloo on January 25,2025)

Prime Cut (KL Studio Classics)

This spare and offbeat 1972 “heartland noir” from director Michael Ritchie (with a tight screenplay by Robert Dillon) features one of my favorite Lee Marvin performances. He’s a cleaner for an Irish mob out of Chicago who is sent to collect an overdue payment from a venal livestock rancher (Gene Hackman) with the unlikely moniker of “Mary Ann”.

In addition to overseeing his meat packing plant (where the odd debt collector ends up as sausage filler), Mary Ann maintains a (literal) stable of naked, heavily sedated young women for auction. He protects his spread with a small army of disturbingly uber-Aryan young men who look like they were cloned in a secret Nazi lab.

It gets even weirder, yet the film has a strangely endearing quality; perhaps due to its blend of pulpy thrills, dark comedy and ironic detachment. It’s fun watching Hackman and Marvin go mano a mano; and seeing Sissy Spacek in her film debut. Also with Gregory Walcott (a hoot as Mary Ann’s oafish, psychotic brother) and Angel Tompkins.

Gene Polito’s artful cinematography comes to the fore with Kino’s new 4K transfer, taken from the original 35mm camera negative (delivering an image far superior to the 2014 German Region B Blu-ray, which I happily retired). No extras to speak of, but there are two new commentary tracks, one by a Lee Marvin biographer and another by two film historians.

Animated, Drug Culture, Family Issues, Fantasy

Blu-ray reissue: Heavy Traffic (***)

January 27, 2025 Dennis Hartley Leave a comment

By Dennis Hartley

(Originally posted on Digby’s Hullabaloo on January 25, 2025)

Heavy Traffic (Sandpiper Pictures)

Within the realm of animated films, Ralph Bakshi’s name may not be as universally recognizable (or revered) as Walt Disney or Studio Ghibli, but I would consider him no less of an important figure in the history of the genre. During his heyday (1972-1983) the director pumped out 8 full-length features (including Fritz the Cat, The Lord of the Rings, Wizards and American Pop) using his signature blend of live-action, rotoscoping, and traditional cel animation.

I view this semi-autobiographical 1973 entry (his 2nd feature) as Bakshi’s Mean Streets. A young man obsessed with drawing cartoon caricatures lives in a cramped Brownsville apartment with his constantly bickering parents (a Jewish mother and an Italian father).

Yearning to strike out on his own to sow his wild oats, he moves out and ingratiates himself with an array of dubious characters who lurk in some of NYC’s seedier neighborhoods. The ensuing eye-popping (and very adult) misadventures may (or may not) be a figment of the budding artist’s wild imagination. Surreal, outrageous, cringing, hilarious and guaranteed to contain something to offend everybody in a contemporary audience (you have been warned).

This is my first awareness of Sandpiper Pictures; the image and sound quality is decent, but the package is bare bones; no extras or commentary track. That said, I’m glad to see this belated Blu-ray release, as it officially completes my Ralph Bakshi collection!

Behind the Music, Documentary, Jazz Musicians, On Music

Blu-ray reissue: Let’s Get Lost (****)

January 27, 2025 Dennis Hartley Leave a comment

By Dennis Hartley

(Originally posted on Digby’s Hullabaloo on January 25, 2025)

Let’s Get Lost (Kino Classics)

The life of horn player/vocalist Chet Baker is a tragedian’s dream; a classic tale of a talented artist who peaked early, then promptly set about self-destructing. Sort of the Montgomery Clift of jazz, he was graced by the gods with an otherworldly physical beauty and a gift for expressing his art. By age 24 he had already gigged with Stan Getz, Charlie Parker and Gerry Mulligan. He began chasing the dragon in the 1950s, leading to jail time and a career slide.

There are conflicting versions of the circumstances that led to a brutal beating in 1968, but the resultant injuries to his mouth impaired his playing abilities. While he never kicked the substance abuse, he eventually got his mojo back, and enjoyed a resurgence of his career in his final decade (he was only 58 when he died).

The nodded-out Chet Baker we see in Bruce Weber’s extraordinary warts-and-all 1988 documentary (beautifully shot in B&W) is a man who appears several decades older than his chronological age (and sadly, as it turned out, has about a year left to live). Still, there are amazing (if fleeting) moments of clarity, where we get a glimpse of the genius that still burned within this tortured soul.

One scene in particular, where Weber holds a close up of Baker’s ravaged road map of a face as he croons a plaintive rendition of Elvis Costello’s “Almost Blue”, has to be one of the most naked, heartbreaking vocal performances ever captured on film. Haunting and one-of-a-kind, this is a must-see. The film snagged a well-deserved 1989 Critics Prize at the Venice Film Festival.

Kino Classic’s 2025 Blu-ray edition sports a beautiful 4K picture restoration and newly remixed audio (noticeable improvements over Metrodome’s 2008 Region 2 DVD). The package also features a number of Weber’s short films. It would have been nice to include the two Weber-directed Chet Baker music videos that are on the 2008 DVD (which also contains two short films curiously not included on the Kino Blu-ray)…but that’s a minor quibble, as I was just happy to see this fabulous doc get an upgrade.

Drama, Family Issues, Neo-Noir, True Crime

Blu-ray reissue: Looking for Mr. Goodbar (***1/2)

January 6, 2025 Dennis Hartley Leave a comment

By Dennis Hartley

(Originally posted on Digby’s Hullabaloo on January 4, 2025)

Looking for Mr. Goodbar (Vinegar Syndrome)

Considering that she was still basking in the critical accolades for her audience-pleasing Oscar-winning performance as the kooky and lovable Annie Hall, it was a bold career move for Diane Keaton to immediately follow it up with a leap into the relative darkness of Looking for Mr. Goodbar.

Writer-director Richard Brooks adapted his 1977 drama/neo-noir from a novel by Judith Rossner (which was based on the sensationalized real-life 1973 murder of a 28-year old NYC schoolteacher). Keaton gives an outstanding performance as a young woman with a repressive Catholic upbringing who moves to a seedy downtown apartment to escape the verbal abuse and restrictive rules laid down by her tyrannical father (Richard Kiley).

Her newfound sense of freedom and self-confidence sparks a sexual awakening; she soon slips into a double-life, teaching deaf children at an inner-city school by day, and cruising the singles bars at night looking for casual sex (and discovering recreational drugs along the way). When she begins juggling relationships with two men (Richard Gere and William Atherton), her life begins to take a darker turn. Tuesday Weld gives one of her best performances as Keaton’s sister.

The film divided critics at the time; some were upset at Brooks’ deviation from Rossner’s novel (I can’t speak for that, as I’ve never read it). Others appeared chagrined that the film (for them at least) lacked a moral center. Speaking as someone who turned 21 the year the film came out, I’d say it captures the zeitgeist of the “Me Decade” to a tee; I see it as a companion piece to John Badham’s Saturday Night Fever.

Vinegar Syndrome has assembled a nice package, which includes a 4K UHD and a Blu-ray disc (both restored from the original 35mm camera negative). Lots of extras, including new and archival interviews, a commentary track, and a number of essays (visual and written).