Bridgend
(2015/Icarus/Kimstim DVD)/Cops
Vs. Thugs (1975/Arrow
Blu-ray w/DVD)/King
Arthur: Legend Of The Sword 4K
(2017/Warner 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray + Blu-ray w/DVD
sets)/Little Men
(2016/Magnolia DVD)/Love
Of A Woman
(1953/Gaumont/Arrow Blu-ray w/DVD)/1944
(2015/Film Movement DVD)/Ronin
(1998/MGM/Arrow Blu-ray)/Spotlight
On A Murder (1961/Arrow
Blu-ray w/DVD)/Subterranea
(2015/MVD Visual DVD)
Picture:
B/B+ & B-/A- & B+ + B-* & C/B/B & C+/B/B+/B+ &
B-/B- Sound: B/B+ & B-/A- & C+/B/C+ & C/C+/B+/B+ &
B-/B- Extras: C-/B/B/C/B-/C/B/B/C+ Films:
B/B/C+/B/B-/B+/B/B/C
Here's
a wide selection of dramas that also represent various genres from
their serious side...
Bridgend
This
interesting crime drama from Denmark, Bridgend
(2015) that is beautifully made and very dark and unique in its
storytelling. Featuring a strong performance by Hannah Murray (Game
of Thrones,
God
Help The Girl),
the film centers around a young woman who is the daughter of a
Policemen, who ends up getting in with a bad bunch of people.
Falling for a young man named Jamie, she soon discovers that her new
friends would rather commit grisly suicides than ever leave their
town. And that's just the tip of the iceberg of what's to come with
her.
The
film also stars Josh O'Connor, Adrian Rawlins, Patricia Potter, and
Nia Roberts to name a few.
Presented
on DVD in standard definition with an anamorphically enhanced
widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix,
the film looks and sounds as good as it can on DVD, with (as
mentioned) stunning cinematography and a tense soundtrack that add to
the tension of the piece very well. A film like this definitely
deserves the HD treatment, and this standard lacks detail in blacks
and definitely lack of detail on the characters themselves.
Special
Feature: Trailer.
Cops
Vs. Thugs
Hailed
by many as one of the best and grittiest entries in the Japanese
Yakuza genre, Cops
vs Thugs
(1975), directed by Kinji Fukasaku (Battle
and Honor Without Humanity)
is a no holds barred shoot em up that is raw and completely unhinged.
The film stars Bunta Sugawara, Hiroki Matsukata, Mikio Narita,
Tatsuo Umemiya, Hideo Murota, and Shingo Yamashiro.
In
Kurashima City, there are two Yakuza families that call of the shots;
the Kawade, who use political connections to further their
activities, and the Ohara, who have an alliance with the local
police. Both of them are arguably untouchable until Ohara acting
boss Hirotani usurps a staged land deal away from Kawade, thanks to
the help of his police friend Kuno, and an all out war between good
and evil (and evil against evil) breaks out. Soon, the good cops
start to catch on and things get really messy! Who will walk away
alive?
Included
is both the 1080p Blu-ray and standard definition versions of the
film, both of which are up to par with format standards and pretty
nice looking. The HD presentation brings us the film in its original
widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and an uncompressed PCM Mono audio
track in Japanese with English subtitles. Also included is the
standard definition DVD with a similar aspect ratio in anamorphically
enhanced widescreen, but a compressed, lossy Dolby Digital Mono
track. The differences between the two versions are pretty
considerable with the HD version obviously being the victor.
Special
Features include...
Beyond
the Film: Cops vs Thugs,
a new video appreciation by Fukasaku biographer Sadao Yamane
A
new visual essay on cops & criminals in Fukasaku's works by film
scholar Tom Mes
Theatrical
trailer
Collectible
Insert booklet and double sided cover art with newly commissioned
artwork by Ian MacEwan
While
a little dated, this is a fun Yakuza movie with plenty of action to
please fans.
King
Arthur: Legend Of The Sword 4K
Guy
Ritchie's take on the classic King Arthur Legend (and his trusty
sword Excalibur) gets the flashy reboot treatment, no doubt due to
the success of the Snow
White and The Huntsman
films. Though not much of a box office success itself, King
Arthur: Legend of the Sword
(2017) takes place in a Frank Frazetta-inspired fantasy world where
modern fashion is evident, hairstyles, and some slang terms are used
in casual conversation. Unlike Game
of Thrones
or even the forgotten Antoine Fuqua King
Arthur
(2004), which keeps a more period look to its fantasy world, this one
doesn't quite know what time period its supposed to be in, but keeps
with Ritchie's unique visual filmmaking style that fans of his work
will come to recognize. At the end of the day, however many
interesting ideas the film has, it doesn't quite feel necessary or
fresh but more of the same.
The
film does have an impressive cast, which includes Charlie Hunnam
(Pacific
Rim,
Sons
of Anarchy)
Jude Law (Cold
Mountain),
Astrid Berges-Frisbey (Pirates
of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides),
Djimon Hounsou (Blood
Diamond,
Amistad)
Aidan Gillen (Game
of Thrones
- fans will notice a few other familiar faces from the show in this
as well) and last but not least the underused yet admirable Eric Bana
(Star
Trek)
as Arthur's father, King Uther Pendragon.
When
child Arthur's father (Bana) is murdered while trying to protect his
family from a demonic presence ushered by the mystical sword
Excalibur, Vortigern (Jude Law), Arthur's uncle, seizes the crown.
Robbed of his birthright, and with no idea of who he truly is, Arthur
comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city fighting in bare
chested brawls and breaking his back. When Vortigern is given an
ultimatum from a mystical Octopus-esque Lady, he decides to hunt down
and kill the young Arthur so that he can have the power to wield the
sword and be an unstoppable force himself. However, the sword is
stuck in stone and cannot be pulled by anyone but Arthur. When a mad
search goes out for the boy, he of course ends up pulling the
immovable sword and gets sucked into an altered state where he can
clearly piece together the clues from his past. Unwilling to accept
his true legacy, Arthur must fight his Uncle and regain his
birthright, which isn't quite as easy as it sounds...
The
film is presented on 4K Ultra HD disc with a stunning HDR (high
dynamic range 10-bit color enhanced 2160p high definition transfer
that is immaculate and provides vivid details that are missed in the
(also included) 1080p Blu-ray release. The film has a widescreen
aspect ratio of 2.39:1 and sound specs (same on both discs) in both
lossless Dolby Atmos 11.1 and Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit mixdown
for non Atmos playback). Like most films by Guy Ritchie, the film
features kinetic action sequences that are the very weak
choreographed between different camera formats (noticeably even some
GoPro cameras were used for a few sequences), resulting in some
interesting stylistic choices.
*I
was not as impressed with the 1080p Blu-ray, finding it to have
detail issues, which only increased on very weak, anamorphically
enhanced widescreen DVD version with weak, lossy Dolby Digital 5.1
sound that overly folds down the Dolby Atmos 12-track soundmaster.
The costly reshoots also obviously shook the already
coherence-challenged film.
I'm
not a huge fan of the score here by Daniel Pemberton (the underrated
Man
from U.N.C.L.E.
remake), which features weird chorus numbers and experimental
sounding tones while they should have stuck with the more traditional
Hans Zimmer-esque sound. All in all, however, if you like loud
fantasy epics, this disc may be a good one to show off the
capabilities of your home entertainment system.
A
digital UV copy is also included.
Special
Features...
Arthur
with Swagger
(the only extra on the DVD)
Sword
from the Stone
Parry
and Bleed
Building
on the Past
Inside
the Cut: The Action of King Arthur
Camelot
in 93 Days
Legend
of Excalibur
Scenic
Scotland
It
seems like Hollywood should maybe lay off the King Arthur legend for
a while. This film is watchable but nothing that will stand the test
of time. It, much like Fuqua's versions (a PG-13 and R-versions
exist), will most likely collect dust until another inevitable
re-imagining comes along in a decade or so. Try John Boorman's
Excalibur
instead.
Little
Men
An
endearing look at modern day New York and a great coming of
age/family drama, Little
Men
(2016) tells the story of a family that moves to New York after the
death of a family member and centers around two young boys who become
best friends in the midst of their parents battling over a dress
shop. An interesting look at acting, theatre, and life in the big
city, the film is realistic and well made, becoming an official
selection at the Sundance Film Festival last year.
Little
Men
stars Greg Kinnear (Little
Miss Sunshine),
Jennifer Ehle, Paulina Garcia, Michael Barberi, Theo Taplitz, and
Alfred Molina to name a few.
Presented
on standard definition DVD with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.66:1
and a lossy English 5.1 Dolby Digital track, the presentation is up
to DVD standards in its compressed form and looks as good as to be
expected.
Special
Features...
The
Making of Little Men
Casting
Session: Tony (Michael Barbieri) and Jake (Theo Taplitz)
Theatrical
Trailer
If
you're a fan of coming of age dramas, then this is one that you won't
want to miss.
The
Love Of A Woman
It
is ironic that the then-popular French director Jean Gremillon died
the very year the French New Wave started. That moment caused a
split between old and new filmmakers in that country that was not
kind, much like the way Rock and Punk Rock split that great music
genre. Either way, The
Love Of Woman
(1953) would be his last film and part of a melodramatic semi-cycle
of tales of devoted medical people facing personal pain in the face
of ignorance, despite their education, devotion to their profession,
their faith in individuality and possible love ties. Usually the
(selfless aka angelic and/or wonderful) medical person is incidental
to the larger film, but not here where Marie (Micheline Presle)
becomes the new doctor in town, replacing a man and getting the
expected sexism and lack of faith you'd imagine. It might remind you
of similar tales of teachers and nuns, but here it is.
Of
course, she falls in love with an engineer named Andre (Massimo
Grotti) in a smart screenplay that makes this more than just a soap
opera or formula weepy 'woman's film' on the richer side you'd expect
from the likes of Douglas Sirk at his peak. However, the melodrama
can get thick and be a bit obvious, so its the moments of better
acting and unexpectedly honest scenes that don't pander that makes
this an interesting watch after all these decades. It may not be
everyone's cup of tea, but its worth a good look, especially because
it shows the end of one era of a great cinema before the rise of
another. Of course, some of what it says and shows is as relevant as
ever, so you might want to see it at least once for yourself.
The
1.33 X 1 1080p black & white image off of the original camera
material looks as good as it can for Blu-ray, but the PCM 2.0 Mono
can only do so much for the age of the audio. The 1.33 X 1 standard
definition DVD with lossy French Dolby Digital Mono makes the film
look older and does not fare as well.
Extras
include the DVD if you choose to count that (I won't), plus both
discs offer In
Search of Jean Gremillon,
a feature-length documentary on the filmmaker from 1969, containing
interviews with director Rene Clair, archivist Henri Langlois, actors
Micheline Presle and Pierre Brasseur, and others, Reversible Sleeve
featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jennifer
Dionisio and in the FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's
booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Ginette
Vincendeau.
1944
It
is 1944 of World War II. Estonian soldiers find themselves between
German and Russian armies. As they fight in the war, due to
political affiliations one day, they are fighting for the Red Army,
the next day they are fighting for the Third Reich. Estonian boys
barely old enough to be men are forced to fight a war on 2 fronts
with no idea which side they are on, much less if they will be
fighting their own brothers the next day. All the soldiers just want
to stay alive and go home, it is only too late to realize until after
the battle they have shot their own countryman in Elmo Nuganen's 1944
(2015).
1944
in World War II, Estonia was in between the nations. Not knowing
which side of the war they belong, they just side on which side would
give them their next hot meal. While the soldiers dream of home and
family, their loyalties are torn between their countrymen and brother
in arms. What is the point of being a soldier if one has to kill
their own countryman, there own neighbor? In the shadow of World War
I, past allegiances could mean the difference between loyalists and
traitors, the difference between life or death and sent to the gulag.
On the battlefield, how do you kill someone who could of been your
brother?
This
was an insight into World War II, it shows what it is to be on both
sides of the war. There are two types of soldiers, soldiers who care
about their men and the people, and commanders who care about
loyalties and winning (political) points. On the battlefield, there
are no loyalties, just survival, humanity is a luxury cannot be
afforded if one wants to survive. Forced to fight, shoot and kill
your own people, how is a soldier to decide which side is he on?
The
2.35 X 1 anamorphically enhanced widescreen DVD image looks as good
as it can for the format, very consistent with the look attempted,
but the lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is simply not as good and cannot
match it. A Blu-ray would rectify that. Extras include bonus short
film and trailers.
Ronin
The
late, great, underrated John Frankenheimer's Ronin
(1998) has stood the test of time, arriving as a formidable hit in
its time and at a time when the Spy Genre was making a comeback,
completed after Daniel Craig became the biggest James Bond since
Roger Moore and Tom Cruise managed to parlay his first Mission:
Impossible
film into his most successful franchise. Other usually lame spy
films also surfaced, plus a few underrated ones, but Ronin
is sometimes in a class by itself. No sequels, prequels, toy
tie-ins, remakes or rushed recyclings, it is as smart as any of them
and I first raved about the film in its all-too-basic Blu-ray debut
years ago at this link as the then-new format arrived...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8306/Ronin+(1998/MGM+Blu-ray
Now
back via Arrow with a ton of extras, the other great aspect of the
film is that the decent picture from that Blu-ray has been topped by
a new 4K transfer that has slightly better color range, more clarity,
less noise without losing natural grain and more light and depth than
anything since I saw it on 35mm film when it first hit theaters.
Also, the film sounds better sonically, now regaining the punch, edge
and richness the old 12-inch analog LaserDisc with DTS sound had, now
presented here in lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 that finally
delivers the film as intended at home. In this respect, it can more
than compete with just about any spy film out there sonically and it
was a big DTS sound demo film at the time. The character the makers
put into the mix is still very impressive now, so set your
expectations high if you have not seen the film ever or for a long
time. Arrow and MGM really deliver here bigtime!
Extras
are a mix of older and new pieces including an excellent, vintage
feature length audio commentary track by director John Frankenheimer,
Brand New Video Interview with director of photography Robert
Fraisse, Paul Joyce documentary on Robert De Niro, Ronin:
Filming in the Fast Lane,
an archival behind-the-scenes featurette, Through
the Lens,
an archival interview with Robert Fraisse, The
Driving of Ronin,
an archival featurette on the film's legendary car stunt, Natascha
McElhone: An Actor's Process,
an archival interview with the actress, Composing
the Ronin Score,
an archival interview with the underrated composer Elia Cmiral, In
the Ronin Cutting Room,
an archival interview with editor Tony Gibbs, Venice Film Festival
interviews with Robert De Niro, Jean Reno and Natascha McElhone,
Alternate ending, Theatrical Trailer, Reversible Sleeve featuring
original and newly commissioned artwork by Jacob Phillips and in the
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet illustrated by Chris Malbon,
featuring new writing on the film by critic Travis Crawford.
Spotlight
On A Murder
The
dark and mysterious black and white French thriller Spotlight
on a Murderer
(1961 - also known as Pleins feux sur l'assassin) is a mix of film
noir and murder mystery. Directed by Georges Franju (his third film,
see the Criterion Blu-ray of his classic thriller Eyes
Without A Face
elsewhere on this site) and starring Pierre Brasseur and Pascale
Audret, this newly restored transfer by Gaumont has the classic film
looking better than ever with impeccable detail and a bunch of new
extra features. What grabbed my eye first was the stunning cover art
by Peter Stain and checking out this film for the first time on
Blu-ray disc, I found the film to be a very unique and interesting
cinematic experience.
Count
Herve de Keraudren, near death, decides to go into hiding and
complicate matters for his heirs that must deal with his fortune
after he dies. When his body isn't found, the heirs will have to
wait for five years until they can inherit the money. This puts into
motion a search for the body organized by the niece and nephews as
they organize a Son et Lumiere show at the manor while busily looking
for the missing body. However, the search for the corpse is nothing
but easy, especially when murder becomes involved.
The
newly restored 1080p version of the film is presented on Blu-ray disc
with a 1.37:1 full frame aspect ratio (bookended by black bars) and a
lossless PCM 1.0 Mono track that bests any previous version of the
film on disc. Despite the age of the print and the condition, Arrow
has done a fantastic job teaming with Gaumont to provide the sharpest
image possible for the Blu-ray format. Also included is a standard
definition DVD with similar but compressed Dolby Digital Mono that
makes it play more agedly.
Special
Features...
Vintage
production featurette from 1960, shot on location and including
interviews with Georges Franju and actors Pascale Audret, Pierre
Brasseur, Marianne Koch, Dany Saval and Jean-Louis Trintignant
Original
theatrical trailer
and
Reversible Sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by
Peter Strain
An
interesting story that could be retold in a new manner today, I found
Spotlight
on a Murderer
to be a fun trip to the past and a murder mystery that isn't easy to
foretell the ending of.
Subterranea
The
sci-fi indie Subterranea
(2015) was a big winner at several different film festivals,
including the Grand Prize Winner at the Vortex Sci-Fi Fest, but isn't
anything too drastically different from films like V
For Vendetta
or Brick.
From the Producer of The
Man From Earth
and directed by Matthew Miller, the film falls victim to 'the guy
with a dark past who ends up not remembering who he is' syndrome that
we've seen so many times before.
The
film stars Bug Hall (American
Pie Presents the Book of Love),
Nicholas Turturro (NYPD
Blue,
The
Night Of...),
Amber Rose Mason, and William Katt.
Having
spent his entire life in a dark cell as the result of a bizarre
social experiment, never seeing the light of day or another human
being, the "Captive" is released into society and must
learn how to live for the first time as an adult. However, the
answers to his past and why he was kept into containment for so long
comes to light in a dark and disturbing way...
Subterranea
is presented in standard definition with an anamorphically enhanced
widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1
track, the film looks fine on DVD in a compressed format. A high def
version would fix many shots that lack detail here and help flesh out
some of the color schemes in the cinematography, that isn't half bad
admittedly.
Special
Features include...
The
Making of Subterranean
BTS
Documentary
Deleted
Scenes
and
On The Set - Timelapses
-
James Lockhart, Ricky Chiang (1944)
and Nicholas Sheffo (Ronin,
Woman)
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
