The
Best Of Harvey Korman
(from The
Carol Burnett Show/1968
- 1971/Time Life/Star Vista DVD)/Everything
You Always Wanted To Know About Sex* *But were afraid to ask
(1972/United Artists/MGM/Twilight Time Limited Edition Blu-ray)/How
To Be A Latin Lover
(2017/Lionsgate Blu-ray w/DVD)/John
Waters' Desperate Living
(1977/New Line/Warner Archive DVD)/Last
Day Of School
(2017/Troma Blu-ray)/The
Norman Gunston Show Television Collection
(1980s - 1990s/Umbrella PAL Import DVD Set)/Snatched
4K
(2017/Fox 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: A- Picture: C+/B/B+ & B-/B-/C/C+/B+
Sound: C+/C+/B+ & B-/B-/B/C+/A- Extras: D/C/C+/C/C/C+/C+
Main Programs: B-/B-/C+/C/D/B-/C+
PLEASE
NOTE:
The
Norman Gunston Show
Import DVD set is now only available from our friends at Umbrella
Entertainment in Australia, can only play on Blu-ray and DVD players
that can handle the PAL format, Everything
You Always Wanted To Know About Sex...
is now only available from our friends at Twilight
Time and is limited to only 3,000 copies and John
Waters' Desperate Living
is now only available from Warner Bros. through their Warner Archive
series. All can be ordered from the links below.
The
Best Of Harvey Korman from The Carol Burnett Show
Harvey
Korman is one of the funniest people Hollywood ever had the pleasure
of having on any screen. He more than proved his skills in big
screen films by Mel Brooks and others, but his massive success on The
Carol Burnett Show
is the one that sticks with most people because the show ran 10
seasons and the mix of often brilliant skits (leading to the Mama's
Family
spin-off he was in early episodes of) showed a range that hardly any
other comic actor in industry history ever had. Like Burnett and the
other amazing cast members, he was purely comical without trying and
you never
knew what he was going to do or pull off. Being only one DVD, there
is a ton of material literally the new Best
Of Harvey Korman
DVD could have pulled from, not even including his own (unseen or too
long) variety show, but this disc offers four early episodes from the
earliest seasons to show off Korman's genius and the great moments
often happen in supporting moments (second banana to Burnett's Carmen
Miranda) or when he steals the skit (the thirds member of The Andrew
Sisters with Burnett and also comically brilliant Vicki Lawrence.
Growing
up on this hilarity, you take it for granted that it will always be
there, but that is just being spoiled with such gifted talent.
Joined in the episodes by the likes of Bernadette Peters, Nancy
Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, Sid Caesar, Tim Conway before he became a
regular and Diahann Carroll, Korman was just not being joined by big
names, he was one of them!
Check
out this set ASAP!
The
1.33 X 1 color image from the old 2-inch analog NTSC videotape
masters look as good as all the previous Carol
Burnett
DVDs have, which is good, though as these are older episodes, expect
a few more flaws and color issues at times. Other analog
videotape flaws include video noise, video banding and cross color,
but these have been cleaned up as much as possible. The lossy Dolby
Digital 2.0 Mono is also cleaned up without ruining or compressing
the audio too much, though I wonder if a lossless version would
increase clarity a little more. There are sadly no extras.
Everything
You Always Wanted To Know About Sex* *But were afraid to ask
Woody
Allen was on a roll with only his third film, an anthology based on
Dr. David Ruben's bold new book Everything
You Always Wanted To Know About Sex* *But were afraid to ask
(1972), which is actually an anthology of seven boldly/amusingly
entitled segments that emulate various kinds of filmmaking,
situations (bad commercial TV sticks out well here) and has some of
his wildest humor. To reveal the titles would ruin the fun, but it
goes beyond sex into fetishes, many bad ideas and no-nos, some
disgusting things (sex with animals) and has a general freedom that
was a breathe of fresh air to comedy at a time when it was all so
groundbreaking and bold.
Upping
the ante is the amazing cast daring to participate in it all
including Gene Wilder, Burt Reynolds, Tony Randall, Louise Lasser,
Lynn Redgrave, Anthony Quayle, John Carradine, Lou Jacobi, Elaine
Giftos, Stanley Adams, Alan Caillou, Geoffrey Holder, Oscar Beregi
Jr., an uncredited Norman Alden, plus Regis Philbin and Jack Barry
playing themselves. Allen was totally in control of his filmmaking
in an amazing way early on (his next film, Sleeper,
would be one of his best ever) and he was just warming up. This
might not be for everyone and some may be able to take this one on
sometimes f not all the time, but Everything...
is a must-see film and its arrival on Blu-ray finally is something to
cheer about.
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer rarely shows
the age of the materials used in another far superior transfer of
another Allen classic, outdoing older video releases with ease and
impressing throughout.
You can see more vividly how well Allen and his crew recreated the
look and feel of the various film genres, eras and even otherworldly
locales they were bringing to life so well. Director of Photography
David M. Walsh (Allen's Sleeper,
House
Calls,
Murder
By Death,
Silver
Streak,
The
Goodbye Girl,
Rollercoaster
(1977), Monty
Walsh
(1970) and The
Sunshine Boys)
was one of the great cameramen of the time and rarely gets the credit
he deserved. However, the work more than holds up, looks great and
the high quality of the Blu-ray allows it to speak for itself.
The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 1.0 Mono lossless mix shows its age more so,
especially since Allen was not big on overdoing sonics, so the sound
is more limited than one would like, but it is about as good as it
can be here.
Extras
include another nicely illustrated booklet on the film including
informative text and yet another excellent, underrated essay by the
great film scholar Julie Kirgo, while the Blu-ray disc adds an
Isolated Music Score and Original Theatrical Trailer.
How
To Be A Latin Lover
How
To Be A Latin Lover
(2017) is in many ways a more sophisticated version of Deuce
Bigalow: Male Gigolo
and honestly doesn't bring much to the table that we haven't seen
before. However, it isn't without some laughs and overall succeeds
in its goal of being charming. The all-star cast includes Eugenio
Derbez, Salma Hayek, Rob Lowe, Kristen Bell, and Raquel Welch to name
a few. The film is directed by Ken Marino (Children's
Hospital,
Party
Down)
and written by Jon Zack (The
Perfect Score)
& Chris Spain.
He’s
a man whose profession is to please women - and he has done so for
the last 25 years. But when his sugar mama dies, Maximo (Derbez)
finds himself moving back in with his sister (Hayek) and her young
son in a less than ideal situation. After being told he is God's
gift to women, it's time for Maximo to discover the harsh reality of
life and that beauty ages. Will he find true love and restore his
damaged ego?
Presented
in 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and
a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1 in English and a lossy
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 track, the film looks and sounds up to
Blu-ray standards. The realistic look of the film and bright colors
all look nice in high definition. Considerably so than the included
DVD version, which has an anamorphic widescreen transfer and a lossy
Dolby Digital 5.1 track, that is of compressed quality.
A
digital copy is also included.
Special
Features...
Deleted
and Extended Scenes
"Show
Me Your Sexy! Learning How to Be a Latin Lover" featurette
"A
Little Help from My Friends" featurette
Audio
Commentary with Director Ken Marino, Producer Ben Odell and Editor
John Daigle
A
few laughs here and there but for me personally, it's hard to get
past comparing it to stronger comedies of the like.
John
Waters' Desperate Living
Fans
of John Waters will enjoy his obscure piece of cinema decadence known
as Desperate
Living
(1977). Not afraid to hit upon touchy subjects (even for the time)
the film doesn't shy away from foul mouthed crossdressers, gross
food, fascism, and rape. If this movie doesn't make your stomach
turn then nothing likely will. This is definitely Waters unhinged,
for better or for worse.
The
film stars Liz Renay, Jean Hill, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, and Mary
Vivian Pearce.
Peggy
Gravel has a mental breakdown in her home and, along with her nurse
Grizelda, attack her husband and kill him. Both try to hide, but a
cop with a fetish for female underwear forces them to live in
Mortville after forcing himself on them. The town of Mortville is a
pitiful community where destitute criminals under the matriarch rule
of Queen Carlotta. From there, things get progressively grosser and
weirder.
Presented
in standard definition with a 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio and a
lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track, the film looks fine for the
format. Compression issues are evident and the transfer could most
definitely use a HD restoration in the near future.
Special
Features...
Commentary
by John Waters
Theatrical
Trailer
I'm
not a huge fan of Waters, but this film reminds me a bit of early
unhinged Peter Jackson movies. Not afraid to push buttons and gross
out the audience to make a controversial mark.
Last
Day Of School
This
Troma-riffic Last
Day of School
(2017) is a college-set no budget comedy that has the taste and IQ
level of a bad
American Pie
knockoff. Directed by Michael and Sonny Mahal, the film is
derivative of several other comedies in the same genre and gets so
unrealistic and dumb at times that you'll be wondering what these
guys were on while making this film. Even for Z-grade cult comedy,
this is downright painful to watch.
The
film stars Ben Stobber, Aaron McLaughlin, Raymond Guitierrez, Joe
Chin, Michael Forsch, Vitelita Vita and Cheryl Prater.
The
story in a nutshell... In a college full of sex fiends, four college
guys get caught cheating on their exams and are forced by their
alcoholic broken hearted teacher to perform outrageous acts in order
to graduate. (None of which are that particularly funny or
realistic.)
The
1080p transfer has a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a 2.0 stereo
track, both of which are fine for a no budget film like this.
However, I don't think the editors took the time to match the frame
rates, as some scenes have jumpy and footage with motion blur. There
isn't much to gloat about with this presentation, in other words.
Special
Features...
Introduction
by The Directors and Lloyd Kaufman
Behind
the Scenes Slideshow
Trailers
(30
Girls 30 Days
Trailer)
Troma
Now! Extreme Edition
Return
to.. Return to Nuke 'Em High
aka Vol. 2 Fantasia Trailer
Radiation
March
Even
for Troma, this is just downright silly.
The
Norman Gunston Show Television Collection
In
1973, actor Gerry McDonald introduced a new comical, eccentric
character named Norman Gunston on the Australian TV series The
Aunty Jack Show.
This was so successful, a spin-off Gunston show surfaced the next
year and over the years, Mr. McDonald made a career of playing the
amusing, not-afraid to be embarrassing or embarrassed character over
the decades and worldwide audiences and fans of the great Rock band
The Who might remember him in the 1979 documentary The
Kids Are Alright.
Now, Umbrella in Australia has issued a 4-DVD set called The
Norman Gunston Show Television Collection
that collects highlights of his celebrity interviews and ambushes
during the 1980s and 1990s, including many very familiar Hollywood
names like Shirley MacLaine, Jean Stapleton. Slash of Guns N Roses,
Rod Steiger, Lionel Ritchie, Billy Crystal, Tim Allen, many Aussie
stars you might not know outside of the country and even British
icons like Jackie Collins.
This
might not be for everyone and feels like later lamer shows like
Punk'd and worse 'reality TV' that destroyed TV save for some great
series that surfaced elsewhere. A little of Gunston can go a long
way, but some of this is funny and seeing people you know and like
back in the day that you may have missed is a plus for the set.
McDonald also showed up in feature films like Rabbit-Proof
Fence,
Picnic
At Hanging Rock,
the infamous Kristy MacNichol Pirate
Movie
and the Moulin
Rouge!
with Nicole Kidman, showing he is not a one-note performer, but has
to follow a formula here. It is worth a good look for those
interested enough.
The
1.33 X 1 image comes from the analog PAL format videotapes which can
look good, but have their share of flaws including
video noise, video banding, telecine flicker, tape scratching, PAL
cross color, faded color and a little tape damage. Some old analog
video effects also look phony and expect moire patterns here and
there. The lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has its clarity, but some
location audio issues are here when Gunston ambushes potential
interviewees and expect some sonic distortion here and there.
Outtakes and extended interviews are the extras, including the
overlap of scenes from one disc used to promote the others before
this became this larger set.
Snatched
4K
Amy
Schumer and Goldie Hawn star in Director Jonathan Levine's Snatched
(2017), the new Mother/Daughter comedy that filled cineplexes on
Mother's Day earlier in the summer. While the script isn't anything
profound, there's still a few laughs to be had and the chemistry
between the two leads is evident onscreen. The film shines its
brightest in its first act but once things push into peril, the
script sadly just gets more and more predictable as it unravels with
some lackluster action scenes that aren't any different from any
other 'fish out of water' comedy you've seen with huge names. For
fans of Schumer's comedy, however, her schtick is on point here so it
has that going for it.
Snatched
also stars Ike Barinholtz, Wanda Sykes, Christopher Meloni, and
Randall Par to name a few.
After
getting fired from her job for being lazy, Emily (Schumer) gets
dumped by her boyfriend right before they are supposed to go on an
exotic vacation. Going back home to her mother (Hawn) and brother
(Barnholtz) after having alienated herself from her peers, she
decides to take her mom along for the trip. Hoping to spark the
sense of adventure that her mom had in her younger years, the
vacation quickly goes awry when the duo get kidnapped. From here,
things just get crazier as they go from one bad situation to another.
Presented
in both 2160p 4K HEVC/H.265, HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced
Ultra High Definition and 1080p Blu-ray with a widescreen aspect
ratio of 2.40:1, this combo pack offers stunning home entertainment
viewing, even though a movie of this nature doesn't necessary merit
the ultra high definition like most other Hollywood releases would.
Still, the extra bits of resolution on 4K capture facial details with
more precision and on location shots that look real enough to touch.
The Blu-ray looks fine for the format, but is missing some of the
little details that are evident in the upscaling. The sound mix is
the same on both discs, presenting the film in English DTS-HD MA
(Master Audio) lossless 7.1 that takes advantage of the film's wild
soundtrack.
A
digital UV copy is also included.
Special
Features include...
Deleted
Scenes
Cantina
Gag
Reel
Director
Commentary by Jonathan Levine
To
order the Everything
You Always Wanted To Know About Sex...
limited edition Blu-ray, buy it and other hard to get releases them
while supplies last (including many other Woody Allen titles reviewed
elsewhere on this site) at these links:
www.screenarchives.com
and
http://www.twilighttimemovies.com/
To
order The
Norman Gunston Show
Umbrella import DVD set, go to this link for it and other great
titles at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
… and
to order the John
Waters' Desperate Living
Warner Archive DVD, go to this link for it and many more great
web-exclusive releases at:
http://www.wbshop.com/
-
James Lockhart & Nicholas Sheffo (Korman,
Gunston,
Sex)
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
