Black
Rainbow
(1991*)/Bloodstone
(1988/both Arrow*)/Shining
Sex
(1975/Severin Blu-ray)/Sukiyaki
Western Django
(2007/*all MVD Blu-rays)/Valley
Of The Gods
(2019/Well Go Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+/B+/B-/B+/B+ Sound: B+/B+/B-/B+/B+ Extras: B/B/C+/C+/C+
Films: C+/C/C/B/C
Now
for more genre releases, including a few very odd ones...
We
start with yet another film from Director Mike Hodges being issued by
Arrow. Rosanna Arquette stars in Black
Rainbow
(1991), an unusual supernatural thriller that is definitely worth
checking out.
Arquette
plays a traveling psychic named Martha Travis, whose at the mercy of
her controlling alcoholic father Walter (Jason Robards). While her
act is usually staged to gain profits, she starts having real
communication with spirits beyond. When a newsman (Tom Hulce) starts
investigating and telling her story, her visions become more and more
dangerous and possessive.
Black
Rainbow
is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with a
widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and an audio mix in English: DTS-HD
MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) and
English:
LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit) lossless sound. Like the recent Flash
Gordon
restoration, this is a brand new restoration from the original
negative approved by writer-director Mike Hodges.
Special
Features:
New
audio commentary by film historians Kat Ellinger and Samm Deighan
Archival
audio commentary by Mike Hodges
Message
in a Bottle:
Archival Making of documentary
Archival
interviews with Jason Robards, Tom Hulce, Rosanna Arquette
Archival
featurettes 8 Minutes ; Disasters ; Seeing the Future ; Behind the
Rainbow featuring interviews with Hodges, Arquette, Robards, producer
John Quested including behind-the-scenes imagery
Trailer
Reversible
sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael
Marsh
and
FIRST
PRESSING ONLY:
a high quality booklet featuring new writing on the film by author
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Mike Hodges and more.
Bloodstone
(1988) is
a fun action adventure romp that at the time was hoping to win over
some Indiana Jones or Romancing the Stone fans yearning for action at
the cineplex. In the film, a newlywed American couple go on a
honeymoon to India, where they end up on a crazy adventure centered
around a ruby.
The
film stars Brett Stimely, Rajinikanth, Anna Nicholas, Charlie Brill,
and Jack Kehler with directed by Dwight H. Little (Broken
Arrow).
Bloodstone
is is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with a
widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and an audio mix in DTS-HD MA
(Master Audio) 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 Stereo, both English at 48kHz,
24-bit. The film is up to standards with Arrow's high quality
standards.
Special
Features:
Brand
new audio commentary by Bryan Reesman
Keeping
it to Myself,
brand new interview with producer and co-writer Nico Mastorakis
Brand
new video essay on Bloodstone star Rajinikanth by Indian cinema
expert Josh Hurtado
Trailers
Image
gallery
Original
screenplay [BD-ROM content]
Reversible
sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Graham
Humphreys
and
FIRST
PRESSING ONLY:
Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by
Mark Cunliffe.
Jess
Franco has made a ton of films, often fast and cheap, but his most
sexually explicit film, Shining
Sex
(1975) is
a wacky and bizarre as anything he has probably ever made or anyone
has ever made. Though he gets into the trap of filming and showing
some things only he understands, the sex is what it is and the
narrative is vague, but here is what this viewer could gather. Don't
expect the film to be as coherent.
A
woman (the director's real life wife Lina Romay) is a performer of
sexually charged dancing, in the nude or practically so, also having
an extremely hot sexual affair for a boyfriend (or the like, we only
see him nude in a picture, but it is suggested he is highly skilled
in sexual prowess) and she is particularly happy before and during
the current performance she is giving to a paying, but small public
gathering. This is not only noticed by some in the audience, but by
aliens from outer space!
Two
of them (nude unless they are wearing the low-end line of EuroDisco
clothing of the time, if that is what it is; great disguise) seduce
her and start to have all kinds of sex with her. Are they trying to
experience human sex, just have more sex or add to whatever their
kind of sex is? Of course, the film never answers any of these
questions (voyeurism included, we gather) and is probably not
interested in asking them (Franco plays a guy stuck in a wheelchair
watching pretty much all of this) so the ultimate intent is to
somehow titillate... or something like that. Guess you'll have to
see it if you think it is your kind of film... or just to see if you
can figure out what is going on here... somehow.
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer can show the
age of the materials used, restored in this uncut edition, so it is
going superior to all previous releases of the film. However, it
still has rough spots and scenes he could and should have reshot
because what he intended in a few places failed. It would have only
took a few minutes and a few dollars more. The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono lossless mix is only in English and
there is still dubbing that does not always work and the sonic
quality overall really shows its age. It is still likely to be the
best this will ever sound, so it is what it is.
Extras
include In
the Land of Franco Part 3
- Stephen Thrower and Antonio Mayans tour multiple Franco locations
in Malaga, Spain, Shining
Jess
- Interview with Stephen Thrower, Author of Murderous
Passions and Flowers of Perversion,
Never
Met Franco
- Interview with Filmmaker Gerard Kikoine, Filmmaker Christophe Gans
on Franco, Very NSFW Outtakes, Franco
at Eurocine
- Interview with Producer Daniel Lesoeur, Audio Commentary with
Scholars Robert Monell and Rod Barnett and an Original Theatrical
Trailer.
The
infamous filmmaker Takashi Miike (Audition,
Ichi
The Killer)
takes a stab at directing a wacky spaghetti western tribute to the
classic 'Django'
films with Sukiyaki
Western Django
(2007), which also features cult director Quentin Tarantino in front
of the camera in a small role. The film was previously released on
Blu-ray disc in 2008, but this is a new collector's edition with two
cuts of the film and plenty of extras.
If
you have seen Miike's work, then you know that it's kind of hard to
describe. At one moment highly cinematic and then the next a bit
over the top and almost cartoonish. Sukiyaki
Western Django
is a highly stylized romp that is the answer to what happens if a
spaghetti western was set at some odd point in Japanese history.
The
film stars Hideaki Ito, Koichi Sato, Yusuke Iseya, Masanobu Ando, and
Takaaki Ishibashi.
Sukiyaki
Western Django
is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with a
widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and an audio mixes in English
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless sound, English LPCM 2.0 Stereo
lossless, and lossy English Dolby Digital 5.1. The film is very
colorful with some bizarre color choices, some of them a bit
questionable. But it's definitely a vivid and interestingly shot
film, if not a bit experimental.
Special
Features:
Making
of Featurette
Deleted
Scenes
Sizzle
Reel
Promotional
Clips
U.S.
and Japanese Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots (SD)
Reversible
Artwork
and
Limited Edition Slipcover
Tarantino
fans will get a kick out of his cameo in this film and it is a wacky
thrill ride for sure. You can read more about the film in another
rave review of an older Blu-ray/DVD set edition we reviewed at this
link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/7809/Sukiyaki+Western+Django+(First+Look+Blu-ray
Lastly,
Josh Hartnett, Berenice Marlohe (Skyfall),
and John Malkovich star in Lech Majewksi's Valley
of the Gods
(2019), which gets a nice Blu-ray release here from Well Go USA.
The
film is shot quite nicely and has some incredible production design
behind it, but all in all is a poor attempt at being a David Lynch
type surrealist film. Painfully slow at points, the filmmaking is
the most impressive point of this film and the only reason to finish
it.
The
film also stars Keir Dullea (2001:
A Space Odyssey),
John Rhys-Davies, Jaime Ray Newman, Joseph Runnfox, and Steven
Skyler.
The
film follows three storylines - an eccentric trillionaire
(Malkovich), a Navajo community that is struggling, and a writer
(Hartnett). Hoping to write a biographical piece on Malkovich's
character, Hartnett finds that he's in for a lot more than he
bargained for.
Valley
of the Gods
is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with a a MPEG-4
AVC codec and a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1 with audio mixes in
English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix and a lossy English
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. Overall, a solid video presentation.
Special
Features include a Making Of featurette, Trailer and previews for
other Well Go releases
-
Nicholas Sheffo (Shining)
and James
Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/