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Category:    Home > Reviews > Horror > Thriller > Murder > French > Suspense > Psychological > Nazis > Neo Noir > Action > Cable TV > Boy Behind The Door (2020*)/Chabrol: Twisting The Knife (The Swindle (1997) Color Of Lies (1999) Nightcap (aka Merci Pour Le Chocolat (2000) Flower Of Evil (2003)/MVD/Arrow Blu-ray Set)/Last Looks (20

Boy Behind The Door (2020*)/Chabrol: Twisting The Knife (The Swindle (1997) Color Of Lies (1999) Nightcap (aka Merci Pour Le Chocolat (2000) Flower Of Evil (2003)/MVD/Arrow Blu-ray Set)/Last Looks (2022/*both RLJ Blu-ray)/Long Night (2022/Well Go Blu-ray)/Vikings: Season Six, Volume Two (2021 - 2022/MGM/Warner Blu-ray Set)



Picture: B+/B/B+/B+/B+ Sound: B+/B-/B+/B+/B+ Extras: C/B/C/B/C+ Main Programs: C+/B-/B/C-/B



Here's a big new set of thrillers...



The Boy Behind The Door (2020) is a horror film that feels like it could really happen... or probably has. It focuses on child abduction at its core as we are introduced to two young innocent boys who get picked up by a stranger and forced into a trunk. One of them manages to escape whilst the other one is put in a room and chained down with a collar around his neck. The other boy puts two and two together and attempts to free his friend at any cost. The film has some great moments where tension is built nicely, there's a few twists and turns, and cool visual clues that follow the slasher formula effectively. There's one sequence that is a dead on homage to The Shining that's pretty apparent. The twist at the end of the second act is surprising and one I did not see coming whilst the end was a little predictable. All in all, the film is effective and does what it sets out to do.


The film stars Lonnie Chavis, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Scott Michael Foster, Micah Hauptman, and Rich Ceraulo Ko. The film is directed by David Charbonier and Justin Powell.


The Boy Behind the Door is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1, and an English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) lossless mix. The cinematography and overall technical filmmaking aspects of the film are solid throughout and has a studio film look and feel considering its budget was likely low. The sound mix on the disc is effective and kept me engaged at least!


Special Features: Music Video and Bloopers.



A few months ago, we covered a Blu-ray box set of Claude Chabrol films dubbed Lies & Deceit, which offered five of his films, not all thrillers...


http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/16076/Dalgliesh:+Series+1+(2021/Acorn+DVD+set)/Last


Now comes a set of four more films that are definitely thrillers, dubbed Twisting The Knife, has arrived and we actually covered all four films in the past. They include The Swindle C+ (aka RIEN NE VA PLUS, 1997) on DVD

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4169/The+Swindle+(Rien+ne+va+plus,+199


Color Of Lies C+ (1999) in its previous Cohen Media Blu-ray edition

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/13001/The+Color+Of+Lies+(1999/Cohen+Bl


Nightcap B- (aka Merci Pour Le Chocolat (2000) on both Blu-ray

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/13048/Cold+In+July+(2014/MPI/IFC+Blu-ray

and DVD

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/93/Merci+Pour+Le+Chocolat


The Flower Of Evil B- (2003, DVD)

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1053/Flower+Of+Evil


Swindle is still as poor as I remembered it, Lies was originally reviewed by another critic and apparently looked and sounded as good in its older Blu-ray edition, though I liked it much less than my fellow critic. Nightcap and Flower are somewhat better to me, despite dragging out and not always working. I cannot see or pinpoint any major differences in the case of the two Cohen Blu-rays versus the new versions here and all but Lies are from new 4K transfers.


So the set is much better-looking overall than the last one, with the transfers certainly making any older DVD versions obsolete. All four have 1080p 1.66 X 1 digital High Definition transfers and all were shot on Fuji full color 35mm negative film, save Nightcap on Kodak full color 35mm negative film and despite being one of the new transfers, is the one that is a bit off. The others look fine, clean, clear, detailed and with a fine color range, but Nightcap is a shade darker than it should be for some odd reason and I doubt it is the brand of film used. It is as if someone took a liberty in remastering they should not have taken.


As for sound, all four offer uncompressed PCM French 2.0 Stereo sound, with Flower and Nightcap adding DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 French lossless mixes as they were originally Dolby Digital 5.1 sound theatrical releases, though those mixes are not quite as good as the PCM versions in many parts. Lies was also a Dolby Digital 5.1 theatrical release, yet there is no 5.1 on the disc here, nor was there on the Cohen Blu-ray, so what happened to those tracks? Were they just that bad or poor? Save that film this is the best these films will likely ever sound and as much as I do not like to admit it, Swindle is the best-sounding of them all.


Like the last box set, extras are many and (per the press release) include a high quality, 80-page collector's booklet of new writing by Sean Hogan, Brad Stevens, Catherine Dousteyssier-Khoze, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, and Pamela Hutchinson


  • Limited Edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella


Then each disc adds the following...


DISC ONE: THE SWINDLE

  • New commentary by critic Barry Forshaw and author Sean Hogan


  • New visual essay by scholar Catherine Dousteyssier-Khoze


  • New interview with Cecile Maistre-Chabrol


  • Behind the scenes


  • Interview with Isabelle Huppert


  • Introduction by film scholar Joel Magny


  • Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol


  • Trailer


  • Image gallery


DISC TWO: THE COLOR OF LIES

  • New commentary by critic Barry Forshaw and author Sean Hogan


  • New visual essay by film critic Scout Tafoya


  • New visual essay by film critic David Kalat


  • Behind the scenes


  • Introduction by film scholar Joel Magny


  • Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol


  • Trailer


  • Image gallery


DISC THREE: NIGHTCAP

  • New commentary by film critic Justine Smith


  • New visual essay by film critic Scout Tafoya


  • Interview with Isabelle Huppert


  • Interview with Jacques Dutronc


  • Behind the scenes


  • Screen test for Anna Mouglalis


  • Introduction by film scholar Joel Magny


  • Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol


  • Trailer


  • Image gallery


DISC FOUR: THE FLOWER OF EVIL

  • New commentary by film critic Farran Smith Nehme


  • New visual essay by Agnes Poirier


  • Behind the scenes


  • Interview with co-writer Catherine Eliacheff


  • Introduction by film scholar Joel Magny


  • Select scene commentaries by Claude Chabrol


  • Trailer


  • and an Image gallery



Tim Kirkby's Last Looks (2022), also known as Waldo, is an engaging Neo-Noir and a surprisingly fun and interesting film with top notch performances from Charlie Hunnan, Mel Gibson, Morena Baccarin, Clancy Brown, and Dominic Monaghan. Set in L.A. and the outer limits of, the murder-mystery follows a retired but brilliant Detective Charlie Waldo (Hunnan) who lives with only 100 personal possessions in a beat up trailer in the middle of the woods.


One day, his stunning ex girlfriend (Baccarin) shows up at his place with a new job: to figure out the killer of a murderous crime involving a movie star (Gibson) and his murdered wife. As Charlie travels to LA on his beat up bicycle, he starts to peel off the layers of this mysterious crime, which was likely blackmail, and gets to the bottom of things whilst meeting a host of interesting characters along the way. The film reminded me a little bit of The Big Lebowski and other Neo-Noirs in its execution, and is definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of any of the top billed actors!


Last Looks is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1, and a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix. The film is nicely shot and produced with a high production value throughout and some very nice scenics of Los Angeles that shrouds it in both beauty and mystery.


Special Features: The Making of Last Looks featurette and an Original Theatrical Trailer.


Last Looks was a real surprise for me and a film that I would recommend to fans of Neo-Noir, film noir, or murder-mystery films.



The Long Night (2022), starring Scout Taylor Compton (Rob Zombie's Halloween films), is another horror film involving a creepy cult with world domination plans that stalks an unsuspecting couple who are on a backwoods vacation to maybe find and meet her absent parents. Predictable to a fault, The Long Night features a main character with a past she doesn't remember, could she be connected to this cult? Of course she is. Scout Taylor Compton does what she can with the material, and has yet to prove her full abilities I feel.


Basically, the film looks like a music video for a satanic rock band like Ghost or something of the sort. The film relies heavily on its sound design, and the photography on the whole isn't terrible. There is just nothing to this film but weird camera angles, the camera titling and shots dissolving into each other, and moments of loud noise and screaming.


The satanic cult appear in deer head masks (been done a million times) and just wave their hands like they are using the force or something and 'control' people. A cheap gimmick. The film is a cross between You're Next, Rosemary's Baby and Midsommar and just feels like it's been done better before. At times when you think something gruesome is going to happen it usually cuts away and is aided some weird sound design or creepy music. You could very easily take this footage and recut it into a three minute music video with no dialogue and get the same point across.


The film also stars Nolan Gerard Funk, Jeff Fahey, and Deborah Kara Unger.


The Long Night is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35 X 1 and an English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) lossless mix. The sound design and music is probably the film's best asset and is loud at times and nicely produced on the whole. The photography is decent and many night shots are lit in creative ways. The film definitely had something of a budget, if it wasn't more than a million bucks.


Special Features:

Audio commentary by director Rich Ragsdale

Behind the Scenes featurettes:

The Birthing

The Look

The Score

Short film: The Loop

and an Original Theatrical Trailer


The Long Night makes 90 minutes feel long.



And finally, Vikings: Season Six, Volume Two (2021 - 2022,) or the second half of Season 6 of Vikings lands on 3-disc Blu-ray disc from Warner Bros. The series is very engaging and has really interesting production and costume design and really makes you feel like you are a part of that time once you get sucked into it.


Vikings mainly centers on Ragnar Lothbrok, who is a text book hero archetype and much like a show centered around a pre-Mafia, the series tells the sagas of Ragnar's band of Viking brothers and his family. Believed to be an ancestor to the God Odin, Ragnar continues to break ground and strength his rule on any who dare oppose him or his brethren.


Episodes include King of Kings, All Change, The Signal, Lost Souls, All of the Sea, The Straw, The Raft of Medusa, It's Only Magic, The Lord Giveth, and The Last Act.


The episodes are presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1, and English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) lossless mixes, which presents the series uncensored and the way that it was meant to be seen commercial and network watermark free.


Special Features:


Exclusive Bonus Content: The Epic Worlds of Vikings


Exclusive Bonus Content: The Vikings Series Finale: Audio Commentary with Creator Michael Hirst and Series Star Georgia Hirst


and Deleted Scenes


Warner is also releasing the complete six-season series of Vikings in a collectible set for those who want to take the journey from the beginning.



- Nicholas Sheffo (Chabrol) and James Lockhart

https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/



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