Climate
According To AI Al Gore
(2024/Highway 61 DVD*)/Colette
and Justin (2020**)/A
Real Job (2023/**both
Icarus DVD)/Slap The
Monster On Page One
(1972/Radiance Blu-ray/*both MVD)
Picture:
C/C/C+/B- Sound: C+/C+/C+/B- Extras: D/C/C-/B- Main
Programs: D/B-/B-/B-
The
following is a mix of documentary, special interest and political
releases...
Joel
Gilbert's The
Climate According To AI Al Gore
(2024) is one of the most bizarre releases we've seen in a while and
we see many, with then director (claiming to have worked for the
former Vice President) doing a bio of Gore, then creating a fake AI
Gore to debate and prove that climate change is come kind of hoax. A
remarkable mess, he might as well saved us all the trouble and
himself all the digital work and just sewed together a hand-puppet of
Gore instead.
Additionally,
Gore lost the Presidential election 24 years ago, I am sure his view
has not changed on the subject, but AI (artificial intelligence, of
course) is totally incapable of giving any authentic response or
updated response to this run-on mess. With Gore losing all that time
ago, he has had little effect on the argument and by losing, allowed
the very situation to get much worse versus if he won in real life
all the way (we'll skip any election controversies) so the real human
here has picked the wrong opponent to imitate. What a big goof up!
Of
course, many have had many, many jokes about how fake and stiff Gore
always was pre-AI, but this really, really, really, really bad AI
version of him make the real life Gore at any age look like a
combination of Bruno Mars, Fred Astaire, a breakdancing group and and
the Soul Train Dancers versus this AI version, so skip this mess!
There
are unsurprisingly no extras.
Alain
Kassanda's Colette
and Justin
(2020) is a smart, personal documentary about the director's life and
family, as he tries to unravel how he is seen as French from the
Congo where he comes from and as Congolese in France where he grew
up. The solution to finding out more? Talk to his grandparents, the
title subjects of this documentary.
They
were part of the wealthier side of persons of color there back in the
day, despite still serving the colonial (read white) rulers and the
like. He uses all kinds of still photos, old film footage and more
to build together what happened and it also becomes the rare,
valuable record of a time and place where they were not the only ones
in such an ironic position. It only runs 41 minutes, but it is
intense, rich and priceless a record of what happened and can be
forgotten way too easily. Highly recommended for those who are
interested.
The
director's film Trouble
Sleep
is the only extra.
Thomas
Lilti's A
Real Job
(2023) is a surprisingly good drama about the hard life of school
teachers trying to deal with their sometimes troubled students,
parents and bad situations in increasingly tough, violent times.
Films and TV shows that focus on the teachers are rare (Room
222
and Abbott
Elementary
are rare TV examples) and this one is really well done, despite some
off moments and a few parts that do not work.
The
cast is a real plus, well directed and lucky to have a pretty well
thought out screenplay while the actors playing the teachers are
convincing enough and have some convincing chemistry. It is also
better than most such dramas on the subject of late, so it is worth a
good look for those interested and was a decent, pleasant surprise.
Trailers
are the only extras.
Marco
Bellocchio's Slap
The Monster On Page One
(1972) is a time capsule of a political and journalistic era (think
the peak of analog times) has
Gian Maria Volonte (Le
Cercle Rouge,
The Man With No Name Trilogy, Wake
Up And Die,
A
Bullet For The General)
as a right-wing newspaper editor who decides to exploit the horrific
rape and murder of a young woman to help his candidate win, as it
happens very close to the election. He also wants to stop a real
investigation of who did it to occur.
Seemingly
more timely than ever, it is still a product of its time, including
how such things were far more shocking then than (apparently to more
than a few) they are or should be now. Well cast, shot and written,
the supporting cast is also on target and Bellocchio (Devil In The
Flesh, Fists In The Pocket, The Conviction) shows
once again that he is not only more than willing and able to take on
controversial, mature subject matter, but actually knows how to
handle it.
Running
nearly 90 minutes, it never wastes any time to get to the points it
goes for and never overstays its welcome, but it has aged a bit, is a
fine time capsule and reminds up of a better time of journalism in
the face of corruption as well as how it was abused as much then as
now. Glad to see it restored and given more top notch treatment,
this time by Radiance.
Extras
include an Archival Interview with Marco Bellocchio (21 minutes)
Newly
filmed interview with critic and author Mario Sesti (2024, 25
minutes)
Appreciation
by filmmaker Alex Cox (2024, 10 minutes)
Reversible
sleeve featuring designs based on original posters
Limited
Edition booklet featuring new writing by Wesley Sharer
and
Limited Edition of 3000 copies, presented in
full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving
packaging free of certificates and markings.
Now
for playback performance.
The 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on Monster
was shot on 35mm Eastmancolor negative film, as the many posters of
the film pointed out and look pretty good for its age, clean, clear,
solid and consistent. Very watchable and involving, the sound is
Italian PCM
2.0 Mono and is as good as the film will ever sound, so this all
plays back very well and is the best on the list, as expected.
Another authentic winner from Radiance.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on all the DVDs but Real
Job (which is 2.35 X 1) are softer than expected, save Real
Job looking as good as it can in the older format. Gore is just
a sloppy shoot, Colette is a documentary with mixed footage
and Real Job is an outright narrative shoot with some good
editing and camerawork that would likely improve in 4K and Blu-ray
editions.
The
lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is a little forward in Gore,
but passable enough, while the lossy French Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
on the other DVDs play better overall, but when all is said and done,
they are of overall equal quality.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
