Category Archives: DVDs

DVDs, TV

PBS Distribution takes a revealing look in “The Amazing Human Body” 

Ever wonder how your body works?

Find out when PBS Distribution releases The Amazing Human Body.  This new series, presented in partnership with the BBC, explores the human body as viewers have never seen it before! Using cutting-edge graphics, the program reveals the surprisingly beautiful biological processes that keep humans alive.

Save the dates: The show is available on Digital September 20 and DVD September 25.

Discover the ingenious ways your body develops, adapts, and endures. How does your brain communicate with your body in order to help you learn new skills? What is the connection between a teenager’s craving for fatty foods and sudden growth spurts? And how does cell regeneration allow an octogenarian to compete in a grueling triathlon and live to tell the tale? Case studies from across the globe showcase the dazzling secret science of the human body.

https://youtu.be/UL2zH5asb20

A child prodigy in Phoenix demonstrates the brain’s ability to prioritize mental development over physical growth, a chilling dip in an icy lake reveals how shivering might just save our lives, and low-level torture in a London laboratory highlights the way our bodies block pain. Witness the fascinating and finely tuned systems that keep your body motoring – and the scientists guessing.

 

Books, DVDs, Movies

Don Graham takes a “Giant” and riveting look into the film that takes a wide-angle look of America

As I was doing research for my new book, Judy Garland Slept Here (to be published in September 2019 by Running Press), I read a most fascinating book which I dug into earlier: Giant: Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Edna Ferber, and the Making of a Legendary American Film (St. Martin’s Press; $27.99). Don Graham takes a larger-than-life narrative of the making of the classic film based on Edna Ferber’s controversial novel. Taking a wide-angle view of America—and Texas—in the Eisenhower era, Graham reveals how the film and its production mark the rise of America as a superpower, the ascent of Hollywood celebrity, and the flowering of Texas culture as mythology.

Featuring James Dean, Rock Hudson, and Elizabeth Taylor, Giant dramatizes a family saga against the background of the oil industry and its impact upon ranching culture—think Spindletop Hill in Beaumont, Texas and the fabled King Ranch in South Texas.

Isolating his star cast in the wilds of West Texas in the summer of 1955, director George Stevens brought together a volatile mix of egos, anxieties, sexual tensions and talent. Stevens certainly had his hands full with Hudson’s latent insecurities, Taylor’s high diva-dom, and Dean’s rebellious antics. Yet he coaxed performances out of them that made cinematic history, winning Stevens the Academy Award for Best Director and garnering nine other nominations, including a nomination for Best Actor for James Dean, who died before the film was finished.

In this compelling and impeccably researched narrative history of the making of the film, Graham chronicles the stories of Stevens, whose trauma from witnessing the horrors of World War II intensified his ambition to make films that would tell the story of America; of Edna Ferber, a considerable literary celebrity who meets her match in the imposing Robert Kleberg, proprietor of the vast King Ranch; and of Glenn McCarthy, the Errol Flynn lookalike who became the most famous wildcatter in Texas history and the builder of Houston’s grand Shamrock Hotel.

Drawing on archival sources, Graham’s book is a comprehensive depiction of the film’s production, showing readers how reality became fiction and fiction became cinema.

DVDs, Movies

Arrow Video shoots straight to the horror heart of Halloween with these fab releases

Forget that summer has slowed down.

Before you trick, Arrow Video brings you treats for Halloween.

A sampling . . .

Arrow Video releases a pivotal work in the career of director Kinji Fukasaku with the release of Street Mobster.
Street Mobster

A street wise punk with untamed anger and a lack of respect for authority gets caught in a bloody street war in hopes of securing turf for the remnants of a gang he once belonged to.

For fans of Italian horror you’ll want to take note as The Cat O’Nine Tails and What Have They Done to Your Daughters? come to Blu-ray.  The former is the middle entry in the “Animal Trilogy” from the maestro Dario Argento, and is the tale of a newspaper reporter and retired, blind journalist that join forces to solve a series of killings connected to a pharmaceutical company’s top-secret projects.

The latter is director Massimo Dallamano’s story of a police investigation into teen suicide that uncovers the dark details behind a teenage prostitution racket. Both films are landmark entries in Italian genre cinema.
Then there’s The Gore Gore Girls, a darkly comedic spatter fest from legendary filmmaker Herschell Gordon Lewis follows a young reporter as she attempts to solve the murder of a Chicago stripper.
Gore Gore Girls, The
The last film Lewis would make before returning 30 years later, it marked the first time he submitted one of his films to the MPAA where it would receive an X rating

Tideland is  a controversial film from visionary director Terry Gilliam that follows a young girl who is left alone in a decrepit country estate where she is forced to live within her own imagination.
Tideland
Responses to this dark fantasy have been divisive across the board, but one thing that can be agreed upon is that you won’t soon forget it.
DVDs, Movies

Dope beats, unfriendly fire and the biggest, nastiest snake you’ve ever seen star in the hiss-terical comedy “Snake Outta Compton”  

Expect the unexpected a mere week before Halloween when Snake Outta Compton arrives on DVD, Digital and On Demand from Lionsgate.

It’s a great day in South Central: Cam and his hip-hop crew are all set to sign a record deal that could change their lives. But their jealous friend Vurkel wrecks their plans when he creates a giant, mutant snake that quickly lays waste to the city of Compton, eating everyone in its path. Soon Cam, Pinball, Neon, and Beez Neez cook up a crazy scheme to stop the monstrous, munching menace: Aided by two corrupt cops, a crazed gangster and a mad scientist, the band has one thing to do before getting the record deal they need–get that motherfuckin’ Snake Outta Compton!
Prepare yourself for dope beats, unfriendly fire, and the biggest, nastiest snake you’ve ever seen in this outrageous hiss-terical comedy.

DVDs, Movies

“That Summer” offers the first glimpse into the lives of Edith and Edie Beale

Welcome to Grey Gardens . . . as you’ve never seen it.|

Three years before Albert and David Maysles’ landmark documentary introduced the world to Edith and Edie Beale—the unforgettable mother and daughter (and Jackie O. relatives) living in a decaying dream world on Long Island—renowned photographer Peter Beard chronicled life at their crumbling estate during the summer of 1972.

For the first time ever, in That Summer (IFC Films), director Göran Olsson assembles this long-lost footage, featuring glimpses of luminaries like Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger and Truman Capote, into a one-of-a-kind family portrait bursting with the loving squabbles, quotable bon mots and impromptu musical numbers that would make Big and Little Edie beloved cultural icons.

Great, gossip and a bit garish.

DVDs, TV

Two volumes of forgotten “Televison’s Lost Classics” spotlight a young John Cassavetes

Jeff Joseph (guru of SabuCat Productions), film archivist, historian, author and producer, has produced a remarkable collection of rare and “lost” classic television programs.

The Television’s Lost Classics series has been lovingly restored in high definition from the best archival film elements available; some of the programs have not been seen since they were originally broadcast. The first volume will be released on September 11, 2018; volume two  follows on October 9, 2018. Both will be released on Blu-ray and DVD by VCI Entertainment, with distribution by MVD Entertainment.
Additional volumes are planned with the third in the series already in production for release in late 2018. We will keep you posted.|
Both have been restored by SabuCat Productions from the best archival film elements available in high definition; some of the programs have not been seen since they were originally broadcast.

A peek inside . . .

 

Volume One
TelevisionThe ’50s produced a treasure trove of live dramatic programs originating from New York.  Top talent from stage and screen were retained for both in front and back of the camera.  These two prime examples convey the feeling of watching a Broadway performance, but with the advantage of abundant and intimate close-ups and medium shots. They are surprisingly cinematic, especially considering the impediments those behind the camera had to face: Clunky cameras, hot lights, quick set changes, live music and sound effects and always being mindful of keeping microphones out of the frame. The highlights of these programs are the intense performances by John Cassavetes, with his variation of method acting displayed in full form.

The first program, Crime in the Streets, was broadcast live on ABC, Tuesday, March 8, 1955. It was written by Reginald Rose and directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Robert Preston and a young Cassavetes. The second program, No Right to Kill, was part of the Climax! series and was presented by the Chrysler Corporation. It is based on Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment and adapted for TV by Victor Wolfson. It was broadcast on CBS, Thursday, August 9, 1956. Nostalgia buffs will enjoy the original commercial messages that are included in the episode. Also included: A bonus blooper reel from The Defenders and The Nurses series.
Volume Two
Television's Lost Classics Volume 2: Rare Pilots (BLU-RAY)

This set contains four rare TV pilots.
Case of the Sure Thing, starring  Reed Hadley, Louise Currie and Milburn Stone, introduced the series Racket Squad, which lasted for three seasons and was nominated for two Emmys. An interesting side-note: This program may have inspired parts of the Hollywood hit, The Sting.
This episode was first broadcast on CBS, Thursday, June 7, 1951 and starred Reed Hadley as Captain Braddock, and was written by Arthur Orloff. Note: Contains original network commercials as originally broadcast on CBS.

Cool and Lam, starring Billy Pearson, Benay Venuta, Alison Hayes and Sheila Bromley, is a light-hearted, detective yarn featuring characters first created by Erle Stanley Gardner. Bertha Cool runs a detective agency and Donald Lam is her junior partner, hence “Cool and Lam”. Directed by the legendary Jacques Tourneur

The Life of Riley, starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Rosemary DeCamp and John Brown, is a lost pilot which starred Lon Chaney, Jr. as Chester Riley. This stand-alone episode was produced in 1948 but by the time the first season went into full production in 1949, Chaney had been replaced by no less than Jackie Gleason.

Nero Wolfe, starring  Kurt Kasznar, William Shatner and Alexander Scourby, has characters created by Rex Stout. Kasznar is Nero Wolfe, with future star Shatner co-starring.

Included on the disc is a bonus CBS Blooper Reel hosted by James Arness.
DVDs, TV

Save the date! Shout! Factory to release “Saved by the Bell: The Complete Collection”

Missing your favorite pals from Bayside High? It’s alright, ’cause you’re Saved by the Bell. On October 2,  Shout! Factory invites TV aficionados to a very special class reunion with the 16-disc collector’s release of Saved by the Bell: The Complete Collection, a DVD set of the iconic and addictive ’90s Saturday morning sitcom.
Set in the fictional town of Palisades, California and in the hallways of Bayside High, the breezy adventures of Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and his friends — Kelly Kapowski (Tiffani-Amber Thiessen), A.C. Slater (Mario Lopez), Jessie Myrtle Spano (Elizabeth Berkley), Lisa Turtle (Lark Voorhies), and Samuel “Screech” Powers (Dustin Diamond) — were a cultural touchstone for a generation of teens, changing teen programming forever and launching the careers of its break-out stars. Now, home audiences can relive the laughter, lessons, and love all over again with this loaded set containing more than 46 incredible hours of Bayside bliss, including every episode from 1988’s Good Morning, Miss Bliss which became Saved By the Bell: The Junior High Years and the fan-favorite Saved by the Bell to Saved By the Bell: The College Years and the two feature-length TV movies that followed.
From 1989 to 1993, for a generation of TV viewers, Saved by the Bell was the show that perfectly echoed their lives in middle school and high school. Originally titled Good Morning, Miss Bliss with Hayley Mills in the title role, the first thirteen episodes of the series featured Zack, Screech, Lisa and Mr. Belding, and was based at John F. Kennedy Junior High in Indianapolis. Following its cancellation, NBC retooled the show as Saved by the Bell and the rest is history…and math, and science, and…

Across 86 glorious episodes, audiences followed the memorable experiences and adventures of Zack and the gang. And, following graduation, Zack, Kelly, Slater and Screech enrolled at California University where the successful franchise could matriculate with the prime-time sitcom, Saved by the Bell: The College Years. The series finally wrapped with two feature-length, prime time TV movies, Hawaiian Style, which brought the Bayside bunch to the Big Island for a wacky Waikiki adventure and Wedding in Las Vegas, which saw the on-again, off-again lovebirds Zack and Kelly make their relationship official on a day the gang will never forget.

From JFK Junior High to Cal U, Miss Bliss to Mr. Belding, Malibu Sands to Hawaii, and dance contests to “dearly beloved”, the Saved by the Bell megaset immortalizes a landmark teen TV show that still resonates with its die-hard fans around the world. Fans, friends, jocks, and nerds –ask not for whom The Bell tolls … it tolls for thee!
DVDs, TV

Funny, “The Carol Burnett Show” turns 50!, yet it still is so fresh and funny!

The Carol Burnett Show turns 50!  To celebrate the momentous occasion, CBS honored the groundbreaking comedy series with The Carol Burnett Show 50th Anniversary Special, which aired to a whopping 15.4 million viewers on Sunday, December 3, 2017.
Nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special, the one-night event, which was filmed at the series’ original soundstage at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, features Burnett; original cast members Vicki Lawrence and Lyle Waggoner; costume designer Bob Mackie; and a slew of special guests, including Jon Batiste, Beth Behrs, Jim Carrey, Kristin Chenoweth, Stephen Colbert, Harry Connick Jr., Kaley Cuoco, Bill Hader, Steve Lawrence, Jay Leno, Jane Lynch, Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Amy Poehler, Tracee Ellis Ross, Maya Rudolph and Martin Short.
Now, with The Carol Burnett Show 50th Anniversary Special DVD home audiences can join the party and laugh along with Carol and her famous friends, as they revisit the show’s most hilarious clips, catch up with cast members, and enjoy brand-new musical performance.
Highlights include:
  • The most uproarious clips from the landmark series, including “Went With The Wind,” “The Dentist,” “Tudball & Wiggins” and “The Family”
  • Carol does a bit of her beloved Q&A with the star-studded 50th Anniversary audience including questions from Pat Boone and Tom Selleck.
  • Carol’s guests try out her famous Tarzan yell—Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Tracee Ellis Ross all give it a go, but a late, video entry wins the day . . . that of Steve Carell.
  • Jim Carrey’s 10-year-old self re-enacts receiving a reply to his Carol Burnett Show fan letter
  • Stephen Colbert, Steve Lawrence, Bernadette Peters, Kristin Chenoweth and Carol all come together for a brand-new musical number
  • Harry Connick, Jr. and Carol close out the night with an emotional performance of the show’s theme song – “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together”

BONUS FEATURES
  • Exclusive new bonus features including red-carpet footage, backstage interviews and anniversary wishes from Carol’s friends and fans
  • A tribute booklet with production photos, notes from Carol’s guests,and a special message from Carol herself
DVDs, Movies

Please heed our advice: Book your vacation before you watch “The Ninth Passenger”

Looking to book a vacation? One suggestion: Do it before you watch The Ninth Passenger, now on DVD, Digital and On Demand from Lionsgate. The intense edge-of-your-seat thriller centers around eight lusty, partying college kids who hijack a billionaire’s yacht for a midnight cruise.

Sensible Jess (portrayed by Alexia Fast) meets hunky Brady (Jesse Metcalfe), a corporate spy posing as a mechanic. Near a mysterious island, an evil “ninth passenger” slips aboard and starts slaughtering the party crowd. Jess and Brady find evidence of the gruesome scheme behind the killings…but are they already in over their heads?

DVDs, Movies, TV

The best news of of the year:  “Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection” is a stupendous must-have

It was an era of monsters, madness and great movie-making. Dare you say the flicks have universal appeal?


Thirty of the most iconic cinematic masterpieces starring the most famous monsters of horror movie history come together on Blu-ray for the first time ever in the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Featuring unforgettable make-up, ground-breaking special effects and outstanding performances, the Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection includes all Universal Pictures’ legendary monsters from the studio that pioneered the horror genre with imaginative and technically groundbreaking tales of terror in unforgettable films from the ’30s to late-’50s.

From the era of silent movies through present day, Universal Pictures has been regarded as the home of the monsters. The collection showcases all the original films featuring the most iconic monsters in motion picture history including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera and Creature from the Black Lagoon. Starring some of the most legendary actors including Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains and Elsa Lanchester in the roles that they made famous, these films set the standard for a new horror genre and showcase why these landmark movies that defined the horror genre are regarded as some of the most unforgettable ever to be filmed.

https://youtu.be/h3clIjE07rE

Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection includes a 48-page collectible book filled with behind-the-scenes stories and rare production photographs and is accompanied by an array of bonus features including behind-the-scenes documentaries, the 1931 Spanish version of Dracula, Featurettes on Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., and Jack Pierce, 13 expert feature commentaries, archival footage, production photographs, theatrical trailers and more. The perfect gift for any scary movie fan, the collection offers an opportunity to experience some of the most memorable horror films of our time.

Image result for youtube she-Wolf of London

The Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection includes Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Werewolf of London (1935), Dracula’s Daughter (1936), Son of Frankenstein (1939), The Invisible Man Returns (1940), The Invisible Woman (1940), The Mummy’s Hand (1940), The Wolf Man (1941), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), The Mummy’s Ghost (1942), The Mummy’s Tomb (1942), Invisible Agent (1942),Phantom of the Opera (1943), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), Son of Dracula (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944), The Mummy’s Curse (1944), The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944), House of Dracula (1945), She-Wolf of London (1946), Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954, and includes a 3D version), Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955), Revenge of the Creature (1955 and includes a 3D version) and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956).