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HORROR EXPRESS Screen Comparisons: Arrow Video’s New Release vs the 2011 Blu-ray
Arrow’s new Blu-ray transfer compared against Severin’s earlier version
This article contains several comparisons which contrast the older Severin Blu-ray transfer with the new Arrow version. The frames aren’t necessarily exact matches, but should give a solid indication of the visual differences.
Arrow’s new edition of Horror Express is set to release on February 12.
Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Telly Savalas all starring in the same alien-zombies-on-a-train Euro-horror film set on the Trans-Siberian Express? It’s an affirmation and blessing that this is in fact a real movie, and Arrow is releasing a beautiful new feature-packed edition.
Observations
This new transfer has much-improved color correction, toning down the harsh yellows with a more natural palette — this is especially notable in skin tones. Additionally, finely pointillized film grain is much more prominent, replacing the sometimes smeary digital noise of the prior.
Less noticeably, there was previously a slight vertical stretch which elongated faces and essentially made things look taller. It’s unlikely this would be distracting in watching the film, but nonetheless it has been corrected and in the comparisons you can see that the new transfer exhibits proper proportions, which has the additional benefit of showing a greater of the frame.
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow As a result of color correction, skin tones look more natural now with the previously strong yellow tones mitigated.
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow The restoration also repairs some prominent scratches. Here’s a very obvious one below (these different images are actually consecutive frames). In an isolated frame you can make out the evidence of repair, but in motion it looks flawless.
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS (as Provided by Arrow)
- Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original Uncompressed mono audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
- Introduction to the film by film journalist and Horror Express super-fan Chris Alexander
- Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express — an interview with director Eugenio Martin
- Notes from the Blacklist — Horror Express producer Bernard Gordon on working in Hollywood during the McCarthy Era
- Telly and Me — an interview with composer John Cacavas
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Fully-illustrated collector’s booklet with new writing by Adam Scovell
Parting Thoughts
These transfers are truly two pretty different beasts. Arrow’s new edition is unquestionably the more pristine and definitive look for the film proper — the standard for most Blu-ray collectors. But for its flaws, Severin’s does play with some grindhouse charm, exhibiting more of the grit one might see on a theatrical print. That’s not always the right impulse, but for a 1972 horror movie, it’s a great experience.
Fans who don’t own the film shouldn’t hesitate to pick up Arrow’s new version; it looks terrific and carries over nearly all the extras from the earlier disc, then adds some great new ones (including featurettes produced by the reliably solid Ballyhoo Films).
A/V Out.
Get it at Amazon:
If you enjoy reading Cinapse, purchasing items through our affiliate links can tip us with a small commission at no additional cost to you.Except where noted, all 16:9 screen images in this review are direct captures from the disc(s) in question with no editing applied, but may have compression or resizing inherent to file formats and Medium’s image system. All package photography was taken by the reviewer.
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BLOODY BIRTHDAY Screen Comparisons: Arrow Video’s New Release vs the 2014 Blu-ray
Interested in PQ? We compare Arrow’s new Blu-ray transfer to Severin’s earlier Release
This article contains several comparisons which contrast the older Severin Blu-ray transfer with the new Arrow version. The frames aren’t necessarily exact matches, but should give a solid indication of the visual differences.
Arrow’s new edition of Bloody Birthday is now available.
Director Ed Hunt’s scuzzy 1981 horror film about a trio of murderous kids is back on Blu from Arrow Video. The movie was previously released on Blu-ray by the fine folks at Severin; that edition is now out of print. It featured a then-new HD transfer, but Arrow’s release has opted for a new 2K restoration.
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow Comparing the two versions, the biggest major difference is clearly the color timing. The Severin version had a yellow bias, which is striking as a vintage sort of look, but not a natural one.
The Severin transfer also had a much “chunkier” structure — I hesitate to call it grain; seems more like digital noise. Regardless, Arrow’s new version looks finer and more detailed.
One other observation; Arrow pulls back a tad to show a bit more of the frame — the picture is wider than before. It also has very slight letterbox effect (“back bars”, not on the Severin image), likely as a direct result of this.
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow Close-ups:
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow 
Top: Old Severin // Bottom: New Arrow
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS (as provided by Arrow)
- Brand new 2K restoration from original film element
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original Uncompressed mono audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary with director Ed Hunt
- Brand new audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues
- Brand new interview with actress Lori Lethin
- Bad Seeds and Body Counts — a brand new video appreciation of Bloody Birthday and the killer kid sub-genre by film journalist Chris Alexander
- Archival interview with producer Max Rosenberg
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Timothy Pittides
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Lee Gambin
A/V Out.
Get it at Amazon:
If you enjoy reading Cinapse, purchasing items through our affiliate links can tip us with a small commission at no additional cost to you.Except where noted, all 16:9 screen images in this review are direct captures from the disc(s) in question with no editing applied, but may have compression or resizing inherent to file formats and Medium’s image system. All package photography was taken by the reviewer.
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RAVEN (1996): Burt Reynolds Chomps Cigars, Cracks Wise in Bargain Basement Action Film
Reynolds was truly larger than life
So help me, there’s something I deeply love about the work that MVD is doing in the home video market right now. With their Marquee and retro “Rewind” lines, they’re churning out the kind of films that I feel like I desperately need to see… even if they don’t even end up being all that great. And boy howdy, is Burt Reynolds’ Raven exactly one of those titles.
Escaping from near total 1996 obscurity onto the boutique Blu-ray market, this is a low budget action film featuring largely a cast of unknowns outside of Reynolds (except for very prolific character actor Richard Gant whom I know best as having briefly been Jason Vorhees as the Coroner in Jason Goes To Hell). “Raven” is the codename for a team of government operatives who act more or less like assassins. So in a way it’s got a “men on a mission” vibe. But it’s also a little bit hard to pin down exactly what it wants to be.
We start out with a bunch of politicians waxing about how elite and unstoppable team Raven is. Then we’re introduced to the team as they fight to recover the most McGuffin-ey of devices, a 2-piece box that’s some kind of invaluable decoder but honestly looks like a painted up ammunition box. Ultimately the team is pretty much decimated, and Reynolds (who is code named Raven… so… it’s both his code name and the team’s code name?) reveals his true colors as a cutthroat mercenary who’s willing to take the gizmo to the highest bidder. He and his only surviving man, Duce (Matt Battaglia), end up fighting and shooting at each other, crashing their helicopter and apparently dying. Both are still alive, however, and while Duce goes off the grid and tries to begin a new life with the beautiful Cali (Krista Allen), Raven is out there getting revenge on the politicians he believes sold him out, while also trying to make his fortune by selling the 2-pieced McGuffin, and of course, Duce has the other piece.
Muddled and a little hard to follow right from jump street, Raven is very uncertain about what it’s trying to be and say. Sometimes Reynolds is cracking wise and other times he’s speechifying about dirty politicians. It veers from buddy movie to double cross movie to men on a mission and as a result has a very aimless tone. Director Russell Solberg is a career stunt professional with some 100 credits to his name, and I always love it when a stunt person gets a shot at helming their own feature. He got a chance to direct a legend and let him swagger around the set like he owned the place because, frankly, Raven has little going for it beyond Reynolds’ star power. Writer Joe Hart seems to have been quite prolific in the ‘90s with films such as Cyber Tracker and T-Force. You know, stuff most of us have never heard of but, with titles that kind of make you want to see them immediately. Even star Matt Battaglia, who’s chiseled but a little wooden here, doesn’t offer much as the lead but apparently went on to produce 2009’s Brothers. Ahh, Hollywood.
Raven will only be of interest to a highly niche audience of Burt Reynolds aficionados and action movie cinephiles. And that’s why I’m so grateful to MVD for putting out a barebones release of this obscure title on Blu-ray. It was a treat of cinematic exploration for me that I was thrilled to experience. That the film itself is pretty bad is just fine by me, because I highly enjoyed seeing a swaggering Reynolds at perhaps the nadir of his career (which he later salvaged and redeemed) continuing to be absolutely irrepressible. Reynolds’ star was unique, and shown extremely brightly. He didn’t disappear into roles; every character he played was Burt Reynolds. And Burt Reynolds is what we all came here to see.
And I’m Out.
Raven is now available on Blu-ray from the MVD Marquee Collection
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Screen Comparisons: Scream Factory’s New COBRA Release vs 2011 Blu-ray
We put Scream Factory’s new 2K Scan head to head with WB’s Prior Disc — Here are the results
This article contains several comparisons which contrast the older Warner Bros. Blu-ray transfer with the new Scream Factory restoration. The frames aren’t necessarily exact matches, but should give a solid indication of the visual differences.
Scream Factory’s new edition of Cobra is now available.
Cobra is a film which has grown in my opinion over the years, and I think the same could be said of its general appeal. Stallone is kind of doing his Dirty Harry thing while cutting pizza with scissors and hiding behind aviator shades. I didn’t like it at first, but gave it another shot when Warner Bros. released it on Blu-ray — and truly wondered why I hadn’t initially fallen in love with this wild and action packed thriller that combines generous action backdrop with a slasher/stalker narrative.
That aging 2011 WB Blu-ray has been succeeded by a new Collector’s Edition release from Scream Factory, featuring a new 2K scan of the original film elements and a slew of bonus features. Here are my observations comparing the two editions.
In many places the brighter brights of the older transfer tapped out the color information, resulting in “white out”.
In the comparison below, note the grocery shelves behind Stallone, or the shiny spot on the giant Pepsi can where color gradation had been lost. The new transfer dials those back into the visible spectrum.
Top: Old WB // Bottom: New Shout! Factory This effect is even more obvious here with the white wall in the background, not mention the general color balance of the shot.
Top: Old WB // Bottom: New Shout! Factory Speaking of color palettes, here are some more shots which demonstrate the difference — this new disc has a more natural look.
Top: Old WB // Bottom: New Shout! Factory 
Top: Old WB // Bottom: New Shout! Factory The evening hues of the shot above are a much different look from the more clinical white of the prior transfer, but I think the more natural sky and in particular the clarity of the blinds show that this is the right look.
These next few shots demonstrate differences in brightness in contrast. Note in this first comparison that you can now see the lens in the photographer’s camera.
Top: Old WB // Bottom: New Shout! Factory 
Top: Old WB // Bottom: New Shout! Factory 
Top: Old WB // Bottom: New Shout! Factory 
Top: Old WB // Bottom: New Shout! Factory A few more additional shots for a general sense of how some other scenes (and in particular close-ups) compare.
Top: Old WB // Bottom: New Shout! Factory 
Top: Old WB // Bottom: New Shout! Factory 
Top: Old WB // Bottom: New Shout! Factory 
Top: Old WB // Bottom: New Shout! Factory 
Top: Old WB // Bottom: New Shout! Factory
The Package
Wisely, Scream Factory realized that there’s no topping COBRA’s iconic original poster artwork, and used it for this edition’s slipcover, even though their usual play is to commission a new painting. As a result there’s also no reversible cover — unusual for a Scream Factory Collector’s Edition release.
Special Features and Extras
Warners’ previous Blu-ray release of Cobra included a vintage Making Of documentary and a trailer.
Scream Factory’s new edition keeps that documentary, includes two different trailers (albeit not the one from the old disc), and adds a megaton of new interviews and extras. Here’s the full list:
- NEW 2K Scan Of The Original Film Elements
- NEW Stalking And Slashing — Interview With Actor Brian Thompson (26:00)
- NEW Meet The Disease — Interview With Actor Marco Rodriguez (24:05)
- NEW Feel The Heat — Interview With Actor Andrew Robinson (14:15)
- NEW Double Crossed — Interview With Actress Lee Garlington (9:05)
- NEW A Work Of Art — Interview With Actor Art LaFleur (8:23)
- Audio Commentary With Director George P. Cosmatos
- Vintage Featurette (7:50)
- Teaser Trailer (1:20)
- Theatrical Trailer (1:55)
- Still Galleries — Stills; Movie Posters And Lobby Cards (4:35, 5:19)
A/V Out.
Get it at Amazon:
If you enjoy reading Cinapse, purchasing items through our affiliate links can tip us with a small commission at no additional cost to you.Except where noted, all 16:9 screen images in this review are direct captures from the disc(s) in question with no editing applied, but may have compression or resizing inherent to file formats and Medium’s image system. All package photography was taken by the reviewer.
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For Your Consideration: Two Cents Sets Off BOMB CITY
Two Cents is an original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team will program films and contribute our best, most insightful, or most creative thoughts on each film using a maximum of 200 words each. Guest writers and fan comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future entries to the column. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion.
The Pick
In December 1997 in Amarillo, Texas, a late night scrap between local groups of punks and jock “white hats” took a sharp turn towards tragedy when one of the “white hats” drove his Cadillac into and over 19-year-old Brian Deneke. Deneke died on the scene, but his killer received only probation. At the time, the leniency of the sentence was chalked up by many as being due to the public image projected by both young men. Brian was a “bad” kid, with his mohawk, studs, and combat boots. His murderer was a “good” kid, a high school football player with a sensible hair cut, churchgoing parents, and lily white skin.
Bomb City, the feature debut of director and co-writer Jameson Brooks, depicts the final days of Brian Deneke (played by Dave Davis) as he wanders rebellious but not angry through the at times deeply hostile world of Amarillo. Deneke plays with his band, sets up local art projects, scurries away from the cops after being caught tagging, and generally roams about with no way of knowing his life is on a rapid collision course with its end.
Bomb City also lingers over the injustice of the subsequent trial, as hotshot defense attorney Cameron Wilson (Glenn Morshower) defends the killer (renamed Cody Cates and played by Luke Shelton) as an innocent boy who acted in self-defense to put down a dangerous, violent attacker.
Equal parts slice-of-life, tragedy, and furious indictment, Bomb City drew raves from critics but seems to have flown somewhat under the radar in discussions of 2018 cinema. So let’s do our part in bringing some attention to this powerful little movie, and go off on Bomb City.
Next Week’s Pick:
For our next stop on a tour of some of the best that 2018 had to offer, we wander south of the border and get lost in Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma. The autobiographical epic follows a turbulent year in the life Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) and the family she works for as a maid. Captured in elegant black-and-whites with many of Cuaron’s trademark extensive tracking shots, Roma is a frontrunner at the upcoming Academy Awards.
The film is currently available to stream on Netflix Instant.
Would you like to be a guest in next week’s Two Cents column? Simply watch and send your under-200-word review to twocents(at)cinapse.co anytime before midnight on Thursday!
The Team
All I could think about was those Covington Catholic kids. Bomb City is a strong enough film that it no doubt would provoke feelings of sickening grief and righteous fury no matter when you watched, provided you come equipped with the necessary empathy to see past the chaotic ornamentation of its central punks. But watching it in the wake of that smirking shit-gibbon doing a full court press PR tour in which him and his dipshit parents insist that no, the crowd of screaming, out-of-control racist white kids were the real victims, not the elderly Native American Vietnam veteran they terrorized and insulted, it makes the fury underlying Bomb City that much more righteous, and the grief that much more sickening. This is still a country with a protected demographic (to which I belong) and everyone who doesn’t look/dress/act in accordance with that demographic has a target on their back.
At times Bomb City maybe lays things on a bit thick (the punks aren’t just our sympathetic point-of-view characters, they are depicted as being purer then the driven snow) especially in the courtroom scenes that form the framing device. But watching as the real world gnashes its way through that Covington story, it’s clear that these stark miscarriages of justice, these corrosive media narratives of white masculine victimization, they happen just as openly as depicted in this film.
Bomb City also manages the neat trick of being entertaining as well as enlightening. The young cast all gel well together and director Brooks shows a remarkably assured eye for only having some short films and this one feature under his belt. The wide open Texas fields and dank urban corners all thrum with life, underlining what these characters find invigorating and stultifying about their world. Bomb City proves to be a harrowing ride, but one well worth taking.(@theTrueBrendanF)
[Editor’s note: Rod is from Amarillo, where the film takes place]. I never thought I’d see a movie made so close to home, more geographically than emotionally, but it was still a shock to my system. I’ve become much more sympathetic to rebels than I was, even though I’m typing this from my comfortable, suburban home. Bomb City is a hyperbolic and simplistic look at a complex but troubled place. Amarillo’s still a city people say “It’s a great place to raise kids” about, and while I’ve chose not to, I’ll spend the rest of my life thinking about this city in the Panhandle and all the years I called it home. I’m of there and from there, but it’s no longer mine, and never will be again. (@rodmachen)
[Read Rod’s full thoughts on the film HERE]
After spending a lot of time with this film earlier this year, I revisited it this week for the first time since. It somehow hit me even harder than before. I’d last watched the film then began reaching out to people who lived through it, one of whom talked at length with me and was part of my previous piece on the film. Maybe the added personal touch of that discussion was an added weight to this film for me — but, no matter what the reason, I found it completely and utterly crushing this go around.
A remarkably well told and well filmed tale of hate fueled tragedy, Bomb City is deserving of all the praise it has received and far more. The story is so powerful and I am so happy it was told this way. This is a huge recommend for me and is easily one of 2018’s best. Just know that it’s not an easy watch. (@thepaintedman)
[Read Justin’s full thoughts on the film HERE]
Similar to acclaimed pictures of late like Mid90s and Lady Bird, Bomb City is a throwback to teenage years for Gen Xers and Millenials who grew up in the 90s, focusing on youth subcultures as its narrative window to the living past. Part of the reason these films hit so hard is nostalgia for anyone part of this generation or close to these people and places, but that’s not the only audience that can appreciate this level of storytelling and filmmaking — and in this case, a true story. As a smaller production, Bomb City hasn’t picked up the same widespread love as those other films, but it’s very much part of the same conversation (and one of my top 10 films of 2018).
What Bomb City does best is humanize punks in a way that doesn’t happen much on film. From the outside, they can be easy to dismiss or misunderstand by any number of adjectives: Rebellious, noisy, misanthropic. Frightening. Aggressive. Crusty. Treated in fiction as interchangeable with gangsters as the de facto low level bad guys. The other side of these punks that we don’t see: Principled, conscious, passionate. Kids who love their parents — and whose parents who love them. Growing up, falling in love, searching for identity, hugging puppies, and rejecting the hypocrisy and misaligned values of respectful society (until, it’s implied, ultimately accepting it and moving into the apathy of adulthood).
Bomb City is a bit of propaganda in that it has clearly drawn a line in the sand, but it doesn’t suffer for its bias — if anything there’s a sense of both a genuine plea for sanity, and a righteous scream against injustice. (@VforVashaw)
Further reading:
https://cinapse.co/bomb-city-captures-the-true-and-tragic-story-of-the-death-of-brian-deneke-307a61536c50https://cinapse.co/bomb-city-captures-the-true-and-tragic-story-of-the-death-of-brian-deneke-307a61536c50
Next week’s pick:
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Arrow Heads Vol. 55 — WATERWORLD: The Grand Post-Apocalyptic Swashbuckler
Arrow outdoes itself with a gorgeous home video package
Arrow Heads — UK-based Arrow Films has quickly become one of the most exciting and dependable names in home video curation and distribution, creating gorgeous Blu-ray releases with high quality artwork and packaging, and bursting with supplemental content, often of their own creation. From the cult and genre fare of Arrow Video to the artful cinema of Arrow Academy, this column is devoted to their weird and wonderful output.
Spoilers ahoy for this 20+ year old movie
In 1995, I fell in love with Waterworld before the movie even began. I vividly remember seeing that familiar Universal logo appear on the big screen and then… something different happens. The camera starts to zoom in on the Universal globe. The ice caps on the globe melt, and we’re ushered (through narration and an instantly rousing James Newton Howard score) into a new kind of world unlike anything ever before seen on the big screen… a post-apocalyptic world of water. I was 15 and had been aware of the negative buzz around the production; that it was the most expensive movie ever made and had supposedly ballooned out of control. I don’t even know how I came upon information like that back in 1995, but I was aware. That said, 15 was a perfect age to experience the sheer seismic grandeur of Waterworld. And it turns out 38 is also a great age to revisit it as well.
There are a whole bunch of films I adored when I was 15 that really don’t hold up. And over the years I saw Waterworld a dozen times, I’m sure. But it had been quite a while, and getting to see a massively extended cut (the “Ulysses” cut) on this decked out Arrow Blu-ray release was one of those experiences I just had to seek out. And let me tell you: In spite of, and perhaps because of, all its indulgences, Waterworld remains an ambitious and adventurous swashbuckler the likes of which will never be seen again.
Was I aware at 15 that it was a blatant Mad Max clone? Probably in some vague sense. But I’ve since come to adore the subgenre of films that owe their existence to George Miller’s absolutely incredible (and superior to Waterworld) post-apocalyptic series. So why hold Waterworld to any kind of different standard than, say, 1990: The Bronx Warriors? This is the kind of thing, however, that only Hollywood can do: an endeavor so expensive and challenging to pull off that it could only be done by becoming the most expensive movie ever made up to that point. I do often decry the allotment of resources that Hollywood sometimes deems necessary, but I’d be lying if I said the spectacle of Waterworld didn’t take me to that magic place of adventure that only cinema really can.
Perhaps Waterworld was such a punching bag at the time because America’s love for building up a new “it” celebrity is second only to America’s love of tearing one down. Star Kevin Costner was one of the biggest A-listers on the planet at the time of Waterworld’s release, and the rumor mill about a troubled production became some kind of allegory for Costner being vain and filled with hubris. There is, of course, some possible truth there, but movies like Waterworld also don’t get made without a big name attached to them.
Regardless, I believe Kevin Costner is a significant reason why Waterworld holds up. His Mariner character is a linchpin that keeps Waterworld entertaining and engaging throughout. Yes, he’s a Mad Max archetype — the silent, brooding, survivalist with no concern for anyone but himself who will eventually have his heart melted by two women who make him into the ultimate weapon: a believer in hope. But it appears to have been on Costner’s insistence that the Mariner remains such a grouchy bastard for such a long period of time. I remember critics in the ’90s being asconce that the hero of Waterworld was so unlikeable, but I always enjoyed that element. It is the Mariner’s mutations, however, that I find add such a huge entertainment value to Waterworld. It’s the twist (besides, you know… all the water) that really makes this its own separate experience from Mad Max. It stands to reason that humankind would begin to adapt to a new aquatic environment and perhaps evolve. Maybe it’d take more than a couple hundred years, but then we wouldn’t get all the fantastic setpieces that Peter Rader and David Twohy’s script wrings out of that simple mutation premise.
Waterworld begins with a truly epic standoff ripped right out of a classic western. The Mariner utilizes his various superpowers, such as his webbed feet and breathable gills, as well as his iconic and highly cinematic boat (again reminiscent of Mad Max) to best both a scavenger who has stolen from him, and a small group of Smokers (the film’s marauding gang of villains) on jet skies. It’s thrilling, sets up the world and the players within it, and takes full advantage of the key ideas in the script. Next the Mariner heads to the atoll, Waterworld’s version of a city. Famously one of the most expensive sets ever created, it was big enough for the Mariner’s boat to sail through its gates in camera, and it remains a remarkable piece of production design fully utilized to flesh out the film’s first act. It’s here that the Mariner encounters Enola (Tina Majorino), the little girl with a map to Dry Land tattooed on her back, and her caretaker Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn). One Smoker raid and another harrowing action scene later, our Mariner ends up on the high seas with these two ladies, and the atoll is left a shell of its former self. With the Smokers (following their leader The Deacon Of The Deez, Mr. Dennis Hopper himself, gnawing on the scenery) after Enola to find Dry Land for themselves, we are now locked in an unavoidable confrontation between the Mariner and the Smokers.
Loaded with wonderfully shot and edited action/spectacle set pieces that take full advantage of the unbelievable sets and of the Mariner’s abilities, Waterworld’s characters may wrestle with hopelessness and despair, but viewers are treated to all the wonders they can dream of in a film such as this. Particularly awe-inspiring is when the Mariner takes Helen down to the bottom of the ocean in a diving bell to show her the truth about the world she’s grown up in and yet knows nothing about. It’s visually impressive even today and builds up the world being established immensely. It’s fascinating to explore a society hundreds of years removed from the apocalypse in which they know nothing of the world as it once was. It’s equally enjoyable to ponder the fact that, through his mutations and survival mentality, the Mariner has come to understand the truth about the world better than any of his more “human” peers.
A couple of other highlights that similarly showcase a very early use of CGI are when the Mariner shows Helen and Enola how he eats when he’s starving. It involves a well-edited and awesome sequence in which he uses himself as bait to lure a massive mutant sea creature. Later the Mariner infuriates the Deacon in an impossibly high speed escape using a previously hidden kite-sail that feels like Waterworld’s version of Nos (nitrous oxide, for speed). I mention these moments because they’re fantastic updates on the Mad Max formula, they’re executed for maximum spectacle, and they expand upon what you had previously known about the world or the characters.
The film’s climax and ending also work like gangbusters. The big confrontation between Costner’s Mariner and Hopper’s Deacon is appropriately outsized, with spear guns and anchors used as zip lines and explosions everywhere. There’s even a dirigible-aided bungee jump?! (Bungee jumping was so extreme in the 1990s.) Character-wise, it all moves things along to their natural conclusions, with the Mariner shedding his tough exterior and risking it all to save Enola from her captors. The finale brings our rag-tag group of survivors to an Eden-like Dry Land (something discussed as only myth or legend throughout). This was, of course, Enola’s birthplace and where her tattoo originated. It’s also confirmed in the Ulysses Cut to be the top of Mount Everest (something my teenage mind theorized about but was never confirmed in the Theatrical Cut). Despite coming to love Enola and Helen, however, the Mariner is a creature designed for the open water, and like all the best Western heroes, he must ride off into the sunset alone, to face an uncertain destiny.
I honestly love it all. The outrageous and unsubtle environmental messaging goes so far as to specify that The Deez (Deacon’s oil tanker fortress) is in fact the infamous Exxon Valdez. In the 1990s that felt on the nose. It’s still on the nose, but I appreciate the blatant potshot at a corporate giant. I doubt studios would be so bold today. The standard but classic hero’s journey undertaken by the resourceful and surprising Mariner feels appropriately grand for a movie this big. And I’d be loathe not to mention the gorgeous cinematography from the great Dean Semler. The camera is a significant ingredient in the capturing of that swashbuckling spirit. The Mariner swoops around his boat with ease, practically flying with ropes and pulleys. It’s captured with an effortless grace. Director Kevin Reynolds is often somehow blamed for the enormous budget and various delays. But I think time has been kind to Reynolds’ film. No one was majorly hurt on a film where safety was a big concern. The budget is also all there up on the screen, with an epic scale befitting its bloated budget. And it’s rousing and gorgeous, too! From a memorable score to beautiful camera work, to strong and fun performances… Reynolds should be applauded rather than vilified.
Waterworld absolutely follows a template and borrows generously from the Mad Max formula. Sure, there’s probably a lot of ego on display as well. But point me to a Marvel film or mega-sequel blowing up the box office today that doesn’t do the same exact things. And sure, Waterworld was the most expensive film ever at the time of production… but that record wasn’t held long and has been eclipsed many times over since then. What remains is a rip roaring spectacle filled with a hard-fought hope and warnings about an impending ecological disaster that has only gotten more relevant as time has marched on. Waterworld may not be a masterpiece, but it is certainly a shining example of large scale entertainment as only Hollywood can deliver.
The Package
Arrow Video has outdone itself with a truly stunning home video release for Waterworld. 3 discs. 3 different cuts of the film. Gorgeous new cover art featuring a heavy duty box that also includes a booklet with half a dozen insightful essays and photos of various Waterworld marketing and products that were sold at the time. It’s the kind of home video release that reminds you why you’re a movie fan and a home video advocate. Having never seen the extended version myself, I was thrilled to check out the Ulysses Cut of the film. Being so much longer than the theatrical cut, I will say I didn’t find the experiences to be wildly different. I noted a long scene on the Atoll featuring a debate about the Mariner’s fate when he was briefly captured which wasn’t in the theatrical version. And then there’s a lot of content at the end which I genuinely liked, such as Helen gifting the Mariner with the name Ulysses, and Enola discovering a plaque which specifies that Dry Land is indeed Mount Everest. Otherwise, it didn’t differ drastically from the theatrical cut I’ve seen so many times before.
This release is a blast. All home video collectors will enjoy the gorgeous package, and fans of adventure films will relish a thorough trip down memory lane. Perhaps some will discover Waterworld for the very first time through this Arrow release, and there couldn’t be a better way to discover it here in 2019 (except perhaps a killer rep screening on the big screen). Don’t hesitate to pick up a copy of Waterworld.
And I’m Out.
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Arrow Heads Vol. 54: CRIMSON PEAK Gets a Sumptuous Release (Review and Unboxing)
Guillermo del Toro’s Gothic romance gets the treatment it deserves
UK version pictured above. The (15) rating insignia does not appear on the US release. Arrow Heads — UK-based Arrow Films has quickly become one of the most exciting and dependable names in home video curation and distribution, creating gorgeous Blu-ray releases with high quality artwork and packaging, and bursting with supplemental content, often of their own creation. From the cult and genre fare of Arrow Video to the artful cinema of Arrow Academy, this column is devoted to their weird and wonderful output.
Crimson Peak. Misunderstood. Underappreciated. Both? While some including director Guillero del Toro suggest it was hamstrung by a big budget and expectations, the film still garnered a cult following, one which recognizes its distinct aesthetic, and marriage of Gothic romance and horror. Now Arrow films, purveyors of boutique home video releases, have put together a collectors edition that reflects how cherished the film is by some, one stuffed with extras, and housed in a package as resplendent as the film itself.
Crimson Peak tells of young Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), an aspiring horror writer residing with her wealthy father Carter (Jim Beaver) in Buffalo, New York, in 1887. Her literary leanings stem from a supernatural encounter she had as a young child, a visitation of her recently deceased mother as a young child, one that carried a warning. She encounters Baronet Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), an English nobleman who has intentions on securing a loan from her father to reinvigorate his family home and source of income, Allendale Hall. It’s a manor sat atop a mine which is the source of a unique type of clay, vibrant in red color, thus giving the estate its nickname “Crimson Peak.” A bond quickly forms between the two much to the disappointment of fellow suitor and long time friend Dr. Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam). The sudden death of her father precipitates a dramatic move to England, where as the new wife of Thomas she seeks to make a new home, but the chilly presence of his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain) makes things difficult. Matters are further complicated when Edith starts to see ghostly figures walking the halls, figures that soon lead Edith on a path to discovering a macabre mystery surrounding Allendale and the Sharpe siblings.
Crimson Peak has elements of a ghost tale, but the backbone of the film is really a period romance, a love triangle formed between Edith, Thomas, and his Machiavellian sister Lucille. It’s a dark but captivating tale, entwined with the mystery surrounding Allendale and its inhabitants. The tropes are there: a flighty young thing swept up by a charming gentleman, the foreboding house with the off-limit floors, the unhinged family member, repressed sexual tension, the characters that fit into expected roles. Despite this feeling of familiarity, the del Toro influence and an engaging cast (Hiddleston and Chastain especially) elevate it and provide some welcome texture and surprises.
The film revolves around Edith, an independent woman who seeks to rally against her natural place in society but only finds herself caught up in the machinations of others. Portrayed as a strong but at times passive creature, as things become increasingly stacked against her she strengthens her resolve to discover the truth behind her circumstance and the dark history of this estate. Crimson Peak is essentially a love letter from del Toro to multiple genres and sources, incorporating facets of Bronte, Hitchcock, and even the horror tropes of the Hammer film classics. These are blended with the director’s own unique traits, notably his potent visceral punches of violence, and distinct visuals, aided by cinematographer Dan Laustsen. A vibrant blend of romance, horror, and intrigue.
The Package
There is nothing in the package that suggests this is a new transfer of the film, still the image quality is very nice indeed. Plenty of detail showcasing the incredible production design. Vibrant colors, and generally deep blacks, although some of the darker moments do seem to lose a little definition though. As for the packaging of the release, well dayumn…
The release is designed by Crimson Peak concept artist Guy Davis. The box housing appears like a book, one when opened reveals a fabric tab to pull and lift out the inner contents, and the disc of the film itself.
Inside the housing is a series of art cards depicting the main cast, a folded, double-sided mini-poster, and a hardback book.
The book is of good quality, with over 80 pages filled with various collected articles and essays on the film, an interview with del Toro, production and behind the scenes photos, as well as a host of original conceptual art from Guy Davis and Oscar Chichoni.
Extra Features:
Arrow looks to have brought over the extra material included in the original Blu-ray release, and added a selection of their own too, making for a rather stuffed release.
- Audio commentary by co-writer and director Guillermo Del Toro: Any commentary from del Toro is a treat, this is no different. His insights and love of film is genuine and infectious
- The House is Alive: Constructing Crimson Peak: Labelled as ‘newly edited’, so seemingly a reworking of an existing featurette, which largely delivers interviews and behind the scenes footage
- Previously unseen Spanish language interview with Guillermo Del Toro: As with the commentary, hearing the filmmaker speak is always worthwhile
- The Gothic Corridor, The Scullery, The Red Clay Mines, The Limbo Fog Set; four featurettes exploring different aspects of Allerdale Hall: a more in depth focus/look at four main sets for the film used in various set-pieces
- A Primer on Gothic Romance, the director and stars talk about the key traits of Gothic romance: A nice retrospective piece on some of the aspects of the genre that inspired the film, and are paid homage to
- The Light and Dark of Crimson Peak: Cast and crew discuss the films look and color palettes, which surprisingly include crimson, and the two main locations depicted in the film
- Hand Tailored Gothic, a featurette on the film’s striking costumes: Some of the costume design is phenomenal, intricate and stunningly detailed. Worthy of its own featurette
- A Living Thing, a look at the design, modelling and construction of the Allerdale Hall sets: Another overview of the structure that dominates the film. Attention to detail and period authenticity is truly impressive
- Beware of Crimson Peak: a walking tour of the Allerdale Hall set with the ever charming Tom Hiddleston
- Crimson Phantoms: a featurette on the practical effects, and CGI enhancements, used to bring the ghostly apparitions of the film to life
- Kim Newman on Crimson Peak and the Tradition of Gothic Romance, a newly filmed interview with author and critic: Just under 20 minutes in length, he discusses the genre elements of the film as well as del Toro’s endless fascination with them
- Violence and Beauty in Guillermo Del Toro’s Gothic Fairy Tale Films, a new video essay by the writer Kat Ellinger: A nicely built visual essay that is both eloquent and insightful
- Deleted scenes: five segments, sadly no commentary or context added for exclusion
- Original trailers and TV spots:
The Bottom Line
Crimson Peak is a film that is brimming with creativity while also being a throwback to an older era of movies, and a love-letter to genre film. A supernatural Gothic mystery married to a twisted love triangle. It exudes macabre style and that undeniable del Toro flourish. Kudos to Arrow for offering up a package as resplendent as the film itself.
Crimson Peak is available via MVD Entertainment from January 15th.
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THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING: Writer/Director Joe Cornish Entertains & Inspires
An earnest adventure with something to say
Honestly one of my favorite movies of all time, writer/director Joe Cornish cemented eternal status with his “teens from the projects versus space aliens” comedy sci-fi action adventure film Attack The Block. While I’ve enjoyed his writing on such projects as The Adventures Of Tin Tin and Ant-Man, I’ve been chomping at the bit for him to return to the writer/director seat for another feature film all his own. Yet when the trailer hit for The Kid Who Would Be King… I was nervous. It simply looked like a movie that offered me nothing I wanted to see beyond Joe Cornish’s name in the credits. Fortunately, this was a case of a trailer doing a poor job of representing the final product. And I do so hope the film will not suffer at the box office as a result of the misguided marketing.
Because The Kid Who Would Be King is awesome. It’s EXACTLY the kind of follow up I would have hoped for from Cornish and highlights all of his strengths as a storyteller. That isn’t to say that the film is perfect. It veers into “this isn’t working” territory several times, only to be rescued by Cornish’s deft pen. It’s in the execution and the ideals that The Kid Who Would Be King soars.
This is a modern, kid-centric retelling of the King Arthur legend with its own unique spin on the ideals of that archetypal narrative. And it’s frankly inspiring, if clearly Spielbergian in its origin. From the opening frames, a cool-as-hell animated sequence re-framing the Arthurian legend into Cornish’s own unique brand sets the perfect tone. Then we meet our quartet of main characters pretty economically. Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis, son of Andy) comes across his portly best friend Bedders (Dean Chaumoo) being bullied by Lance (Tom Taylor) and Kaye (Rhianna Dorris) and immediately stands up for Bedders against the bigger, badder bullies. It’s the kind of underdog sequence that takes us universally back to middle school and taps into what we all love about stories of heroes defending the defenseless. Soon Lance and Kaye are chasing Alex down and cornering him at a construction site. After he takes a nasty spill, they run off and he encounters the legendary Excalibur, lodged in construction rubble. Soon a fairly complicated mythology (set up in the initial animation) begins to unfold with an updated take on Merlin, the evil Morgana, and the rise of her dark army in conjunction with an eclipse merely days away. Alex must forge alliances with his bullies and greatest foes, receive training from a very unique incarnation of Merlin (at times appearing as a hilariously out of touch teenager [Angus Imrie], at times as his adult form [Patrick Stewart], and at times as an owl), and even must eventually confront his own past and raise up an army to defeat Morgana. A tall order for a 12 year old with unresolved issues with his single mother and absent father.
The Kid Who Would Be King clocks in at two and a quarter hours and while it definitely could have been tightened up and possibly chopped all the way down to two hours even, there’s plenty of meat on the old bones of the Arthurian legend that Cornish wants to play with, and he gives real arcs to his characters, thereby making the fanciful and silly premise of a fantasy battle taking place in the halls of a modern British middle school palatable and fun. It takes a lot of maneuvering to get the audience to buy in, however, and some of the many ingredients required to go along with this grand narrative never quite gel. Regardless, Cornish does a lot with this unwieldy film.
For one thing, this is probably the first King Arthur film that is also about Brexit. “A land is only as good as its leaders” both Merlin and Cornish remind us. Central to Cornish’s narrative here is that Morgana is rising once again because she has been lying dormant, waiting for a time when division is rife and the world is turning against itself and rudderless without the identity of Arthur’s virtuous leadership to guide us forward. It’s very clearly an admission that the adults running the show today, whether in Britain with the Brexit debacle or over here in America with the most disastrous political climate in recent memory, have lost their way. Our new once and future king, Alex, must rise up and lead because his elders have abdicated their responsibility. It’s a condemnation of our current global political leadership, and a fresh and optimistic exercise in trust that our younger generations can prevail where we floundering adults have failed.
Most interestingly, Alex spends time on a quest to discover his own roots, believing that Excalibur has somehow chosen him because his long absent father must have been descended from Arthur himself. Citing Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter, Alex believes assuming the mantle of King Arthur must somehow be his destiny by birthright. This plot mechanism is a classical heroic trope, but one that has been coming under much scrutiny in recent years as aloof storytelling that rises up some kind of elite/elect hero and leaves out those of us who would likely never be a “chosen one” of royal lineage or the like. This shift in our heroes was very well documented in the non-traditional philosophy of the Matrix series, and has most recently been fascinatingly explored with Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi. Much of fandom still wants our heroes to be mythical, destined, blood-born heroes, it seems. But Alex, like Rey in The Last Jedi, must soon confront the reality that it isn’t his birthright or destiny to be a hero, so much as it is simply something that is being asked of him. Alex becomes a hero through his actions of selflessness, heroism, teamwork, and peacemaking among his enemies. Through his journey, and through Merlin’s tutelage, Alex embraces the high ideals of the Arthurian code, and becomes The Kid Who Would Be King by living out the high ideals of that code through his actions. Yes, the sword still chose Alex, but not because of his birthright so much as his potential for goodness.
That’s all pretty heady stuff, however, and The Kid Who Would Be King also has a lot of fun with itself. Merlin is often quite funny, and the wraith-like demon soldiers of Morgana look pretty awesome as they chase down our heroes in ever-strengthening attacks that provide fun action set pieces that prepare our heroes for the final climactic battle. There’s plenty of comedy that will likely land better with young people than it did with me. In the end, the Home Alone-like siege on the students’ school, complete with a small army of kids trained to do magical battle against Rebecca Ferguson’s Morgana and her hordes, feels creative and enjoyable without ever seeming so grand in scale as to resemble a Marvel film.
Cornish is an incredible director of children, and writer of young characters. Attack The Block’s Moses is one of the most relevant and vital young heroes of modern cinema, and Cornish does another great job here developing Alex through trials and adventures into a highly compelling young leader. Behind the scenes, he is able to coax very down to earth and relatable performances out of his principle cast. I hope Joe Cornish keeps telling tales of heroism through the lens of youth as long as he has this incredible grasp on this material.
The Kid Who Would Be King is fun, inspiring in its messaging and idealism, and optimistic in young people’s abilities to right the wrongs handed down to them. It’s a rip roaring adventure that also manages to take our current leadership to task and asks us to tear down the myths of destiny and instead lift up the ideals of compassion, truth, and reconciliation to carry us forward to our only hope of any kind of Camelot.
And I’m Out.
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Screen Comparisons: Criterion’s IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT
Comparing the new Criterion Collection edition Blu-ray to MGM’s Earlier 2014 Disc
This article contains several comparisons which contrast the older MGM/Fox Blu-ray transfer with the new Criterion restoration. The frames aren’t necessarily exact matches, but should give a solid indication of the visual differences.
Criterion’s new edition of In The Heat of the Night is set to release on January 29.
I’m excited to check out Criterion’s new edition of In The Heat of the Night, Norman Jewison’s 1967 detective tale which explores racism and crime in the south. The film stars Sidney Poitier as Virgil Tibbs, a Philadelphia detective who shakes things up in the racism-filled community of Sparta, Mississippi, as he assists with a murder case. Tibbs both partners and butts heads with the local police, including Rod Steiger and Warren Oates. Poitier would go on to star in two sequels, which are available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.
https://cinapse.co/potw-in-the-heat-of-the-night-investigating-the-racist-south-784756079aa9
MGM/Fox released In the Heat of the Night on Blu-ray in 2014, with respectable bonus features. Criterion’s edition includes most of those (all but one featurette) and adds several new interviews. But the real improvement here is the transfer of the film itself.
The Transfer
MGM’s edition looked fair, but this new transfer is a clear improvement, making the most of Haskell Wexler’s incredible cinematography.
To summarize the differences, the older transfer often exhibited a yellow bias and was overly bright. Textures tended to look smooth and featureless, likely the result of excessive DNR. Most oddly, the frame was slightly vertically squashed, causing characters to look too short.
Screen Comparisions
Notice in the screen below how the colors bleed and blur on the older transfer (most noticeably on Warren Oates’ shirt); instances like this have been mitigated.
Facial close-ups in particular reveal great detail, previously lost in a blurry or waxy haze. This is not only in a handful of instances, but noticeable throughout.
Top: Old MGM Disc // Bottom: New Criterion 
Top: Old MGM Disc // Bottom: New Criterion 
Top: Old MGM Disc // Bottom: New Criterion Grain is back along with the detail, and the difference is brilliant.
Top: Old MGM Disc // Bottom: New Criterion 
Top: Old MGM Disc // Bottom: New Criterion 
Top: Old MGM Disc // Bottom: New Criterion A few more shots for overall coverage:
Top: Old MGM Disc // Bottom: New Criterion 
Top: Old MGM Disc // Bottom: New Criterion 
Top: Old MGM Disc // Bottom: New Criterion
The Package
Special Features (as provided by Criterion)
- New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
- New interviews with director Norman Jewison and actor Lee Grant
- Segment from a 2006 American Film Institute interview with actor Sidney Poitier
- New interview with Aram Goudsouzian, author of Sidney Poitier: Man, Actor, Icon
- Audio commentary from 2008 featuring Jewison, Grant, actor Rod Steiger, and cinematographer Haskell Wexler
- Turning Up the Heat: Movie-Making in the ’60s, a 2008 program about the production of the film and its legacy, featuring Jewison, Wexler, producer Walter Mirisch, and filmmakers John Singleton and Reginald Hudlin
- Quincy Jones: Breaking New Sound, a 2008 program about Jones’s innovative soundtrack, including the title song sung by Ray Charles, featuring interviews with Jones, lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and musician Herbie Hancock
- Trailer
- PLUS: An essay by critic K. Austin Collins
New Cover by Sean Phillips
A/V Out.
Get it at Amazon:
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Except where noted, all 16:9 screen images in this review are direct captures from the disc(s) in question with no editing applied, but may have compression or resizing inherent to file formats and Medium’s image system. All package photography was taken by the reviewer.
https://cinapse.co/potw-in-the-heat-of-the-night-investigating-the-racist-south-784756079aa9
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OBSESSION: Just Because It’s Early De Palma Doesn’t Make It Less Lurid [Blu Review]
Brian De Palma & Paul Schrader combine, activate their powers
For some strange reason, despite all of my previous experiences with the work of Brian De Palma, I wasn’t prepared for how seedy and twisty 1976’s Obsession was going to be. There are probably a few factors that got me there. One is that the plot description (and PG rating) sounded fairly straightforward. Another is that it starred a young(er) Cliff Robertson. I mean, Tobey Maguire’s Uncle Ben is just so squeaky clean in my mind. And finally, 1976 felt quite early in the director’s career and I guess my suspicion was that he hadn’t come into the wholeness of his powers just yet. Of course actually looking at his career, he’d already made Sisters and Phantom Of The Paradise by this time, so I was simply mistaken in my assumptions there.
Obsession gets moving at a breakneck pace with Cliff Robertson’s Michael Courtland breaking into a huge business partnership with Robert Lasalle (John Lithgow) in New Orleans. His adoring wife and daughter surround him as the community welcomes him at a huge party in his honor. He’s the man of the hour, quickly to be struck down by a double kidnapping and the ransoming of his family. Relying on the police to assist with the case, things escalate quickly and as the kidnappers are cornered, they take Michael’s wife and daughter on a high speed chase that results in their deaths. Years later, Michael is a shell of his former self, mourning his family and plugging away at his work. When Lasalle convinces him to take a business trip to Italy, Michael spies a young woman at the church where he first met his wife many years before. The spitting image of his wife Elizabeth, Sandra (Genevieve Bujold in a dual role) instantly entrances Michael in the most Brian De Palma of ways. Rushing headlong into the dangerous belief that Sandra is somehow a replacement for Elizabeth, Michael rushes to marry Sandra and reclaim the vibrant life he once had. The twists and turns have only just begun, however, and while I won’t spoil the outcome, one does not simply cast John Lithgow without putting some meat on the bones of that role. And the grossness of the relational dynamics will swell all the way to an Oldboy-like crescendo of seedy double crosses.
Obsession has that “Hitchcock by way of porno” lurid aesthetic that only Brian De Palma has ever truly mastered. It feels wholly and completely within De Palma’s oeuvre even as early as 1976. And Schrader, that great explorer of the American identity (and our uniquely American psychoses) does a great job layering corruption and obsession indictments on top of a highly entertaining and fast-moving murder-mystery thriller. Robertson never quite feels like entirely the perfect fit for the role, but the character is a bit of a blank canvas upon which the various plot machinations are just sort of painted. Bujold and Lithgow do some of the more showy work, and they do feel like they belong in a De Palma film through and through.
This was a fantastic first viewing and a friendly reminder to never underestimate the power of Brian De Palma. His collaboration with Paul Schrader here fit like a glove, and together they crafted a breakneck thriller that implies a darkness and meanness shocking even today. Scored with the grand operatics of an Italian giallo and heightened by incredible lighting, camera work, and a taut running time, De Palma displays his mastery of the thriller with Obsession and it comes highly recommended.
The Package
De Palma films generally look amazing, and DP Vilmos Zsigmond worked together with De Palma to truly suck you into this fast-paced world instantly with their incredible visuals. Often using soft tones to evoke a heightened fantasy and to visually depict the state of obsession, this is one of those films where it MATTERS that you’re watching it on Blu-ray and that the film looks so fantastic. One feels almost dirty watching a De Palma film such as this, as though you’re overhearing conversations not meant for you. It is, frankly, awesome. And since this is a Collector’s Edition release from Scream Factory, you’re also getting a load of bonus features. Anyone who considers themselves even a marginal Brian De Palma fan would do well to pick up Obsession.
- Audio Commentary with Douglas Keesey (Author of Brian De Palma’s Split Screen: A Life In Film)
- Interview with George Litto (producer) and Paul Hirsch (editor)
- Obsession Revisited Featurette including De Palma, Robertson, and Bujold
- Trailers, Radio Spots, Still Gallery
And I’m Out.
Obsession is now available on Blu-ray from Scream Factory
