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TWO FILMS BY PETER GREENAWAY Crave Your Curiosity and Attention
Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber unleash two wild and wondrous early features by the British provocateur
Accompanying their recent release of Peter Greenaway’s breakout feature film, The Draughtman’s Contract, Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist Films have assembled a two-film set of Greenaway’s bookending features–The Falls and A Zed and Two Noughts. These two films wildly diverge in terms of stylistic approach and thematic content–one an ethnological faux documentary over three hours in length cannibalized from the BBC archives, the other a visually striking tableaux of death and decay. Viewed as a pair, though, The Falls and A Zed and Two Noughts reveal themselves as emblematic of how fascinated Greenaway is by both the need for humans to categorize and bring order to a chaotic world, as well as our inherent drive to set such rigorous structures ablaze with our impulsive desires.
The Falls compiles ninety-odd interviews of individuals all seemingly impacted by the Violent Unknown Event (VUE), with the random sampling only determined by the fact that all of their surnames begin with FALL. It’s an oddly whimsical feature compared to the rest of Greenaway’s filmography that I’ve had the pleasure of watching, almost like Look Around You played completely straight. A meandering melange of constructed languages, ornithological obsessions, and delightfully absurd asides, it’s fascinating to see Greenaway conjure up new meanings behind the juxtaposition of unrelated bits of archival footage, with his own shot faux-doc footage spliced in for good measure. For a film whose purpose aims to divine some possible meaning behind an event whose origins and overall impact remain as mysterious by the end of the film as they were at its outset, it’s surprisingly entertaining to see what connections are to be made as names, places, and other elements pop up without warning in this mammoth debut feature.
Following the success of The Draughtsman’s Contract, A Zed and Two Noughts sees Greenaway push himself further into narrative experimentation and rigorous, painterly formalism. The film tracks the bizarre experimentations of a pair of twin zoologists who capture time-lapses of animal decay on an increasing scale after the deaths of their wives. Beginning with plants and fruit and working their way up the food chain, the Deuce twins (Brian & Eric Deacon) push the boundaries of obsession and ethics as they also grow romantically attached to Alba, the newly-amputated survivor of the same accident that killed their spouses. Zed is a gripping film as much as it may repulse–uniting symmetrical ideas of life and death, captivity and freedom, and love and rejection in equal measure, finding as much to love about quixotic animal behavior as there is to condemn. The relationships within the film feel reduced to transactional, primitive bargains on a natural scale–from prostitution outside of animal cages to the mistreatment of animals (and other human beings) for the satisfaction of inner compulsions or intellectual curiosities.
One Greenaway anecdote refers to Cronenberg consulting him about A Zed and Two Noughts before embarking on his own Dead Ringers. Having finally seen both films, it’s hard not to picture Ringers as Cronenberg at his most Greenaway, and conversely Zed as Greenaway at his most Cronenbergian. There’s such a fascination with the inner workings of the human body, with the brothers and their director stripping away the humanity of their subjects bit by bit until they seem little more than organic machines, with wants and desires seeming more like errant bits of programming. Where The Falls is a bloodless, witty jaunt that gives birth to Greenaway’s love of intricate, referential anti-narrative, Zed is a film of gut-churning and wry observations, rich with the painterly detail and cutting satire that would define much of Greenaway’s later films.
Video/Audio
Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist Films present The Falls and A Zed and Two Noughts in 1080p HD AVC encodes in their original aspect ratios–1.66:1 for Zed and 1.37:1 for Falls, respectively. Both features are sourced from restorations undertaken by the BFI National Archive. Both films are presented with DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0-Channel Stereo tracks. English subtitles are provided for the feature films.
Both presentations provided deftly represent the lush and layered cinematography throughout Greenaway’s long career. However, the overall picture quality of both films varies mainly due to the advantages or limitations of their respective media. The Falls, presented in Academy ratio for British TV, bears most of its age over the last few decades. If anything, though, the roughshod look fits Greenaway’s overall aesthetic for the ethnological mockumentary. A Zed and Two Noughts has the best transfer of the set, porting over the BFI restoration previously available in the UK in all of its vibrant, contrast-rich splendor. Some light print scratches are present, but otherwise, Greenaway and cinematographer Sacha Vierny’s imagery remains well-preserved and chock-full of intriguing detail.
Audio tracks are serviceable for both pictures. The Falls’ dual-channel track retains more scratch and muffled dialogue due to the nature of the equipment used to make the original recordings for the voiceover that carries throughout the documentary. On Zed, dialogue has more of a primer placed upon it, with Michael Nyman’s score imbued with a bombastic, urgent frenzy that doesn’t overwhelm the witty and macabre scene work. Unlike The Falls, the Zed audio track seems to have undergone further restoration work–with fewer pops and hisses throughout the presentation.
Special Features
Disc One (A Zed and Two Noughts)
- Commentary: An archival commentary by writer-director Peter Greenaway.
- Video Introduction: An archival introduction by Greenaway discussing the pressures of developing and directing his follow-up to The Draughtsman’s Contract, the diverse styles of lighting that are throughout the film (challenging viewers to determine the list of 26 light origins present in ZOO), and the three kinds of films he believes are present, interwoven into the film as a whole.
- Decay Sequences: Six extracts from the Deuce brothers’ compendiums of animal decay videos. Not for the faint of heart.
- Greenaway Shorts: This disc presents two selected shorts from Greenaway’s early career, H is for House (1976) and A Walk Through H (1978).
- Theatrical Trailer for A Zed and Two Noughts.
Disc Two (The Falls)
- Vertical Features Remake: A radical blend of archival and typographical imagery under the guise of four attempts to “re-edit” documentary footage compiled by artist and recurring fictional Greenaway character Tulse Luper. This 45-minute film provides a glimpse at Greenaway’s creative efforts during his transition into feature-length filmmaking, which began with The Falls.
- Video Introductions to The Falls and Vertical Features Remake, discussing the deliberately oblique and introspective nature of both films, as well as further metatextual elements present that recur across Greenaway’s filmography.
Two Films by Peter Greenaway: A Zed and Two Noughts and The Falls is now available on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist Films.
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TEN TIGERS OF KWANGTUNG – Shawscope Vol. 2 – Roundtable Reviews
Cinapse is all about cinematic discovery. This Shawscope Volume 2 column is, therefore, a watch project for our team, and guests, to work through this phenomenal set from Arrow Video. These capsule reviews are designed to give glimpses of our thoughts as we discover these films for ourselves. Some are kung fu cinema experts, some less so; all are excited for the adventure.
The Hong Kong-based Shaw Brothers Studio cranked out a staggering number of feature films over its lifetime. With worldwide influence continuing to this very day, their contributions to cinema are myriad and undeniable. Arrow Video has curated a second volume of titles; an intentional way to wade into the deep waters of the Shaw Brothers. Beyond capsule reviews, our team also offers thoughts on the set curation and bonus features. Watch along with us, join us in the comments, or reach out on social media (linked below) if you’d like to submit your own
Ed Travis
It’s gonna be a no from me, Dawg. I was concerned right away from the title that there might be too many characters for me to really cling onto a hero’s journey. And it turns out I was right, as my white western ass simply could not follow the sheer breadth of characters introduced at an extremely rapid clip in Ten Tigers Of Kwangtung. Which, honestly, is maybe partially my fault as a westerner who isn’t familiar with the folk hero type characters that many in the contemporary Hong Kong audience would have been familiar with… but it also comes down to a sloppy movie that didn’t compel me to care enough to sort out all of these characters. When someone like Beat Takeshi introduces you to a hundred different yakuza in his complex crime films, it can be a struggle to follow at times but it’s often very rewarding to invest the effort. It turns out Ten Tigers is a splice job, though. A whole bunch of scenes for a different movie were filmed and when that movie wasn’t able to be completed, they came up with a flashback structure that bounced around in time and followed different characters in different timelines. A ton of the usual Chang Cheh actors are here, but honestly even by the final battle (in which a dude gets his head kicked clean off… which is admittedly rad as hell) I wasn’t even sure who the villains were and who the heroes were. I was just completely lost throughout the runtime of this one and tried my best to simply enjoy the stars and the bloody kung fu. It’s worth noting, however, that there’s a highly informative commentary track available that does explain the troubled production history on this title. And there’s a video essay bonus feature that is quite good as well. Arrow’s Blu-ray set here continues to feel like a prestige way in which to enjoy these films even if some hold up far better than others.
Dan Tabor
The Ten Tigers Of Kwangtung is an ambitious yet convoluted mess of a Chang Cheh/Venom Mob beat’em up and is definitely my least favorite on either set. The first 45 minutes of the film is a setup for a revenge-o-matic that makes you wonder who’s righteous and who is evil. Characters come and go and change appearances generally making it hard to discern, is this the flashback or contemporary time period? While the morality of these films is usually pretty black and white I found it rather bizarre how many of our righteous Kung-Fu masters Cheh was willing to sacrifice this go round while he was trying to make us figure out who were the good guys and who were evil. The Venom Mob films as a whole have felt a bit over stuffed for the Shaw Brothers brand of lean and mean action flick, but here it feels like either we’re missing about an hour of footage or Cheh was trying something that might have felt clever, but just came off as mean spirited and half-baked.
Justin Harlan
What in the name of mediocrity is this? I thought maybe it was just my long admitted Kung-Fu fatigue rearing it’s bored and ugly head… but it seems that my partners-in-crime here confirmed that this was – indeed – as poorly constructed and lacking as I feared. In other words, it’s not just me!
Finding out this film features cut scenes and splices from a variety of other works is not a surprise. There’s no cohesion, no clear cut sides of the battles, and no real direction to it all. With Cheh at the helm and the Mob featured prominently, this is an incredible disappointment. In fact, it seems altogether fair to say that this film is clearly the worst of the Venom Mob films.
I was so very in love with the first boxed set and this one has been difficult for me. While much of this difficulty seems to be a “me” thing, the fact that this film took me several attempts to finish and I came out without any real clue what was going on seems to not just be my personal difficulties in watching the Shaw catalog that have struck me this go ’round. As Ed notes, the kick in the final battle is indeed a highlight, but the list of lowlights is far greater… with the only thing I’m truly sure about is that the film will be almost wholly forgotten about by me in a few weeks max.
At least it looks and sounds great, as Arrow is always great for. Unfortunately, sometimes they give the full Arrow treatment to films that really don’t deserve it.
And We’re Out.
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Shout! Factory, Bring Cocaine Bear to 4K
[Editor’s Note: Since the time this plea was written, Universal announced the release of their own 4K edition of the film. Of course, we’d still like to see it get the full Shout! treatment, but if you want to hop on the Wish List to pre-order the film from our friends at Diabolik, you can do so here.]
Cocaine Bear opened nationwide February 23rd, making a review of the film today a little more than 6 months late. But this is no review. It’s an appeal. Cocaine Bear is ideal for a physical media release in 4K Ultra HD. The UK’s ahead of the curve on this one, recently announcing their release of Elizabeth Banks’ third directorial feature on 4K. Yet, as of this writing, no word of a 4K release here in the states, and that is just unacceptable.
Premiere physical media sanctum Shout! Factory’s subdivision Scream Factory is ideally positioned to get the distribution rights from Universal and add Cocaine Bear to its oeuvre of alien, animal, and creature flicks, which already includes Alligator on 4K. With Chuck Russell’s The Blob getting a seasonal release this fall, Cocaine Bear is a no-brainer. Horror with its premise sold in the title, like Night of the Demons and Pumpkinhead, are already set for 4K releases come October, leaving a gaping cartilage free nostril-sized hole in Scream Factory’s release schedule, and a bear hopped-up on coke is the only thing that can fill it.
Come on, Shout! Give us a limited-edition poster, and an enamel pin set. Better yet, mirror the recent 4K releases of John Carpenter’s They Live and The Fog and include a NECA action figure of the bear or Keri Russell’s sheriff Sari in a set.
Not only does Cocaine Bear meet all criteria to enter the Scream Factory canon, but it does so with flair. Banks leans into the style of 1985, making a contemporary film that’s super entertaining. Instead of making a dire horror film with some laughs, Banks saw the camp in the premise and went full ridiculous, corralling willing actors to play it up. There are scares and thrills, yet the humor and campiness provide a welcome undercurrent of warmth. Successfully mixing aesthetics is not easy, and it pays off delivering a film that will linger in the social conscience.
Cocaine Bear is unquestionably the star of the film, yet stupidity makes a strong showing as a vital supporting player. Yes, people make foolish choices in horror films. Audiences expect to roll their eyes at dumb choices the human fodder make before being sacrificed at the altar of horror and the final girl takes decisive action and slays the monster. Yet, Banks amps up the stupidity of nearly all the supporting players to another level, again giving the film unexpected, and most welcomed, flair.
There is a caliber of movie, often made with a low budget, that hits. These films have staying power not because they’re quirky, but because their quirkiness threads successfully into their story, entertaining an audience, convincing them that the wild pitches thrown are hard and fast strikes. It’s a magic trick. The audience knows they’ve been fooled and love the magician for taking them for a ride. Elizabeth Banks took domestic audiences for that ride, and they loved her for it to the tune of nearly double its estimated budget.
In what feels like an homage to the king of simply titled creature features, Jaws, Cocaine Bear keeps the kills off screen for the first act. Then, in Act 2, at the moment the audience becomes crestfallen, with all hope lost of gruesome, gnarly deaths, the bear tears into people and we’re so happy to see it that we catch ourselves giggling joyfully at the horror. Well done, Banks.
Hidden gems, unexpected joyful cinematic experiences- they warrant specialty releases. Cocaine Bear delivers on all of the above. It’s also the last film Ray Liotta completed before his untimely passing. Liotta’s screen presence was larger than life, and he deserves a similar cinematic send off in Ultra HD. Scream Factory, get it done for this generation of cinephile’s Ol’ Blue Eyes.
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Criterion Review: DIM SUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HEART
Victor Wong, Kim Chew, John Nishio and Laureen Chew in Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart. Wayne Wang’s second film as solo director after his groundbreaking Chan Is Missing is quiet dramedy Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, now out from Criterion. Recalling the post-war works of Yasujiro Ozu, Wang filmed this movie about the relationship between a mother and daughter – played by real-life mother and daughter duo Kim and Laureen Chew – in the Chews’ house, steeping the work in that domestic setting. There are obvious tells that date the 1985 project: the jellies Geraldine (Laureen Chew) steps out of upon entering the house, the perms on most of the women, Geraldine’s BFF Julia’s (Cora Miao, Wang’s wife) reference to Betamax, and the scenes of San Francisco’s Chinatown as it once was. But there’s a timeless aspect to Dim Sum, given the themes of family connection it explores.
Thirty-something Geraldine and her aging mother Mrs. Tam (Kim Chew) live together and care for each other. The mother cooks for the two of them (and any other family/neighbors who may stop by) and Geraldine buys the groceries and brushes her mom’s hair. The love between the two is spoken through their actions. Geraldine feels torn between the marriage her mom is pushing her towards and staying in the house as her mom grows older. While Wang comments in the interview included with the Criterion BluRay that his Dim Sum wasn’t guided by one specific Ozu film, a thematic comparison to Late Spring seems the most obvious to this viewer. Instead of a widower pushing his doting daughter to marry, widow Mrs. Tam — convinced by a fortune teller of her imminent death — is putting things to rights as her expected last day comes ever closer…and this includes making sure Geraldine is set up with a partner.
Victor Wong and Kim Chew in Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart. Along with the non-actor duo leading the cast, more recognizable faces Victor Wong (Eat a Bowl of Tea, The Joy Luck Club) plays Uncle Tam, bachelor brother-in-law of Mrs. Tam who hopes to marry her, and Amy Hill (TV’s “All-American Girl,” 50 First Dates) is Geraldine’s sister and friend. Bar owner Uncle Tam is almost a part of the household, sometimes staying over after meals. He’s also the one who enthuses about dim sum. A related note: most of the food in this film looks delicious, and Wang commented that Mrs. Chew would often cook for the crew after a day’s shoot.
Low budget independent Dim Sum centers themes that will remain relevant for the rest of Wang’s filmography, even his more commercial releases. I enjoyed seeing the chats between women friends and mahjong games that the director would later include in The Joy Luck Club, a film that holds a special place in my heart (Criterion release when?). Dim Sum revels in the quiet interiors and domestic setting of the Chews’ home, letting us into their world for a short period.
(L to R): Cora Miao, Laureen Chew, a quick Joan Chen cameo, Amy Hill, and Rita Yee in Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart. The Criterion BluRay includes special features such as:
- a new director’s cut (supervised by Wang) of Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, including previously unseen footage
- a 2004 interview with Laureen Chew, where she shares that she was 35 during filming and differed much from the guilt-laden character she played. She speaks of her early doubts about how her relationship with her mom would appeal to audiences and later realization of the importance of such cinematic representation.
- a more recent conversation between director Wang and filmmaker Arthur Dong. Wang discusses the silence used in Dim Sum (even though Mrs. Chew was operating a child care center in the house at the time of filming!), shooting in still-open San Francisco bar Li Po, working with a largely Asian-American crew, and the Ozu influence, among other subjects.
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Criterion Review: ONE FALSE MOVE (4K-UHD)
Following up last year’s release of Carl Franklin’s great Devil in a Blue Dress, Criterion has gone back to the well with Franklin’s excellent debut film One False Move. That’s a hell of a pair of films for any director to have anywhere on their resume, much less at the beginning. One False Move is a movie bursting with raw energy on both sides of the camera. It’s a first-rate crime thriller unafraid to go dark places and come back with more than just shocks, but sharply observed truths about people on both sides of the law.
Following a night of murder in search of money and drugs, a trio of criminals hightail out of Los Angeles on their way to Texas to unload their loot. The three are Ray (Billy Bob Thornton), the short-tempered leader of the pack; Pluto (Michael Beach), a quiet psychopath prone to bursts of extreme violence; and Fantasia (Cynda Williams), the only one of the group with a conscience. The trio is so reckless in their crimes and plans that it feels like only a matter of time before they get themselves caught. Ray, Pluto, and Fantasia are already desperate when we meet them and that feeling only intensifies as they make more mistakes.
Also not prone to mistakes are the men tasked with catching these killers. LAPD Detectives Cole (Jim Metzler) and McFeely (Earl Billings) catch the case in LA and eventually link up with Dale “Hurricane” Dixon (Bill Paxton), the police chief of Star City, Arkansas. Like Fantasia, Hurricane doesn’t quite fit in with his big city partners.
The movie is a crackling crime story, with Franklin consistently finding compelling ways to present the action. In the opening robbery scenes, there’s a harrowing shot of one of the victims, recorded earlier that night, dancing on the TV while violence unfolds in the room. Franklin doesn’t show things simply to shock viewers, but spends time showing everyone in their quieter moments so that when they resort to drastic measures, it carries real weight. You can’t call it a fall from grace exactly, it’s more like Franklin is catching these people at the moments they lose pieces of their souls.
The clarity of the characters’ actions and rationale creates a sense of inevitability to the film. Obviously, viewers know that a killers versus cops showdown is looming and will be hip to the thriller plot mechanics, but it’s hard to prepare for the emotional impact these inevitabilities will have on the characters and viewers when they happen. That’s a testament to the film’s script, written by Thornton and Tom Epperson, and Franklin’s direction.
For as frank and confrontational as the film’s violence is, the most indelible moments are often the conversations between characters. Pluto is a man of few words, and Beach brings the kind of intensity that does all the talking for the character. When he does speak, it’s often to deliver shiver-inducing lines of dialogue.
The film saves most of its best moments, however, for Hurricane. At first, he comes across as a small-town bumpkin who’s just excited to be part of the team. Paxton plays the part with the energetic chutzpah he built his career on. But as the script and Paxton peel back the layers of Hurricane, it becomes clear that he may have the most demons of all. To go back to the idea of inevitability, you could argue that Hurricane is the one who set the story in motion years before with decisions he made on the job. Paxton is absolutely incredible in the role, dare I say it’s his best work. He’s funny, charming, and entirely devastating. My favorite scene in the film is when Cole and McFeely are eating breakfast in a dinner, cracking a relentless stream of jokes about Hurricane and his aspirations, without realizing Hurricane has overheard most of what their saying. Paxton leans into the silent awkwardness of this moment, showing the hurt on Hurricane’s face to the audience while playing it straight-faced for the detectives. It’s a lovely bit of physical performance that doesn’t need any words.
Matching Paxton’s performance is Williams, who goes toe to toe with him in the film’s best moments. Fantasia may not be physically intimidating as her counterparts, but she has the fire to match their intensity. With Williams and Paxton anchoring their sides of the story, it’s no surprise their scenes together take the film to its highest heights. If Hurricane is the movie’s heart, then Fantasia is its soul.
With a storied history as a film that was once destined for a straight-to-video release before being championed by Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, this underseen gem gets a worthy release from Criterion in 4K UHD and Blu-ray. The film looks and sounds better than ever. The sound design is a particular standout. Gun shots and screams are stark and unsettling, but the highlight is the ambient background sounds. The Los Angeles-set scenes capture the hustle and bustle of big city life, while the Arkansas scenes are full of crickets, dogs, and birds. These sounds are clear without being intrusive and draw you deeper into the film.
The supplemental features are a bit sparse, with an old commentary from Franklin ported over from past releases. The highlight of these features is a half-hour conversation between Franklin and Thornton that offers a deep dive into the making of the film. The most interesting part is Franklin recalling Cynda Williams’ impromptu audition in a dinner that ultimately helped her land the part of Fantasia. All in all, this release is highly recommended because the film itself is just that damn good. Hardly a groundbreaking thing to say about a Criterion release, but One False Move is the kind of film that could easily be lost to time (and it’s only 30 years old!) and benefits exponentially from entering the collection.
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FANTASIA 2023: NEW LIFE is a Intimate and Thought Provoking Genre Mashup
New Life, the feature length debut by writer/director John Rosman is an intriguing genre mashup which feels like what would have happened if Bruno Mattei made an A24 film. The film consists of three very distinct acts that somehow manage to interlock into one another, telling a story that while sub-textually feels very much like a Covid movie, has a lot more to say.
The narrative sprints off with a John Wick-esque road movie as a tactically trained female assassin Elsa Gray (Sonya Walger) with seemingly unlimited resources is tracking down a mysterious bloody woman on the run, Jessica (Hayley Erin). Or at least that’s the first act and what we are led to believe. That first act has Jessica riding in beds of trunks and evading CCTV wherever she goes on her way to Canada, where it appears the chase is no longer possible. It’s an act primarily focused on the little acts of human kindness Jessica experiences while on the run that would soon have a bleak payoff.
When we first meet Jessica she is covered in blood with a black eye, obviously from her escape. But it’s how those who encounter her view her as a possible victim of domestic abuse, gives that first act something more to chew on as Jessica ends up working as a bar back in a small remote town to earn some money. It doesn’t feel like Jessica is purposefully exploiting this, but it’s how she’s perceived by those around here that gives the story an interesting heart and subtext as we move through that first half.
The second act of this film strategically imbues both characters with a captivating humanity needed for a hard left in a third act, I would rather leave unspoiled. But we do discover the hit woman is suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS, a terminal neurological disease that slowly degenerates a person’s motor functions. While Elsa was once a skilled “Fixer” for her handlers, here we see her struggling to button up her shirt or even walk without a cane as she attempts to hunt Jessica. Elsa’s story folds out in a more contemporary context against Jessica’s, which is told in flashbacks as we see how she ended up on the run.
The narrative in New Life smartly chooses to lean into performances, rather than exposition to tell its story through the actions of its dual protagonists. Both are played sympathetically and it’s these dueling stories that really deal out some rather striking emotional beats. It’s something John Rosman rather interestingly pulls off investing you in both sides of the story as we get into the film’s nerve wracking final stretch. Both actors deliver intimate takes that both have their own organic motivations. It’s rare but here both character and their respective journeys feel fully fleshed out and offer a different side of the same coin.
New Life is a moving look at two people who are forced to face their mortality and how both women grapple with that decision. While Jessica’s is due to Elsa hunting her, with Elsa’s diagnosis she has been entertaining thoughts of taking her own life. This is probably due to the fact that once your ALS symptoms start to show, you could have anywhere from 2-5 or if you’re lucky 10 years left. It’s how these two women end their journeys that offers up a rather bittersweet interpretation of the film’s title, which will stick with you long after the credits roll. New Life takes a few big swings, and unlike most sticks the landing both narratively and emotionally, in a film that is as intimate look at mortality from two very distinct yet similar viewpoints.
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SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER Blends Comedic Absurdity and Murderous Thrills
Mike Myers shines in this black comedy classic [4K-Review]
There was a time in the later 90s where Mike Myers reigned supreme. His quirky characters and offbeat comedy fueling beloved films like Wayne’s World, Austin Powers, and Shrek. Amidst all this was a cult favorite, on that showed a less cartoonish level of creativity, and a tilt into darker tone, So I Married an Axe Murderer. A black comedy starring Myers as Charlie MacKenzie. A jazz performance poet who is unlucky in love, but has the good fortune to eventually find someone he thinks he can spend the rest of his life with. The lady in question is Harriet (Nancy Travis), smart, witty, intelligent, and a butcher, something that becomes more concerning as he starts to suspect she might also be a serial killer. Harriet’s past seems to align closely with reports in the Weekly World News of a serial “Honeymoon Killer”, leading Charlie, along with his cop friend Tony (Anthony LaPaglia) to begin their own investigation. uncovering more indications that Harriet could be a killer, as the pair inch ever closer to the altar.
One part romantic comedy, the other an thriller/mystery feature, together, and entertaining and thoroughly charming feature. The investigative aspect largely fuels more neuroses (and subsequent entertainment) from Charlie himself, a man on a collision course with commitment, experiencing al the fears and anxiety that come with it. It’s a smart leveraging of this aspect of relationships into something as comedic and dark as a serial husband killer. Throw in a few twists and turns, red herrings and odd-ball characters, and the film is pretty satisfying, for both genres it draws from. The film is replete with tremendous supporting talents, notably a delicious turn from Amanda Plummer as Harriet’s sister Rose, and Phil Hartman stealing the whole damn movie as an Alcatraz tour guide. Myers even gets a chance to cut loose with the comical depiction of his character’s family, notably playing his own father Stuart after adopting aging makeup and a thick(er) Scottish brogue. Myers infuses his off-beat poet lead with an affable charm that pairs superbly with the natural ease of Nancy Travis. There’s a genuine spark coming from their repartee and sometimes it’s delightfully easy to get a little lost in their courting before the madcap nature of the film reasserts itself.
The Package
So often studios put out pretty run of the mill transfers when it comes to the current wave of 4K re-releases. Thankfully, this treatment of So I Married An Axe Murderer is surprisingly solid. Detail is the standout, showcasing the environments, people, and textures of the film well. Exterior sequence are most notable in this regard. Blacks are deep, contrast range is solid too. Colors are natural, with a healthy pop, with a cinematic grain preserved. It certainly freshens up the look of the film from the dingier presentation I remember on initial release, nicely done.
Extra features are limited to theatrical trailers, and the well advertised 30+ minutes of deleted scenes. Apparently never before released, and they were certainly new to me. Around 30 scenes total, ranging from 30 seconds in length, up to a few minutes long. Most have no particular significance in altering the film, mostly alternate takes, extra jokes, etc. There is an clip that shows an alternative opening that suggests a more dark/violent tone for the film was once planned though.
The Bottom Line
So I Married an Axe Murderer isn’t as well known as some of Mike Myer’s other films, but it has a devoted cult following. One well earned with its blending of romance, black comedy, absurdist moments, and focused work from Myers himself. A 4K facelift is a great reason to revisit this killer comedy, while those deleted scenes are little gems for longtime fans.
So I Married an Axe Murderer is available on 4K-UHD now
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Virginie Efira and the Soul of OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN
Virginie Efira, Roschdy Zem, and Callie Ferreira-Goncalves in OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN. Courtesy of Music Box Films Amongst the Sundance festival programming I was able to view this year, Other People’s Children is the narrative film that’s remained on my mind months later. As a godmother without children of my own, I found much to relate with in French writer and director Rebecca Zlotowski’s introspective film. Virginie Efira (Revoir Paris, Benedetta) stars as Rachel, a forty-something high school teacher in the heated early stage of a relationship with divorced car builder Ali (Roschdy Zem, Savages). She’s postponed having kids, but meeting and caring for Ali’s daughter Leila (an adorable young actress named Callie Ferreira-Goncalves) leads Rachel to want a child.
Other People’s Children moves quietly through seasons as it focuses on Rachel’s interior world. Efira’s facial movements tell us much, even as Rachel vocally appeases Ali or calms Leila down. Ferreira-Goncalves as Leila is so utterly charming (and this is from someone easily disappointed by child actors) that it’s perfectly understandable why Rachel would grow so close to her. Zlotowski’s screenplay centers the stepmother experience, that feeling of caring deeply for a child in a more tenuous connection. Through the film Rachel’s attachment to Leila grows, even while her relationship to Ali begins to falter.
Virginie Efira and Callie Ferreira-Goncalves in OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN. Courtesy of Music Box Films Efira is the soul of the work while we follow this year in Rachel’s life, as she comes to realize her options for pregnancy become ever more limited (in a related note: documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman plays her OB-GYN, an aptly titled Dr. Wiseman). Rachel counsels one of her troubled students, she becomes a new aunt, and she navigates her relationship with indecisive Ali and his kind ex-wife Alice (Chiara Mastroianni, Persepolis, Chicken with Plums) – even if she disagrees with some of their parenting decisions.
Zlotowski’s celebration of the stepmother figure is relatively unique to this film — not a common theme we’ve seen before — although Other People’s Children shows a refreshing appreciation for childless women in general. In this tender film, Efira delivers one of the best performances of the year so far.
Other People’s Children is now available on Blu-ray from Music Box Films. Included in the package:
- A featurette of interviews with Zlotowski, Efira and Zem. The director discusses how she came to write the screenplay during the early days of COVID, as well as her previous collaboration with Zem and desire to cast him as a romantic lead. She notes, “I’ve always loved those love stories that make us who we are.” Efira and Zem share about working with Ferreira-Goncalves and the young actress’ amazing ability to keep her real life separate from the script.
- The TIFF pre-screening introduction by Zlotowski and post-screening Q&A session with the director and Efira. The French actress speaks about her eagerness to work with Zlotowski after loving one of her previous films so much she bought DVDs and gave it to friends.
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MVD Kicks Off Their 4K Rewind Slate with SWAMP THING on UHD!
This article is packed with screen captures of the film. These were pulled directly from the Blu-ray disc and are displayed at a smaller size within the article. They are illustrative and not intended to represent the quality of 4K UHD presentation.
Let’s take a minute to pause and appreciate that this movie exists. A fun, pulpy, practically-crafted, and strangely sexy science fiction movie directed by Wes Craven and starring Adrienne Barbeau, with Louis Jourdan as a smarmy villain.
We take weird comic book movies for granted now, but in the 80s studios weren’t exactly lining up to crank out comic adaptations, especially in the odder realm of fare like Swamp Thing, which despite its DC roots, is a world removed from familiar mainstream heroes like Batman and Superman. The misanthropic mutant originated in the pages of the horror and supernatural anthology series House of Secrets before moving on to his own series.
In 1981 Wes Craven was becoming known as a horror and exploitation director with The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes, and Deadly Blessing all under his belt. While it still has elements of both of those descriptions, Swamp Thing, a PG-rated film based on a DC comic book, provided at least a small departure from that lineup (though not for long – he’d get right back into the horror zone in a big way with 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street).
John Carpenter’s muse, and wife at the time, Adrienne Barbeau, stars as Alice Cable, a newcomer to working on a secret government laboratory located in the middle of a remote marshland. The project is yielding some incredible breakthrough discoveries in biology thanks to its ingenious sibling duo of scientists, Alec and Linda Holland (Ray Wise and Nannette Brown). But the team is being infiltrated and surveilled by Anton Arcane (Louis Jourdan), a maniacal millionaire who wants to unlock the secrets of human potential and eternal life, and is willing to hire a small army of goons to help him do it.
In an attack on the compound, Alec, who has quickly made an impression on Cable as a new friend and burgeoning love interest, is doused in chemicals and set aflame, last seen fleeing into the swamp before being left for dead.
As the goons pursue Cable, she comes into contact with a pair of allies: Jude (Reggie Batts), a local kid who runs a derelict filling station and serves up a fun sense of sidekick chemistry, and… some kind of swamp thing (Dick Durock). A huge green humanoid creature, seemingly made of moss and vines, steps in to protect her whenever the villains close in on her.
It’s no spoiler of course that this is Alec, transformed by his incident and now desperately seeking to restore his humanity. It’s here that the film finds its surprisingly tender heart, as Alex and Cable are reunited and still very fond of each other despite their misfortunes and situation. While he was precocious and even a little obnoxious as a human, Alec is notably more subdued and gentle as “Swamp Thing”, tragically humbled in his new skin.
But once it becomes known, Alec’s transformation only makes Arcane even more convinced to discover and harness the secret of this new kind of strength and power, leading to a showdown that moves from Arcane’s dungeon (he has a dungeon) to a monster-on-monster, swamp wrasslin’ sword fight with a transformed Arcane.
This must have been an immensely difficult and uncomfortable film to make. It’s very apparent that this was all shot on location in real swamp, and it’s certainly a unique production. Every time a character gets tossed into the water (which is something that happens a lot in the movie), my brain’s firing off, “This is the real deal. That guy could die if he lands on an alligator or get bitten by a water moccasin.”
The film’s surprisingly gentle love story in the midst of weird pulpy action and horror made it a bizarre TV staple (I’ve caught the end of this movie a number of times but only seen the beginning on home media), but perhaps even more interestingly, provided longevity to the character and set the course for a revival of Swamp Thing comics. A few years later, Alan Moore’s run on the character would solidify the character’s popularity, doubling down on the elements of weirdness and romance that the movie helped to establish.
Swamp Thing #34, DC Comics 
Swamp Thing #34, DC Comics The Package
Thanks to MVD, Swamp Thing is new on 4K UHD Blu-ray, and also re-released to Blu-ray in a new edition. The Blu-ray follows MVD’s usual “Rewind Collection” packaging motif and numbering, while the 4K edition (which is the version I’m reviewing) kicks off a new “4K Laservision Collection” with its own numbering (“1”) and stylized packaging modeled after vintage CED (videodisc) cartridges. A folded poster is included, and my cover came with a slipcover as well which utilizes the same art as the case art.
Impressively, this edition has managed to reel in many special features originally prepared for other editions. When Shout Factory released the movie on Blu-ray in 2013, they were unable to obtain the international or “unrated” cut of the film. It’s cool to see this kind of cooperation taking place where MVD is able to create an ultimate edition building on Shout Factory’s prior foundation.
And certainly, finally having the international cut (which has been long absent on home video) is a big win. Although on finally watching it, I think the only difference is the addition of a couple scenes extended to include nudity.
The movie looks stellar, though perhaps not what you might expect of a 4K disc. The film has an inherently nice soft look and you won’t get, at least in the modern sense, a pristine, sharp image. Instead it’s a subtler difference of finer grain and “intactness”. The Blu-ray version of the film, which is also packed in the 4K edition, also really looks great, and I don’t think I could really argue with someone if they said the difference between the Blu-ray and 4K seems negligible.
I personally ran into a technical issue while firing up the 4K disc (about half an hour in, the video started glitching), and contacted MVD who were very quick to review my concerns and perform additional QC to try to ensure that it was an isolated issue and not a wider problem.
Special Features and Extras (4K UHD)
• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Wes Craven moderated by Sean Clark (Theatrical / PG Version)
• Audio Commentary with Makeup Effects Artist William Munns moderated by Michael Felsher (Theatrical / PG Version)
Special Features and Extras (Blu-ray)
The Blu-ray disc includes the commentaries on the 4K disc, plus:
• “Tales From the Swamp” (Remastered) with Adrienne Barbeau (16:56) – On working with Wes Craven, the film’s shrinking budget and compromises, an uncontracted nude scene, and the loss and recovery of a beloved ring.
• “Hey Jude” with Actor Reggie Batts (14:30) – A fun interview with Batts, who was a child actor in the film. he describes working on the movie, the friendliness of the cast, and the benefits of having a cinephile dad.
• “That Swamp Thing: A Look Back with Lein Wein” (13:19)
Swamp Thing creator Len Wein on how he became a comic creator, visiting the film set, and thoughts on the film as an adaptation of his work and Swamp Thing’s legacy.
• “Swamp Screen: Designing DC’s Main Monster” (20:32)
Production Designer Rob Wilson King on his admiration for Wes Craven, designing and building sets practically on location in a real swamp, and also general thoughts on the movies – cast, crew, effects, and an especially impressive pyro stunt.
• “From Krug to Comics: How the Mainstream Shaped a Radical Genre Voice” featurette (17:34)
The always informative and entertaining Kim Newman discusses the film (one he’s “warmed up to over the years”) in the context of comic book movies and We Craven’s oeuvre.
• Posters & Lobby Cards – Photo Gallery
• Photos from the Film – Photo Gallery
• William Munns’ Behind the Scenes Pictures – Photo Gallery
• Behind the Scenes Photos by Geoffrey Rayle – Photo Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:31)
Deleted Scenes
Theatrical Trailer
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.
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ENTER THE DRAGON: The Martial Arts Classic Makes a Stunning 4K Debut
Just in time for the film’s 50th anniversary and Warner’s 100th, Enter the Dragon roundhouse kicks onto 4k UHD in a new edition that focuses on presentation rather than extras, which is fine. Easily one of the most culturally significant films in the sub-genre of martial arts, the film was meant to be Lee’s Hollywood theatrical debut. After first making a name for himself in television on the Green Hornet as Kato, Lee went back east after rather infamously, losing the lead in Kung-Fu to David Carradine. Because when you think about Kung-Fu, you think of David Carradine, right? Back in Hong Kong the Jeet Kune Do master built up his bonafides as a leading man, and after a string of successes, American studios started calling him back west.
The funny part is even though Enter the Dragon was crafted for Lee specifically, the studio asked for 3 diverse leads, something they referred to as “international cast” just in case American audiences at the time couldn’t accept an Asian man leading a film. Based on the Bond films, Enter the Dragon was a showcase for Bruce who also directed and choreographed all the fight sequences in the film, which still hold their own today. Lee was 32 years old while he finished working on the film that was fast tracked by Warner to capitalize on the rising star who would die tragically months before its release which ultimately landed him in the pop-cultural zeitgeist as an icon of all things cool and badass, even to this day.
For those that have never seen Enter the Dragon, its plot is something that has become a template in the action genre and was even cribbed for a little arcade game called Mortal Kombat. A hero is invited to a martial arts tournament on a secluded island compound and tasked with taking down the villain running it. Here Lee plays, well Lee, who is after a renegade Shaolin monk Han (Shih Kien), who has brought dishonor to the Temple by trafficking in drugs and white slavery on a remote island where he also holds a martial arts tournament that also allows him to recruit new talent. If that wasn’t enough motivation, shortly after Lee is contacted by a government organization to take on the mission, he also discovers Han’s number 2 was personally responsible for the death of his sister.
It’s easy to see why Lee was on his way up, here he just effortlessly radiates cool whenever he’s on screen, and that says a lot when having to play off Jim Kelly and John Saxon as his fellow tournament participants. Kelly is just immaculate here in a role that will be imitated and parodied for years to come, next to Saxon who somehow manages to hold his own against the pair while still turning in a charismatic anti-hero. Lee is truly astounding here in fight scenes that changed how we viewed fight choreography in Kung-Fu films. There’s a rawness to his style that favored realism over safety, and watching his fights now, they haven’t lost any of their punch.
The transfer here appears to be the same as the one on the Criterion set, which isn’t a bad thing, but with the added clarity of 4K and bump in color from the HDR. This is really noticeable in the reds in the film, which are now more striking than ever. The image is bright, with some of the earlier scenes exhibiting a higher contrast than later in the film, which could be a symptom of shooting outdoors on location, as opposed to on a closed studio set.The other big difference is along with the 4k is a new Dolby Atmos mix, paired with the preexisting Dolby Digital Track and a commentary. This is definitely a more contemporary feeling mix that really highlights Lalo Schifrin’s funk infused score by pushing that base line to the sub, and filling out the room with the highs and mids. It’s most definitely a more aggressive soundmix, but it’s a fight film and that is definitely something that will give folks watching this at home more bang for their buck.
The single UHD contains both the original theatrical cut, as well as the newly edited special edition that reincorporated some of the more philosophical moments in the film that were cut shortly before release. While these moments don’t add anything substantial plot-wise, it does infuse Lee’s hunt for Han with a spirituality that adds a new dimension of complexity to the lone righteous warrior. As far as extras the film comes with the commentary I previously mentioned with Paul Heller and Michael Allin, along with an Introduction by Linda Lee Cadwell. This tracks since Criterion probably still has all the rights to the extras that have been on the previous versions and if you’re a Bruce Lee fan, you really should own that set.
Like Warner’s other 100 titles – Enter the Dragon feels simply timeless, watching it today. Lee is iconic here and it’s easy to see why even today he’s instantly recognizable to people who have probably never even seen one of his films. The rousing adventure is bittersweet in that it tragically reinforces the toll his death had on a world that was finally ready for his brand of action, and sadly had to deal with the birth of Brucesploitation, a entire genre of knock offs instead. Needless to say he will be forever missed and Warner’s exquisitely simple release only cements that legacy for the next generation of fans.
