THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 11/5/18

 

If you find yourself watching Shout! Factory's new Blu-ray release of THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE, chances are you either (1) love the Julie Andrews movie and are curious to compare them, or (2) simply like musical theater, or (3) are fascinated by elaborate live television productions.

And if, as in my case, all three apply, you're liable to have as great a time watching this incredible ensemble performance as I did.

Once it got underway, this 2015 version of the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical (book by Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay) quickly began to prove that it could stand beside the beloved film version as its own entity, with its own style and unique appeal.

The first thing I noticed is how great it looks.  Shot on three soundstages, this live show boasts some exquisite sets for the abbey in which young Maria is studying to become a nun, the mansion of the lonely widower Captain Georg von Trapp and his children, for whom Maria is sent to serve as temporary governess, and, finally, the concert hall where the Von Trapp Family will eventually perform for their fellow Austrians on the eve of World War Two.

The second thing I noticed is that this cast is marvelous, especially a radiant Kara Tointon (MR. SELFRIDGE, EASTENDERS) as free-spirited Maria and Maria Friedman as Mother Abess, Maria's wise and encouraging mentor who realizes that the young woman's future path may lie outside the abbey. Julian Ovenden as the Captain takes a bit longer to warm up to, but then so does his stern, joyless character (into whom Maria breathes new life and love).

The juvenile castmembers are marvelous as well, as are the exhilarating song and dance performances which make all the familiar tunes sound brand new and freshly exciting.  The only ones that didn't move me were sung by Katherine Kelly as Baroness Elsa Shraeder, Georg's (poorly-chosen) intended bride whom we know is totally wrong for him, and Alexander Armstrong as Georg's amusingly craven friend Max.  But this is appropriate since their songs are meant to express more selfish, worldly interests.

We know that Maria will gradually melt Georg's cold heart and use the healing power of song to bring him closer to his children again, and that they'll fall in love.  But seeing it presented in such a delightfully imaginative new interpretation, with such heart and emotion, had me tearing up with the first chords of each familiar song.

For indeed this is a deeply emotional tale (based on a true story) of love--not just romantic love, but love of family, country, and God--with songs that go straight to the heart to evoke a wealth of feeling.  Even the suspenseful finale in which the Von Trapp family attempt to escape from an Austria trembling under the oppressive weight of encroaching Nazism (as frighteningly depicted here) is ingeniously interwoven with song.

The production itself is a technical marvel that I found endlessly fascinating.  How they pulled off something so incredibly elaborate for live television with nary a hitch is an utter marvel.  Even when one of the children stumbles over a suitcase, Tointon makes it a part of the scene.

Director Coky Giedroyc, using 17 cameras, gives it all just the perfect balance between stagey theatricality and cinematic fluidity and style.  The presentation never feels static or stagebound, while Giedroyc infuses it all with a pleasing simplicity and a sharp focus on both character and performance.

The Blu-ray from Shout! Factory looks great and features a behind-the-scenes featurette and a commentary track by Kara Tointon and Julian Ovenden.

As someone who fell in love with the original film version way back in the 70s, I can say without reservation that THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE is a wonderful new incarnation of the story which I found profoundly moving.  Both as entertainment and as a technical achievement, it's a dazzling, exciting experience.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 9/20/2018

 

I have to agree with the Medveds that EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC (Scream Factory, 1977) is one of the dumbest horror films ever made.  And yet that's what makes it so watchable--the fact that it's so incredibly, entertainingly dumb.

It's also one of the worst-ever sequels to a classic film.  The nightmarish original from director William Friedkin (THE FRENCH CONNECTION, TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A., THE BOYS IN THE BAND) was considered by many upon release as the most terrifying film of all time.  Even a lot of first-time viewers nowadays tend to agree.  But for its hapless follow-up, reactions are largely negative.

Linda Blair is back as "Regan", this time several years older than the little girl we first met.  Still suffering the after-effects of her previous ordeal, Regan is undergoing unorthodox treatments from super-shrink Louise Fletcher which are intended to isolate and solve her "mental" problems.  This involves a flashing mutual-hypnosis machine called a "synchonizer", which connects their minds and adds a sort of sci-fi element to the story.

Meanwhile, there's a new priest in town--the great Richard Burton as Father Lamont, a troubled holy man ordered by the Cardinal (Paul Henried) to investigate what happened to Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow) leading up to his strange death.  This eventually leads him to Regan, and then to Africa for an encounter with mysterious locust expert James Earl Jones.

What follows is a strange mishmash of conventional horror, sci-fi, African mysticism, and leftovers from the original story that alternates between either dull and meandering, and just plain fascinating as an ill-conceived screen artifact.

At times it feels sort of like one of those soupy 70s-era Dino De Laurentiis or Carlo Ponti productions.  (The overcooked score by Ennio Morricone doesn't help.) Hard to believe it was directed by John Boorman, the same man who gave us DELIVERANCE and EXCALIBUR but has none of William Friedkin's knack for pulling off this kind of horror.

To be fair, Friedkin had much better material to work with.  The weak script was rewritten multiple times, with tepid echoes from the first movie interlaced with such elements as locust attacks (an odd parallel to the evil invading our world) which can only be repelled by that rare someone with a special spiritual power.

This figures very importantly in the wildly bizarre finale as locusts descend on Regan's crumbling old Washington, D.C. townhouse like something out of an Irwin Allen disaster flick (sort of a cross between EARTHQUAKE and THE SWARM), while Father Lamont wrestles furiously in bed with Regan's evilly seductive doppelganger.

As for me, the sequel's undisputed highlight is the infamous tap-dancing scene.  Few examples of unintended hilarity are as sublimely funny as seeing Regan, stricken by the old evil spirit again during a school talent show, valiantly struggling to finish her tap-dancing routine (top hat, tails, cane--the whole works) to the tune of "Lullaby of Broadway" as her body is wracked with violent spasms.

Linda's fans will naturally enjoy seeing her again as an older Regan.  Unfortunately, this was made during that awkward teen phase when Linda wasn't all that convincing in anything beyond the likes of ROLLER BOOGIE or SAVAGE STREETS.  Her chirpy demeanor and weak line delivery constantly work against Boorman's attempts to build realistic tension.

Louise Fletcher (ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, DEAD KIDS) and Richard Burton (THE KLANSMAN, THE WILD GEESE) both do what they can with the tepid material. Burton, one of film's greatest actors when given the chance, is especially watchable even though the last act mostly requires him to wander around in a trance.  Kitty Winn returns from the first film as Sharon.  Ned Beatty and a very young Dana Plato are also on hand.

The 2-disc Blu-ray from Scream Factory contains both the original 118-minute cut and the 102-minute reedited version, which was released after the film failed to meet audience expectations first time around.  Both are 2k scans from the original film elements.  Image and sound quality are very good.  English subtitles are available.

Each disc contains ample bonus material, including three commentary tracks (one with director John Boorman) and a revealing interview with Linda Blair.  Also included are trailers and still galleries, plus a reversible cover insert.

EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC is a somewhat exhilarating experience at times--not because it's good, but because it's so flamboyantly bad.  Once you've seen the full version, you'll want to watch the edited cut just to see what they did in the way of damage control.  Either way, it's one of 70s cinema's most interesting failures.


DISC ONE (118 Minute Cut Of The Film):

NEW 2K Scan From Original Film Elements
NEW Audio Commentary With Director John Boorman
NEW Audio Commentary With Project Consultant Scott Bosco
NEW What Does She Remember? – An Interview With Actress Linda Blair
NEW Interview With Editor Tom Priestley

DISC TWO (102 Minute Cut Of The Film):

NEW 2K Scan From Original Film Elements
NEW Audio Commentary With Mike White Of The Projection Booth Blog
Original Teaser Trailer
Original Theatrical Trailer
Still Galleries Including Rare Color And B&W Stills, Behind-The-Scenes, Deleted Scene Photos, Posters, And Lobby Cards

Buy it from Shout Factory

EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

DRAGNET: COLLECTOR'S EDITION -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

 Originally posted on 10/16/18

 

I've heard several people over the years say that they liked, or even loved, the 1987 feature comedy adaptation of the classic TV cop series "Dragnet" starring Dan Ackroyd and Tom Hanks. To those people I would recommend Shout! Factory's new Blu-ray release DRAGNET: COLLECTOR'S EDITION, which features a new 4K HD scan and an assortment of bonus features.

The film certainly is lively and full of blustery comedic action that people not all that familiar with the TV show can enjoy without a lot of bothersome comparisons to it.

Basically it's the story of a very straight-laced, by-the-book cop (Dan Ackroyd as Sgt. Joe Friday) and his flighty, fun-loving, all-rules-barred new partner "Pep" Streebek (Tom Hanks) having to work together--while constantly getting on each other's nerves--to stop a growing organization of deranged criminals bent on citywide chaos.

For these viewers the film offers a wealth of one-liners and raucous situations as Friday and Streebek must overcome their "odd couple" differences and eventually develop a grudging mutual respect.  The investigation into the crime group known as "P.A.G.A.N." (People Against Goodness And Normalcy) also yields wild car chases, lots of stunts, gorgeous babes, some romantic schmaltz, and a constant barrage of generic action-movie stuff to keep us occupied.

That said, as a longtime devoted fan of the actual TV series (both in its 1950s and 1960s incarnations), I find the movie as a whole to be consistently problematic.  (That's the first time I've ever used that word!)

As a parody of the series, the movie is surprisingly unsimilar to it despite the usual references to "just the facts, ma'am" and other tropes ("This is the city...I work here, I carry a badge", "The story you are about to see is true", etc.) and Friday's unyielding adherence to the rules and loyalty to strict civil order in general.

Ackroyd is actually playing the original Joe Friday's nephew, but his character is meant to be a carbon copy of his late uncle.  It's troubling, then, that he is so far off base in capturing Jack Webb's intonations and body language, instead doing a sort of generic stiff-backed type with clipped speech and no sense of humor.

The more human and even, at times, casual aspects of Webb's portrayal are lost in Ackroyd's robotic interpretation. It often seems as though he's doing more of a take-off on Robert Stack's Elliot Ness from "The Untouchables" than Webb's more haggard, world-weary cop.  And while the old Joe might occasionally hit a bad guy with a long, rapid-fire verbal scolding, this one tends to speechify every other time he opens his mouth.  

As for Hanks, still at the age where he looked like a big, goofy kid, he plays a new character whose main trait is a childlike disregard for propriety and is designed simply to clash with Joe Friday's dogged conservatism in comic ways.  Mostly it works, although the two are at such odds that we miss the teamwork and comradery of Friday and his loyal partners Frank Smith (Ben Alexander) and Bill Gannon (Harry Morgan) from the TV series.

Speaking of Morgan, he plays the same character as before, now promoted to captain.  His devotion to his late partner doesn't carry over to the nephew, hence Captain Gannon spends much of the film bellowing at Friday and threatening to take away his badge (which he eventually does at the insistence of shrewish police commissioner Elizabeth Ashley).

The plot itself is a convoluted affair that bears little resemblance to the usual "Dragnet" investigations.  Friday's traditional "just the facts, ma'am" questioning of a civilian witness is represented by an unfunny exchange in which venerable comic actress Kathleen Freeman must portray a grotesquely foul-mouthed old lady who even has Streebek shaking his head along with Friday.

Dabney Coleman plays softcore sex magazine magnate Jerry Caesar, giving the film an excuse to be fully stocked with bikini babes, and Jack O'Halloran, the big, dumb member of the evil Kryptonian trio in SUPERMAN II, plays a big, dumb P.A.G.A.N. henchman who menaces the good guys.

Alexandra Paul is the button-cute Connie, a kidnapped virgin meant as a sacrifice in the bad guys' big pagan ritual but is rescued by the good guys and eventually develops romantic feelings for fellow virgin Friday. (Again, Jack Webb's Friday was a low-key sort of guy but he was never portrayed as either nerdy or virginal.)  The most surprising bit of casting is Christopher Plummer as a pious TV evangelist who may have a darker side.

But as I said before, all of these misgivings stem from my affection for the TV show and desire to see a more faithful parody of it.  As for everyone else, this "Dragnet" spoof may be a perfectly adequate and perhaps even gutbusting comedy romp.  If so, DRAGNET: COLLECTOR'S EDITION should prove an ideal way to enjoy it. 

Special Features:
NEW "A Quiet Evening in the Company of Connie Swail": An Interview With Co-Star Alexandra Paul
NEW Audio Commentary with Pop Culture Historian Russell Dyball
"Just the Facts!": A Promotional Look at Dragnet with Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks
Original Theatrical Trailers & Promos
Photo Gallery 

Buy it from Shout! Factory

DRAGNET: COLLECTOR'S EDITION -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

ERNIE KOVACS: THE CENTENNIAL EDITION -- DVD Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 11/20/18

 

While he was always known as one of the great technical innovators of early television, one thing Shout! Factory's 9-disc DVD set ERNIE KOVACS: THE CENTENNIAL EDITION really brings home for me is the fact that it was just plain fun to hang out with the guy for awhile.

Early TV viewers had plenty of opportunity to do so, since Ernie had a number of different shows throughout the 50s and early 60s, several of which are sampled in this collection. 

Whether live via kinescope or recorded on early videotape, these shows glow with Ernie's childlike and often giddily enthusiastic attitude as he delights in spending time with us, entertaining with jokes, informal patter, bits of business, and, most of all, mindboggling bursts of surreal humor done on the fly with a shoestring budget.

The earliest examples of this are from a live morning series that resembles a "Howdy Doody"-type kids' show for grown-ups, the studio barely containing Ernie as he demolishes the fourth wall (as well as the other three) and shows us the cameras, the hallway outside the studio door, and every other aspect of TV production through which he can romp and play with us as his "peanut gallery."

Much of this helps lay the groundwork for just about every other television comedy show to follow.  His influence is unmistakable on, for example, "The Soupy Sales Show", "Pee Wee's Playhouse", comedy segments with talk show hosts such as Johnny Carson, Conan O'Brien, and David Letterman, "The Uncle Floyd Show", and even "Saturday Night Live" and "Monty Python's Flying Circus." 

All are touched in some way by Kovacs' groundbreaking and imaginative style even when they don't consciously realize it.  When Ernie goes up into the audience to interact with the people, or jokes around with his gregarious bandmembers and audibly guffawing crew, we're seeing the inspirations of practically every TV comic and talk show host to come.

Later shows would continue to serve as experiments for Ernie's innovative use of the television medium and, as in "Kovacs On the Corner", a delightful parody of the medium itself.  A "Mad Magazine" brand of satire (pre-dating "Mad Magazine") infuses much of his comedy and its witty jabs at commercials, movies, and other aspects of popular culture at the time.

Even when he hosts a game show, as in the episodes of "Take a Good Look" seen here, he can't help making it the most confusing and obtuse game show ever created.  Later network specials take advantage of video to present extended, intricately-conceived comedy pieces that boggle the mind while showing off Ernie's sweetly cockeyed sense of humor at every twist and turn.

Sight (and sound gags) abound.  He passes a statue of "The Thinker" and notices it humming to itself. He demonstrates how to adjust the horizontal and vertical dials (remember those?) on your TV by using his contorted facial expressions as a guide.  He interacts with his friend Howard, the world's strongest ant, who drives a tiny minature car and plays tiny miniature golf. 

He even puts on bad puppet shows such as "The Kapusta Kid In Outer Space" and helps his pet turtle cure its hiccups by feeding it sips of water.  Whatever tickles his childlike fancy at the time, he indulges in for our enjoyment. 

Ernie's characters are a joy, especially (my favorite) the endearingly prissy poet Percy Dovetonsils, whose poems boast such titles as "Ode to Stanley's Pussycat."  His hardluck character Eugene stars in Ernie's famous all-silent special, which consists of nothing but sight gags with sound effects and, of course, his own inimitable comedy style.  This one really uses the television medium with its tilted sets, weird optical illusions, and disorienting indulgence in undiluted surrealism. 

The supporting players are headed by Ernie's adorable and talented wife Edie Adams, who has her own stock characters as well as an operatic voice perfectly suited for the occasional serious musical segment (Kovacs loved music and often showcased it).  Edie is particularly adorable whether playing a dowdy housewife, vamping as Zsa Zsa Gabor, or doing a stunningly kittenish send-up of Marilyn Monroe as she shows off her knack for impressions.

My favorite moment is a bizarre sketch about a white-haired old conductor (Ernie) recording a commercial jingle with an orchestra and three difficult singers.  These include Edie Adams, Casey Adams (aka Max Showalter, one of my favorite actors), and, displaying a keen sense of off-the-wall comedy, Louis Jordan as an odd fellow whose pants lengths keep changing.  It's one of the most belly-laugh segments in the set if your mind's off-kilter enough to appreciate it.

The 9 discs in this set from Shout! Factory feature the following:

* Episodes From His Local And National Morning Shows
* Episodes From His NBC Prime-Time Show
* Kovacs On Music
* Five ABC TV Specials
* The Color Version of His Legendary Silent Show, "Eugene"
* His Award-Winning Commercials For Dutch Masters Cigars
* Short Films, Tributes, Rarities
* 18 Bonus Sketches Featuring Many Of His Most Beloved Characters
* 3 Complete Episodes Of His Offbeat Game Show Take A Good Look
* "A Pony For Chris" – His Rare TV Pilot For Medicine Man Co-Starring Buster Keaton
* The Lively Arts Featuring The Only Existing Filmed Solo Interview With Ernie Kovacs
* 2011 American Cinematheque Panel

The generous bonus menus include:

1987 ATAS Hall Of Fame Induction
Remembering Ernie With George Schlatter And Jolene Brand
"Baseball Film"
Making Of "Baseball Film"
"The Mysterious Knockwurst"
Andy McKay 8mm Home Movies
Percy Dovetonsils: "Ode To Stanley’s Pussycat"
Martin Krutch, Public Eye
Rock Mississippi In "Fingers Under Weskit"
Howard, The World's Strongest Ant
J. Burlington Gearshift
"Superclod" Test
"Take A Good Look" Clues
"Take A Good Look" Sales Film
"Silents Please"
"Our Man In Havana" Behind-The-Scenes Footage
Dutch Masters Commercials
Trailer For "Operation Mad Ball" – "It Happened To Ernie"
Muriel Cigars Commercials Featuring Edie Adams
Interview: Algernon Gerard, Archaeologist
Howard, The World's Strongest Ant: A Hot Date
Strangely Believe It: Writers To Blame
The Kapusta Kid In Outer Space Meets Olivia Scilloscope
Charlie Clod In Brazil
Ernie's Opening Monologue
Miklos Molnar's Glue
Percy Dovetonsils: "Ode To Electricity"
Interview: The World At Your Doorstep
Irving Wong: Tin Pan Alley Songwriter
Percy Dovetonsils : "Ode To A Housefly”
Introducing Coloratura Mimi Cosnowski
Howard, The World's Strongest Ant: Howard's Campground
Skodney Silsky, Hollywood Reporter
Ernie's Opening Monologue
Surprise Audience Member
Audio Lost
Matzoh Hepplewhite
Interview With Ernie Kovacs On The Lively Arts
"A Pony For Chris" – Pilot For Series Medicine Man
Ernie Kovacs Panel Discussion (August 27, 2011) At The American Cinematheque In Hollywood, CA
Home Movies: Golf With Edie And Ernie
Original Theatrical Trailers: "Wake Me When It's Over" And "Five Golden Hours"

Having only seen a smattering of his work in past years, I eagerly delved into ERNIE KOVACS: THE CENTENNIAL EDITION and binge-watched these delightful shows to my heart's content.  There's a wealth of wild comedy here, but even in its simplest moments, it's nice just to hang out with Ernie and listen to him chat as he puffs away on his ever-present cigar.  For a short, wonderful time before his tragic death, he was a fearless pioneer of television comedy and seemed to love every minute of it.

TECH SPECS
Discs 9
Run-time 22 hrs
Aspect Ratio 1.33:1
Color/Black & White
Language English
Region 1
Rating Various
Production Date Various
Closed-Captioned ? No
Subtitles None

ERNIE KOVACS: THE CENTENNIAL EDITION -- DVD Review by Porfle

I GOT THE FEELIN: JAMES BROWN IN THE 60s -- DVD Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 8/7/08

 

While I've always liked James Brown, I was never what you'd call a big fan. Now, after viewing Shout! Factory's 3-disc set I GOT THE FEELIN': JAMES BROWN IN THE '60s, I have a much deeper appreciation for both his talent as a musician and the important role he played in the civil rights movement. The biggest surprise for me, in fact, was the discovery of an incident in Boston following Martin Luther King's assassination, which makes this DVD set not only an irresistible record of Brown's musical prowess at the time but also the compelling account of a fascinating moment in American history.

I wanted to save the Boston stuff for later and indulge in some pure entertainment right away, so the first disc I watched was "James Brown Live at the Apollo '68." Originally broadcast as a television special entitled "James Brown: Man to Man", the image and sound quality are pretty rough at times--the early color video is especially bad at first, although it improves as it goes along. It helps to think of this as a priceless recording that we're lucky to have, warts and all, rather than dwelling on its imperfections. For me, they were soon forgotten as I became engrossed in James Brown's electrifying performance before a fiercely appreciative audience in the legendary Harlem theater.

Sweat pouring from his face, Brown earns his nickname as "the hardest working man in show business" as he gives his all during each number, belting out one classic after another with his heart and soul. The songs include "I Got the Feelin'", "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World", "I Feel Good", "Please, Please, Please" and twelve more, usually with one segueing right into the next. The backup band is hot, and with each song Brown gets into a groove and works it for all it's worth with his customary showmanship, including those patented dance steps, mike stand acrobatics, and that delightfully dramatic robe routine as a finale. The direction is really terrible during the show and the psychedelic '60s camera effects are a major distraction, but that's the way stuff like this was usually televised back then and the whole thing serves as a time capsule of its era.

A brief documentary portion shows Brown walking the streets of Watts and Harlem, commenting on what should be done to improve conditions in such communities ("My fight now is for the Black America to become American.") With a running time of almost fifty minutes, the Apollo show is augmented by James Brown's 1964 performance of "Out of Sight" on THE T.A.M.I. SHOW, plus two more songs from a 1967 show at L'Olympia in Paris.

The next disc I watched was "James Brown Live at the Boston Garden", taped during his historic April 5, 1968 show only 24 hours after Martin Luther King's assassination. With cities burning across America and angry riots raging in the streets, Brown's scheduled appearance there was turned into a televised memorial concert and an opportunity to relieve tensions in a peaceful way. The mood is initially tense as Boston's sole black councilman Thomas Atkins and the city's mayor Kevin White introduce Brown while urging everyone to honor Dr. King's legacy of non-violence. Then James Brown takes the stage and performs full-throttle for over an hour.

The public television station WGBH in Boston was unaccustomed to covering such a concert, especially at such short notice, but they do a magnificent job here. The direction and camerawork are outstanding, with uncommonly rich black-and-white videography that looks almost cinematic at times, and dramatic lighting which is particularly effective in the backlit shots from behind the stage. A few awkward moments occur, and at one point the video is missing for a minute or so, but these are negligible in light of how well this impromptu telecast turned out. On the whole, this is an amazing document of what is perhaps the most important performance of James Brown's career.

What almost turned it into a disaster comes in the latter minutes of the concert. With people crowding forward and starting to climb onstage, Brown's security men brusquely shove them back one by one and are soon joined by Boston police in flinging people off the stage. Brown calls a halt to this with the assurance that he can handle his people, but in no time is surrounded by a swarm of rowdy fans who refuse to back off. Brown strongly expresses disappointment and exhorts them to show him some respect ("We're Black--don't make us all look bad!") and let him finish the show, which he is finally allowed to do. Everything ends well, although for a few moments there it's a tense situation that could've gone bad in a heartbeat. All in all, pretty fascinating stuff. As an extra, the audio of Brown's eight-minute speech to the crowd before the show is played against an old-fashioned Indian chief test pattern.

Having watched the concert itself, I was really ready for the third disc, director David Leaf's excellent 2008 documentary THE NIGHT JAMES BROWN SAVED BOSTON. The backstory of King's murder, the resulting nationwide chaos that came after it, and the tension-filled situation in Boston are presented in well-chosen archival footage along with narration by Dennis Haysbert ("24", THE COLOR OF FREEDOM) and interviews with Mayor White and Councilman Atkins, Brown's manager Charles Bobbit, Boston deejay James Byrd, Rev. Al Sharpton, Dr. Cornel West, various bandmembers and concert attendees, and several others. (Bonus footage of these interviews is included on the disc along with a panel discussion which followed the film's premiere.)

Atkins' idea of using the James Brown concert to quell impending violence had to be sold to a dubious mayor, but an even more dubious Brown, it turns out, was fit to be tied when he discovered that his concert was to be televised for free--several times, in fact--and people were already cashing in their tickets. The drama that occurred during the closing segment of the concert is recounted by witnesses including David Gates of Newsweek, who was there that night and attests to the air of anxiety that hung over the situation ("It could've gone up like a torch," he recalls.) But perhaps the most compelling part of this documentary is James Brown's subsequent role as one of the most influential leaders of the civil rights movement, a racial ambassador helping to bring people together, and a crucial proponent of Black pride in America.

The three discs are boxed in slimline cases with achingly cool retro design and a 23-page booklet by Rickey Vincent, with an introduction by David Leaf. As a whole, I GOT THE FEELIN': JAMES BROWN IN THE '60s is a treasure trove of invaluable concert footage and real-life historical drama that's ultimately both enlightening and inspiring. If you're a James Brown fan already, this is a must-see. If not, watch it and you just might get the feelin'.

I GOT THE FEELIN: JAMES BROWN IN THE 60s -- DVD Review by Porfle

THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION) -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted in 2016

 

I watched an awful lot of afternoon TV back in the 80s, but I somehow missed out on "Transformers."  (Although I did buy my nephew one of the toys for Christmas once.) 

This half-hour cartoon series--some would call it an extended toy commercial--about the never-ending war for planet Earth between two opposing factions of intelligent shape-shifting robots named the Autobots and the Decepticons, who can all turn into various high-powered vehicles or cyber-creatures, ran from 1984-87 and garnered a fervent cult following for which it rated a feature-film treatment in 1986. 

Thus, THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION) (Shout! Factory and Hasbro Studios, 2-disc Blu-ray) is a great way not only to catch up on what all the nostalgia's about but also to see it at what I assume to be its very best.

Even for a "Transformers" novice like myself, the 80s nostalgia that this rollicking animated space adventure radiates is intoxicating.  It's old-school anime-style cel animation without the CGI gimmicks.  Even if it sometimes betrays its TV origins, it looks fantastic.  And it has a voice cast that's to short-circuit for. 

The film opens with a pretty spectacular sequence in which a renegade planet-sized robot named Unicron (voiced by Orson Welles in his final film appearance) attacks a peaceful world populated by robots and ingests it for fuel.  The artistic depiction of this massive global devastation is stunning, the first of several more upcoming scenes that will dazzle the viewer.

After a "Superman: The Movie"-style main titles sequence featuring the show's familiar theme song, we then settle into the story proper as our mechanical heroes, the Autobots, thunder into action to stave off an attack from the evil Decepticons in the far-off year of 2005.

No sooner is this action-packed battle over than Unicron shows up and transforms some of the surviving Decepticons into his own personal army with which to defeat the Autobots and steal from them an all-powerful device known as the Matrix of Leadership.  Leonard Nimoy himself provides the voice for Unicron's duplicitous number-one, Galvatron (formerly Megatron), who covets the Matrix for himself.

An interesting side note: the deaths and transformations of several regular characters during this sequence are a result of the scripters' instructions to retire the old line of toys and replace them with new ones for young viewers to covet.  This proved to be more traumatic for fans than anyone expected, especially the intensely dramatic death of the Autobots' leader, Optimus Prime, who passed the Matrix on to new leader Ultra Magnus (voiced by Robert Stack.) 

The rest of the film is a robot vs. robot free-for-all with several cool detours along the way, including a visit to a junk planet with "Monty Python" alum Eric Idle voicing a comedic bot named "Wreck-Gar" who listens to too much Earth television, and an encounter with a race of grotesque mecha-beings whose main form of entertainment is to conduct kangaroo courts in which to sentence strangers such as Hot Rod (Judd Nelson) and Kup (Lionel Stander) to "death-by-sharkticon."

Dealing with these foes leads to the ultimate battle with Unicron (who turns out to be one huge transformer himself) and his dark forces which provides the film with its thrilling finale. By this time, I was finally starting to sort out all the many characters including good guys Hot Rod, Kup (he turns into a pickup--get it?), female robot Arcee, human Spike and his plucky son Daniel--both of whom also get to be transformers by wearing exo-suits--Bumblebee, Blurr, and the diminutive Wheelie.

Much comedy relief is provided by the Dinobots, who lack all social graces, talk in Bizarro-Speak ("Me, Grimlock, want to munch metal!"), and live for the times in which old soldier Kup regales them all with oft-told war stories ("Tell Grimlock about petro-rabbits again!") The Decepticons are also good for a few laughs when their inter-family squabbles escalate into all-out fights for dominance among the different robot clans. 

Character design is good and the backgrounds are often beautiful.  The musical score is okay when we aren't assaulted by bad 80s arena rock (I did enjoy hearing "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Dare to Be Stupid" at one point).

Dialogue ranges from likably dumb ("Your days are numbered now, Decepti-creeps!") to quite good, as in the numerous exchanges between Welles and Nimoy.  Celebrity voice talent also includes Scatman Crothers ("Jazz"), Casey Kasem ("Cliffjumper"), Clive Revill ("Kickback"), Norm Alden ("Kranix"), and Roger C. Carmel ("Cyclonus"). Legendary voice performer Frank Welker takes on no less than six different roles.

The 2-disc Blu-ray set from Shout! Factory and Hasbro Studios gives us both the 1.85:1 widescreen version (disc 1) and the full screen version (disc 2) with English stereo and 5.1 sound and subtitles in English and Spanish.  Remastered from a brand-new 4k transfer of original film elements.  (A steelbook edition and a single-disc DVD edition with only the widescreen version plus digital copy are also available.)

Special features include a lengthy and highly-informative behind-the-scenes featurette entitled "'Til All Are One" (the segment on voice talent is especially fun), several other short featurettes, animated storyboards, trailers and TV spots, and an audio commentary with director Nelson Shin, story consultant Flint Dill, and star Susan Blu ("Arcee").  The cover illustration is reversible.  Also contains the code for downloading a digital copy.

THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION) is good old bombastic meat-and-potatoes space opera for kids and adults alike, with a welcome anime flavor.  It should rocket original fans of the show right back to their childhoods (or teenhoods, as the case may be) while gaining new ones such as myself who just love a good mind-expanding sci-fi adventure.  

Street date: Sept. 13, 2016

www.shoutfactory.com
www.hasbro.com

Images shown are not taken from the Blu-ray disc.

THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION) -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

CITY SLICKERS: COLLECTOR'S EDITION -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 10/14/18

 

Being a devout non-Billy Crystal fan might be considered a drawback when delving into a comedy like CITY SLICKERS (1991, Shout! Factory), seeing as it actually stars Billy Crystal.  Fortunately, it didn't take long for me to accept him as his character, a not unlikable family man named Mitch with a crummy job and an impending mid-life crisis.

His buddies Phil (Daniel Stern) and Ed (Bruno Kirby, THE GODFATHER PART II) are also going through pretty much the same thing in various ways.  Phil just broke up with his harridan of a wife and lost his job, his house, and his direction in life. Ed has a beautiful young wife yet still finds life unsatisfying, leading him to embark on wild daredevil vacations once a year and dragging Mitch and Phil along with him.

Naturally, this will result in the trio ending up at a Colorado ranch and participating in a cattle drive that will test their "city slicker" mettle while giving them plenty of opportunity to find themselves.  The long hours on horseback and huddled around the campfire at night will be like an extended group therapy for them, but with cows.

There's also Curly (Jack Palance), the roughest, toughest old cowboy of them all, who terrifies them all at first until Mitch manages to get through to his human side.  The rest of the crew consists of Cookie (Tracey Walter) and a couple of no-account saddle bums including "Homicide: Life on the Streets" regular Kyle Secor.

Surprisingly, CITY SLICKERS doesn't go for belly laughs, instead content to give us a fair amount of pleasant chuckles throughout along with several scenes that are actually designed to be either heartwarming (there's a good deal of male bonding and mutual emotional support going on with these guys), thought-provoking (deep meaning-of-life stuff and all that), and downright exhilarating, as when Mitch, Phil, and Ed end up having to drive the herd though uncertain territory all by themselves.

Billy, of course, gets a constant supply of throwaway gag lines, but he's restrained and fairly realistic here, which is nice.  The same goes for his co-stars, who each have a seperate journey through their own mid-life pitfalls which the film gently chronicles while keeping us pleasantly amused with the fish-out-of-water stuff.

Western buffs will be pleased to discover that for all its comedic aspects, the film actually does function much as a real western, especially in its second half when the cattle drive is fully under way and subject to a few jarring plot twists.

Also to the story's advantage is the fact that the leads are basically nice guys that we can root for during their emotional ups and downs on the journey.  Director Ron Underwood (TREMORS, THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH, IN THE MIX) does a solid, unobtrusive job of bringing the script by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel to life.

Familiar faces abound including Noble Willingham as the ranch owner, Jeffrey Tambor as Mitch's dour boss, Patricia Wettig as his understanding wife, and Yeardley Smith (the voice of Lisa Simpson).  Other city slickers include Helen Slater (SUPERGIRL), David Paymer (GET SHORTY), Josh Mostel, and Bill Henderson.  A tiny Jake Gyllenhaal (DONNIE DARKO) plays Mitch's son, and Danielle Harris can be spotted as a classmate.

The Blu-ray from Shout! Factory features an all-new 4K scan with English subtitles.  Extras consist of:

Audio Commentary By Director Ron Underwood And Stars Billy Crystal And Daniel Stern
Featurettes:
"Back In The Saddle: City Slickers" Revisited
"Bringing In The Script: Writing City Slickers"
"A Star Is Born: An Ode To Norman"
"The Real City Slickers"
Deleted Scenes
Trailer
Reversible Cover Art

While CITY SLICKERS doesn't try to steamroll us with comedy or drench us in pathos, it has enough of each quality in addition to some genuine warmth and sparkling character interaction to succeed as a solid, enjoyable comedy western about three everyday guys coming of age late in life.  And while I'm not normally a Billy Crystal fan, I must admit that this time he actually won me over. 

CITY SLICKERS: COLLECTOR'S EDITION -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

GET SHORTY: COLLECTOR'S EDITION -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 10/13/18

 

I haven't seen any of his more recent movies, but there was a time when John Travolta could play "Mr. Cool" better than just about anybody. That time spanned at least from GREASE to PULP FICTION, and it most definitely includes the making of Barry Sonnenfeld's 1995 Elmore Leonard adaptation GET SHORTY: COLLECTOR'S EDITION (Shout! Factory).

Travolta plays "Chili" Palmer, a Miami loanshark who loves movies and ends up getting involved in the business when he goes to Hollywood to help a Las Vegas casino owner collect on a delinquent debt.  The delinquent in question is B-movie mogul Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), who sidesteps the debt by offering Chili a chance to co-produce his upcoming dream project.  Tired of the loansharking business, this offer is right up the fanatical film buff's alley.

Trouble is, Harry has other debtors wanting a big chunk of his future movie profits, including tough-guy enterpreneur Bo Catlett (Delroy Lindo) and his strong-arm thugs Ronnie (Jon Gries) and Bear (James Gandolfini in a decidedly non-"Sopranos"-type role).  When Chili's murderous mob nemesis from Miami, Ray "Bones" Barboni (Dennis Farina), shows up to settle old scores and runs afoul of both Harry and Chili, things get wonderfully complicated.

GET SHORTY isn't really all that complicated, but the constant twists and turns of this Hollywood crime comedy make keeping up with it a giddy delight from start to finish.  Fans of both gangster pictures and self-referential satires on Tinsel Town should thoroughly enjoy watching Travolta's cool-as-a-cucumber protagonist--he isn't really a bad guy even though he worked for the mob--push people and situations to the edge and come out on top every time.

There's the delightful subplot about the weaselly dry cleaner named Leo (David Paymer) who collected his own life insurance after everyone thought he died in a plane crash and then skipped off to Vegas with the money (he's the one Chili was originally sent by Ray Bones to track down).  And I love the way Hackman's Zimm clumsily steps all over Chili's efforts to handle things for him and then tries to play tough with Ray, which ends really badly for him.

Travolta looks like he just stepped out of GQ magazine the whole time and totally sells the character like nobody else could.  He's tough and shrewd, but his love for movies is endearingly childlike (there's a great scene of him excitedly watching TOUCH OF EVIL in a dark theater and reciting all the dialogue himself) and he only gets violent in self-defense or to prove a point.

Hackman is a hoot as Zimm, the typical junk filmmaker aspiring to make his one great movie but forever getting in trouble trying to finance it.  As his actress girlfriend Karen who's tired of being in cheap horror films, Rene Russo proves she can keep up with the guys just as she did in LETHAL WEAPON 4.  Danny DeVito is a scream as her ex-husband Martin Weir, now a superstar actor with a colossal ego whom Chili and Harry covet as their lead.

The film itself reflects Chili's sense of savoir faire with a cool score (consisting mainly of Booker T. & the MGs songs) and a slick, easygoing visual style.  The story is richly satirical and filled with scintillating dialogue and situations that evoke a sense of giddiness at times, it's just so right on the money.

The Blu-ray from Shout! Factory looks and sounds great, remastered from a new 4K transfer. The fully-stocked bonus menu includes:

Audio Commentary with Director Barry Sonnenfeld
Featurettes: "Get Shorty - Look at Me," " Get Shorty - Wise Guys + Dolls," "Going Again"
Get Shorty Party Reel
Page to Screen of Get Shorty
Vignettes
The Graveyard Scene
Trailer
Reversible Box Art 

There's action, suspense, and some violence at times, but it's all in service of the overall good vibes the film radiates.  The delightufully unexpected ending alone is worth the price of admission.  And once you've seen it, you'll know just what I mean when I say that GET SHORTY is truly "the Cadillac of minivans." 

GET SHORTY: COLLECTOR'S EDITION -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC: THE MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION LIVE 1976 -- DVD review by porfle

 

Originally posted on 12/3/08

 

I enjoyed black music a lot more back in the 60s and 70s, in the era of soul, rhythm and blues, Motown--all that cool stuff that sounded so great coming out of my cheap speakers. And I miss funk. I never really bought that many funk albums but it was nice having it around. That's why I'm glad Shout! Factory has released PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC: THE MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION LIVE 1976, because it's a reminder of just how much giddy fun this kind of stuff was.

Recorded at the Summit in Houston, Texas on Halloween night, this concert lasts about eighty minutes and consists of fourteen songs, all driven by that throbbing beat like one solid, ever-changing slab of funk. "Cosmic Slop" starts things off with some exquisite acid-rock lead guitar by Michael Hampton and is my favorite part of the concert because of it. This guy is really good. So is diaper-wearing rhythm guitar player Garry Shider, whose silky vocals are nicely reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield. 

 

"Do That Stuff" and "Gamin' On Ya!" introduce the wild man himself, George Clinton, in the first of a series of freaky costumes and characters. We also meet his beautiful back-up singers Jeannette Washington and Debbie Wright, who add much to the show's already stunning visual appeal, and a solid horn section with Maceo Parker on sax and Rick Gardner on trumpet. Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins takes James Brown-style lead vocals while wearing a bug-eyed mask on the rousing "Standing On the Verge of Gettin' It On", and Clinton keeps the groove going with "Undisco Kidd." 

 

After the acapella interlude of "Children of Productions", singer-guitarist Glenn Goins takes over on "Mothership Connection (Star Child)" and "Swing Down Sweet Chariot." My favorite singer of the bunch, his soulful vocals manage to bring down the Mothership itself, a light-flashing, smoke-spewing spaceship that's as elaborate as the tour's budget would allow. Out steps Clinton as super-pimp "Dr. Funkenstein" and the show kicks into high gear with "Comin' Round the Mountain", "P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)", and "Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)." The finale, "Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples", brings opening acts Bootsy Collins' Rubber Band and Sly and the Family Stone (minus Sly, who was who-knows-where at the time) back onstage for the grand send-off of the Mothership. "Funkin' For Fun" serves as an encore. 

 

This is music made for pure fun, combining soul, Hendrix-style acid rock, a little disco, and touches of James Brown and Curtis Mayfield all mixed together into one cosmic stew with George Clinton as its spaced-out ringmaster. The musicianship is first-rate but the mood is mostly playful, with party-time lyrics that sometimes predate Andrew "Dice" Clay--

 

"Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet

Snortin' some THC

Along came a spider, slid in beside her

Said, 'What's in the bag, bi**h?'"

--which are beautifully counterpointed at times by the soul stylings of Goins and Shider and the straight-ahead funk of Haskins. 

 

The only drawback to this DVD, which is presented in full-screen with 5.1 sound, is the source material. The lighting is too dark, the camera meanders around looking for action instead of anticipating it (we miss a lot), and the unseen audience can barely be heard, which detracts from what should be an exhilarating communal experience. 

 

Still, it's too late to go back and re-record the event so it's nice to have this record of it despite its flaws. At any rate, this DVD is well worth checking out for anyone in need of a dose of that P-Funk. 

 

 

PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC: THE MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION LIVE 1976 -- DVD review by porfle