Drowning by Numbers [4K UHD, Severin Films]
What is it? A Wes Anderson film for people who like to fuck.
Why see it? Peter Greenaway makes very specific films, ones designed to appeal to himself first and foremost. Happily, they often appeal to some of us pervy weirdos too. This late 80s feature is a lighter piece from him while still featuring lots of death and debauchery in the form of characters celebrating themselves, sex, and the occasional forced drowning. Greenaway captures beautiful imagery as often as he does the grotesque, and the attention to detail, symmetry, and color keep a level of visual engagement that accentuates the character and narrative. Here it’s a blackly comic tale of women offing their husbands, and it’s a quirky, goofy time. Severin’s new 4K UHD highlights all the skin, bugs, and silliness.
[Extras: Commentary, interviews, featurettes]
The Best
Cliffhanger [4K UHD, steelbook]
What is it? A man traumatized by a climbing incident is forced back into action.
Why see it? Renny Harlin may be relegated to churning out direct-to-video action flicks these days, but for a short while there he was crushing it on the big screen. This Sylvester Stallone film is one of his greats with its tale of heights, falls, and thrill-seeking baddies. Stallone plays a professional climber still reeling from a deadly fall that claimed a friend’s life. When a plane crashes in the mountains, though, he’s forced to rise to the occasion as gun-toting bad guys — including a fantastic John Lithgow — threaten lives with abandon. Locales and set-pieces up the suspense and thrills, and it all looks pretty great. The new 4K UHD ups the beauty and detail even more.
[Extras: Deleted scenes, commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes]
Danza Macabra: Volume One – The Italian Gothic Collection [Severin Films]
What is it? Four Italian chillers from 1964 to 1971.
Why see it? The Monster of the Opera sees a dance troupe terrorized by a vampire, The Seventh Grave gives Agatha Christie an Italian spin, Scream of the Demon Lover pairs Jane Eyre with Frankenstein, and Lady Frankenstein delivers just what the title promises. It’d be pushing to claim that any one of these films is a lost gem, but combined — especially brought together in a slick box set — they make for a potent foursome. The set’s highlight is the fourth entry as it presents a lurid, debaucherous, and color-filled nightmare of biology and gender norms, and the disc features the most extensive extras too. All four are worth the time of genre fans, though, as they offer a look into European horrors that have yet to receive their due. Plus, volume one promises more to come…
[Extras: New 2K scans, commentaries, interviews, video essays]
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves [4K UHD]
What is it? A medieval comedy finding fun and respect in Gary Gygax’s imagination.
Why see it? Y’all dropped the ball on this one. The makers of Game Night delivered a legitimately fun time here while still respecting the source material — not an easy feat as the game is a nerd’s paradise — and this really should have kicked off a franchise. Chris Pine heads up the ensemble alongside Michelle Rodriguez, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant, and others, and everyone does great work committing to the bit and having a blast. Action scenes are good fun, visual effects are creative, and the whole is just an entertaining romp in a magical world. Special shout out to Grant who is his usual perfection as the villain.
[Extras: Deleted scenes, featurettes, gag reel]
The Last Starfighter [4K UHD, Arrow Video]
What is it? A young man is recruited to help out in an intergalactic war.
Why see it? This mid 80s action/sci-fi adventure may not have brought in the big bucks, but it’s no less beloved four decades later. Lance Guest takes lead and plays a great everyman immediately thrown into a wild adventure involving aliens, spaceships, a villainous antagonist, and more. It’s great fun and a fantastic family film delivering warm laughs and explosive action. The CG effects come courtesy of Commodore Amigas — my childhood gaming machines as my parents never got us brand names! — and it’s just a fun, energetic ride. Arrow’s new 4K UHD sees colors and details pop while retaining depth and grain.
[Extras: Commentaries, interviews, featurettes]
Transformers – Limited Edition Steelbook 6-Movie Collection [4K UHD]
What is it? A tech demo masterclass.
Why see it? I’m admittedly not the biggest fan of the Transformers films. The first is okay, I’m a sucker for Dark of the Moon, and Bumblebee is a breath of fresh air, but generally speaking they’re just not for me. So why is this set under “the best” section? Well, despite my disinterest in the films themselves, they are frequently tech marvels that look and sound fantastic. Want to impress someone with your audio/video setup? Pop in one of these, and you’re off to the races. The box is also beautifully crafted with a magnetic closure housing six individual steelbooks featuring the film on 4K UHD and an abundance of special features on a Blu-ray. (Note, the films aren’t on the Blus.) These are the same transfers and extras from previous releases, but if you haven’t picked them up yet this collection is as slick as it comes.
[Extras: Commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, interviews]
The Rest
65
What is it? A man fights for survival against dinosaurs after crash landing on an alien planet.
Why see it? The premise feels like the start of a simple, straightforward banger, but what starts well quickly gets a bit bogged down as the man (Adam Driver) finds another survivor who becomes an emotional surrogate for his own daughter he left behind. Time spent on that familiar-feeling subplot detracts from the fun the film should otherwise be delivering. And there is fun here! How can there not be with dinosaurs rampaging and threatening Driver’s life? But at just ninety-three minutes, too much time is spent on beats that aren’t dinos. The result is a minor, easily forgettable diversion.
[Extras: Deleted scenes, featurettes]
The Siege
What is it? An assassin fights for his life.
Why see it? Action fans might remember a direct-to-video picture from a couple years back called Last Man Standing. It stars Daniel Stisen as a wood-cutting dude in a vaguely post-apocalyptic world, and it is garbage. Well Stisen is back in a wholly unrelated action picture, but while this one is a bit more competently made, Stisen is still firing blanks. His muscles are evident, but unlike Arnold Schwarzenegger, Stisen has zero charisma or personality. That’d be fine if he had some action chops, but he’s a dull one on that front too. Anyway, if you disagree with this assessment of the man’s screen presence, then The Siege is now available to rent or buy.
[Extras: Featurette]
Also out this week:
The Boy with Green Hair [Warner Archive], A Good Person, The Haunting [4K UHD], Inside, King Solomon’s Mines [Warner Archive], The Night of the Hunter [4K UHD], The Nutty Professor [4K UHD, Paramount Presents], The People Under the Stairs [4K UHD, Scream Factory], Queen Christina [Warner Archive], Spinning Gold, Thelma and Louise [4K UHD, Criterion Collection]
