New to View: May 7
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, May 7, unless otherwise noted:
High Noon (4K Ultra HD + Blu‑ray)
Details: 1952, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: PG, Western violence, smoking
The lowdown: Gary Cooper stars in this classic Western as Will Kane, marshal of the small town of Hadleyville. Kane as just married Amy (Grace Kelly), a Quaker and pacifist, and has retired from his job.
On the verge of leaving town to begin a new life with his bride, Kane is informed that outlaw Frank Miller, whom Kane sent to prison, has been released and is returning to Hadleyville to exact revenge on the marshal. His three gunmen companions already are waiting for the noon train that will bring him to the town.
When the townspeople refuse to help Kane, he must face the four villains alone.
“High Noon,” for which Cooper won his second best-actor Academy Award, was a controversial movie. Coming during the period of the “Red Scare,” Carl Foreman, the movie’s screenwriter, was blacklisted for refusing to name names and cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee.
The movie was seen by some as a rebuke of those who failed to confront the committee on what many perceived as their unconstitutional witch hunt and a tribute to the few who stood up to HUAC.
The movie, which runs 85 minutes also is remembered for its Oscar‑winning score by Dimitri Tiomkin and its title song sung by Tex Ritter.
“High Noon’s” supporting cast includes Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado, Thomas Mitchell, Otto Kruger, Lon Chaney Jr., Henry Morgan and, in his movie debut, Lee Van Cleef, who portrayed one of Miller’s gang.
The movie earned a 94 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. This new 4K restoration superbly complements the mood of the picture with its visual and audio transfers.
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra-high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS‑HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS‑HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include commentary tracks by author‑film historian Alan K. Rode and film historian‑writer Julie Kirgo, a making of featurette, as well as “A Ticking Clock,” “A Stanley Kramer Production,” “Imitation of Life — The Blacklist History of ‘High Noon’,” “Ulcers and Oscars — The Production History of ‘High Noon’ ” and “Uncitizened Kane” featurettes.
Hardware Wars: Collector’s Edition (Blu‑ray)
Details: 1978, MVD Rewind Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This 13‑minute film is one of the best parodies of “Star Wars,” surpassing even Mel Brooks’ “Spaceballs.”
“Hardware Wars” was released in the form of a teaser trailer for a fictitious science fiction movie. The movie’s characters include Fluke Starbucker, Artie Deco, 4‑Q‑2, Princess Anne‑Droid, Ham Salad, Augie “Ben” Doggie, Chewchilla the Wookiee Monster and Darph Nader.
This was the very first “Star Wars” parody, and it struck a chord with those who saw it. Shot over four days for $8,000, it featured cardboard sets and visible wires, which held up ships that were various household appliances.
The short received the seal of approval from “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, who called it his favorite “Star Wars” parody.
The movie is silly and fun. It should be a wonderful item to add to your “Star Wars” collection.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition,, 1.33:1 full‑screen picture; English 2.0 LPCM stereo; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track with “Hardware Wars” writer‑director Ernie Fosselius, a “Hardware Wars” prequel featurette, a foreign version of “Hardware Wars,” a creature features interview with Fosselius, a “Hardware Wars Saves Christmas” featurette, a short awards reel, a “Hardware Wars” trailer and two other short films by Fosselius — “Porklips Now,” a 1980 parody of “Apocalypse Now” and “Plan 9.1 From Outer Space,” a parody remake of Ed Wood’s “Plan 9 from Outer Space” using puppets.
Bluebeard: 80th Anniversary Edition (Blu‑ray)
Release date: April 30
Details: 1944, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: John Carradine’s long movie and television career (354 credits according to IMBD), vacillating between prestigious A‑movies such as “Drums Along the Mohawk,” Stagecoach,” “The Grapes of Wrath” “Jesse James” and “Blood and Sand”; programmers such as “The Mummy’s Ghost,” “Thank you, Mr. Moto,” “House of Frankenstein” and “House of Dracula”; and B‑movies for studios such as Republic, Monogram and PRC such as “Return of the Ape Man,” “Silver Spurs” and “Voodoo Man.”
“Bluebeard” falls into the latter category. Produced by PRC, this adaptation of the Bluebeard legend, stars Carradine as Gaston, an artist and puppeteer in 19th‑century Paris. Gaston has a deadly habit of strangling beautiful young models that secretly disposing of their bodies in the Seine.
Directed by the legendary Edgar G. Ulmer (“The Black Cat”), “Bluebeard” costars Jean Parker, Nils Asther, Ludwig Stössel and George Pembroke.
The movie, which runs 72 minutes, received a 100 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full‑screen picture; English 2.0 DTS‑HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include two commentary tracks — one by authors-film historians Gregory W. Mank and Tom Weaver, the other by film historian David Del Valle.
Monk: Season Six (Blu-ray)
Details: 2007‑08, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Television’s favorite obsessive‑compulsive private disorder detective, Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub), returns for a sixth season with 16 episodes of crime solving in Monk’s singular fashion.
Monk solves cases in his own unique style and with the help of his assistant Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard), San Francisco Police Department Capt. Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and SFPD Lt. Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford).
Among the cases Monk handles is clearing a rapper (played by Snoop Dogg) of the murder of a rival, proving the dog of his most ardent fan, played by Sarah Silverman, did not kill a neighbor, investigating a murder on a nude beach and stumbling upon a murder while dealing with a bout of insomnia.
Other guest stars in the four‑disc set include Scott Glenn, John Hawkes, Sharon Lawrence, Howie Mandel, Alfred Molina, Larry Miller and Peter Stormare.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture and 1.33:1 full‑screen picture; English 2.0 DTS‑HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include a commentary track on “Mr. Monk Is Up All Night,” seven video commentaries and five “Little Monk” webisodes.
Uncropped (DVD)
Details: 2023, Greenwich Entertainment‑Kino Lorber
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A documentary that looks at famed “Village Voice” photojournalist James Hamilton whose camera captured Muhammed Ali, Alfred Hitchcock, Meryl Streep and LL Cool J among others.
He not only photographed cultural icons, but some of the biggest news stories of his times.
Hamilton and many of his collaborators recount the stories behind some of the unforgettable and iconic images he captured over his 40‑year career.
The movie is a chronicle of New York City and a look at the heyday of alternative print media.
Filmmaker Wes Anderson served as “Uncropped” executive producer.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Secret Beyond the Door: Special Edition (Blu‑ray)
Details: 1947, Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Celia (Joan Bennett), a bored heiress, vacationing in Mexico, meets Mark (Michael Redgrave), a mysterious architect — though what can be so mysterious about an architect is beyond me.
They fall in love almost at first sight and quickly marry.
The couple returns to the United States and settles in at Mark’s vast New England estate, where Celia finds herself nearly suffocating within the spare yet surreal and terrifying confines of Mark’s mansion.
Little by little, unsettling secrets are revealed, with Celia determined to stay and uncover her husband’s strange obsession with murder — even though it may put her own life in jeopardy to do so.
Celia’s main challenge is discovering what is in the room that Mark always keeps locked.
The movie, directed by Fritz Lang, costars Anne Revere, Barbara O’Neil, Natalie Schafer and Paul Cavanagh. Like many post-World War II movies, “Secret Beyond the Door” takes an interest in psychology. It mines the same vein as Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rebecca” and “Spellbound,” but never reaches the level of the Hitchcock film
The movie, which received mixed reviews, was praised for its cinematography and musical score by the legendary Miklós Rózsa.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full‑screen picture; English 2.0 DTS‑HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A commentary track by author‑film historian Alan K. Rode is the main extra.
Frivolous Lola: 2-Disc Edition (4K Ultra HD + Blu‑ray)
Details: 1998, Cult Epics
Rated: Not rated, sexual content
The lowdown: An Italian sex comedy centering on free‑spirited Lola, who wants to loosen up her boyfriend before their marriage.
The movie, directed by Tinto Brass, is divided into sections that follow the sexual exploits of Lola and her mother, played by the beautiful Serena Grandi.
The story takes place on one of those small Italian towns where everyone seems to know everyone else’s business.
The film recalls such titles as “Seduced and Abandoned,” “Divorce Italian Style” and “The Seduction of Mimi.”
Technical aspects: 4K: 2160p ultra‑high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Italian and English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS‑HD Master Audio; English subtitles; Blu‑ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Italian and English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS‑HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track, interview with Brass, four collectible cards and a 20-page booklet with essays about the movie.
Night Falls on Manhattan: Limited Edition (Blu‑ray)
Details: 1996, Arrow Video
Rated: R, violence, language
The lowdown: Andy Garcia stars as Sean Casey, a former police officer‑turned‑lawyer who, after winning a big case, becomes an assistant district attorney and rising star in New York City’s legal establishment.
The movie, directed by Sidney Lumet and based on a novel by former NYPD officer Robert Daley, exposes the underbelly of corruption in the police and legal systems.
Casey is forced into a precarious position when his superior asks him to prosecute a drug dealer caught by two NYPD detectives under questionable circumstances. Making matters worse for Casey, one of those detectives is his father, Liam (Ian Holm).
The more Casey digs into the case, what he uncovers may shatter his faith in the legal system, threaten his promising career and shatter his family.
The cast of the movie, which garnered a 71 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, also includes Lena Olin, Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Leibman and James Gandolfini.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS‑HD Master Audio and 2.0 LPCM; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include interviews with Lumet, Garcia, Dreyfuss, Olin, Holm and Leibman; behind‑the‑scenes footage; a 2002 documentary about Lumet, featuring interviews with the director, Garcia, Leibman, Jack Lemmon, Rod Steiger, Christopher Walken and others; an archival commentary track with Lumet and another with Garcia, Leibman and producers Josh Kramer and Thom Mount; and a booklet with new writings about the movie.
The Fragile King (DVD)
Details: 2022, IndiePix Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Fifteen‑year‑old Michael is sent to live with his grandfather after the death of his mother in a car accident.
Michael hardly knows the man and the emotional chasm between the traumatized teen‑ager and cantankerous old man is very wide.
But during a long road trip to reunite Michael with his estranged father, a relationship slowly evolves between Michael and his grandfather.
A year later, the two reunite and come to realize a true sense of love and belonging in each other.
This South African feature is partly based on the relationship between the movie’s director, Tristan Holmes, and his own grandfather.
Technical aspects: 16:9 enhanced widescreen picture; English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo.
Sabotage: Collector’s Edition (Blu‑ray)
Details: 1996, MVD Rewind Collection‑MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: Not rated, violence, language
The lowdown: Col. Michael Bishop, a former Black Ops officer whose last mission went horribly wrong, has — after years of recovery — began a new and successful life as a bodyguard to the rich and famous.
He has skills that few others have and that men who tried to reach his level died trying.
But Bishop’s past has caught up with him as his clients begin to die violently. It appears the responsible party is the same that conspired against and wiped out his Black Ops unit.
Bishop must now undertake one last mission to destroy the shadowy men that run an army that seemingly doesn’t exist.
“Sabotage” stars Mark Dacascos as Bishop. The supporting cast includes Carrie‑Anne Moss, Tony Todd and Graham Greene.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 LPCM stereo; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include interviews with Dacascos and Todd and a collectible mini‑poster.
Joysticks: Collector’s Edition (Blu‑ray)
Details: 1983, MVD Visual Entertainment
Rated: R, sexual situations, language
The lowdown: A comedic romp centering on a local video arcade where an oddball group of employees and customers simply act wild.
The day begins with Eugene, the arcade’s newest employee, arriving pantsless. The arcade’s manager, Jeff, and a regular video game addict, Dorfus, decide to exact revenge on Alva and Lola who tricked Eugene out of his pants with a game of “strip video.”
Before they can act, a group of high‑tech video addicts descend on the arcade and all hell breaks loose.
In the midst of all this, Joseph Rutter (Joe Don Baker), an influential businessman, comes to the arcade searching for his daughter, Patsy.
Witnessing all the mayhem around him, Rutter vows to make it his mission to shut down the arcade.
It is easy to figure out who will prevail, but that is not the point. The movie’s finale features a hilarious video game competition with a winner‑take‑all bet on the arcade’s future.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an interview with the film’s director Greydon Clark, a commentary track with Clark, a fan commentary and a short film.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Imaginary (Blu‑ray + DVD + digital & DVD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
One From the Heart: Reprise (4K Ultra HD + Blu‑ray + digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Roots of Fire (DVD & streaming (First Run Features‑Amazon Prime‑Apple TV+)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Founder’s Day (Dark Sky Films)
Gold Run (Viaplay)
Lion Spy: The Hunt for Justice (The Movie Partnership)
One Hand Don’t Clap (Kino Lorber)
Red vs. Blue: Restoration (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
MAY 8
Acapulco: Season 3, Episode 3 (Apple TV+)
The Big Door Prize: Season 2, Episode 5 (Apple TV+)
Dark Matter: Episodes 1 & 2 (Apple TV+)
Hollywood Con Queen (Apple TV+)
Loot: Season 2, Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
Palm Royale: Episode 10 (Apple TV+)
Under the Bridge: Episode 5 (Hulu)
MAY 9
August Winds (Kino Film Collection)
Borje — The Journey of a Legend: Episodes 3 & 4 (Viaplay)
Red Psalm (Kino Film Collection)
MAY 10
Foil (Cranked Up)
Force of Nature: The Dry 2 (IFC Films)
Franklin: Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
H2: The Occupation Lab (Film Movement)
The Image of You (Republic Pictures‑Paramount Pictures)
Lazareth (Vertical Entertainment)
Sugar: Episode 7 (Apple TV+)
MAY 13
Pistol (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.