Fresh off the box-office triumphs of “Jaws” and “The Deep” (one of 1977’s highest grossing box-office hits), author Peter Benchley was ready to cash in on his next novel, the fast-paced “The Island.” Utilizing the intriguing premise of modern day descendants of French pirates still marauding around the Caribbean, Benchley put up a bidding war for its film rights that was ultimately won by “Jaws” producers Richard Zanuck and David Brown. The deal allegedly paid Benchley over $2 million for the book’s rights and a script, plus juicy profits off the movie (reportedly 10%) plus the soundtrack and substantial creative control. It all sounded great, yet when THE ISLAND (115 mins., 1980, R; Kino Lorber) proved to be a waterlogged turkey in the hands of director Michael Ritchie, Benchley’s early retirement plans sank to Davy Jones’ locker.

Despite the film’s relative obscurity these days, it’s certainly a game try: Michael Caine, giving one of his best performances during one of the admittedly rockier stages of his career, plays Blair Maynard, an intrepid reporter trying to package a story about people and vessels going missing in and around the Bermuda Triangle. Thinking initially that drugs may be the driving culprit, he heads down to the Caribbean along with his teenage son (Jeffrey Frank) to investigate – only to come across a band of pirates. No, not the pirates Maynard promised his son on a trip to Disney World en route, but rather actual pirates, or – at least – the scraggly, inbred descendants of buccaneers from centuries before. Led by David Warner, these types look like they sat too long at Woodstock, but they’re still sufficiently dangerous as they abduct Maynard’s son and turn him against his father. With no other choice, Maynard eventually has to summon all of his might to take on the pirate hordes in a stunning climax with the highest body count this side of “Rambo IV.”

Though more a disappointment than an outright flop (especially compared to the blockbusters that preceded it), “The Island” is not a movie a lot of people seem to have watched much less talk about. Benchley’s book was obviously intended with the big-screen in mind as it functions splendidly as a summer time “beach read” (find a cheap paperback, they’re still everywhere), and there are times the film captures the fast pace of the book in a way where one can see why Zanuck and Brown were eager to exploit the material’s inherent cinematic potential.

There are others, though, where Ritchie seems to have read a different book altogether – throwing in graphic gore one moment (the opening scene where a tourist on a fishing trip gets axed is decidedly gross) and then humor of an unintentional variety via decisions that seem to have been, well, let’s just say misguided. In one of the film’s most uproarious sequences, the pirates attack a yacht to the strains of not Ennio Morricone’s oddball score but rather a Richard Strauss classical piece that sounds like Errol Flynn is about to show up at any second. It’s debatable whether or not Ritchie thought this was comedic, but what follows afterwards – with one of the crew attempting kung fu on their unplanned pirate guests – generates even more laughs…again, likely of the unintended kind.

Trying to fight against the tide of bad moviemaking is Michael Caine, who’s entirely engaged and dialed back here. Shot in the midst of a number of turkeys including two for Irwin Allen (the so-bad-it’s-good “The Swarm” and the so-bad-it’s-boring “Beyond the Poseidon Adventure”), it’s clear Caine cared about his work on this picture, as he abandons the “shouting phase” that informed many of his performances around this time, and believably plays a reporter just trying to get out himself (and his now brainwashed son) out of a bad situation. He’s not trying to be Superman, and Caine convincingly stays within the character and his persona throughout.

The problem, again, is Ritchie’s bizarre take on the material, which veers from R-rated horror to near-absurdist levels of silliness, and then back again with no rhyme or reason. The shift in tone can be jarring and almost certainly would’ve been a turnoff for audiences back in the summer of 1980. Case in point: the pirates are freakishly introduced but become decidedly less menacing as the film progresses – something that hurts Warner’s performance, since he comes off as one of the nicer freaks in the batch. If he wasn’t so homicidal you’d nearly expect the comparatively eloquent Warner to invite Caine and his kid out for a cookout on the beach. Later, Caine finds favor with one of the few females (Angela Punch-MacGregor) in the pirate’s crew, but the movie bypasses (perhaps wisely) any in-depth discussion of how these would-be buccaneers have managed to survive, undetected, as long as they have.

Despite the lapses in tone and taste, “The Island” is a fascinating thriller to behold. Henri Decae’s attractive widescreen lensing (with Gene Polito reportedly handling, uncredited, the movie’s U.S. scenes) adds a touch of class, and the picture’s finale with the Coast Guard getting involved is quite something, as Caine turns the tables on his captors in a frenzy of bullets and blood. It’s all backed by a disjointed Ennio Morricone score which, other than a pleasant main and end title, doesn’t support the film very well and seems like it belonged in an entirely different picture altogether.

“The Island” would sadly be the last Peter Benchley story to reach the big screen, even though a few years later, Benchley signed on and wrote a treatment for “The Deep II.” Whether or not it was meant to bring back Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bissett, we’ll never know, but Benchley’s archives at Boston University apparently house his work on the unproduced 1983 sequel. The author’s terrific 1991 novel “Beast,” meanwhile, ended up a TV mini-series after an aborted John Carpenter attempt at making a film out of it; it still generated big ratings for NBC and even some critical praise when it aired in 1996 (a subsequent novel, “White Shark,” ended up as the disposable ABC mini-series “Creature” in 1997).

Available early in the history of the VHS format, “The Island” never appeared in widescreen until the 2010’s when a Universal HD master started making the rounds – first on DVD then on Blu-Ray. However, the messy transfer had all the hallmarks of early high-def masters, including noise, poor encoding, and other artifacts which curtailed the movie’s visual impact.

Kino Lorber’s new 4K UHD debuts a sparkling 4K scan (2.35) of the 35mm OCN and the results, with Dolby Vision HDR, are a tenfold improvement over the hoary old Universal master. Details come into focus in every scene, the color grading is more consistent, and the enhancement over the old Blu-Ray releases is immediately apparent. (Blu-Ray owners should note the included BD is based off this new 4K remaster)

On the audio side, 5.1 and 2.0 DTS MA options are included and they’re roughly equivalent outside more LFE and energy present in the 5.1 track. The trailer with Percy Rodriguez intoning the movie’s tag line is included on the Blu-Ray while two new commentaries, both unfortunately light on production information, are on-hand, one by Mike Leeder and the other by Howard S. Berger.

“The Island” may be thrown in with other Michael Caine misfires – I’ve even seen it lumped in with “Jaws The Revenge” itself – yet for all its goofy faults and missteps, it’s not nearly a cinematic monstrosity on that level. Now in 4K, it’s an uneven brew that’s worth another look for Caine fans and Benchley buffs alike – at the least, unlike what we see a lot of today, it’s never, ever dull.

MacARTHUR 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (130 mins., 1977, PG; Kino Lorber): Straightforward biopic of General Douglas MacArthur didn’t become the next “Patton” under the supervision of director Joseph Sargent, working from a Hal Barwood/Matthew Robbins script that opens up with MacArthur’s reluctant retreat from the Philippines in 1942. The picture then follows MacArthur (Gregory Peck) to Australia and back to the Pacific islands where he wages a successful battle against the Japanese through to the end of WWII – only to face a difficult ending to his nearly unparalleled military career at the hands of President Harry S. Truman.

Peck gives a gruff, mostly understated performance with a great amount of conviction here, and the script does a decent job conveying MacArthur’s ego and bluster, as well as his military genius and allegiance to his men. It’s a mostly meat-and-potatoes type of old-fashioned Hollywood production that, by 1977, had seemingly fallen a little out of favor with audiences. “MacArthur” did merely serviceable box-office and netted decent reviews, but more for Peck than the film itself, and today, the movie doesn’t generate a whole lot of buzz.

Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD of “MacArthur” features a new scan of the OCN with Dolby Vision HDR (1.85). It’s a much more detailed image than Universal’s old HD master, though that kind of “flat” look Universal movies had in terms of color back in the ‘70s is apparent in some sequences that pop up throughout. The 5.1 DTS MA sound is rousing and clearly defined in terms of music and dialogue – so well done, in fact, it’s surprising when you find out this wasn’t a Dolby Stereo film but rather was originally released in mono. Jerry Goldsmith’s fine and supportive score has excellent separation and sound stage in the 5.1 track, while a 2.0 mix includes the remix on a two-channel level.

A commentary from Steve Mitchell and Steven Jay Rubin lays down an articulate discussion concerning not just the film’s history but the real-life events portrayed in the picture while the trailer rounds out the disc.

Sylvester Stallone’s 90s “comeback” was spearheaded by “Cliffhanger,” kept on going thanks to “Demolition Man,” and survived letdowns like “Judge Dredd” via some critically acclaimed work in James Mangold’s “Cop Land.” Along the way, Sly signed various deals with Universal, the first film of which, DAYLIGHT (116 mins., 1996, PG-13; Kino Lorber), proved to be a middling recycling of ‘70s disaster movies – more or less in line with similar fare like the dueling “volcano films” of the era (the okay “Dante’s Peak,” the less-than-stellar “Volcano”).

Leslie Bohem’s script lays out a “Poseidon Adventure in the Holland Tunnel” where a careening car crashes into toxic materials, causing an explosion under the Hudson River. Claiming the lives of numerous motorists, the disaster also traps a number of disparate types whose only chance at survival lies with a disgraced emergency services chief (you know who) who manages to convince the authorities in charge that this current cab driver knows how and where to stage a daring rescue attempt. That, of course, he does, but the not-so-thankful survivors provide fewer kudos and more complaints to Stallone once he shows up, including grating-as-hell squabbling couple Jay O. Sanders and Karen Young. The other guests on the ship…wait, survivors in the tunnel…include harried, broke writer Amy Brenneman, an “extreme sports” star (pre-”Lord of the Rings” Viggo Mortensen), Sanders and Young’s camcorder-obsessed daughter (“Halloween IV”’s Danielle Harris), and an elderly couple played by Claire Bloom and Colin Fox.

Although I found the movie passable years ago, on this viewing, I was disappointed that “Daylight” does pretty much the bare minimum in terms of developing its characters and even Stallone’s predicament. The movie is cut awfully tight and director Rob Cohen proves to be merely serviceable, at best, in establishing the human component of the drama – alas, most characters are thinly-drawn, performed by an ensemble nearly uniform in delivering performances that are several decibels too high, even given the dire circumstances their characters find themselves in. This includes Brennaman, who develops little chemistry with Stallone, and, worst of all, Sanders and Young, who seem to be battling each other for whoever can shout the loudest. They’re impossible to take, and the lack of appealing characters in this movie turns out to be a major issue.

The letdown extends to the movie’s set-pieces, which are competently staged by Cohen, but offer little interest after the movie’s initial blast of ILM-provided special effects. Stallone flies through a number of ventilation fans (each with their own, ridiculous “countdown clock” so viewers are aware how little time he has to accomplish the task) and yells at his crew to get out of the way of rats and rising water, but the movie feels like it’s missing some big set-piece that could’ve put it over the top. Ditto Stallone himself, who feels detached in a quasi “vulnerable” role that ends with him, too, screaming nearly incoherently at the situation he’s in.

“Daylight” was one of Universal’s big Christmas movies in 1996 but didn’t make much noise at the box-office domestically. I assumed it recouped its investment thanks to foreign dollars, yet the movie’s disappointment was just the tip of the iceberg for what turned out to be a busted relationship between Stallone and Universal: the troubled (if underrated) thriller “D-Tox” ended up being sold off in the U.S. and was sent straight to video, bombing out completely while the next picture in that contract was never made at all.

Fans of “Daylight” will want to check out Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD (1.85) remaster of the film, at least, thanks to its new 4K scan of the OCN – and unlike the label’s 2025 release which was pulled at the last minute (which I reviewed in March ‘25), this remaster was approved by Rob Cohen. Cohen here tweaked some of the colors which he reportedly has been unsatisfied by, and while Kino’s previous UHD looked excellent, having Cohen’s preferred vision applied provides additional legitimacy to this transfer. For the most part it keeps the above-ground sequences exactly the same but desaturates some of the color from the tunnel scenes, resulting in a clearer visual distinction between the two locales.

The rest of the presentation is otherwise identical to Kino’s release last year. The 5.1 DTS MA sound is nicely delivered with ample directorial effects and a heavy-handed Randy Edelman score while Kino has reprieved the legacy extras which date back all the way to Universal’s “Signature Collection” laserdisc – these include a Making Of, Cohen commentary, vintage featurette, trailers, and the music video for the David Foster-produced ballad “Whenever There Is Love” featuring Donna Summer and Bruce Roberts.

FLIGHT 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (138 mins., 2012, R; Kino Lorber): It takes just several seconds for one to realize that director Robert Zemeckis’ first film without CGI rendered actors since 2000’s “Cast Away” is going to be one of those “edgy” vehicles certain filmmakers produce in an effort to separate themselves from their prior work. In the case of the 2012 film “Flight,” the film also marks Zemeckis’ first R-rated directorial venture since “Used Cars,” and the filmmaker makes you keenly aware of this fact in its opening scene, wherein he positions a topless woman on various edges of the Panavision frame while pilot Denzel Washington drops f-bombs and snorts cocaine while shaking off a hangover.

It’s a scene unlike anything in Zemeckis’ prior filmography, though the film on balance plays like one of the director’s final movies he produced before believing that CGI animated, 3D motion-capture rendered fantasies were going to be the wave of the future.

With a leisurely (if not overly placid) pace that hearkens back to “Contact” and “Cast Away,” “Flight” follows Denzel Washington’s troubled commercial airline pilot Whip Whitaker, haunted by a failed marriage and a dependence on drugs and booze. Whitaker is even high when his latest flight falls prey to mechanical failure, and only a daredevil maneuver is able to save most of the lives onboard as he ditches the plane in a rural field outside Atlanta. Scarred but still alive, Whitaker is quickly interrogated in the days and weeks afterwards by both his airline – aware of his toxicology report – and the NTSB, which attempts to determine whether Whitaker’s decision making directly lead to the death of several passengers and crew members, or if it was the best option in the face of grave danger.

John Gatins’ script is definitely more of a downbeat, character-driven drama as opposed to the “action-packed” film “Flight” was sold as. The plane crash sequence is harrowing and brilliantly shot by Zemeckis, who proves that he’s lost none of his touch for effects-driven set-pieces, but the film soon settles into a slow-moving – and not especially engaging – profile of the self-destructive Whitaker and his substance abuse problem, hitting predictable dramatic beats along the way. A subplot involving Whip’s relationship with a recovering heroin addict (future “Yellowstone” star Kelly Reilly) takes up far too much time, and there are other points in the story where you just wish Zemeckis would get the story moving. Washington gives a fine, believable performance, but “Flight” isn’t one of the actor’s best films: instead, it’s a merely serviceable return to live-action filmmaking for its director, in a movie that’s just never as engrossing as one would hope.

Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD includes a new Dolby Vision HDR (2.35) master with 5.1 DTS MA sound, finely engineered though graced with a mostly thankless Alan Silvestri score. A new extra is a commentary with Julie Kirgo and Peter Hankoff, while other extras are of the archival variety, including a few featurettes and interviews with Zemeckis and John Gatins.

DEADLY BLESSING 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (102 mins., 1981, R; Kino Lorber): Interestingly cast but disjointed thriller from director Wes Craven, who delivers an appropriately erratic film from his scattershot filmography.

Maren Jensen, the “Battlestar Galactica” alum, concluded her all-too brief leading-lady phase with this and the obscure (and impossible to find) Dino DeLaurentiis production “Beyond the Reef” in 1981. She’s attractive as always here, playing a woman living near a Huddite community – in fact, her husband (future “Fall Guy” co-star Matt Barr) is a former member and son of the group’s unhinged leader (Ernest Borgnine, not dialing it down), who promptly seem to be targeting Jensen and her friends (Sharon Stone and Susan Buckner) for nefarious reasons.

The wacky cast in this Polygram Pictures production (the last film to reportedly be distributed by the old, pre-MGM United Artists) also includes Christopher Reeve’s juvenile Clark Kent alter-ego Jeff East, the sultry Lois Nettleton, a young Lisa Hartman (Black), and Craven’s “Hill Have Eyes” vet Michael Berryman, with James Horner also chipping in an early score heavy on “horror atmosphere.” It’s all very strange but somehow watchable up to a point — regrettably, what’s truly deadly is the movie’s ending, a dismal fizzle that really sabotages any repeat viewing potential (perhaps it’s no surprise, back during the movie’s original run, that some theater exhibitors cut the film’s last scene reportedly from some prints!).

Kino Lorber’s UHD includes a terrific and good looking Dolby Vision HDR (1.85, 5.1/2.0) 4K remaster that’s exceptional in terms of clarity – figures and trees on the horizon hold a striking sharpness here, and the detail level is high throughout. In addition to a remastered Blu-Ray, the disc includes a new commentary by Troy Howarth and Eugenio Ercolani and extras brought back from Shout Factory’s out of print release. These include a Wes Craven/Sean Clark commentary and interviews with Michael Berryman and Susan Buckner, designer John Noulin, writers Glenn Benest and Matthew Barr, and a full run of trailers and TV spots.

THE WAR WAGON 4K UHD (101 mins., 1967; Universal): Amusing, lighthearted western stars John Wayne as a rancher looking to get revenge on the cattle baron (Bruce Cabot) who sent him to jail for three years. Recruiting a top team including Kirk Douglas’ Lomax and the decidedly less seasoned Howard Keel (as an Indian), Robert Walker (Jr.), and Keenan Wynn, Wayne’s plan involves stealing the gold from Cabot’s armed stagecoach, a plan that turns out to be more difficult than he initially envisions.

Western vet Burt Kennedy helmed this Mexican-lensed vehicle which is light on its feet, backed by gorgeous scope cinematography by William H. Clothier and scored by Dimitri Tiomkin – be warned, though: “The Ballad of the War Wagon,” with Ed Ames belting out Ned Washington’s lyrics, is an infectious theme that sticks in your head…forever.

Fans of the genre should get the most mileage out of this breezy concoction, and this new 4K scan of thr 35mm OCN from Kino Lorber (2.35) results in the best of this month’s Universal-licensed UHD transfers. The Dolby Vision HDR presentation is nearly immaculate and greatly enhances the film’s visuals and overall entertainment value; in addition to a sometimes “hot” sounding mono soundtrack, the disc sports two commentaries, one by Toby Roan, and another with Julie Kirgo and Peter Hankoff.

KING CREOLE 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (115 mins., 1958; Kino Lorber): Viewed as one of Elvis Presley’s strongest big-screen vehicles, “King Creole” finds the crooner – under the direction of Michael Curtiz (“Casablanca”) – playing a troubled youth with a big heart who performs in the French Quarter while romancing a local girl (Dolores Hart) and getting mixed up with a mobster (Walter Matthau) and his mistress (Carolyn Jones). Previously available in remastered form only on Blu-Ray in a “Paramount Presents” release, Kino Lorber debuts the actual Dolby Vision HDR (1.78, 5.1/2.0) remaster here with fine grain and excellent contrast levels present. Extras include a commentary by Imogen Sara Smith, the trailer, and the Leonard Maltin intro segment from the “Paramount Presents” disc.

ESCAPE FROM ZAHRAIN Blu-Ray (93 mins., 1962; Kino Lorber): Director Ronald Neame turned out many fine films and even his lesser excursions are typically worthy of a viewing. “Escape From Zahrain” is sort of a B-level studio adventure yarn from the early ‘60s, but, because it’s sufficiently crafted by Neame and driven by Yul Brynner’s star power, it gets by. In Robin Estridge’s script, Brynner plays a nationalist leader in an Arab state whose protests land him in jail; his subsequent escape sends him and fellow prisoners Jack Warden, Anthony Caruso and company out into the unpredictable, unforgiving Arabian desert where danger – and death – lurk at every turn. Brynner is suitably convincing in this taut, character-driven pursuit picture that runs a lean tick over 90 minutes and is graced with slick widescreen lensing from dp Ellsworth Fredericks and a James Mason cameo to boot. Kino Lorber’s Blu-Ray (2.35, mono) offers a much improved 4K scan of the 35mm OCN so this is a clear enhancement over Olive’s earlier Blu-Ray effort released over a decade ago.

BRIT NOIR COLLECTION III Blu-Ray (Kino Lorber): Third compilation of Studio Canal-licensed, late ‘50s British film noir should be of interest for both genre fans and Anglophiles in particular.

Maggie Smith’s first screen credit occurs in the George Nader-led thriller NOWHERE TO GO (104 mins., 1958), the study of a Canadian crook who tries to find his stolen loot and ends up with Smith’s socialite. Seth Holt helmed this penultimate production from England’s famed Ealing studios (1.78, mono), with Kino Lorber supporting the film with a new David Del Valle commentary…Richard Attenborough stars in THE MAN UPSTAIRS (89 mins., 1958) as an unstable individual trying to figure out if he’s truly responsible for another man’s death in director Don Chaffey’s adaptation of Graham Greene’s novel. In addition to another new remaster (1.66, mono), Kino Lorber includes a Howard Berger commentary for the film…Finally, Michael Craig plays a street-savvy gangster attempting to evade the law – and a widow played by Billie Whitelaw – in director Sidney Hayers’ PAYROLL (106 mins., 1961), which features a Steve Mitchell-Gary Gerani commentary in addition to its stark B&W transfer (1.66, mono).

Coming August 25^th from Kino Lorber is FILM NOIR: THE DARK SIDE OF CINEMA XXVII, which features a trio of noir titles from the B-specialists at Republic Pictures. THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1941) features railroad detective Bob Steele on the trail of thief Milburn Stone and his gang, who’ve taken both gold and the passengers on their train in tow, including Claire Carleton’s torch singer. In UNMASKED (1950), Raymond Burr plays a tabloid publisher who lures wealthy women into his web of deceit, only to chose the wrong one to scheme with. Finally, Dane Clark plays a truck driver framed for murder who gets out, looking for revenge in THE MAN IS ARMED (1956). Kino Lorber’s Blu-Ray box offers Paramount-licensed 1080p titles (1.33 or 1.66 B&W) with all-new commentaries by Gary Gerani (“Robbery”), Alan K. Rode (“Unmasked”), and Max Allan Collins and Heath Holland (“The Man is Armed”).

3D Blu-Ray New Releases

Despite 3-D itself seemingly falling out of favor here in the U.S. as a viewing option, 3-D Film Archive has continued to work, restoring 3-D format films for stereoscopic presentations. Kino Lorber’s trio of new releases showcases their latest work on 3-D Blu-Ray, and if you don’t have a 3-D set-up any more, not to fear, these discs all feature 2D transfers plus a transfer in the old red/blue anaglyphic format as well.

THE BUBBLE (112 mins., 1966, PG) likely will be of the most interest for 3-D enthusiasts when it streets in September. Arch Oboler’s independent sci-fi thriller employs a Twilight Zone-esque premise wherein couple Deborah Walley and Michael Cole are forced to land in a mysterious town that’s encapsulated in a dome with zombie-like inhabitants doing the bidding of…something, somewhere, lurking outside it.

Stephen King later riffed on this premise in his TV series “Under the Dome,” but “The Bubble” hit upon most of its same thematic beats within a single run time – one that’s over 20 minutes longer here. Restoring a 112-minute cut for the first time anywhere, Kino Lorber’s 3-D Blu features a stereoscopic transfer of the movie’s “Space Vision” widescreen 3-D process (2.50), benefiting the many “gimmick” 3-D shots thrown in by Oboler, plus an anaglyphic transfer and standard 2-D presentation. Even if the movie is silly, poorly acted and never lives up to its premise, the novelty value from the premiere of its extended version here is big news for 3-D buffs.

Extra features include Oboler’s “Lights Out” radio play, 3-D demo footage, an alternate opening title from a 1976 re-issue, 2-D trailers, and a commentary by Matt Rovner and Mike Ballew covering 45 minutes of the feature.

Also new in 3D is HYPERSPACE (83 mins., 1984, Not Rated). A very “homegrown” affair, shot in mostly rural North Carolina by writer-director Todd Durham, “Hyperspace” did manage to net the talents of Chris Elliott – on a summer break from “Late Night with David Letterman” – and Paula Poundstone, who plays an auto mechanic. They’re two of the Earthlings trying to stop Lord Buckethead, a Vader-esque parody who has arrived on Earth looking for a princess and stolen radio transmissions, but instead finds a lot of “down home” characters and 3-D gags instead.

“Hyperspace” was shot in widescreen 3-D and is not a film many will have ever had the chance to watch before, making this Kino Lorber (2.39) presentation on 3-D Blu-Ray worthwhile. Admittedly, the laughs are in short supply despite all the good intentions and apparent “let’s put on a show!” attitude of Durham, who did receive a robust early score contribution from composer Don Davis.

Kino Lorber’s disc also sports Durham’s “The Fright Before Christmas” (33 mins., 1983) short film, a feature-length Making Of doc, isolated score with Davis and editor Bruce Stubblefield’s commentary, trailers, and a vintage pre-show reel included.

Finally, available for the first time in its native 3-D is MONEY FROM HOME (100 mins., 1953), one of the many teamings of ‘50s stars Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. This amiable adaptation of Damon Runyon’s story finds Dino’s gambling debts forcing him to rely on cousin Jerry’s veterinarian to help him fix a race. Marjie Millar co-stars in this Technicolor-lensed Paramount comedy, restored here from its 35mm dynoptic 3-D Technicolor OCN (1.33) in both stereoscopic and anaglyphic 3-D formats. A remastered Blu-Ray is also included, along with two commentaries (one with Nathaniel Thompson and Howard S. Berger, the other with James L. Neibaur and Mike Ballew), documentary and musical shorts, a Martin & Lewis Fox Theatre promo, trailers, and the same presentation on a standard 2D platter.

Also New & Noteworthy

THE STRANGER Blu-Ray (124 mins., 2025; Music Box): Adaptation of the Camus novel from French director Francois Ozon stars Benjamin Voisin as the office clerk accused of murder, but with nothing but indifference coloring his attitudes and actions. Starkly impressive B&W cinematography marks Ozon’s latest, new on Blu-Ray from Music Box sporting a 1080p (1.66) transfer, French audio with English subs (5.1 DTS MA), interviews with Ozon, Voisin and co-star Rebecca Marder, costume/lighting tests, deleted scenes/outtakes, and a poster featurette.

THE SWAN PRINCESS 4K UHD (89 mins., 1994, G; Sony): Initially written off as a “Beauty and the Beast” ripoff, Richard Rich’s independently-produced animated adaptation of “Swan Lake” became a minor box-office hit but a much larger success on the home video market. David Zippel and Lez De Azevedo’s tuneful songs (a couple of which are very much in the Menken/Ashman mold) carry this story of Princess Odette, transformed into a swan by a sorcerer, and the efforts of her friends and the dashing Prince to save the day. Jack Palance, John Cleese, Steven Wright and Sandy Duncan provide the voices for this very entertaining, breezy outing that produced countless sequels up until its 12^th and supposedly “final” entry in 2023. Sony’s 4K UHD of “The Swan Princess” offers Dolby Vision HDR (1.85) with 7.1 and 5.1 DTS MA options along with extras from the 25^th Anniversary, 2019 Blu-Ray: a retrospective “Looking Back at 25 Years of The Swan Princess,” the original Making Of and a handful of sing-alongs, including the Jeffrey Osborne/Regina Belle crooned “Far Longer Than Forever.” A Digital HD code rounds out the release.

I’LL DO ANYTHING Blu-Ray (116 mins., 1994, PG; Sony): James Brooks’ infamous musical turned non-musical finally receives a no-frills catalog Blu-Ray release from Sony, starring Nick Nolte as a struggling character actor now saddled with taking care of his estranged six-year-old daughter (Wittni Wright). Ample cameos and a strong ensemble (Albert Brooks, Julie Kavner, Tracey Ullman, Joely Richardson) back up Nolte in a watchable picture which ended up costing Sony a fortune by the time it surfaced in the winter ‘94 dumping grounds minus its much-publicized song score, which included original material by Price among others. Brooks axed the songs and the movie promptly bombed at the box-office, making it something of a disappointment none of them are included here in this attractive 1080p (1.85, 2.0 DTS MA) presentation that does justice to Michael Ballhaus’ lovely cinematography.

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION Blu-Ray (12 hours, 2025; PBS): Ken Burns’ meticulously researched and overall worthwhile “American Revolution” does offer some curious omissions and sketchy revisionism – as one might expect – but there’s still enough actual history here to make it an enriching view across its 12 hours. If you’ve seen other Burns productions you know what to expect, as he, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt – along with writer Geoffrey C. Ward – mix actual individual accounts with historian testimonies, celebrity voices (running quite the gamut here), and some helpful graphics; all of it runs at a leisurely clip with Peter Coyote’s narration keeping the viewer invested. The original music from David Cieri also includes performances from Yo-Yo Ma among others, with PBS’ Blu-Ray (now available) featuring 1080p transfers and 5.1 soundtracks.

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Warner Archive New Releases

ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT Blu-Ray (107 mins., 1942; Warner Archive): Humphrey Bogart mixed things up, and cemented himself as a star with a wider range, by taking the lead in the enjoyable Warner production “All Through the Night.” Bogie is still playing a gangster here, taking on fifth columnists in NYC with the help of Runyon-esque rogues William Demarest, Jackie Gleason and Phil Silvers, but this war-time mashup of character comedy, gangster thriller and WWII propaganda is hugely entertaining under Vincent Sherman’s direction; Conrad Veidt, Kaaren Verne, Judith Anderson, Peter Lorre and Jane Darwell co-star. Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray (1.37 B&W) is one of their best releases this month, including Sherman’s commentary, a featurette, vintage 1942 newsreel, WB cartoons and a Joe McDoakes short, and the trailer.

TORRID ZONE Blu-Ray (88 mins., 1941; Warner Archive): Jimmy Cagney and Pat O’Brien teamed up for the eighth time in the Warner comedy “Torrid Zone,” with a Central America plantation owner (O’Brien) calling on the services of Cagney to shape his operation up, all the with the help of torch singer Ann Sheridan. Well-reviewed and quite funny, Richard Macaulay and Jerry Wald’s script remixes “The Front Page” in a William Keighley-helmed frolic. Warner Archive serves up another crisp 1080p (1.37 B&W) transfer here with a vintage newsreel, musical short, historical short, and WB classic cartoon “A Wild Hare.”

SERGEANT RUTLEDGE (111 mins., 1960; Warner Archive): One of director John Ford’s lesser-known works stars Woody Strode as a Black cavalry officer accused of rape and murder; Jeffrey Hunter is the lieutenant who defends him, and uncovers the real criminal, in this 1960 Ford courtroom drama marked by sincere performances though the film, on balance, is not especially memorable (neither is its score by Howard Jackson). Extras on the Archive Blu-Ray (1.85, 2.0) include commentary from TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz and Donald Bogle plus two WB cartoons and the trailer.

THE SEVENTH CROSS Blu-Ray (111 mins., 1944; Warner Archive): Spencer Tracy plays a German concentration camp escapee who tries to elude (re)capture in Fred Zinnemann’s 1944 MGM drama, debuting this month from Warner Archive. The film is superbly performed across the board from Tracy plus Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Agnes Moorehead and Signe Hasso, and Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray (1.37 B&W) sports three MGM shorts from Zinnemann and the trailer.

PERFECT STRANGERS: The Complete Series Blu-Ray (1986-93; Warner): Mismatched buddy comedy/“Odd Couple” recycling eventually became the centerpiece of the ABC “TGIF” block of Friday night sitcoms. Before that, though, this Miller-Boyett production debuted on a Tuesday and became an immediate hit while sandwiched inbetween the likes of ABC hits “Who’s The Boss” and “Moonlighting.” It later moved to Wednesdays, then for its third season, Fridays where its 8pm timeslot became the bedrock for the network’s long-running TGIF franchise.

“Perfect Strangers” also nailed its formula down fast – in fact, this is a superior sitcom of its kind, thanks to some sharp writing and the chemistry between stars Bronson Pinchot – as the lovable Balki, the European immigrant wanting to experience America – and Mark-Linn Baker as Larry, his “distant cousin” from Chicago. The duo face life’s trials and tribulations with good humor while Pinchot, then fresh off his star-making supporting turn in “Beverly Hills Cop,” supplies the wild and wacky humor of the Robin Williams “Mork” variety.

Warner has released a Complete Series Blu-Ray that is just stunning – though shot on film “Perfect Strangers” never looked this detailed and focused on standard definition TV before. These 1.37 remasters (2.0 DTS MA) look superb and the set offers all seven seasons of the series in a highly recommended new Warner Archive box.

NEXT TIME: VHS Retro Releases including FRESH HORSES! Until then, don’t forget to drop in on the official Aisle Seat Message Boards and direct any emails to our email address. Cheers!