During the summer of ‘86, even though I wasn’t quite 12 years old, I was able to convince my Dad to take me to see “Aliens.” After all, I was a battle-scarred veteran of seeing “Alien” on the ABC Sunday Night Movie, and although the film was “Edited For Television,” it nevertheless retained the intensity of Ridley Scott’s original vision, trimming just a few shots of gore and profanity for its broadcast airing.
While I could handle “Aliens” at my relatively young age, it was decided by the experts not to take me to David Cronenberg’s “The Fly,” which opened just a few weeks later. Growing up, I was a devout “Creature Features” viewer and because I had watched all of the old ‘50s and ‘60s “Fly” movies, I naturally wanted to see the remake. Still, something about the movie sent up a red flag in my parents’ minds: maybe it was the scene in the trailer with a mutating Jeff Goldblum hanging out with a hooker, or the general tone that indicated “The Fly” ‘86 wasn’t just an old-fashioned fright flick.
Whatever the case may be, they made a wise choice, as Cronenberg’s “Fly” remake more than justified its R rating — though the irony is that, once I was old enough to see the movie, I realized the “new” THE FLY (116 mins., R, Fox) – which is now available as part of Scream Factory’s outstanding THE FLY COLLECTION Blu-Ray box – was still pretty juvenile for an “adult” film.
Cronenberg’s update and reworking of Charles Edward Pogue’s original screenplay (a contemporary update on James Clavell’s script for the 1958 film) chronicles the step-by-step transformation of scientist Jeff Goldblum into a full-sized insect, his relationship with Geena Davis (who loves him despite his…shall we say increasingly eccentric behavior?), and futile attempts to reverse his metamorphosis.
Goldblum’s admirable performance carries the ‘86 “Fly” to a degree, but ultimately, this icky, gooey, blood-soaked effects piece represents ‘80s horror at its most excessive. As the film goes along, Cronenberg pays more attention to the physical — rather than mental — decline of Goldblum as he plunges into the abyss, and the audience is treated to such heartwarming moments as our protagonist’s ear falling off, vomiting on a donut, and later having his head severed in two, all in favor of a new insect noggin.
No question, “The Fly” has its fans, but today, the film comes across mainly as an effects/make-up showpiece for Cronenberg and designer Chris Walas, who were trying to out-do the most graphic of the decade’s F/X hallmarks like “An American Werewolf In London.” The effects were undoubtedly remarkable for their time, though today, they ultimately make the movie’s tragic love story even more unbelievable than it was at the time – it’s just hard to take Davis’ sympathy for the grotesque Goldblum seriously as his condition worsens, and worsens, and worsens.
Still, I’m not about to rain on the parade of “Fly” addicts, who will swarm like flypaper to this new Scream presentation. While retaining the same transfer as Fox’s previous Blu-Ray, Scream’s disc offers a series of great new interviews, including conversations with executive producer Mel Brooks, composer Howard Shore, cinematographer Mark Irwin, and producer Stuart Cornfeld. There’s also a new commentary from movie historian William Beard and all the extras from previous Fox releases, topped off by a rare Cronenberg commentary and a fascinating — if somewhat overlong — two hour-plus documentary. Every angle of “The Fly” is discussed therein, from its origins as a (Mel) BrooksFilms production, to the supposed AIDS subtext of the movie, its pre-release screenings and multiple endings. Writer Pogue had wanted some kind of uplifting coda to the film, which is screened here — along with a lengthy excised section involving Goldblum’s “monkey-cat” hybrid, a long-lost sequence that fans will love seeing here (it’s even been tracked with music from composer Howard Shore’s dense dramatic score). The sequence is actually pretty silly, but aficionados will soak it up, just as they will the lengthy documentary, offering interviews with the stars and crew (sans Cronenberg, who apparently prefers for his commentary to speak for itself).
Scream’s box-set also incorporates the original “Fly” films (see below) plus the likewise gooey 1989 sequel THE FLY II (104 mins., R), which places poor Eric Stoltz thanklessly into Goldblum’s shoes. Essaying the son of Goldblum’s scientist, Stoltz’s Martin Brundle soon begins to exhibit the same horrifying transformation as his old man did while being employed as an experiment in evil CEO Lee Richardson’s company. Predictably, no amount of sympathy from girlfriend Daphne Zuniga can help as Stoltz begins to mutate, and Richardson eyes a race of Super-Flies that could help military affairs.
Chris Walas had helmed the original’s effects and took over the directorial reigns of “The Fly II” itself. Unfortunately for Walas, he was working from a patchwork script credited to Mick Garris, Jim and Ken Wheat, and Frank Darabont, which never channels the human element that the original had, and instead serves up a forgettable, inferior recycling of Cronenberg’s work. There are effects o’plenty, a decent score by Christopher Young, and a thankfully upbeat ending (which even recalls the original ‘50s sequel “Return Of The Fly”), but “The Fly II” is limp dramatically and comes recommended strictly for fans of ‘80s gorefests.
Debuting on Blu-Ray in the U.S. for the first time, “The Fly II” looks quite nice, buoyed again by all-new interviews, here with Mick Garris, Stuart Cornfeld, Ken Wheat, make-up artist Tom Sullivan and cinematographer Robin Vidgeon. Ample extras ported over from Fox’s Special Edition DVD include commentary from Walas (who seems amusingly aware of the film’s shortcomings) and horror journalist Bob Burns, an unused coda (which actually would have tied the movie even closer to the final shot of “Return of the Fly”) and one deleted scene. There’s also a 50-minute documentary, “Transformations: Looking Back At The Fly II,” plus a terrific hour-long “Fly Papers” documentary which aired on AMC. Narrated by Leonard Nimoy, this is an excellent look at the entire “Fly” franchise with copious interviews. There’s also a superb, older 15-minute interview with Christopher Young, discussing his work on the sequel, plus a vintage 1989 featurette, a film production journal, trailers, storyboard/photo galleries and more.
Also included here are the original 20th Century Fox FLY movies from the ‘50s and ‘60s: the full-color, Cinemascope, iconic version of THE FLY (94 mins., 1958) with David “Al” Hedison as the scientist mixed up with the molecular structure of a housefly; RETURN OF THE FLY (80 mins., 1959), a lower-budget, B&W sequel bringing back its predecessor’s co-star, Vincent Price, while Hedison’s son follows in his father’s footsteps; and the belated 1965 final entry, CURSE OF THE FLY (86 mins.), a British-shot B&W affair with Brian Donlevy carrying on the Delambre family legacy in a weak thriller from director Don Sharp.
The B&W, Cinemascope “Fly” sequels here make their Blu-Ray debuts with the original “Fly” preserving its prior 1080p (2.35) Fox transfer. New extras include fresh commentaries on each picture (Steve Haberman and Constantine Nasr on “Fly” and “Curse”; two new tracks on “Return,” one featuring Tom Weaver, another with actor David Frankham and Jonathan David Dixon) and a pair of new interviews on “Curse” (actress Mary Manson, continuity supervisor Renee Glynee). Other supplements have been carried over from Fox’s earlier DVDs, including additional commentaries, trailers, Fox Movietone reels, and the archival AMC special “Biography: Vincent Price” and “Fly Trap: Catching a Classic” featurette.
STEPHEN KING’S SILVER BULLET Blu-Ray (94 mins., 1985, R; Scream Factory): After working together on the well-received 1983 filming of “The Dead Zone,” Stephen King collaborated again with producer Dino DeLaurentiis in 1985 for a pair of movies with original King screenplays: the anthology “Cat’s Eye” and the werewolf thriller “Silver Bullet.” The latter presaged their ill-fated collaboration on “Maximum Overdrive” and had two important elements going for it: one being that King himself provided the script, the second that “E.T.” mastermind Carlo Rambaldi designed the slimy make-up effects.
The result was a movie that most branded as mediocre at the time (it also tanked at the box-office), but has certainly held up a lot better than most King thrillers-of-the-week — particularly on Blu-Ray, where Scream Factory’s 1080p (2.35) transfer deftly captures the picture’s original JDC Scope aspect ratio.
An adaptation (and embellishment) of King’s graphic novel “Cycle of the Werewolf,” “Silver Bullet” stars Gary Busey as an alcoholic uncle to handicapped nephew Corey Haim. Haim decides to investigate a series of murders plaguing the formerly quaint little town he and sister Megan Follows (of “Anne of Green Gables” fame) live in. All signs point to a werewolf, and Haim decides to track down the killer even though everyone else thinks he’s the little boy who cried you-know-what.
The movie doesn’t offer too many surprises in terms of suspense or the identity of the culprit (it just happens that Everett McGill’s name is second on the poster), but what is surprising is that director Daniel Attias actually manages to develop the characters and relationships between them in the film. Haim and Follows’ brother-sister interplay is sensitively and believably handled, as is the relationship between Haim and Busey, who gives one of his better performances here.
Jay Chattaway’s score is perfectly acceptable and while the movie runs out of gas by the time it ends around the 90 minute mark, “Silver Bullet” is a minor guilty pleasure that’s certainly easier to enjoy than before thanks to Scream Factory’s terrific Blu-Ray Special Edition. A new commentary with Martha (Schumacher) DeLaurentiis, moderated by Michael Felsher, is full of trivia, while new interviewees include editor Daniel Loewenthal and actor Kent Broadhurst. Carried over from assorted overseas releases are a commentary with director Daniel Attias, a track of Jay Chattaway’s isolated cues and an interview with the composer, interviews with the FX artists and Everett McGill, plus a full run of trailers and TV spots. The DTS MA mono sound is perfectly acceptable.
UNIVERSAL HORROR COLLECTION Volume 3 Blu-Ray (Shout! Factory): Scream’s latest Blu-Ray anthology of vintage Universal Pictures terrors includes several titles eagerly anticipated by Golden Age genre buffs. Basil Rathbone and Bela Lugosi (with a supporting turn from Vincent Price) toplined the 1939 TOWER OF LONDON (93 mins.), a historical horror graced here by a lovely new 2K scan of a fine grain print; Rathbone and Bela Lugosi starred in the 1941 rendition of THE BLACK CAT (71 mins.), which offers a more comedic as opposed to horrifying take on Poe’s short story; and MAN MADE MONSTER (60 mins., 1941) stars Lon Chaney, Jr. in what was the first of numerous starring vehicles at Universal for the son of the cinema legend. However, while lacking “star power,” the best of the lot may well be HORROR ISLAND (61 mins., 1941), an engaging B-movie that’s briskly paced and offers a number of Universal supporting players in a light, “Old Dark House” variant. As with Shout’s terrific previous releases, new extras abound, including commentaries (Steve Haberman on “Tower of London,” Tom Weaver & Constantine Nasr on “Man Made Monster,” Gary Rhodes on “Black Cat” and Ted Newsom on “Horror Island”), trailers and still galleries. The perfect present for the vintage Universal horror fan on your Christmas list!
Also New From Shout! Factory: WORLD SERIES 2019 (90 mins., 2019) offers up MLB’s 2019 game film of the Washington Nationals’ run to their first world championship. Highlights, interviews and the usual formula of game action and narration mark this must-watch for Nats fans, who are undoubtedly basking in the glow of their victory over the Astros and will be all winter long. Major League Baseball’s combo pack includes a BD and DVD with clinching moments, regular season highlights and World Series Parade footage provided as bonus features.
New on 4K UHD
IT, CHAPTER TWO 4K UHD (169 mins., 2019, R; Warner): “It”’s still good.
The much-anticipated concluding chapter to Andy Muschietti’s 2017 box-office hit continues Stephen King’s story – this time 27 years later with the Derry, Maine kids replaced by their adult counterparts, who answer the call once Pennywise begins another rampage directed towards the kids in their hometown. Though there’s a sense of blandness in some of the casting (James McAvoy and Jay Ryan especially), Bill Hader scores with plenty of laughs as the grown-up Richie and Jessica Chastain provides a convincing portrayal of an adult Bev. Helping matters is Muschietti’s reprisal of the original’s teen cast via extensive flashback sequences – albeit some with (not always convincing) “de-aging” digital effects work.
“It”’s first half was certainly more focused than this overlong second helping, yet as a “funhouse horror movie” goes, the picture still hums along. Much lighter in tone overall – not just through Hader’s character but much of the set-pieces themselves, which grow increasingly outlandish – Muschietti and screenwriter Gary Dauberman let loose and have fun paying homage to movies like “The Thing” (a decapitated head serves a similar purpose to Carpenter’s classic) and throwing in weird cameos (King himself and Peter Bogdanovich!) along the way.
The frights are mostly of the “boo!” variety – as they were in the original – but it’s possible some hardcore horror fans may be turned off by the self-referential, occasionally comedic nature of this sequel: McAvoy’s character receives the repeated criticism (often reserved for King’s works) that he can’t write a satisfying ending, while Hader’s riffs poke a bit of fun at the material, including Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise performance.
Still, the cumulative mix of scares and laughs work here, and I struggle to come up with many studio-produced horror films in recent memory that have been as satisfying as this ambitious adaptation of “It.” Capped with a terrific climax that nails what the 1990 TV mini-series was trying to get across and you have a sequel that – even with its silly and overstuffed portions — eventually delivers all the goods.
Warner’s 4K UHD of “It – Chapter Two” offers a sterling a/v package with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision capability plus Dolby Atmos sound. A smattering of behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentary from director Muschietti are on-tap plus a bonus disc with a full documentary on the production. A Digital HD copy and Blu-Ray round out the release.
HUSTLERS 4K UHD (110 mins., 2019, R; Universal): Lorene Scafaria wrote and directed this loosely “inspired by a true story” affair about a group of strippers (including Constance Wu, Lili Reinhart and Jennifer Lopez) who, after being hit by last decade’s recession, decide to “turn the tables” on the fat cats who toss dollars their way – this includes drugging men and stealing their money, in a box-office hit that’s “socially engineered” to the point of being totally contrived. The performances are at least lively enough, though. Universal’s 4K UHD is out this week featuring an HVEC encoded, HDR transfer (2.39) with Dolby Atmos audio, a Blu-Ray, Digital HD copy, trailers, and commentary with Scafaria.
GAME OF THRONES – The Complete Eighth Season 4K Ultra HD/Blu-Ray (425 mins., 2019; HBO): Eighth and final season of the massively popular HBO series finds the living and the dead clashing as the nefarious Night King’s army bears down on the combined armies of Jon and Dany. A series of fates awaits the surviving characters in this conclusion to George R.R. Martin’s novels, which premiered last spring to record-breaking numbers on HBO and seemed to be widely embraced by long-time fans of the series – even if the season itself was greeted with a more mixed reaction on balance.
All of it has been brought to 4K UHD in a top-notch package from HBO: the transfers (Dolby Vision capable) and Dolby Atmos soundtracks are higher bit-rate presentations than what you might’ve seen on TV or streaming previously, while a generous assortment of special features include “In Episode” guides, commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, a Blu-Ray and Digital HD copy. Highly recommended for “Throne” devotees, needless to say.
Warner Archive New Releases
A trio of Blu-Ray debuts are on the docket from Warner Archive this month.
THE WORLD, THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL (95 mins., 1958) is Randald MacDougall’s unusual, three-character drama starring Harry Belafonte and Inger Stevens as the last two people seemingly alive after a Nuclear Holocaust – at least until they meet a third survivor (Mel Ferrer) who threatens their tenuous relationship. MacDougall wrote and directed this 1958 MGM production, shot in New York City with stark, empty streets, along with a social message that echoes in spite of its heavy-handedness today. Miklos Rozsa’s at times bombastic score fits with the in-your-face component of “The World, The Flesh and the Devil,” which debuts on Blu-Ray in a superb 1080p (2.35) AVC encoded transfer with 2.0 DTS MA mono sound.
An earlier MGM classic, THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (118 mins., 1952) needs little introduction for movie buffs. Charles Schnee penned this biting backstage Hollywood drama starring Kirk Douglas as a ruthless movie director with Lana Turner, Walter Pidgeon, and Dick Powell supporting Vincente Minnelli’s black-and-white drama. Hard to believe this Archive Blu-Ray marks the film’s HD premiere, but the wait was worth it thanks to a crisp 1080p (4:3) transfer with mono DTS MA sound, the feature length TCM doc “Lana Turner…A Daughter’s Memoir,” cues from David Raksin’s scoring sessions and trailers.
Finally, OPERATION CROSSBOW (116 mins., 1965, PG-13) offers something altogether different: a WWII adventure from the tail end of Hollywood’s interest in that genre, meaning this Carlo Ponti production has a bit more violence and less rah-rah sentiment than usual. George Peppard stars in this story of a group of commandos that parachute behind enemy lines in order to take out a Nazi plant that’s constructing new rocket technology. Sophia Loren, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Tom Courtenay, Richard Johnson and Anthony Quale lead the international cast in this Michael Anderson-directed affair, not a classic but still worthwhile for genre fans. Warner Archive’s 1080p (2.35) transfer of the MGM release is terrific, backed with 5.1 DTS MA sound (featuring a Ron Goodwin score), the trailer and a vintage featurette.
Also New & Noteworthy
Film Movement New Releases: Fritz Lang returned to Germany in the late 1950s and produced the full-color, India-set epic THE TIGER OF ESCHNAPUR, which was followed by THE INDIAN TOMB (203 mins., 1959). Cut down for the United States into a single 90-minute feature (“Journey to the Lost City”) that was quickly forgotten, the full scope of Lang’s efforts have never been able to be fully judged in English speaking territories – at least until this impressive 4K digital restoration, new to Blu-Ray December 10th from Film Movement.
The movies, admittedly, aren’t exactly pulse-pounding adventures, even with a premise that revolves around a German architect (Paul Hubschmid) falling for a half-Indian dancer (Debra Paget) with palace intrigue, forbidden romance (that’s on a low simmer at best) and the occasional thrill – seen as a bridge between the Saturday matinee fare of the 1930s and the later Hollywood escapist hits of Lucas & Spielberg – livening up the three-plus hour epic. The color cinematography certainly helps (and here in high-def most especially), but the overall impact of these pictures is going to be best left for Lang devotees and less adventure-seeking nostalgia buffs.
Film Movement’s two-disc Blu-Ray set, much anticipated by buffs, doesn’t disappoint: the 1.33 AVC encoded transfers look terrific with warm flesh tones and healthy elements, with the DTS MA German audio subtitled in English (Paget looks like she’s speaking English that was dubbed over). Extras include an informative 20-page booklet with Tom Gunning’s notes, a video essay by Mark Rappaport on Paget, a documentary on Lang’s “Indian Epic,” and a commentary by historian David Kalat.
On DVD, Marjoleine Boonstra’s THE MIRACLE OF THE LITTLE PRINCE (93 mins., 2019) is a documentary featuring the director traversing the globe – with locations as diverse as Morocco, Scandinavia, El Salvador and Tibet – and profiling different people and their reactions to “The Little Prince,” Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s book. Now allegedly the most-translated tome in the world, this is an entertaining look at how the book became so popular and, more over, how it connects with readers of all backgrounds. Film Movement’s DVD includes English subs and a 16:9 (2.39) transfer…Also new this week from Film Movement is Paul Hegeman’s documentary THAT PART FEELING: THE UNIVERSE OF ARVO PART (78 mins., 2019), a profile of the usually reclusive composer Arvo Part. The DVD includes a 16:9 transfer and 5.1/2.0 sound.
TUNES OF GLORY Blu-Ray (107 mins., 1960; Criterion Collection): British director Ronald Neame’s career may have concluded with the likes of “Meteor” but gracing his earlier filmography are gems like “Tunes of Glory.” This is a superbly-performed character study starring Alec Guinness as the respected superior officer in a Scottish battalion during peacetime, who’s replaced by a military-family legacy played by John Mills. Their contrasting styles to reach the men eventually leads to a tragic outcome in a film Neame called his favorite, and is here preserved in a Criterion new digital restoration. The 4K (1.66) mastered transfer looks superb, usurping their earlier format releases of the title, with a 2003 Neame interview, 2002 Mills audio interview, and 1973 TV interview with Guinness rounding out the Blu-Ray.
Lionsgate New Releases: If you know a fan of History’s reality series THE CURSE OF OAK ISLAND (65 hours, 2014-18), Lionsgate has produced a terrific gift set: the first six seasons of the series, all collected in one mammoth DVD box-set. Brothers Rick and Marty Lagina bought a small Canadian island that, back in a Reader’s Digest article in 1965, was reported to have housed a buried treasure. Their efforts to uncover the treasure are still on-going in the series, whose first six seasons are housed here in an oversized, 23-disc plastic case featuring 16:9 (1.78) transfers and 2.0 Dolby Digital sound…Dolph Lundgren stars in the new thriller HARD NIGHT FALLING (86 mins., 2019, R) as a former Interpol agent who tries to reconnect with his family at an Italian villa – only to run into a hardened crime boss searching for a cache of gold on the same property. Lundgren enlists some help to take them out in this Italian production debuting on DVD this week from Lionsgate, their DVD featuring a 16:9 (2.39) transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital sound.
New on Blu-Ray this week, LUCKY DAY (99 mins., 2019, R) hails from screenwriter Roger Avary, the one-time “Pulp Fiction” co-writer whose journeyman career since has included script credits on everything from the movie version of “Silent Hill” to Robert Zemeckis’ “Beowulf.” This action thriller from Avary (who also directed) has been sitting on the shelf since 2017 and stars Luke Bracey as a safecracker, just out from prison, who tries to go straight even while a psychotic French hit man (Crispin Glover) comes looking for revenge. Nina Dobrev co-stars in this B-movie throwback with Euro overtones that’s over the top in some of its characterizations and doesn’t work, despite a few effective set-pieces. Lionsgate’s Blu-Ray (2.40, 5.1 DTS MA) is out this week with a DVD and Digital HD copy included.
READY OR NOT Blu-Ray (95 mins, 2019, R; Fox): A mild box-office hit for Fox Searchlight, “Ready or Not” stars Samara Weaving as a young bride who’s married into a crazed family that plays a deadly game of hide and seek in order to break an ancestral curse — with her as the intended target. The “Radio Silence” filmmaking tandem of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett helmed this engaging enough, black comic genre exercise that’s pretty silly but nevertheless scored major critical points for its “takedown of the 1 percent” storyline. Fox’s Blu-Ray (2.39, 5.1 DTS MA) is now available featuring a commentary from “Radio Silence” and Weaving, a gag reel, gallery, Making Of, DVD and Digital HD copy.
ULTRAMAN ULTRA SEVEN Steelbook Blu-Ray (21 hours, Mill Creek): Third entry in the “Ultraman” franchise comes to Blu-Ray December 10th from Mill Creek. Packaged in a deluxe Steelbook presentation again from the label, this follow-up to “Ultra Q” and “Ultraman” is a little less juvenile and bombastic than its predecessors, again finding an alien adopting a human guise in order to join the “Ultra Guard” – and becoming Ultraseven, the latest giant-sized robot defending the Earth from all kinds of nefarious foes. 1.33 HD transfers and 2.0 Japanese audio (with English subtitles) grace Mill Creek’s box-set with a digital copy redeemable through their Moviespree app.
FULLER HOUSE: The Complete Fourth Season DVD (346 mins., 2019; Warner): The “Full House” revival is winding down with a concluding year about to air on Netflix. Fans can catch up with this fourth season of the Candance Cameron Bure-led comedy with fleeting guest star stints from original stars John Stamos, Bob Saget, Dave Coulier and, yes, Lori Loughlin, whose participation is basically hid from the packaging of this new Warner DVD. Out December 17th, Season 4 of “Fuller House” offers 16:9 transfers and 5.1 soundtracks.
A REINDEER’S JOURNEY DVD (86 mins., 2019; Screen Media): Donald Sutherland narrates the English language version of this Gaumont production, following a newborn reindeer who heads out with his mother on a journey that captures gorgeous Finnish backdrops and should appeal to younger viewers. Screen Media’s DVD is now available with a Making Of featurette, 16:9 transfer and 5.1/2.0 stereo sound.
BADLAND DVD (117 mins., 2019, Not Rated; Cinedigm): Set a decade after the Civil War, “Badland” focuses on a fast-shooting detective (Kevin Makely) tracking down a group of lawless war criminals (Trace Adkins, Bruce Dern, Jeff Fahey) at the behest of one of America’s first black senators (Tony Todd). Mira Sorvino plays a feisty pioneer woman in Justin Lee’s low-budget but at least well-developed western, new to DVD December 10th from Cinedigm sporting interviews, a featurette. 16:9 transfer and 5.1 sound.
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