The big-budget collaboration between screenwriter David Mamet, director Neil Jordan, and stars Robert DeNiro and Sean Penn – WE’RE NO ANGELS (107 mins., 1989, PG-13; Cinematographe) – was intended to be one of the big hits of the 1989 holiday season. Although “We’re No Angels” struck out at the box-office, it’s an underrated film that’s been long ripe for rediscovery – something that should hopefully happen now thanks to Cinematographe’s lavish Blu-Ray limited edition. Now available through Vinegar Syndrome, it’s a package complemented by their marvelous 4K UHD of Elaine May’s troubled – but hugely entertaining – black romantic comedy A NEW LEAF (102 mins., 1973, G; Cinematographe).
“We’re No Angels” is a beautiful studio production that regrettably never found its audience. Audiences weren’t receptive to the movie’s light humor (a remake of the 1955 Humphrey Bogart film), but I’ve always found it to be an underrated, gentle comic drama with committed (if uneven) performances from the two leads – essaying convicts who, after escaping from prison, disguise themselves as priests along the Canadian border during the mid ‘30s – and able support provided by Demi Moore, Hoyt Axton and a young John C. Reilly. Moore especially acquits herself well in a character-building role that signaled her breakout stardom in the ‘90s, apart from “Brat Pack”-type supporting turns.
Under the direction of Neil Jordan, “We’re No Angels” has a strange rhythm in terms of its tone, and maybe that’s because of the oddball pairing of him with Mamet. DeNiro doesn’t help matters by mugging, at times agonizingly, through some scenes, though this doesn’t appear to have been his fault necessarily (more on that in a moment).
Either way, the story is engaging enough to function and it’s backed by the kind of big-budget studio gloss we just don’t see anymore. The widescreen frame was required to capture the film’s polished visual sheen, from Philippe Rousselot’s cinematography to Wolf Kroeger’s staggering production design, while George Fenton’s fine score – even with its occasional, obvious Bernard Herrmann “homages” – is one of his best. The film strikingly evokes time and place while providing an undercurrent of religion and its connection to community that is refreshingly sincere, and the ending is lovely.
Jordan, in a new interview in Cinematographe’s Blu-Ray, notes he was frustrated with juggling the concerns of big stars with huge egos, superstar producers, a big budget and a (rightfully) concerned studio. Coming off small-scale British hits like “Mona Lisa,” Jordan says part of his difficulty with “We’re No Angels” was making the environment “real” for DeNiro and Penn, with the project coming about because they wanted to work together. That meant Kroeger literally constructing an entire town so they could provide the kind of performance both stars demanded, but the challenges proved wearisome and one senses Jordan didn’t care for working with Penn in particular, despite his belief that the actor gives the best performance in the film.
Equally upsetting for Jordan was that he settled on a cut that he felt properly balanced the comedic element with an “epic” sense of scope. Unfortunately, despite testing well, the producers and studio decided the movie needed to be played “more broadly,” which meant going into DeNiro’s takes specifically and choosing his wildest reaction shots. Despite Jordan’s protests, DeNiro’s incessant mugging is notable to the point of distraction in the film – the unsurprising result, as Jordan points out, was that his performance was tagged nearly universally as “too broad” by critics once the film opened.
While fans may hold out hope, along with the director, that Jordan’s version of the movie exists somewhere in the Paramount vaults, Cinematographe’s Blu-Ray presents a superbly detailed new 4K scan (2.39) with both 2.0 and 5.1 DTS MA tracks. Jordan’s on-camera interview is the main component to the extras, with co-star James Russo appearing in an interview, Samm Deighan comparing the two versions of the movie, a commentary by Chris O’Neill and Bill Ackerman, and 2020 interview with Mamet from the Aero Theater comprising the extras. Cinematogrape’s hardbound box includes text essays by Patrick Dahl, Joshua Dysart and Matt Prigge, and is limited to 4000 copies.
Elaine May’s directorial sojourns all had issues – from the barely-released “Mikey and Nicky” to the eventual disaster of “Ishtar” and, of course, her first (and best) film, A NEW LEAF (102 mins., 1971, G).
This offbeat and downright odd picture was taken away from May in the editing room, where the writer/director/star was working from a reportedly improvisational three-hour original version. What ended up on-screen in an abbreviated 102-minute studio cut nevertheless became a widely acclaimed cult classic, despite the post-production battles and reports that star Walter Matthau disliked working on the picture.
With so much going against it, why is “A New Leaf” so entertaining? Perhaps it’s how May’s script defies viewer expectation in its portrait of a rich louse (Matthau) who loses his inheritance and tries to find a society girl to marry. After haplessly floundering around (most especially in uproariously earnest early sequences), Matthau’s Henry Graham finds a willing participant in May’s Henrietta Lowell, a wallflower who works as a college professor. Unbeknownst to Harry, who harbors no feelings for her or interest in marriage at all, Henrietta’s own situation is even more screwed up than his, with her household being exploited by servants and a lawyer (a hilarious Jack Weston) still trying to throw himself at Henrietta – even as he walks her down the aisle.
May, adapting a short story by Jack Richie, wanted to balance the conventions of a romantic comedy with black comic elements which were intended to have Matthau consistently scheme to knock Henrietta off. There’s still some of this in the final cut, but Paramount took much of it away and perhaps for good reason, because the less “heavy” the picture is, the more “A New Leaf” works. The oddball humor and detached Matthau performance are brilliant, and the movie manages to find a satisfyingly warm ending (at least considering everything that’s lead up to it) that feels earned and not just tacked-on by the studio.
Another marvelous Cinematographe release, “A New Leaf” has been treated to a fresh 4K restoration from the 35mm OCN (1.85) with Dolby Vision HDR on 4K UHD. Colors and details are superb, and the mono sound is clear. A rich assortment of extras include an interview with assistant editor Angelo Corrao, discussing the film’s turbulent post-production; a commentary by K.J. Relth-Miller and Maya Montanez Smukler; interview with author Carrie Courogen; a video essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas; a 2006 post-screening discussion with May and Mike Nichols; an episode from the AFI “Silver Streams” podcast discussing the movie; an archival appreciation of May from director Amy Heckerling; the trailer; a Blu-Ray copy; and hardbound booklet notes by Willow Catelyn Maclay, Hannah Strong and Richard Brody. Limited to 5000 copies and highly recommended.
OCN Wrap
Since this is the summer of “Jaws 50,” it’s the perfect time for Shudder to bring us a Blu-Ray of their 2023 documentary SHARKSPOLITATION (106 mins.). This overview of the entire shark-movie genre from its earliest portrayals of sharks on-screen through “Jaws,” exploitation rip-offs and later thrillers on both TV (“Sharknado”) and the big-screen (“Deep Blue Sea”) is pretty comprehensive in scope. Everyone from Roger Corman andWendy Benchley to Joe Dante and Joe Alves show up, with the strongest elements examining the aborted production of “Jaws 3, People 0” and even the withdrawn “Last Shark” release in the U.S.
Less effective are historian talking heads who preach about ecological concerns and generally provide little cinematic insight that fans won’t already be aware of – still, this is a solid doc from Stephen Scarlata that offers a great assortment of clips throughout. Shudder’s Blu-Ray (1.78) is out in late August featuring commentary, extended/deleted scenes, a video interview with Michael Gingold and liner notes by Samuel Cohen.
Also new from Shudder are three other originals from the network. DESTROY ALL NEIGHBORS (85 mins., 2024) features Jonah Ray Rodrigues and cult fave Alex Winter in a “splatter comedy” from director Josh Forbes, presented in a features-packed Special Edition (five commentaries!), featurettes and Forbes’ own booklet notes (2.00, 5.1 DTS MA). Meanwhile, social media comes under the microscope in the dark thriller SISSY (102 mins., 2022), Hannah Barlow’s look at the relationship between two former high school friends whose friendship was torn apart by a bully. Commentary, featurettes, and Amber T’s booklet notes adorn Shudder’s new Blu-Ray (2.35, 5.1 DTS MA). While both of those are newly released, coming in late August from Shudder is SLAXX (76 mins., 2020), Elza Kephart’s picture about a pair of killer jeans who do their worst in a bloody dose of black comedy. “So Fine” this isn’t, but “Slaxx” is still amiable enough with a commentary from the crew and Tom Potenza’s liner notes in Shudder’s forthcoming disc (2.39, 5.1 DTS MA).
New From Film Movement, director Frauke Finsterwalder’s SISI AND I (132 mins., 2023) paints a lush historical portrait of the relationship between an Austrian countess (Sandra Huller) and Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Susanne Wolff). Filmmaker Hunter Whaley provides a video essay in Film Movement’s new Blu-Ray (1./85, 5.1/2.0 DTS MA)…Rachel Sennott and Madeline Grey Defreece play best friends who find themselves being drawn to each other while attending the funeral of their Hebrew school classmate in Olivia Peace’s TAHARA (88 mins, 2025). Film Movement’s Blu-Ray of this well-reviewed coming-of-age picture includes commentary and a 16-page booklet (1:1, 5.1/2.0).
Lisandro Alonso helmed EURKEA (148 mins., 2023), a fascinating succession of images that take viewers to indigenous people’s plights from the South Dakota plains to 1970s Brazil. An interesting meditation presented in shifting aspect ratios in Film Movement’s upcoming Blu-Ray (1.37/1.85/1.64, 5.1/2.0). Also due out in August are NATURE AND NURTURE: THREE FILMS BY NAOMI KAWASE, a Blu-Ray anthology that includes “Still the Water” (2014), “Radiance” (2017), and “True Mothers” (2020), with an interview between Juliette Binoche and the director provided on the supplemental end (1.85, 2.35, 2.39, all 5.1/2.0); as well as Shohei Imamura’s 2001 comedy WARM WATER UNDER A RED BRIDGE (120 mins.), a sensuous exploration of female sexuality with Imamura’s trademark characterizations and themes. A video essay by Tom Vick and a 20-page booklet sporting notes from Hwang Kyunmin and Jssica Siu-yin Yeung are included in the upcoming Film Movement Blu-Ray (1.78, 2.0).
Canadian International Pictures routinely resurrect some fascinating curios from the annals of Canadian cinema. Case in point is this month’s Blu-Ray edition of THE DEVIL AT YOUR HEELS (102 mins., 1981), a documentary from Robert Portier about daredevil Ken Carter, whose goal was to jump a car an entire mile over the St. Lawrence seaway. An engaging slice of life documentary that’s leisurely paced but no less enjoyable for being so, “Devil At Your Heels” features a new 2K scan (1.33, mono) with extras including Fortier’s selected-scene commentary; new interviews with the director, Gloria DeMario, and Richard Keller; a vintage conversation with Long John Baldry, who wrote “Ken’s Theme”; podcast excerpts; archival footage; and four of Frotier’s shorts, including his earlier Ken Carter portrait named “The Mad Canadian.”
Coming in August from CIP, THE HEATWAVE LASTED FOUR DAYS (72 mins., 1975) chronicles the downward spiral of a TV cameraman (Gordon Pinsent) who accidentally films an escaped convict (Lawrence Dane) hiding from cops following a drug deal. Once the con coerces the cameraman to help fake his death, things turn from bad to worse in director Douglas Jackson’s film, which was a hit on American TV where it played as part of the ABC “Wide World of Mystery” anthology. Scanned and restored in 2K (1.37, mono) from CIP, the disc offers three different edits (TV cut, extended, and four-episode “Filmglish” version) of the picture; a new commentary with Amanda Reyes; a look at the various versions; several other works by Jackson including the TV movie “The Sloane Affair” and more.
IFC New Releases: ENTER THE VOID (155/141 mins., 2010) was Gaspar Noe’s “mind bending” tale of a drug-abuser living in Japan who dies and comes back to haunt his equally troubled stripper sister. One of those “not for all tastes” type of cinematic experiences, some found “Enter the Void” to be spellbinding and fascinating; others were repelled by portions of it, and since I could only stomach a few minutes of the film, I would tend to fall into the latter camp. If you are a fan, however, the new IFC Blu-Ray includes both the 155-minute director’s cut and 143-minute US theatrical version with 5.1 DTS MA sound while ample extras include new commentary by Elena Lazic, deleted scenes, all kinds of trailers and visual effects featurettes…Niciole Riegel’s DANDELION (113 mins., 2024) charts the relationship and romance between singer Kiki Layne and Thomas Doherty in a well-reviewed 2024 indie new on Blu from IFC. The disc includes a 1080p (1.66, 5.1 DTS MA) transfer with commentary, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes material and writing from Katie Rife and cast/crew members…a new Special Edition of Derek Jarman’s EDWARD II (90 mins., 1991) includes a documentary featurette and booklet with notes from stars Tila Swinton plus director Bruce LaBruce and writer Kyle Turner, all reflecting on this “queer cinema” adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s play (1.85, 2.0 DTS MA).
Coming soon from IFC is the moving GHOSTLIGHT (115 mins., 2024), Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson’s film about a construction worker who takes a job in a local production of Romeo & Juliet, which starts to echo a personal family tragedy. IFC’s Blu-Ray (1.66, 5.1 DTS MA) offers a commentary with the directors, deleted/extended scenes, cast audition tapes, and an essay by Marya E. Gates…Before being remade in a forgettable 2013 U.S. version, WE ARE WHAT WE ARE (101 mins., 2010) was one of Spain’s hotter horror features about a family of cannibals trying to figure out if it continue its ways once its patriarch dies. A new commentary by Shelagh Rowan-Legg is included in IFC’s Blu-Ray (2.35) with an archival Making Of, the trailer, and booklet with fresh writing from Valeria Villegas Lindvall.
Due out on 4K UHD from Utopia, PAVEMENTS (128 mins., 2024) is Alex Ross Perry’s portrait of the ‘90s band Pavement, done in a cinematic style that bridges their past with then-current preparations for their 2022 reunion tour. A must-have for fans of the band, Utopia’s 4K UHD includes a 5.1 DTS MA soundtrack and 4K presentation with over an hour of extras (deleted scenes, outtakes, “distractions,” etc.), a post-screening talk from the NY Film Festival, commentary with Perry and Robert Greene and more, coming in August…Glass Eye Pix’s Blu-Ray of I CAN SEE YOU (97 mins., 2009) preserves Graham Reznick’s film about a trio of advertising agency workers who end up wishing they never took a weekend in the woods, trying to rebrand a fading cleaning product. Reznick’s horror entry is included here alongside “The Viewer” (in stereoscopic 3D and anaglyph formats) with all kinds of extras including commentaries (both from 2009 and newly recorded), deleted scenes, multiple audio mixes, and Reznick’s short film series “Offerings.”
Cartuna New Releases: Matt Barats’ CASH COW (101 mins., 2023) enjoyably follows a struggling actor driving around, looking at Mormon historical sites while waiting for what he hopes is his big break – a Domino’s Pizza commercial – to make its debut. Commentary, featurettes, a behind-the-scenes journal and more inform Cartuna’s Blu-Ray (1.78)…Yellow Veil Pictures’ THEY CALL HER DEATH (92 mins., 2025) presents director Austin Snell’s tale of a frontier woman who hits the prairie looking for revenge in a homage to gory spaghetti westerns of the late ‘60s and ‘70s. Yellow Veil’s upcoming Blu-Ray (1.85) includes a commentary, Making of, screening Q&A and Snell visiting the Vinegar Syndrome archives.
New from Umbrella, FINAL CUT (91 mins., 1980) spins a depraved assortment of images involving a millionaire who, while bored, decides to make movies where the participants are toyed with to the point of actual death. A little-seen Australian import from director Ross Dimsey presented here with a 2024 commentary with producer Mike Williams, an interview with the director, visual essay by Andrew Mercado, “The VHS Experience,” still gallery and the trailer (1.78, mono)…A more contemporary Aussie thriller, LIMBO (108 mins., 2023), also debuts on Blu-Ray from Brainstorm Media this month. Simon Baker plays a detective who heads to an Outback town to investigate a cold-case murder involving an Indigenous girl some two decades prior; Ivan Sen directed with Brainstorm’s Blu-Ray (2.35, 5.1 DTS MA) including interviews with Sen, Baker, co-stars Rob Collins, Natasha Wanganeen and Nicholas Hope, and producer Elaine Crombie. Behind-the-scenes footage and notes from Alexandra Heller-Nicholas round out the disc.
Also new from Brainstorm is Mikael Hafstrom’s STOCKHOLM BLOODBATH (118 mins., 2023), coming to Blu-Ray this August. This wild historical affair looks at a pair of sisters who want revenge on the men who killed their family at the same time an overthrow of unhinged King Christian II is plotted in this portrait of the Sweden-Denmark political struggle in the early 16th century. Two cuts – the 118-minute US theatrical version and a 150-minute Swedish director’s cut – are included in Brainstorm’s Blu-Ray (2.39, 5.1 DTS MA) along with a talk with Hafstrom…Headlining Factory 25’s latest releases is KILL THE MOONLIGHT (75 mins., 1992), a 16mm-shot Gen X comedy that pays homage to drive-in fare as a fish hatchery worker and aspiring race-car driver ends up being contaminated with toxic waste. Oddball fare from director Steven Hanft. “Kill the Moonlight” is remastered on Blu-Ray (1.33) with a new interview with the director and 24-page booklet featuring another talk with the director and Matt Grady.
Kani Releasing’s new, remastered Blu-Ray of TOKYO UBER BLUES (93 mins., 2021) follows director Taku Aoyagi as he becomes an Uber Eats worker at the height of the COVID pandemic. The TV cut is included alongside a 2018 Aoyagi picture, a 2024 L.A. Q&A, performance of the theme by Shu Akiyama, booklet notes by Calliope Vasiliki and more…Due out in August from Kani, SHARI (63 mins., 2021) is an eclectic “experimental” documentary about a small town on the northeast coast of Hokkaido. Its legends and community are captured in an offbeat style by the director, whose short films “Breathing House” and “Wheel Music” are also included, with a director interview and featurette, in the label’s upcoming Blu-Ray (1.78, 2.0).
New from Dekanalog is director Paul Nogoescu’s MEN OF DEEDS (105 mins., 2023), an unusual “Romanian noir” about a police chief who’s moved to find actual justice after a local’s death is swept under the carpet by his small town’s ruling class. Commentary, behind-the-scenes footage, promo interviews and the director’s 2007 short “Late” are included here in Dekanalog’s Blu-Ray (2.35, 5.1 DTS MA)…AN EVENING WITH RODNEY ASCHER (96 mins., 2025) offers, for fans, a “one of a kind supercut” of music videos, remixes and rare footage from the director of “Room 237.” Dekanalog’s Special Edition, out late August, includes additional Ascher shorts and a booklet sporting an interview with Ascher by Casper Kelly.
James Felix McKenney’s 2006 indie sci-fi feature AUTOMATONS (83 mins., 2006) comes to Blu-Ray from Glass Eye Pix in a new 2K presentation (1.33, 2.0 stereo) with a fresh commentary by the director and crew. Extras carried over from earlier DVD editions feature a talk with “Phantasm” star Angus Scrimm and a documentary, plus trailers, and writing from critic Simon Abrams…Cinephobia’s upcoming Blu-Ray slate includes SELF DRIVER (90 mins., 2024), Michael Pierro’s film about a cab driver who starts a gig for a new app that takes him into the underworld in order to accomplish its assorted tasks. Commentary, deleted/alternate scenes and a Making Of are all a part of Cinephobia’s Blu-Ray (1.85, 2.0 DTS MA).
ETR Media brings comic book fans the bombastic thrills of SAMURAI PRIEST VAMPIRE HUNTER (93 mins., 2023) starring fan favorite Tim Thomerson in the title role. Mark Terry’s low-budget indie includes a pair of commentaries, interviews, deleted/alternate scenes and plenty more in ETR’s Special Edition (2:1, 5.1 DTS MA)…Due out in late August, Mike Cuenca’s WATCH THEM COME BLOOD (79 mins., 1979) attempts to resurrect ‘80s grindhouse horror after a group of friends encounter a brothel where things may not be what they seem on the surface. Cuenca’s picture aspires for more than mere horror shocks, tossing in dark humor and utilizing a non-liner narrative, in its relatively brief run time. ETR’s Blu-Ray (1.78, 2.0) includes interviews with assorted crew; commentaries; an LA premiere Q&A and more.
Music Box Selects and Doppelganger Releasing brings viewers director Alex Thompson’s ROUNDING (91 mins., 2025), the story of a medical student (Namir Smallwood), trying to start anew after issues during his residency, who eventually finds himself questioning his sanity after dealing with a young asthma patient. Thompson and editor Mike Smith provide the commentary in Doppelganger’s Blu-Ray (1.78, 5.1 DTS MA) with other extras including outtakes, deleted scenes, a featurette and cast/crew interviews…Big World Pictures’ latest release, streeting late in August, is Mohammad Rasoulof’s A MAN OF INTEGRITY (117 mins., 2017), a look at a private yet government-funded company usurping the land and life of small villagers in Iran, including a farmer and his wife. A look at influence peddling and life in contemporary Iranian society, “A Man of Integrity” comes to Blu-Ray (2.39, 5.1) featuring the trailer and an essay by Jonathan Rosenbaum.
Isabelle Huppert gives an acclaimed performance as a free-wheeling mother in the Canary Islands who becomes even more uninhibited once the family patriarch dies, leaving her to party along with her teenage son in Christopher Honore’s raunchy MA MERE (110 mins., 2004, NC-17), here presented with the trailer and a director interview from KimStim Releasing…Releasing late in August from the label, ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS (101 mins., 2023) is a HK import starring Zhu Yilong as a police investigator in southern China trying to find a woman’s killer in a deliberately grimy-looking, 16mm-shot effort from director Wei Shujun. Kimstim’s Blu-Ray features an interview with the director and trailer (1.85, 5.1 Mandarin with English subtitles).
The cult favorite ANITA, SWEDISH NYMPHET (95 mins.) receives a 4K restoration in Super 8’s new Blu-Ray of the 1973 release which catapulted Stellan Skarsgard (!) into worldwide notoriety. The Cultpix Blu-Ray (1.66, mono) includes not just the original Swedish version but a French edit also restored in 2K featuring different footage; commentary; a documentary; an interview with star Christina Lindberg and poster/still galleries…Finally, from Icarus Films comes Robert Kramer’s ROUTE ONE/USA (255 mins., 1989), a lengthy, incisive documentary that charts the adventures of the filmmaker alongside “Doc,” a physician returning from Africa, traveling Route 1 from Canada to Key West, stopping for ample anecdotes and social commentary along the way. Icarus’ Blu-Ray features a 2019 restoration of the piece plus a feature-length 2024 documentary, “Looking For Robert,” which recounts Richard Copans’ work with Kramer on the production.
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