FILM FRENZY

Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise in Rain Man (Photo: MVD & MGM)

By Matt Brunson

(View From The Couch is a weekly column that reviews what’s new on Blu-ray, 4K and DVD. Ratings are on a four-star scale.)

CLASH BY NIGHT (1952). Newly arrived on Blu-ray, Clash by Night had earlier been available in Volume 2 of the Warner Archive Collection’s superb five-volume line of Film Noir Classic Collection DVD box sets that debuted in the 2000s. Until its weak-kneed and unconvincing conclusion, this is a fairly engrossing movie: literate, poignant, and extremely well-acted. But a film noir? No way. Based on Clifford Odets’ play and directed by Fritz Lang, its only noirish element is Barbara Stanwyck’s role as a world-weary woman with faint femme fatale shadings. Otherwise, this is strictly kitchen-sink drama, with Stanwyck’s character returning to her small hometown, marrying a lunkish but good-hearted fishing boat captain (Paul Douglas), and then carrying on an affair with his cynical best friend (Robert Ryan). Marilyn Monroe co-stars as an independent-minded factory worker who enjoys a feisty relationship with her macho fiancé (Keith Andes) — it’s one of her earthiest and most interesting performances.

Blu-ray extras consist of audio commentary by filmmaker and film historian Peter Bogdanovich, with audio interview excerpts of Lang, and the theatrical trailer.

Movie: ★★½

THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE’S FATHER (1963). This excellent seriocomedy stars Glenn Ford as Tom Corbett, a recent widower trying to raise his young son Eddie (Ron Howard) to the best of his abilities. Although he still has trouble coping with his mom’s death, Eddie would like to find his dad a suitable partner — the tyke’s first choice is Elizabeth Marten (Shirley Jones), the nice divorcée across the hall, but he also approves of the brainy and busty Dollye Daly (a delightful Stella Stevens). He does not approve of Rita Behrens (Dina Merrill), a posh fashion consultant he dismisses because she has “skinny eyes” like the bad women in the comics. Because Rita is a career woman and a feminist, the sexual politics of the time dictate that she’s the closest thing the movie has to a heavy — aside from this hiccup, there’s little about this film that doesn’t work, with the interludes focusing on the Corbetts’ grief surprisingly powerful. Based on the novel by Mark Toby, this was successful enough to inspire a same-named TV series that ran for three seasons (1969-1972) and starred Bill Bixby and Brandon Cruz.

Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by Jones, Stevens, and Merrill, and the 1963 Tom & Jerry cartoon Pent-House Mouse.

Movie: ★★★½

GORKY PARK (1983). Martin Cruz Smith’s smash bestseller gets turned into a satisfying motion picture that features a script by The Singing Detective scribe Dennis Potter. In an interesting bit of casting, William Hurt plays Arkady Renko, a diligent Moscow detective determined to find out who’s responsible for the three unidentifiable corpses found in the city’s Gorky Park. Two Americans may or may not be involved in the slayings: Jack Osborne (Lee Marvin), a gruff fur trader, and William Kirwill (Brian Dennehy), an enigmatic detective. Director Michael Apted allows the pacing to lag at key moments, but he also creates a vivid snapshot of life in a restrictive Russia. The Cold War intrigue works better than the murder-mystery angle, which isn’t too difficult to figure out. That’s the Star Wars franchise’s Emperor/Chancellor Palpatine, Ian McDiarmid, as the university professor who helps Renko identify the bodies through unique means.

Blu-ray extras include an interview with Apted; the theatrical trailer; and TV spots.

Movie: ★★★

THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1978). In 1855, it was deemed impossible to rob a moving train, a daunting challenge to a dapper con artist (Sean Connery) who plots to steal a shipment of gold from an English train outfitted with security guards and all manner of locks. Enlisting the aid of his clever girlfriend (Lesley-Anne Down) and a jovial safecracker (Donald Sutherland), he places his plan in motion, relying on the compromising bad habits of the English elite — one with a penchant for the ladies, another who delights in betting on “ratting” (a heinous sport requiring dogs to kill as many rats as possible in an allotted time) — to allow him to achieve his goal. This is a handsome movie filled with authentic production values and attentive period detail — a hanging proves to be the most unsettling scene, with the gathered chanting, “Oh, my, think I’m going to die” as a woman is led to the scaffold (these types of folks were later reincarnated as fans of The Apprentice). The picture never grabs viewers in the manner of the greatest heist flicks, sweat-inducing efforts like The Killing and The Asphalt Jungle, but it’s nevertheless an agreeable lark.

Blu-ray extras consist of audio commentary by writer-director Michael Crichton; the theatrical trailer; and TV spots.

Movie: ★★★

HOUR OF THE GUN (1967). Although director John Sturges’ Hour of the Gun tries to muddy the moral waters by questioning whether Western icon Wyatt Earp was (to quote the ad copy) a “hero with a badge” or a “cold-blooded killer,” the truth is that the film allows its protagonist to always bend — but never quite break — the law (in that regard, he had much in common with the upcoming Dirty Harry Callahan). That’s not to say the movie doesn’t come with psychological trimmings attached, particularly when compared to Sturges’ earlier Earp saga, 1957’s Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Where that picture ended with the O.K. shootout, this one illustrates what occurs afterward, with Earp (James Garner) and Ike Clanton (Robert Ryan) locked in a power struggle that leaves many dead on both sides. Garner suppresses his natural charm to present a grouchy Wyatt; meanwhile, Jason Robards tackles Doc Holliday and, like practically every other actor who’s essayed the role (Victor Mature, Kirk Douglas, Val Kilmer, Dennis Quaid), has a grand old time cutting up.

There are no Blu-ray extras.

Movie: ★★★

JUGGERNAUT (1974). The title doesn’t provide any clues — no, this isn’t a movie about the X-Men villain — but Juggernaut is a nifty British thriller that offers maximum returns on its minimalist approach. “Juggernaut” is the name used by a blackmailer who has planted several explosives on the luxury ship Britannic; unless he’s paid a formidable sum, the bombs will detonate, killing all 1,200 passengers alongside the captain (Omar Sharif) and his dedicated crew. As the police (headed by Anthony Hopkins) and the company executives (headed by Ian Holm) deal with tracking down the homegrown terrorist, a bomb specialist (Richard Harris), his right-hand man (David Hemmings), and the rest of his unit attempt to defuse all the devices before time runs out. Countless movies have featured scenes in which the hero has to choose between cutting the red wire and the blue wire, but few have been as detailed and as suspenseful as this one. The script by Richard Alan Simmons allows for occasional flashes of humor, while director Richard Lester (Superman II) refuses to kowtow to any melodramatic excesses.

Blu-ray extras include film historian audio commentary; the theatrical trailer; and TV spots.

Movie: ★★★

KING SOLOMON’S MINES (1950). A fine showcase for both the splendors of Technicolor and the high production values of MGM, this adaptation of H. Rider Haggard’s classic novel stars Stewart Granger as safari guide Allan Quatermain, traveling deep into uncharted African terrain to help an Englishwoman (Deborah Kerr) and her brother (Richard Carlson) locate her missing husband, who himself had gone off in search of a fabled diamond mine. MGM spared no expense on this one, opting to film in Africa rather than on a backlot (Kenya and Uganda were among the countries used as shooting locations) — the result was a rousing adventure yarn and a sizable box office hit (it was #2 for 1950, under Cecil B. DeMille’s Samson and Delilah). An Academy Award nominee for Best Picture, it earned Oscars for Best Color Cinematography and Best Film Editing. Best to skip Cannon Films’ limp 1985 remake with Richard Chamberlain and Sharon Stone.

Blu-ray extras consist of the vintage behind-the-scenes piece Jungle Safari (a short presumably sponsored by Dodge, since its vehicles that were employed by the filmmakers are frequently showcased) and the theatrical trailer.

Movie: ★★★½

THE PACKAGE (1989). Before the career high point of 1993’s The Fugitive, director Andrew Davis helmed arguably Chuck Norris’ best movie (1985’s Code of Silence) and arguably Steven Seagal’s best movie (1992’s Under Siege). Transforming vehicles featuring that deadening duo into watchable enterprises borders on alchemy — clearly, Davis didn’t have the same challenge when overseeing this film starring a pair of magnificent actors in Gene Hackman and Tommy Lee Jones. The Package is grade-A thriller material, with its tense and twisty story involving the efforts of American and Russian military dissidents to halt U.S.-Soviet peace talks via a carefully planned assassination. Hackman is Sergeant Johnny Gallagher, a Green Beret who is set up as the patsy in the plot and enlists the aid of his ex-wife (Joanna Cassidy, Hackman’s Under Fire co-star) and cop buddy (Dennis Franz) to help him sort out the mystery; Jones plays Thomas Boyette, the apolitical loner assigned to carry out the assassination. A quasi-throwback to the great paranoia flicks of the 1970s, this is intelligent and exciting in equal measure.

Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by Davis and Cassidy; an intro by Davis; and an interview with Cassidy.

Movie: ★★★½

THE POPE’S EXORCIST (2023). Russell Crowe is the sole redeeming feature of this forgettable terror tale that uses a real person at its center. That would be Father Gabriele Amorth, who by most accounts was the papal Patch Adams — instead of laughing in the face of illness, he joked throughout exorcisms. Crowe brings the right measure of twinkly-eyed charm to the role, only turning deadly serious when he realizes his latest case — the possession of an American boy (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney) living in Italy — might represent a real possession rather than the usual hoax. The flashbacks involving Father Amorth’s past sins provide the movie’s most interesting subtext — everything else is boilerplate blather, with the final battle an orgy of damning CGI satiety. As an aside, I was greatly amused when my older daughter later informed me she had read that, instead of the actual historical symbol for the Spanish Inquisition, the filmmakers erroneously used the logo from the Dragon Age: Inquisition game! Clearly, not enough of the film’s $18 million budget went toward the research department.

Blu-ray extras include a behind-the-scenes piece and a look at the real Father Amorth.

Movie: ★★

RAIN MAN (1988). In what proved to be a terrific year for movies — generally stingy with my four-star ratings, I handed them out like Halloween candy that year, to The Last Temptation of Christ, The Accidental Tourist, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Bull Durham, Wings of Desire, and The Thin Blue Line — the Academy Award for Best Picture went to a film that also managed to take the crown as the year’s biggest moneymaker. Working from a finely honed script by Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow, director Barry Levinson creates a first-rate drama in which a self-centered hot shot (Tom Cruise) looks after the autistic brother (Dustin Hoffman) he never knew he had. Never resorting to easy pathos, the film is unusually unsentimental in its approach to potentially mawkish material; for that, credit both stars, who never smooth away their respective characters’ rough edges. In addition to Best Picture, this also won Oscars for Best Actor (Hoffman), Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

Extras in the 4K UHD + Blu-ray edition consist of audio commentary by Levinson; audio commentary by Morrow; audio commentary by Bass; a making-of featurette; a deleted scene; an examination of autism; and the theatrical trailer.

Movie: ★★★½

WITCHTRAP (1989). Writer-director Kevin S. Tenney enjoyed commercial success with his 1987 horror yarn Witchboard, so it’s amusing to note that the VHS boxes for one of his subsequent features included a disclaimer (duplicated on the retro-styled Blu-ray slipcover) that stated, “NOTICE: This Motion Picture is not a sequel to WITCHBOARD.” The plot of this straight-to-video effort concerns the efforts of a few parapsychologists — with a security detail at their side — to rid a house of the spirit of a warlock (J.P. Luebsen). Tenney’s script and direction are solid enough — the plot is enjoyable and the action moves along at a decent pace — so it’s a shame the acting by all concerned is, in a word, atrocious.

One of the added attractions on this Blu-ray from MVD — the latest title in its “Rewind Collection” line — is the option of Witchtrap in its VHS form (pan-and-scan and standard definition). Other extras include audio commentary by Tenney, producer Dan Duncan, cinematographer Tom Jewett, and actor Hal Havins (who plays the menacing caretaker Elwin); an interview with Tenney; an interview with co-star Linnea Quigley (cast as a video technician whose shower is as unfortunate as Marion Crane’s); and a photo gallery.

Movie: ★★½

Short and Sweet:

BORDER INCIDENT (1949). As timely now as then, Border Incident focuses on the issue of illegal immigration. Ricardo Montalban stars as a Mexican government agent who teams up with his American counterpart (George Murphy) in order to bring down the sleazy crooks exploiting Mexican laborers hoping to find work across the border. Robustly directed by Anthony Mann (best known for his string of 1950s Westerns starring James Stewart), this is an atypical slice of semi-noir that’s startling in its brutality.

Blu-ray extras consist of film historian audio commentary and the theatrical trailer.

Movie: ★★★

INSIDE (2023). Inside is basically a one-man show, and when that one man is Willem Dafoe, a great performance is pretty much guaranteed. The Finding Nemo voice actor is masterful as Nemo, an art thief finding himself trapped for weeks on end inside a secured Manhattan penthouse. The first hour is utterly compelling, as Nemo must find practical ways to survive, but as his mind slips during the final act, so does the film. Interesting ideas involving art, technology, and isolation get steamrolled by the sudden attention to Nemo’s murky methods of madness — yes, there’s even a dreary dream sequence — and the film ends on a predictably ambiguous note.

The only Blu-ray extras are a handful of deleted scenes.

Movie: ★★½

FROM SCREEN TO STREAM

DEATH RACE 2000 (1975). Impossible to defend but easy to enjoy, this drive-in exploitation fodder — one of producer Roger Corman’s biggest hits — imagines a Y2K in which the national pastime is a cross-country racing event where the object (in addition to crossing the finish line, of course) is to rack up points by wiping out as many pedestrians as possible (female casualties are worth more than male ones, although senior citizens rank the highest). The masked Frankenstein (David Carradine) is the sports’ most beloved player, but the ruthless Machine Gun Joe Viterbo (Sylvester Stallone, a mere year away from Rocky stardom) schemes to steal his thunder. The usual quotas of gore and nudity make their expected appearances, but since this is a Corman production, pointed satirical jabs regarding the dangers of a fascistic government and the American people’s obsession with violence are also prominently displayed. This was remade (badly) in 2008 as the Jason Statham actioner Death Race.

Movie: ★★★

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Review links for movies referenced in this column (all links open in new window):
The Accidental Tourist
The Asphalt Jungle
Bend of the River
Bull Durham
Code of Silence
Dirty Harry
Finding Nemo
The Killing
The Last Temptation of Christ
The Naked Spur
Patch Adams
Rocky
Star Wars
Superman II
The Thin Blue Line
Under Fire
Wings of Desire