FILM FRENZY

Hugh Jackman in The Sheep Detectives (Photo: Alliance & Amazon)

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.)

AMAZING GRACE (2007). Basically Amistad with only half the serving of self-importance, Amazing Grace examines the efforts of William Wilberforce, a member of British Parliament who fought to end his country’s involvement in the slave trade during the late-18th and early-19th centuries. Ioan Gruffudd, no stranger to heroic roles (Horatio Hornblower, Mr. Fantastic, even the officer who rescues Rose in Titanic), plays Wilberforce, who spent over two decades of his life battling colleagues who saw nothing wrong in keeping the practice of slavery alive. But armed with his deeply held religious convictions and a basic sense of decency, he persevered against all obstacles, including a reputation as a traitor to his country during the war with France and his own failing health. Perhaps more Masterpiece Theatre than motion picture — director Michael Apted frequently opts for static shots more suitable for the small screen — Amazing Grace nevertheless tells a story that’s compelling enough to compensate for the occasional stuffiness. A well-chosen cast also helps immeasurably — among the luminaries are Michael Gambon as a fellow politico, Benedict Cumberbatch in one of his earliest roles as prime minister William Pitt the Younger, Rufus Sewell in a change-of-pace role as the most anarchic of the abolitionists, and Albert Finney as a former slave-ship captain who repents for his sins by writing the title tune.

There are no Blu-ray extras.

Movie: ★★★

THE HOT SPOT (1990). Actor Dennis Hopper’s long-dormant directing career, which had begun with the 1969 commercial smash Easy Rider, got revitalized in 1988 when he helmed the box office hit Colors. It was all downhill after that, with his next three (and final) features — 1990’s The Hot Spot, 1990’s Catchfire, and 1994’s Chasers — costing a combined $35 million yet collectively grossing just over $5 million. The best one can say about The Hot Spot is that it’s easily the most watchable of the trio of duds, with a strong supporting cast and two of Hollywood’s most beautiful actresses providing some merit to this shrug-inducing neo-noir. Based on Charles Williams’ 1953 novel Hell Hath No Fury, it stars Don Johnson (merely OK) as Harry Maddox, a drifter who shows up in a small Texas town and instantly nabs a job as a used car salesman. His boss is George Harshaw (Jerry Hardin), who’s married to the much younger Dolly (Virginia Madsen), while one of his fellow employees is the reserved Gloria Harper (Jennifer Connelly). Harry’s heart soon belongs to the sweet Gloria while another body part belongs to the vampish Dolly — even as he’s juggling his time between these two stunners, he’s busy plotting to rob the local bank. Colorful players fill out the roster, including David Lynch regular Jack Nance as the bank owner and William Sadler as a backwoods creep, but this might be an example of too much of a good — make that passable — thing, with so many characters and subplots stretching this to 130 minutes. That’s generally a manageable run time but not necessarily for a pseudo-noir that, like the classics of yore, should be lean and mean rather than dawdling under Hopper’s prosaic direction.

Extras on the 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray edition consist of interviews with Hopper, Madsen, and Sadler; discussions of Hopper and Williams; and the theatrical trailer.

Movie: ★★

IS GOD IS (20126). The sins of the father are examined in a bracingly unique manner in Is God Is, writer-director Aleshea Harris’ adaptation of her own 2018 play. Kara Young and Mallori Johnson respectively play Racine and Anaia, twin sisters who as children were badly burned in a fire that was set by their father (billed simply as “Man”) to punish their mother (called “God” by the girls). Journeying to see God (Vivica A. Fox) before she dies, they agree to carry out her wishes to locate and kill Man (Sterling K. Brown) — this results in an odyssey that finds the twins meeting other adults (Janelle Monáe, Erika Alexander, Mykelti Williamson) abused by Man as well as the various sons he sired, all of whom are fiercely loyal to him. Is God Is brandishes a remarkably rich storyline — it’s part road trip flick, part revenge yarn, and even part fairy tale — and it manages to explore such themes as the trauma passed on from parent to child, the power of sisterhood in the face of a pummeling patriarchy, and the necessity of finding one’s own self-worth in an increasingly hostile and unforgiving world. The performances are exceptional right down the line, starting with the leading ladies. As the more physically damaged of the pair (the fire reached her face, leading to a life filled with strangers reacting in horror or making cruel comments), Johnson makes Anaia a complete innocent, revealing her soulfulness by always looking for the good in everyone. And as Racine, Young projects the fiery intensity required for the part of a woman who will stand up for her sibling no matter what. And then there’s Brown, who’s generally cast as likable guys but here lends a chilling aura of evil to his character.

There are no Blu-ray extras.

Movie: ★★★½

NEW YORK, NEW YORK (1977). Perhaps Martin Scorsese’s worst film (although those who love it love it), this finds the director paying heavy-handed tribute to the Big Band era, with a side glance at the lavish musicals Hollywood was producing during this period. The story focuses on the tempestuous relationship between Jimmy Doyle (Robert De Niro), an insufferable saxophone player, and Francine Evans (Liza Minnelli), an aspiring singer — he shouts a lot, she dithers a lot, and, in the style of A Star Is Born (of which the 1954 version starred Liza’s mom, Judy Garland), her career ascends while his flatlines. Scorsese boldly attempts to make a Golden Age musical with lovely sets and numerous songs (this film introduced the classic “Theme From New York, New York,” which became one of Frank Sinatra’s signature tunes) and then ignores the expected artificiality in favor of a raw, realistic feel — it’s a major miscalculation, since who wants to see Travis Bickle headlining a splashy musical? De Niro’s Method madness not only feels wrong for the picture but also clearly flummoxes Minnelli, who otherwise does pretty good under the circumstances. Despite third billing, Lionel Stander’s role as Francine’s agent is distressingly small — a shame, since he enlivens this often plodding picture.

This new release contains the extended 163-minute cut on 4K and the 136-minute international version on Blu-ray. Extras include audio commentary by Scorsese and film critic Carrie Rickey; audio commentary on select scenes by cinematographer László Kovács; an introduction by Scorsese; a two-part making-of featurette; deleted scenes and alternate takes; an archival interview with Minnelli; and a photo gallery.

Movie: ★½

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES (2026). It might be lazy to compare The Sheep Detectives to 1995’s Babe, but it also makes complete sense. Here’s another movie that’s utterly charming, completely bereft of cynicism or snark, and focused on anthropomorphic farm animals. The key difference is that in Babe nobody tried to bump off Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell) while in this newer picture, farmer George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) is definitely the victim of foul play. Based on German author Leonie Swann’s novel Three Bags Full, this is set in an English village in which loner George isn’t exactly embraced by the townsfolk. He prefers the company of his sheep and spends time each night reading them murder-mystery novels for his own amusement. But when he’s found murdered one morning, Lily (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George’s favorite sheep, decides to solve the case. Assisted by the other sheep, particularly the outsider Sebastian (Bryan Cranston) and the intelligent Mopple (Chris O’Dowd), Lily assumes any of the neighboring humans could be the killer — this assortment includes the burg’s seemingly slow-witted police officer (Nicholas Braun), a busybody innkeeper (Hong Chau), a sharp-tongued solicitor (Emma Thompson), and a young American (Molly Gordon) who suspiciously hits town at the time of George’s murder. Seemingly channeling the congenial spirit of those delightful Miss Marple films starring Margaret Rutherford (see From Screen To Stream below), this places a decent mystery at the center of a film that’s as interested in examining the personalities of the various rams, ewes, and lambs that make up the four-legged section of the story as in finding out whodunnit.

There are no Blu-ray extras.

Movie: ★★★½

TAG: THE ASSASSINATION GAME (1982). Simply put, this one’s a lotta fun. TAG is a game in which participating college students stalk each other all over campus with the intent of shooting each other with toy darts; the last person standing is the winner. When college newspaper reporter Alex Marsh (Robert Carradine) sees that the lovely Susan Swayze (Linda Hamilton in her first starring role and just two years away from The Terminator) is one of the players, he decides to follow her around for the purposes of a story. The game turns deadly for Susan and the other players when the reigning champion, a twitchy type named Loren Gersh (Bruce Abbott, the Re-Animator hero making his film debut), snaps and begins eliminating the others with real bullets instead of plastic darts. Written and directed by John Carpenter associate Nick Castle (hence why one character is named Nick Carpenter), TAG is breezily paced, and the talent runs deep: Michael Winslow (Police Academy’s mouthy sound guy) appears as one of the players, Forest Whitaker makes his film debut as one of his buddies, popular DJ and Night Tracks host Frazer “The Fraze” Smith is amusing as the creator of the game, and prolific ‘90s character actor Xander Berkeley (Air Force One, Safe) pops up in the opening scene as a hapless participant. A similar premise was employed a few years later in 1985’s Gotcha!, featuring Carradine’s Revenge of the Nerds co-star Anthony Edwards in the central role — it’s not as entertaining as this likable lark.

Blu-ray extras consist of audio commentary by Castle and Carradine, and the very entertaining theatrical trailer that promises “101 Minutes of Matchless SUSPENSE! ROMANCE! THRILLS!” (since the movie only runs 91 minutes, it apparently got snipped somewhere between promotion and distribution).

Movie: ★★★

12 ANGRY MEN (1957). Francis Coppola’s first credited movies as a director were the nudie flicks The Bellboy and the Playgirls and Tonight for Sure; James Cameron’s was the low-budget Piranha II: The Spawning. Sidney Lumet, on the other hand, didn’t mess around: After several years cutting his teeth on television, he made his film debut with 12 Angry Men, an instant classic that earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and — yep — Best Director. Lumet later helmed such gems as Fail-Safe, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network, yet this arguably remains his most compelling work, a sweaty, sustained drama that milks its claustrophobic setting for all it’s worth. Adapted by Reginald Rose from his own teleplay, this finds practically all of the story unfolding in a hot NYC jury room in which 12 people must decide the fate of a Puerto Rican teenager accused of fatally stabbing his father. Eleven jurors are convinced he’s guilty; only one (Henry Fonda) believes there’s room for doubt, and it’s his Herculean task to convince the others to re-examine the evidence before sending the boy to the gas chamber. Fonda is quietly authoritative as always, and he’s backed by a superb cast of character actors, many of whom went on to stellar careers (among them Lee J. Cobb, Jack Warden, and Jack Klugman). The movie’s examination of this nation’s jury system is double-edged, portraying it as inefficient when tainted by bigotry and ignorance and admirable when ruled by a cool-headed examination of the evidence.

Extras in the 4K UHD + Blu-ray edition include the 1954 TV version that aired on the CBS anthology series Studio One and starred Robert Cummings; 1956’s Tragedy in a Temporary Town, which aired on the NBC anthology series The Alcoa Hour and starred Lloyd Bridges; and an archival interview with Lumet.

Movie: ★★★★

FROM SCREEN TO STREAM

THE AMERICAN FRIEND (1977). It’s rather easy — more so if one squints — to see the throughline in all the actors who have played James Bond over the decades. But the screen incarnations of Tom Ripley, the protagonist of five novels penned by Patricia Highsmith? With performers as different in their physical appearances and acting methods as Matt Damon, John Malkovich, Alain Delon, Andrew Scott, and Dennis Hopper essaying the role, the man becomes perhaps even more elusive on screen than in print. Unlike the 007 entries, though, the Ripley flicks were made by different filmmakers from different countries, and even Highsmith was startled after seeing Hopper play the part in German director Wim Wenders’ The American Friend. Highsmith disliked the movie upon first viewing but grew to respect it — fortunately, those of us who aren’t as protective of the character can appreciate it right off the bat. Wenders’ take is based on the third Ripley book, Ripley’s Game, and in this one, the character (played by Hopper) comes off as less seductive and calculating and more cheerfully vulgar and possibly flat-out bonkers. Perpetually prowling the Hamburg art scene due to his involvement in a forgery scheme, he’s also responsible for helping a French colleague (Gérard Blain) dupe an innocent man, a frame maker named Jonathan Zimmerman (Bruno Ganz), into assisting in a pair of turf-war assassinations. Most Highsmith adaptations have been made into satisfying movies, and this one’s no exception, with a few potent set-pieces (including a pair involving trains) and supporting roles for legendary American directors Nicholas Ray (Rebel Without a Cause) and Samuel Fuller (Shock Corridor).

Movie: ★★★

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1987-1990). Beauty and the Beast was such a departure from the usual prime-time TV fodder that it’s a wonder CBS ever gave the idea the green light in the first place. But the network took a chance on this unusual concept, and the risk paid off with 24 Emmy Award nominations (including two for Best Drama Series), six wins, and a fervent following that has allowed the show to retain its standing as a cult hit. The first season establishes the bond that exists between Catherine Chandler (Linda Hamilton), an assistant district attorney in New York, and Vincent (Ron Perlman), the tunnel dweller with leonine features (makeup courtesy of Rick Baker) but a poet’s soul. Unabashedly romantic, this season occasionally falls victim to the rigid formula of an hour-long time slot (most episodes culminate with Vincent racing across town to save Catherine from whatever danger confronts her), but its strength primarily rests in the two perfectly cast stars and the memorable characters they created. Even though it wasn’t a ratings success, the series was deemed worthy enough to be brought back for another season, a move that resulted in a second straight Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series as well as nods for Perlman (his second for the series) and Hamilton (her first). Building on the spiritual love between Catherine and Vincent, this season examines various challenges that confront the pair, including Vincent’s struggle to control his violent animal nature. The truncated third season suffered when Hamilton decided to leave the show due to her pregnancy — no Vincent-and-Catherine chemistry ultimately meant no show.

Series: ★★★

THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY (2016). Like other one-star atrocities such as The Love Guru, Freddy Got Fingered, and Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, here’s another movie that can accurately be described as a Chernobyl of comedy. Sacha Baron Cohen, best when he’s making mockumentaries, tends to flail when appearing in other types of pictures, and The Brothers Grimsby (which he co-wrote) represents his most misguided effort yet. He stars as Nobby, a soccer-crazed layabout who learns that his younger brother Sebastian (Mark Strong), whom he hasn’t seen in decades, is actually a world-class secret agent. Nobby’s sudden presence in Sebastian’s life leads to the spy being mistaken as a double agent, and he’ll need his bumbling sibling’s help to clear his name and nab the real criminals. Just the previous year, the espionage genre had been sent up in splendid fashion in Spy, but this effort fails to generate any laughs, with Cohen relying on a series of gross-out gags that reek of desperation rather than inspiration. The comic centerpiece is the scene in which the siblings find themselves hiding inside the vagina of an elephant that’s in the process of getting gangbanged — it’s no more imbecilic than the scene in which Nobby has to suck poison out of Sebastian’s left testicle, or the sequence in which Nobby shoves a firecracker up his posterior, or the countless scenes in which Nobby loves his new gun so much that he kills innocent people with it (these bits will doubtless be lovingly shown on a loop at the next NRA convention). Thumbs up to the Trump gag, though.

Movie: ★

DOLLY: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION (2020). Not exactly screening or streaming, but this DVD set is a fine way to salute and celebrate a true legend. During her lifetime, Dolly Parton may not have been an actual goddess (although who can say for sure?), but she certainly came close. The country music superstar repeatedly revealed her loving heart, whether through donating $1 million to COVID-19 research, supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, or establishing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which continues to mail a monthly book to participating children from birth through pre-K (and, yes, our daughter received one each and every month until she turned five!). Of course, Dolly’s primary claim to fame was as a consummate entertainer, and this collection offers quite the variety over a 50-year period. Included in this assemblage are episodes of The Porter Wagoner Show, on which she appeared for seven years; her short-lived TV variety shows from the 1970s and 1980s (both named Dolly); appearances opposite Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, and Oprah Winfrey; and even footage of the Library of Congress dedication ceremony in honor of her Imagination Library sending out its 100 millionth book. Time-Life released this set in two different volumes, so fans have the choice of over 23 hours on 11 DVDs or over 35 hours on 19 DVDs. Both editions also include a bonus DVD housing the 2019 BBC documentary Dolly Parton: Here I Am, as well as a collector’s book.

Collection: ★★★½

MURDER, SHE SAID (1961) / MURDER AT THE GALLOP (1963) / MURDER AHOY (1964) / MURDER MOST FOUL (1964). Considering that audiences have had to endure seven Police Academy movies and 12 Friday the 13th entries, it seems especially cruel that only four movies starring the inimitable Margaret Rutherford as Jane Marple were produced in the early ’60s. An Oscar-winning veteran (Best Supporting Actress for the 1963 Elizabeth Taylor-Richard Burton hit The V.I.P.s), Rutherford, 69 through 72 years old during the course of the series, was the perfect embodiment of Agatha Christie’s senior citizen sleuth, and these four titles show off Rutherford’s charms in the process of spinning four entertaining murder-mysteries. Murder, She Said finds Miss Marple posing as a maid in order to investigate strange occurrences at a country estate; Murder at the Gallop moves the action to an inn that also doubles as a horse ranch; Murder Ahoy has our feisty heroine checking out a naval ship tainted by unexplained killings; and Murder Most Foul wraps up the franchise by placing Miss Marple in an acting troupe that’s unwittingly harboring a murderer. Ron Goodwin’s delightful music score (employed in all four films) is so memorable that not once since first seeing these pictures in my mid-teens have I ever forgotten it (and I can still whistle it).

Movies: ★★★

VANYA ON 42ND STREET (1994) / 25TH HOUR (2002). Here are two New York, New York films that are far better than New York, New York.

The creative team behind 1981’s cult hit My Dinner with Andre — Louis Malle, Wallace Shawn, and André Gregory — reunited for this absorbing experiment that proves to be a special treat for theater lovers. For several years, stage director Gregory and various actors assembled to perform Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya in a dilapidated NYC theater, and one of their run-throughs was recorded by film director Malle. This is that document, a minimalist interpretation of Chekhov’s play about wasted lives and unrequited love. Malle makes no pretenses about this being a “movie” — it’s a “filmed stage performance” through and through — but the acting is so splendid and the staging so immediate that few will complain. Shawn stars as the tormented Vanya, filled with anger toward the pompous professor (George Gaynes) he has long served and bubbling with love for his employer’s beautiful young wife, Yelena (Julianne Moore). The local doctor (Larry Pine) also has feelings for Yelena, so much that he barely acknowledges the existence of his greatest fan, the professor’s plain-looking daughter, Sonya (Brooke Smith). Moore, Smith, and Pine are particularly memorable in what turned out to be Malle’s final film before his death in 1995.

A worthy companion piece to 2006’s United 93 (reviewed here), Spike Lee’s 25th Hour isn’t centrally about 9/11, yet the specter of that day hangs over the entire film. Characters view the decimated Ground Zero; they discuss the tragedy; they reflect on it. Watching these scenes, and noting the presence of Bruce Springsteen’s “The Fuse” (from his 9/11 album The Rising) on the soundtrack, it’s hard to shake the feeling that this was the movie Lee really wanted to make, one that explored the crisis in depth and how it deeply affected the very soul of the city. Instead, the focus of 25th Hour, based on a novel that was written before 9/11, is Monty Brogan (Edward Norton), a drug dealer on the verge of being sent to prison for seven years. Monty’s dilemma is that he needs to find out who ratted on him, thus leading to his imminent incarceration — could it really have been his sweetheart Naturelle (Rosario Dawson)? This angle is the least interesting part of the picture; more compelling are the scenes involving his relationship with his dad (Brian Cox), and his camaraderie with his two childhood pals, one now a slick Wall Street hotshot (Barry Pepper), the other a nerdy high school teacher (Philip Seymour Hoffman). There are several scenes among the jittery jumping around that reveal the director in a more pensive, silent mood than normal — then there’s the bravura lengthy sequence that closes the picture, a “what if?” flight of fancy that’s guaranteed to divide audience members over its sentimental bent.

Vanya on 42nd Street: ★★★

25th Hour: ★★★½