Blu-Ray News: LOST HORIZON Arrives on Blu-ray 10/3 for its 80th Anniversary

Directed By Frank Capra
and Starring Ronald Colman and Jane Wyatt

Nominated for Seven Academy Awards^®, Including Best Picture

Fully Restored in 4K & Presented in Collectible Digibook Packaging
with an All-New Essay by Film Historian Jeremy Arnold

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment continues its Frank Capra Collection series with one of the acclaimed filmmaker’s masterworks: LOST HORIZON, celebrating its 80th  anniversary by debuting on Blu-ray October 3.  Fully restored in 4K and presented in high definition, the Blu-ray is housed within a lavish, limited edition 24-page Digibook, complete with an all-new essay from film historian Jeremy Arnold and rare archival photos from the film.  In addition, as part of the restoration, more than a minute of rarely-seen original footage from the film was found and included, making thisthe most complete, winning two, and follows a disparate group of people who are rescued after a  plane crash, and find shelter in the secluded land of Shangri-La -- but is it the miraculous utopia it appears to be? In 2016, the film was selected for inclusion in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” was nominated for seven Academy Awards.

Blu-Ray Review: MONEY FROM HOME

Starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Marjie Miller, Patricia "Pat" Crowley, Richard Haydn, Robert Strauss, Gerald Mohr, Sheldon Leonard. Sirected by George Marshall. (1953, 100 min).

OLIVE FILMS

When we were kids, my little sister used to love watching old movies from the 50s & 60s whenever they aired on Channel 12, Portland's local station. Her favorites were comedies and musicals, so there was always a soft spot in her heart for those featuring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, which were often a combination of both. As someone just discovering movie monsters and rock music, I couldn't stand these movies.

Decades later, I've developed an even bigger affection for classic movies than my sister ever did. However, I've still can't sit through a Jerry Lewis movie without having a seizure. Like Adam Sandler today, 90 minutes of Lewis' constant screeching & mugging is just too much to take. It's like scorching your throat with shot after shot of straight vodka rather than mixing it with some orange juice so it goes down smoother.

Dean Martin is the orange juice that makes the movies they did together far more enjoyable than Lewis' star vehicles. None of them are masterpieces, nor is Martin himself a great actor, but his laid-back persona renders films like Money from Home at-least watchable.

"Dammit, Jerry, I told you...only foil hats will keep the aliens out of your head."

Money from Home was their first color film together and the only one originally shown in 3-D (though there's no discernible use of the then-fledgling gimmick). Martin plays, "Honeytalk" Nelson, a down-on-his-luck gambler indebted to a local gangster and forced to fix an upcoming horse race. Lewis is Virgil, Nelson's animal-loving cousin who's duped into helping make certain the horse that's favored to win is unable to compete. But the job is complicated when Nelson falls in love with the horse's owner, while Virgil becomes smitten by a veterinarian.

Of course, like all their other films together, the plot is perfunctory. Martin croons a few tunes while wooing Marjie Miller. Lewis is given ample opportunities to display his brand of buffoonery. Fans may beg to differ, but since he's not the whole show here, his schtick isn't quite as grating as it would be when calling all the shots in his future films. Besides, Martin demonstrates he's capable of being slyly amusing himself, something people tend to forget when these two team up. Revisiting this film, I was constantly reminded how important (and unappreciated) Martin was to their creative success. As for this film, I also have to admit that gangster Jumbo Schneider and his crew of thugs are pretty damned funny, too.

Though certainly far from a classic, Money from Home is a silly and affable nostalgia trip for people like my sister, who grew up on this stuff. That it's available on Blu-Ray for the first time will be of keen interest to them.

EXTRA KIBBLES

None

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...FOR MARTIN & LEWIS LOVERS

Movie News: 43rd Annual SATURN AWARDS Winners

The 43^rd Annual Saturn Awards celebrated the best and the brightest in genre entertainment tonight, with Lucasfilm/Disney’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story capturing three statuettes in the Film Category, tying with Paramount’s science fiction thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane. One of the entertainment industry’s most highly-anticipated evenings, the yearly gathering of the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films also bestowed Saturn gold to such television favorites (and previous Saturn Award vets) as AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” HBO’s “Westworld,” CW’s “Riverdale” and “Supergirl” and Starz’ “Outlander.” Hosted by fan favorite Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy 1 and 2), the festivities took place at the legendary Castaway in Burbank, California.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story won Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director (Gareth Edwards), and Best Special Effects (John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel, Neil Corbould), while the psychological thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane nabbed Best Actress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Best Supporting Actor (John Goodman) honors in addition to Best Thriller Film. Two Saturn Awards each went to Marvel’s mind-bending epic Doctor Strange (Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture; Best Supporting Actress Tilda Swinton), Disney’s The BFG (Best Production Design Rick Carter & Robert Stromberg and Best Editing Michael Kahn), and Lionsgate’s La La Land (Best Independent Film and Best Music Justin Hurwitz). Additional film winners include Best Horror Film to Don’t Breathe (Screen Gems/Sony), Disney’s The Jungle Book for Best Fantasy Film, the space race saga Hidden Figures (Fox) tapped as Best Action/Adventure Film, Pixar/Disney’s Finding Dory hooked Best Animated Film and Amazon/Magnolia’s The Handmaiden for Best International Film. Ryan Reynolds’ crowd-pleasing performance as the ultra-sarcastic superhero Deadpool won for Best Actor, with Tom Holland’s appearance as everyone’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War earning recognition for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.

The small screen always scores big at the Saturn Awards and tonight was no exception. The unstoppable walkers of AMC’s global TV phenomenon “The Walking Dead” proved just as invincible last night, garnering three Saturn Awards for Best Horror TV Series, Best Actor on Television (Andrew Lincoln), and Best Guest Star on Television (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). HBO’s “Westworld” 21^st century reboot outdrew the competition for two awards: Best Science Fiction TV Series and Best Supporting Actor on Television (Ed Harris). In a rare tie, Best New Media TV Series was split between “Marvel’s Luke Cage” and the retro hit “Stranger Things,” both on Netflix. 2017 also saw a new Saturn Award inaugurated in the Television category: Best Animated TV Series, won by Disney XD/Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars Rebels.” Other acting winners in the Television categories include Candace Patton (CW’s “The Flash”) for Best Supporting Actress on Television, and Millie Bobby Brown (“Stranger Things”) for Best Younger TV Actor.

Lee Majors, cherished by millions of fans as the iconic “Bionic Man” from the 1970s TV series “The Six Million Dollar Man”, received the Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by his fellow co-star Bruce Campbell from the cult favorite Starz series “Ash vs. Evil Dead.” For a career spanning almost a quarter century, Oscar-winning writer/producer/director Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind) was cited with the rarely given Visionary Award. The Filmmakers Showcase Award was presented the writing/producing team Rick Silver and Amanda Jaffe, for their continuing support and contributions to high quality genre entertainment including the critically-acclaimed Apes film series reboots (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and this summer’s upcoming War for the Planet of the Apes), Jurassic World, and Disney’s live-action Mulan. The outrageous and irreverent Heavy Metal Magazine – celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year – won a Special Recognition Award and KJ Apa of the CW’s “Riverdale” received the Breakthrough Performance Award.

The full list of winners at the 43^rd Annual Saturn Awards: 

 

FILM AWARDS

Best Science Fiction Film: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Lucasfilm / Walt Disney Studios)

Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture: Doctor Strange (Marvel / Walt Disney Studios)

Best Fantasy Film: The Jungle Book (Walt Disney Studios)

Best Horror Film: Don’t Breathe (Screen Gems/Sony)

Best Action/Adventure Film: Hidden Figures (Fox)

Best Thriller Film: 10 Cloverfield Lane (Paramount)

Best International Film: The Handmaiden (Amazon / Magnolia)
Best Animated Film: Finding Dory (Pixar / Walt Disney Studios)
Best Independent Film: La La Land (Lionsgate)

Best Actor: Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool)

Best Actress: Mary Elizabeth Winstead (10 Cloverfield Lane)

Best Supporting Actor: John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane)
Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton (Doctor Strange)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor: Tom Holland (Captain America: Civil War)

Best Director: Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)

Best Writing: Eric Heisserer (Arrival)

Best Production Design: Rick Carter & Robert Stromberg (The BFG)

Best Editing: Michael Kahn (The BFG)

Best Music: Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)

Best Costume: Colleen Atwood (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)

Best Make-Up: Monica Huppert & Joel Harlow (Star Trek Beyond)

Best Special Effects: John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel, Neil Corbould (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)

TELEVISION AWARDS

Best Science Fiction TV Series: Westworld (HBO)

Best Horror TV Series: The Walking Dead (AMC)

Best Action/Thriller TV Series: Riverdale (The CW)

Best Fantasy TV Series: Outlander (Starz)
Best Presentation on Television: 11.22.63 (Hulu)

Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series: Supergirl (The CW)

Best New Media TV Series: Marvel’s Luke Cage (tie) & Stranger Things (Netflix)

Best Animated TV Series*: Star Wars Rebels (Disney XD/Lucasfilm)

Best Actor on Television: Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead)

Best Actress on Television: Melissa Benoist (Supergirl)

Best Supporting Actor on Television: Ed Harris (Westworld)

Best Supporting Actress on Television: Candice Patton (The Flash)

Best Younger TV Actor: Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things)

Best Guest Star on Television: Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead)

HOME ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS

Best DVD/BD Collection Release: Frankenstein: Complete Legacy Collection (Universal)

Best DVD/BD Television Series Release: Hannibal: The Complete Series Collection (Lionsgate)

Best DVD/BD Classic Film Release: Time After Time (Warner Archives)

Best DVD/BD Special Edition: Phantasm Remastered (Well Go USA)

Best DVD/BD Release: Tales of Halloween (Epic Pictures)

Best Local Stage Production: A View From the Bridge (Ahmanson Theatre)

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS FROM THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY & HORROR FILMS

The Life Career Award: Lee Majors

The Visionary Award: Akiva Goldsman
The Filmmakers Showcase Award: Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver
Special Recognition Award: Heavy Metal Magazine
The Breakthrough Performance Award: KJ Apa (Riverdale)

(*) Inaugural Award for category

For more information about the Saturn Awards and the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, visit www.saturnawards.org,  

www.youtube.com/c/OfficialSaturnAwardsChannel, and @SaturnAwards1 

Blu-Ray News: CULT OF CHUCKY Trailer Is Here! On Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD 10/3

THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ALL-NEW MOVIE FROM THE FILMMAKERS OF THE CULT CLASSIC HORROR FRANCHISE ARRIVES JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN ON UNRATED BLU-RAY DVD AND DIGITAL HD ON OCTOBER 3, 2017

Fans of the world’s most demonic doll are in for another blood-spattered treat as Chucky continues his reign of terror behind the locked doors of an insane asylum in Cult of Chucky, coming to Blu-ray™, DVD, Digital and On Demand on October 3, 2017, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The most terrifying unrated chapter yet of the Child’s Play saga reunites franchise creators Don Mancini and David Kirschner with the iconic cast in a twisted tale of terror that will outstrip audiences’ wildest expectations.

Written and directed by Don Mancini, Cult of Chucky brings back original Child’s Play cast member Alex Vincent (Child’s Play, Wait Until Spring, Bandini) as Andy Barclay along with Oscar-nominee Jennifer Tilly (Curse of Chucky, Monsters, Inc.) as Chucky’s bloodthirsty bride, Tiffany and Fiona Dourif (Messenger, “True Blood”) as Nica with Brad Dourif (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Halloween) returning as the voice of Chucky, the homicidal plaything inhabited by the spirit of notorious serial killer Charles Lee Ray.

Savagely funny and gratifyingly gruesome, Cult of Chucky on Blu-ray™, DVD, Digital include exclusive bonus features that delve deeper into Chucky’s twisted universe and reveal how the filmmakers made the demented toy even more deranged.  Additionally, Chucky: Complete 7-Movie Collection is also available on Blu-ray™ and DVD on October 3, 2017 in the United States only.  For the first time ever, Chucky fans can experience all seven movies in one must-own set, including Child’s Play, Child’s Play 2, Child’s Play 3, Bride of Chucky, Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky and the all-new movie Cult of Chucky. 

VIEW THE TRAILER:

 

Blu-Ray News: DisneyNature's BORN IN CHINA Coming 8/29

Narrated by John Krasinski,

Disneynature’s Newest True-Life Adventure Film Born in China

Journeys Into Homes on Digital and Blu-ray™ Combo Pack on Aug. 29

 
Disney's Born In China, narrated by John Krasinski, transports audiences to some of the world’s most extreme environments of China where few people have ever ventured to witness wildly intimate and adorable moments in the lives of three animal families - a doting panda bear mother, a 2-year-old golden snub-nosed monkey, and a mother snow leopard. It is the seventh theatrical release from Disneynature, which brings the world’s top nature filmmakers together to share wildlife stories that engage, inspire and educate. The breathtaking footage and high-definition quality picture is captivating for audiences of all ages and is a must-add to the in-home collection. Disneynature’s newest true-life adventure film “Born in China” journeys into homes on Digital and Blu-ray Combo Pack on Aug. 29.

Blu-Ray Review: THE SAVAGE INNOCENTS

Starring Anthony Quinn, Yoko Tani, Peter O'Toole, Carlo Giustini. Directed by Nicholas Ray. (1960, 110 min).

OLIVE FILMS

From a historical standpoint, The Savage Innocents is noteworthy for featuring a very young Peter O'Toole in his first substantial role, just before Lawrence of Arabia made him a superstar. He also turns in the best performance in the film.

Additionally, there's some beautiful imagery, the cinematography giving an almost dreamlike quality to its Arctic locations. Aside from a few noticeable visual artifacts early on (most notably during a seal hunting sequence), Olive Films' video transfer is very good. The film's underlying theme - a clash between two distinctly different cultures - is always worth exploring. Unfortunately, The Savage Innocents is a clumsy, schizophrenic exercise in tedium.

"I named him Zorba."

Anthony Quinn - looking like an over-aged Monkees' reject - is Inuk, a lonely Eskimo who eventually lands an obedient wife, Asiak, (Yoko Tani) while hunting walruses and seals. After seeing a rifle for the first time - a friend traded for it with white settlers - he ventures to a nearby outpost to try and get one for himself. Unfortunately, because he doesn't understand their customs (and vise versa), Inuk kills a local preacher who refused his offer to spend time with Asiak. Inuk & Asiak are later pursued by two troopers (one of whom is O'Toole).

Don't be fooled by the premise, which is indeed intriguing. Instead, the movie rambles along for over an hour before this threadbare plot begins to unfold. Until then, Inuk is presented as a clumsy, dimwitted rube, played to the hilt by Quinn, who mugs and grunts like he's the comic relief in a beach party movie. There's also some terrible voice-over narration related to Eskimo customs, the kind you might hear in an ancient educational documentary the Mystery Science Theater gang used to riff.

"Oooooh! It's Commando Friday!"

The film hasn't aged well, either. It's depiction of Eskimos may even be considered offensive in this day and age, as demonstrated in an embarrassing scene where Inuk & Asiak get drunk and dance to rock & roll for the first time. The fact we're supposed to laugh at their antics doesn't sit well.

Instead of a culture clash, The Savage Innocents seems more interested in sensationalizing the Eskimos' customs, presenting them as ignorant and barbaric. As movie legends go, this is hardly Anthony Quinn's shining moment. Nor O'Toole's, for that matter, but at least he doesn't embarrass himself.

EXTRA KIBBLES

None

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEH...

Rest in Peace, Michael Nyqvist

Michael Nyqvist (1960-2017)

DVD Review: LONDON HEIST

Starring Craig Fairbrass, James Cosmo, Nathalie Cox, Mem Ferda, Steven Berkoff, Nick Moran, Roland Manookian, Katie Clarkson-Hill. Directed by Mark McQueen. (2017, 95 min).

LIONSGATE

Huh? What was that?

I found myself asking this question a lot during London Heist, a British crime thriller starring a bunch of second-tier blokes who've popped-up in lots of other films, but their names escape you.

Craig Fairbrass (that soccer-loving thug from Cliffhanger) stars as Jack, the leader of a group of bank robbers that pull-off what's supposed to be one final score before calling it quits, only to have it stolen by a local mob boss, who also kills Jack's dad (Steven Berkoff, that ruthless kingpin from Beverly Hills Cop). Jack hides his girlfriend, Nicole (Nathalie Cox, once talked into starring in Clash of the Titans), with family friend Ray (James Cosmo, Mel Gibson's uncle from Braveheart) while he seeks to avenge his father's death and get the money back. Ray, however, talks Jack into pulling off one more heist.

Everyone knows damn well who stole the cookies from the cookie jar.

It's a pretty standard "one-last-job" crime caper, full of the usual shoot-outs, chases, escapes, double-crosses and the obsessed cop hellbent on bringing the crew down (Nick Moran, one of the few guys from Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels who didn't really move up the totem pole). The action is adequate, though the film itself only moves in fits and starts and there aren't any real surprises. We've seen most of these characters before, so much so that we suspect who's behind it all almost immediately.

Worst of all, I had a really hard time following the damn thing. The plot isn't all that complex, but most of the characters (especially Fairbrass) mumble their dialogue with such thick British accents that I had to back up the film a few times just to understand what the hell they were saying. Every conversation was like listening to a cast of Ozzy Osbournes.

All of which makes London Heist more work to enjoy than the overly-familiar story warrants. Everything culminates in a predictable, anticlimactic denouement that isn't really worth the time invested. Ultimately, this is a film as generic as its title.

EXTRA KIBBLES

None

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEH...

Movie News: Neill Blomkamp & Oats Studios present FIREBASE

The New Sci-Fi Short From Filmmaker Neill Blomkamp and Oats Studios Available June 28

 

From Oats Studios and filmmaker Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium, and Chappie), comes the science fiction short FIREBASE, available for free June 28, 2017 on the Oats Studios YouTube, Steam, and Facebook channels.  FIREBASE will be the second independently made sci-fi short released by Oats Studios following the success of the Sigourney Weaver helmed “Rakka”.

 

Set during the Vietnam war, FIREBASE follows American soldier "Hines" through an ever deepening web of science fiction madness. The fabric of space-time literally beginning to bend around him.

About OATS Studios
Oats Studios is a new experimental filmmaking "lab". The Studio is an independent incubator of ideas that has the capacity to handle all aspects of production from start to end. Oats Studios works in an open source format with the audience by allowing the fans to interact with the filmmakers and the studio directly and allowing the fans access to the actual film’s assets to then merge with their own creativity.   

  www.oatsstudios.com

Blu-Ray Review: THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE

Starring Tony Musante, Suzy Kendall, Erico Maria Salerno, Eva Renzi, Umberto Raho, Reggie Nalder. Directed by Dario Argento. (1970, 101 min).

ARROW VIDEO

Sometimes it's cool to take a look back at a legendary director's humble beginnings.

Before he was synonymous with such atmospheric Italian horror classics as Suspiria and Inferno, Dario Argento first applied his unique skills to The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, his 1970 directorial debut. Though not a horror film per se, it was hugely influential on, not only the giallo subgenre, but much of his own subsequent work.

Tony Musante is Sam, a struggling American writer in Italy who witnesses an attempted murder, suspected to be the work of a black-gloved serial killer who's already claimed three victims. For reasons that aren't really explained, Sam's intrigued enough to do some investigating of his own, with some extra assistance from Inspector Morosini (Enrico Maria Salerno). As the murders continue, Sam and his girlfriend, Julia (Suzy Kendall), become targets as well.

Suppose They Gave an Office Party and Nobody Came.

The story itself is rudimentary and laughably illogical at times. The characters and performances are uniformly bland, save for a bit of delirious scenery-chewing by Eva Renzi. Aesthetically, this film hasn't aged as well as those which would later gain Argento worldwide acclaim. Still, few are as skilled at staging a murder scene as Argento in his prime, and there are glimpses of the same visual mastery that would become his trademarks. The staircase/apartment murder sequence, in particular, is a disturbing, tension-filled marriage of imagery and sound (the latter courtesy of Ennio Morricone). 

The Less-Than-a-Dollar Shave Club

Though the film has been available on Blu-Ray before, this version features a stellar 4K restoration and a slew of all new bonus features that Argento fans are sure to like, including some retrospective analyses and a lengthy interview with the director himself. 

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage doesn't rank among Argento's greatest films, but everybody had to start somewhere. That alone makes this a relatively fascinating viewing experience, like looking back at Spielberg's Duel or Carpenter's Dark Star. While not nearly as graphic as his later work, it's easy to see some of the stylistic elements we identify with his classics. And sadly, like John Carpenter, it's still a damn sight better than anything Argento's done lately.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES:

"The Power of Perception" - A 'visual essay,' spoken by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas over highlights of the film. This is quite informative & insightful;

""Black Gloves and Screaming Mimis" - Film critic Kat Ellinger duscusses the history of the film

INTERVIEWS:

"Crystal Nightmare" - A new 30 minute interview with director Dario Argento;

"An Argento Icon" - Interview with actor Gildo Di Marco, who plays Garullo the Pimp;

"Eva's Talking" - A 2005 interview with the late Eva Renzi;

THREE TRAILERS

AUDIO COMMENTARY - by author Troy Howarth

60 PAGE ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET (Not available for preview)

REVERSIBLE SLEEVE WITH NEW AND CLASSIC ARTWORK (Not available for preview)

DVD COPY (Not available for preview)

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO APPRECIATE WHERE IT ALL STARTED 

Blu-Ray News: 2 Cult Classics Coming in July from ARROW VIDEO

PULSE [BLU-RAY & DVD] (July 11)

J-Horror fans are in for a big treat with a Dual Format release of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's haunting Pulse, which sees people in Tokyo compelled to commit suicide after visiting a mysterious website. The special edition features a High Definition transfer and brand new interviews with the filmmakers.

RE-ANIMATOR [LIMITED EDITION]  (July 25)

One of the most wildly popular horror movies of all-time! Stuart Gordon's enduring splatter-comedy classic returns to Blu-ray in a stunning restoration packed with tons of special features including an array of interviews, audio commentaries, a brand new featurette entitled "A Guide to Lovecraftian Cinema," plus the original 1991 comic book adaptation, reprinted in its entirety.

Blu-Ray Review: LIFE (2017)

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, Olga Dihovichnaya. Directed by Daniel Espinosa. (2017, 104 min).

SONY

The obvious inspiration for Life is the original Alien, but that shouldn't dissuade sci-fi/horror fans from checking it out. While Ridley Scott's classic has been liberally ripped-off for decades, this is one of the better ones. And perhaps because my initial expectations weren't quite as lofty, I actually enjoyed Life a bit more than Scott's own recent prequel, Alien Covenant.

The crew onboard the International Space Station thaw out a single dormant cell from a Martian soil sample, which is given the nickname, Calvin. Deciding it prefers life outside the petri dish, it grows exponentially into a nasty, carnivorous, multi-tentacled monster. Calvin also proves to be highly adaptable, extremely intelligent and damn-near unkillable; efforts by the crew to destroy or send it into outer space appear futile.

"This is going right up my nose."

It's a familiar story, but told with a lot of panache with a few unique touches of its own. The entire film takes place in a zero-G environment, including an impressive 10-minute opening scene that introduces each character and takes us around the space station in a single unbroken shot. The film isn't particularly scary, but it does create a lot of tension with its claustrophobic setting and fatalistic tone. Calvin himself is an interesting critter. Though obviously a CGI creation, he's imaginatively rendered and sometimes kinda creepy. None of the characters resonate much, but at least they don't behave stupidly and some of their deaths, while not overtly gory, are stylishly gruesome.

Jake sits on a thumbtack.

Life also throws a climactic curveball which, quite frankly, I didn't see coming, something I always appreciate. The movie isn't gonna make anyone forget Alien, nor is it likely to end up on any year-end top 10 lists. But in the moment, Life is a solid, smart slice of horror sci-fi.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES: "Claustrophobic Terror: Creating a Thriller in Space; "Life in Zero G"; "The Art and Reality of Calvin"

"ASTRONAUT DIARIES" - Brief, fictional video segments featuring three of the main characters.

DELETED SCENE

DIGITAL COPY

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

Rest in Peace, Stephen Furst

Stephen Furst (1955-2017)

Rest in Peace, John G. Avildsen

John G. Avildsen (1935-2017)

Blu-Ray Review: RAILROAD TIGERS

Starring Jackie Chan, Huang Zitao, Wang Kai, Darren Wang, Sang Ping, Alan Wu, Xu Fan, Jaycee Chan, Andy Lau. Directed by Ding Sheng. (2016, 124 min).

WELL GO USA

CLICK HERE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A BLU-RAY COPY OF THIS FILM.

I suppose if any actor deserves to take a few victory laps, it's Jackie Chan. He's obviously slowed down a step or two, but that's okay. He's got nothing left to prove. Besides, as he demonstrates in Railroad Tigers, there's still some juice left in the tank. And if he wants to return to the type of freewheeling Chinese action comedies that first made him a star, is that such a bad thing? At the very least, we're spared another reteaming with Chris Tucker.

Chan does team up with a pretty talented cast (including his own son, Jaycee) to play a tight-knit band of scruffy freedom fighters (affectionately known as the Railroad Tigers) who rob Japanese army trains during World War II. After the Chinese army fails to blow up a nearby bridge - which would cut off the Japanese supply line - they decide to attempt it themselves by hijacking a train and using its cache of explosives. In addition to doing it for their country, Ma Yuan (Chan) sees this as an opportunity to avenge the death of his wife.

"I hate to break it to you kid, but this is the Train to Busan."

A potential suicide mission is sort of an odd premise for an action-comedy, sometimes shifting uncomfortably between slapstick comedy to brutal violence (though the latter is seldom too graphic). At 124 minutes, the film is also too long. The first hour or so is pretty meandering, and while most of these characters are affable and charming (even the villains have their amusing moments), one might grow impatient for the film to get down to business, which it eventually does...pretty spectacularly. The climactic train siege, gunfight & point-blank tank battle is rousing, suspenseful, phenomenally destructive and, yes, frequently funny.

Railroad Tigers won't go down as one of Jackie Chan's classics, though it's a nice comeback from his recent "serious" period, not-to-mention a definite improvement over the Hollywood hackfests he's appeared in lately. His glory years may be behind him, but this film is a good reminder of why we took him into our hearts in the first place.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES: "The Making Of"; "Directors Featurette"; "The Dangers of Shooting"; "VFX Featurette"; "The Characters"

2 TRAILERS

DVD COPY

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW

Blu-Ray News: Star Vehicles & Star Crystals Coming in July

COMING JULY 25. Hired killers by day... devoted lovers by night! Charley Partanna (Jack Nicholson, The Missouri Breaks), a do-it-yourself kind of guy, has been loyal to "The Family" since he can remember. If you need somebody rubbed out he's your eraser, ready to kill at the drop of a dime. The mafia boss's daughter (Anjelica Huston, The Grifters) has eyes for Charley, but Charley has just married the sultry hired assassin named Irene Walker (Kathleen Turner, V.I. Warshawski). Their unlikely relationship hits a snag, however, as they find out that their next job is to ice each other. Now Charley must choose which contract to honor, the one to his wife or the one on his wife. Legendary filmmaker John Huston (The Unforgiven) directed this wickedly amoral killer comedy with a top-notch cast that includes Robert Loggia (The Marrying Man), William Hickey (Sea of Love), John Randolph (Serpico), and Lawrence Tierney (Reservoir Dogs). Winner of the 1986 Oscar® for Supporting Actress (Huston).

Special Features: Audio commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson

COMING JULY 25. The controversial true story that inflamed a nation! Meryl Streep (Still of the Night) stars in this stunning, provocative and daring drama about one woman's struggle against a huge corporation. Karen Silkwood (Streep) lives a free-spirited existence with two friends, Drew Stephens (Kurt Russell, Death Proof) and Dolly Pelliker (Cher, Moonstruck), who work with her at an Oklahoma nuclear facility. It's only when she discovers she's been exposed to radiation that Karen's conscience awakens, and soon she is digging for evidence of wrongdoing at her company. But her sudden zeal for safer working conditions may come at a high price as she alienates friends and possibly even puts her own life in peril. Excellent direction by Mike Nichols (The Graduate) with a screenplay by Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle) and Alice Arlen (Alamo Bay) and a stellar supporting cast that includes Craig T. Nelson (Poltergeist), Diana Scarwid (Mommie Dearest), Fred Ward (Tremors), Ron Silver (Blue Steel), Charles Hallahan (The Thing), Josef Sommer (Witness), David Strathairn (Limbo), M. Emmet Walsh (Blood Simple), Tess Harper (Tender Mercies) and Will Patton (No Way Out). Nominated for 5 Academy Awards®: Actress (Streep), Supporting Actress (Cher), Director (Nichols), Original Screenplay (Ephron, Arlen) and Editing (Sam O'Steen).

Special Features: Interview with Producer Michael Hausman | Trailers | TV Spots | Reversible Blu-ray art

COMING JULY 11. A B-movie cult classic. In the year 2035 scientists discovered a new life form... they wish they hadn't. It was found during a routine expedition to Mars, buried just beneath the surface of the angry red planet. But what was initially thought to be just a curiously shaped rock turned out to be something much more: hidden within was an unknown alien species unlike any that science had ever encountered. And it has escaped. Now after the catastrophic destruction of their orbital space station, the ragtag crew of Shuttlecraft SC37 is adrift in space with limited oxygen, dwindling supplies and one very unwelcome guest. It is lethal. It is cunning. And it is growing larger and more intelligent with every horrific kill. With time running out, the surviving crew members must regain control of their doomed spaceship from an evolving alien predator who will stop at nothing to destroy them all... and to protect the startling secret that throbs deep inside the Star Crystal. Written and directed by Lance Lindsay (Real Bullets).