ANCHORMAN (4K) Is For Superfans

ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY

20th Anniversary Edition (4K UHD)

2004 / 94 & 98 min (2 versions)

FROM PARAMOUNT

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😽

Will Ferrell’s now-classic comedy, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, has historically been well represented on home video. Some previous Blu-ray editions have been loaded with bonus material, enough to keep fans of the film entertained for hours. And because of their humorous & satiric nature, a lot of those supplements are worth revisiting.

2010’s “Rich Mahogany Edition” was especially comprehensive and included the 2004 straight-to-video feature, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie, which was previously only available as a separate DVD. Until the 2013 sequel, this set provided all the Ron Burgundy anyone could ever want (or handle).

The inevitable 20th Anniversary Edition offers Anchorman in 4K UHD, along with the unrated extended edition, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy and the same plethora of bonus features. If you’ve never added the film to your collection, this 3-disc set is well worth the price.

When leisure suits were a superpower.

But here’s the rub (for this writer, anyway). I love 4K upgrades as much as the next cinephile, even those which simply carry over supplements from older home video releases. Sometimes you just gotta have best video/audio quality possible. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean every movie is made better with a technical upgrade. 

With a doubt, the 4K upgrade of Anchorman is an improvement over the various Blu-ray releases (though the audio mix is essentially the same). But basically being a dialogue & gag-driven comedy, it's not some kind of technical cinematic achievement. There’s no aspect of the film that significantly benefits from a 4K transfer. I realize I might be in the minority on this, but Anchorman already looks and sounds good enough on Blu-ray.

Still, I’m sure there are those out there who need this one, either because they’re superfans or are in the midst of upgrading their entire collection to 4K. And they won’t be disappointed. For everyone else, some previous Blu-ray editions have the same bonus features at a fraction of the price.

EXTRA KIBBLES

THEATRICAL VERSION (4K & Blu-ray) and UNRATED VERSION (Blu-ray only)

WAKE UP, RON BURGUNDY: THE LOST MOVIE - First released direct-to-video, this is a feature length compilation of scenes that didn’t make the final cut of the original film, tied together with narration. There’s also a 13 minute intro-commentary by Will Ferrell and Aaron Zimmerman. If you enjoy leftovers… 

AUDIO COMMENTARY (sort of) - By writer/director Adam McKay, actor/writer Will Ferrell, actors Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate, David Koechner, musicians Lou Rawls & Kyle Gass, Andy Richter. This is played more for laughs than providing info, but it’s sometimes entertaining.

MUSIC VIDEO - “Afternoon Delight”

36 DELETED/EXTENDED SCENES

BLOOPERS

ESPN SPORTSCENTER AUDITION 

“GOOD TAKES” - Alternate improvisations from various scenes.

PSA, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMC LOEWS & EMMY AWARDS SPEECH - Various gags featuring Ferrell in-character. 

MTV MUSIC AWARDS INTERVIEWS

SPECIALS - Cinemax: The Making of Anchorman; Reel Comedy: Anchorman; A Conversation with Ron Burgundy.

CAST AUDITIONS

CAST TABLE READS

REHEARSAL FOOTAGE

PLAYBACK VIDEO

TRAILERS

DIGITAL COPY

Goofy GUYVER

THE GUYVER (Blu-ray)

1991 / 93 min

FROM UNEARTHED FILMS

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😼

An American-Japanese co-production, The Guyver is based on a popular manga series, made & released before most of us on this side of the pond even knew what manga was. More-or-less thrown away by its distributor, the film went straight to video, where it became a minor cult classic.

Back then, the VHS case proudly boasted Mark Hamill’s name above the title, which certainly piqued some people’s curiosity (including yours truly), since Hamill seldom had top billing in anything without Star Wars in the title. But in the time-honored tradition of duping viewers with the ol’ bait & switch, the actual star of The Guyver is a guy named Jack Armstrong, fondly remembered for absolutely nothing and possessing the charisma of a vanilla cone. Nice hair, though.

The Guyver is a supremely silly superhero film that might draw just as much inspiration from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as the original manga. A lengthy opening crawl provides most of the back story (maybe too much): The Guyver is an alien device that, when fused with its host, turns him into a lean, mean cyber-machine. It’s stolen by a scientist, who manages to stash it before being murdered by thugs from Chronos, the company he worked for. Chronos itself is actually controlled by Zoanoids - mutants disguised as humans - who plan to use the Guyver as a weapon.

Instead, it’s found by Sean (Armstrong), a martial arts student with a crush on Mizky (Vivian Wu), who happens to be the daughter of the dead scientist. If you’re asking “Where’s Hamill?”, he plays Max Reed, a CIA agent who’s been investigating Chronos and was supposed to meet Mizky’s father the night he was killed. While Hamill delivers the film’s best performance, it’s in a fairly thankless role. His character could easily be removed with only minor tweaks to the narrative.

In addition to being a lethal weapon, the Guyver makes terrific Bundt cakes.

Of course, Sean ends up melding with the Guyver at the most opportune moment…while getting his ass beaten by a gang. Now a super-fighter, he makes short work of them, as well as the Cronos henchmen who later try to kidnap Misky. These action scenes waver between impressive and extraordinarily goofy, the latter compounded by humor that’s both intentional and unintentional.

Without question, the best aspects of The Guyver are the elaborate creature effects on full display whenever Zoanoids transform into a mutants, which happens early and often. Considering the low budget, there’s a lot of imagination at work, which I suppose shouldn’t be surprising since co-directors Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang have special effects backgrounds. 

A gaggle of cult favorites pepper the cast, including David Gale as the maniacal Zoanoid leader, Jeffrey Combs as Dr. East (an amusing riff on his most famous role, Herbert West), Michael Berryman and Linnea Quigley (in a brief but funny cameo), All of them are more engaging than Armstrong and Wu, though the latter would eventually move on to better things. Conversely, Jimmy Walker is simply irritating as Striker, a Zoanoid thug, especially his embarrassing rap routines. 

The Guyver is definitely a product of its time, and if viewed in that context, it’s kind of enjoyable. There’s some nostalgic fun to be had in revisiting old video store staples, even if they might seem a lot sillier today. A few bits of jarring violence notwithstanding, this was Power Rangers before there were Power Rangers. I’m not saying one influenced the other, but the action and tone are remarkably similar.

EXTRA KIBBLES

INTERVIEW WITH PRODUCER BRIAN YUZNA - The best of the bonus features, the longtime cult producer discusses how he got started in the movie business, as well as the making of The Guyver.

THE ALTERED STATES OF SCREAMING MAD GEORGE - This hour-long feature has the co-director also discussing his career (mostly as a make-up artist). He’s nothing if not enthusiastic.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - Newly recorded by directors Steve Wang & Screaming Mad George; moderated by author Dom O’Brien.

SUIT TESTS - With commentary by directors Steve Wang & Screaming Mad George; additional commentary by Evil Ted Smith & Wyatt Reed.

OUTTAKES - With commentary by directors Steve Wang & Screaming Mad George.

GAG REEL - With commentary by directors Steve Wang & Screaming Mad George.

ALTERNATE TITLE SEQUENCE

PRODUCTION & PROMOTIONAL GALLERIES

ENGLISH, GERMAN, SPANISH & FRENCH TRAILERS - Trailers feature the European title, Mutronics.

Witness This ACT OF VIOLENCE

ACT OF VIOLENCE (Blu-ray)

1948 / 82 min

FROM WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😸

Film noir doesn’t begin much more intriguingly than this. In New York, disheveled Joe Parkson (Robert Ryan) grabs a gun and boards a Greyhound bus bound for California. By his dark, determined expression, we suspect he’s traveling cross-country to kill somebody.

That somebody is Frank Enley (Van Heflin), a decorated war hero & businessman leading an idyllic life in the suburbs with loving young wife Edith (Janet Leigh) and their infant son. Upon arriving in town, Joe wastes no time trying to track Frank down. We still don't know why he's trying to kill him...but Frank certainly does.

It’s a compelling first act that has the audience burning to know the relationship between these two. Act of Violence keeps fueling the tension as Frank initially refuses to explain what’s going on, even while Joe is lurking right outside of their house. Heflin’s performance in this sequence is also an effective piece of foreshadowing. Just by his mannerisms and impatience with Edith, it’s suggested that Frank may not quite be the all-around good guy he seemed to be earlier.

As Joe relentlessly pursues Frank, their shared past is revealed. Both were POWs at a Nazi prison camp during World Ward II, where an incident resulted in the deaths of all the other soldiers and Joe being permanently injured. Frank initially tells Edith that Joe’s simply crazy, but later confesses what actually happened while they were prisoners, a shocking revelation that alters our perception of both Frank and Joe. 

Too cool to fish with a pole.

Act of Violence piles on the moral ambiguity when Frank refuses to get the police involved, feeling it would tarnish his reputation. While fleeing Joe, he stumbles into a bar and meets Pat (Mary Astor). She introduces him to a shady lawyer who coerces Frank (now drunk) into spending $10,000 for a thug, Johnny (Berry Kroeger), to take care the problem. Meanwhile, Joe’s girlfriend, Ann (Phyllis Thaxter), has followed him to LA, imploring him not to kill Frank because not-only would he be throwing his own life away, it would devastate the man’s family. Sobering up, Frank realizes he can’t bury his past and is desperate to stop Johnny before it’s too late, leading to a suspenseful showdown during the final act. 

What makes Act of Violence somewhat unique in film noir is we’re equally invested in both of the main characters. Each is deeply flawed, yet while they may not necessary be likable, they certainly earn our empathy. Heflin and Ryan are excellent in their roles, especially the latter. No stranger to the genre, he instills Joe with his usual cool menace while displaying a hint of uncertainty as the narrative progresses. Playing somewhat against type at this point in her career, Astor is wonderful (and convincing) as an aging, cynical prostitute. 

Running a lean 82 minutes, the film hits the ground running and doesn't slow down, seldom straying from the dark tone established in the very first scene. Featuring tight direction by Fred Zinnemann and aided to a great degree by Robert Surtees’ moody cinematography, Act of Violence is an underseen film noir gem.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE - Act of Violence: Dealing with the Devil is a short but entertaining piece with comments & appreciation by a few directors and historians.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By film historian Dr. Drew Casper. 

2 CARTOON SHORTS - "Goggle Fishing Bear" (MGM) and "The Shell-Shocked Egg" (Looney Tunes). Not among the best from either studio.

TRAILER

THE POOP SCOOP: Culty Kibbles

🚑Martin Scorsese's BRINGING OUT THE DEAD Celebrates 25th Anniversary With 4K Ultra HD And Blu-ray Release On September 17 from Paramount.

Director Martin Scorsese’s gripping and fiery masterpiece BRINGING OUT THE DEAD celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and Paramount Home Entertainment is marking the occasion by releasing the newly remastered film for the first time ever on both 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on September 17, 2024. BRINGING OUT THE DEAD debuted on October 22, 1999 and marked the fourth collaboration between Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull).  Nicolas Cage gives a riveting performance as a Manhattan paramedic barely clinging to sanity over the course of three chaotic nights.  The film also stars Patricia Arquette, John Goodman, Ving Rhames, and Tom Sizemore. Newly remastered from the original camera negative, this exceptional new release was reviewed by Scorsese, cinematographer Robert Richardson, and editor Thelma Schoonmaker.  Arriving as part of the Paramount Presents line, BRINGING OUT THE DEAD is presented in a must-own two-disc set that includes the film on 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Atmos and on Blu-ray, along with a wealth of new bonus content, including new interviews with Scorsese, Cage, Schrader, and Richardson, plus archival on-set interviews with Patricia Arquette, John Goodman, Ving Rhames, Tom Sizemore, and Marc Anthony.

🙀THE WATCHERS on Digital June 25, and 4K Blu-ray and DVD August 27 from Warner Bros Discovery.

Prepare to be on the edge of your seat when Ishana Night Shyamalan’s feature film directorial debut, The Watchers, from New Line Cinema arrives for purchase and rental Digitally at home on June 28. The film will also be available to purchase on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD on August 27. From producer M. Night Shyamalan, The Watchers is written for the screen and directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan, and is based on the 2022 novel by A.M. Shine. The Watchers follows Mina, a 28-year-old artist who gets stranded in an expansive, untouched forest in western Ireland. When Mina finds shelter, she unknowingly becomes trapped alongside three strangers that are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures each night. The Watchers stars Dakota Fanning (Ripley, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Georgina Campbell (Barbarian, Suspicion), Olwen Fouéré (The Northman, The Tourist) and Oliver Finnegan (Creeped Out, Outlander). 

🏁Howard Hawks’ Cult Classic RED LINE 7000 on Blu-ray July 30 from Arrow Video.

July 30th marks the release of Howard Hawks’ thrilling drama Red Line 7000 in limited-edition Blu-ray. Filmed at real NASCAR races during the 1965 season, director Hawks (Rio Bravo) brings you closer to the split decisions between glory and death than ever before. Pat Kazarian’s (Norman Alden) racing team is put into disarray with the death of one of his drives at Daytona. The competition heats up as drivers Mike (James Caan, in his first starring role), Ned (John Robert Crawford) and Dan (Skip Ward) all contend with each other on and off the track. Red Line 7000 is a high-octane film that influenced Quentin Tarantino and Francois Truffaut and features early performances by George Takei (Star Trek) and Teri Garr (Mr. Mom). The Blu-ray special features include audio commentary, new interviews, two new visual essays, image galleries, new writings on the films, a double-sided foldout poster, and newly commissioned artwork. 

🙀BLOODY DISGUSTING Reveals Exclusive Walmart Blu-ray SteelBooks, Coming August 20 from Lionsgate.

Bloody Disgusting is pumping the blood into summer at a Walmart near you with their exclusive, newly commissioned and eye-catching SteelBooks, arriving on Blu-ray + Digital on August 20 from Lionsgate. Each frightful SteelBook brings these iconic horror titles back with a new look and artwork created by the artist Bond. The featured titles include Wolf Creek, Leatherface, Sinister, Texas Chainsaw, You’re Next, I Spit on Your Grave, and Hannibal Rising, all for the suggested retail price of $24.99 individually.Terror has never looked more frightening with The Bloody Disgusting Blu-ray SteelBook collection.

Revisiting PURPLE RAIN in 4K

PURPLE RAIN 40th Anniversary Edition (4K UHD)

1984 / 111 min

FROM WARNER BROS / #InPartnershipwithWB

Review by Mr. Paws😼

Man, talk about your period pieces…

In the time honored tradition of pop stars making that jump to the big screen, Purple Rain was the feature film debut of Prince. And for all intents and purposes, it remains his only significant contribution to American cinema. But what a contribution it was.

As “The Kid,” Prince certainly doesn’t embarrass himself like Neil Diamond did a few years earlier with The Jazz Singer. Nor do I think he was reserving a spot on his shelf for an Oscar (at least for his acting). What he does do is turn his style, persona and music into a pop culture phenomenon. Even today, 40 years later, when we think of Prince, it’s the music & imagery from Purple Rain that generally comes to mind…

 

…perhaps even more than the film itself, which has always been sort of a mixed bag. Arguably a bit darker than the typical “soundtrack” movie of the 80s, it’s nevertheless a derivative story that’s sporadically engaging, with an overall aesthetic which dates it far more than the music. Speaking of which, the music overshadows every other aspect of the film (as it should), mostly presented through dynamic performances, not just by the Purple One himself, but Morris Day and Apollonia 6.

When the stage is littered with Legos.

The musical numbers are also the best reason for Prince fans and lovers of all-things-80s to check out Purple Rain in 4K. These sequences are visually vibrant and colorful, greatly enhanced by the remixed 5.1 audio track (the original 2.0 audio is also an option). But considering this is the film’s 40th anniversary and Prince is another musical icon who died way too young, some new retrospective bonus material should have been included, Sure, the videos are nice, as is the brief featurette, but how about a little something on the film & artist’s legacy?

Watching Purple Rain today is kind of like opening up a time capsule that you personally remember burying. While the soundtrack album is arguably more iconic (and timeless) than the movie itself, the latter captures a moment in time when Prince’s cultural impact extended beyond the music. As such, this is one of those 80s films that's probably best appreciated by those who were there.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE - First Avenue: The Road to Pop Royalty.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Albert Magnoli, producer Robert Cavallo & director of photography Donald E. Thorin.

8 MUSIC VIDEOS

DIGITAL COPY