THE POOP SCOOP: A VHS Comeback?

🙀Coming to VHS! HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER on Nov 19th from Dark Sky Selects.

It was a true game-changer, a film so upsetting in its blunt depiction of an amoral murderer that it made the slasher films of its time look like cartoons by comparison. HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER became a lightning rod in heated debates about cinema and censorship but has only grown in stature since its first showing in 1986. Now, for the first time, the film will be available as a collectable VHS nationwide exclusively via Dark Sky Selects (darkskyselects.com) on November 19, 2024. Pre-orders for the VHS will be available on darkskyselects.com beginning October 31, 2024. Director John McNaughton completed the film in 1986, and it was shown at that year’s Chicago International Film Festival. But it wasn’t until 1990 that a U.S. distributor was brave enough to give it a wide release. The film’s violence, and the clinical, detached portrayal of Henry by the unforgettable Michael Rooker, originally earned it the MPAA’s highly restrictive NC-17 rating. The response from both critics and the public was as visceral as the film itself, and it went on to gain praise as one of the most compelling and disturbing films of modern cinema.

🪐GALAXY QUEST Celebrates 25th Anniversary With 4K Ultra HD Debut December 3rd from Paramount.

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the beloved sci-fi comedy classic GALAXY QUEST as it arrives for the first time ever on 4K Ultra HD December 3, 2024 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Featuring an out-of-this-world, all-star cast including Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Enrico Colantoni, Daryl Mitchell, Justin Long, Missi Pyle, and Rainn Wilson, this rollicking send-up of sci-fi fanaticism is as funny today as when it premiered in theatres 25 years ago. Newly remastered under the supervision of director Dean Parisot, GALAXY QUEST is presented in 4K Ultra HD with spectacular Dolby Vision and HDR-10, as well as with Dolby Atmos sound for the most immersive home viewing experience.  For its 25th anniversary, the film will be available in a nationwide release and a Limited-Edition SteelBook, both of which offer access to a Digital copy of the film and over 90 minutes of new and legacy bonus content, including a new Filmmaker Focus with director Dean Parisot reflecting on the film and its enduring popularity.  

😺THE KILLER’S GAME arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on November 19 from Lionsgate.

In the new action-comedy THE KILLER’S GAME, when top hit man Joe Flood (Dave Bautista) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he decides to take matters into his own hands – by taking a hit out on himself. But when the very hit men he hired also target his ex-girlfriend (Sofia Boutella), he must fend off an army of assassin colleagues and win back the love of his life before it’s too late. Experience a deadly game of survival in THE KILLER’S GAME, arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™, and DVD on November 19 from Lionsgate. Based on the book The Killer’s Game, the film is directed by JJ Perry (Day Shift) from a screenplay by Rand Ravich and James Coyne. It also stars Terry Crews (The Expendables 1-3), Scott Adkins (John Wick: Chapter 4), with Pom Klementieff (Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning), and Ben Kingsley (Schindler’s List).

👽ALIEN: ROMULUS Gets Limited-Edition VHS Release on 12/3 in Addition to 4K, Blu-ray and DVD from 20th Century Studios.

Director Fede Alvarez announced at a special Beyond Fest partnered screening at the Aero Theater in Los Angeles that 20th Century Studios will release the terrifying sci-fi horror thriller, Alien: Romulus, on limited edition VHS December 3. An ultimate movie collector’s dream, the fully functioning VHS tape was created in celebration of the 45th anniversary of the legendary Alien franchise, the box features artwork by renowned artist Matt Ferguson. The legendary Alien franchise gives birth to an all-new terrifying sci-fi horror thriller when 20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romulus arrives to digital retailers (Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home) on October 15 and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on December 3. Alien: Romulus is the start of a new chapter with a brand-new story unlike any other Alien movie that came before it, featuring all-new creatures and characters that are “tense enough to grab you by the throat” (Owen Gleiberman, Variety). Fans can delve deeper into the Alien franchise with all-new exclusive bonus features, including featurettes with filmmakers Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott, behind the scenes content, and alternate and extended scenes. The 4K UHD will be available in a collectible limited edition SteelBook with custom artwork and packaging.

1982: THE GREATEST GEEK YEAR EVER!: Subjective Retrospective

1982: THE GREATEST GEEK YEAR EVER! (Blu-ray)

2023 / 165 min

FROM MVD VISUAL

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

Whether or not 1982 is indeed the greatest geek year ever is certainly subjective, to say nothing of debatable. Still, this film makes a strong case.

I saw most of these films in theaters back then, and I think 1982: The Greatest Geek Year Ever!, which originally aired as a miniseries, will undoubtedly appeal to those of a similar age. It’s also important to note that this isn’t a retrospective of the greatest films, but those which had a significant impact on popular culture, specific genres and certain fanbases. As such, 1982 was certainly loaded. 

At first, however, I was questioning the filmmakers’ approach. The first 15 minutes-or-so is such a rapid-fire series of clips and comments that I feared this was gonna be the documentary equivalent of an K-tel album (if you’re old enough to recall 1982, you’re old enough to remember K-tel albums). But thankfully, this is merely a prologue that sets the stage for the following 2 ½ hours, which it fills pretty well.

Dozens of films are featured with clips and commentary. Many of them are discussed in considerable detail, with lengthy segments dedicated to such classics (and cult classics) as Blade Runner, Star Trek II, E.T, Poltergeist, Conan the Barbarian, First Blood, Night Shift,The Road Warrior (though that one was actually released in 1981), Tron, The Thing and Tootsie, just to name a few. Others are acknowledged, but more quickly covered before moving on (mostly the horror and B-movies). Even that year’s most daffy dumpster fire, Megaforce, is given a little love. 

Director Paul Schrader recalls his visit to Hooters.

This is more than a cavalcade of talking heads spouting fan service. Yeah, there’s some of that - actually a lot of that - but also plenty of revealing production details and behind-the-scenes stories that might even surprise those who think they know everything about a specific film. Interviewees range from people involved in the films (on both sides of the camera) to actors, producers and directors influenced or inspired by them, as well as historians/critics discussing their legacies. 

Tellingly - and very amusingly - one of the final segments covers the films that were nominated for an Oscar that year. When asked to recall which movie actually won, hardly anyone interviewed could remember. So obviously, what constitutes great (or memorable) is in the eye of the beholder, and it ain’t like Gandhi (which did win) inspired any action figures or video games.

Running nearly three hours, 1982: The Greatest Geek Year Ever! is exhaustive but enjoyable. Some might contest which year actually was the greatest, but this is one hell of an argument. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE - The Fans Speak features several super-fans who discuss their love/obsession of specific films.

2022 SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON PANEL

2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By director-producer Roger Lay Jr & writer-producer Matk A. Altman; 2) By producers Scott Mantz, Thomas P. Vitale & Mark A. Altman.

DELETED/EXTENDED SCENES

TRAILER

REVERSIBLE COVER

MINI POSTER

KINJITE: FORBIDDEN SUBJECTS and the Bitter Aftertaste

KINJITE: FORBIDDEN SUBJECTS (Blu-ray)

1989 / 97 min

FROM MGM

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Princess Pepper😾

When discussing movies, especially online, I’ve endured countless people jacking their jaws (ad nauseum) about how and why certain older movies “couldn’t be made today,” sometimes contemptuously adding that people these days are too easily offended. And in defending those films, they’ll inevitably argue that those movies need to be viewed in the context of when they were made, when cultural norms and attitudes were different.

Okay, whatever. It doesn’t change the fact that the Asian stereotypes depicted (for laughs) in Sixteen Candles and Breakfast at Tiffany’s are extraordinarily cringey, context be damned. The only difference between those two films and Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects is that almost nobody remembers the latter. 

Kinjite was one of Charles Bronson’s last gasps as an action hero and the nadir of his dire Cannon years. If it were anything more than a footnote in his long career, those same jaw-jackers would be citing it as another movie that couldn’t be made today. I’ll go one further and say it shouldn’t have been made in 1989. It was offensive back then, too. 

As a lifelong Bronson fan, it was sad to witness his descent into exploitative mediocrity during the 80s, repeatedly putting his career in the hands of a director (J. Lee Thompson) who stopped giving a damn years earlier. But even by their severely tempered standards, Kinjite is a bottom dweller. Not because the film is poorly made. From a technical standpoint, it’s efficiently directed and Bronson actually looks like he’s trying. However, the sleazy approach to its subject matter and repellent attitude toward the Japanese - mostly through it’s protagonist - overshadows everything.

Guess who just stabbed his own palm.

Bronson plays Crowe, a dedicated L.A. cop obsessed with nailing a sex trafficker, Duke (Juan Fernandez), who preys on young girls. He’s also very protective of his 15-year-old daughter, Rita (Amy Hathaway), who’s starting to blossom, as demonstrated in a really creepy scene where she’s lovingly photographed dripping wet after just winning a swim meet. Concurrently, Hiroshi Hada (James Pax) is a Japanese businessman with weird sexual appetites, which includes groping Rita on a city bus. Afterwards, Crowe declares his hatred of all Japanese people, most vividly during an angry, racist tirade on a public street.

When Hada’s own daughter is taken and turned into a prostitute, Crowe is on the case, unaware Hada’s the one who assaulted Rita. But other than a moment when Rita recognizes Hada but says nothing, these storylines don’t intersect, meaning the entire bus incident feels like an excuse to present the supposed Japanese conceit that groping young girls in public is okay because Asian women prefer to be silently humiliated rather than speak out. And tellingly, one major character faces no consequences for his deviant behavior. 

Elsewhere, there isn’t any actual sex in the film - and very little nudity - but it frequently objectifies young girls in scenes obviously created to titillate. Child trafficking is a worthy subject for crime thriller, but not with such a cavalier approach as this. And really, there’s no real purpose behind the entire Japanese portion of the story other than to suggest the culture objectifies young women. Sure, Crowe has a change-of-heart regarding his own racism, but unlike Walt Kowalski’s epiphany in Gran Torino, it feels superficially tacked-on. Even if viewed in the context of when it was made, Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Revisiting ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES in 4K

ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES (4K UHD)

1993 / 94 min

FROM PARAMOUNT

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

In one aspect, this new 4K release of Addams Family Values is something of a surprise. When giving catalog titles a 4K UHD upgrade, most studios typically just port over old bonus material from previous releases and call it a day. However, this one’s supplements are all new to home video. Granted, there’s only two of them, but since other versions had none, at least it’s a little additional incentive to upgrade beyond the 4K restoration.

Speaking of which, this new video transfer looks terrific, with great black levels, vibrant colors, naturalistic tones and still retaining the the look of a film. From a technical standpoint, the image quality is the only upgrade. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track as the exact same as the previous Blu-ray release. But since that track was perfectly fine to begin with, it’s a minor quip. Rest assured, you’ll still hear that godawful “Whoomp!” song in all its cringey glory.

As for the movie itself, Addams Family Values is, of course, the high-concept 1994 sequel to the high-concept 1991 original, which was based on the classic TV show & Charles Addams comics. And like the first film, this one is elevated beyond mere brand-name appeal by director Barry Sonnenfeld, Paul Rudnick’s dark & witty screenplay and, of course, actors who are perfectly cast. These people ultimately made both films more entertaining and clever than anyone had a right to expect.

For her screen test, Joan re-enacted her favorite scene from When Harry Met Sally.

Revisiting the film 30 years later, I’m of the personal opinion that this one is often just as funny, though not as consistent as the first. The film juggles two concurrent stories, with the first being crazy killer Debbie (Joan Cusack) intending to marry Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd) in order to murder him for his money. It's a funny and twisted story, but not as morbidly hilarious as the concurrent plot of Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) being shipped off to summer camp, only to wreak havoc with the campers and counselors. I often found myself wishing this story comprised the entire film. Then again, that would mean we’d see less of Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston, who are once again note-perfect as Gomez and Morticia. 

At the very least, Addams Family Values is one of the few comedy sequels that doesn’t suffer too much from the Law of Diminishing Returns. The 4K disc features a good video upgrade and new bonus features which, while sparse, might please fans of the film.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE - Though technically a new featurette, Crafting Family Values mostly consists of archival interviews, which is fine since it’s never been available before. Runs about 10 minutes.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Barry Sonnedfeld & screenwriter Paul Rudnick.

DIGITAL COPY

THE MAD BOMBER: Crazy Connors & Nasty Neville

THE MAD BOMBER (Blu-ray)

aka The Police Connection

1972 / 91 min

FROM SEVERIN FILMS

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Big Kaboom😼

Confession time…I’ve always had sort of a soft spot for Bert I. Gordon, ever since wasting perfectly good allowance money to catch 1976’s The Food of the Gods in a theater (yes, I’m that old). While he’s never been considered a great director, those endearingly tacky monster movies from the ‘50s were always a lot of fun…frequently at their own expense. Just ask the Mystery Science Theater guys, who riffed at least a half-dozen of his films.

But considering the budgets he was working with, Gordon’s movies were pretty well assembled and almost always reflected unbridled enthusiasm and confidence. When silly sci-fi and flaky fantasies were no longer paying the bills, Gordon tackled more adult fare with the same fervor, such as 1972’s The Mad Bomber, arguably the craziest film on his entire resume. From a narrative and technical standpoint, it might also be his most accomplished.

Make no mistake, though…this is a sleazy, exploitative slab of grindhouse cinema under the guise of a police procedural. However, there’s also a little demented genius in the basic concept, that of disgruntled serial bomber William Dorn (Chuck Conners), who targets those he blames for ruining his life. Hardnosed detective Geronimo Minelli (Vince Edwards) suspects there was a witness to the most recent bombing. The problem? That witness is a serial rapist currently at-large in the city.

So to stop the bomber, Minelli must first catch the rapist, George Fromley (Neville Brand), which he eventually does after a lengthy sting operation. But Fromley ain’t interested to cooperating, at least until Minelli puts a gun to his head. In the interim, we see Dorn stalking the streets clutching his bag of bombs, occasionally stopping to berate others for their rude or offensive behavior. From the very first scene, Dorn is established as unhinged and intimidating, ready to snap at the slightest provocation. And as played with over-the-top gusto by Connors, we buy it. During these sequences, the film is simultaneously creepy and amusing. 

"This wouldn't have happened in I was still a Rifleman."

Equally creepy are the numerous rape scenes, which are voyeuristically depicted. Neville is effectively slimy in the role, and you haven’t lived until you’ve seen a legendary character actor stroking his salami while watching homemade movies of his naked wife (and he really gets into it!). Due to Neville and Connors’ wild scenery-chewing, Edwards isn’t as interesting, but that’s also because Geronimo is mostly just an amalgamate of every other renegade cop we’ve seen (which means, of course, he’s repeatedly berated by his captain). 

Elsewhere, The Mad Bomber has its share of implausibilities, goofy dialogue and leering, gratuitous female nudity. At the same time, it’s efficiently directed, well shot and makes effective use of L.A. locations. This ain’t gonna make anyone forget Dirty Harry, but the basic story is interesting and some of the action and violence belies its tiny budget. This includes a spectacularly gory scene showing how thoroughly dynamite can rearrange the human anatomy…a scene that would make Tom Savini proud.

From a historical perspective, The Mad Bomber is certainly a product of its time, both aesthetically and in terms of content, being a bit too rapey to be viewed as anything but ‘70s-era exploitation. Still, the premise is solid and, as usual, Mr. B.I.G. makes the most of his limited resources. On Blu-ray for the first time, Severin Films has given this largely forgotten film a nice restoration and thrown in some interesting bonus features.

EXTRA KIBBLES

TV CUT OF THE FILM

FEATURETTES - Patricia Gordon Remembers Her Father features the director’s daughter in an audio interview, where she reflects on his career with plenty of charming anecdotes; To Be in the Moment is an interview with actress Cynthia MacAdams, who’s featured in a small role as dorn’s ex-wife; On the Trail of The Mad Bomber shows various filming locations, then and now.

BERT I. GORDON INTERVIEW - Not quite an audio commentary, this is a feature length audio interview that plays along with a cut of the film.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By author Kier-La Janisse and bomb squad detective Mike Digby.

ISOLATED SCORE

TV SPOTS - One for each title the film has been released with.

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - Includes photos and an essay, The Mad Bomber Story, written by Andy Turner.

ALIEN: ROMULUS Brings Back The Horror

ALIEN: ROMULUS (Digital)

2024 / 119 min

FROM 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Alien: Romulus is now available on Digital and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD December 3.

Maybe the shot-in-the-arm this franchise needed was for director Ridley Scott to step away once again (though he remains one of the producers). With all due respect to his legacy, both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant were interesting - especially the former - but strayed too far from what made the original 1979 classic a lean, mean masterpiece. I could be in the minority on this, but I never needed a xenomorph origin story. They were scarier when we knew less about them. 

Alien: Romulus, the seventh film in the series (sorry, I’ll never include those AvP poo-poo platters), is directed and co-written by Fede Alvarez, the same guy behind Don’t Breathe and the remake of Evil Dead (which was better than it ever had a right to be). Even his most maligned film, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, was a wild, stylish thrill ride. Alvarez is definitely the right choice to breathe new life into the franchise. More than any entry since Alien, this one feels like a horror movie.

Whether one considers Alien: Romulus a sequel, prequel or spin-off, it fits nicely within the franchise timeline, taking place between the first and second films. Five young people seek to escape the slave-like conditions of a mining colony run by the Weyland-Yutani corporation. For the nine-year journey to another planet, they need the cryo-tubes onboard a abandoned space station orbiting above. However, they discover the hard way the station wasn’t actually abandoned, and restoring the station’s systems unleashes a whole lot of facehuggers. As that weren’t bad enough, it turns there is also a new batch of xenomorphs on-board, the result of the company experiments that didn’t end well. Does it ever?

When you sneeze in zero gravity.

But it wouldn’t be an Alien film without the usual Weyland-Yutani shenanigans, would it? Speaking of which, Romulus is chock full of references to previous movies, sometimes as exposition, other times mere fan service, the latter of which is occasionally an unnecessary distraction. Sure, some fans might get a kick out of a new character uttering the immortal line, “Get away from her, you bitch,” but there’s absolutely no reason to use the late Ian Holm’s likeness (and a voice actor who sounds just like him) for another evil android. That's a worse decision than bringing Peter Cushing back from the dead for Rogue One.

Besides, Romulus introduces a pretty neat droid of its own. Andy (David Jonsson) is a discarded Weyland-Yutani product reprogrammed to be a companion/protector of main protagonist Rain (Cailee Spaeny). Their relationship makes them the movie’s most engaging characters, while the rest are comparatively bland (though Spike Fearn as android-hating Bjorn is fun to despise). 

Elsewhere, Romulus follows a similar narrative pattern to the first two films. taking time to establish the setting, scenario and characters before ramping up the tension. Not only are there xenomorphs & facehuggers to worry about, but the aforementioned nefarious android and another relentless countdown before the entire station is destroyed (voiced by MU/TH/UR!). And sure, there are the bloody alien kills and chest bursting scenes we’re all familiar with, but Alavarez manages to thrown-in a few nasty surprises of his own. It’s all deftly directed, with a couple of thrilling sequences as good as anything Ridley Scott or James Cameron came up with.

Did we need another Alien film? Probably not. This one doesn’t introduce new elements or concepts…just a fun, scary spin-off that, despite numerous shout-outs to the rest of the franchise, still tells a good stand-alone story. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

RETURN TO HORROR: CRAFTING ALIEN: ROMULUS - This is a pretty good four-part making-of documentary totalling 25 minutes.

FEATURETTES - Inside the Xenomorph Showdown features director/co-writer Fede Alvarez and others discussing zero-gravity elevator sequence; Alien: A Conversation features Alvarez and talking with original Alien director Ridley Scott (Alvarez’ idol worship is endearing).

4 ALTERNATE/EXTENDED SCENES