Revisiting GALAXY QUEST in 4K

GALAXY QUEST 25th Anniversary Edition

(4K UHD)

1999 / 102 min

FROM PARAMOUNT

Review by Mr. Paws

Back when I taught middle school, I used to show students a variety of films for a unit where they practiced persuasive writing in the form of reviews. I tried to select titles most weren’t likely to have seen or were aware of, which generally meant a lot of older movies, particularly ones that I thought would illicit the biggest variety of responses…not counting eye-rolling groans over being forced to endure something their parents might have watched.

There was always the usual percentage of kids who poo-pooed anything that existed before they were born, as well as those whose personal tastes precluded reviewing anything without Adam Sandler with an open mind (which admittedly, might have been too much to ask from a room of slack-jawed seventh graders). And of course, some of them couldn’t put down their cellphones long enough to give a damn either way.

But many who were able to tear themselves away from Snapchat really liked Galaxy Quest, which I found interesting. The foundations of this film were built on satirizing a cultural phenomenon from their parents’ (or grandparents’) generation. Few of my students were aware of the old Star Trek TV shows or the fandom they inspired, so most of Galaxy Quest’s spot-on satiric elements were lost on them. Yet they loved it anyway.

Tim Allen reveals where he keeps his fan letters...both of them.

I think that personal anecdote is a fitting testament to Galaxy Quest’s enduring appeal 25 years later. Had the film been strictly satire, its expiration date would’ve come-and-gone faster than you can say Scary Movie, the gags lost on anyone without a common frame of reference. But Galaxy Quest was more than satire. It was also a very clever and funny film in its own right, with engaging characters (as opposed to caricatures) and surprisingly affecting moments. One didn’t actually need to be familiar with sci-fi tropes or fan culture to find the whole thing amusing. 

That, more than anything, is why my students enjoyed it, and why Galaxy Quest remains an enduring cult classic. Today, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who’s seen the film and didn’t like it, which is also the main reason I stopped showing it in class shortly after. Reading 20 seventh-grade papers sharing more-or-less the same glowing opinion makes for a really dull grading session.

For its 25th Anniversary, Paramount is releasing Galaxy Quest in 4K Ultra HD (a SteelBook option is also available). The overall image is pretty good, better than the previous Blu-ray, but the most significant upgrade is the Dolby Atmos audio track, which is suitably atmospheric and nicely balanced. In addition to a large selection of archival bonus material, this one includes a new 20 minute featurette with director Dean Parisot.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FILMMAKER FOCUS - This is a new featurette in which director Dean Parisot takes an affectionate look back at the making of the film.

FEATURETTES - Historical Documents: The Story of Galaxy Quest; Never Give Up, Never Surrender: The Intrepid Crew of the NSEA Protector; By Grabthar’s Hammer, What Amazing Effects; Alien School: Creating the Thermian Race; Actors in Space; Sigourney Weaver Raps (why, dear, why?).

DELETED SCENES

THERMIAN AUDIO TRACK (!)

DIGITAL COPY

SCALA!!! is Like Unearthing a Time Capsule

SCALA!!! (Blu-ray)

2023 / 96 min

FROM SEVERIN FILMS

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

The full title of this documentary is Scala!!! Or, the Incredibly Strange Rise and Fall of the World’s Wildest Cinema and How It Influenced a Mixed-up Generation of Weirdos and Misfits. That’s about as accurate a description of a film as you’re likely to find (even if it is a run-on sentence).

The Scala was a London repertory cinema located in a seedy (at the time) part of London. From 1978 to 1993, it specialized in films with significant appeal to the fringe crowd (for lack of a better word). Classics, cult classics, experimental cinema, B-movies, shorts, obscurities, porn, psychedelia and other films from a variety of genres all found a home on its screen.

But more importantly, as this film conveys very well, the Scala itself was an inclusive place that welcomed those who may have felt like pariahs everywhere else…punks, nerds, the gay community, etc. Scala!!! features dozens of interviews with people who operated the theater, regulars who frequented it and such notable directors as John Waters, Ben Wheatley and Mary Harron.

John Waters creates another uncomfortable silence.

The film is filled with fascinating stories and personal anecdotes about the place…all-nighters, festivals, incidents both funny & tragic, employee experiences and the unusual clientele. For the most part, those interviewed offer fond, affectionate recollections, maybe with a bit of nostalgic longing. Additionally, the extensive history of the theater itself is explored, as is its surprising and somewhat ironic demise. 

Interspersing clips from various films that used to play there (some repeatedly), Scalla!!! is well assembled by directors Jane Giles and Ali Catterall, who apply an overall aesthetic that reflects the era of the theater’s heyday, including some surreal animated sequences. And like the best pop culture documentaries, one doesn’t necessarily need to be a fan of fringe films to enjoy the rich history of the venue that showed them. It's the movie equivalent of unearthing a time capsule.

This three-disc set also includes an abundance of bonus material typical of the Scala’s programming, including a lot of really bizarre shorts. Additionally, there are a couple other documentaries just as interesting as Scalla!!! itself.  

EXTRA KIBBLES

SCALA CALENDAR REPLICA - This also serves as a guide to the content on Discs 2 & 3.

MEMBERSHIP CARD REPLICA

Disc 1

FEATURETTES - Scala Programs 1978-1993 is a discussion of 15 the venue’s famous monthly program schedules, highlighting one from each year; Cabinet of Curiosities: Inside the Scala Archive looks at some existing relics from the theater; Cartoons by Davey Jones features the artist discussing the illustrations he created that are featured in the film.

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS - Scala (1990); Scala Cinema (with optional commentary) (1992)

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By directors Jane Giles and Ali Catterall.

ANIMATION - Several short segments featuring some of the animation used in the film: Osbert Parker’s Scala!!! Animation Experiments and Outtakes, Primatarium Animation, Tentacles Animation, Scala!!! Program Animation.

EXTENDED INTERVIEWS

OUTTAKES - Individual outtakes featuring Mary Harron, John Waters, Nick Kent, Thurston Moore.

TRAILER

Disc 2

SHORTS - A collection of short films: Divide and Rule - Never!; Dead Cat; The Mark of Lilith; Relax; Boobs a Lot; Kama Sutra Rides Again; Coping with Cupid; On Guard.

DAVID LEWIS REMEMBERS DEAD CAT

Disc 3

DOCUMENTARIES - Splatterfest Exhumed is an excellent feature-length film about one young fan’s effort to put together a horror festival at the Scala. I actually enjoyed this one a little more than Scala!!! itself. The Art of the Calendar isn’t as lengthy, but still an extensive look at several operators of various repertory cinemas and the monthly calendars they produced.

SHORTS - Most of which were shown at Splatterfest: Maniac 2: Mr. Robbie (this was supposed to become a Maniac sequel, which was never made); Horrorshow; Cleveland Smith: Bounty Hunter (with a very young Bruce Campbell); Mongolitos. All shorts feature audio commentaries.

THE LEGENDARY H.G. LEWIS SPEAKS - The “Godfather of Gore” speaks at the Scala in 1989.

THE POOP SCOOP: Severin Films 2024 Black Friday Sale

SEVERIN’S BLACK FRIDAY SALE UNLEASHES 10 NEW RELEASES INCLUDING NORTH AMERICAN UHD PREMIERES OF JEUNET/CARO’S DELICATESSEN, BRANDON CRONENBERG’S ANTIVIRAL & MORE 

Weekend Event Also Includes Exclusive Bundles, New Merch, 24-Hour Box Set Sale, 50% Off SRP On Most Catalog Titles & More

Severin Films today announced details of their upcoming Black Friday Sale, led by the North American UHD Premieres of the now-restored DELICATESSEN directed by Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet (THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, AMÉLIE) in a 3-disc collection with 6 hours of Special Features, and Brandon Cronenberg’s acclaimed feature debut ANTIVIRAL in a 3-disc collection that includes the Cannes Film Festival Cut. The weekend webstore event also features the North American Blu-ray premiere of Lamberto Bava’s long-unseen THE MASK OF SATAN; a pair of Worldwide UHD Premieres from director Bruno Mattei and screenwriters Claudio Fragasso & Rossella Drudi with RATS: NIGHT OF TERROR and HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD, both with Bonus Soundtrack CDs and all-new novelizations; the Worldwide UHD Premieres of the landmark cannibal shockers EATEN ALIVE directed by Umberto Lenzi and SLAVE OF THE CANNIBAL GOD directed by Sergio Martino; the North American UHD Premiere of Ruggero Deodato’s grisly LAST CANNIBAL WORLD; the Worldwide UHD Premiere of Aldo Lado’s controversial NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS with 5 hours of Special Features and Bonus Ennio Morricone Soundtrack CD; and the Worldwide Disc Premiere of Jess Franco’s sexy Altman-esque mosaic THONG GIRLS.

 The Severin Webstore will also be offering exclusive Bundles, all-new Severin merch, a Saturday-only box set sale, and 50% off most Severin/Intervision library titles. The sale will take place from 12:01am EST on 11/29 to 11:59pm PST on 12/2 at www.SeverinFilms.com.

THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS and THE WALKING DEAD: Pity The Poor Pianists

THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS and THE WALKING DEAD

(Blu-ray)

FROM WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Warner Archive serves up a couple of minor classics that, despite the ominous titles, narrative set-ups and creepy aesthetics, I wouldn't consider to be pure horror films. Another common thread is both stories involve musicians getting royally screwed over (and not by their managers).

THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS (1946/88 min) - Eccentric invalid pianist Francis Ingram (Victor Francen), who only has the use of one arm, dies one night. In his will, Francis has left everything to his unhappy nurse, Julie (Andrea King), much to the consternation of his greedy brother & nephew, who contest the will’s validity. Also present at the reading are Francis’ secretary Hilary Cunnins (Peter Lorre), as well as Bruce Conrad (Robert Alda), the pianist’s friend and Julie’s lover. Soon after, a disembodied hand begins stalking people one by one, while Francis’ haunting piano music echoes throughout the mansion.

The Beast with Five Fingers has the tone and atmosphere of a horror film, but ultimately ends up being more of a mystery thriller. But it’s a pretty good one, with an intriguing story and, considering it’s nearly eight decades old, excellent special effects. The characters are well-drawn and feature decent performances all around, with Lorre being a particular standout. The ending, which includes a brief-but-silly shift to comedy, sort of caps things off like a Scooby-Doo episode.

EXTRA KIBBLES

2 CARTOON SHORTS - The Foxy Duckling and The Gay Anties.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By historians Dr. Steve Haberman and Constantine Nasr.

TRAILER

Play that funky music, white hand.

---------------------------------------------------------

THE WALKING DEAD (1936/66 min) - A variation of the Frankenstein concept with the same star, The Walking Dead is a sci-fi tinged revenge story featuring Boris Karloff as down-and-out musician and ex-con John Elman, who’s framed by gangsters for a judge’s murder and sent to the electric chair. Resurrected by scientists who know he’s innocent, John goes about getting his revenge on those who wronged him.

Like Frankenstein’s monster, Karloff effectively instills yet another undead character with sympathy, and he probably appreciated being able to do it this time around without being buried under a mountain of make-up. Elsewhere, Ricardo Cortez is wonderfully despicable as the crooked lawyer who set him up in the first place. Despite John’s haunting appearance and some life-after-death pondering, The Walking Dead emphasizes revenge over horror. As such, it’s fairly entertaining, though the story is wrapped up rather abruptly.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE - Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You’ve Never Heard Of is an excellent 30-minute retrospective appreciation of Curtiz by several noteworthy modern directors.

2 CARTOON SHORTS - The Cat Came Back and Let It Be Me.

2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By historian Greg Mank; 2) By historian Alan K. Rode.

TRAILER

The Walking Drunk.

Both films are interesting little curios, though neither are creative milestones for anyone involved. The Blu-ray transfers for each are good and come with some enjoyable bonus material, especially the affectionate Michael Curtiz tribute accompanying The Walking Dead.