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Isn’t
wonderful the World of DVD... you get to see movies that you once loved and never saw again on TV or VHS and
then one day you see then on DVD. Movies that marked you. Movies that marked your youth. Movies cast in your memory.
In
such cases I have to commend 20th Century Fox for digging into their vaults and releasing some 20 of their memorable Film
Noir.
Film Noir: a classic Film style of the 40’s and 50’s, is noted for it’s dark themes, stark camera angles and
high contrast lighting. Comprising many of Hollywood’s finest films, Film Noir tells realistic stories about crime, mystery,
femmes fatales and moral conflicts.
- Jojo
THE
HOUSE ON 92ND STREET (1945)
Directed by Henry Hathaway with William
Eythe, Lloyd Nolan & Signe Hasso.
This riveting spy thriller set in New York during WWII tells the story of an FBI Agent
who infiltrates a cell of German spies who are gathering information about the construction of the atom bomb. Trying to identify
it’s highest-level operatives, the FBI allows the spy ring to continue operations in their 92nd Street headquarters. As the
Nazis close in on the bomb, tension explodes. Powerful thriller that keeps you breathless until the end. Supporting cast
Gene Lockhart & Leo G. Carroll.
Running Time: 87mn. Black & White. English & Spanish Subtitles.
Special Features
include a n Audio Commentary by Film Noir Historian Eddie Muller. Photo Gallery. Original Press Booklet
HOUSE
OF STRANGERS (1949)
Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Screenplay by Philip
Yordan. With Edward G. Robinson, Susan Hayward & Richard Conte.
Gino Monetti (Edward G. Robinson), the patriarch of a Lower
East Side Italian family is so infatuated with his success as a banker, he does not notice the simmering hatred in his own
house. Three of his four sons work with him at the bank, but his tyrannical treatment turns them against him. His favorite
son Max (Richard Conte), a lawyer, is double crossed by the others and lands him in prison for several years. Upon his release
Max seeks revenge against them. House of Strangers is a powerful drama of betrayal and revenge. Riveting and rich in characters.
A strong supporting cast Luther Adler, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. and Debra Paget.
Running Time: 100mn. Black & White. English
& Spanish Subltitles.
Special Features: Audio Commentary by Film Historian Foster Hirsh. Poster Gallery. Production Stills.
HOUSE ON
TELEGRAPH HILL (1951)
Directed by Robert Wise with Richard Basehart,
Valentina Cortesa and William Lundigan.
Victoria Kowelska (Valentina Cortesa) went through WWII from one Concentration
Camp to relocation camps and finally emigrated to San Francisco where she should be happily living with her devoted husband
in their Mansion overlooking the SF Bay. But Victoria is not who she seems to be, her child belongs to someone else, her husband
has ulterior motives… In the concentration camp Victoria assumes the identity of a woman who dies in her arms. Robert Wise
who directed such wonderful movies like West Side Story, the thrilling The Haunting and many more crafted an amazing thriller
that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Running Time: 93mn. Black & White. Spanish and English Subtitles.
Special
Features include an Audio Commentary with Film Historian Eddie Muller. Poster Gallery. On set production stills.
HOUSE OF BAMBOO (1955)
Directed by Samuel Fuller with Robert Ryan, Robert Stack, Shirley Yamaguchi & Cameron Mitchell.
Sandy Dawson has assembled a band of thugs made out from ex-army personnel. He is ruthless and they are ruthless. If anyone
is wounded during a robbery they don’t hesitate to waste him. The death of a friend brings Eddie Spanier into the group. With
time Spanier grows suspicious and turns against Dawson., helped by the beautiful Mariko secret wife of the dead American.
The
movie ends in a breathless conclusion high above the ancient city of Tokyo.
The movie is entirely shot on location in Tokyo.
This
movie is a gem.
Running Time: 102mn. Color. Cinemascope. English and Spanish Subtitles.
Special Features: Commentary
by Film Historians James Ursini & Alain Silver.
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ANDREI
RUBLEV (1966)
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky with Anatoly Solonitsin,
Ivan Lapikov, Nikolai Grinko.
Andrei Rublev tells the story in a sweeping epic of the great icon painter set during the
turbulent period of 15th Century Russian history, a period marked by endless fighting between rival Princes and by Tatar invasions,
a world of unspeakable cruelty poverty and injustice.
This movie is Andrei Tarkovsky’s second feature after the wonderful
Ivan’s Childhood.
When this movie was finished it was suppressed by the Soviet for several years before it was ever screened.
For the first time ever The Criterion Collection released the complete 205-minute Director’s Cut.
This is truly a Masterpiece,
one of these movies that will go on for posterity and can be seen over and over again.
On many occasions people asked
me: “What is your favorite Movie?”
Very tough question – I would rather they asked:”What are your 10 favorite Films?”
My response is always the same if I had no choice but to answer I would say: “Andrei Rublev and The Godfather – a tie!”
Running
Time: 205mn. Black & White and Color. Widescreen. Russian with English Subtitles.
Special Features: Definitive 205-minute
Director’s Cut. Rare film interviews with Andrei Tarkovsky with a Video Essay on the filmmaker’s work by Professor Petric.
A timeline of key events in Russian History, plus the lives and work of Andrei Rublev and Tarkowsky.
Until next time…
Jojo
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More
DVD TREASURES Reviews:
From guest writers Alfonso Refazo & Peter Kwon
Battle
Royale (2000)
Chaotic. Controversial. Crazy. Words like these perfectly
describe the ultra-violent popular Japanese cult film known as BATTLE ROYALE. The tale follows a band of high school students
on a field trip gone awry. Drugged inside their bus, they soon woke up trapped in an unknown island, chained with explosive
neckbands. Who is doing this and why? They finally realize that this is all a game (and so is life). The price is freedom
for only one winner and there are no rules. The sole objective: kill each other until only one is left.
Running Time: 114
min.
Bonuses: Filmographies. Film notes. Photo gallery. Trailer
.
DVD TREASURES Review By Alfonso Refazo
Persona
(1966)
Directed Ingmar Bergman
PERSONA is an abstract, yet poetic
piece of artsy celluloid. Legendary Swedish film-maker Ingmar Bergman directs his two iconic leading ladies: Bibi Andersson
and Liv Ullman. On the surface, the story is about a stage actress who turned mute during a particular performance and the
nurse who takes care of her afterwards. They eventually develop a friendly, albeit quiet relationship and similarities between
the two soon emerge. But the story is not as simple as it seems. There is something more to their relationship and to their
mysterious personas.
Running Time: 83 min.
Bonuses: Featurette. Interviews of Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullman. Ingmar
Bergman biographer commentary. Photo gallery. Trailer.
DVD TREASURES Review By Alfonso Refazo
Running
Scared (2006)
Director: Wayne Kramer with Paul Walker, Chazz Palminteri,
Cameron Bright.
This is one of the best action thriller ever made in last three years. It stars Paul Walker as undercover
agent, Joey Gazelle who infiltrates a mob organization. He is embroiled in the dealings with the mob's actions of dealing
with a drug deal gone wrong, Tommy, the boss' right hand man kills a federal agent. So, Joey whose job is to get rid of the
evidence, hides it in his basement, then a Russian kid who lives next door who is best friend with Nicky, Joey's son sees
it and takes it to shoot his Russian mob stepfather. From then on we are along for a ride that is intense and makes us wonder
who is who in this equation. The thing I liked about this movie is that you never know who is the good guy or the bad guy.
For example, Oleg who is the Russian boy who takes the gun, is running away from a corrupt vice cop, the mob, the Russian
Mafia. Along the way he is confronted by underbelly of society who makes him see that despite how bad his stepfather were,
it is nothing compared with the people he meet. One stand out is the very disturbing scene where Oleg is "kidnapped" by a
couple that is sociopath pedophiles. Joey's wife who is played by wonderful actress, Vera Farmiga who realizes even though
Joey deals with the mob, they are civil compared to the evil she sees in these couple. Another good note to mention is that
normally in a film like this we realize that the main character is a cop. However, we don't find out until almost the end
of the movie that he is indeed undercover FBI agent. This film not only satisfies the action film fans, also it has that gritty
realism mixed with odd enough storybook allegory. I loved this film, because it isn't just a brainless action film. I highly
recommend it. I predict that this movie will become a “cult movie”.
Running Time: 122mn. Color. Widescreen. English
& Spanish subtitles.
Special Features: Commentary with Writer/Director Wayne Kramer. Behind The Scene Documentary. Story
Board.
DVD TREASURES Review By Peter Kwon
High Tension (2005)
Director: Alexandre Aja with
Cecile De France, Maiwenn and Philippe Nahon.
This is one of the best horror thrillers I have seen on DVD this year, comparable
to Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2005) as one of the most raw film I've ever seen. The story itself seems simple on the first glance.
Two college girls travel to one of the girl's farm in the country. Then without warning a gas station uniform clad man starts
to kill the parents of one girl in a gruesome fashion, Cecile De France who is wonderful as Marie who takes over the situation
as she tries to save her friend. What is satisfying about this film is that even though this film IS a horror film, it gives
you a shocking twist toward the end that you don't realize until it's too late.
SPOILER WARNING: DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER
IF YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THE FILM AND DON'T WANT DETAILS!
I also found many similarities to The Sixth Sense. Except this
is completely realistic and not supernatural at the end we find out that the killer is not thus hulking man in gas station
uniform, but he is there to deceive us into forgetting there are signs that Marie is the one who kills the parents and kidnaps
Alex. What we basically see on screen the majority of the film is in Marie's head. Marie fabricates this killer in her mind
to justify her killing of Alex's parents. We are having a glimpse into the mind of a psychopath. There are signs that you
can follow. First, as Marie sits down on a swing she looks up to Alex's room to see her naked. Second, when Marie tries to
"help" Alex's mother, the mother says "why me?" Meaning that Marie kills her. Then there is disturbingly frightened look on
Alex's face even though her so-called friend helps her. Finally, we see Marie do all the horrible things in the movie from
realistic point of view. I like this movie because it isn't just a single surprise like The Sixth Sense, but several plot
twisters. Also, there is the matter of psychological brilliance in portraying fabrication inside a fabrication. Not letting
us see the reality, but fabrication of a disturbed mind. It's almost like a movie within a movie. I highly recommend anyone
who loved Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Sixth Sense.
See Aja’s last film the remake of The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
.
Running Time: 91mn, Color, Widescreen
Special Features: Commentary with Director Alexandre Aja and Artistic Director
Gregory Levasseur and Actress Cecile De France. The Making of… English Dubbed Version. Original French Language and Director’s
Cut.
DVD TREASURES Review By Peter Kwon
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