New "premium Label" for Australia.

The USA and UK are pretty fortunate to have a few labels that do special releases for some films.  Criterion, Arrow Video, Indicator Powerhouse and Eureka are just a few and those who collect a few movies would have no doubt kep their eye on their fuiture releases just in case there was something that ticked their fancy.  Why are these titles so special?  Often they come with booklets, generous extras and a great transfer from film to digital.  A few examples would be 1958's "Touch of Evil" a classic film noir starring Orson Wells (and directed by him), Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh, this Eureka "Masters of Cinema" release contains five variants of the movie, 4 audio commentaries and few featurettes and a 56 page booklet.  Another example is Criterion's release of 1963's "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" which contains the theatrical release of teh film plus a reconstructed version of the film that comes much close to the original pre-cut running time (197 min for this cut vs the "released" version of about 154 min) however as some film negatives are missing they have peiced it together as much as possible from various sources.  The list could go on with 1995's Waterworld with three versions of the film and so on.  Not all releases have additional cuts but its just the attention to detail that these companies do that make the release worthwhile, should it be a film of your liking.

After years of waiting Australia is finally getting its own Premium Label, Imprint Films (https://viavision.com.au/imprint-films/), which is a division of Via Vision which often bring out good releases.

Their first run of five movies are:

- I married a Monster From Outer Space (1958), A classic sci-fi of about alien invasion.  Yes the title sounds silly but its actually quite a decent film. World first release on Bluray.

- Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), A great film noir starring Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster.  Again a worldd first on Bluray.

- The Duellists (1977), a film from Ridley Scott about two officers in Napoleon's army.

- Waterloo (1970), an epic film starring Rod Steiger, Christopher Plummer, Orson Welles and Jack Hawkins.  A world first on Bluray.

- The War of the Worlds (1953), the original film based of H.G. Wells novel of the same name.  A world first on Bluray (though Criterion USA have recently announced it for release on 7th July 2020 but extras content differ a little).

Check out the full details including extras at https://viavision.com.au/imprint-films/

A few Disaster films to watch in lockdown - Part 2

We have a few more films/shows to watch that deal with disaster of somekind and some of these are real crackers.  In some ways these shows are benefical to watch as they can help us see things from a different perspective, in particular looking at what is important in life.  So without further delay lets get stuck into it.

Threads (1984)

Ok no messing around here, this grabs straight for the jugular.  By looking at the title you would be excused for thinking this was a dress making show, not an extremely challenging show about nuculear disaster hitting the UK.  This is a show that will stick in your mind for a while.  Its a real sobering show to watch but highly reccomended as it shows the disaster in a way not often seen. 

This amazingly challenging film is shot in such a way that it shows the effect the bomb had in England not just in the time it occoured but also in several time frames after and as can be seen in the above image this show does not mess around.  It can show disturbing images that will stuick with you.  Do yourself a favour and check this out.  

If you are seeking a physical copy of the film (highly reccomended) look for the above shown copy.  This contains the original full screen (that is the copy meant for TV's of that era, 1.33:1 aspect ratio) version plus a new director-approved widescreen version along with a few audio commentaries and documentaries.  This film gets 4/5 tattered and torn ferrets.  It is a very heavy going movie but well worth it.

Chernobyl (2019)

Whilst not a global disaster movie like some others, this had the potential of being a global disaster.  It is also based on a true story which makes it all the more shocking.  The quality of this show is, quite frankly, amazing.  It shows the poor quality government of the time who would not believe the truth, corruption and most importantly the lives of people that were destroyed, and i think that is the hardest thing about the show.  The lives that were thrown away by those in power (similar in ways to the what is shown in the 1981 movie Gallipoli where soldiers were ordered to run accross the battlefield only to get shot down.  So many lived lost.).

A lot of work wasa done to make the show authentic even to the point of having a Ukranian woman ,who lived in that era, check the script to make sure it reflected the speech of the time.  There is one warning i will give from a Christian point of view and that by memory during one scene there is male nudity with workers at the site.  It isnt out of place as such as it is what they did in real life due to circumstances revealed in the show and I dont recall it being for too long.  But that aside you could almost say it was a perfect show.  Very very highly reccomended with 5/5 irradiated glowing ferrets.

Oh did i say it was an awesome show?

Shin Godzilla (2016)

When you see the word "Godzilla" the 1998 or 2014 Hollywood versions probably come to mind.  There are in fact about 36 Godzilla shows, the vast majority of them being Japanese.  To be honest I was initially going to go for the original 1954 Godzilla here but I might go back to that another time so I will stick with what I reckon is one of the best Godzilla movies... Shin Godzilla.  The original is a fantastic movie and in ways out does the Hollywood versions apart from special effects, but i digress, lets stick to the movie in review (which i will no doubt revisit again in a better review).  being a Japanese movie, Shin Godzilla is naturally in Japanese so subtitles will be the norm here.

The original 1954 Godzilla was 50m in height, the 2014 Hollywood Godzilla was 108m tall while Shin Godzilla is 118 terryfying metres high.  Contrary to what you may think this is not al all out action movie but rather a more balanced movie between human (world) response to this creature and the havoc it causes.  If you just want all out action there are other Godzilla movies to hunt down but for a well balanced movie is this one right here.  It also shows a transitioning of the Godzilla in the early parts of the movie and its adapted state as shown above which differs from other Godzilla movies that I have seen.  Really well done I reckon which is what you would expect from a creature living in water for so long.  This scaly terror brings some staggering destruction upon Japan and just like the older movies the government tries all sorts of weapons against it.  Do they succeed? Can they kill this monster once and for all?  

Being Japanese, this has a different feel to the "all action fewer barins" Hollywood movies of this type.  Mind you the 2014 Godzilla and 2019 Godzilla: King of Monsters are not bad movies but just very....Hollywood.  This has more thought behind it than just being an action movie.  For this one there are 4.5/5 cowering ferrets (well actually they are curled up in fetal position screaming their heads off hahaha).  Highly reccomended.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

I wrote full review of the origina 1956 film here and still believe it holds up very well today.  The remake from 1978 is also, unusually for a remake, a solid movie that is just as good as the original and naturally benefits from better special effects but does not over do it.  I couldnt really say which one is better as they are both great movies.  Both present the case, or mystery, then builds upon it throughout the film to the finale.  The ending however is where the new one has its own compared to the original.  I will not go into details as I dont want to spoil it.

Starring the likes of Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum and the Sci-fi man himself  Leonard Nimoy (Spock from Star Trek), this movie grabs you and keeps you in till the end.  Its not a gore fest but is classed as a Sci-fi horror (what isnt scary about invading aliens?!) and may keep you on the edge of your seat but does also provide a laugh or two as well.  You shoudl still be able to get the DVD or Bluray but the best copy comes from the UK which has a host of extras.  I must warn however that there are two short scenes of nudity toward the end which is unfortunate so please keep that in mind if intending to view.

Overall a very enjoyable movie and comes reccomended (as does the original 1956 version) with 4/5 freaked out ferrets.  Note:  I still do highly reccomend the original, probably above the remake so by all means check it out!

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
A nice cruise from New York to Greece on a top notch luxury cruise ship......what could possibly go wrong?  Bad fish served at the restaurant?  A dose of sea sickness?  Nah not here.  How about a tidal wave!  Yep a tidal wave.  Imagine the fear and panic that will strick the passengers as they see a huge wave coming directly toward the boat!

This is yet another solid movie from the the golden era of disaster movies (60's to 80's).  The 70's had quite a few such as The Towering Inferno, Airport, The Andromeda Strain, Jaws, Rollercoaster and of course many more.  The acting is great, the sets are great and the suspense keeps you hooked through out its near 2hr runtime.  Its great to see this remastered so well, the image quality is top notch from the bluray and will likely be similar for streamed versions.  Grab a seat and enjoy the trilling cruise!  Comes highly reccomended with 4/5 soaked ferrets!


Hope you enjoy the brief reviews of these films.  There will be more to come soon so keep watchin!

A few Disaster films to watch in lockdown - Part 1

It is an interesting time we currently live in where the Coronavirus is running around the world causing havoc and leaving many people fearful about the future and what the virus will bring with it.  Will the various stages of lockdown ever be taken away?  Will life ever be normal again?  Is it a conspiracy to bring the public under greater control of “big brother”?  Whatever the case you can’t deny that it is a great time to throw a few disaster movies into the mix!

Below are a few movies I have watched that deal with disaster of some kind whether that be diseases, natural events, atomic bombs or anything like that.  These will just be basic reviews without going into too much depth and of course no nasty spoilers.  

      5ive [aka Five] (1951)

      A nuclear war has occurred and at the start we see one survivor, Roseanne, gradually making their way home on foot.  She gets home only to find another survivor living in her house.  They come across another three taking the total known population to five, hence the title.  One interesting twist however is that Roseanne fell pregnant before the bomb went off.  She wants to go into the city to see if her husband also survived to be reunited however whilst the prospect of finding other survivors seems great there is also the risk that radiation may still be strong in the cities therefore posing great risk to the five who have so far survived.

This was quite a bold movie to be made in the 50’s however there was a fear of nuclear war looming now that atomic weapons had been used near the end of WW2 and the era spawned many movies that had that atomic influence in them and the dangers they represented.  Them! (1954), Godzilla (1954) and its many sequels/reboots, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) and so on both with monster creatures and without.  Even movies about alien invasion like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) stemmed from cold war fear.  Some where very successful and others not so successful, however many are making a comeback thanks to re-releases on various media.

     Overall 5ive was an enjoyable film, naturally limited in its effects with its estimated $75k budget but to be honest it didn’t need great effects to be efective and I gave it a 3.5/5 ferret rating.  The DVD is not very easy to obtain and needs to be imported from the USA.

     The War of the Worlds (2019) – tv series

     The original 1953 film was a deadset classic, no doubt about that.  The more recent 2005 remake was impressive with special effects but, I feel, didn’t have the same punch as the original.  The new version of the H.G. Wells book was made into a 3 part tv series that has not really gained a great reputation.  I have not read the book so my views are completely based of what I know from the past two movies.

      The setting is not America but England in 1905.  This really brings out the stark contrast in technology between mankind and the aliens from Mars which adds to the feel of the show.  I don’t intend to mention spoilers to ruin the show for you but there are some matters that seem silly for such a show.  As with many shows there is a romance side going here as well where parts of it could have been done better or different and tha tends to drag the show down a bit.  You will notice two stories being told, one in the present and one set in the future.  This makes it feel kinda weird, no doubt contributing to the beating it has received with ratings.  But I can overlook that and if they do another season it may contribute to the story quite a bit, so I will remain open on that part.

     Overall I enjoyed the series with a more accurate English 1900’s setting (no tanks, no jet fighters etc).  It could certainly be better but could also be a lot worse.  I don’t think its as bad as the silly 5/10 rating on IMDB but will go with a 7/10 or 3.5/5 incinerated ferrets.  If you read the book and are deperate for a faithful adoptation, look elsewhere.  If you can overlook a few odd inclusions check it out.  Its certainly worth a watch. 

         The Andromeda Strain (1971)

     This gets closer to what we are seeing today in 2020 though in a much more contained state.  A couple of workers are assigned to pick up the remains of a millitary satellite that has returned to earth.  As they venture into the town the team realises something is drastically wrong as the people in the town have died.  A group of scientists then investigate what what happened and how they can stop this destruction from spreading.  Sorry, I sound vague but the beauty of this film is knowing little before diving into it 😊

      Based on the Michael Crichton novel of the same name, we have a very solid film that kept me hooked te whole way through.  Its able to maintain pace through out the 131 minutes as they prob and investigate the issues surrounding the deaths.  Fantastic stuff.

     The Bluray is from Arrow Video (a top notch company that pumps out some great restirations of movies) and was imported from the UK.  The video has been newly restored and looks fantastic for its age.  If you want more than just the movie this release has a ton of extras.  The movie here infects 4.5/5 ferrets.

      Contagion (2011)

      Now this gets a little too close to what we are experiencing now and really hits the nail on   the head. 

      “But right now, our best defense has been social distancing. No hand-shaking, staying   home when you're sick washing your hands frequently.”  Sound familiar?

      A lethal virus rears its ugly head and starts spreading around the world.  As the virus spreads there is a race to find a vaccine before the world as we know it changes forever.

      Steven Soderbergh has made some great movies such as the heist trilogy Ocean’s 11, 12 and 13 the cool Out of Sight and continues that tradition with a solid thriller that will no doubt become well known as we venture further into the Conrona situation we are finding ourselves in.  This is another solid film that is begging to be watched during lockdown!  4/5 sneezing ferrets.

Panic in Year Zero (1962)

This is an interesting movie showing what can happen when panic arises.  Most of us have seen something like.  When the threat of Corona hit us here in Australia two things happened.  The media rattled on about it almost non stop and ALL the dunny paper (toilet paper) was purchased from our stores.  Panic.  The world is bcoing infected with a virus and what happens here in Australia?  Every man and his dog buys dunny paper.  Staggering….

Anyway back to the movie.  The Baldwin family decide to head out on a holiday on an ordinary day.  As they get some distance away they notice a bright flash and upon pulling over on the roadside they see the evidence that Los Angeles has been hit with an atomic bomb.  This naturally encourages them to head further out into the country to escape the  radiation, but many others also have the same idea.

This is a real interesting movie about how ordinary people can change when the going gets tough.  How far would you go to protect your family?  

Don’t be fooled, this black and white movie was made in 1962 and the lack of colour seems to add to its bleek feel.  The image quality is excellent thanks to remastering of the film.  The Bluray viewed here is imported from the USA and is locked to Region A so a multi region bluray player is required, however you can get the DVD which should play in the majority of DVD players here as many are multi region (please check and confirm your player is multi region before attempting to order this movie).  4/5 ferrets glowing in the dark.

Coming up next are a few more movies that are real crackers.  Stay tuned for a few more movie suggestions for lockdown!

Note:  As a Christian disasters such as what we are experiencing is something we are told to expect as the days draw closer to the end.  Whilst these movies are about disaster of various kinds I take them just as that.....movies.  I am not in anyway trying to bring fear to people nor am I fearful my self.  God is bigger and greater than these issues that surround us and the improtant thing is that i keep my eyes on the One who is true, the Creator of all things and that same One who has the power to save.  Jesus Christ.