Reviewing films slightly off the beaten path
Shout! Factory has given the Seventies revenge classic “Rolling Thunder” a definitive 4K UHD release. The film has aged like fine wine due to John Flynn’s down and dirty direction of a script with conflicting visions from Paul Schrader and Heywood Gould. William Devane is great in the lead role.
Shout! Factory has given “Willy’s Wonderland” a 4K release. Nic Cage battles possessed animatronics while paying off a car debt in the picture.
I had a great time revisiting “Money Talks.” The plot is absolutely absurd and almost a nonfactor, but the laughs are definitely there. Chris Tucker shines playing against Charlie Sheen’s straight man. Warner Archive has given the film a Blu-ray release.
Fun City Editions has given the 1974 dramedy “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” a solid release from a 4K transfer of the interpositive. Richard Dreyfuss gives a fearless performance as the abrasive and ambitious Duddy.
“The Contender” features amazing performances and some of the best dialogue of any fictional political film. Giant Media has given the film a release on BD-R.
“Quigley Down Under” is a great Western adventure film set in the Australian outback of the 19th century. With great performances by Tom Selleck and Alan Rickman, the film is still a joy to watch. Shout! Studios has given the film a 4K release.
Sony Pictures has given Spike Lee’s sophomore film “School Daze” a 4K UHD release. The transfer is rock solid and the archival special features are excellent.
“Varsity Blues” was one of the most beloved teenage comedy-dramas of the Nineties. Paramount has given the coming-of-age small town football film its due with a new 4K UHD release to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Radiance Films has released Yasuharu Hasebe’s “Black Tight Killers” on Blu-ray. It is a blast of surreal Japanese pop cinema that will please any fan of Seijun Suzuki’s works.
For those who can find the humor in a certain type of film failure, “Cutting Class” is a wealth of riches. I had a blast watching the 4K UHD release from MVD Visual.
