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I'm sorry to feel disconnected. Break the number that has been disconnected. Hello, and welcome to disk Miss nights Uh live tonight with the one and only. Bringing him in right now, mister Howard as Berger Uh from the Cave of Wonders Jesus.
Hello, sir, are you? Are you okay? Almost didn't make it hanging on by the seat of of pants.
Here, we'll bring it to that.
California is getting flooded like crazy right now. How's how's the storm streeting you?
Well, we're on battery right now on my street.
We're out, we're out of hour, so hopefully that'll that'll come back soon. But I don't think it's this way everywhere, but it's for me, it's great.
I love I love the rain. I don't love, you know, people getting crushed to death under tons of mud and getting you know, smashed up in there, because it's pretty bad. But I don't go anywhere. I just sit here and do this stuff, and then you know you're my You're my social my desperate social needs for the month.
Even know, yeah, it ain't white, that's for sure. It's all just wet, actually, Jettison, I do reply to Chad. These are not recorded, thank you. I'm live every single time, buddy. I've only missed one Thursday and four and a half years and and every other one of those has been live. Yeah, let's get this done. I am this is not amazing critical film. I am sorry. I am bringing Howard on by phone, and then after that, if he falls through, I will get Jeremy Long on. Jeremy Long is watching,
and he will be live. Yet Howard lost power at his house. He is in southern California. And I don't know if you're paying attention to the news everybody, but southern California is crazy bad right now. There are streets actually near where I grew up that are completely washed out and not doing well. Here's Howard via phone. Hello, Hello, Oh you didn't sound better?
Now Okay, there you go.
Hey, welcome, wonderful to see you.
Hold on one second, let me this makes for great love.
This this is just bizarre.
I have never done this on a phone before.
Okay, hopefully it works. Hopefully your phone doesn't die like the next eight minutes, and we can get this dog.
We'll keep it going. So now back on track.
So you said you don't get to watch much other than what you're working on. Is there anything that you've been able to watch recently that wasn't a recent physical media release or sorry, or one that's coming up that hasn't been announced yet, because I'm sure you have about eighty four of those two.
Yeah, gosh, I think I watched the the French Napoleon, the New Able Dance, the seven Hour Able Gance.
Yeah, I've still never seen that.
Oh my god. Well, you know it's funny. I saw that thing on at Radio City Music Hall in nineteen eighty and they had like you know, but that was like four and a half hours long. This is like almost three hours longer. Yeah, and it looks like it
was made this afternoon. Now. It's really gorgeous, but it's a it's a wild, wild movie, like every it's all pure innovation, and you know, he's he's really I mean, it's nineteen twenty seven, so you think that they were already gotten a real groove with with the attempting, you know, brave cinematic technique this guy is. I mean, it's just wild. It's just wild cinema.
So that's the one where they had for like three projections.
Right at the very end, there's a trip tech that that was set up. It's not the whole movie like that, but but it doesn't need to be. There's there's there's just amazing you know, attempts at a technical storytelling which is just hadn't been done at the time, really amazing, amazing for so that I eked out seven hours over three nights to watch.
Yeah.
Sure, Oh, I watched The keynot Scars of Dracula four K.
Oh. Nice that that I loved that. I loved good movie. Good movie.
I can't help that. That's my childhood, you know. It's so wonderful.
Although beating too. Are you Are you picking up any physical media over the last few months.
Yeah, I haven't watched. I'm trying to remember.
And we're just curious about what kind of stuff that you're interested in that you've been buying.
Uh gosh, let me think. Uh, I got just a lot of the new four K stuff I've been getting. Uh, you know, Vinegar Syndrome is coming out with like just
like a fountain of stuff that's unending. And and Keno same thing has been putting out some some really good, you know, really good things on four K. I don't you know, I'm not like a technical guru, so I have no idea, you know, I don't want to say, you know, you know, oh I love it, thought looked great, and then everyone gets piles on me like this was the worst transfer ever.
You know, well, to be fair, compared to most other people, you actually did see many of these projected like on their original runs for many.
Of the movies. Yeah, I mean, yeah, most of them. Although you know, I have to hand it to you know, Severn and and Vinegar Syndrome. They're they're finding stuff that like still was only like your bucket list stuff for me, you know, So that that that's great. So no, I'm we're entering a new era where you know, my my expertise has now hit a brick wall, you know, But it's great because now I can learn new new ship. You know, this is this is what I live for.
It's really it's really pretty pretty wild. But yeah, I mean, you know, I know I must have watched stuff. I did get a ton of titles, but they're all sitting, you know, they're all in the boxes, still in the floor, so I can't I haven't even unpacked them. But you know, yeah, I mean, I'm trying to think. I saw the Paul Thomas Anderson thing. One battle after another. That was my once a year now trip to the theater. I actually was able to get.
I didn't.
I don't know if it's still playing, but I did miss kill Bill in seventy That's what I was. That's what I was hoping to do for my birthday, and I blew that one completely. So oh, I did get to go to the Las Vegas Sphere and see the Wizard of oz In in the Sphere thing, yeah, which was really kind of freaky because it's a I you know a lot of it. So all the all those
weird flaws you see, and I like that. It's like West World when they say, you know, look at you know, the fingertips or look at their you know, look at their cuticles and look at their eyes and you could tell their fake robots. It's the same thing. Like the eyes are just freaky. It looks like partially like a cartoon,
really weird, but but it was fun. And and they actually had like you know, uh, it's it's almost like they would also have like wind blowing and you know, interactive things that they do in the theater itself, which I didn't know they were going to do. Uh, And that was kind of cool because they had flying monkeys also like a dish flying monkey puppets, like.
I did not hear that part. I a great Yeah, yeah.
I watched them carry them out the end, you know, they were they were cleaning up the theater afterwards, and they're like carrying out these these flying monkeys.
I don't know. Little things like that make me, ah, I thing sounds dreadful, but like the four D aspects I could really get behind, like the wind tunnels and and the flying monkey puppets. That would be fun.
It was cool. And they even had when uh you know, the the the forest of apple trees whatever. They had like h like these these cloth these like sewn apples falling on you. Also from the way way high up, and they like and it's really steep, like I was terrified, terrified,
They're terrified to get to my seat. It's really narrow and they're all these like the youngest person in that theater is like probably me, you know, and I'm like trying to get everyone there is has like real walkers and you know uh, and they were you know, everyone's like singing and crying and they know all the you know, all the hand gestures the actors do. So I was late trying to get into the theater because it's a
long walk from where we were staying. And I'm getting into the aisle and I look down and I am gonna fall, Like there's no it's like a steep You're like you're gonna drop into a volcano. That's how steep this thing looked to me. And I was terrified and
I said, I can't, I can't go in there. And my girlfriend's already in her seat and I'm like I can't, I can't do it, and all these like significantly older people sitting, you know, I didn't want to trip on them or something trying to get to the see and they're like, you can do it, you can do it, and they're holding out their hands for me to hold on too.
I love that you have all these seventy four year olds cheering you on. That's amazing.
It's seventy four. We're talking like guys, they were alive when this thing was released. They were talking considerably older than seventy four. That's that's the new thirty. I mean, like these guys literally had to have been in like their high nineties or no joke, but they were all. They were very were very accommodating. I felt bad. I didn't want to trip on them or I didn't want to pull them down to the You know, it's scary,
but it's totally worth it. I mean it was just go go on on a weekday because then the the the hotels are much cheaper, and we got a really good deal on the Venetians.
Anyway, I love this. Aaron Over at Senna Journey says, I want William Castle at the Sphere. Give me the Tingler. Yeah, that'd be fun, although you your seat and tumble down. Maybe that's a liability problem.
A great idea though, once you go and you see what the potential is, that's a really cool idea. Castle worked great. Oh yeah, definitely. Yeah the Tingler. Holy cow. But you know, yeah, what happened if you if you tingled those seats, they would just go flying out and you lose half the audience. It would just fall into this abyss.
But uh yeah, if you tingle those seats sounds like a double on. Tandra Howard. Thanks all right, So I'm gonna get I know that you don't have a pile of pickups next to you. But just to share a couple of things that I've happened to gott in the last couple of weeks. My mother in law went on my Amazon wish list and got me Scooby Doo and Kiss Rock and Roll Mystery on Blu Ray Rock on. Yeah, I stoked on that. I've never seen any of bo Widerberg stuff. And I got the New Sweet Cinema box
set from Criterion. So this is a bright new to.
Me that I had. I think I got that over. Was that over the summer?
Uh?
I don't even remember what month it is. So that's amazing. Everything is great. Adl on the was it thirty one or something like that? That's that's incredible. Great man man man on a roof, Man on the roof, that's amazing.
I think. Yeah. Yeah, Elvira mad again, the Baby Carriage, ravens End and Adeline thirty one. Yeah, at thirty one is incredible, and then I've got one more. I've got a new one and then one that I know that you'll be able to talk about. So I'll show the new one first, the new Bogonia film. This is from Yorgos Lanthemos, from this year remake of Save the Green Planet? Did you ever see that one?
Great yep? I didn't know that. I didn't know that it was. I have it sitting out there, but no, I haven't haven't watched it yet.
Supposedly a loose remake. I need to see the original. I've still never seen it. I'm waiting for that arrow disc that's coming out in the UK to be able to slow.
That's good to that I didn't know either.
Good Yeah, coming on four K in just a couple of months. This one I won in a secret all that one. I was sent this in a secret Santa giveaway and a Facebook group. And this is Franco Niro in a Enzog Castellari's Kiyoma. This is a German media book release of Plow.
How do you feel about Yoma? Howard love it? I love it? That's that's It's amazing. With the the DeAngelis Brothers score. Yeah, incredible. No, that's great. I actually got to see that projected in Rome, which was, you know, pretty cool. Yeah, and he's he's a great guy. I met him very at the very very end of the Fantom Festival when I was there.
God knows, I.
Won't even say how long ago anymore, but it was left for that. It was like ninety five or.
Ninety five, I think that's what you said. Last time was ninety five.
Yeah, yeah, and he was like one of the We did not expect to meet him at all, but it was at the last night of the festival and he was there with his son Andrea, and we met them. We hung out with them for a while or a couple of hours. We each had our own bottle of champagne, which made everything really interesting too. But no, it was really fun. He's but he's such a he's such a great guy. And that movie is you know, from the
Golden Age. You know, all his Westerns are pretty amazing legitimately least, it's not hyperbole, it's it's really you know, he he does his own he does his own thing, his own way. But that's great. I didn't know about that. I'm I have to hunt that down.
What's your what's your favorite Franco Nero rule? Oh my god, that's a big question, I know.
All right, well, you know this is where I get pies thrown at me. I really thought he was great and as Lancelot in Camelot. Okay, so I you know, you're not going to find a bigger close up of Franco Nero on the screen, that's for sure. I was like seventy millimeters and you could literally climb up the nosehairs on his from his nostrils and you're that close to him.
But he was.
He was a fantastic Lancelot, you know. But so, but you know, I love him and everything I like, you know, yeah, I love quiet place in the country. That might be the most difficult role. I think he could have asked of tried to do it. He was incredible in that. So he's Yeah, you know, that's interesting. I never you know, I never think about that really ranking the stars. Yeah, no, No, he's he's pretty across the board.
Yeah, I mean, especially for a name like him. Yeah, the visitor is a big one.
Yeah. I'm just saying, like, he's my desktop, my screen image, my desktop image with the Golden air Yeah, he's great.
Great, that's pretty funny. Okay, So tonight after announcements, we're gonna be going over Howard's contributions for the year. I'll talk about some of mine real quick, but the big thing is you have You've done some pretty massive things, uh this year for supplemental features and not just the
the plethora of commentaries. A lot of people don't get the weight of some of the visual essays because you know, when you do something for Arrow, it's just labeled as a visual essay by Howards Berger, and it's like, oh, here's a visual essay.
No.
Some of these are are like forty five plus minutes and they are epics recorded with the stars from the films, properly researched, wonderfully edited, just absolutely incredible pieces. And I especially like Excaliburg. We're going to dive into that one and some of the other ones that you're proud of from this year.
Well, I mean also judging from the critical thing, you know, it's really humbling because you have no idea. You know, you're hoping you're not sinking a project with your contributions. But Outland for Arrow really was that was just great. My producer, and that Neil Snowden that he did this, and he did These are all the arrow stuff that I've worked on. Mainly I worked with I just did with another producer. I did under Siege, which is coming up.
I did a thing.
But he's he's a Neil is just an amazing curator, you know, and he's you know, as far as producers go, you can you can almost collaborate with him. You know, you can get ideas off him through so he was he makes everything. It's just not like you know, a gig. He really he's into it and he loves concepts and so he's really he's he's been wonderful. Uh And I think the stuff, you know, we like everything we do, and especially whenever I work with Kevin Maher, my destructible
man partner who doesn't seem to gets weird. Like the people the critics writing the stuff, they always say me and just because it's my voice, I think, but you know, it's it's a lot of the the visual essays. If it's not just me, it's in the credit as just me. Sometimes it's just you know, we have it really pretty clearly marked that it's me and Kevin Maher so I'm not gonna I'm not gonna steal all credit for the
you know, the some of the visual essays. But it's when it's the flying the Chief State Brothers, when it's credited, you know pretty clearly it's me and him. But we we like we had a fun time. We were given a really cool project started like starting like this time last year. It was pretty funny.
We did the.
Long Kiss good Night and which was a favorite of ours, mainly because there's a great there's dummy deaths throughout the whole thing, and you know, I'm sure people know already my affiliation with dummy debts and film language. It's like they're hand in hand for me. So I can't can't get enough of dummy debts. But you even get a damn you know, Reindeer in that one, you know, dummy rein Deer.
It was just it was so great.
But we did they hat like a forty forty minute thing, and it just sort of like went under the radar, and like, I don't know if people like you, there weren't that many Long Kiss good Night fans, but you know, who knows. But the only the only time we saw it was one wonder review one one video review of it or some thing which would it got so far as like, you know, we're pretty tongue in cheek when we do stuff, and we mentioned just because it was you know, it's you know, Shane Black wrote it and
Rennie Harland did it. They have a pretty potent sense of humor and they're very self aware, and you know, it was basically we took it like we pretty thought it was pretty clear that it is a satire of these macho movies. I mean, every two minutes is another you know, self mocking comment in that movie about you know,
macho movies and things like that. So we mentioned phallic phallic imagery and we gave an example as a joke, and I think they these you start reading the comments and like these guys come out of the woolwork hate
the guy that they hated the movie. Didn't even didn't even listen, didn't even watch the rest of our video essay, but he was he was going on about like you know how it girks him when critics you pull out phallic imagery, and I'm like, okay, it's like all these guys were just like you know, like I'm really like bugged by Phallic Image. It was just the funniest thing I've ever seen, and I've never seen a response like that.
But we we were proud of that one. We thought it was a pretty We thought it was a fun dissection of the movie. Uh, but that you know, that was at the beginning of the year. I think that the wround this time. I remember the fires in La were going on. Yeah, so did that we start. But all year we did another one which we thought it was a lot really really good of great movie, the Fernando Delio, Uh, the Italian Connection for Radiance RaRo Radiance and uh, that was another one. You know, if I don't,
I think you can. They did not. Kino did not poured it over on their release. So it's it's it's locked on on the the rawer release, the redo. And I would love to hear if anyone's ever seen, you know, ever seen it, what they thought, because critically was under underwritten, so we didn't we have no idea what people thought about that. You know the same thing with the Long Kiske at Night. It was just sort of under reviewed.
Or you'll see a lot of these sites, they'll they'll review the movie and the transfer, especially if it's four K, but they won't get to they'll just post the extras.
Just list what's on there and never watch it. Yeah.
Yeah, and it's like, wow, you know, we would love to hear, you know, good or bad, whatever. We'd love to hear what people thought of it.
You know. Yeah, most of our contributions have never had a proper review on our end. There's I could probably use.
You're cranking out some great stuff lately, I mean really really great stuff. This whole year has been like, you know, your your apple of my eye. Very proud of you. No, really great stuff.
I appreciate good.
I also really enjoyed the thing we did together at first Collapse. I was very I was really happy with what you did. I mean, you know, the first time I ever didn't edit my own essay, which was weird to me. But uh, but no, I thought you did a fantastic job. I'm really you know, looking forward to do something, you know, doing you know.
More stuff.
But yeah, Outland was that to me, was you know, like an emotional thing almost because it was you know, like you said, I mean I saw it. I was already going into you know, I think high school. I was already in like high school, and so it was part it's been part of me.
You know.
These movies are just kind of get stuck in my
head and it's part of me for a long time. Yeah, and to to try and you know, to do the visual essay, Kevin Maher and myself, you know, we really of course the dummy deaths that were plend full and they had great thematic resonance, and we always thought it was like, you know, even though the film was logically kind of you know, cinema logic in other words, it's a lot of things that you know, it's sort of like what Dario Argento used to be argued against, like
these plots are stupid, they're stupid. Like well, it's just kind of fun, you know, it's not taking itself too seriously, and and the logic is leaps. It's trying to figure out how far you can push your power, you know, your cinematic power, if you can get away with making people believe in not you know, nonsense that just can't things that just technically can't happen. But that's that's the fantasy of movies. So we really enjoyed this one. I
mean just from a thematic point of view. That was so much fun and we were really we're really proud
of it. And the fact that I also again Neil let me talk to some people to speak to sit down with Peter Hyams and and that was pretty interesting because you know, there's a lot of you know, he's he's an he's a polarizing character sometimes, but he's you know as Luckily I'm not one of his crew and I'm not one of you know, and I'm not working for him, and it was real pleasure to sit down with him finally, and he has such a great history
that he hasn't spoke of. You know. I walked into his house and we were sitting down just talking before doing the interview, and he starts talking about how he was, you know, when he was you know, just barely starting out and he was in h you know, a room he met Richard Brooks, who did the Professionals and in Cold Blood and I'm already like, okay, you got me at you got me at Richard Brooks automatically, so I was, you know, it's just wild to sit down. And also
I got to talk for Excalibur. I got to meet Rospo Pallenberg, who was a prime collabor rator of Borman for quite a few films. And uh, and it's you know, it's just cool that these guys don't live very far from me. You know. I had a really good meetings with them, and you know, Excalibur and Outland the two projects I think more than any and Kevin and I got to do a great visual essay for that as well.
We really, you know, again, from our point of view, it was just so much, so much we wanted to get out of her you know, focus on get out of her chest. And we actually, you know, we actually learned from doing these things, you know, I mean we you know, we did the research for it and just studying the film in a way we never really did before. So much, so much fun. And they are damn good looking,
uh transfers. Uh you know again, I'll probably get you know, egg plants and pies thrown at me for saying that was a terrible transfer. I don't know, it looked great to me. I mean I've watched it for watch these movies, you know, half my life, and they're you know, I think there's the best that they've ever looked.
But we will dive deep into Excalibur and a couple others after the announcements. First, you got a couple of compliments here. Paul in the Chat says Howard's interview with Peter Hyms was amazing.
Thank you, sir. And we never hear we don't hear from anybody. This is great. I love I love that they can type it.
People care, people watch the bid says Howard did a great job on the Terminal Man Arrow release. That's the one you hear much about.
That's another one that was again it was like the beginning of this year. It was like right over the holidays. Thank you so much. I mean that that was again that I would have to include that one. That's another another one by you know Neil Snowden, great curatorship and and he was. It was just it was just really an emotional thing. I knew both directors, Mike Hodges and the director of photography, both both people networks, but Richard klein Uh and and that was you know, they were
really special to me too. I mean they you know, and I'm sure people who have met them also would probably parrot that that. It's just definitely an emotional you know, they're they're really they were really really great people, and their their vantage point and their learning and their work is just insane. It's just it's just, you know, I get choked up just thinking that Richard was like one of my Richard Klein was like one of my best friends for a good a good four or five years
before he passed away. Uh and he was something like ninety one at that point. Whatever.
But he's an amazing guy.
And he would come over every every Thursday, Tuesday and Thursday if he could, and we'd watch one of the movies that he shot. He never wanted to watch anything, you know, he didn't even want to watch those. I had, like, you know, pressure him to like just sit down.
You know. I think he liked my.
Dog, So it was that was the big That was the big thing, was he would he likes he liked coming over and just you know, being with the dog. But yeah, thank you, I appreciate that. That's it again, you don't really hear it. I you know, I don't know why. I guess they because there was no four K of that one. I mean, people, you know, I guess are kind of guessing.
I don't know.
Not every not every movie has elements that you know.
Let's let's be even more clear. Most films will never have a four K period half.
It's true.
And then and then our friend Rachel bill Wore has a plea for you, Please more bil Mondo commentaries in twenty twenty six always come with you, Howard, along with Nathaniel Thompson and Steve Mitchell.
Rachel, thank you so so much. She's great. I mean, I love for column and your your mag She's good. So I really I appreciate that, you know tremendously. That's that means, that means a hell of a lot. Thank you so much. And yeah, there's more bel Mondo. We I think I'm trying to remember she I think you may have covered the last of the recent Bilmondo's that we got. I just did a Lino Ventura and I did trying to think well to actually too Leno ventures, but he was I don't want to give thee I
I like, you know, the reveals when it happens. But it's a yeah, but yeah, you know we're we're doing the Ventura cycle now. But but yeah, thanks, I mean, that's that's great. And again we don't we don't hear. So this is amazing that you that this is like people actually actually care. However, two seconds of what that they watched it.
Well, let's dive deep into some films. It's it's kind of the dead time of the year, so there's not a ton of announcements, so we'll get through these real quick and then we'll get back to some of these contributions, the ones that we're covering tonight. There there are some kind of big ones for what was announced, so we'll give some extra time to those. I'm curious how many of these that you have seen. I'm betting it's most of them, so very curious to hear your thoughts. Let's
get to our first releases. These first two are from Deaf Crocodile, coming in January. This first one is from nineteen forty eight and it's the check film Kracketits coming on four K and Blu Ray combo pack. This is a astonishing sci fi noir film. We get a new interview on this one with the arkvist Teresa Frondlova from the Rodney Film ARKive in Prague. New commentary by Peter Haynes and Arenakovarova from Comeback Company. New visual essay by
Clayton Dillard from Someone's Favorite Productions. I've heard of that company, and it is a great visual essay. We've got a sixty page book, as always in these deluxe edition Crocodile releases, and we've got an essay by Walt Shawesi by Jonathan Owen. The big thing for me as far as this physical release on this though, is the art here is gorgeous
by Richard Cox. And if you are a subscriber or a member and you've got access to the members only section, they've got an exclusive version where the title is bolded and red. It's the only difference, so you don't get to worry about it too much. But it is a really beautiful box. Have you seen kracket teeth? Howard?
Absolutely? In fact, I've been waiting for this. I knew you It's like the minute I knew that Dennis Bartok announced he was doing this label years ago. I'm like I was one of the ones. I'm praying, you know, fingers tightly clenched that he actually gets to This is like one of those hideous little old Torrent file memory is I gotta give like you know tit was in the titles I have downloaded and it was much better than what I thought it was gonna be. Wild, wild movie,
wild movie. But again it looked horrible. It looks like, you know, like a Karellian photograph. It's like heat sensitive photographs is like a tenth generation you know. It was like an Avin old av I file. So yeah, I'm psyched. I'm psyched. I'm sure. I'm sure will look stunning.
Oh yeah, and they're doing it in four K two amazing.
But his extras, the people that he gets on there are just you know, they are they're the tops.
Yeah, this is gonna be a good one. And then another one that I believe you have seen. They're also releasing White Son of the Desert from nineteen seventy, one of the most famous Soviet Easterns or Red westerns. A lot of this is a very unique movie.
Tell us about why some of the desert it's just it's just a why you know, it's it's like almost like a spaghetti western, a Russian spaghetti western. That was I saw that on the when Ruskico was putting out DVDs. I guess when was that early nine maybe, yeah, And that was one of the pretty close to I think that one of the first ones that I actually bought from them. Uh, it's it's wild, a lot of fun. I think it appeals to kids a lot. I think
they had it. It was very very popular with UH, with the kids in Russia and then you know, I mean it, it's one of them. It's one of the most popular still, like you know, decades on, one of the most popular films ever released. Break great movie, a lot of fun. It's not a dreary you know, there's no you know, I mean there are, there are, there's some moments, but
it's it's just it's just a great movie. A lot of a lot of really really a sort of new twists on on like the Italian UH style, very foregrounded and rhythmic. It's one of those things where I have no idea how they how they actually go out and plan shoots like this. It just must have been, you know, exhausting. You never would think that they would come out alive from a shoot like this, but they it's it's great. It's good to hear what they're doing. And I'm glad.
It's a very funny movie too. There's a lot of comedy in this one. Yeah, extras on this Blu ray release. We've got a new commentary by Ralph Geeson, the film Scholar. We got a new visual essay by Evan Chester. We got a new interview with Soviet filmmaker Sergei Laventiev. He is great in this interview. We've got a new restoration trailer. And then on the deluxe edition you've got an essay by Peter Rolberg and an essay by Waltshaw. Great great release. Uh love the artwork on the outside of the box
here it's by Stephen Thomas dev Crocodile. Some of the best art in the game. I will always say that they got some great choices.
Well, you know again, Dennis Bartak, you couldn't you couldn't have hoped for, you know, a better curator of of of these movies. These are really the truly under discussed, you know, and he's really providing amazing education to everybody. And it is just, you know, I gotta you know, pat that guy in the back please because seriously amazing
effort that he's done. Because it's not it's not just he's acquiring it and doing the minimal he's really finding the right people to talk, you know, and and lead you by the hand into another, a totally another you know, brain set. It's just great.
Thank you, Dennis, you know, kind of speaking in the same way about Dennis, I'm going to digress for a real quick second and shout out Connor Holt. Who's in the chat tonight, who's on the show I don't know. Five six weeks ago, Connor Holt does the Lord's Work to promote the smallest theaters all across the US, most of them l A and we're talking not even just theaters, like pop up VHS festivals, swap meets that are focusing
on film and physical media, things like that. Everybody should go follow VHS Spectacular on Instagram and if you're still a R on Twitter, following there. Connor does just some incredible enlightening work about just really cool people that don't ever get attention. And Connor is not followed by enough people. He is just a truly kind soul.
I don't think we just friended each other today. I'm so happy, nice very I didn't even didn't even think. You know, again me, if it pops up on my feed, you know, then I'll look to see who it is. But like I don't have enough I haven't had enough time to go prowling around. But when he popped up, I'm like, oh yeah, you know, it's like yeah, excellent.
All right, let's continue on with our announcements. Ben Wheatley, you probably recognize that name a modern filmmaker. Over on March second in the UK, we are getting a four K Blue ray combo release from Anti Worlds. This is the sister company of Indicator. They are putting out Miss Mantler from this year as part of their Anti World's Original line. This is a brand new Ben Wheatley film and it's supposed to be very experimental. I'm kind of
curious about this one. This is it is a mind bending sci fi thriller in the tradition of Alphaville and Primer, but also a love letter to film writing and filmmaking in general. So you got a four can of blu ray disk in here, you've got exclusive overture film with new music by Dave Welder, and then there's an eight panel digipak release with new artwork created by Ben Wheatley himself. Are you a Ben Wheatley guy? You see much from him?
Yeah, I've only seen the wacky ones. I haven't seen I know he's done so all of them. I'm just kidding some more mainstream stuff that I haven't. I love kill List and I love Field in England and in the Earth. I think it was called yeah He's great, you know he's He's It's cool again, like he takes a lot of chances.
So I said the wrong title, Thanks Brendan. This one's actually called Bulk, not Mismantler. I apologize, thanks Brendan. That was a silly air. When I'm literally staring at the title, I was always.
Looking, we won't battle you tonight for it.
That's okay, damn all right? That is Bulk by Ben Wheatley and going to the next one, or I'm just going to click off and do the wrong thing. Full Moon is having their holiday horror sale right now. They are going to be live until December twenty eighth. If you are looking to buy, I will put a link to this in the chat. I really don't promote a lot of Full Moon stuff because, let's just say, Charles
Band is not always in it for the right reasons. However, I've noticed there's a lot of people that have never heard of Full Moon before messaging me. Lately, feel really people getting into this stuff, and so I wanted to share in their stuff. Is easily the only cost effective time to buy it, because you're not getting the highest quality stuff. But if you're gonna get it, get it on sale. Please, It's a good time to get it. So check it out at the link if you want it.
How do you feel about Full Moon stuff? You and I have never talked about Full Moon stuff at all?
No, I you know, I mean, I again, I hate saying it. I have them, they're you know, but they're they're in.
They haven't been.
Watched yet, so I don't know, but I you know, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna say, you know, I prefer the European titles that they're putting out. Yeah, you know, I mean, I I hate my dues with the you know.
I used to love things like Tourist Trap. I thought was great and I thought David Smoller from them, He's definitely somebody you know who had hid stuff on his mind and was you know, things like you know, and I love Laser Blast, but once you know, starting with like you know, things like The Alchemist or whatever, it's really unfair of me to even talk about them. Because I saw them in probably a highly inebriated state back in the day on opening day, and I don't really
remember much. It's hard to it's hard. I was, I think under the proper I was in the proper you know, mindset, but I don't. I just don't remember them. So it's going to be, you know, one of those times where when I celebrate like a week off at some point that's you know, I'm going to start going through all those things like hand handover fist.
All the trancers and Ginger dead Man films, got it. I will hold you to that. You know. It's next up and right, yeah. Yeah. February twenty third, over in the UK, we are getting a blu ray from Central City Midi Media of a brand new film called The Way We Talk from twenty twenty four. This says it is a soul searching story about three friends, Wolf, Allen
and Sophie, who have different conditions of deafness. When Sophie graduates from the university and starts a new job, she realizes that she has been struggling to be seen as normal. Tensions grow between the three friends as they find themselves conflicting over how best to communicate with the world while remaining true to themselves. Now this sounds good. I'm sure you've never seen it, Howard, because it's brand new, never
heard of it. But the main reason I want to highlight this we got a commentary with the director with mister Frank Jing. We don't get a lot of stuff that isn't like old school Hong Kong stuff, and he went and did this commentary live with the director. So this is cool. Wanted to highlight it. Sounds like a good movie. I kind of want to see this one.
Very cool. Yeah, No, I've never heard of it before. Automatically on the list.
Yeah. Next February twelfth on Blu ray over in the UK from screen Bound is the story of Skids, Scotland's number one punk band. This is a brand new documentary. This will be limited to a thousand copies. We've got a live in concert at Guildford, a double sided poster and a sticker sheet. Have you ever been super into punk music?
Mister berger e you know that's my erar.
Yep. How do you feel about the Skids? Great?
I have pretty much most everything they've done on vinyl that's back in the you know, no, great no again, and screen Bounds coming out with some great stuff lately. So a lot of these companies, you know, I can't even believe there's more coming out of the woodwork and some really great kind I've never heard of half these companies now, but screen Bound has been doing some really good stuff this year. So I'm I'm really really glad to hear that they would care about, you know, something
like this. I'm anxious to see it now.
All right, So the Skids Rock the Skids next up again over in the UK. February twenty third. We'd already heard about this, but Vision's Home Video is releasing a
four K of Dog Tooth. This is the Yorgos Lanthemus film Dog Tooth, and it will also get a Blu Ray release if you are not and this will have the brand new Dolby Vision four K master supervised by Yourgos, audio commentary with a couple of the stars from the film interview with Yorgos from two thousand and nine, there's an LFF screen talk from twenty twenty five, and then some deleted scenes and trailers these releases. This will have a slipcover and four art cards and a poster, but
that is it. I don't think there's gonna be much different from the keynot release here in the States, So if you're in the UK, this will probably be the best way to buy it. But if you already got the keynot, probably not much of a reason to upgrade. It's probably not even an upgrade. It's probably about identical doc Tooth. Have you seen this one?
I haven't seen that one, but I like the director. He makes me laugh, he's disturbing.
He's great, and this is the film that broke him into the scene. It did very well at festivals like Tyler and the chat is saying I wish I got the hype. I get it. I like dog Tooth. It's not my favorite, although I don't many people were. Dog Tooth is still their favorite. Lanthemost film, which is I don't know. He's made such great cinema since then, so I could not see picking that one. Yeah.
Actually, you know who turned him on to me was Nathaniel Thompson, frequent frequent co pilot with commentary. I mean, he he's the one who you know, just like handed over like the whole collection to me. I'm playing that. Yeah, I actually got through probably a good half hour. This is all I get a chance to do of Dog Tooth. I was, I mean, I was, I was in love with it. It clicked with me. So I'm I didn't know this was getting a huge treatment. I'm looking forward
to that. I love to see if the extras are are much different from uh, you know, from country to country. I'm curious to see what they do with this one. Do they do? They say, did you say what extras are going to be on this?
Or no? Yeah, we got a commentary. The big thing is none of it is new. There's a screen talk from LFF screen for twenty twenty five, and then the interview with Jorgos from two thousand and nine. But everything there except for the scan is all archival, or at least was on the keynot release. I think the twenty twenty five talk was brand new to that keynot disc
Cool all right. Next up is Genghis Khan from nineteen sixty five getting a Blu ray release from Alliance Home Entertainment, which you may remember is the new name of Mill Creek, carrying that reputation into the storm. This is a fairly big one, omarsh Reef, Stephen Boyd. I'm sure, this is one that you've seen at least two or three times, at.
One hundred times, right right, yeah, yep, great, great movie. You know it came. It's one of those things that was going in the wake of Lawrence of Arabia, you know, and it you know, you have to have a taste for it because you know it it's nineteen sixty five. So I just I'm always careful with people who are expecting a very different look of something, you know. I mean people you know nowadays there and it's not a new movie anymore, but they're looking at like Gladiator as
like the definition of an epic motion picture. And to me that was like, yeah, I actually liked the movie. I didn't like it when I verson of it. Now of course, I'm ridly all the way. I even love the sequel, you know, so I have a different my brain's been poisoned in a really good way, I think. But this is something I definitely would would, you know. I mean I watched this so many times as a kid, and family we saw it. I mean I was, you know,
post infancy. I mean it was probably on a reissue I think, like an nineteen sixty nine or seventy or seventy one, probably a reissue in the theater. If it wasn't like a re release, it was like, you know, local theater had had a rent of it, and it was to put it up with something else. But I remember seeing it, and I you know, but I've watched one hundred times since then. It's itit's great. I mean, it's a lot of fun.
There.
It's sort of like classic comic version of history. It's you know, you just have to have a you have to have a taste for that, you know, Laurence Arabia. You know, it introduced new language that was cinema, but these other ones were sort of you know, and who did this again, it's this Henry Levitt And I can't remember, I am not sure there the directory. Yeah, nineteen sixty five, right, yeah, nineteen sixty five Henry Levin. Yeah, that was right, and he did the Levin to the James Mason during to
the Center of the Earth. You know, so you know, it's it has like, you know, British people playing you know, Asians, and you know, so you have to you have to really you know, I mean, like you know, not not just British white people playing Asians. So there's always going to be something that's gonna piss somebody off. Nowadays, just go, you know, watch it with context. It's it's just a really fun adventure movie, you know.
So speaking of that, they didn't even port over the extras from the Twilight Time release, which is kind of frustrating. I am. I am happy to see that it's back in print at least. However, come on, there's already stuff out there.
Give us some of the extras, seriously, especially anything to do with Julie Kergo for sure. I mean, give it a break that I could, I could listen to and I have listened to her. I have watched things, listen to her commentary. You know, I do not fall asleep during her commentaries, even though that's my preferred way of falling asleep. Is you know, so like you know, learning in the back of falling asleep and listening to someone tell you every all the brilliant thoughts.
They have the dulc tones of Eugenio Erkuilani. Yep.
I mean, you know, there's there's a few people. There's a few people out there.
Yeah, you know, all right, next, it's true, I think we'd an archive is releasing on March twenty fourth Collector's Vault, Volume two of their Looney Tunes collection. Now, the big thing here, this stuff is always super confusing because they've got the Collector's Choice, Collector's Vault, they've got the Platinum collection.
Is what is happening? Okay? So the truth is we've got two discs here, and the big thing is one of these discs have never been on Blu Ray or DVD ever, so it's the first time ever being on disc, and then the other disc it's their first time ever remastered in HD. So you've got a good like fifty shorts coming as part of this, and we can guarantee none of them have ever been on Blu Ray remastered in HD at all. We can also see that these have never been on disc for half of them. That's
a big deal. It is just nice to see these added to it and see that grow. I gotta admit, though, it would be so nice just to see a full Loony Tunes collection, or at least all at once, so we don't have to drip these out over nine years or whatever. Just give us, what is it going to be, a forty three disc set? I'll pay it just tell me what to pay. I will buy it, all right.
Well, they'll make sure that happens once you pay, once you buy all the separate ones.
And the sad thing is if I don't buy all of those, it will never exist.
There you go. I was just say, yeah, all right, and that's also I think these will be uncut as well, which is good. I mean yes, because that's been happening. I've been watching things and things, you know, I guess over the years, I don't know, social climates changed. I don't know if they you know, what they do, but or if they just can't get the elements.
I don't know.
But you know, this is just always something very tempting when they start really doing these beautiful with re releases of these things.
Yeah, this is a must one. Our archive animation lately has been knocking it out of the park, so this is not even a hesitation for me. Next up, the brand new film Nuremberg from this year is getting a Sony Pictures release on February tenth. For some it will be disappointing that it is Blu Ray and DBD only not getting a four K release. I thought this film was pretty wonderful. I expected to go into this and walk away disappointed, but I was surprised. I enjoyed a
lot of the performances in this. The story not surprising, we know how it ends. However, it is one that I think is important and gives some really great content text to the history in a period where we need to hear about this history specifically.
Have not seen it. I've heard, you know, back and forth, Like I think people wanted, you know, the critics that I read and I try not to read reviews before I've seen the movie, but that I think, you know, they say like that they took liberties with with the facts. But I think judging from what I've seen in other other people, especially what you just said, I think it's the point is it's it's like, you know, like a Ken Russell film, history is distilled into drama, not documentary.
And I think that you know, it had to be sculpted for you know, the the overall point, which you're right, is extremely important to remember and uh and to make sure it doesn't happen again. Uh So, yeah, I mean, I'm very interested in seeing this.
Probably the worst thing I can say about this one is there some like timeline Whiplash. They really take their time leading up to the point of the courtroom trial where they show the film from the camps, and that video is very emotionally like it's supposed to be heavy in that moment, but then everything after that moment is like flying by, like somebody's just running by you. So they took their time. They really contextualize all the characters.
They showed the short film and then zoom after the races of the ending. But other than that, it's an interesting movie.
I thought, is it a long film?
It's yeah, like two and a half to two hours forty minutes something like that.
Because Judgment at Nuremberg, just the Stanley Kramer one that was three hours and fifteen minutes or.
Something like that. Yeah, And obviously I don't know have things changed. I feel like there's always complaints about modern film being too long, and then you'll get like seven indie movies every week that are eighty three minutes. So I don't know.
I couldn't care less as long as it's fun movie.
If it's great, it's great, I'm down for it.
I do not judge a movie on the length. I try to understand why it's that length. So that's you know, that's bring it on. It's fine, and we'll be honest. You're gonna pay money for it, give me, give me something, and usually the.
Same amount of money. That's the funny part. I will say that the length sometimes dictates if I can watch it. I will admit to that.
Right, Well, I know that that's my story to at this point.
All right, so next month. Music Box Films on January twenty seventh, is releasing a Blu ray and DVD of a Little Prayer from twenty twenty three, filmed by Angus McLaughlan, which is supposed to be really great with Jane Levy, David Strethrain and and a camp in this one. And this is a heart tugging drama about finding kindred spirits and unexpected places. You can reorder this now. It is available next up the air forty four, forty four. That
is always a mouthful to say. They have announced that in twenty twenty six they are releasing Blu rays of nineteen eighty eight City Warriors and two thousand's Teenage Hooker Became a Killing Machine. If that is not a seductive enough title for you, man, you have issues. Yeah, these both look and sound great, and I am very curious to check both of these out. Have you seen either one of these?
No, but they're on the queue now.
Yeah. The teenage Hooker movie. It says a high school girl who moonlights as a prostitute is revived as a killing machine after she is murdered by her teacher. Doesn't that just sound like I have to see that movie right now?
That's what it's there for. I'm glad there's some people there who know what we're waiting for.
That's good. Oh yeah, this has bound to be some people's favorite movie next year, all right. Next, Speaking of Aero Video and Warner Brothers projects, they just today finally confirmed that Mortal Kombat from nineteen ninety five is getting the deluxe four K treatment. Are you working on a three hour dummy death visual essay for Mortal Kombat? If you are just wink at the camera, Not.
Yet, but well yeah, I might have to enquire.
Yeah, this is one that has been speculated for quite some time, and it's just nice to see a full, full confirmation about that. It's this is many people's favorite movie from their childhoods. I will admit it is not mine. Did you ever see this one when it came out.
I think I have to confess. I think I think. I think I actually walked out. I didn't instigate it, but I think the people that I was with, I think demanded that we leave. It's never me.
I don't. I don't.
I don't do that by practice.
I was gonna say, I don't. I don't think I would expect you to walk out of films. Is that something that you've done many times?
Oh, I've done it many times, but again never on my instigation. I went back and finished it at some point that it never got around to doing it with Mortal gomback.
Well, maybe they will say, get over here so you can watch that one.
How you never know. I'm gonna start asking questions.
Next up, we got some release details of the brand new release of Five Nights of Freddy's Two Howard's Next Favorite film. This is from this year, coming out on four K Steelbook standard, four K Blu ray, and DVD because this is a money making hit for Universal. Even though this movie was straight garbage. I hated this movie. It was really terrible. There are gonna be some extras on this There's gonna be revealing interviews behind the scenes footage with the cast. There's gonna be a stunt doubles
of puppeteers picturettes. There is going to be Mangle coming to life as nightmarish and multi limbed monstrosity. The puppet in this. Uh, there's gonna be a cast and crew revealing how the multiple methods used to turn the marionette into an eerie entity whose unique design and hunting movements are unlike any other animatronic. That kind of sounds interesting. And then a featurette called Sensory Overload, which, no, thank you, this film was sensory overload enough.
Now you even trigued me.
No, it's bad this. You know, we keep harping on how bad AI is going to be. I swear the dialogue in this may have been written by Ai, because it is atrocious. There is nothing human sounding about the dialogue in this film.
It's terrible. You get these reviews like this, and now you've intrigued me so much that these are the next movies that I'm actually gonna make time to watch.
It's great, oh man, go watching her in Berg instead. Next up, some that I've never heard of. Somehow, even though I've always loved Walton Goggins, But we got two pieces here. April seventh, Blu Ray, coming from a light Year entertainment of Randy in the Mob from two thousand and seven. This is directed and starring Ray McKinnon, and I think he directs this. I'd have to check that I might be wrong there. It might be a different
name entirely and I missed it. But this is freshly scanned in four K from the original materials, and this is supposed to be pretty good, some mafia comedy. It will also include the Academy Award winning The Accountant, which is a forty minute short film starring Walton Goggins and Ray McKinnon. But also on that same day they are putting out a single disc release of Just The Accountant as well, So if you want that and you don't want Randy the Mob, you can just pick that one up.
But I love Walton Goggins and I need to see these. I do wish that they had not poorly photoshopped Walton Goggins into this scene because that looks really terrible for a cover. But I'm definitely curious about seeing these.
You haven't never heard of them until now, but I love that cover.
Yeah, I had no idea Walton Goggins was as an Oscar winning short film from two thousand and one. But I got to see it, all right, a film that Howard has seen at least nineteen times, I'm sure. April seventh, the Russ Meyer Film's estate is putting out Faster Pussycat Kill Kill, and sadly they're not doing a damn thing with it. This is the exact same disc that has been floating around for a while, so it's nice that this will be easily accessible, but it's not newly scanned.
There are no extras on it. I don't even think there's a menu on this. It literally just pops up and plays the film with a really terrible version of the movie. It's basically just like a DVD upscale, I believe, and not even a good one at that. How much do you enjoy Faster Pussycat Kill Kills?
So it's amazing. It's most Dressmayer until literally little low Pandora peaks. I think have to a visit again. I don't know, I don't even remember what I thought of that. You know I'm playing that much, But uh no, he's he's unique. He's just a master he's i mean an incredible visual director and he's very funny and very funny work with some really really sharp people. So no, I
mean that's it's an amazing film. And you know, I mean if you can't, if you don't notice the influence on on Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I think you're just turning a blind eye. And you know it's a it's a it's a pretty influential you know film as well, but really funny and just really well then I don't know how you know, It's like it's like with Ken Russell.
There's certain people where they could have absolutely no budget whatsoever, and and actors who've never been in front of a camera, but they have them really working at like a level best and and always with a certain choreography that only only they can do with actors. I mean, it's really crazy. Like the rhythms, it's like they're active. You think they would be acted for the rhythms that he has in his editing. And I just don't understand how certain people
get away with that. That's a that's a pretty masterful movie and it is a terrible shame because that film is I think pushing sixty No, yeah, pushing sixty now, I guess, and I mean, the elements are not getting any better, so you know it's a shame.
Well, and the vid is saying this Blu Ray looks excellent. I don't know about that. I wouldn't say excellent. And I only say that based on what seven has done for the other russ Meyers that they did. They've put out five them up, okay, and those are stunning. So just for anybody that's gonna ask about this later, the big problem here is the russ Meyer estate is saying supposedly they are demanding like literally upwards of a million dollars to license just this one movie. And I'm sorry
that's that's not gonna happen. This film is never gonna make a million dollars, even though it's a great movie. No boutique could ever pay a million dollars to put this out because you would have to sell so many copies of this to make that up that it would just never happen. And even something like a Kickstarter would never be enough unless everybody that was willing to buy the Blu Ray that has already bought it would guarantee that they would donate like four hundred dollars each. It's
just never gonna happen. So the only way I see this ever happening is if they drastically lower their price by literally, like I don't know, like eighty nine percent something like that at absolute most. Probably even more than that, probably more like ninety three percent is more realistic. Yeah, good, good movie, and nay, great movie, but yeah, we deserve a better release with some contextual extras. Yeah, all right.
Next up, we are getting from Unearthed Films on April seventh, a blu ray of Cradle of Fear, starring Danny Filth from the band Cradle of Filth. And that is probably the only reason this has ever been a relevant movie. This is gonna be a two disc release. The first disc is gonna have a making of Cradle of Fear. It's gonna have a special German DVD making of for Cradle of Fear. There's an important Words featurette, behind the
scenes gallery, some trailers. But the big draw here for many people might be a short film collection that is attached to this by the director. We've got a short film called Chainsaw scum Fuck. Doesn't that sound amazing? Howard? Uh, there's a short called bad Manner, bad Karma, drill bit, night pastor bullshit news film extremes, three promo Borderline, and then a shorts behind the scenes gallery and some trailers. That is all we've got.
I would give that a go.
I like Cradle of Film. Adam says he's friends with the director. Nice.
Oh cool, right.
TV, says Meyer state at a singular moment of clarity working with seven and probably went back to being crazy cool cool cool. Yeah. I mean, I don't know they licensed those five even give us another five more. It's been more than a year though, which is crazy. I don't know. Come on, we've got from VCI on April twenty first to double feature of the Crawling Hand and
the Slime People. This is coming out as Creepy Creatures as a double feature, and what's crazy is they poured it over all of the extras from the previous releases, including the Tom Weaver commentaries, and then this is going to have a slip cover on the first fifteen hundred units, which for VCI, that's wild. I have never seen either one of these Howards. They're great.
Ultimately, they're great. I don't know about the transfers. I have no idea even what the masters are like or you know what, it wouldn't matter because both of these or I think when when they were at their peak on TV, you know, and like this nineteen seventies, you know, Saturday Morning, they looked like they were shot on toilet paper, like printed on toilet paper. Very worst. It's part of
the abviance anyway, So I wouldn't go. It would be great if they finally but VCI, you know, it's hit or miss.
I really don't know, but.
Both movies, I have to say. Crawling Hand is extremely disturbing. It's a really good, really really good little I guess sci fi horror film that I can recommend it. And Slime People the same thing. It's just like it's just a great you know, early sixties Saturday Morning, you know, horror things.
Matt and a thing.
So I'd be into at least checking it out. But again I wouldn't get hopes too high technically, but you know, you know, I have no idea. I haven't haven't really seen a vc I released in a long time, so you know, I'm glad. So apparently these were released before or I know they were on d v D. Didn't Rhino put them out on the sounds right, Yeah, yeah, I think the Border Books used to sell them for like, you know, three ninety nine. In the video, I mean that,
I remember it looked good enough. But I don't know what these new transfers are.
Going to be. But I would rush them in the movies.
Especially Crawling Hand I think is pretty cool, actually very disturbing. Yeah, that's a good movie.
Next up another Full Moon title, Maroid, coming to Blu Ray for the first time ever on April seventh. This is going to have the original video zone on the here, original trailer, and then a Full Moon features trailer compilation. I believe this is going to include Robert Simon's from The Exorcist and yeah Android from ninety three. Have you not seen this one either?
No, come close a couple of times because the title is great, So it is great. But I know again, it's good to know it's coming.
Yay full Moon. Next up from this year, Lurker is coming on March third on Blu Ray and DVD from movie. Sadly no extras on this film. I will say I highly recommend this one. This is like a cringe super fan type of situation and everything is awkward to the nth degree. The acting in this though, is incredible. There's a couple of people in this movie that seem like they have been their characters their entire lives, and it is just so well made. I appreciated this film a lot.
I liked it enough when I left the theater, but this one is weighed on me all summer and into the fall. This is a great movie. Cool.
I haven't seen it, just on that recommendation alone.
These I believe that you have seen. March third, we beget a blue ray coming from Film Masters called Monster Mayhem, and this is a collection of four films that have been recently out of print and now you can get them all in one package on two press discs. We've got the Monster from Green Hell, Frankenstein's Daughter, Giant from the Unknown, and The Brain from Planet Aarus. And this will bring on the commentaries that were on the previous releases,
those with Tom Weaver Gary Krutcher. We've got a couple other special productions, especially with Steven Arbissett and then Bally who Motion Pictures did a couple of things for this. Which of these is the best?
In your These are all great, I mean they're all great, But I actually say I love Film Master just so I loved working that did a couple of things for them too. But I honestly would have loved an opportunity to do Giant from the Unknown because Kevin Maher and I we actually were it was one of those things where we were there is an amazing dummy death in
that movie. But it's such an actually like sort of unintentionally intelligent film culturally, like it was just a smart movie, and Kevin had this absolutely brilliant, uh deconstruction of it, and we were always you know, on the on the cusp of of doing it, you know, drawing out notes, drawing out notes, but then something else would take take over me would just like I really would have had I even known they were doing this, I would have I would have offered to do uh that at that
deconstruction for them for that movie. A Giant from the Unknown alone is just a really cool film. But these are all great movies, I mean, legitimately great movies like Bring from Planet Arrows is. I mean, there's something incredibly memorable in all of them, so I mean, you know, it's from an era, and none of these movies were made to be critically assessed. You know, they were just churned out, which to me, we're feels a hell of a lot about you know, the filmmakers, that people who
write it. So I mean, you can, you know, you can say these are you know, crap films, you know whatever, whatever your your your level is. But honestly, I if you're interested in watching some unusually intelligent crap movies, I guess I don't know what you know, it's just it's just being, you know, a d Z movie filler. These are these are the four four really great ones. So you know, it's not you know, I definitely think it's probably a worthwhile purchase. It's great, great.
Headcoop says Howard. You should do that as a commentary and put it on YouTube so that we can sync it up and watch the film with it.
I may just do the essay anyway and put it up just like this, and finally, now somebody might be watching it, so I hear, all right, I might just throw that up. But it's it's it's better. It's better as an essay because you got to hear Kevin Kevin's Kevin's take is just genius. I mean, like it usually is, but this is really to me. Yeah, Giants and the Unknown love to hear if people think of that one, that's a great movie.
Well, we're not going to fly through these. But everything else tonight is all film masters. So Howard and I have both worked with filmmasters before. I respect the hell out of those guys. They put a lot of thought into what they're doing. A lot of their choices are public domain, and they're not getting like the best materials, so keep that in mind. However, they are usually brand new four K or two K scans. Quite often they're not necessarily restored to what you would expect from like
a boutique release. But the other big plus is most of these are quite inexpensive. So if any of these movies peque your interest, write them down. I believe you can look at their website and see rough date. For most of these, I've just got like a month that they're coming out. We don't even have a specific date yet, but we should be finding that out soon. So next up is The Black Six from nineteen seventy nine. Oh yay, this is coming in a limited collect limited edition collection
release here soon. No no month, no no date, no estimation. Or anything like that. This will have a commentary from Robert Kelly and Daniel Budnick, and that is it. These these limited edition titles always have a slipcover and then they've got a booklet with an essay. But that's all we know at the moment. This is interesting. I believe this was also unrestored, but it was also included on
one of the AGFA releases over the last year. So nice to see this getting one that will have a nice restoration and a full release and with some contextual extras.
Great movie, Matt simber Right, I.
Believe so, and I've never seen this one.
This one great movie.
Yep. Next up is Shirley Temple, coming on Blu ray and DVD from Filmmasters in March. In the Little Princess. This one is interesting because it is going to get a brand new two K or four K scan, we don't know which yet. There will not be any extras on it at all, but there will be subtitles. But the big thing is this was a Fox title and this is now in the public domain, so that's the only reason they're able to even put this out. So this is like, if you want this on physical media,
this may not happen much. So check out the Shirley Temple release.
It's actually a really good movie too, So I mean it's not like Shirley Temple. Why, I mean give it you know, read a little bit about it, and I think I think it's that.
To me, it's a shame.
There's no contextual info with it. That's a that's a shame. There's no extras. But I think it's probably in the contract whatever, the licensing contract. But great movie, good movie.
My big thing is it's a shame that we're not going to ever get like most of the Shirley Temple releases, a nice big, you know, extravagant restorations with a bunch of supplements because they they're they're important. They were huge films.
Of course. Yeah, time marches on, right.
It's true. Next up is The Snows of killiman Jarro from nineteen fifty two. This is coming in March on Blu Ray DVD. This is the Gregory Peckins wu'san Hayward film again two K or four K scan and there will be no supplements, but be able to get it on Blu Ray and DVD. Tell us about it, Howard, Now, just.
Another great, you know, really really cool, cool movie. I'm trying to remember who the director was. I think it was Henry King. It's the other, It's the other, Henry Henry Levin, and there's Henry King. Henry Henry King did a lot of greg the Gregory Peck twentieth century Fox stuff, and this was a big if I'm right, this was a big Darryl Zannik early you know, big Daryl Zannic production for that era. If there's one reason to see it,
I mean, you have an amazing cast. If anyone's big fans of like the Seventh Old Age of Sinbad, the the Evil Wizard in that by Torren Thatcher, he's in this and he's pretty memorable in this film. But the real reason to watch it is because the cinematographer of the Franklin Schaffner the sixty eight Planet of the Apes, Leon Shamroy, shot it and it is literally one of a kind. It's really great. So it's a shame there's no extras, because this film, of all things, would call
for it. There's so many amazing people involved in this, you know movie, but great, a great film. I don't think anyone be disappointed unless it's just a you know, a mediocre you know, transfer or something, but it's a it's a wild, great epic. You know, it's it's Hemingway. So you know, you're get you're already going to get something. Uh. Anytimes a major studio tries to adapt Hemingway, especially in that era where Hemingway was actually you know, still alive,
pretty perverse. So there's there's there's a lot of you know, cool juxtapositions between the source material and you know, the actual the actual film version. Great, great reason to watch it alone. Great good films, great film.
Another good reason to watch a movie is William Holden. William Holden is in nineteen forties Our Town coming in March on Blu Ray DVD from Filmasters, same thing two K or four K scan, no supplements, but nice to see this come out. You can look to hear that well.
I mean, you know, these are you know, these movies that when they come out, I kind of like hope that I get some context for finally, you know, I like, you know, I love I love the people that are that are being asked to participate and share their knowledge to research and their their own perceptions. We're getting some really really good people in the past, especially in the past year, surfacing up. So you know, it's just a shame.
But you know, the movie good enough. Let's get a great version of the movie and then you know, I can always go do my own research. Good good film.
We got. Another one of those coming from nineteen thirty six is Dancing Pirate. This is coming in March on Blu Ray DVD. Same thing, most supplements two K or four K scan. We'll figure that out eventually. There will be subtitles. This is the first dancing musical in one hundred percent new technicolor as advertised the cover.
Wow, well maybe sometimes that's all you need. But Dancing Pirates no context. It hurts, you know, I want no context. Just would I would love just like, you know, the film on one disc and like three discs of just context for that one. I've never heard of this thing, so I am very excited.
Too amazing. Next up is The North Star. This is coming in March on Blu Ray DVD. This is from nineteen forty three. It says a Ukrainian village must suddenly contend with the Nazi invasion of June nineteen forty one. Later re edited and released as Armored Attack. This one again two K or four K scan, no supplements, but it will have subtitles. That is all we got. Have you seen this one?
I think I have seen it under Armored Attack, which might have been I don't know if that's a slightly different version. I'm not sure, but it's Lewis Milestone. So I've been you know, I've definitely been a fan. And it's weird to think, I don't know, I mean's shot by one of the greatest cinematog going. Everyone's one of the greatest cinematographers of all.
Time back then.
But James Wong Howe who shot John Frankenheimer's Seconds, and he shot the Molly mcguires And if any I did the the commentary and the extra for the imprint version of the Molly mcguires, yes, thank you, thank you. If anyone wants to understand where James Wong Howe ended up, my god, not far from he started off. This guy was just like innovator out of the gate. When you know, one of one of the very few Asian cinematographers who got you know, the prestige treatment in Hollywood. He's just
an innovator. And brilliant. But the movie is another one of these movies, man.
I mean it's just like he.
Got some you got a brilliant group of people making this thing. So yeah, I mean a hundred. I would definitely, you know, yeah, I mean Lewis Milestone, he did you know, I'm all Quiet on the Western Front, the nineteen thirties version, he did well. I think it was probably mainly directed by Marlon Brando, but Brando's Mutiny on the Bounty, you know, but he but He's done some amazing, amazing movies, so I definitely give it a shot. Especially it's such a
rare title. I mean, it really isn't you know never. You don't really hear about this, But it's a cool film.
You shouted it out, so I'll give it another moment in the sun here. But The Molly Maguires is a film that I just on the surface of it, was not super interested in, took a chance on it ended up loving that movie. There are so many compelling moments, and then the way that they shoot, like these fucking explosions in this movie look so great.
Yeah, I mean, especially if you're stoned. I mean, this is Martin Ritt, who did you know Casey's Shadow and j Norma Ray very socially conscious in this movie is very socially conscious. But Walter Bernstein, who was blacklisted, brilliant writer, who was blacklisted for years in the fifties and was you know, coming out of that blacklist nineteen seventies the end of the sixties, he wrote the script for it,
very hands on with the production. And Martin is just a brilliant under Even though he has always been highly rated, he's he's underrated or under discussed. I mean, it's sort of like he was from that period of time in the fifties and sixties with you know, the these kind of movies. He came up around the same time and as Sidney Lamett, uh and you know, but this movie showed that he working very closely, you know, with Bernstein.
Molly Maguires is just a really cinematic film. It's it's it's has a great script, good but a brilliant structure that definitely goes in and out.
Of of.
Really truly poetic cinema. Great great movie and if you are even slightly buzzed, you'll be thanking stars for natural chemicals. It's really fantastic trippy movie, really tribut movie, but a great and incredible I mean really the dynamics of the cast lates that Samantha Eggar, I can't believe she passed away this year from the Brew the Mama from the Brood.
She's amazing. But Richard Harris and Sean Connery at Connor is great loggerheads and another the whole cast, Anthony Zerby If anyone's Anthony Anthony zerbey Fan, I was lucky enough to do a phone con injury with him. He was a lovely guy. I'm pretty frank about stuff. It was a little featurette that I did for that disc as well as the commentary. But really great, great movie. So I'm glad. I'm glad there's a champion of that out there. I appreciate that. Ryan, that's great that it hooked you.
Great movie, It was good. It was a good one. Sean Connery was great in it.
All right, next up. This film has been released eight hundred and seventy two thousand times. Coming in March on Blue Raine d D from Film Masters is refer Madness from nineteen thirty six. Again two K, four K scan, no supplements, but it will be out there. And there will be some titles. Everybody's heard of this one. Most people have probably seen clips from this one. We don't need to dive too much into this, but I love that we cover this right after Howard says, get buzzed
a walk. Next up Anime Wong's Bombs Over Burma from nineteen forty two. This is coming in February as part of the same collection, so again two K or four K skin no supplements will be subtitled Anime Wong is kind of incredible.
S Fuego, she is on fire.
Yeah, I've not seen this one. I need to see this one for sure.
Yeah, yeah, I mean I had seen. I think I saw this from a literally it must have been like one of my first months, like in freshman year of college, and we were invited over to someone's house. We had a print of this and a bunch of us an Anime Wang fanatic, and we saw a bunch a bunch of her stuff and it was really pushing the pushing the limit of censorship at the time. So I don't remember specifics about the movie that I do remember that we loved everything we watched. It's so magical.
I love a review like that. It was good. Don't remember anything about it, but it was good.
It's it looks it's it's the crime of just getting older.
And watching a billion movies you.
Know when you were younger, completely stone.
So you know, yep, read for madness, folks. Uh, next life. The Black Raven from nineteen forty three coming in February is part of that line. Same thing, two K or four K scan uh, no supplements And I know nothing about this one? Is this film, you.
Know, the Black Raven. I'm just checking to see if it's the one that I do know.
Let me see George Zuka, Wanda McKay and it says one dark and Stormy Night convict.
Yeah, yeah, it's great. It's a it's it's a little hybrid. Uh, it's like a it's like a it's like the Well I was gonna say, it's a lot like The Raven. It's one of those things that just sort of like they didn't wanna that they were. It is a poverty Row production, you know. So George Zuko is amazing as always.
This guy was.
If no one's familiar with him, this is what's in my head. Everyone knows what I know or experience, what I experience, and I'm like, wow, I'm realizing that, you know, they don't they don't have the venue, you know, the outlets to see these type of things anymore. Maybe YouTube has taken over, you know, you know, Saturday afternoon TV stations like you know, syndicated, you know, I don't know. But Black Raven, yeah from uh It's it's not one
of the ones that got heavy attention. But George Zuko is you know, he was from like The Flying Serpent, and I mean he's some universal stuff. He's a good villain, but he's a was a really sharp actor, really cool, so he's anything he ever did was great. Sam Newfield is also pretty cool the director, which I really like. But it is there are not just mystery elements or thriller elements, but are there's some horror elements in this It's only like is it even an hour long? I
don't even know if it's an hour long? But great that it's great that it's coming out. So yeah, from my five or six year old viewing of it, because it's not not a common one, that's why I think it's great. I would definitely, you know, I would jump at this one. It's better than what you would imagine from what I remember, and I remember thinking it was pretty cool, but it didn't get the play that some of these other ones did.
Of course. All right, last up for the entire week. Already done with the announcements we've got in January, a Blu ray and DVD coming of the Second Woman from nineteen fifty. This is a Robert Young and Betsy Drake film, again two K or four K scan. No supplements will
be subtitled. This one says in flashback from a Rebecca style beginning, Ellen Foster, visiting Rands on the California Coast, meets neighbor je cohalan colon let's not call it colon that sounds funny and his ultra modern cliff top house. Ellen is strongly attracted to Jeff, who's being plagued by unexplainable accidents, major and minor bad luck, persecution or paranoia, war that Jeff could be dangerous. Ellen fears that he's in danger as the menacing atmosphere darkens.
Great. I've never seen it, but it sounds perfect.
As a nineteen fifty film. I'm kind of surprised.
I can only hope there's a dummy death this sounds perfect for it.
Honestly, it really does, especially for that time.
Oh yeah, no, any kind of synopsis like that. It's like that's not even me, say no more, I'm there, you know that kind of thing.
Yeah, sounds good. All right. Next week, just in case you forgot, it, is the last welcome new release Tuesday of the year, which means it's kind of a black hole. There's not a lot of not a lot of huge stuff coming out. Most of the stuff lifted here listed here sorry is a Vineyer syndrome and OCN releases that are coming out for this month, all the partner labels, but we do have a handful of things like Breakdown on four K coming from Paramount as their standard four
K release. Outside of that box set, this does have the TerrorVision titles listed here. Student Bodies is not shipping this week, Gator Bait not shipping this week. Their others are not shipping this week, Digimond the movies coming out from Disco Tech this week, for sure. We've got a couple others here. Hide and Go Shriek not shipping this week for sure. Last Screening not shipping this week. Happy Hell Night not shipping this week. Hannah k from Keno
Larber good Night and good Luck the Clooney film. That one is coming out this next week. City Hunter also coming from Disco Tech. That is the complete second series. I believe Challenge of the Lady Ninja from Air forty four to forty four should be shipping semi soon. They did post that those were delayed, same with the Art of the Devil one through three. Anami collection. Beast Wishes is a documentary that I need. That one will be
shipping this week. I've got that one pre ordered. Long Live the King another documentary coming out from Anchor Bay as well. But that is it for this month or not this month, this next week. Not a lot coming out, Thankfully you can rest for the week following Christmas. But that's all we got for announcements. Howard Wow, Hannah Ky's worth it.
I love Costagavres did z so he Loves did an amazing movie which I don't believe has been distributed in the States yet called Shock Troops from I guess like nineteen sixty seven. And he also did another amazing I think it was placed first film the Oh gosh, the I forgot what it was called, Like the sleeping car murders, That's what it was. Very tongue in cheek, very stylish cinematic.
Who done it that he did in like nineteen sixty five Issues sixty six another good one, but Hanah kay is also it's a later movie with Jill Clayburgh, who's brilliant. But I'll give I'll endorse this one completely. It has a it's one of these moral examinations of a time at the time, a timely situation because it's pretty timely now too, only it's gone far worse. Middle East lot of you know. I think it's a courtroom drama. But a great movie, really really cool film and an interesting discussion,
you know. But Keino good, I'm glad. I'm glad they're doing it. It's in good hands.
Solid from Keno. All right, we're going to talk about some of Howard's contributions. I might pepper in some of my feelings for that in there as well. But my big thing is as we're going through as we're going through these, if you have any questions for Howard, please pos us them in the chat and I will ask. I'd love to get more interaction on this part because again, a lot of people that work on supplements. There's not a lot of feedback, there's not a lot of discourse
on them. There's not a lot of discussion on what goes into them. So I mean, I don't think we even covered this the first time that like years ago, that you and I chatted. What do you look for in a good supplemental feature, Howard? What is your favorite type of supplemental feature?
Just some kind of personality from the people who make it, that's honestly, I I it's funny you asked this because I was just talking to a couple of people about this, and you know, I think it's I always thought it was great. The first thing I ever went for when I was watching a disc is if you know one, if they were interviews. I hadn't even you know, visual
essays where you know that. That always seemed like a totally separate thing to me, but interviews, And I kept noticing that even though I was interested in the person and in the what he was or she was saying, I would lose interest kind of quickly. And I went back and I started watching. This is why I don't get really to watch time to watch features that much. Lately.
I'm really watching a lot of older extras and see to see what, you know, what I've missed in terms of the person who was conducting the interview or editing the interview. And I noticed a lot of things, and I wonder what you think of this. I see like a lot of a lot of interviews are they're either done like a junk you know how they do it for the junket interviews with like the the little the back to a little backdrop set built or something go,
and it's always like a colorful lighting whatever. But then it's never like they don't really go into Maybe this is because of the company having this, they're you know, having lawyers go through the tapes. That's always possible, but it's never it's always like about just the film, so I never get to know really who is talking. It's always like a guy who showed up on set and it's like it could be the greatest cinematographer or the greatest director. But somehow I had a lot of these
these things really didn't you know, reveal much. It was just seems so hemetically sealed. And do you ever notice that sometimes when they have like a they'll have a second camera usually like an iPhone or something, so it doesn't quite match the camera anyway. I mean, it's like the footage, it doesn't, but it'll just cut into like a side view, and that always kind of throws me that that I lose I lose, I lose focus quickly because you're not You're not they're not talking to you anymore.
They're like suddenly they're cutting to like a side shot. And I've been noticing how much that really bugs the hell out of me lately. I like, I rather, I'm kind of fascinated with like zoom conversations or you know, film zoom conversations or something more direct where they're actually looking at you as opposed to just answering questions. So I kind of like, I kind of like seeing that, you do you know what I'm talking about? You ever seen that with the Yeah?
I Actually I had to edit one of these for an upcoming release from Imprint semi recently that did that, And the main reason was when they set up coverage, the room that they were interviewing in was so small. The what would be the normal B camera was literally almost like a side view of the face. And the reality is you're paying for that you should use it at least a little bit. So I didn't overly use it,
but it I don't know. I do. One of the big things I do like is keeping the viewer engaged, and a lot of people nowadays just changing the angle does that. But also of course using like clips from the film or just showing footage while they speak is big for that a lot of the times. So it's it's nice to see, nice to see some coverage. But
the zoom interviews, I don't know. It depends, Like if deaf crocodile, for instance, they're interviewing somebody from Moscow, we can't really call in a studio and get them in a studio. I get that, But a zoom zoom one makes sense there. If they're in LA, I don't want, Like, I don't want Shout Factory doing a zoom interview or somebody else who's in LA. That doesn't make any sense to me.
Right, Yeah, I mean it's just sometimes the smallest little thing. But if I start like not paying attention to someone who I'm I'm naturally interested in, but and also I just like to know. I like to get to know the person and his attitude or her attitude towards their career or what their career was. I just had the privilege of doing. And I may not speaking of this may not be everyone's taste. I'm just saying you asked me, so this.
Is this is my take.
I had a zoom conversation and it was in you know, like you said, it was in Spain. It was done. They were in Spain. It was Peter MacDonald, who was like the greatest second you know, assist in the second camera and cameraman.
I mean my whole childhood, all.
These British movies, these which were almost you could consider them almost you know, experimental, you know, in a way. He used to be Jeffrey Unsworth's cameraman, and then ultimately he went on he directed, ultimately did like his own He directed his own films that he directed, The Never Ending Story three, I think War two or three, I
think three. And he also did like Rambo, uh the third one, the Rambo three, and he did some you know, Jean Claude van damp An amazing, but he was camera on Cabaret and he did work with Unsworth on two thousand and one, and he was you know, I was so fortunate to set up a Zoom interview with him,
and he was so magnetic to me. It was like a gift that he you know, you know the fact that he just gave up the truth about working with some of the greatest people, Richard Lester, you know, I mean, you know, Basil Derdon, I mean, like the people that he was listening off and talking, discussing about his approach to things and anecdotes working with certain stars, has a great, great bit about Oliver Reid, and this is all leading
up to his work on Czardas and Excalibur. So it was a four and a half hour conversation and I was glued. I just couldn't even I had to cut it down. It was painful. I had to cut it down to you know, I didn't want to short change anyone, but I wanted people to know him the way he
let me know him, which is just wonderful. And he's got a great sense of humor and an amazing rack on tour and a life that it's you know, it was working in film, not on digital video, and he created, you know, helped create, innovate a lot of things that
people are still struggling to replicate on digital video. You know, and he's he's a but I cut it down to like seventy five minutes and it's still I wanted to go farther with it because the stories that I had to cut out were just like almost criminal that I had to cut it out. But he's but I want people to know he's this guy. I mean, he's a
lovely guy. But it's it's they don't have the same they didn't grow up A lot of these people didn't grow up with him the way I grew up with him, just seeing the name over and over again from you know, when I was a little kid, straight through all these movies that were like my favorite films that were just
on TV. You know, I grew up with him so that, you know, and I like the fact that we had to do it over zoom because he was really you know, he knew how to use the laptop lens to act to his performance as it well, it was just great and he was just great. It's the most fun of had doing an interview in a long time.
Well, let's let's dive deep on Excalibur. We got two real quick comments before we go into that. One. Terry talks movie says, I want to see interviews where the stars sitting in a pub getting pissed with the interviewer. He just totally reminds me this last year. We had Joe Bob Briggs for Sledgehammer, and he was exhausted, literally in a bar and to we go to shoot and
then suddenly he's just on. The dude is like it was filmed during the weekend of a convention and so he was just beat already, but he was just immediately on as soon as we started filming. And then the other one, Robert Hubbard says, hello, Howard, big fan of the Terminal Man features on the Arrow disc and your commentary with Howard Thompson. I think we mean the Thanel Thompson on the Big Bus.
Steve Mitchell was with me, Steve.
Mitchell on that one, the Big Bus, not another one that.
We hear, So that's nice.
Yeah, all right, So Excalibur, why you know four and a half hours is a long interview? Does Arrow? I don't think you've told me this yet. Did they dictate how long it could be or did you just say this is what it is. I'm turning it in and it's seventy five minutes, So good luck.
I think usually Arrow has no compunctions, you know, unless unless they tell me that I haven't been told. Yeah, I mean, I asked. I said, look, you know, i'm cutting this down from four and a half. And as I got into the you know, watching it and listening to it, making my notes, I didn't want it to bloat.
It's not bloat.
But it was all amazing and really I can't tell you how funny some of the stuff was. And it's a shame, but it was. I did have to tell them, I said, when I finally, when I got the cut, I said, I brought it down to seventy five. I could go more and go let They said, if you could go as long as you need to, as long as it's interesting. But then I realized, you know, all right, what's going to be. Maybe a criticism is that I thought this was going to be only about the production
of Excalibur, and it wasn't. I mean, I never promised that. I want people to know Peter McDonald's my that's my concern, and why his work on Zardas and Excalibur aren't the same thing. It's not a technician showing up on set. I wanted them to follow it like he followed it like his career through his eyes. So to me, you know, it's it's just like one person telling you and I illustrate it. I used clips and I used I use b ra all and stuff, but I really they never
they've never given me a problem. I did another thing which for one reason another didn't didn't end up you know, uh where where where it wanted to be, but it was. It was another turned out to be like a seventy five minute visual essay quick like no one can No one said anything, but it was. But I am not at liberty to say what it was or what it was for. But I would have, and I probably am going to since it's reverted back to me. I probably would add another half hour to it, only because I
personally was trying. Was never told to keep it down, but I there's things about link that I think, you know, if it's pertinent, you know, it may not be in every you know, viewers capacity to remain interested in an essay, but I'm not. You know, I can only do it from my point of view if I have something that I think needs to be discussed, that hasn't been discussed or needs to be heard that hasn't been heard. I'm going to try and do my best to keep it pertinent.
You know, I'm not thinking about running time. I know a lot of people have. You know, look, there's there's some brilliant three hour movies, but people have like they're they're you know, they have problems with with running time, even of great movies. You know, So you know, I I it's an interesting question. How do you deal with it?
Do you?
I mean, do you have you ever had something, you know, truly epic that was just like no, I can't do this, or.
The only thing that I've had that was close to that is we were told one time that a disc only had just over ten minutes of available space on it that we could make. So we went into a project knowing that it could only be ten minutes, and that was tough considering what we had written and then editing down to that point. It was like chock there's no rest in that piece. It was. It was chock full from second one until end of the credits, and so it was. It was rough, that's for sure.
Yeah, I mean, I think even the thing that we did together for The Ugly was that a full half hour or was that twenty No, it.
Was around eighteen to twenty. I think, yeah, let's talk about that one. So The Ugly is coming from unearthed films. It has not been released yet. I believe that's coming next month or February. The Ugly. How'd you feel about that? And putting this piece together for somebody editing for you for the first time like this, I.
Trusted you, I I you know, I had. I tried to not guide that much, but I hope I gave in the way I wrote it. I figured, you know, let's see where you take it. I mean, you know, we never have enough time. I mean, especially when you
get to the entertage. It is really sometimes you're usually juggling to other projects and you're on a twenty almost twenty hour schedule sometimes and sometimes you know, so I kept going, like, I hope I'm not complicating this for him, but like the all that's so sympathetic to it, you know how it's how I feel about, you know, you know, doing it myself. But I had a complete trust doing it.
I just didn't.
I just was hoping that I wasn't unclear or I wasn't making my my thing. There's so much to go over with the ugly. I mean, there's so there's so many antecedents that they and they, and it plays with it like you think, oh, that's such a cliche. But then I would watch it for like the third time and I go, you know something, he's very as possible, very possible that he's doing some subversive twists to a lot of these tropes that have been accepted in that genre,
and I like, I like that. There's another movie that Nathaniel Thompson, who I'm glad ended up doing commentary for the disc. He was the one who he wasn't attached to it yet when we were working on it originally, and I was so happy because he's the guy who introduced the movie to me. He's he was saying, oh no, it's a great movie. It's a great movie, and I go, okay,
I'm psyched. I'm watched it and it was it was an unusual film for me, but I really liked the fact that it there was I thought some very interesting suberversive thematic twists to this movie. And I thought, from you know, I thought you did a great job with it. But I really you know, I enjoyed the movie tremendously and not a lot of people have actually heard of it. I mean that was a name one of my wrong
that was like a big VHS thing. I think that's people saw it when it was on like VHS and and they're in the video stores.
Yeah, it's like a mom and pop video store title. It came out late nineties, not a ton of fanfare or anything like that, but it's it's shockingly good for when it came out and for not being a huge movie. It's well acted, unique, idea fun movie. It shot pretty well. I truly liked the ugly quiteit and it's tricky. It's a tricky film.
It's not like you think there, at least the way I took it is that I would think there was a cliche that's a bad word, but a cliche or a very recycled you know, trope to that, and then just watching it, I'm like, no, he's doing He's doing something else, you.
Know, something new.
So we tried, I tried to do try to incorporate that, and I guess, wow, twenty minutes I really thought it was like longer, that's good to know. Do you have to did you have to chop a lot down. I don't remember, No, not a lot.
There's just not a lot of Like there's not a lot of fluff from the like for many of these when it's thirty minutes, it might only be like twenty one minutes of essay and about nine minutes of film footage. There's not a lot of just film footage because the way that we did the essay, it's not a lot of that. It's a lot of just focus on what inspired this, what came from it, and what the film itself means because there's okay players in the movie. Yeah, good to know.
Again, I can't wait till people see it. But I hope people response. We can, you know, get some feedback too. I mean it's it's always good to hear feedback. Might not change what we do at all, but at least we get an idea of what it's coming on across.
Like, well, but you got a question, Ragnar wants to know what made what made you want to be on physical media to begin with? Is there something that made you want to speak on these on these films to be on the.
Disc I've will you know, I've always I've always just loved this whole environment of physical media. But again it was it was Nathaniel Thompson who invited me. You know, I'd go over to his place and watched tons of stuff and you know, but then he he was he was doing stuff with image every way earlier, you know, but he invited me to to do I think the first one he ever did was trouble.
Man on Keno.
Uh and uh then it starts snowballing. We were getting titles that was greatly Phil Carlson's framed and things like that, and I was like, wow, So it was really I went to Nathaniel also Callum Waddel when he was with Arrow a long time ago. Uh he yeah, very long
time ago. But he also started asking me to be a talking head and I'm like, really, here's but so, you know, so I had you know, a lot of really cool you know movies through that, but I I just love That's the first thing I go to is the extras on the you know, the the DVTs, the
Blu rays. I've always just been I've always been interested in the personality of the artist of who who did it, And like I said, some some of them really capture it, uh you know, and some of them I like I like a lot of I like the fat I like the creative. I like to know who i'm who's who worked on this, not just that they showed up and this is the story on the set. It really kind of doesn't. Really, I've worked on movies. It doesn't really,
it's not that interesting to me. What's interesting is is not the backstage you know, Yeah, but they created something, you know, it's they had to have a hive mind. They had to have a collective amoebic you know, mind
for a while. And that fascinates me so much. Uh. And what I'm happy about is like it looks like in the last two or three years in particular, forget about the last ten, but in the last two or three with all these boutique labels finding a voice and trying at least giving it themselves a chance to try something, to show something that hasn't been explored yet. Uh, it's cool. There's a lot of things to a lot of approaches to film and history. I mean, you look at Death Crocodile.
I'm learning a hell of a lot of history that I never I never would have, you know.
It's speaking of speaking of finding their voice. I've always wanted to ask you this because you have a very specific style when you especially visual essays, when you're not just interviewing but doing a full out essay. You know what you're setting out to say. You know that you're you've got a central thesis that you're always coming back to. Do you approach these differently for different companies? Is there a different feeling when you're doing one for Arrow as
opposed to filmmasters? Because Arrow is a very mainstream audience type of company, but even filmmasters might be a little more I don't want to say, like Pinky in the Air condescending, but more like these people might pay a little more attention to the craft of like B movies type of feeling.
It's more filmed by film, not company by company. It's funny you say that, but no, and I don't even know, Like it just becomes because when I'm working with Kevin, when Kevin's my co writer or writer, I mean, he's he's he you know, I throw out whatever I can sometimes with him, but he's you know, he's he's the master, and yeah, I have to I have to sort of find the voice that he has, and it's sometimes inadvertently I'm not going to say facetious or sarcastic, but that's
not that's not there's no contempt in it at all. It's just I have to find I just have to find the right, you know, voice for it. I guess I don't think about it. I hate hearing my own voice. It drives me crazy. And sometimes I'll change it. I'll pitch shift it so I sound a little bit.
I don't know.
It's like what Keanu Reeves tries to do with his voice, and he's making basillary just talking like this. You know, I try to do the same thing. I'll like pitch shift it so I'm a little bit slower. I caught fast or so.
I don't know.
I just but it's that's why I like to edit my own things, clean it up, my own interesting. And I didn't think that Arrow was terribly mainstream, but I guess, yeah, they balanced it. I mean, you know, they went corporate so that they're balancing. I think they're doing a really good job, even with the films that I don't know. So I don't know what people expect from companies.
And that's the thing. Their choices aren't necessarily mainstream. Down the Aisle films because like right now to Save the Green Planet, you could argue as not mainstream, but they're even doing things like the Samurai trilogies from the sixties. Nobody else is putting out stuff like except for maybe Radiance. But the big thing is Arrow purchasers are the mainstream. Like other than Criterion, Vinegar, Sindermon, Arrow are the ones
that many people could name, and people like filmmasters. Most people in their right mind, even in this hobby, would not name filmasters if you ask them to list twenty five boutiques. That's just not a title that would come up. Right.
Eventually, maybe we'll see. I mean, you know again, I enjoyed what I did with them. They were very they were very open to whatever we were doing. We did the Tormented, the Burt Gordon Tormented. Yeah, we did the Terror, which was a long piece too. Oh that's right, Yeah, that was the Terror. Imprint has a totally different vibe to it. They I think they like as much the thematic as they do technical, especially in the visual essays.
They're very, very embracing me and people like Daniel Kramer, who we really want to get if we see an idea that it has been under discussed. You know, we'll go for it. We'll try and do it, you know, to the best we can, as articulate as we can, you know, do it. But it's interesting. I never thought about that label by label, Like what, what is sort of a tone for the label?
Yeah, no, it's usually just filmed by film.
Like I said, we could do something like last Long Kiss good Night, and it would be a little bit you know, in the in the flavor of the film, a little you know. I had done one for Tough Guys Don't Dance, and it didn't It was rejected by MGM because of the tone and like what the tone of what Norman Mailer's tone. And we were only doing it up to Norman Mailer, you know, we were trying to figure and we I think there's a lot of revelations there that still have not been discussed about him,
either as a director or an author. But that's something that you know, again, I own it now. I'll probably put it up somewhere some point if it doesn't get taken in for another you know, if someone else doesn't end up handling it, and then can I don't know what MGM is like now that could be different now, So for all I know, yeah, that's sad, it's too bad.
But like with Excalibur and Outland, again, I'm dealing with Neil Snowden, who is really he you know, he just he he entices you, you know, he allows you to explore something that isn't just by rote at this point, you know, so Borman I had to realize John Borman. You know, people a lot of people don't know who
he is. Like a lot of people through shocking to me because for a while maybe up you know now I can't believe it's over twenty years ago now, But like even in the nineties, which I think is still yesterday, John and was still a viable you know, he had a history like Deliverance and and and Zardas wasn't so
ridiculed as it is now. I mean, Zarda's people think is a bad movie, and they talk about even I mean, I understand gripes with Exorsist two, but I still I used to say, it's like a it's a terrible Exorcist sequel, but it's a great John Borman movie, you know. Like so that's why I think it's great that they're so indulgent and and they want people to have, you know,
a voice like David Kittridge. I can't wait to see his documentary on Exorcist too, because there's a perspective and he and within his own perspective, he's he's getting other people to help sort of navigate through the strange waterway of critical thinking towards that particular film and that director. So I love what Neil was doing with Excalber because
he loves the movie. I mean, he's really passionate, but he has an incredibly open mind and he's very eclectic on his own and to see that that enthusiasm come across to the you know, in his curatorship to edit the visual essay, you know, I was doing it for him, you know, I was trying to. I was looking forward to at least stating you know, Kevin in my case and see how he responds.
You know.
So he was.
He's He's an exemplary you know producer in that respect. That's really important is to you know that your producer, if he can be or if she can be, is a little bit involved in the discussion and before you before you sit down and cut. Hasn't always worked out that way. I mean not that the producer has been bad or anything like that, but sometimes that they themselves are overworked and they have a huge so they can only spend so much time in discussion or planning whatever,
or things can things can go south. But you know so so things like the Australian discs are usually great because you can get away with a lot and you know their laws of be you know of using clips. You know, they have a fair use law that they can apply.
Uh.
England is the opposite. It's really rough to try and stretch. You have to get like the if it's if it's a Warner Brothers disc and then it's up to Warner Brothers. I can use Warner titles, you know, things like that, or Universal same thing. You can use Universal titles generally. But I like I like that, you know, the ones that really stayed with me, the Terminal Man, even the
shootest those from last year, the year before. But Neil was just such a great launch pad for ideas and things that you know, I like, I just feel like I'm I I know who I'm who I'm trying to shape it for. I'll get I'll get feedback, you know. So, But I loved I loved I loved the Palenberg piece, you know, on excaliburt. I mean, we're dealing with a lot of people, and Borman is in his in his nineties, and you know, the health is just not the same.
I mean, it happened, it happens quist and uh so, I know, Jonathan Zorn did a really great job, you know, getting the most out of him.
And then his son.
Charlie, who, of course, if you're in the Borman family, you've you've probably had to do either appear before the camera for his their father or they you know, I know Telsha his his late daughter. She was like his assistant director, you know. So it's really cool to find out about the family unit. And and and the idea of what I did was when I interviewed Raspo Pallenberg, who is I think now he's either just turned ninety or he's turning ninety, younger than Borman, believe it or not,
I mean, but still that age. They're from a different era, a whole different era, and their memories obviously they're not perfect anymore, but their personality is. So I rode with that. But I've been in awe of his work and he did a great little stereocomic satiric horror film called The Cutting Class with Brad Pitt, I think was the name in his first film. It's his first Jill Sholin interesting to me, very interesting. I've always laughed when I watched that movie, and so I was a I knew, I
knew what he was. I knew him, I knew I knew his work. I watched everything he's been responsible for, including an interesting Russian epic. Yeah, I mean he's he's just an interesting, interesting writer, but an interesting thinker. And Borman in his autobiographies would almost undercut not not his importance, but he just says right off the bat that, you know. It's almost like he's like an appendage of Borman's, you know,
like he was just an interesting guy. Never said a bad word about him, always thought he was fascinating, befriended him because he was such an unusual, unique thinker. So I couldn't wait to talk to him. But you know, he's you know, not his memory is human, you know. So I got a great interview out of him, but I thought it needed context, so I kind of combined
the visual essay with the interview. So it really is about what I was determining once Pallenberg's son very generously started giving me emails from between the two of them for years and and going back twenty some odd years, and letters even further, and footage that Pallenberg had shot on Deliverance back, you know that has never been seen
outside of the family. So I made this thing basically about my impression of their their relationship together as friends, as it's it's almost like a sexless, passionate marriage that they had. That the that their bonding came out through the films and the ideas that they each endorsed by each other, I mean, and then you know, which is so eccentric and so personal, I mean with I saw it as a love story. I saw it as some kind of a love story, and and a believable one,
one with ups and downs. And honestly, so that was that was great And Neil really you know, Snowden was really great with encouraging me to try and get another point of view, you know.
Uh.
And it wasn't just an ordinary interview. It looked like when at first, but then suddenly I was able in the editing, you'll see I start to toy with things you know, with with with the actual picture, so I have fun as well. You know, it wasn't just like cutting an interview, you know, it's all about what I did on the set of You know, it didn't interest me.
I want, you know, I want, and I knew there was so much else, so many other people being interviewed, and I just think it's great that at some point what I think this is. This is again, I know I sound like a nut, but it's worth it. Neil put everything into contact, so he knew that when you watch all the extras, you're not just watching about the production.
You were really sort of centrifuical. You're you're becoming John Borman at some point point, You're you're you're you're understanding not just this one movie's production, but what it meant to him and and what eventually you're gonna It'll just come across. All these different perspectives in the extras sort of are harmonious to each other. And I love that
type of attitude, that care of what. And he was able to say to me, you know, this is what I'm hoping for from these other things, and then it was It was great. And he did that also with inglorious bastards. And he also did that with the Cell.
He helped me get a great focus. But I did a very long, very technically detailed interview on the Cell with pol Paul Laufer, who was the cinematographer, and he was absolutely brilliant and fun guy, and and and and that was also long, and in two parts, I guess because he split it in where it needed to be
split for another another use on the second disc. But they gave me, they gave me a point of view so that when I went into the interview for doing an interview, I knew what I wanted to know about the guy now that you know, and to find out I didn't even know this really. I just assumed he did, you know, he had an extensive commercial background, but Laufur
actually did that. He actually said, this is my first, you know, first motion, my first you know, this narrative feature, and I think this might be my last because I because of Tarsum and the Warner Brothers, they let him do everything he needed he wanted to do. He said anything, he wanted to learn, anything he wanted to try, they let him do it. So afterwards he's like, there was really nothing else I wanted to do in this realm.
It's like to me, that's like, so not only did I get to know something interesting about the movie, but about this this amazing personality and this amazing talent and how he's approaching this particular project. I like that, Like that, that's cool. Arrow was giving me a lot of leeway in that, you know, and so that that's that's really cool. The Borman stuff, the Terminal Man. It's just I love these two guys a lot, and I admired them both,
you know, all my life. In the minute I was introduced to both of their films, you know well.
And Terminal Man was a big movie for you, right if I remember right, I think that was one that you had always cherished.
I mean I saw it when I was in fourth grade alone. I was dropped off the movie theater because it was playing with I think High Averbacks, the Peter Sellers movie I Love You Alice b. Toklas. I was ten, I think or nine or ten, and I just was dropped. It was Alice B. Toklas and Juggernaut was the triple feature that was playing this little mini Cinny. It was called Tiny, Little about seventy c theater.
So when I saw.
That that was the that was the It wasn't the first my conscious, but it was the first cond I knew the name. So that I knew the name, I had seen Get Carter and I had seen Pulp in the theater, but I didn't connect it.
I didn't connect them at the time.
I knew and I didn't, And and Get Carter was very upsetting.
It was one of those things.
I saw it when I was five or so and my fingers were over my eyes, you know, it was I was really I was really upset by a lot of that movie and it was very emotional that watching it now, I go, wow, it's really actually an emotional movie. But Hodges was like that, and I, you know, so
this was you know, this was a great assign. I was very touched that Neil asked me to do it because he knew it was probably as my Facebook posts occasionally I would go and tell about these guys, but Richard Klein and UH and Mike Conjos for two totally different types of guys, and and just knowing them the way I did it was it was a very emotional thing, and you know, Uh, and it was nice that you know, I would hand it in and you know, you'd hear
back from you know that George Feltenstein, who is you know, the head of Warners. He has to prove these things to hear them say like, you know, this is a great you know this is this is a good you know, tribute to these guys and like and then I'm being told that, like, you know, these they never get criticism from the approval. You know, it's like either do it,
cut this, change this. So I was like, you know, it was just nice to know that I'm not wasting my memories or my emotions, you know, you know, revealing them to the public when you know, are they just expecting something else out of this? I can only you know, make it the same thing whenever I talk about Simula met which I'm about to do another commentary with Nathaniel for Imprint, a great Sidney Limit movie that no one knows is a great Sidney Limit movie, and I really
invite people to just explore. This is a critical care with James Spader and Helen Marron. Have you heard of it.
I've heard of it. I've never been able to see it, but I've heard it's great.
I don't know. It depends on some of these I've never even heard of it before. It's like it is phenomenal and really perverse. I'm very funny and it's it's a it's a great limit. So just being able to have an outlet where I can sort of make people, you know, see it through my eyes as opposed to even if it's I don't know if it's yeah, but uh, but I'm looking I'm really looking forward to a lot of these things. Like you know, I was so happy to see how Outland was.
I was about to mention because it got brought up earlier, but we haven't like really dove deep into it. You did two things for that disc right, No? I did.
I did four pieces for it, okay, Uh, yeah, there's only one, just one really good visual essay that I didn't do on it was all about it's high noonism, you know, it's connection with high new Uh. And I didn't do the commentaries. Obviously. There's two, I think two different sets of commentaries. One is I think archival with Higham's and then there's uh, there's another and forgive me, I forgot who did it.
I haven't gotten a change.
Is Chris Alexander, Chris Alexander. Okay, yeah, you know, I haven't gotten listened to it. I heard it was a fun, fun track, but I haven't listened.
To it yet. Excuse me, but no, I did.
Uh the interview with Steven Goldblatt, cinematographer. Uh again, he was in Mexico and we we zoomed it and that was that was terrifying because he's amazing and I love Breaking Glass is the first theatrical film, and he also did The Hunger. I mean, I mean to me, you know, Cotton Club, Lethal Weapon one and two. I mean, really amazing.
But he's another very soft spoken, funny, human guy, and I love that he had a human perspective of all his work that he was happy to share and and be very frank and open about because it's an interesting story about Outland. Between him and Hiam's, the relationship was not perfect, I'll say so, it's a it's an interesting thing. But I was screwed by Zoom. I had gone through this like long trying to figure out got a better
computer to do the interview through. I did all this stuff and I had to sign up with the Zoom on this new computer and I had to get a business thing, you know, all the subscription of it, get the tie deaf. And I saw him sitting there do it and the interview is lovely, just great. And I check afterwards and all the settings were at the lowest settings. Oh no, imaginable. I'm like, what is this? So I ended up talking to someone at Zoom and they're like, oh,
I said, you guys made me upgrade. Once I had all the settings and everything made me upgrade, Suddenly it wasn't. I couldn't use the and they go, oh, yeah, well yeah, I said, but you know when you upgrade, it usually upgrades around your existing settings. And they're like, yeah this, yeah, no, we haven't gotten that.
And I'm like, yeah, I had to.
If you watch, if you watch the piece with Stephen Goldblat, I was sweating because it looked it didn't look good. I mean, it was Zoom anyway, it doesn't won't all that great. So I finally thought I thought of a way to sort of trick the audience into thinking that it was appropriate and nothing was wrong. So I don't want to ruin it, but I thought it was pretty fun pretty funny. The solution that I had. I was
like sweating my balls off. I was like, Oh, this is going to work, and it's I've read all these you know, these reviews, not once. Same thing happened with Peter McDonald on Excalibur. Had to come up with a sort of a psychological thing. So we'll see, we'll see if that passes the test.
I'm eager to see that one. I will admit I did. I did get that one ordered the day was announced, knowing how important it was to you and knowing the amount of work that went into it, and not to mention I've still never seen it. I've heard that it's really good. And wait, wait for you, I've never seen Excalibur.
Oh I'm jealous. I'm jealous.
Nah, I'm behind on that one yet.
No, no, no, no, not no, I'm jealous. I'm if anything, really excited for you. This is what it's for. This is what this is what this is for. We were supposed to be born seeing all these things. Just sad that's happened. I mean, you were that's Happenstance that's happened. That's just that's just I'm not in control of that.
I was an infant. I wish I was seeing a triple feature in a seventy seat cinema when I was ten years old, that's for sure, you know.
But but isn't that what we're you know, doing this. We're all living vicariously through everyone we meet, right, that's the whole thing.
That's true. That's true.
But no, no, you're gonna know, you're in control of this. You're gonna have a great time. I mean, I'd love to see you. Definitely want to hear what you have to say about it. It's it's an amazing movie. The but what it had to do with borm And touched me so much more, you know than just you know, it being it was definitely not a product, you know.
And what's cool is they're including the radically different editor of the movie for TV, which I've never seen, and I am super psyched that Era went the distance with this. And also they're also have a fantastic I mean I think we I think everybody doing extras on this, Jonathan Zarren and me and whoever, we all had to use bits of this. But it was Neil Jordan the documentary. Yeah,
and that was because Borman gave him a chance. Thought he was an interesting guy, just like Pallenberg gave him a chance and I want to work with him, and he produced it. He produced one of his movies, I think, early on, an early film by him. But Jordan is another fascinating guy, and you could just tell that he was as swept up in Borman's mania as I was, you know, way before even before Excalibur, you know, I
mean I remember seeing zardas my dad. I dragged my poor dad, and my dad dragged him to see He loved Sean Connery, so fine with him. But we went opening night and it was like, you know, I didn't know that there were people who were going to think, you know, something that was like a bad or. I mean, can't be well, that's that's sort of a style, that's that's a sense of humor.
It's not.
I wouldn't say it was out and out trying to be campy. I think there's camp was a certain aspect of Borman's humor just in general, but it wasn't. I didn't think it sacrificed the film. It's a pretty a pretty dense film with some very funny viits and funny ideas in it. It's just a satire. But when you learn about Vorman. You learn about his Arthurian obsession and you start watching his movies from the very beginning, and
he even goes into it. To Neil Jordan, I was like, oh wow, this is even back then, you know, because he had to exploit it then, because you know, it was making of Excalibur. He had the guy in the set right, but he really went into it and I and I just I love when a filmmaker is sort of so confessional about his private passion, his private focus, his reason a little tiny, dark, little, you know, closeted
reasons for being and this Arthurian thing. And it really helped me understand his relationship with Pallenberg because had I not known that he wanted to be Arthur, he also knew that Arthur needed a Merlin and Pallenberg just his character just fit. They both fit the role. It was crazy, and so he wanted to It wasn't just my like author and I'm working it into my stories. He is
living it somehow in his real life. He's putting himself in positions where he is Arthur and he has to learn from certain people, but those certain people have to fit such a fragile human criteria about his idea of Merlin, what he's, you know, where he's the sources he identifies with a million authors of Arthurian legends, So it really becomes quite a quite a vivid depiction of you know,
the heart of this guy. And then you look at Deliverance again you go, wow, it's not the movie that I remember seeing a hundred times before, or you know, you know, Hell in the Pacific or point blank, you go, you know, wow, you realize you were innocent when you watched it for yourself, and then you've been you know, you've sort of been tainted, polluted by knowing the heartbeat
behind these movies. I just love the feeling that you can films so many different ways, and it's like it's not just one movie you're watching or suddenly watching it through a bunch of different eyes. So this was a cool year for a lot of things, like you know, the Terminal Man, and also Francesco Simeoni at Radiance and Paul martin Kovic at Martinovac excuse me at Radiance and
now Transmission. They're fantastic too because they I was asked simultaneously by these guys if I would do the Wicked Game a visual essay on Robert jo Song for the Wicked Games set and also uh for the Knight of the Juggler the Transmission release, which I'm really thinking, you know, I can't be disloyal to Keino, but I they didn't. I don't think they poured it over my visual essay, but I think, but you know, I honestly think that
maybe the Transmission one. People has to ask. I'm kind of leaning towards that because there's a couple of things that could sort of poured over, not the Nathaniel Thompson Steve Mitchell commentary, but I may have to say, you know, maybe by both if you really care about the movie, because there's some really cool stuff on the Transmission one as a pretty hefty, hefty set, But I was. I loved doing both of those visual essays. Those I did alone. Again for the for the Oh Song, I really thought
I had to. I found out. My god, I was shaking when I found out that Tim Lucas was doing the commentary for all three of those movies, and I'm like, I, you know, step out down.
I can't.
I can't compete with my SOF. I wanted to know just to get a focus. I ended up calling Tim and asking him, like, permission to do this? I'm like that, but what am I? So he was very he was pretty pretty good with me on that one. He told me, you know, more than I hate asking people like what did you do? You know, what did you cover?
You know?
Such a classless thing to do. But I just didn't want to repeat. I didn't want to step on his toes because they were pretty mighty toes, you know, And I was I was looking forward to when I found out he was going, was like, gosh, do I even have anything new to say that would be interesting? But he was great, Like, we talked for a long time and I went and I was just able to suddenly do it, you know. But I love I love doing
both of those pieces. I think Radiance and Transmission they're going to be, you know, Radiance is already like side swiping people in the world seriously. And I think Francisco I think he worked for Arrow for like ten years. Yeah, but yet he's found a totally new voice separate from that without without hurting anything that Arrow does.
The funny thing though, a lot of what fran is doing now Arrow used to do, and you could literally tell what was fran coded that entire time, the moment he stepped away and the moment the Hut group thing happened, it is all a completely different world. And he I mean he stepped in and immediately was not just I don't know, not just successful, but like in an enthralling way, in a way that everybody was scared.
At, beautifully put. Yeah, absolutely, I totally concur Yeah, it's it's it's remarkable and great though that now here you can we can talk about not even the producers of the disc the creators. Now we're talking about like the people who created the label.
Like curation is a big deal. Yeah.
Man, it's like, you know, it's just it's just wild. It's really wild, and it's so liberating to me because this is this is the world I've been inducted into. You know.
Well, after we're after we're not live, we got to talk about something else about that too. That'll be fun before you hang, Okay, you got it's other than I think you've named a lot of the more recent ones. Other than that, how about some Keta Lber stuff you've done this year?
Oh my gosh, that's where I like you.
Name one of eighty three commentaries.
That I mean, I mean, they're all, they're all really cool. I just have to be careful not to announce something that hasn't been well. Obviously, everybody Daniel and I Freakin's
Rampage we wanted to do. And the thing was as funny is that afterwards, I think you've even commented on this phenomenon, is that you could be offered the greatest set on Earth, with the greatest x I print, the greatest transfer, and someone's going to be unhappy about like something, and afterwards, you know, not that I blame them, but it's like someone had noticed that there was like literally maybe a thirty five second scene or two or two
thirty second not even scenes from the original. Maybe that maybe it was the Japanese laser disc now I had I didn't have when I was preparing for it. I didn't have the I didn't have the new version yet. I didn't have the the two new versions, and I only had the That's what I saw it. I had bought the laser disc, you know what, nineteen ninety, nineteen eighty nine or something that at a video a video store that I used to frequent.
In Long Island and.
So I had the laser so I watched the laser disc, so I didn't know. And it's like it must have been so minor that I didn't even notice it was missing because we're already in the thick of you know, now we have the thing, the actual thing, were watching it, and this is gonna happen. That's what Video Watchdog was
there for. I mean, like, you know, there's a you know, if they were still Tim was still doing Video Watchdog, my god, it would be an insane It would be you know, a hundred different versions of every fucking movie, you know, so that you know, we did this, which I always thought the original was an astonishing freakin movie.
And then when Mirramax, you know, basically after Delorentius ghosted him ghost right, and the contract was such where freaking owed the money to the people who didn't get you know, when the thing was not distributed. Uh, Dilarentiez just ghosted him and left him, so he had to do something. So Mirramax, I guess they screened it to test audiences who were already you know, I mean silence of the lammed out, you know, it was that was out, that wasn't out.
That there was nothing when it was made.
You know, it wasn't made yet, but I'm sure there was the only reason why Merrimax agreed to do it, and and to when they when they did the new version, it's such a dramatically different edit. And I remember hearing before I saw the new version. I remember hearing freaking going on about you know, and it sounded so contrived, like, oh, I have this political stance and I think I changed
as a human being, and blah blah blah. And then I find out, No, he needed that sale really bad, so I think he's just, you know, he he cheat just I don't know if he pretends the right word, but he and cocted this scenario, this pitch to audiences. Why you know that it has a difference, It really almost doesn't. What it does have is it's not subtle, and it becomes almost propagandistic, and they made him change every mysterious lyrical which is what his whole structure is.
In any movie, you have to spend forty five minutes figuring out where you are, who you're with, what their point is, who these people are, and what's the drama and where we're going with it? I mean, watch the brinkstrip, any any movie French connection. You're not told, you're thrown in the middle of everything, and you sort it out eventually, like they have the characters.
Even Jade start little jewelry boxes of right.
Look, the longer version of Jade is fantastic. I mean, it just is a great. It's a great It does not resemble in those tiny minutes changes. It doesn't resemble the original that was in the theater. And this is sort of the same story with with Rampage. So I was really pleased with how that came out. I just didn't know that. I didn't notice there was another minutia. You know. I'm glad I owned the laser disc. I
guess if there is something that's small. I haven't even gone back to see what those differences are yet, but but I was pretty proud of that. I thought we I thought that was a great movie, and I was really happy that people were finally getting to see it. You know, it's certainly not censored in any way or that there was anything, you know, you know, and we just did another movie as well. I can't I don't like announce that it's it's coming up.
But.
Another another movie where there was like we we did the theatrical release version of a movie coming up that's they're going to release, and they're including there's a European version which supposedly has more violence in it. It really does it like it does, but it's like, no, there's nothing. There's nothing there that you would never even notice it
if you saw both versions back to it. So that's the only reason why I'm like, you know, yeah, and I'm not like that nor normally like, no it's censored.
Apparently, No, it's not at all.
It was just a couple of shots here and there, almost nothing like to be whacked out about. So I, you know, Nathaniel and I were both like, that's just really this is trivial. And I'm not being flippant about it, because again, like I, you know, there are cases where I would be like luckily, like the Devils, you know, where there's five different there are five different movies with five different themes. Now they've cut everything a different a different film. But Rampage was was a lot. It was
really good. I really liked doing that. Again, you know, like Rachel pointed out, I really love doing the Belmondo's and the but not even for the bell, not even for the stars, not even for the directors or all these wonderful directors that were spit on by the new wave directors in France as being old fogies, and in which they weren't, I mean or cater having built up the language mainly around Hollywood directors and not a unique cultural voice, a stylistic voice from which you know, was
a concern I guess of that era, late sixties, mid sixties. And so I really love I love going in and you know, introducing people to doctors like Usual Granier or or Jean Delenois or Jean Armand or you know, all these really really terrific directors.
You know, a lot of stuff that woudn't come out from anybody besides Keino, that's for sure.
And I think they're doing a really great job mainly. I mean, you know, it's not up to them. The elements are not always up to them, right, But I know I do know that, and I have a lot of respect for Frank Tarzi, who curates that company impeccably.
I mean, there was a couple of times where there was something that you know, we noticed about a print or something or and I know for a fact several times we would have reported to him, and he's when he couldn't find a satisfactory once he found out of the issue, if there wasn't a satisfactory conclusion, rather than cynically treat it like a product and just throw it out there, he refused to do it until better elements were found or something.
You know.
So I really, you know, give huge hats off to Frank for for again, like you're saying, you know, you're saying it's and it's not just because you know they've they've gotten the catalog. He's you know, it's it's it's sort of it's it's still curated out of out of love for those titles, out of you know, or at least you know, him wanting to, you know, learn more about the movie than you know himself. So Keino has done some great stuff this year. I mean, I'm trying
to think of others. My god, yeah, I can't even Oh my goodness, the sugar Hill we did. These are something that just kind of got passed by critics and stuff we did sugar Hill, Nathaniel and Steve Mitchell and I we did Orca, which I love you know and and I knew, you know, I had encounters with Richard Harris about it when I was trying to kind of do something, uh to a voice over for me.
Uh.
He was a great guy and and he told me a lot. He really spilled his guts out over it too.
It is kind of cool.
Made me go back and read the novel, uh to see there was a lot of a lot of changes in it. But like Orca, I thought was a really good track. And also the god, the god said if you saw that a British I thought that was a wonderful little movie, really unnecessarily nuanced, and you know, it was like, wow, this is very you know, literary almost away, and it was smart and a good ultimately a cool horror film that separated itself from why it was you know, because of the omen you know it was.
It was like, you know, it's.
Different, there's a different, totally different thing. Wasn't a cynical ripoff. It was handled by some interesting people. So it was good. You know, it was definitely a good lush year. But there's so many titles that I'm I'm forgetting, but that's okay.
I mean, you give hats off to Frank Tarzan, we got we gotta give heads off to you. You and Nathaniel and Eugenio and Troy Awarth and Steve Mitchell and all these people are not even unstoppable. Like it is crazy when I do the show every single week that there are sometimes I say Nathaniel Thompson's name five times in one week.
Undoubtedly, yeah, literally yeah, and Eugenio same thing.
Well, and he's doing not only that, he's acquiring films for some of these companies, he's doing somebody of the interviews, he's editing things. She's h he's crazy. Yeah.
He literally must have a discipline where every day he has to go to five homes to shoot, you know, to archive every literally working every working talent in Italy, you know. And then now yeah, you're right now he's going to moving into other countries too.
KD bless him.
He's kick cool, really really cool.
That's good. You know.
I did a couple of things and him.
Again, I can't they haven't been announced, so I can't say.
And we're about to do another Nathaniel and Genie and I were about to do another commentary nice in another week, in like a week or something like that. Yeah, after after the New Years. Yeah, yeah, I mean it's and it's really great. I learned. I learned so much from these guys, you know, and I'm just very happy that they want me along occasionally, you know, so, But yeah, yeah, I was this.
Year too, buddy.
I mean, like, you know, you don't see as yourself because you know, when you're in the thick of it, it's just war until you're you know, when you were back from the war. But you know, yeah, I mean you're you're definitely you know, a major you know, uh, you're a valve in our you know, in the in the in the heart that beats our careers. So uh, you know, much much appreciation for sure.
Doing what I can. Again, like I was saying, it was, it was an honor to be able to do one with this year. I can't wait to do another one. I think the Ugly turned out great and uh yeah, it was an interesting one for us to do it for a first title together. But I'm ready for a second one. Yeah, you let me know, you know where I am. You got it.
I have all that guest now in two years, so that's a good feeling.
I'm all right, Well, we'll get the chain off someday. Thanks for the time tonight. I hope Christmas was great for you. Thanks for spending it with me.
Yeap of course, anytime, Ryan, you know, uh, everybody bringing out Yeah, thank you everybody who picked who wrote questions. This is this is really great. I'm very humbled. Thank you so much.
Well, everybody has got more questions. Same in the chat. I'll try to I'll try to pour him over to Howard somewhere and maybe we can respond to some of those. Again, thank you all for hanging out. It's Christmas and we got a bunch of people watching night. That's gotta be amazing. Next week, it's already the first of the year, which means it's time for brand new vinegar cinder announcements. We've got a lot to cover next next Thursday, that is
the start of subscriber week. Lots to cover then. Of course, until then, stay safe. I know there's a flooding and lots of sickness going on out there for everybody, so stay out of it and until then we'll see you next Thursday.
Yeah, happy holidays people, Thank you.
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