Region Free Blu Ray

I bought an HD DVD player a couple of years ago but the demise of the format and the relatively high price points of the competing Blu Ray players caused me to shy away from HiDef for a while...until recently.

I'd been doing some research -- see, I wanted to go "region free" AND I wanted to go Blu as well. Luckily there turned out to be a bargain-priced option in one box.

The Momitsu BDP 899 was touted on several video forums as being able to handle any disc -- all regions of DVD, PAL, NTSC, all regions of Blu Ray. The only problem was the price. The Momitsu was going for a cool $300 and change. Well, when sources confirmed that the new budget Sherwood BDP 5004 was nothing less than a clone of the Momistu -- at half the price -- I decided to jump.

Since I've only had the Sherwood a couple of weeks, my impressions aren't absolutely conclusive, but I can say so far that it's a great bargain for home theater fans who want to watch PAL DVDs and Region B locked Blu Ray discs from Europe but are willing to do without all the bells and whistles of streaming web, Netflix, etc (the Sherwood is capable of BD-Live via an ethernet cable, but by all accounts it's actually a liability to the player's performance). In addition to regular Region 1 DVDs and Blu Rays, my viewing options have opened up to include discs from all over the world -- a must for a fan of Eurocrime, giallos and art cinema like me.

There are a quite a few "Europe only" discs of note out there that I strongly recommend. First off Paramount's Blu Ray of ZULU can be had for around $16 on Amazon.co.uk and the picture is astounding, easily besting all previous DVD releases. It's also region free, so it'll play on any U.S. player. BFI put out Kenneth Anger's MAGICK LANTERN CYCLE on Blu and it's a revelation for fans of experiemental cinema. Highly recommended. Also available only as a Region B locked blu is Terry Gilliam's TIME BANDITS. Some fans have decried the rather rough print used for the digital transfer but the clarity and sharpness are top notch. Definitely an upgrade over previous DVDs. Michael Anderson's classic post WWII effort THE DAM BUSTERS is also available as a low-priced UK-only Blu. You'll probably never see this released in the U.S. -- thanks to the name of the Wing Commander Gibson's dog! (although there are still rumors out there that Peter Jackson is remaking this one).

The UK video label Masters of Cinema frequently duplicates Criterion's efforts here in the States but there are a few exclusive titles including Franju's JUDEX and the spooky Japanese cult-classic-in-waiting, HAUSU. Shameless offers region free PAL discs of slumming Eurotrash such as THE DESIGNATED VICTIM and THE FRIGHTENED WOMAN. And for the price of breakfast, you can get your mitts on the enhanced for 16:9 DVDs of Hammer's DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS or QUATERMASS AND THE PIT which have only been released here in the States as OOP non-enhanced discs from Anchor Bay.

The German branch of Amazon has it's own treasures, although the shipping, for some reason, is prohibitively expensive (usually more than the cost of the DVD itself). However, Sergio Corbucci's THE MERCENARY coming out on Koch DVD at the end of this month is nearly enough to make me sell my 16mm TV print. Maybe that'll cover the s/h cost. Now if only I could figure out how to read German...

THE BOY WITH GREEN HAIR

Purchased and received my very first DVD from the "hand-made" Warners Archives Collection. They offer up professionally packaged DVD-Rs of obscure films for a pretty steep price ($20 plus shipping). I hadn't had the chance to check them out until I spotted Joseph Losey's THE BOY WITH GREEN HAIR (1948) for sale. I'd been looking for a decent DVD copy of this film for several years.

On the surface, it's a rather gentle tale with a fantastic twist -- sorta like a Powell and Pressburger film from around the same era. Filmed in supernatural Technicolor (which really highlights 11-year-old Dean Stockwell's bizarre mane), there is never a reason offered for "the boy"'s hair turning emerald green. All we're told it's a sign to remind people that "war is bad for children." THE BOY WITH GREEN HAIR is sad at times but ultimately uplifting. At one point, war orphans from posters come to life to inform the boy of his destiny. I wonder what folks made of this back in the late '40s? Future stars Dwayne Hickman and Russ Tamblyn make appearances as bullys who attempt to cut off the emerald locks.

And how's the picture? As I said before, I had never seen a Warners Archives disc but I can say that I was very satisfied with the presentation. There are some specs of dirt here and there on the film elements and a few shots that were a bit out of focus but generally it looked pretty good. Made before widescreen (which didn't come along until '53), the picture comes in around 1.33:1 aspect ratio so don't expect this to fill a widescreen TV. The mono audio was clear and quite loud. Since they didn't even bother to release a mass-produced DVD of this title, I doubt we'll ever see this looking better than it does which is a shame really. This would be a great Blu-Ray.

X, Y & ZEE (1972)

I've done it. I've finally found a film with absolutely no redeeming qualities. I won an auction on eBay ($10) for a 16mm print of the Michael Caine/Elizabeth Taylor bitch fest X, Y & ZEE (aka Zee & Co.) from 1972. I'd never seen the film and it's not available on DVD here in the States so I decided to take a chance. Now I know why no one wanted this. I threaded the first reel through my Elmo projector and watched it in my office. The print was obviously an old TV edit and since I hadn't seen it before, I didn't know what was cut out but I had heard about a lesbian scene between Taylor and actress Susannah York -- not in this version. It took me two days but I made it through until the last, psychedelic, depressoid moment. I felt like I needed a shower afterwards.

Not one character begged any sympathy. The deficiency of clever dialog or interesting plot twist just sort of made it a period curio (sort of like polio) -- except for MAYBE...just maybe, Liz's over-the-top performance as a manipulative, clingy, over-dramatic wife, obsessed with destroying her philandering husband's latest "conquest." But I did say it possessed no redeeming qualities so screw that. I read online that the director quit the biz to become a plumber. Ha.

After finishing the film, I woke up feeling icky the next day. I blame it on Zee & Co.

Laszlo Kovacs - R.I.P.

Award-winning Hungarian cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs passed away at his home in Beverly Hills this past weekend at the age of 74. Kovacs, who lensed such films as Easy Rider, Paper Moon, Ghostbusters and Say Anything -- as well as contributing photography to Close Encounters of the Third Kind -- actually cut his teeth on early exploitation trash such as Mantis in Lace, Kiss Me Quick, The Notorious Daughter of Fanny Hill and my favorite, Ray Dennis Steckler's immortal The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-up Zombies.

Kansas City Confidential

Kansas City Confidential (1952)
Directed: Phil Karlston
Written: Harry Essex, George Bruce
Starring: John Payne, Coleen Gray, Preston Foster
MGM/ B&W / 1:33 / 99 m.

Let us now turn our attention to all things NOIR...Got my mitts on a brand-spanking new DVD of the recently released B-programmer Kansas City Confidential. Unfortunately, this rough little gem has been languishing in public domain hell for the past several years, available only in poor-quality DVDs from such dodgy distributors such as Alpha Video and Treeline. I already own two, unwatchable copies so I was really excited when I learned that MGM was gonna put out a re-mastered version. And what a difference that makes! I first caught KCC on a late-night UHF station about a decade ago. It was late, I was tired but the hard-boiled dialog, awesome cast of heavies (including Jack Elam, Lee Van Cleef and Neville Brand) and atmospheric photography kept me watching until 4 AM. The MGM DVD is bare bones but the sharp picture makes you feel like you're at the very first screening. Totally implausible and unconnected with reality -- KCC is a fun film thanks to its pulpish unpretentiousness and second-hand style. Not the best of the noirs but definitely worth a look thanks to the new pristine DVD release.

Zero Hour!

Finally, fans of the film Airplane! will be able to see the true origins of the '80s comedy classic when Zero Hour hits stores this June. The 1957 film, starring Dana Andrews as "Ted Stryker" has never been released on home video so this DVD, part of Warner Brother's "Camp Classics" collection, will be a real treat. My prediction: unintentional laughs galore as first time viewers hear Sterling Hayden say, "I guess I picked the wrong week to quit smoking." The Digital Bits reports that the film, along with a bunch of other b-movies, including Attack of the 50 Ft Woman and Colossus of Rhodes (Sergio Leone's directorial debut), will be released on June 26th.

Frightmare

Frightmare (1974)
Produced and Directed: Pete Walker
Written: Pete Walker, David McGillivray
Starring: Rupert Davies, Sheila Keith, Deborah Fairfax
Media Blasters/ Color / 1:85 anamorphic 16:9 / 83 m.

Call me a glutton for punishment, but the allure of finding the ultimate "creepy horror movie" has led me down some pretty dodgy paths. Hearing that Pete Walker's "Frightmare" was a unique, English take on the grisly powertool murder films of the '70s, ala "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," well...I just had to check it out. After all, this movie was produced at the height of the creepiest part of the '70s...THE decade of creep. And yes, all of that era's polyester and shag is in full effect here. Bad haircuts, smoking everywhere -- you can almost smell the Pall Malls -- and a bucktooth British dollybird in the form of Ms Fairfax. But, alas, those are about the only good points in this rather pointless affair concerning a family of deranged cannibals (are there any other kind?) who mack out on any losers who happen to cross their path -- and being a relation doesn't give you immunity from ending up as part of the main course. The "shock" ending is pretty cool although the trailer totally gives it away! The scratchy print from Media Blasters is servicable. At least its anamorphic. But don't take my word for it, dig in for yourself if you're looking for a downer of an evening at home alone (nobody is gonna watch this moldy, old flick with you).

Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop

I spent part of the weekend catching up on some listening. I'm talking about music here. I bought the new Luke Haines album, the amusingly titled Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop, a couple of weeks ago but didn't really give it more than a cursory listen. Dug in a little deeper...wow...what a great album. Haines is one of those artists whose work functions on an onion-like level...you can peel away layer after layer and its so good it might even make you cry. Surely a "difficult" artist of the highest caliber, good old Luke may be an acquired taste but one worth acquiring. I've included a couple of mp3s below for your amusement and edification. The album, unfortunately, hasn't been released in the States as of this writing but you should be able to get if off iTunes or Amazon.

On another note, checked out the new movie, Children of Men. Pretty good. Not the best sci fi I've ever seen, but one of the more visually convincing. Some plots holes to go around but the photography, effects and acting are first rate with a satisfying ending. At least it was satisfying to me. Your mileage may vary.

Also, today marks the first time since 1992 that I've had a full set of choppers. That's right, I finally got my porcelain crown cemented on my molar. I had a root canal in Brooklyn at the tail end of 2005 but due to financial issues, wasn't able to get the actual crown till this month.

Luke Haines - Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop.mp3
Luke Haines - Here's to Old England.mp3

The Honeymoon Killers

The Honeymoon Killers (1969)
Directed and written: Leonard Kastle
Produced: Warren Steibel
Starring: Tony LoBianco, Shirley Stoler, Doris Roberts
Criterion Collection/ B&W / 1:85 anamorphic 16:9 / 115 m.

I must've seen The Honeymoon Killers about 15 times. It became one of my favorite films back in the early 90s. Some of my friends still quote lines from the movie. All I can say is, if you haven't seen this gritty, ultra-low budget, true crime drama, then go out and get it this weekend. And there's really no excuse not to since none other than the Criterion Collection released it on DVD a few years back, enhanced for widescreen TVs no less. Back in my day, we had to walk 16 miles -- both ways...in the SNOW -- to see this film and it was only available in a fuzzy, pan and scan VHS version. AND WE LIKED IT. The Criterion DVD is absolutely breathtaking, looking better than I've ever seen it. I doubt that it would look much better on the big screen to be honest. The only problem is the tinny and distorted mono soundtrack which underlines the film's no dollar production origins. Unfortunately it also makes it hard to understand some of the dialog. Famous Frenchie director Francois Truffaut apparently used to tell people that this was one of his favorite films. Whether that's true or not, I'm sure John Waters got a chunk of inspiration for Pink Flamingos from this.

Hollywood is mounting a "sort of" remake to this movie...at least it's based on the same true story. Lonely Hearts will star John Travolta, James Gandolfini and SELMA HAYEK in the role of Martha Beck!!!! Unbelievable. I'll probably wait and rent it.

The Man from Planet X

This year, I plan on documenting my viewing habits with a bit more disipline than usual. With this in mind, I give you a little review of the very first film I've watched in the year 2007:

The Man from Planet X (1951)
Director: Edgar Ulmer
Produced and written: Aubrey Wisberg and Jack Pollexfen
Starring: Robert Clarke, Margaret Field, William Schallert
MGM DVD/ B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / 71 m.

Hungarian director Ulmer has long been a fan favorite thanks to his down and dirty work in such genre pictures as the Karloff-Lugosi vehicle The Black Cat (1934) and the cartoonish noir, Detour (1945). 1951's The Man from Planet X, regarded by many as the first film to deal with an alien invasion of Earth, is one of those movies that I'd been hearing about since I was a kid but had never seen. Thanks to a trip to the local used CD/DVD shop, I picked up a copy of MGM's out of print, full-frame DVD for $5. The film itself is a rather hokey melodrama starring B-grade actor Robert Clarke and Margaret (mother of Sally) Field as his underage love interest. The much ballyhooed alien is nothing more than a midget in a papier mache mask with a diving helmet who speaks in musical tones and may or may not be a bad guy. Actually, he looks a little like the banjo player from Deliverance. The downbeat, ambiguous ending is pretty cool and Ulmer actually makes good use of the low budget, painted sets and miniatures. Most people would find this 50s sci fi completely useless but I enjoyed its atmosphere and the B&W MGM presentation is as crisp as can be. Now if only Detour could receive the same attention!

Interestingly, Ulmer has Dallas roots. His 1960 films, Beyond the Time Barrier and The Amazing Transparent Man were both filmed right here in town.

"Idiocracy" DVD Street Date Released

With all the hype surrounding Borat, it's easy to forget about the best satire to (barely) hit the big screen this year -- Mike Judge's Idiocracy. For the curious outside of Texas and LA, Amazon.com has announced that the DVD will be released on January 9th. And it's available for pre-order. I officially declare this a must-see.