Mike Spring
Recap
Review
What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – October 15th, 2024
The Halloween onslaught continues this week with two great new catalog titles on 4K, including one of the all-time horror classics! Also, almost all of this week’s releases are 4K Ultra HD releases. The good news is that they all also come with Blu-ray Discs (or are available separately on Blu-ray), so if you want to check them out and don’t have a 4K player yet, you still can enjoy all of these releases. Read on for all the details!
A Nightmare on Elm Street (4K Ultra HD)
https://youtu.be/dCVh4lBfW-c?si=-I9eL46Apb0abedv
The Movie: When it comes to horror films, the original A Nightmare on Elm Street is one of the biggest of the big. The film gave Wes Craven a lengthy career, it made Freddie Krueger a household name, and helped launch Johnny Depp’s movie career. Plus, it made a whole generation of teenagers afraid to go to sleep. Anytime you create a character who goes on to become an icon, you know you’ve done something right. And by taking the slasher genre and adding the sleeping/dreaming component, Craven took a genre convention and subverted it. Adding Robert Englund was the perfect casting for Freddie Krueger took the film to the next level, too; the wrong casting could have turned A Nightmare on Elm Street from a slasher classic to a schlocky cheesefest in short order, but Englund brought the right level of menace and humor to Freddie, instantly turning him into a horror movie icon.
While the first Nightmare film spawned an entire franchise’s worth of mid-to-poor sequels, the original is still rightly remembered as a classic. Fittingly, for the film’s 40th Anniversary, Warner Bros. has released the movie on 4K Ultra HD for the first time, and it’s a pretty amazing package. (And while we didn’t receive the Steelbook version for review, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that this release is also available as a Steelbook Limited Edition release, and it’s one of the best looking Steelbook cases I’ve seen yet.)
The 4K Video/Audio: With a lot of catalog films, the 4K upgrade is fairly minimal, usually due to the age of the film being a factor. But Warner Brothers has done a really nice job of restoring the film and put a lot of work into making it look as good as it can, and there’s no doubt it’s on a whole new level now. Detail is impeccable and colors are more vibrant than ever before, despite the predominance of darker scenes. Related to that, shadow delineation is terrific, allowing us to see the action in the many darker scenes more so than ever before. The surround soundtrack is incredibly directional, at times likely to make you jump out of your seat during the tenser scenes. There’s also a booming low end that will shake the room on occasion. It’s an outstanding audiovisual presentation overall.
The Bonus Features: There are a pretty good amount of bonus features in this set. First up are two audio commentaries. One features Wes Craven, Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, and Jacques Haitin, while the other features Wes Craven, Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Ronee Blakely, Robert Shaye, and Sara Risher. Then there are three making-of featurettes, a collection of alternate endings, and a series if Ready Freddy Focus Points, which are mostly short featurettes and alternate takes. There’s also an uncut version of the film, but it’s not much different from the theatrical version.
Digital Copy Included: Yes
The Wrap-Up: While it’s a shame that the sequel films watered down the concept of Freddie Krueger, there’s no denying how original and effective the first film is. This 4K 40th Anniversary Edition is an outstanding release, and it’s a must-have for any fans of the franchise.
Arcane: League of Legends – Season One (Limited Edition Steelbook 4K Ultra HD)
https://youtu.be/fXmAurh012s?si=7xg1nC7J9eIy2tfI
The Show: I’m not a video gamer, but I like video games. As such, while I don’t play them regularly, I’m at least a little dialed in to what’s hot and what’s not in the video game realm. League of Legends is a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game that takes the battle arena genre and created a world that had some characters and story elements, but focused mostly on the battle aspects of the game. Back in 2021, however, Netflix produced an animated series based on the game called Arcane: League of Legends. I guess it was a big enough hit that there’s a second season coming out later this year, so just in time for people to get caught up, GKids has brought the show out in a gorgeous 4K Ultra HD Steelbook release (which also includes the show on Blu-ray).
The premise of the animated show sets it on a fictional world in the cities of Piltover – where the rich folks live – and the city of Zaun – the dark, undercity where the real people live. The main characters are sisters Vi and Jinx, and they get caught up in a fight between the societies over some pretty big differences in what the way of like should like for the people of the world. I don’t know how much the show really has to do with the game as I’ve never played it, but it is a pretty cool show overall. The animation is highly stylized, and the show doesn’t skimp on the action, all while developing the characters in a way that allows you to really care what happens to them. The voice cast also sees a lot of great talent and big names, including Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, Jason Spisak, Toks Olagundoye, and Harry Lloyd. It all comes wrapped in a very sharp Steelbook case, making it a nice collectible for fans of the game or the show.
The 4K Video/Audio: Arcane: League of Legends – Season One comes to home video on 4K Ultra HD. Once again, the show looks and sounds very nice in 4K. As you would want for an animated feature, blacks (and black outlines) are deep and solid and colors are well-saturated and vibrant. The show varies in its palette, sometimes offering a full spectrum of colors and other times appearing almost monochromatic, but it all looks great. The surround soundtrack is also extremely effective, with a generous use of surround effects through the various speakers, as well as clean and clear dialogue, a must for animated properties.
The Bonus Features: Wrapped up in the awesome Steelbook case are over three hours of bonus features. That includes a making-of documentary, an additional making-of featurette, and four scene breakdowns.
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up: The cool thing about Arcane: League of Legends is that it’s still very accessible even if you aren’t familiar with the game. I’ll assume there are a lot of nods to the game world in the show that I didn’t pick up on, but it seems like there are pieces of the show that are there for the die-hards to fan out over. This is a really cool release with a terrific A/V presentation and super cool packaging, so if you’re a fan of League of Legends, you’ll definitely want to check it out.
Land of the Dead (4K Ultra HD)
https://youtu.be/4Wfj5Jc10ZI?si=2RZQYeA1YXPDTEN8
The Movie: While most people will cite George Romero’s original Living Dead Trilogy (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead) as the ultimate in zombie movies, opinions vary as to his later output from the 2000s. And while his 2007 Diary of the Dead is pretty terrible, I actually quite enjoy 2005’s Land of the Dead, which saw his return to the franchise after a break of almost two decades. The film fits right in with the original trilogy, combining slow-moving zombie action with social commentary on the haves and the have-nots.
This time around, the movie is set in Pittsburgh, where the remaining rich people of society live in a high rise and generally still treat the not-so-wealthy as lesser human beings. Well, it’s not long before zombies start to make a mess of things, and suddenly the rich find themselves in a heap of trouble. Romero takes the zombies in a slightly new direction (although he keeps them ambling, there are no fast 28 Days Later-style rage zombies here), and the film is still a whole lot of fun. This week, Shout Factory releases their Collector’s Edition of Land of the Dead on 4K Ultra HD for the first time (and includes a Blu-ray as well), which is a welcome addition to your 4K library.
The 4K Video/Audio: Land of the Dead looks and sounds pretty good in 4K, featuring vibrant colors, sharp imagery, and deep, rich black levels. The print, of course, is devoid of any blemishes or debris. The surround soundtrack has a lot to work with and it doesn’t waste any opportunities to fill your living room with activity, but it also makes sure the quieter moments and the dialogue ring true and clear. There’s also a nice low end bass channel that gives some of the climactic scenes an effective rumble that you’ll feel in your chest.
The Bonus Features: This set is loaded with bonus material! There are two audio commentaries with cast and crew (including George Romero) and then there are eight different making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes. There are another four interview features with cast and crew (including John Leguizamo), and both deleted scenes and deleted footage. There’s also the Director’s Cut of an hour-long documentary about Romero’s films with an optional audio commentary by the director. Finally you get a photo gallery and a trailer.
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up: While Land of the Dead is not quite a masterpiece, I personally find it to be a really good zombie flick overall. With a terrific cast that includes John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Simon Baker, and Asia Argento, it’s a fun ride and a nice capper to Romero’s original trilogy.
Captain Planet: The Complete Franchise
https://youtu.be/OiYjTb3opAA?si=oN2HR3XX5i4Cx39b
The Show: Hey, ‘90s kids! Time to get excited! That superhero you loved in your childhood is back! That’s right, Captain Planet makes his triumphant return to DVD with Captain Planet: The Complete Franchise. While there was a Season One DVD release back in 2011, this chunky new box set is the first time the rest of the series has appeared on home video. Comprising 15 discs that collect all 113 episodes, the “Complete Franchise” tag comes from the fact that the show started as Captain Planet and the Planeteers and then became The New Adventures of Captain Planet; this box set includes both shows in their entirety.
What’s funny about Captain Planet is just how ahead of its time it was. The show sees an earth spirit named Gaea being awakened by how badly humans are treating the planet: pollution, deforestation, wildlife depletion, and the like. She sends out power rings to five teenagers across the world, who come together and discover that they can summon a superhero to fight ecological disasters: Captain Planet! Now, this show came out in 1990 and one would assume that the message of the show was in place to educate children on the dangers of ecological carelessness. Apparently that message didn’t get through to enough people, because it feels like we’re in no better shape nowadays than we were 34 years ago.
The show is fairly typical of animated series of the time; it’s not highbrow entertainment (villains have names like Hoggish Greedly and Looten Plunder), but it’s fun and action-packed and first right alongside shows like Gargoyles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Watching it now, it feels a little dated but also sweetly nostalgic, and that’s not a bad thing.
The Bonus Features: Sadly, there are no bonus features on the set. It’s disappointing, but I can’t say I’m surprised that the studio didn’t invest money in new extras for a 35-year-old cartoon series.
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up: Captain Planet is a great throwback show that I had a lot of fun revisiting. The multi-ethnic cast also feels ahead of its time in terms of inclusivity, and the voice cast and guest stars sees a number of big names pop in such as Levar Burton, Meg Ryan, Whoopie Goldberg, Frank Welker, John Ratzenberger, Martin Sheen, Jeff Goldblum, and many others. It’s a really fun time!
The Million Eyes of Sumuru (4K Ultra HD)
https://youtu.be/jt3IIkLd2pw?si=LQMgz0n2P9HURsfJ
The Movie: This oddly titled movie sounds like it could be a horror movie or an arthouse film, but instead it’s a 1967 British spy thriller starring Frankie Avalon, Klaus Kinski and Shirley Eaton. (I mean, if that cast doesn’t get your attention, I’m not sure what will!) In the film, Eaton plays the mysterious femme fatale Sumuru, who heads up an island full of beautiful female warriors, and generally wants to wield world power as bad guys in ‘60s spy films tend to do. Enter Avalon and George Nader as undercover spies who infiltrate the organization and try to keep Sumuru from assassinating President Boong (Kinski). It’s not exactly a plot heavy movie.
The film isn’t quite a James Bond parody, but it’s clear that it wanted to capitalize on the success of the Bond films, only doing so with a lot less budget and production values. It’s clearly a B-movie, and while it does have its charms, no one is going to mistake this for being a classic film. There is no shortage of beautiful women and titillating scenes, however, and it’s clear that the film wants to straddle the line between being a semi-serious spy movie and an exploitation film. Still, it’s not un-fun to watch.
Blue Underground first released The Million Eyes of Sumuru in 2016 as a pretty bare bones Blu-ray. This year, they’ve released it on 4K Ultra HD (with an included Blu-ray disc) for the first time, and it features a slew of new extras that will be sure to thrill fans, including one that’s almost like getting a whole second movie. See the details on those below.
The 4K Video/Audio: The audiovisual upgrade for the film on 4K is definitely noticeable for a film of this age, even if the film isn’t the most visually or aurally impressive. Imagery is nice and clear with strong shadow delineation, while colors are vibrant and clarity is strong. The surround soundtrack won’t win any awards, but it does create a nice atmosphere throughout the film with clear dialogue and jazzy music.
The Bonus Features: There are two new audio commentary tracks with various film historians, a poster and stills gallery, and a trailer. But, then there are basically two extra feature films included. There’s a 100-minute documentary called England’s Unknown Exploitation Film Eccentric: The Schlock-Cinema Legacy of Lindsay Shonteff (about the film’s director). But then, the real gem of the extras is the Rifftrax version of The Million Eyes of Sumuru (Rifftrax is the spin-off of Mystery Science Theater 3000 that carries on that shows great comedy tradition.) What a cool bonus!
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up: The Million Eyes of Sumuru is a good distraction movie. It’s not cinematic genius, it’s not going to impress you with its filmmaking prowess, its involved plot, or its great performances. But it’s easy on the eyes and lightweight viewing, meaning you can throw it on late at night and just enjoy the silliness. And sometimes that’s all that you need.
A Dog Called… Vengeance, The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals, and The Creature
The Movies: Severin Films has been a home video studio that I’ve written about, often glowingly, several times over the past couple of years. They’ve really set a high bar for what boutique home video companies should be doing, matching the efforts as other companies like Arrow Video and MVD. They have three new releases out on Blu-ray that can be ordered through their website, SeverinFilms.com. Those three movies are: A Dog Called… Vengeance, The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals, and The Creature.
A Dog Called… Vengeance is a tense 1977 thriller starring Jason Miller, just two years on from his star-making turn as Father Karras in The Exorcist. He plays a political prisoner who escapes from prison, only to find himself hunted by an attack dog who takes it personally when Miller kills the dog’s handler. No matter how far he gets, the dog is not far behind. There are some really nail-biting action scenes and Miller, unsurprisingly, delivers an excellent performance. It’s a surprisingly intense and enjoyable thriller for a film I’d never heard of before.
The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals sounds like a double feature but it’s actually just one film. This 1969 horror outing is almost more of a comedy than a horror film, although I doubt that was the filmmaker’s intentions. The film sees an archaeologist discover a couple of mummies near Las Vegas. He falls for one of them and introduces her to the night life of Las Vegas, all while becoming a werewolf type of jackal-man. The other mummy starts causing chaos in Vegas, and eventually the mummy and the jackal-man fight, and what more do you need to know than that? It’s low-budget schlock and the scenes in Las Vegas are unintentionally hilarious, but it’s actually way more entertaining than it has any right to be.
Finally, The Creature is from 1977, and man, is this a weird one. The film is from Spain in 1977, and it sees a woman whose husband is involved with some questionable politics adopt a dog after she has a miscarriage. However, her relationship with the dog starts to take over for her relationship with her husband (who, to be fair, is cheating on her and generally treats her badly), and it starts to go to weirder and weirder places. Eventually, it goes to a place you would not expect or want it to. I now that the film is selling a message about companionship and the death of a marriage, but it’s hard to get over a beautiful woman finding romantic solace with a dog, even if director Eloy de la Iglesia (who, internet research tells me, did not shy away from controversy) clearly makes that the centerpiece of is film for the purpose of shocking audiences.
The Bonus Features: Each film comes with a nice complement of extras. Here are the details:
A Dog Called… Vengeance
- A Film Ahead of Its Time – Appreciation By Ángel Sala, Head of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival
- Memories Of a Guerilla Woman – Interview With Actress Marisa Paredes
- Daughter Of Titans – Interview with María Isasi, Daughter of Director Antonio Isasi and Actress Marisa Paredes
- Trailer
The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals
- The Vega International Story – Interview with Stephen Thrower, Author Of Nightmare USA
- Cowboys, Mummies and Oliver Drake – Interview With Film Historian C. Courtney Joyner
- Investing In the Jackal – Interview With Garry Gassel, Son Of Investors Milton R. Gassel and Judi Gassel
- Angelica, The Young Vixen (61 mins) – Vega International Adult Film
- Audio Commentary for Angelica, The Young Vixen With Exploitation Film Researcher Shawn Langrick, Moderated By Genre Film Historian Joe Rubin
The Creature
- A Strange Movie – Interview with Assistant Director Alejo Loren
- Gaspar / Eloy – Interview with Filmmaker Gaspar Noé
- Introduction By Gaspar Noé at Cinémathèque Française (7/20/2023)
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up: While the three movies are of mixed quality, they are all interesting entries in the cinematic historical record, and as always, Severin Films gives us editions of these little-known films with way more care and attention (and bonus features) than many studios give to their current blockbuster hits. That makes these releases a win in my book!
