Trust me, I’d rather get any of these Blu-rays, released this month, than a box of diabetes-inducing candy. There’s 4k UHD restorations of the psychedelic Performance; the notorious Cruising; Gus Van Sant’s wonderful Drugstore Cowboy and the Ed Gein-based true crime shocker- Deranged. Not to mention a great performance by Jean Simmons in The Happy Ending and the trashy potboiler Bloodline, starring Audrey Hepburn and Ben Gazarra. But for great performances- Hugh Grant is off-the-charts in the whip-smart thriller Heretic. And for trash aficionados there’s nothing better that The Undertaker and His Pals, Invasion of the Bee Girls and Monster from the Ocean Floor. Happy Valentine’s Day indeed.
Performance (Criterion) The movie poster for Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 stated the film was “The Ultimate Trip.” But I reserve that tag line for Donald Cammell & Nicolas Roeg’s 1970 Performance. James Fox plays a London gangster on the run who ends up hiding out in the druggy bohemian flat of a rocker- Turner (Mick Jagger) and his two girlfriends (Anita Pallenberg & Michele Breton). As Jagger’s Turner points out, “The only performance that makes it, that really makes it, that makes it all the way, is the one that achieves madness!” And James Fox’s violent hood goes down the rabbit hole like a drugged-out Alice in Wonderland as identities begin to blend and shift. The musical score in the film is just the best- the sequence “Memo from Turner” with Mick Jagger impersonating a crime boss is mind-melting. The psychedelic visuals and general weirdness must have freaked out Warner Brothers at the time, but every time I saw it in a theater the place was packed with stoned hipsters and repeat viewers. The film was obviously influenced by Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges. This is a new 4K UHD presented in Dolby Vision HDR, and comes with great interviews with the cast and a fantastic documentary on Donald Cammell by Kevin Macdonald and Chris Rodley.
Monster from the Ocean Floor (Film Masters) I have such affection for this 1954 film about a sea monster in the waters off a Mexican cove. It was the first film produced by Roger Corman. The film’s conception was based on a magazine article Corman read about a one-man submarine manufactured by the Aerojet-General company. He called them up and asked to use the submarine in the film for free publicity, which they agreed to. Gene Corman, Roger’s agent brother, secured a deal to distribute the film. Anne Kimbell plays Julie, an artist on vacation, who begins to investigate a series of mysterious disappearances linked to a “devil” that lives in the ocean. She falls for a marine biologist (Stuart Wade) who is skeptical of her theories about the Bikini Atoll nuclear tests that might have spawned the creature. The (glowing) one-eyed, tentacle monster was created by famed puppet maker Bob Baker. Jonathan Haze (who would be one of Corman’s stable of young actors, starring in Little Shop of Horrors) plays a local fisherman. He has a hilariously awful Mexican accent that he re-used in It Conquered the World. My mother took me to see this when I was a boy and when she looked over to see how I was enjoying the film the seat was empty. In fright, I had run up the aisle and out of the theater and was halfway up Main Street when she caught me.
Drugstore Cowboy (Criterion) Director Gus Van Sant’s darkly comic tale about a rag-tag group of drug addicts who roam the Northwest knocking over pharmacies and evading the law. Matt Dillon gives a spectacularly good performance as Bob, the leader of this motley gang, which includes his wife (played extremely well by Kelly Lynch), who bides her time in between robberies reading Love Story and listening to romantic 45s, and an apprentice druggie thief and his doomed girlfriend (James Le Gros and Heather Graham). The gang lives right on the razor’s edge, surviving by their wits and fantastic luck, divined by Bob’s near-obsessional superstitions, until a tragedy forces Bob to re-evaluate his life and he decides to break free from the drug lifestyle. The great thing about Drugstore Cowboy is that it uses drugs as a springboard to tell a broader and more deeply felt story of survival and redemption. This is a new 4K digital restoration supervised by Gus Van Sant and comes with audio commentary with Matt Dillon and the director, plus a new interview with Kelly Lynch and deleted scenes.
Horrible High Heels (Massacre Video) One of the nastier Category III Hong Kong shockers, this 1996 film is about the police Investigating the disappearance of a cobbler. They discover the high heel shoes in his factory are made of human skin. The hooded, scar-faced killer also delights in cutting holes in the mouths of women’s photos and attaching them to a goose which he then fucks. You know you are in trouble when the opening credits overlap gruesome scenes in a slaughterhouse. Three directors are listed in the credits and the film does seem disjointed at times. An outdoor finale with gangsters throwing grenades at two kick-ass female cops seems from another universe. But I can’t tell you what a thrill it is to see this noxious gem in a 2K restoration from 35mm original camera negatives.
Cruising (Arrow) “Hips or lips?” That’s one of the more confounding lines from William Friedkin’s wildly controversial thriller about a killer stalking gay men in 1970s New York. Al Pacino plays a cop who goes undercover and immerses himself in the leather bar and backroom-sex-club subculture, cruising Central Park’s “Rambles” at night in search of the killer. The murders themselves have a creepy sexual component (and supposedly were interspersed with gay porn frames). This caused an uproar and was protested by gays while the film was getting made, and died at the box office. While the film is a bit of a mess, I’ve always had a sick affection for it. Especially over those head-scratching sequences like the black cop in the police station wearing only a cowboy hat and jock strap. It’s also a rare time capsule of the NY underground gay scene at the time. This is a glorious 4K UHD edition with tons of new extras that are fascinating. Karen Allen (who plays Pacino’s girlfriend in the film) describes the fact that when she was hired for the movie she only received her pages and not the entire script. Actor Jay Acovone describes the joy of getting the role of “Skip,” playing the sexy, suspicious bus boy who was a red herring as the killer. There is also an extra, “Mineshaft Memories,” with Wally Wallace, the former manager of the notorious Mineshaft bar.
The Happy Ending (MGM) Richard Brooks film about an unhappy wife (Jean Simmons) who flees from her successful lawyer husband (John Forsythe) to fly to Nassau rather than celebrate her 16th wedding anniversary. On the plane, she meets an old college friend (a terrific Shirley Jones) who is the “other woman” of a married man (Lloyd Bridges) and even spends an evening with an aging gigolo (Bobby Darin). But she flashes back to her marriage- the romantic beginnings and unsatisfying middle, which led her to alcoholism and even a suicide attempt. Jean Simmons was always an underrated actress- watch her in Home Before Dark to see how good she can truly be. She has a steely intelligence that shines through her great beauty, and Brooks (who was married to her) lets her dazzle in this film, which can be heavy-handed at times about marriage in general. Nanette Fabray is just sensational as her maid/confidant and loyal friend. The song “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life,” (music by Michel Legrand) came from this film.
Heretic (A24) A whip-smart, suspenseful thriller by the same directors (Scott Beck & Bryan Woods) of the brutal chiller- Haunt (2019). Two young woman- Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are bicycling in the rainy Colorado cold, going from house to house on their list for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They reach the home of Mr. Reed (fiendishly good Hugh Grant) who invites the girls in his house. He puts their mind at ease that a woman will be present- his wife is baking a blueberry pie. Once they are in they get into an intense theological discussion with Mr. Reed- he seems amazingly knowledgeable. But trust me, there is no blueberry pie. Soon the trapped girls are forced to navigate the mousetrap like honeycomb of the house searching for an exit. It takes guts to make a thriller and delve so deeply into theology and the importance of faith. Hugh Grant gives a witty, diabolical performance- it’s funny and chilling at the same time. What a terrific film.
Deranged (Vinegar Syndrome) Roberts Blossom is creepily unforgettable in this 1974 film loosely based on real Wisconsin killer Ed Gein. Gein robbed graves in the late 40s and early 50s and decorated his house in body parts and dressed in women’s skins and danced in the moonlight. In this film, Blossom plays lonely oddball Ezra Cobb, who goes off the rails after his mother dies, digging up her corpse (a year later) and propping her up around the dining table. This is a somewhat dark-humored approach with a deadpan reporter showing up from time to time to comment on the action. But Blossom gives a committed, crackpot performance in the lead (I’ve never seen an actor use his lips so much). The crime inspired Robert Bloch to write Psycho, and certainly The Texas Chainsaw Massacre owes a lot to Gein. But this film rightfully deserves a new 4K UHD edition and it looks just spectacular. The extras include a fascinating examination of the true crime by Stephen Thrower and many features on the making of the film (which was shot in Canada).
The Conqueror (Kino Lorber) John Wayne is hilariously miscast as the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan in the 1956 Howard Hughes produced CinemaScope spectacle. Susan Hayward plays the “Tartan wench” he captures who calls him “an insolent pig.” “You’re beautiful in your wrath,” Wayne shoots back at her. Dick Powell, former crooner from the Busby Berkeley films of the 1930s turned tough guy in movies like Murder, My Sweet directed this epic in Utah, 140 miles from the atomic bomb testing and directly in the path of the atomically charged dust storms. Tragically Howard Hughes shipped tons of radioactive dirt back to Hollywood for retakes. So many involved in the project died of cancer including Wayne and Hayward and Agnes Moorehead who played the Mongol’s scowling mom. I know the story behind the making of the film is very tragic but the movie itself is enjoyably ludicrous. Especially the ripe dialogue. (“I feel this Tartar woman is for me. My blood says take her!”) Informative audio commentary on the film’s history by David Del Valle and Dan Marino.
Curse of the Devil (Vinegar Syndrome) A glorious set of three Spanish horror films from the 1970s. Curse of the Devil (1973) stars major Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy as Wademar Daninsky. It’s an origin story, somewhat, of the ancient curse visited on his family after they burned the notorious Elizabeth Bathory at the stake for devil worship. Naschy plays a wealthy land owner who transforms into a werewolf thanks to the schemes of an evil gypsy witch. This was the sixth of Naschy’s popular “wolfman” cycle of films. The Castle of Guadamur in Toledo was used for exteriors in the film. Extras include an interview with Naschy’s son Sergio Molina, and a discussion with Stiges Film Festival director- Angel Sala. The Vampire Nights Night Orgy (1973) is a terrific little chiller about a bus of travelers that get stranded in a weird old village- filled with vampires and ruled by “The Lady” (Helga Line). It’s atmospheric and eerie- the village bloodsuckers corner, surround and leap onto their victims like bloodthirsty beasts. This is restored in 4K and it’s the “nude export” edition. Demon Witch Child (1975) is another gypsy hag curse on Susan, the sweet daughter of a town leader, transforming her into a Satan-worshipping brat. Susan even hides a devil doll with glowing red eyes in her teddy bear. She says hateful things to her governess (and mimics her voice on the phone to lure a reporter boyfriend to his death). Susan also lays into a priest sitting on a park bench about his sexual abstinence. This too is newly scanned and restored in 4K and extras include an interview with lead actress (and demon witch child) Marian Salgado.
Invasion of the Bee Girls (Kino Lorber) Hunky former body-builder turned character actor William Smith stars in this enjoyably offbeat sci-fi saga as a government agent investigating a series of bizarre deaths of men around a bio-tech lab. All the male victims died of massive heart attacks while having sex. The central villain is a (literal) queen bee (Anitra Ford) who is screwing her victims to death and then transforming (through science) their widows into predatory killer bee-woman. Written by Nicholas Meyer (The Seven-Per-Cent Solution) this is definitely tongue-in-cheek, but it’s played straight which makes it all the more fun.
Crawlspace (Kino Lorber) Klaus Kinski plays psychotic landlord, ex-Nazi, Dr. Karl Gunther, who only rents apartments in his building to females who he spies on while voyeuristically watching them from the labyrinth-like crawlspace. He keeps a woman chained upstairs in a cage minus her tongue, and delights in creating all sorts of torture devices and playing behavioral experiments on his tenants (like letting rats into their apartments). He also enjoys playing Russian Roulette with himself, and when he doesn’t die he exclaims, “so be it.” “Killing is my heroin. My opiate. My fix,” he writes in his journal. Directed by David Schmoeller (Tourist Trap), this was filmed in Rome in 1986 and Klaus Kinski was such a nightmare on the set the director shot a short film (which is included as an extra) entitled, “Please Kill Mr. Kinski,” a mantra he heard from the crew on a daily basis.
Bloodline (Vinegar Syndrome) A 1979 all-star potboiler based on a Sidney Sheldon novel about the mysterious death of a major drug company patriarch that leaves his daughter Elizabeth (Audrey Hepburn) suddenly at the helm causing the greedy cousins/board members to turn into sharks circling the water. Ben Gazarra plays the loyal CEO, concerned that Elizabeth’s life might be in danger after her brakes are cut in Sardinia. The film is a globe-hopping treat- Paris, Rome, Switzerland, etc. The untrustworthy (possibly murderous) relatives include Romy Schneider as a race-car driver. Omar Sharif, married to Irene Papas while also keeping a mistress with three sons. James Mason play a relative with a young wife (Michelle Phillips) with a serious gambling problem. Gert Frobe plays a computer-loving detective on the case. And there’s also a side-story about snuff films that is luridly inconsequential. With a terrific score by Ennio Morricone and directed by Terence Young (Dr. No, From Russia With Love), it’s a glossy, disjointed mess, but I admit I had a blast watching it. The film looks astonishingly on Blu-ray- the colors really pop. There’s fun, incredibly informative commentary by Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson. There’s even a second disc with the extended TV cut of the film which adds scenes that fill in many of the blanks. Terence Young had previously directed Hepburn in Wait Until Dark. Decked out in glorious Givenchy, Audrey Hepburn is always a true joy to watch on film.
Werewolves (Universal) I’ve followed actor Frank Grillo’s career since his days at Guiding Light and love his new incarnation after The Purge films into an action hero. In this film, a supermoon event caused people to transform into bloodthirsty werewolves. This is a year later and it is about to happen again and Grillo plays Wesley Marshall, a scientist working on a cure while keeping his late brother’s wife and daughter fortified and safe. Suddenly everything goes haywire at the research facility and Wesley and another scientist (Katrina Law) are forced out on the streets evading swarming werewolves. Sure, it’s a ludicrous scenario- but if you can suspend disbelief, and resist howling at the moon at the stupid blunders the characters in the movie keep making, you’re in for lots of fanged escapist fun.
Blood-a-Rama: Triple Frightmare II (AGFA & Something Weird) A wild “Psychotronic” triple bill of the bastard film children of Herschell Gordon Lewis’ Blood Feast, which innovatively added gore to the exploitation movie (and things were never the same). Love Goddesses of Blood Island (1964) (aka Six She’s and a He) is about an astronaut (or maybe a World War II pilot) whose aircraft crashes and, adrift in a rubber raft, he lands on an island filled with 6 women in gold bikinis who force him to work all day in the fields and then sexually satisfy them at night. A flashback shows what happens to other men who unfortunately shipwreck on the island- they are eventually sacrificed (in a gory sequence echoing the extremes of Herschell Gordon Lewis). There is a lot of interpretive dances by the women in this crackpot 62-minute wonder. Follow That Skirt (1965) is a 27-minute sickie about a loon who enjoys killing women only to eventually dress up in drag in the apartment of a gal he slaughtered in her bath. The Undertaker and his Pals (1966) is a loony black comedy about two motorcycle killers who assist an undertaker by providing corpses for his establishment while also furnishing body parts for their Greasy Spoon Cafe (“leg of lamb” on the menu is, quite literally, the limb of Sally Lamb, a victim of the crazed gang). The Blu-ray comes with a fascinating, funny, informative essay about the films by Lisa Petrucci (the quest to find the entire film of Love Goddesses of Blood Island is wild). It also comes with a “Certificate of Assurance,” which moviegoers had to sign before entering the theater to see Undertaker and His Pals, releasing the theater of any liability if you died of fright while watching the movie. (I actually recently uncovered one I had signed when I saw this at a grindhouse theater).
