4K UHD Review: Dragonslayer
Released in 1981, Dragonslayer was a partnership between Walt Disney Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Darker and more mature than Disney’s usual fare, they had Paramount handle distribution in North America, keeping their participation in the film on the downlow. A box office failure, Dragonslayer is iconic for its visual effects and its representation of dragons. […]
Blu-ray Review: The Heiress (1949) (Criterion Collection)
Director William Wyler’s keen adaptation of both Henry James’ 1880 novel Washington Square and the subsequent 1947 stage version The Heiress stars Olivia de Havilland (Gone With the Wind) as Catherine Sloper. An intensity shy young woman, she is the only daughter of Dr. Austin Sloper (Ralph Richardson), a widowed, wealthy and highly respected surgeon. […]
Woman of Straw (Blu-ray)
Taken from Catherine Arley’s French novel, La Femme de Paille, 1964’s Woman of Straw is a largely forgotten murder mystery featuring a prime Sean Connery and Italian sex symbol Gina Lollobrigida. While it’s not a great film, Woman of Straw offers some interesting psychological twists and a rare opportunity to see Sean Connery play the […]
Watership Down (Blu-ray) (Criterion Collection)
Not simply a cartoon about bunnies, Watership Down is not a film for children. An adaption of Richard Adams’ massive, complex novel, director Martin Rosen has fused concrete scripting, a wonderful original score, and unforgettable characters with excellent voice casting to create a mesmerizing and unflinching look at animals and their behavior—violence and all. All […]
The 300 Spartans (Blu-ray)
The type of sword-and-sandals epic that Hollywood has always appreciated, The 300 Spartans is a fairly factual account of the Battle of Thermopylae. The 300 Spartans, the film that inspired Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300, and the subsequent film of the same name, has a much simpler look, as you might expect from a film […]