4K UHD Review: Richard Pryor…Here and Now
Shot at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, Richard Pryor…Here and Now (1983) has the comic relaxed onstage despite a rowdy crowd. Seven months sober, his prepared material is only part of the show, as he deals with late arrivals and hecklers without missing a beat. Early in the show, an audience member asks Pryor […]
4K UHD Review: The Wiz (Criterion Collection)
The 1975 Broadway debut of The Wiz—an African American retelling of the classic children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum—was a huge hit. Starring seventeen-year-old Stephanie Mills as Dorothy, who was a tiny teenager with a big voice. The play went on to win seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Given […]
4K UHD Review: Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling
Despite his status as one of the finest comedians of all time, Richard Pryor’s personal life was far from funny. For his second and final turn as a director, Pryor mines his own life for 1986’s Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling, which he also co-wrote. Jo Jo Dancer was a box office failure […]
Blu-ray Review Blue Collar
After finding success as a screenwriter on films such as Taxi Driver (directed by Martin Scorsese) and Obsession (directed by Brian DePalma), Paul Schrader earned enough clout to direct his own material. Schrader’s directorial debut Blue Collar follows three auto workers who can’t catch a break. Zeke (Richard Pryor) and Jerry (Harvey Keitel) are family […]
Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever (Deluxe Edition)
Back in 2014, Time-Life/StarVista released the legendary TV special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever on DVD, over thirty years after it first aired. While I reviewed the three disc set back then, with the deluxe six disc set soon to be available at various retail outlets, I’ve revisited Motown 25 and amended my thoughts where […]
Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic (Blu-ray)
Few will deny Richard Pryor’s place as one of stand up comedy’s true geniuses. As with many comedians who emerged both before and after him, Pryor was plagued by demons; demons that provided the source of some of his best comedy. One of the reasons Richard Pryor was so special was that nothing was off […]
Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever (3-Disc Edition) (DVD)
Over thirty years after it originally aired on network television in May of 1983, Time-Life/StarVista is releasing the classic TV special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever on DVD. They are offering the release in a simple 1-DVD edition, a special 3-DVD edition, a deluxe 6-DVD edition, and a deluxe-deluxe 6-DVD/8-CD edition. (Time-Life provided us with […]
No Pryor Restraint: Life in Concert Available June 11th from Shout! Factory
Though he can be described as a comedian, an actor, a writer and a social activist, Richard Pryor was, first and foremost, an artist whose groundbreaking brand of uncompromising humor enriched the lives of millions. On June 11, 2013, Shout! Factory will release No Pryor Restraint: Life in Concert, a celebration of the life […]
Superman: The Motion Picture Anthology (1978-2006) Coming to Blu-ray
March 31, 2011 –Superman, the cultural icon and quintessential superhero, is back in a big way. In a powerhouse year marked by the theatrical releases of several major superhero films including Warner Bros.’ Green Lantern, his arrival couldn’t be more perfectly timed. Warner Home Video (WHV) is celebrating the year of the superhero with the […]