R.I.P. Mike Vraney

I was shocked to learn that Something Weird Video founder Mike Vraney has passed away.  Mike was a home video pioneer and amassed a Library of Congress-scale archive of indie exploitation gems and duds that will continue to entertain and culturally educate for centuries to come via his massive DVD cataglog and in-demand/streaming services.  Mike was always friendly and supportive of Video Confidential and eager to help and advise in anyway he could.  Most importantly, he single-handedly rescued and perserved many lost and forgotten gems and not-so-gems.  For that we will always be grateful.  For more information, visit:  http://www.somethingweird.com/

A GAME OF DEATH (1945- U.S.)

Amazon Kindle HD.  D: Robert Wise.  I've been searching for this title ever since learning of its existence in the first edition of Michael Weldon's landmark Psychotronic Encyclopedia.  As far as I know, this RKO production was never available on any home video format and never showed up on TV in my neck of the woods.  I was excited when a search on Robert Wise films turned this title up on my Amazon Kindle.  Without hesitation, I clicked on it and it unspooled in stunning HD instantly!  As I expected, this screen version of the classic Richard Connell short story boasts those great, dependable RKO B-movie production values that include first-rate sets, production design and artful, expressionistic lighting.  Released the same year as Wise's THE BODY SNATCHER, GAME ultimately comes off as a routine, by-the-numbers retelling.  The cast is competent but lackluster, especially the part of Count Zaroff (renamed 'Erich Kreiger' here for no good reason) played by genre vet Edgar Barrier (THE GIANT CLAW).  In comparison, Leslie Banks played the part so delightfully over-the-top in the original RKO version.

John Loder is the shipwrecked hunter/author Rainsford who washes up on the island shores and meets his icy host, Herr Kreiger, a proud big game hunter and fan of the author's work.  There are two like-wise stranded 'houseguests'- a brother (Russell Wade of THE BODY SNATCHER) and sister (Audrey Long of Wise's BORN TO KILL)y reprising the parts played by KONG's Robert Armstrong and Fay Wray.  (According to Psychotronic, Fay's screams were looped into this remake!)  The trio soon learn about Kreiger's favorite prey and plot to escape.  When their plans are discovered, the human safari begins!  Krieger has two thug assistants, one of them is played by the great Noble Johnson (KING KONG) who played Zaroff's right-hand, bearded thug in the 1933 version.  What's really odd but cool is that Johnson actually plays both parts simulataneously via the use of stock footage so he actually gets two death scenes as two different characters in this film!  The rest of the cast is filled out nicely with RKO regulars Jason Robards Sr., Russell Hicks and Robert Clarke (HIDEOUS SUN DEMON, BEDLAM), glimpsed for about a second.

Although GAME delivers less in every department compared to the original, there is one excellent scene that surpasses the same scene in the original- the human trophy room!  In this version, Wise really delivers and we get a good look at Krieger's collection of mounted heads and a grisly decapitated relic floating in a tank.  The same shots were censored in the 1933 version when the code was instituted and only reinstated much later.  Also sadly missing here is the original's elaborate Kong Island painted glass mattes and the great Max Steiner score.  Overall, A GAME OF DEATH is a sturdy RKO programmer and it's great to have it finally available!  The streaming HD version looks exceptionally sharp, glossy and nicely restored.  Paramount is listed as the title's controlling studio so this might explain why this RKO title has never turned up on the Turner channels?

THE BIG COMBO (1955- U.S.) Blu-Ray

D: Joseph Lewis.  A unique, stylish film noir from my favorite period (late 40s-early 50s) where I think the style (its actually not a genre) really hit its stride.  Cornell Wilde is Diamond, a hard-boiled, caffeine-fueled, crystal-focused detective obsessed with bringing down philosophical but super-sadistic mob boss Mr. Brown (Richard Conte- THE GODFATHER, CALL NORTHSIDE 777).  Diamond also has his eye on  Susan, Brown's listless, depressed, platinum blonde moll (Jean Wallace- STORM FEAR ) to the detriment of neglecting his stripper girlfriend (HELENE STANTON- PHANTOM FROM 10,000 LEAGUES).  As Diamond starts to tighten the noose around Brown's shady activities, Brown's mob associate (Brian Donlevy- Hammer's CREEPING UNKNOWN/QUATERMASS XPERIMENT) and two neurotic hit men (Lee Van Cleef- THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY and Earl Holliman - TVs POLICE WOMAN) start to get reckless and can't repress their sadistic side.  Brown has to reprimand them but still finds time to sonically torture and almost drown Diamond with hair tonic!  When Brown's estranged, insane wife (Helen Walker- NIGHTMARE ALLEY) is persuaded to testify against him, Susan musters the courage to cooperate and uses herself as bait to lure the mobster into a fog-shrouded dragnet that provides the downbeat, ambiguous climax.  The real star of COMBO is virtuoso cinematographer John Alton (HE WALKED BY NIGHT)  who creates stunningly atmospheric and iconic back-lit images that will stay with you forever.  The UCLA restored print utilized here is transferred to 16x9 (1.78) and boasts a nice sharp fine grain image with minor speckling and some light scratches throughout.  It's a shame it wasn't properly digitally restored because it could have been rendered pristine.  The film deserves that much and more.  The downbeat, jazzy score is by David Raskin (EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS) and features a memorable soprano sax melody that is effectively reprised throughout.  From the great auteur Joseph H. Lewis (GUN CRAZY, TERROR IN A TEXAS TOWN), with memorable tough guy dialog by Phillip Yordan (JOHNNY GUITAR, EL CID) and a great cast of ragged B-character actors like Whit Bissell (HE WALKED BY NIGHT, TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN), Jay Adler (MURDER IS MY BEAT, CURSE OF THE UNDEAD) and John Hoyt (SPARTACUS, FLESH GORDON).  Van Cleef as Fante and Holliman as Mingo are creepy and must have provided the template for hitmen Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd in 007's DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971).  Ex-model Jean Wallace was the real-life Mrs. Wilde and her sad personal exploits were even more lurid than her character's!  On Blu-ray and DVD from Olive Films whose catalog features mostly great but neglected library titles (including more classic noir!) sub-licensed from major studios at rather steep retail prices.  THE BIG COMBO has previously been available in full frame (1.33) transfers on VHS and DVD from various PD labels.  This new release is like experiencing the movie for the first time.  Crack open a bottle of hair tonic and enjoy!

Pre-order for Golden Voyage Of Sinbad blu-ray!

Finally, my favorite Harryhausen film is about to become available as a limited edition (3,000 copies) blu-ray with an isolated Miklos Rosza music score!  These limited discs usually sell out fast and usually go for crazy money on Amazon.  SINBAD & THE EYE OF THE TIGER is also available to pre-order.  I thought that film was weak and a let down after GOLDEN VOYAGE.  Patrick Wayne was a very bland Sinbad compared to John Phillip Law!

I saw this film at least twice during its initial theatrical release.  I also bought the soundtrack album and movie tie-in book at that time.  Decades later, I got the chance to work with Sinbad co-stars Caroline Munro and Aldo Sanbrell, re-united for the first time since the Harryhausen film.

For pre-order details:

http://www1.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/26424/THE-GOLDEN-VOYAGE-OF-SINBAD-1973-LIMIT-3-COPIES-PER-CUSTOMER/

Super Rare Frankenstein! Why didn't I know about this?

I knew of boxer/wrestler Primo Canera and his few movie appearances where he took on MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (1949) and Steve Reeves in HERCULES UNCHAINED (1959) but never this!  This was an NBC Matinee Theater presentation that aired at the same time I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN was flexing its biceps across cinema screens and Christopher Lee was shambling before the cameras at Bray Studios for CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN.  Very weird.  Always learning something new.

http://frankensteinia.blogspot.com/2012/01/frankensteinia-exclusive-monster-primo.html

There's very little information I can find and imdb doesn't list any other cast members.  The rather lame looking DeNiro monster is a total rip off of this make up design.  Coincidence?

BRUCE LEE VS. DAIMAJIN in HD!

The new Shout Factory Bruce Lee Collection streets today!  I took advantage of the Groupon deal (see the link below) and am pretty excited to revisit all of Bruce's films in HD (I'll save the new Warner Bros. ultimate edition ENTER FOR THE DRAGON for the grand finale!).    To add to the excitement, it looks like Shout Factory scored an interview with Japanese actor Riki Hashimoto.  Who is Riki Hashimoto you might ask?

My all-time favorite Bruce Lee trivia question is, "Did Bruce Lee ever fight Daimajin?"  The answer, surprisingly, is YES!  Bruce Lee fought Hashimoto-san in FIST OF FURY (1972) aka CHINESE CONNECTION as katana-crazed mustached badass Mr. Suzuki.  It was also Hashimoto-san who sweated it out in the rubber suit as the towering statue-come-to-life, Daimajin, in three films produced by Daiei Studios in 1966!  Thankfully, the classic Daimajn trilogy is on blu-ray from Mill Creek.   (NOTE: none of the screen grabs are from the new, improved blu-rays, except for the interview head-shot)  To my knowledge, Bruce never fought or sparred with any other famous kaiju?

Two Faces of Riki Hoshomoto

Buy the Bruce Lee Collection Here: http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-shout-factory-1

Daimajin Trilogy: http://www.amazon.com/Daimajin-Feature-Collectors-Edition-Blu-ray/dp/B008L0YMSW

Jackie Chan's CHINESE ZODIAC

CHINESE ZODIAC (2012- Hong Kong) D: Jackie Chan.  Before nose-diving to its final DVD/Blu-ray destination, Jackie Chan's newest Chinese production makes a surprise pit-stop at U.S. screens courtesy of an AMC Theaters exclusive, limited run.  ZODIAC is the eagerly-awaited third installment in the ARMOUR OF GOD franchise that follows the gems ARMOUR OF GOD (1986) and OPERATION CONDOR: ARMOUR OF GOD II (1991). While it's great to have Chan back in the director's chair, this new entry can't hold a candle to the previous two films.

ZODIAC suffers from one of the wackiest, dullest plots ever conceived.  It does, however, deliver jolts of Chan's insanely creative action and stunts but it seriously disappoints in the fight scene department where there are too few, coming too late and not treated very seriously at that.

The plot here is so utterly uninteresting that's it's painful to relay.  It concerns an emotional, worldwide, mass youth uprising demanding the return of plundered ancient artifacts to their native countries after hundreds, even thousands of years.  Chan is chicklet popping 'J.C.' (aka the Asian Hawk, Condor- whatever) and he and his small band of adventuresome thieves are after some lame bronze zodiac heads to sell on the world market.  Unfortunately, they soon soften up and join the loser protesters, forgoing profit for patriotism.  Yeah, like I give a rat's ass that some long-gone, thousand-year-old blood-thirsty tyrants and regimes get their art and relics (created by the blood, sweat and tears of slaves!) returned for the lame sake of cultural heritage and patriotism?  'F' that!  One character even has the gall to list some obscure French atrocities committed against the Chinese as if the multitude of dynasties, not to mention Mao himself (the world's undefeated champion for the single greatest mass murderer in recorded history!), didn't torture and slaughter millions upon millions of their own people!  Somehow it's only morally wrong when foreigners do the slaying and oppressing?

Ultimately, ZODIAC only needed a simple, scaled down story with a few clever series of obstacles to let Chan do his thing.  There's really only one impressive fighter he opposes and it's more of a humorous grudge match that doesn't go anywhere and they end up being friends in the end.

 A problem in even his best films, the female characters here are screechy, nightmarish and annoying as hell, rarely showing hints of sanity and physical strength though there is a good girl-girl fight later on.  Oliver Platt is the rational, reasonable businessman villain who is never really a major threat to anyone.  A skin-head, tattooed Ken Lo (DRUNKEN MASTER II) shows up as the leader of a rag-tag team of zany pirates but he doesn't get to show off any of his formidable fight skills.  Most of the film's characters and actors are so ridiculous and annoying that you wish Chan would do the smart thing and resort to a his own version of Stallone's EXPENDABLES.  He should just enlist an A-Team of the greatest, bad-ass Asian fight stars ever and go for it!  A no-brainer.

Most interesting, is the appearance by Jackie's real-life wife who, in a flash of creative casting, shows up as his wife.  Former Chan co-star, Qi Shou (GORGEOUS) also pops up for a blink-and-you'll-miss-her cameo shot.  Also noticeably weak is the film's production design, sadly credited to Chan himself.  The absurd multi-color sets (including a cheesy, plastic looking jungle!) and tacky wardrobe look like a Sid & Marty Kroft show on acid .  There is some really bad French pop and Chinese rap music and tons of poorly rendered CG to add to the circus-like atmosphere.  The bottom line is this- Chan never ceases to entertain and deliver high impact thrills on some super-human level and it's always an event (at least for me) to see him on the big screen in anything.

The film was released in China in 3D and reportedly dubbed and trimmed to a tighter running time by Chan himself for the U.S.  I'm not sure if it's in the Chinese cut but during the end credits (yes, Chan fans always stay through the credits), after the bloopers, a greatest hits complilation of action clips unspools while Jackie thanks his worldwide fans in a short rant, almost as if he's retiring, going away or something.  Weird.  Support Chan and his Chinese productions so catch it while you can!

Watch the U.S trailer here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYS6au7UzZc