Garv’s Pick of the Week: A Walk in the Sun (Sproket Vault/Kit Parker Films)
For the release week of January 18th:
Garv’s Pick of the Week: A Walk in the Sun [Blu-ray / Sprocket Vault/Kit Parker Films]: History buffs should be very interested in this 2-disc Blu-ray + DVD package. It features a new 4K scan of Lewis Milestone’s 1945 WWII film, derived from the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s 35mm photochemical restoration. The movie features a fantastic cast, including Dana Andrews, Richard Conte, John Ireland, Lloyd Bridges, Sterling Holloway, and Norman Lloyd. In addition to the film, the package is packed with special features, including an audio commentary by Alan K. Rode, featurettes “Zanuck Goes to War: The WWII Films of Fox” and “Living History: Norman Lloyd on Saboteur and A Walk in the Sun,” the uncut documentary The Battle of San Pietro, Fox Movietone newsreels, and the theatrical trailer.
Additional Titles of Interest —
The Little Rascals: The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 4 [Blu-ray / ClassicFlix]: ClassicFlix has undertaken an ambitious multi-volume project to scan and restore all of the sound-era Our Gang comedies produced at Hal Roach Studios between 1929 to 1938. I reviewed the previous three volumes (Volume 1 Review, Volume 2 Review, Volume 3 Review) and they were fantastic. The image quality is much improved over DVD releases and television screenings, and some shorts that have been censored for years are presented in their complete, original form. The fourth chronological volume covers the next twelve shorts, The Kid From Borneo (1933) through Shrimps for a Day (1935), featuring Spanky, Stymie, and the gang. I plan to post a full review in the upcoming weeks.
Song of the Thin Man [Blu-ray / Warner Archive]: The Warner Archive Collection finishes out their Blu-ray releases of The Thin Man series, with the jazz-themed final entry from 1947.
Edge of Darkness [Blu-ray / Warner Archive]: Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan star in this WWII melodrama about the Norwegian resistance.
The Capture [Blu-ray / The Film Detective]: A lesser-known 1950 noir from director John Sturges gets a remastered release from The Film Detective.
Shock [Blu-ray / Arrow Video]: Mario Bava’s final feature gets a Blu-ray from Arrow Video, the “Criterion of cult.” I haven’t seen this one, but I LOOOOVVE Mario Bava.
The Blockhouse [Blu-ray / Indicator]: Peter Sellers plays it serious in the wartime drama.
Hoffman [Blu-ray / Indicator]: Peter Sellers tried to have this film pulled from release, because he felt the main character was uncomfortably too much like his real personality.
A Hard Day’s Night [4K UHD / Criterion]: Criterion continues their 4K UHD upgrades with the Fab Four’s first film.
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