Garv’s Pick of the Week: American Movie (Sony)
For the release week of October 18th:
American Movie [Blu-ray / Sony]: Chris Smith’s movie about independent filmmaker Mark Borchardt is one of the most entertaining documentaries ever made. It’s funny, inspiring, sad, and very human. The special features include a commentary by the director and documentary subjects, deleted scenes, the trailer, and most importantly, Coven, the short film directed by Mark Borchardt. R.I.P., Mike Schank.
Additional Titles of Interest —
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster [Blu-ray / Voltage Films]: Just in time for spooky season, this documentary on the life and career of horror icon Boris Karloff gets a Blu-ray debut. The 2021 film includes interviews with Karloff’s admirers and co-workers, including Roger Corman, Peter Bogdanovich, Joe Dante, Guillermo del Toro, John Landis, Leonard Maltin, Christopher Plummer, Kevin Brownlow, David J. Skal, Donnie Dunagan, and, of course, his daughter, Sarah Karloff.
Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema X [Blu-ray / Kino Lorber]: Included in this box set are Flesh and Fury (1952) with Tony Curtis and Jan Sterling; The Square Jungle (1955) with Tony Curtis and Ernie Borgnine; and World in My Corner (1956) with Audie Murphy. All three are boxing-related films noir.
Gothic Fantastico: Four Italian Tales of Terror [Blu-ray / Arrow Video]: “The Criterion of Cult” is out with a box set of Italian horrors from the 60s. Included are Lady Morgan’s Vengeance (1965), The Blancheville Monster (1963), The Third Eye (1966), and The Witch (1966)
The Return of the Living Dead [4K UHD / Scream Factory]: James Karen’s finest hour gets a 4K UHD upgrade.
Broadway Danny Rose [Blu-ray/ Sandpiper Pictures]: Sandpiper continues it’s Woody Allen re-releases. My favorite of this week’s bunch is Broadway Danny Rose, which is both hilarious and heartwarming.
The Purple Rose of Cairo [Blu-ray/ Sandpiper Pictures]: Actually, I like all of the Woody films re-released this week. This one is the most celebrated of the three (although I like the other two a little better).
Radio Days [Blu-ray/ Sandpiper Pictures]: I remember seeing this film on bargain night in a second-run theater with a packed house of senior citizens. The audience sang along with all of the songs. It was magical.
Doctor Who: Colin Baker – Complete Season One [Blu-ray / BBC]: Despite the fact that most classic Doctor Who episodes were produced on video tape, the BBC’s Blu-ray upgrades look pretty good.
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