If you haven’t checked out our new theatrical releases on home video page, be sure to give that a look after you have a gander at some of the awesome catalog titles coming to home video on September 18. Of course, the big news is the very first Blu-ray release of the Indiana Jones trilogy in a new box set containing all four Indy films. Raiders of the Lost Ark has been given the deluxe treatment with an all-new HD transfer and it has some great extras as well. Also getting a new Blu-ray release is the original Halloween II, which corrects some issues with the original Blu-ray release, and Halloween III: Season of the Witch gets the HD treatment as well. Both disks are packed with extras that any fan will want (although you may want to hold on to the Universal Halloween II Blu-ray for the Terror in the Aisles bonus feature which is not included on Shout! Factory’s edition). Sylvester Stallone’s Judge Dredd is also getting a dust off to tie in with the new theatrical film, and finally … finally! … Disney is releasing Tim Burton’s loving homage to the “worst director ever,” Ed Wood. Arguably one of the best Burton/Depp collaborations, the film also won Martin Landau an Oscar for his sympathetic portrayal of Bela Lugosi. A wonderful film that was a long time coming on Blu-ray. These and more will be hitting stores and online retailers soon, so have a look at the guide below and if you see something you just have to have, click on the appropriate link to make a purchase at Amazon.com (and you’ll be supporting CliqueClack as well).

There are so many good releases coming September 18, both recent theatricals as well as deep catalog titles, that we’re going to split this into two posts. If you’re looking for the most recent releases, you’ve come to the right place. Hitting home video this week, and after sitting in the MGM vault for two years due to the studio’s bankruptcy, the most original horror film in years comes to home video after a successful theatrical run, Cabin in the Woods. Starring a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth, the film really took horror to a new level of creativity that really can’t be discussed in any review without spoiling many of the surprises. Suffice it to say, if you missed this in the theaters and really enjoy horror flicks, this should definitely be on your must-see list. If horror isn’t your thing, there’s a wide range of titles for everyone from mature audiences, including The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, to tweeny-boppers and pop music fans with Katy Perry: Part of Me, as well as a collection of new titles that may have come and gone at the local cineplex without much notice, or just went straight to video. Check out the grid below to see what’s in store for this week, and if you’re looking for more “classic” titles, we’ve got those for you as well. If you see something you like, click on any link for more information or to make a purchase.

Of the new home video releases coming on September 11th, Snow White and the Huntsman is the biggest title of the bunch. I enjoyed the movie mainly for the performances of Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth, but the casting of the always bored looking Kristin Stewart — who made everyone else act harder than they had to — brought the film down a few notches. It was fun seeing Charlize chew the scenery though. There are some great catalog titles hitting Blu-ray this week to get you in the Halloween spirit — Jeepers Creepers and Killer Klowns from Outer Space to name two of the better titles — and James Cameron’s visit to the Titanic wreckage, Ghosts of the Abyss, comes to Blu-ray for the first time in 3D. Have a look at the guide below to see all of the titles available this week, and if you see something you like, just click on a link to make a purchase!

Here’s an idea for a new movie — imagine a character in a book that’s reading a book about a character writing a book about a character realizing he’s in a movie. Too confusing? Not confusing enough? Both? But I bet it really makes you think about the thin line between fiction and reality, doesn’t it? No?

Well, this movie doesn’t really either.

The Words begins with the frame of successful author Clay Hammond (Dennis Quaid) reading excerpts from his latest novel also called “The Words” (is that symbolism or just stupidity?) to a rapt audience, including young student Daniella (Olivia Wilde). But wait, wait, stop getting invested in that nonsense, we have to tell the story of the book instead! While we hear unnecessary narration from Clay, we see what amounts to more like an actual movie as we meet struggling writer Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper), living with his young wife Dora (Zoe Saldana). If you’re thinking that there’s symbolism in those names, there is! And if you haven’t immediately guessed what, you’re just a plebeian fool, aren’t you? I think I’m one of those fools.

Rory has written a beautiful novel that is too difficult to publish, so he begins to despair of it. And after he’s given up, he stumbles across a mysterious manuscript while on his honeymoon in Paris. A book that was never published — a lost work that is orders of magnitude better than his own stories (and also the other stories in the movie). But who’s the old man (Jeremy Irons in makeup) watching all this? And what about the story of the mysterious book, and its protagonist? As to be expected, we dive into another story, with young unnamed man (Ben Barnes) in post WW2 France, about his own dramatic tale. This particular sub-sub-story is actually the best of all of them. But hold on a second!

Instead of that interesting sub-story and the somewhat interesting tale of plagiarism and intent, we need some more meaningless nonsense and pablum with Clay and Daniella again. Because we need the themes of the movie explicitly spelled out very obviously, played out over mild clever insinuations and boring romance. How does it all end? Does it matter? Well, that’s another theme: What’s the point, anyway? The outer frame of Clay is ultimately without purpose or usefulness. We learn nothing of import and it seems almost like a last minute addition to the movie. There are actually affecting acting performances here, especially from Jeremy Irons and Ben Barnes, with Bradley Cooper doing alright and J. K. Simmons having an always welcome minor role as his father. But then the movie just tries to be too clever, and it loses you.

It’s too bad that there’s an actually interesting movie here inside a stupid one.

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In the question and answer session following the Philadelphia screening of The Words, writers/directors Lee Strenthal and Brian Klugman charmed the crowd while discussing their impetus for the film and interacting with their hometown crowd.

The Words surrounds a young man tempted by success. What if you’re not the talented writer you always thought you were, but you uncover a manuscript that reflects everything you’ve ever wanted to write? Written around eleven-to-thirteen years ago in the late 90s, while sitting in traffic, Klugman and Strenthal pondered this same question – what would happen if you’re a struggling writer and you discover Hemingway’s lost stories? Do you publish them under an unknown author’s name or do you publish them as your own? The Words investigates the latter and what happens in the aftermath through three separate paths: that of the modern-day struggling young writer (Bradley Cooper); the young post-World War II writer (Ben Barnes) who he steals from; and the established writer who tells both their stories (Randy Quaid).

To help them bring the film to fruition, the writing/directing duo always wanted Bradley to star in the film as Rory, the young writer, and wrote the script with him in mind. Although it became more difficult as Bradley’s demand increased, he remained dedicated to the project. Once Bradley was on board, Jeremy Irons, who formerly worked with Executive Producer Laura Rister on Margin Call, came next as the Old Man. After that, the casting of the other actors soon followed, including Zoe Saldana as the wife, who wanted to give the new directors a chance as so many other directors had given her a chance, as well as Olivia Wilde, who formerly worked with Brian Klugman, when he guested on House. Both Klugman and Strenthal sang Zoe’s praises for bringing passion to the role and helping them to reconstruct the Dora character.

After forming the cast, the next step included finding a location that could portray post-World War II Paris, contemporary Paris, modern-day New York and 1950s New York. They eventually settled on Montreal. Although the production staff filmed The Words in under thirty days on a shoestring budget, you can’t really tell. The film appears lush and majestic while the actors give their all to the film without appearing distracted.

When you watch the video below, it seemed less of a Q&A and more of a homecoming with former teachers and old friends standing to describe their pride in the men on the stage. One old friend even joked that he wrote the script before them. Even the mayor stood to thank them for bringing the event to Philadelphia.

How much does Philly love local boys, Bradley, Lee and Brian? There are no words to describe.

The Words hits theatres September 7th.

Like everyone who ever lived in Philadelphia, I have a Bradley Cooper story. Back in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s when he started to make his name with Sex and the City and The $treet, I worked in the Philadelphia suburbs. My officemate lived in the same town as his mother and coincidentally worked out at the same gym. Now, my officemate, for all her intelligence, was slightly ditzy, a newlywed (who barely noticed other men) and one of those people who never watched TV or films (to my consternation). This explains how every morning for a week she’d work out on a treadmill next to Bradley Cooper, chat with him, and walk out to the parking lot with him without ever knowing who he was until one of the gym-goers finally told her.

At the time I didn’t understand how she couldn’t see the Hollywood magic dripping off of him, until I hit the red carpet premiere for The Words and met him again in the pressroom interview. Despite his piercing blue eyes, lustrous wavy hair and chiseled cheekbones, he didn’t strike me as a guy I’d wantonly throw myself towards. Instead, he struck me as someone I’d rather grab a beer with at the local bar. In fact, that was practically the interview’s underlying theme: casual conversation and friendship.

Just as The Words is the story of three men seeking their writing destiny, the making of The Words surrounds three men uncovering their writing/acting goal through a script that existed since the late 90s. Just as The Words surrounds the effect of writing on the individual men and their families, so the creation and production of The Words affected and continued to bond lead actor, Bradley Cooper, with longtime friends and writer/directors, Lee Sternthal and Brian Klugman.

If the post-screening Q & A session gave me the feeling of homecoming, the pressroom interview gave me the feeling of friends, trust and childhood memories. The entire interview surrounded watching the lead actor, Cooper, and the writer/directors casually interact with each other. In the interview Cooper stated, “I felt so safe with them as directors. They allowed me to open up. Whenever you feel safe on a set you really can explore more and more … because when you’re a kid, you want to create with your friends, and that’s what I got to do.”

Although The Words is a serious film, the writers, directors and star are not serious people. Cooper, Sternthal and Klugman all lit up when describing their childhood Philadelphia memories. Sternthal and Klugman met at Pine Forest summer camp, doing the summer shows, while Cooper and Klugman spent lazy Sunday afternoons watching Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter. While Cooper spent his summer childhood at the Jersey shore visiting the Brigantine Castle (which burned down in 1987), Sternthal spent his summers fishing with his grandfather and Uncle Sam.  Klugman and Sternthal still watch Eagles games in LA bars at 10:30 in the morning with an expatriate Philadelphia contingent. In case you were wondering, Carnal Knowledge is a favorite of all three. It’s odd how their Jersey shore childhood mirrors my own, but that’s probably why a lot of native Philadelphians relate to Cooper so easily.

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Sadly, I’ve not seen many Ken Russell films, and the ones I have seen have been rather hit-or-miss: Altered States, The Lair of the White Worm, Gothic to name a few. These later Russell films were interesting, but the early Russell films seem to be more up my alley now that I’ve had a chance to witness the madness that is Lisztomania. Words cannot being to describe this movie, now available on DVD from the Warner Archives Collection, but I will try my best to give you a brief idea of what to expect.

If you don’t know, the film is a “biography” (in the loosest sense of the word) of the classical composer Franz Liszt, a musician who many refer to as the world’s first rock star due to his fan following and groupies who purportedly threw their undergarments at him while he was on stage … a hundred-plus years before Tom Jones! True or not, the legend certainly lays the foundation for a great movie. In Russell’s version of Liszt’s life, he begins an affair with with Countess D’Agoult (Fiona Lewis), much to the dismay of her husband whom she leaves behind, they have three children but the life of a responsible man blocks Liszt’s creativity. So what to do than hit the road again, bed a few more women and get the creative juices flowing. Liszt (Roger Daltry) ends up with Princess Carolyn of Russia (Sarah Kestleman), who awaits a divorce from the Catholic church so she can take Liszt back to Russia and live happily ever after. But Liszt is also dogged by composer Richard Wagner (Paul Nicholas), Liszt’s protege who also wants to channel Liszt’s talent and popularity to take over the world. Literally. And this is where things start to go really crazy … as if the musical number with the giant penis wasn’t enough. Wagner goes from war refugee to vampire to Nazi Frankenstein monster over the course of the movie, and you just have to wonder what kind of drugs Ken Russell was taking at the time. One thing’s for sure, the movie is never boring.

After watching Lisztomania, I can definitely see where Baz Luhrmann got some of his ideas for Moulin Rouge. The storytelling there is a bit more linear, but the visual excess of that film goes right back to Russell. The film features some huge sets, lavish costumes, colorful lighting (including an economical, yet nifty solar eclipse), and an interesting score by Rick Wakeman (who also has a cameo as a very familiar looking Nordic god that screams “copyright infringement”) that combines the music of Liszt and Wagner with some catchy pop/rock tunes as well. And speaking of the music, historically, Lisztomania was the first movie to use the Dolby Stereo process for sound recording which is rendered nicely on Warner’s DVD as a Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track (I actually listened to it process through a 7.1 surround system and the music and dialogue were nicely balanced with some directional effects applied to some of the off-screen and off-center voices). For a film of this vintage, the folks at Warner Brothers have done a nice job with the print, keeping the colors vibrant, and the print itself is pretty much in great shape save for a little speckling at the very beginning. You couldn’t really ask for a better presentation on DVD, but for a film that was released the same year as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and deserves the same kind of cultish adoration (and yes, that is Columbia herself in the picture above), this one really cries out for a high-def Blu-ray release to really bring the colors and sound even more boldly to life. Perhaps the success of the Archive Collection manufacture on demand DVD will kick a proper HD restoration into gear.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — the folks at Warner Brothers have done a magnificent job of rescuing another movie that may have fallen by the wayside with the Archive Collection, and after watching Lisztomania I am more than eager to take on more of Russell’s earlier works including The Boy Friend, which is another Archive Collection release. Hopefully they’ll get around to releasing Russell’s The Devils next. That’s been on my wish list of movies to see for quite some time (hint, hint).

This review is based on a retail copy of the DVD provided to CliqueClack by the Warner Archives Collection.

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I love when premieres happen on the East Coast, especially in Philadelphia. As one who resided on and off in Philadelphia since her undergraduate days, I formerly saw it as a lesser New York. However, I’m quickly revising that opinion. In the past year, especially this summer, Philadelphia is increasingly reconstructing itself as a film mecca. With the filming of scenes from Political Animals with Sigourney Weaver (USA), Paranoia with Liam Hemsworth and Gary Oldman, and Dead Man Down with Colin Farrell and Terrence Howard, as well as the film premieres of The Words and Think Like a Man, it looks like Hollywood’s slowly jumping on the Philly bandwagon.

I give partial credit for this to Sharon Pinkenson, Executive Director for the Greater Philadelphia Film Society; partial credit to Mayor Michael Nutter; and partial credit to the filmmakers and stars who have ties to Philadelphia and want to see it featured further, including the native Philadelphia writers/directors/star/producers of The Words — Bradley Cooper, Brian Klugman, Lee Sternthal and Jim Young. I grabbed a quick minute with Sharon Pinkenson on the red carpet to ask her thoughts on attracting more film premieres and film productions to the Philadelphia area. “Well, obviously the more activity there is in film whether it’s in production or premieres, warms my heart. That’s what we do. I’m very excited about it. It means more jobs for local people. It means vendors get to have their products and their services in front of Philadelphia. So, it’s great for the economy. And, it’s really good for how Philadelphians feel about themselves living in a movie town.”

I also managed to talk to Jim Young, one of the film’s producers from Animus Films, about how he connected with Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal, the writers/directors, and how they constructed the amazing cast, including Bradley Cooper as Rory, the lead; Zoe Saldana as Dora, his wife; Jeremy Irons, as the old man; and Olivia Wilde as the ingénue; as well as Dennis Quaid, Ron Rifkin, Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian, Stardust), J.K. Simmons (The Closer, Law & Order), Michael McKean (Smallville, Law & Order: SVU) and Zeljko Ivanek (The Bourne Legacy, Heroes, The Mob Doctor). Seriously, The Words is a casting list of actors’ actors. If you don’t recognize the names (which you should), you’ll definitely recognize the faces.

Regarding getting involved with the production, Havertown-born Young stated: “I’m also from Philadelphia as they are [Brian and Lee, the writer/directors] and as Bradley is. And, we watched Eagles games on Sunday together. We had a friendship before we got involved with the movie. When we read the script it was one of the most beautiful scripts we ever read. As soon as we read it, it was one of those things where we wanted to jump in and get involved immediately.”

Concerning how they attracted the who’s who of actors, whose individual talents I personally respect, Jim credited the script and the directors: “It was a script that was originally written 13 years ago. It was on the Sundance Screenwriters Lab and it was on the Blacklist. There have been different people circling around it for years. Bradley was the guy that Brian and Lee knew from childhood and had always envisioned to play Rory, the protagonist in the movie. Shortly thereafter we got Jeremy Irons to come on board. And then slowly but surely the rest of the cast came together. Everybody sort of says the same thing. It was the most unique, interesting script they read in ages. They really came on it based on the script. When they talked to Brian and Lee as filmmakers, once they met them, everybody jumped in.”

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We’ve already covered the newer releases hitting DVD and Blu-ray this week, but there was such a large number of older catalog titles coming to DVD and Blu-ray (some for the first time), that we decided to do a separate post for these films. Among them are several themed collections from the Universal 100 releases, some very hard to find older titles from the Warner Archives including Ken Russell’s cult classic Lisztomania, and some even harder to find films from the Columbia Choice Collection. We’ll have more in-depth reviews of some of these titles soon. Have a look at the guide below to see what’s coming (titles are released on September 4th and 6th), and click on any link for more information about the film or to make a purchase.

There are not a lot of great newer releases hitting home video this week, but be sure to check out our reviews for Safe, The Five-Year Engagement, and Piranha 3DD before deciding to make that purchase. On the catalog front, there are some great titles to consider including the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection, and spiffy, new Blu-ray upgrades (some getting the high-def treatment for the first time) for Re-Animator, Mother’s Day, Mad Monster Party, and more. Have a look at the handy guide below, and click on a link to make a purchase through Amazon.com. You’ll be showing your support for CliqueClack as well!

Is everyone ready for some J-horror? No, I’m not talking about Japanese horror films (or those influenced by the genre). We have a new J-horror on the horizon with The Possession … what could be the first mainstream Jewish horror movie. And please don’t think I’m being anti-Semitic or anything, I’m deadly serious. I can’t recall any past horror film centered around a Jewish artifact like the Dibbuk (or Dybbuk) box, a container that holds a demon. In the film, the box is in the possession of an older woman. When she can’t handle hearing the odd voices coming from the box, she tries to smash it … but it smashes her up pretty badly before she can even land the first blow. The box is sold at a yard sale to Em (Natasha Calis), a young girl dealing with the divorce of her parents. She takes the box back to her dad’s house, finds out how to open it, and weird things begin to happen. Of course! Once dad (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) discovers what the box is, he drives into New York City to the Hasidic community to beg for help, but the elders say it is too dangerous and it must be left in God’s hands. A younger man agrees to help, setting the stage for an epic battle between good and evil. Naturally.

Oddly enough, before walking in to the press screening, I had to sign a form affirming I would not divulge any of the film’s secrets. Here’s the problem – the film has no secrets. If you’ve seen any horror film that involves some kind of possession over the last ten years or so, you’ve seen this movie. It’s basically The Ring, but with a wooden box instead of a videotape. Heck, you can go as far back as The Exorcist when comparing the final exorcism scenes, except instead of yelling, “The power of Christ compels you,” the young Jewish man yells the demon’s name over and over again to try to get it back in the box. Only thing missing is the pea soup. Except for the whole Jewish angle, the film is pretty derivative, and when your audience laughs at what is supposed to be scary – as Em’s possession deepens, she resembles the girl from the well in The Ring – you know you’ve got a problem. And when you have to rely on VERY LOUD MUSIC to telegraph the scares, it just demonstrates how desperate the filmmakers are. Only thing missing was a cat jumping into frame (at least the director showed some restraint by not having a housebreaking raccoon fill that role).

As far as the cast, I thought Calis did a good job transforming from the “pure of soul” little girl to the demon-possessed child. Her performance was aided by some truly disturbing CGI effects that were probably the scariest parts of the movie. Singer Matisyahu also gave a solid, if brief, performance and I really believed in him while he was trying to save the child from the demon. Kyra Sedgewick gets to play the stereotypical angry, divorced wife and mother who’s only function in the film is to constantly berate her ex-husband, and then fill the role of judge and jury when it’s suspected he slapped Em across the face (of course, that was just a trick of the demon). She does what she can with what she’s given, and she’s good at it. Grant Show turns on the smarm as mom’s new boyfriend, but after he’s attacked by the demon, he runs off, never to be seen again (his girlfriend never seems to give him a second thought). I generally like Jeffrey Dean Morgan, having been a fan since his time on Supernatural, and I don’t know if it was the dialogue or the direction he was given, but sometimes he just seemed to be phoning it in. I didn’t for a minute buy his anguish as he pleaded for help. It just seemed too forced (although some others thought he did a great job in that scene). Maybe that’s just Danish director Ole Bornedal‘s style … or his inexperience in working on an American film. Another problem with the film is that it originally received an R-rating from the MPAA and was edited down to a PG-13. Maybe some of the best horrific stuff got cut, and that’s why they had to resort to all the loud music.

Whatever it was, The Possession is just not a very scary movie. It’s obviously well-made with a sizable budget and a pretty solid cast, but it’s totally lacking in originality and scares (something producer Sam Raimi knows a thing or two about). I really wanted this movie to make me jump out of my seat, and it didn’t. Maybe they should have put that cat in there after all.

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You may not remember this, but way back in the day, the government made alcohol illegal for 13 years — but as you might expect, this didn’t stop people from actually drinking. But one thing it did do was magnify the criminal aspect of alcohol to ridiculous levels.

Lawless tells the story of the three orphaned Bondurant brothers who make and sell moonshine around the year 1931 in Franklin County, “The Wettest County in the World” (the name of the quasi-fictionalized book the movie is based on, written by the descendant of one of the brothers). Each brother has a role to fill in their little operation: Forrest (Tom Hardy, still at his monstrous The Dark Knight Rises weight) the leader, Howard (Jason Clarke) the crazy muscle, and Jack (Shia LaBeouf) the wheelman. But of course, Jack being much smaller and less competent than his brothers, feels out of place and without much to do. So he yearns to make something of himself and maybe flirt with Bertha (Mia Wasikowska), the daughter of a local cultish preacher.

In the meantime, creepy deputy Rakes (Guy Pearce with a ludicrous accent) arrives from Chicago to clean things up with violence and corruption of his own. There’s some additional romance between Forrest and Maggie (Jessica Chastain), a dancer from the big city who’s left for some reason. And essentially a cameo from Gary Oldman as a gangster — he’s not in the movie nearly enough. There’s plenty of low key humor and violence to go around, but the film stumbles when it tries to make you really care about the characters more than just superficially. Part of the problem is Jack, as Shia LaBeouf seems out of place with his artifice of a Southern drawl and typical slackened jaw. He’s the ostensible primary point-of-view character, but he doesn’t have the charisma of anyone else.

Tom Hardy is the real star of this movie, showing off more character and humor with monosyllabic grunts than Jack’s too common narration and wild histrionics. Maggie is a character that’s almost a real character, but suffers from lack of “what’s the point?”, although Jessica Chastain does a fine enough job. Guy Pearce plays his villainous lawman with scene chewing aplomb, and if his accent seems a bit ridiculous, his cruelty and overall creepiness works exceptionally well. The story gets a bit stuffed, although this is an artifact of adapting a much longer book. I think that perhaps Shia LaBeouf should stick to comedic roles where he isn’t vastly overshadowed by more nuanced performances — here, you keep wondering if you’re meant to laugh at him getting viciously beaten. Hard to say.

So have a drink and appreciate that you don’t to deal with the mafia for it anymore, and enjoy a decent sort of crime drama, assuming you don’t mind all the blood.

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The folks at the Warner Archive Collection prove that they love movies and want as many people to have access to the vast Warner Brothers library as possible. Their mission is to make films available on DVD on demand that would otherwise never see the light of day inside a big retail store. You’ll find a few well-known titles that may have gone out of print at the retail level – like Victor/Victoria which, honestly, deserves a Blu-ray release – but the real meat of the Archive Collection are the older films that real movie fans want, but the limited audience makes it not financially feasible to put these films out commercially. The Archive Collection has everything from 30s film noir to 80s comedies, theatrical films, TV movies of the week, and even season sets of classic TV series. Recently, the Archive Collection brought back some fond memories of watching old movies on the local TV channels with a collection of “sword and sandal” epics – Hercules, Samson and Ulysses, Damon and Pythias, The Slave (aka The Son of Spartacus), and The Tartars. They may not all be gems or even campy fun like the classic Steve Reeves Hercules movies, but you have to give Warner Brothers credit for making these films available at all.

Damon and Pythias, unfortunately, is a bit of a chore to sit through. Not because of the film’s presentation on DVD, which looks better than it probably ever has, but because of the slow moving story. In the original Greek legend, Damon and Pythias were friends and followers of the philosopher Pythagoras. Pythias was condemned to death by the tyrannical ruler Dionysius, who feared Pythias was trying to overthrow him. Pythias asked to return home to settle his affairs and say goodbye to his family, and to ensure his return, his friend Damon was held in his place, to be put to death should Pythias not come back to face the music. The film’s story follows the original in spirit, but Damon and Pythias don’t know each other here, and only become “friends” when Damon helps Pythias find the leader of the group of Pythagoreans. Although it’s hard to call someone who sells you out to the emperor for a horse a friend. When Pythias returns home, it’s because his wife is due to give birth and she does not want him to return to his fate, insisting that Damon should be allowed to die in his place because he has no family. It all comes down to a rushed and pat ending, but by that point (and at 99 minutes, it seems much, much longer) you may be favoring Damon’s death as well just to get it over with. The film is a curious Italian/American co-production with most of the dialogue dubbed, even with the English-speaking actors (at least it’s their own voices), and some impressive sets that, no matter how hard the director tries, still feels a bit stage bound. The film’s main star, Guy Williams (better known as Professor John Robinson on Lost in Space), hams it up a bit too much at times and pulls you out of the film’s historical setting. But the film looks wonderful, and any fan of this genre will want to add it to their collection. This is a bare-bones disk that only includes the feature film.

Hercules, Samson and Ulysses is a bit more fun. This one is a total Italian production that really recalls the classic Hercules films that began with Steve Reeves in the title role. The story is also a curious mixture of Greek legend and Biblical epic (on a much smaller scale than anything DeMille would have made) that gets a little too reverent by the end. In this film, Hercules, Ulysses and all the strapping young men of their Greek village take a boat out to sea to kill a ferocious sea monster (a hilariously filmed sea lion in footage that never matches the action on the boat, which doesn’t even match itself from shot to shot — keep an eye on Herc’s wet/dry/wet hair). There’s a storm, most of the men are lost at sea, and our heroes wind up many miles from home in the land of Judea … which is apparently so far inland that they don’t have any ships to help them get home, so how did they end up there in the first place? What Herc and company don’t know is that there is another strong man on the run from the Philistines, whom they assume is Hercules because he killed a lion with his bare hands (and be warned, there is a lot of animal violence in this movie that is unsettling at times, particularly the trip-wired horses). Herc has to prove he’s really from Greece (can’t you tell by his clothing?!), so he goes on a quest to find the elusive Samson … with the Philistine queen Delilah along for the ride to make sure either Herc or Samson comes back for his punishment. The highlight of the film is the big fight between the two strong men throwing and crashing into styrofoam rocks and pillars. It has to be seen to be believed and is worth the price of the DVD. The film does have a good punchline when Herc tells Samson to watch out for Delilah. Kirk Morris (Hercules) and Iloosh Khoshabe (Samson) look appropriately imposing in their miniscule wardrobe, but it’s hard to discern their true acting talent with dialogue that is completely dubbed (at least the voice over actors do a good job of emoting). Even dubbed, I did enjoy Liana Orfei’s performance as Delilah. For a film of this era, she certainly had some risqué business going on as she continually tried to seduce Hercules during their journey. Unfortunately, Enzo Cerusico’s Ulysses was just an annoyance, and didn’t even appear in the film enough to really warrant his name in the title (and the original Italian title, Ercole sfida Sansone, acknowledges that fact). While not a great film – at least not the American version which is presented here – Hercules, Samson and Ulysses is a fun (unintentionally) movie that engages your attention for its 86 minute running time. Aside from some grainy stock footage that opens the movie, the rest of the film looks marvelous on DVD with bright colors and a picture so sharp that you can actually see the trip wires on the horses, disturbing as that may be. The DVD also includes a theatrical trailer that doesn’t shy away from the hype.

These titles are now available directly from the WB Shop and are released more widely on August 30th through Amazon.com. These reviews are based on DVDs provided to CliqueClack by the Warner Archives Collection.

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It’s time for another wave of great Universal Pictures titles to hit DVD and Blu-ray for the studio’s 100th anniversary. And they’ve got some good ones on tap. In addition to some classic Hitchcock thrillers (on DVD only — the Blu-ray Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection is coming) — The Birds, Vertigo, Psycho — and Spielberg’s Jurassic Park trilogy (also DVD only — a previously released Blu-ray box set is available), my most eagerly awaited release is the classic horror/comedy mash-up Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, which features the comedy duo facing off against all of Universal’s classic monsters. I’ve loved this movie for decades and now that it’s getting the Blu-ray treatment, it will be a definite addition to my collection. What films belong in your collection? Check out the guide below, and click on any link to get more information or to make a purchase!

As the summer movie season comes to an end, the home video releases are picking up a bit this week with two early summer releases coming home on August 28th. Nicolas Sparks and Zac Efron fans can check out The Lucky One (and be sure to read Ivey’s review of the film), while those who stayed away from board game-turned-movie Battleship (which I felt was unfairly maligned — and you can check out Jeremy’s review for his opinion, as well as his interview with director Peter Berg), can check it out in the privacy of their own homes (no one has to know). There are also some smaller films that may have bypassed your local cineplex, as well as more movies from the Warner Archives and the Criterion Collection. Take a gander at the guide below, and if you see something you like, just click on the link to make a purchase or to get more information.

We’ve all seen car chase movies and Chinese mafia movies, and corrupt cop movies are a dime a dozen. Even all those things together aren’t exactly unusual. Premium Rush is all of those things — but on bicycles. It’s also a lot of fun, fast-paced and with a sense of humor about itself.

Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a former law student that desperately wants to avoid an office job, so he jets through the streets of New York City as a bike messenger, even eschewing brakes and gears because they hold you back and (according to him) cause accidents. And he’s good, there’s no question on that, and this movie is filled with amazing stunt work. He works alongside love interest Vanessa (Dania Ramirez) and rival Manny (Wolé Parks) — who isn’t a fan of Wilee’s nonsense, preferring speed over gears and muscles. The movie really starts when the owner/manager Raj (Aasif Mandvi) tells our hero about a job up at Columbia University.

He’s given a mysterious envelope by Chinese friend Nima (Jamie Chung, who is actually American-born of Korean descent in real life, and has a … I’ll call it a questionable Chinese accent, but that’s probably the racism of the casting directors, not her) and must bring it all the way down to Chinatown (that’s a lot of blocks). Unfortunately he runs afoul of crooked cop Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon) and a “just doing his job” bike cop (Christopher Place). So we get a bunch of high speed chases with more than a few hard-hitting and painful looking crashes. Wilee begins to wonder if it’s even worth it, and then he finds out what the envelope is really all about. Good ol’ JGL is having a great year so far, although he doesn’t have much to do here, nor does really anyone else — not that sort of movie. But Michael Shannon is a lot of fun as well as the evil but crazed cop who’s slowly losing it.

This is a slickly made movie, with shiny, flashy visuals and an interesting way of playing with time and perspectives. The movie jumps back and forth throughout the day and keeps revealing new pieces of the puzzle — nothing too complicated, but it’s fun to see it all come together. There are several clever bits done with a zoomed out map of the city showing his routes, as well as a freeze framed “choose your own adventure” where Wilee sees the various ways he can get around an obstacle. Great to watch and may even cause a wince or two. Sure, the attempts at sincerity fall a little flat, and the rivalry subplot doesn’t go anywhere, but the movie seems to realize it and moves on from there quickly.

It’s a fast, enjoyable summer movie that’ll leave you with a smile. Pretty much all you can ask for this sort of thing.

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When is an explosion just an explosion? Not this movie, that’s for sure. The Expendables 2 is basically two movies in one: it’s one part tongue-in-cheek over-the-top shoot ‘em up that is cartoonishly violent, and the other part revenge action thriller with manufactured pathos and a blatantly nonsensical romantic interest. As you might imagine, that first movie works a lot better, although for an R-rated movie, it’s not nearly as bloody as you might expect, and there is no strong profanity. Apparently there was a lot of whining from Chuck Norris about wanting to make the movie PG-13, so perhaps this was the compromise? A watered down “R” movie? It just about goes over the line into “R” territory in terms of violence, but only just.

The movie has a plot that works best if it’s taken as a comedy movie, and it actually starts completely in that vein. Puns, big guns, and references to other works of the actors. It seems that due to the Expendables crew stealing money in the first movie, handler Church (Bruce Willis) tells Barney (the returning Sylvester Stallone) that he owes him for not going to jail back then. So they have to retrieve a lost MacGuffin until they are thwarted by the villainous Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme practically twirling a virtual evil mustache — and yes, that is the character’s name). Eventually it all comes down to a massive shootout and punchout with the entire team involved, as to be expected. And a few more explosive scenes in the meantime.

But there are some odd beats, and incongruous elements — the new kid Bill (Liam Hemsworth) has a completely unnecessary and predictable arc, Jet Li just disappears after the first act (a waste!), and while the inclusion of Chinese agent Maggie (Nan Yu) seems to be about a competent woman in the midst of all this testosterone, there are still some problematic sexist and racist undertones. And are we really supposed to buy the immediate sexual tension between her character and Barney? In real life, Stallone is literally twice her age. The moments of dramatic monologue and character development seem like they belong in a different movie from Arnold Schwarzenegger figuratively winking at the camera. I suppose if it was really done well, it wouldn’t be a concern, but I far preferred the kabooms and smashes to the “sometimes life is dark, yeh know?” bits.

When everyone’s having fun (and everybody basically does a great job at the part, especially Van Damme), the movie’s just a blast. If you ignore the slower parts that don’t fit, you can just wait for the next explosion.

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And with this wrap-up post, a week of This Is Spinal Tap comes to an end.

Did you miss any of our team’s takes on David, Nigel, Derek, Marti and company? Just in case, here’s a synopsis of what started when August went all the way up to eleven and beyond:

• Debbie gave us her thoughts on Christopher Guest (and how she swooned for him)
• Tara offered us some of the fine lines between clever and stupid with a bevy of Tap quotations
• Kim talked about Tap’s over-the-top albums, song lyrics and more
• Liz gave us a virgin diary look at the film
• And your host for this gig jawed about The Spinal Tap influence, Tap trivia, and riffed on the earworm period piece The Boys committed

We tripped our collective triggers talking about one of the best — if not the best — rock films put to the screen. But really: What is “the end” anyway?

“Well, I don’t really think that the end can be assessed as of itself as being the end
because what does the end feel like?
It’s like saying when you try to extrapolate the end of the universe,
you say, if the universe is indeed infinite, then how — what does that mean?
How far is all the way, and then if it stops,
what’s stopping it and what’s behind what’s stopping it?
So, what’s the end, you know, is my question to you.” — David St. Hubbins

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Well … of course you know what the number one rock ‘n’ roll flick is. After all, this is a week celebrating This Is Spinal Tap.

And while Tap may be the epitome of the genre, there are other films that definitely make the cut in my book. I want to mention a few of them here … and all have some sort of connection to Tap. In no particular order (it’s always a joy when I can use that non-sensical phrase from Steve Jones of The X Factor), they are:

• Urgh! A Music War (1981): This is nothing less than an outstanding potpourri of rock, punk, new wave and reggae music with a sprinkling of more just to add to the flavor. Of note is a definitive version of The Cramps’ “Tear It Up” and one of the best recordings of “Driven To Tears” by The Police anywhere. Devo, Wall Of Voodoo, Klaus Nomi, Oingo Boingo, XTC, The Go-Gos, Gary Numan, OMD, The Surf Punks, X, Gang Of Four and more. I dare you to name a better line up of cutting edge bands in one film. The TIST Connection: The antics, the props, the spectacle.
• Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979): This Joe Dante directed vehicle (with production by the master, Roger Corman) shows how to defy the system with the assistant of everyone’s — and I mean EVERYONE’S — favorite punks, The Ramones. Taking over the world (or … high school, in this case) was never better. The TIST Connection: Loud, proud, takes no prisoners.
• Pink Floyd The Wall (1982): Roger Waters’ classic concept album put to film with Bob Geldof (The Boomtown Rats) playing the lead descending into a physical and social downward spiral while building “a wall” around himself. Akin to Tap’s “Stonehenge.” The TIST Connection: Concept piece. Remember “The Gospel According To Spinal Tap” … ??? Then there was talk of the Jack The Ripper story …
• The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988): The second of a trilogy of documentaries by Penelope Spheeris, this one — about the L.A. metal scene in the latter half of the ’80s — features outstanding interviews with some of that decades heaviest hitters. Equally hilarious and sad throughout, it’s truly an amazing film to explore. Includes interviews with KISS, Aerosmith, Megadeth, Ozzy Osborne, Motorhead and Alice Cooper. The TIST Connection: What metal can do. Whether Spheeris saw TIST or not, there are just too many nods to McKean and Company, coincidental though they may be.
• Stop Making Sense (1984): This is a brilliant offering of a straightforward concert accounting (filmed over the course of three days) containing a really a big suit and really excellent music. The TIST Connection: For me? The thrumbing bass beats and awe of “Big Bottom” is equally as mesmerizing as what David Byrne did on stage.
• That Thing You Do! (1996): One catchy tune is all it takes. The popularity skyrockets, the heads get big … and then the fall. The TIST Connection: The ascent and the decline.
• The Commitments (1991): This film is just about identical to That Thing You Do! but set in Dublin, Ireland and with outstanding soul influence, whether Ireland wants it or not. The TIST Connection: The descent, the bickering.
• A Hard Day’s Night (1965): Excellent musical history lesson, fine example of what Beatlemania was all about. It was supposed to be somewhat of “strike while the iron’s hot” accounting of The Fab Four, but turned into a classic concert film. The TIST Connection: Mostly, the final scenes of Tap is where the similarities are here, the rabid popularity in Japan stands out in comparison. There is joyous abandon in both films as well.
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975):  Two players in the game for me: Susan Sarandon and Meatloaf. The TIST Connection: When you use the words “cult” and “classic” in proximity to each other, both TRHPS and Tap will both be in the same sentence.

The films noted above are nothing more than the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a master list of influence and influenced where Tap has left its mark. There are tons more: Madonna: Truth or Dare, American Graffiti, U2: Rattle and Hum, Purple Rain to name a very few. Watch any concert film or rock musical or rock-tinged movie and the Tap touch is there somewhere.

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Only one real major release this week with the “banned” uncut and unrated version of The Dictator, and a collection of indie and direct-to-video new releases. The big news is in the catalog titles with a collection of Disney animated titles, including The Aristocats and The Rescuers, coming to Blu-ray, as well as all-new Blu-ray editions of Halloween IV and V, and WarGames among the collection of older titles either hitting Blu-ray for the first time or getting repriced and repackaged. All of this, plus a new Criterion Collection title and more classics from the Warner Archives (which street on August 23rd), make this a pretty good week for home video releases. Check out our guide below, and if you see something you want to add to your library, click on the appropriate links and you’ll be re-directed to Amazon.com.