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THE EPITAPH VOL. 81
THE GOOD DIE YOUNG (1954) - THE BURGLARS (1971) - OF MICE AND MEN (1992) - PARIS BLUES (1961) - CAT BALLOU (1965) - DOGMAN (2023) - WICKED LITTLE LETTERS (2023)
Label: MGM
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 100 Minutes 36 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Cast: Laurence Harvey, Gloria Grahame, Richard Basehart, Joan Collins, John Ireland, Rene Ray, Stanley Baker, Margaret Leighton, Robert Morley, Freda Jackson, James Kenney, Susan Shaw, Les Patterson, Sandra Dorne, Leslie Dwyer, Patricia McCarron, George Rose, Joan Heal, Walter Hudd
Drama, Crime, Thriller
The Good Die Young (1953) is a Brit crime thriller based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Richard Macaulay, directed by Lewis Gilbert (The Spy Who Loved Me), with some serious star power about a former military Rave (Laurence Harvey, A Dandy in Aspic) man turned degenerate gambler who enlists a down-on-his-luck former boxer Mike (Stanley Baker, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin), the unemployed Joe (Richard Basehart, Mansion of the Doomed), and Air Force deserter Eddie (John Ireland, I Saw What You Did), to knock over a truck full of used bank notes, which goes horribly wrong, when Rave turns out to be a duplicitous murdering scoundrel. The flick also features the talents of .
Margaret Leighton (From Beyond the Grave), Rene Ray (The Vicious Circle), Gloria Grahame (Blood and Lace), and Joan Collins (Empire of the Ants) as the men's wives, plus an always appreciated appearance from Robert Morley (A Study in Terror). This noir-ish thriller take a bit to get going but the final third is a banger, with the heist erupting into violence, the men on the run hiding the loot in a cemetery, followed by a quick succession of betrayal and tragedy. I thought it was pretty bland as far as visuals go, not helped by a franky soft and undefined fullframe transfer here that looks like a DVD upscale, but we do get uncompressed English audio and subtitles.
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Special Features:
- None
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THE BURGLARS (1971)
Label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Region Code: Region-Free
Duration: 114 Minutes 7 Seconds (U.S. Version), 125 Minutes 58 Seconds (International Version).
Rating: PG (U.S. Version), Unrated (International Version)
Audio: English or Spanish DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles (U.S. Version), French DTS-HD MA 2.0. Mono with Optional English Subtitles (International Version)
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Henri Verneuil
Cast: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Omar Sharif, Dyan Cannon, Robert Hossein, Nicole Calfan, Renato Salvatori
Our second feature is also a heist film, the French-Italo thriller The Burglars (1971) aka Le casse, set in Greece where a team of jewel thieves, led by Azad (Jean-Paul Belmondo, Breathless), who is joined by Ralph (Robert Hossein, Wax Mask), Helene (Nicole Calfan, Borsalino) and Renzi (Renato Salvatori, Illustrious Corpses) when he steals a emerald collection values at one million dollars. The heist is ingenious and successful, however, when corrupt police detective (Omar Sharif, The Appointment) catches whiff of the heist he pursues the thieves, not for altruistic reasons, but to cash-in on the loot himself. This is a terrific heist film with a fun cast, particularly Belmondo and Sharif as the cop and the crook engaged in a cat and mouse game of wits, highlighted by a couple of unforgettable stunts, including a
legendary car chase coordinated by Remy Julienne through he crowded streets of Athens, Greece, plus a Jean-Paul Belmondo doing his own death-defying stunt work falling down a mountainside after a dump truck chock full of dirt and stone dumps it's payload. The film also features Dyan Cannon (Deathtrap), and a delightfully jaunty score by Ennio Morricone (Cinema Paradiso). The 2-disc Sony Blu-ray features both the U.S. Version in English and the International Version in French, the latter being nearly 12-minutes longer with some additional scenes, but sadly no extras Both transfers look wonderful though, plus we get uncompressed audio and subtitles, but no other extras. Interesting, this is based on the 1953 novel by David Goodis which was previously adapted for the film The Burglar (1957) which starred Dan Duryea and Jayne Mansfield, which I liked quite a bit, though it is quite different, both are excellent though.
Special Features:
- International Version
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OF MICE AND MEN (1992)
Label: MGM
Region Code: A
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 110 Minutes 46 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Gary Sinise
Cast: John Malkovich, Gary Sinise, Alexis Arquette, Sherilyn Fenn, Joe Morton, Richard Riehle, Casey Siemaszko, John Terry, Ray Walston, Noble Willingham, Joe d'Angerio, Tuck Milligan, David Steen, Moira Harris, Mark Boon Junior
We all read John Steinbeck's Of Mice and men when we were in highschool didn't we? The classic story of two friends trying to survive Depression-era California, this adaptation directed and starring Gary Sinise (The Stand) as migrant farm worker George Milton who travels with his simple-minded giant of friend Lennie (John Malkovich, Burn After Reading), who's learning/mental disabilities sometimes get him in trouble. At the start of the film they are on the lam for something that happened on the last farm job, hopping a train the disembark and find work on the Tyler Farm, working for Boss (Noble Willingham, The Howling) and his sadistic son Curley (Casey Siemaszko, Three O'Clock High), who has a brutal Napoleon Complex, that goes off whenever he's around the lumbering giant Lennie. The fare better with the farm hands like goody guy Slim (John Terry, Full Metal Jacket) and the Ranch's elderly and crippled Candy (Ray Walston, Fast Times at Ridgemont High), but trouble arises when Curly's seductive wife (Sherilyn Fenn, TV's Twin Peaks) comes sniffing around George and Lennie, and given that simple-minded Lennie like petting soft things, it's not long before he finds himself in trouble again. I remember watching this for the first time and just seeing the book come to life before me, I loved it, and what really sells it aside from the dusty depression era fields and backroads was the way that the leads embodies the characters so full, particularly Malkovich as the lumbering giant with a heart of gold, but a brain too damaged to fully comprehend certain situations. Everytime I watch it I get dusty-eyed there at the end, it's a wonderful adaptation, handsomely shot and solidly directed by Denise. Previously issued on Blu-ray by the now defunct Olive Films we get a MGM studio reissue minus any of the previous extras unfortunately, but the dated HD master looks solid, and I am pleased they are keeping it in circulation on physical media.
Special Features:
- None
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PARIS BLUES (1961)
Label: MGM
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 98 Minutes 50 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: B&W 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Martin Ritt
Cast: Paul Newman, Joanne
Woodward, Sidney Poitier, Louis Armstrong, Diahann Carroll, Barbara Laage, Andre Luguet
Directed by Martin Ritt (The Molly Maguires) the jazz-melodrama Paris Blues (1961) tells the tales of American ex-pats Ram (Paul Newman, Cool Hand Luke) and Eddie (Sidney Poitier, Pressure Point), two jazz musicians living in Paris trying to make a go at becoming serious jazz artists. Ram is a trombonist and composer known for being something of a casual lover, and part-time lover of jazz singer Marie (Barbara Laage, Bed and Board), while the more serious minded Eddie is his orchestrator, and the driving force of the band, though it seems that Ram is the talent. It's while trying to get their music into the hands of jazz star Wild Man Moore (jazz legend Louis Armstrong, Cabin in the Sky), that Ram and Eddie encounter American tourists Lillian (Joanne Woodward, Rachel, Rachel) and Connie (Diahann Carroll, Porgy and Bess), and hit it off, Connie pairing with Eddie and Lillian with Ram. As the film roles along both musicians must contend with the idea of going back tot he states with their newfound companions and giving up on the jazz life or letting go of them to pursue their jazz dreams. The film also dabbles with racism and civil rights, and drug addiction by way of the Ram's guitarist sideman René (André Luguet, Madame du Barry) who is heading down a dark path of drug addiction. I quite liked the look of this stark black and white jazz drama, lots of fantastic jazz tunes courtesy of jazz superstar Duke Ellington (Cabin in the Sky) who scored the film, and solid performances from Newman and Poitier, the story itself is not particularly deep nor affecting, but I had a good time with it. The Sony Blu-ray looks terrific, the film was previously issued on Blu-ray a decade ago from kino Lorber, and this is probably utilizing the same HD master though I do not have it to compare, but the monochromatic image looks stellar with well-managed grain, solid blacks and pleasing grayscale. We also get uncompressed audio with optional English subtitles, though zero extras, but the Kino release only has a trailer, but we do even get that. This is a cool jazz gem, definitely check it out if you love jazz or maybe you;re a Potier or Newman fan that this previously evaded, whatever the case, it's well worth checking out.
Special Features:
- None
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CAT BALLOU (1965)
Label: SPHE
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 96 Minutes 15 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono, Ebglish DTS-HA MA 5.1 Surround with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Elliot Silverstein
Cast: Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin, Michael Callan, Dwayne Hickman, Nat King Cole, Stubby Kaye
When I was a kid I remember cruising the TV Guide looking for Saturday afternoon TV fare and seeing a listing for Cat Ballou, seeing it was a musical western-comedy parody and quickly dismissing it, "nope, not that one" I must have thought to myself., I was usually looking for something more along the lines of horror, cult and sci-fi, I wouldn;t develop a liking for musical, comedies and westerns for a few more years. Well, I missed out because Cat Ballou (1965), directed by Elliot Silverstein (A Man Called Horse) is pretty fucking great, and sure enough it is a western parody musical-comedy, as advertised by TV Guide. In it schoolteacher hopeful Jane Fonda (Barbarella) returns home to her father's ranch by train, along the way unwittingly aiding outlaws Clay Boone (Michael Callan, Mysterious Island) and Uncle Jed (Dwayne Hickman, Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine) escape the law. Arriving home she finds out that evil land developer Wolf City Development Corporation is scheming to take away her pops Frankie Ballou's (John Marley, Deathdream) ranch. To that end they hire a dastardly tin-nosed gunslinger by the name of Strawn (Lee Marvin, The Killers) to kill him. She ends up teaming with outlaws Clay and Jed to protect her father and his homestead, and they hire their own gunslinger Kid Shelleen (Lee Marvin in a dual-role), but when he turns out to be a boozer her father end's up dead and the she loses the farm. In the aftermath she teams-up with the outlaw and the boozer gunslinger to become notorious criminals themselves, making a name for themselves as train robbers before eventually setting her sights on Sir Harry Percival (Reginald Denny, Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) the corrupt boss at Wolf City Development who has her father murdered, which might get her hanged. Like I said this is super-fun, Fonda is aces as the schoolmarm-turned-outlaw, and we get some fun musical accompaniment from Singer Nat King Cole and comedian Stubby Kaye also appear the banjo-playing singers The Sunrise Kid and Sam The Shade singing, the flick opens witht heir tasty title song, "The Ballad of Cat Ballou", which I was humming along to all damn day after my most recent viewing. The flick was previously issued on Blu-ray by the now defunct Twilight Time, the transfer looks stellar, bright vivid colors, plenty of detail, pleasing depth and clarity and well-managed grain. We also get uncompressed audio and some terrific extra that include a pair of archival audio commentaries, featurette and trailer. Not carried over from the TT release is a half hour interview with Lee Marvin's widow, Pamela Marvin, so hang onto that release if you own it. That said, this Sony release looks and sounds terrific and the extras are terrific, a high recommend for this western spoof/musical gem.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary With Michael Callan and Dwayne Hickman
- Audio Commentary With Eddy Friedfeld, Lee Pfeiffer, and Paul Scrabo
- The Legend of Cat Ballou Featurette (12:36)
- Theatrical Trailer (3:30)
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Label: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Region Code: A
Rating: R
Duration: 116 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Luc Besson
Cast: Caleb Landry Jones, Jojo T. Gibbs
Director Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) returns with his latest, an offbeat thriller that tells the story of a man Doug Munrow (Caleb Landry Jones, The Dead Don't Die) who, following an abusive and traumatic childhood that has left him with a missing finger and very limited use of his legs, finds salvation and justice through his connection with a pack of loyal dogs who display almost super canine abilities of comprehension, aiding the misfit to have revenge on those who have done him wrong and to aid him in his own "wealth redistribution" criminal enterprise. It's an interesting premise and it's visually striking but it's a bit of a raggedy tale told in a clunky way that made it hard to connect with. At the start of the we see Doug arrested following some sort of violent event, he's assigned a psychiatrist named Evelyn (Jojo T. Gibbs, Civil War), and through their conversation we witness his traumatic childhood and adult endeavors in flashback, and again, the disjointed tales of bonding with dogs, cabaret drag performances, and interfering in a protection racket scheme by a local gangster provide interesting vignettes, but on the whole do not make for a very compelling movie. The Universal Blu-ray looks fantastic, the image is crisp and vibrant, black levels are rock solid, and the uncompressed DTS-HD MA 7.1 audio is full-bodied, but we get zero extras.
Special Features:
- None
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Label: Sony Pictures Classics
Region Code: 1
Region Code: 1
Rating: R
Duration: 100 Minutes 5 Seconds
Audio: English Dolby Digital with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Thea Sharrock
Cast: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Joanna Scanlan, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Lolly Adefope, Eileen Atkins, Timothy Spall
Wicked Little Letters (2023) is based on the true story of a series of particularly nasty poison pen letters sent in 1920s in the quaint village of Littlehampton in Britain. The venomous letters are initially sent to the deeply conservative Edith Swan (Olivia Colman, Hot Fuzz), and it's her neighbor foul-mouthed Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley, TV's Fargo) who gets the blame, setting the village alligt with gossip and accusations, however, when the inept local police force bungle the investigation and charge Rose without any real proof it's female police officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan, Cyrano) that along with a couple of civilian women who set-up a trap to catch the real vulgar letter writer. This is quite a fun black comedy, set during the 20's in a delightful little village chock full of quirky Brit characters, and the real delight comes by way of the back and forth between stars Colman and Buckley's characters, so much profanity and lurid verbiage is hurled away, it really brought a smile to my face and I love the quirky tone it strikes and maintains throughout. Also, it;s a delight seeing Timothy Spall (The Bride) as Edith's domineering father. It's basically a tale about trolls in the age before the internet, and it's totally a fun time, I only wish this had a proper Blu-ray release here in the U.S..
Special Features:
- 3 Featurettes: Frenemies (2:47); Rolling in the Twenties (1:43); True Story (2:21)
- Theatrical Trailer
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