THE EPITAPH VOL. 97 - FIRST SEASON, COMPLETE SERIES, AND COLLECTOR'S VAULT EDITION!

THE EPITAPH VOL. 97 - FIRST SEASON, COMPLETE SERIES, AND COLLECTOR'S VAULT EDITION!

DUNE: PROPHECY: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (2025) - WACKY RACES: THE COMPLETE SERIES (1968) - BEN 10: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION (2005-2021) - LOONEY

TUNES: COLLECTOR'S VAULT VOL. 1 (1936-1963) - THE DREW CAREY SHOW: THE COMPLETE SERIES (1995-2004)

DUNE: PROPHECY - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (2025) 

3-Disc 4K Ultra HD 

Label: Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 392 Minutes 

Audio: Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1) with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 2160p HD Widescreen (2.00:1) 

Directors: Anna Foerster, John Cameron, Richard J. Lewis

Cast: Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Jodhi May, Mark Strong, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Edward Davis, Aoife Hinds, Chris Mason, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Camilla Beeput, Jihae, Tabu, Charithra Chandran, Jessica Barden, Emma Canning, Yerin Ha, Barbara Marten

A prequel series set 10,000 years before the events of Dune proper, and 80 years after humankind has defeated the "thinking machines", this six-episode Max series is inspired by the novel Sisterhood of Dune, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. The main focus of the series establishes the nascent origins of the sect of what would become the Bene Gesserit. At it's heart we have Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson, Red Dragon). the Revered Mother of the Sisterhood, and her sister Reverend Mother Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams, Rushmore) as the plot and scheme to maintain power and influence within the Imperium, particularly as advisors to Mark Strong as advisors to  Padishah Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong, Sherlock Holmes), but that grip is threatened by the arrival of mysterious character named Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel, Raised By Wolves) who quickly finds favor from the Emperor, becoming his most trusted advisor. It's a somewhat familiar story, but be sure to keep in mind that the original Dune was written six decades ago before many of these familiar elements were so well-worn by pop culture, from Star Wars to Game of Thrones, with plenty of palace intrigue, literal cutthroat plot machinations, double and triple agents, and all wrapped-up in the sci-fi and fantasy trappings of the Dune universe. I will say, it helps if you are well-read in the Dune mythos, or at least a fan of the previous films, both David Lynch and  Denis Villeneuve, to give you a bedrock of familiarity, but it's not ruinous if not, my wife loves the show on it's own merits well-enough, but the myriad characters and various houses vying for power and influence can be a bit dizzying, not to mention a 30 year time shifts as we see events from Valya and Tula's younger lives and the elements that shaped them, played in their youth by Jessica Barden and Emma Canning, respectively. The show looks superb with gorgeous wardrobe and set design, and it looks plenty familiar, not too far removed from either of Villeneuve films, which might sound odd given that it tales place 10,000 years prior, but that is sort of explained in a way by the lack of technology I think. If you're a fan of the two recent film adaptations I think this prequel series is a no-brainer, it's well-acted, the plotting and machinations are delicious, and while it does take a lot of time establishing character and familiarity, the final few episodes deliver the goods and pays off quite nicely. The 3-disc 4K UHD set looks and sounds terrific with HDR10 and Dolby Atmos upgrades, truly a gorgeous looking production and a sharp sounding presentation, when Valya used her "voice: it is so creepy, and the track is nicely immersive as well. We also get roughly 90-minutes of extras, and a slipcover. 

Special Featurettes:

Disc 1

- Entering the Dune Universe (2:58) 

- Houses Divided (2:47) 

- Inside the Episode #101 (2:58) 

- Inside the Episode #102 (5:24)

Disc 2

Truth or Lie (5:38) 

- Expanding the Universe (2:32) 

- Inside the Episode #103) (2:58)

- Inside the Episode #104) (4:51)

Disc 3

- Behind the Veil (34:45)

- Building Worlds - Home Entertainment Exclusive (13:04) 

- Inside the Episode #105 (4:20)

- Inside the Episode #106 (6:13)

- Slipcover 

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WACKY RACES: THE COMPLETE SERIES (1968)

2-Disc Blu-ray set 

Label: Warner Archive

Region Code: Region-Free 

Duration: 368 Minutes

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.33:1)

Directors: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera

Cast: Paul Winchell, Janet Waldo, John Stephenson

I grew up on watching   as steady diet of Hanna-Barbera cartoons, a lot of them in syndication and re-runs, and I will be honest, not all of them appealed to me, but when we had four channels on the TV you watched what was on, it was really as simple as that, especially f the weather was bad and you couldn't go outside, or were grounded, as I often was, I was a bad kid folks, sorry Mom. The Wacky races was a short-lived show, only 17 episodes, but it had a pretty good life in syndication, each episode featured the same 11 racers vying to win different rallies around the country. We had  -- which include The Gruesome Twosome, The Slag Brothers, Professor Pat Pending, The Red Max, Penelope Pitstop, The Ant Hill Mob Sergeant Blast and Private Meekly, , Lazy Luke and Blubber Bear, Peter Perfect, Rufus Ruffcut and Sawtooth, and the evil moustache twirling Dick Dastardly and his snickering canine sidekick Muttley. these last two are he best remembered, and benefitted from their on spin-off series, Dastardly & Muttley In Their Flying Machines (1`969-1970), and guest starring on various cartoons through the years. While I was and am still not a fan of this zany and threadbare animated series, the good news is that if you are a fan, that Warner Archive once again knock it out of the park with heir restoration, all 17 episodes have been restored from the original camera negative, and I believe for the first time on home video presented in the original 2-part episode format complete with opening and closing credits. The epodes have been cleaned-up but not digital scrubbed, grain is present throughout, colors are vibrant, and the animation lines are intact and looking solid. We even get some archival extras that originally appeared on the 2004 DVD set. 

Episodes: 

Disc 1

1. See-Saw to Arkansas & Creepy Trip to Lemon Twist (21:43)

2. Why Oh Why Wyoming & Beat the Clock to Yellow Rock (21:49)

3. Mish Mash Missouri Dash & Idaho A Go Go (21:38)

4. The Baja-Ha-Ha Race & Real Gone Ape (21:50)

5. Scout Scatter & Free Wheeling to Wheeling (21:39)

6. By Roller Coaster to Upsan Downs& The Speedy Arkansas Traveler (21:51)

7. The Zippy Mississippi Race & Traffic Jambalaya (21:37)

8. Hot Race to Chillicothe & The Wrong Lumber Race (21:43)

9. Rhode Island Road Race & The Great Cold Rush Race (21:38)

Disc 2

10. Wacky Race to Ripsaw & Oil’s Well That Ends Well (21:36)

11. Whizzin’ to Washington & The Dipsy Doodle Desert Derby (21:30)

12. Eeny Miny Missouri Go! & The Super Silly Swamp Sprint (21:39)

13. The Dopey Dakota Derby & Dash to Delaware (21:31)

14. Speeding for Smogland & Race Rally to Raleigh (21:47)

15. Ballpoint, Penn. or Bust & Fast Track to Hackensack (21:36)

16. The Ski Resort Road Race & Overseas Hi-Way Race (21:27)

17. Race to Racine & The Carlsbad or Bust Bash (21:32)

Special Features: 

- Featurettes: Rearview Mirror: A Look Back at Wacky Races (19:44) 

- Spin-Out Spin Offs (10:50)

- Facts Trivia Track (21:38) 

- Audio  Commentaries on these segments: Fast Track To Hackensack; Overseas Hi-Way Race, The Ski Resort Road Race, Ballpoint, Penn or Bust 

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BEN 10: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION (2005-2021) 

37-Disc DVD Set 

Label: Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment 

Region Code: 1

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 4340 Minutes 

Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: Fullscreen (1.33:1) 

Cartoon Network’s Ben 10 was a show I would occasionally watch with my kids when it first aired, and while I am not the target audience I will say the show was pretty dang entertaining. As a dad I was always thankful when what the kids watched was at least tolerable for me, and this show was more than tolerable. With that said, I am by no means an informed fan with much knowledge of the show, which about a kid named Ben Tennyson, who discovers the Omnitrix - an extraterrestrial device that looks like a wristwatch, but it actually contains the DNA of various alien species, allowing Ben to transform into them at will, which he uses to fight evil on Earth and around the universe, forging alliances, facing new threats, and exploring alien worlds. This set advertises that it collects all four series of the show, plus two animated movies. Just glancing at the discs and looking at the series history I will say that it is actually not a complete set, as the Ben 10: Ominverse series is missing 40 of the 80 advertised episodes, so be aware of that the 37-disc set arrives in a pair of high volume keepcases with stacked disc, another bummer, and those are housed inside a slipbox, which is not rigid, but also not cheap the set has some great artwork on the slipbox and keepcases, and the disc inside have some fun artwork on them as well. A little bit of research I did made it appear that the final 40 episodes of the Omniverse series were never released on DVD previously, so this set appears to be just a repackage of the previous individual season set that were available, alongside the archival extras, but sadly it is advertised as The Complete Collection, when it is in fact The Incomplete Collection, which will be a bummer for anyone buying this expecting all 227 episodes, and only getting 187, that's a fuck-up.


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LOONEY TUNES: COLLECTOR'S VAULT VOL. 1 (1936-1963) 

2-Disc Blu-ray

Label: Warner Archive
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 362 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1)
Directors: Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, Robert McKimson
Cast: Voices of: Mel Blanc, Bea Benaderet, June Foray, Sara Berner, Arthur Q. Bryan, Stan Freberg

Warner Archive continue to open the vaults and restore classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies toons on Blu-ray, but with a slight re-branding. previously we've had four volumes of the Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Blu-ray releases, each a single-disc release, which were also collected as a Collector's Choice Vols. 1-4 set. Now they have rebranded, and are calling this new collection Collector's Vault Vol. 1, and we get two disc. The first disc is advertised as 25 choice toons never before on DVD or Blu-ray, while disc two features selected cartoon favorites, making their HD debut. Now, there are a few exceptions, some of these toons have previously been released as special features on live-action films that Warner Archive have released, and there's a double-dip with the "Double or Mutton" which was actually already included in the Collector's Choice Vol. 4 set, which they have acknowledged was an oversight, with WAC vowing to give us an additional short on the next volume to make up for it. I like the way they have organized these alphabetically, when you him 'Play All' you get a varied and vibrant assortment of toons from different eras spanning the '30s through the '60s. Loads of familiar favorites here like Sylvester and Tweety, Wile. E Coyote and the Roadrunner, Daffy Ducks, Bugs Bunny , Elmer Fudd, and Foghorn Leghorn, as well as favorites that have been little seen on Blu-ray like Pepé Le Pew and Speedy Gonzales, and a couple of interesting oddball characters. Also, notably this set features the debut appearances from Yosemite Sam's debut on "Hare Trigger", and the little stinker himself Pepe Le Pew first appears in "Odor-able Kitty". It's a terrific set, and there's something ere for everybody, and for the current price of 21,00 on Amazon you're less than .50 cents for each short, which is crazy.

Shorts:
Disc 1 - 25 all never before included remastered in any DVD or Blu-ray Looney Tunes collection:
1. BARS AND STRIPES FOREVER, 1939 (7:42)
2. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, 1934 (7:37)
3. A DAY AT THE ZOO, 1939 (7:05) )
4. THE DIXIE FRYER, 1960 (6:13)
5. DOUBLE OR MUTTON (6:38)
6. EACH DAWN I CROW, 1949 (7:59)
7. EASY PECKIN’S, 1953 (6:27)
8. FEATHER DUSTED, 1954 (6:45)
9. FOX IN A FIX, 1951 (7:06)
10. GOOD NIGHT ELMER, 1940 (6:32)
11. THE GOOFY GOPHERS, 1940 (7:12)
12. I'D LOVE TO TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU, 1936 (7:53)
13. A KIDDIES KITTY, 1955 (7:01)
14. LET IT BE ME. 1936 (7:51)
15. OF FOX AND HOUNDS, 1940 (9:20)
16. QUACKODILE TEARS, 1962 (6:02)
17. READY, WOOLEN AND ABLE, 1960 (6:07)
18. ROBIN HOOD MAKES GOOD, 1939 (7:45)
19. THE SQUAWKIN' HAWK, 1942 (6:36)
20. TERRIER-STRICKEN, 1952 (6:51)
21. TWEET AND LOVELY, 1959 (6:31)
22. TWEETY'S CIRCUS, 1955 (7:05)
23. TWO'S A CROWD, 1950 (6:54)
24. WILD ABOUT HURRY, 1959 (6:52)
25. ZIP 'N SNORT, 1960 (5:54)

Disc2 - 25 all never before included remastered in HD as part of any Blu-ray Looney Tunes collection:
26. AIN’T SHE TWEET, 1952 (7:08)
27. BANTY RAIDS, 1963 (6:18)
28. BIRTH OF A NOTION, 1947 (7:02)
29. BYE BYE BLUEBEARD, 1949 (7:11)
30. CAT-TAILS FOR TWO, 1953 (6:39)
31. DAFFY DILLY, 1948 (7:06)
32. DAFFY DUCK AND EGGHEAD, 1938 (7:34)
33. GEE WHIZ-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z, 1957 (6:34)
34. GONZALES’ TAMALES, 1957(6:19)
35. HARE CONDITIONED, 1945 (7:13)
36. HARE TRIGGER, 1945 (7:53)
37. HARE TRIMMED, 1953 (6:54)
38. HORTON HATCHES THE EGG, 1943 (9:48)
39. LITTLE BOY BOO, 1954 (6:41)
40. MUCH ADO ABOUT NUTTING, 1953 (6:50)
41. ODOR-ABLE KITTY, 1945 (7:15)
42. PAST PERFUMANCE, 1955 (6:59)
43. PORKY’S DUCK HUNT, 1937 (8:48)
44. RABBIT PUNCH, 1948 (7:41)
45. RED RIDING HOODWINKED, 1955 (6:56)
46. RHAPSODY RABBIT, 1946 (7:36)
47. SNOW BUSINESS, 1953 (7:04)
48. TOM TURK AND DAFFY, 1944 (7:16)
49. TWO CROWS FROM TACOS, 1956 (7:10)
50. ZOOM AND BORED, 1957(6:16)

Special Features:
- None

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THE DREW CAREY SHOW: THE COMPLETE SERIES (1995-2004) 

27-Disc DVD Set

Label: Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment
Region Code: 1
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 86 Hours
Audio: English Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Cast: Carey, Diedrich Bader, Christa Miller, Ryan Stiles, Kathy Kinney, Craig Ferguson, John Carroll Lynch, Cynthia Watros

The Drew Carey Show: The Complete Series, that's right, all nine seasons arrive on a 27-disc DVD set for the first time ever. This was easily one of my favorite late-'90s/early '00s sitcoms, with the comedian playing a version of himself as a sort of everyman who works at a department store. Hs friends include Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader, Dead & Breakfast), friend and future girlfriend Kate (Christa Miller, TV's Scrubs). We also have his frenemy/co-worker Mimi Bobeck (Kathy Kinney, Arachnophobia), with her heavy make-up and signature bright blue eye shadow, sort of the Newman to Carey's Seinfeld, plus his brother Steve, played y the always amazing John Carroll Lynch. it was a solid show, and it holds up quite well from the episodes that I sampled. I will say that this 27-disc set is advertised as 'The Complete Series', but there are special episodes are not included, those are "Drew’s Dance Party Special", "Drew Carey’s Back-to-School Rock ‘n’ Roll Comedy Hour – Parts 1 & 2" and "What’s Love Got to Do with it?", so complete it is not, and also not all the original music was licensed for home video, and as such musical compositions in certain episodes of this series have been replaced or altered from their original broadcast versions. I will give WB credit for indicating the missing episodes and music on the slipbox at east, unlike the Ben 10 set. The 27-disc set arrives in two oversized, high volume clear keepcase housing the discs, which are not stacked, which I appreciated - these are both housed inside a sideloading slipcover.

Special Features:
- Life inside the Cubicle from the Season 1 DVD

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NEW WARNER ARCHIVE CLASSIC CINEMA 4-FILM COLLECTIONS AVAILABLE 6/10!

WARNER ARCHIVE 4-FILM COLLECTIONS

GARY COOPER - 4 FILM COLLECTION (1941-1959)  

ELIZABETH TAYLOR - 4 FILM COLLECTION (1950-1967)  

CLARK GABLE - 4 FILM COLLECTION (1935-1939)  

Arriving June 10th from Warner Archive we are getting three 4-film collection highlighting the iconic work of Hollywood screen legends Gary Cooper, Elizabeth Taylor and Clark Gable. These have all previously been issued on Blu-ray a single release edition from Warner Archive, and these are merely repackaged with the same great transfers and extras as the previous releases, and are great budget-minded, and space-saving editions for movie-lovers. Each set arrives in an oversized keepcase with flipper trays housing the individual discs, the artwork for each collection featuring a collage of the original artworks. I think these would make terrific Christmas gifts for your classic cinema loving friends and family, and they are available for pre-order from all major online retailers, including Amazon, MovieZyng and Physical Media Land - I have provided links below!  

GARY COOPER - 4 FILM COLLECTION (1941-1959) 

4-Disc Blu-ray Set  

One of Hollywood's greatest leading men in four of his greatest performances. His Oscar-winning portrayal of war hero SERGEANT YORK, his thoughtful performance as a Quaker father in FRIENDLY PERSUASION, his serio-comic turn as Audrey Hepburn's love interest in LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON, and in one of his last roles, in the Western classic THE HANGING TREE.

SERGEANT YORK (1941) 

Label: Warner Archive 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated

Duration: 134 Minutes 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1) 

Director: Howard Hawks

Cast: Gary Cooper, Joan Leslie, Walter Brennan, Dorothy McGuire, Anthony Perkins, Audrey Hepburn, Maria Schell

Synopsis: Torn between religious pacifism and patriotism, Alvin York of Tennessee went on to become World War I's most acclaimed hero. As the simple backwoods farm boy who captured 132 German soldiers during the Battle of Argonne, Gary Cooper (handpicked by York) also won acclaim -- and his first Best Actor Academy Award . Released in 1941 when the United States was on the brink of another war, this stirring adventure inspired thousands of enlisting men. Nominated for a total of 11 Oscars including Best Picture, a winner for Best Film Editing and movingly directed by Howard Hawks, it tells of a religious man's moral crisis, heroics and subsequent return to the rural life he loved while refusing to capitalize on the adulation heaped upon him. An ode to patriotism and the human spirit, Sergeant York endures as one of Hollywood's finest hours.

Special Features: 

- Audio Commentary with Jeanine Basinger, film historian and the founder and curator of Wesleyan University's Cinema Archives

- Theatrical Re-issue Trailer (2:01) 

- Lions for Sale (9:00) 

- Porky's Preview (6:50)

- Sergeant York: Of God and Country (38:59)

FRIENDLY PERSUASION (1956) 

Label: Warner Archive 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated

Duration: 137 Minutes 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1) 

Director: William Wyler

Cast: Gary Cooper, Joan Leslie, Walter Brennan, Dorothy McGuire, Anthony Perkins, Audrey Hepburn, Maria Schell

Synopsis: For two years the Civil War has been elsewhere. Now Confederate forces are nearby, looting and burning. It's time to fight back, Jess Birdwell's neighbors insist. Yet Birdwell, a Quaker, knows there must be a better way to settle things. In a role ideally suiting his stalwart persona, Gary Cooper plays Jess in William Wyler's beloved and acclaimed film of Jessamyn West's novel Friendly Persuasion. The film earned six Academy Award nominations. including Best Picture. Leading lady Dorothy McGuire was named Best Actress by the National Board of Review for her outstanding performance as Eliza Birdwell, and 24 year-old Anthony Perkins became a rising star, giving his first major film appearance in the integral role of the Birdwell's son Josh. Friendly Persuasion is a timeless classic, and a testament to the great artistry of all those involved in creating this masterful film.

Special Features: 

- The Making of Friendly Persuasion (10:22)

- Theatrical Trailer (1:51)

LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON (1957) 

Label: Warner Archive 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated

Duration: 130 minutes 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.85:1) 

Director: Billy Wilder

Cast: Gary Cooper, Joan Leslie, Walter Brennan, Dorothy McGuire, Anthony Perkins, Audrey Hepburn, Maria Schell

Synopsis: She plays the cello. He plays the field. She's coltishly young. He's worldly and mature. Lovestruck conservatory student Ariane knows she's not like millionaire American playboy Frank Flanagan. But if she pretends to be just as much a cosmopolitan lover as he is, maybe the magic of l'amour will take hold. May-December romance is in bloom when Billy Wilder directs and Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper meet for Love in the Afternoon. Laughs, Parisian settings, champagne elegance -- Wilder, in his first collaboration with long-time cowriter I.A.L. Diamond, delivers them all in a souffle-light homage to his filmmaking idol Ernst Lubitsch, punctuating it by casting Lubitsch alumnus Maurice Chevalier, the cinema's ambassador of Gallic charm who smoothly plays Ariane's detective father.

Special Feature: 

- Trailer (3:00) 

THE HANGING TREE (1959)

Label: Warner Archive 

Region Code: Region-FREE

Rating: Unrated

Duration: 107 Minutes

Audio: English DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)

Director: Delmer Daves

Cast:  Gary Cooper, Maria Schell, Karl Malden, George C. Scott, Kar, Karl Swenson, Virginia Gregg, John Dierkes, King Donovan, Ben Piazza

Synopsis: Many stars saddled up and rode into Technicolor sunsets during the great Western revival of the 1950s, but only a few would be forever associated with the rugged individualists of the West. Among them are John Wayne, Randolph Scott and the star of The Hanging Tree, Gary Cooper. The story takes place in Skull Creek, an 1870s Montana gold camp. Dr. Joseph Frail (Cooper) arrives, setting out his shingle near the camp's boom-or-bust hubbub of adventurers, ladies of fortune, mountain men and just plain decent folks. As skilled with a six-gun as with a scalpel, Frail will need both. A tragic past shadows his days. The treachery of the mob clouds his future. A determined immigrant (Maria Schell), a shifty-eyed miner (Karl Malden) and a hellfire preacher (debuting George C. Scott) figure prominently in Frail's showdown with fate. Prominent, too, is the breathtaking countryside. Here, the mountains are imposing. And a man alone looms ever taller. read the full review HERE. 

Special Features:

- Trailer (2:47)  

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ELIZABETH TAYLOR - 4 FILM COLLECTION (1950-1967) 

5-Disc Blu-ray Set 

The beloved Elizabeth Taylor takes center stage in four of her most memorable film performances. Spencer Tracy is her Dad in the wedding comedy FATHER OF THE BRIDES, Van Johnson is her love interest in the poignant romance THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS, her Oscar-winning turn opposite Richard Burton in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, and as an embittered Army wife opposite Marlon Brando in REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE.

FATHER OF THE BRIDES (1950)  

Label: Warner Archive 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated

Duration: 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1) 

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson, Donna Reed, Richard Burton, George Segal, Marlon Brando

Synopsis: "I would like to say a few words about weddings," a weary man says from the middle of a muddle of rice and scattered bottles. What follows is a warm, witty look at what it means to be Father of the Bride. Spencer Tracy is the father and Elizabeth Taylor the bride in this lively Vincente Minnelli-directed classic. Taylor is glowingly showcased - and reflected in three mirrors when first seen in a wedding gown. Tracy's performance captures every loving father's exasperations and joys as the day approaches. It also captured the fourth of his nine Best Actor Academy Award* nominations. The film also earned nominations for Best Picture and Screenplay. Here comes the bride, there goes dad's wallet - and everyone's heart. What sparkling fun!

THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS (1954) 

Label: Warner Archive 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated

Duration: 116 Minutes 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1) 

Director: Richard Brooks

Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson, Donna Reed, Richard Burton, George Segal, Marlon Brando

Synopsis: Academy Award winners Elizabeth Taylor and Donna Reed star with Van Johnson in this sweeping romance loosely based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Babylon Revisited", a story of love and dreams found and lost in The City of Lights--The Last Time I Saw Paris. When reporter Charles Wills (Johnson) travels to Paris to cover the Allies' victory in World War II, he falls in love with and marries the stunningly beautiful Helen Ellswirth (Taylor). The young newlyweds choose to stay in Paris, where Charles tries to make his way as a writer. But years of struggle, rejection and poverty take their toll on the Wills' marriage, and the two drift into affairs with others as their love and dreams fade. Now, after years of disillusion and tragedy, Charles returns to Paris. But can he rediscover the passion and dreams that once came so easily?

Special Features: 

- Original Theatrical Trailer (3:49) 

- Classic Tom & Jerry short: Touché Pussy Cat (6:42)

WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966) 

Label: Warner Archive 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated

Duration: 131 Minutes 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1) 

Director: Mike Nichols

Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson, Donna Reed, Richard Burton, George Segal, Marlon Brando

Synopsis: Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton are ideal as malevolent marrieds Martha and George in first-time-director Mike Nichols' searing film of Edward Albee's groundbreaking Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Taylor won her second Academy Award * (and New York Film Critics, National Board of Review and British Film Academy Best Actress Awards). Burton matches her as her emotionally spent spouse. And George Segal and Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner Sandy Dennis score as another couple straying into their destructive path. The movie won a total of five Academy Awards and remains after five decades a taboo-toppling landmark.

Special Features: 

- Audio Commentary with Cinematographer Haskell Wexler

- Audio Commentary With Director Mike Nichols and Steven Soderbergh

- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: Too Shocking for Its Time (10:37)

- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: A Daring Work of Raw Excellence (20:14)

- 1966 Mike Nichols Interview (9:00)

- Sandy Dennis Screen Test (7:13)

- Elizabeth Taylor: Intimate Portrait (1:06:31)

- Trailers: The Comedians (1:24) The Sandpiper (3:24), The V.I.P.s (4:06)Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (2:13)

REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE (1967) 

Label: Warner Archive 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated

Duration: 108 Minutes 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 

Director: John Huston

Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson, Donna Reed, Richard Burton, George Segal, Marlon Brando

Synopsis: "An Army post in peacetime is a dull place." So begins Carson McCullers' famous novel of secret passion, Reflections in a Golden Eye. But beneath the smooth surface of military routine, a deadly tension mounts. Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando star in this startling screen version that, like the book, crackles with mysterious, exotic energy. They play the Pendertons: He's a hidebound career officer wrestling with inner demons; she's a caged lioness needful of love, whatever the source. Their off-kilter relationship plays out under the voyeuristic gaze of a soldier (Robert Forster) soon to become the focal point of tragedy. Provocatively directed by John Huston, and costarring Brian Keith and Julie Harris in moving supporting performances, this spellbinder is powerful and complex -- just like that emotion called love. This 2-disc set presents Reflections in a Golden Eye in both of its forms: the original "gold"-hued version of the film, as legendary director Huston intended, and the full-color general theatrical release version. Both have been newly remastered especially for this release.

Special Features: 

- Vintage Behind-the-Scenes Footage (23:09) 

- Theatrical Trailer (2:41) 

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CLARK GABLE - 4 FILM COLLECTION (1935-1939)  

4-Disc Blu-ray Set 

The "King of Hollywod" stars in 4 of his greatest M-G-M classics: His portrayal of Fletcher Christian in MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, his romance with Jeanette MacDonald in SAN FRANCISO, showing off his comedic charm with Myrna Loy and Jean Harlow in WIFE VS. SECRETARY, and playing opposite Norma Shearer in the adaptation of Robert Sherwood's play IDIOT'S DELIGHT.

MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935) 

Label: Warner Archive 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 135 Minutes 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1) 

Director: Frank Lloyd

Cast: Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, Jeanette MacDonald, Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, Norma Shearer, Jean Harlow

HMS Bounty sails for Tahiti by way of Cape Horn and into movie lore. Grandly filmed, Mutiny on the Bounty captured the 1935 Best Picture Academy Award and eight nominations total. Charles Laughton portrays Captain Bligh, a seafaring monster ruling with the law of fear. Clark Gable is first officer Fletcher Christian, whose will to obey erodes under Bligh's tyranny. And Franchot Tone plays idealistic midshipman Byam, torn by his allegiance to both. That all three portrayals are vividly memorable is accented by the fact that for the only time in Oscar history, three stars from the same film were Best Actor nominees.

Special Features: 

- Pitcairn Island Today (9:39)

- 1936 Newsreel: Mutiny of the Bounty Wins 1935 Award (1:00)

- A Hearst Metrotone Newsreel with footage from the 1935 Academy Awards.

- Trailers: Mutiny on the Bounty, 1935 (3:14), Mutiny on teh Bounty, 1962 (4:03)

SAN FRANCISO (1936) 

Label: Warner Archive 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 115 Minutes 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.33:1) 

Director: Frank Lloyd, Clarence Brown, W.S. Van Dyke

Cast: Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, Jeanette MacDonald, Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, Norma Shearer, Jean Harlow

Synopsis: Romantic drama combines with humor, star power combines with lavish spectacle, and the walls come tumbling down! This Academy Award -winning extravaganza's street-splitting, brick-cascading, fire-raging re-creation of the cataclysmic earthquake remains "one of the greatest action sequences in the history of the cinema, rivalling the chariot race in both Ben-Hurs" (Adrian Turner, Time Out Film Guide). Clark Gable plays rakish Barbary Coast kingpin Blackie Norton. Jeanette MacDonald portrays a singer torn by her love for Blackie and her need to succeed among the operagoing elite. Earning the first of nine career Best Actor Oscar nominations, Spencer Tracy is a priest who supplements spiritual advice with a mean right hook. He urges Blackie to change. But if love and religion can't reform Blackie, Mother Nature will.

Special Features: 

- Clark Gable: Tall, Dark and Handsome (46:30) 

- Classic Cartoon - "Bottles" (10:16) 

- Cavalcade of San Francisco (8:55) 

- Night Descends on Treasure Island (8:05) 

- Alternate Ending Sequence (0:37) 

- Theatrical Reissue Trailer (2:11)

WIFE VS. SECRETARY (1936)

Label: Warner Archive 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 88 Minutes 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1) 

Director: Frank Lloyd,  Clarence Brow, W.S. Van Dyke

Cast: Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, Jeanette MacDonald, Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, Norma Shearer, Jean Harlow

Synopsis: Of course Linda Stanhope trusts her husband Van. Their marriage is based on love and respect. Who cares if Van's secretary has the face of an angel and the body of a chorus girl?

Special Features: 

- The Public Pays (18:20)

- Theatrical Trailer (2:40)

IDIOT'S DELIGHT (1939) 

Label: Warner Archive 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 107 Minutes 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.37:1) 

Director: W.S. Van Dyke

Cast: Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, Jeanette MacDonald, Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, Norma Shearer, Jean Harlow

Synopsis: They first meet in Omaha. They meet again years later at the Swiss border and at the edge of World War II. Clark Gable as smalltime hoofer Harry Van and Norma Shearer as his one-time honey Irene, now passing herself off as a Russian aristocrat and clinging to the arm of a munitions baron, strike sparks in this witty, cogent clash of love and war based on Robert E. Sherwood's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Idiot's Delight, released in the same year as Gone with the Wind, shows Gable at his rakish, manly, movie-star best. The most memorable scene: Gable's Puttin' on the Ritz, a wise-guy song-and-dance routine that ends with the King leaping gracefully into the arms of a chorus line of peroxide cuties. Lucky girls!

Special Features: 

- The Good Egg (7:36)

- It's An Ill Wind (7:29) 

- Original Theatrical Trailer (3:58) 

- Alternate Ending (3:23) 

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THE EPITAPH VOL. 96 - HAUNTS, SPIES, SCI-FI, THE MOB AND METAL EDITION!

THE EPITAPH VOL. 96

HAUNTS, SPIES, SCI-FI, THE MOB AND METAL EDITION!

THE WOMAN IN THE YARD (2025) - BLACK BAG (2025) -  MICKEY 17 (2025) - THE ALTO KNIGHTS (2025)

- PAGAN ALTAR: NEVER QUITE DEAD (2025) - TRANCE: BREAKOUT  (1982)

THE WOMAN IN THE YARD (2025) Blu-ray + Digital 

Label: Universal Pictures 

Region Code:

Rating: PG13

Duration: 87 Minutes 53 Seconds 

Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 7.1, DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.38:1) 

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Cast: Danielle Deadwyler, Okwui Okpokwasili, Peyton Jackson, Russell Hornsby

 

From director Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows) comes the haunting grief-meditation The Woman in the Yard, where 

 the recently widowed mother Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler, I Saw the TV Glow) lives on a remote farm in Georgia with her teenage son Tay (Peyton Jackson) and younger daughter Annie (Estella Kahiha). She withdrawn and despondent, still deeply grieving the loss of her husband (Russell Hornsby) in an auto accident which has left her with a broken leg. The bills are piling up, the dog is out of food, and she's an absent mother, her teen son shouldering much of the responsibilities around the house, the kids are still grieving as well, and you can teel the teenager is somewhat annoyed by how his mother's plunge into despair has made her shirk many of her motherly responsibilities.  As that tension is building over a contentious breakfast Tay notices that there is a strange woman in a long black veil and shrouds (Okwui Okpokwasili, I Am Legend) sitting in the front yard with a chair. Ramona limps out into the yard on her crutches to confront the woman, but she seems somewhat puzzled by her own presence there, she ends up uttering something cryptic and showing Ramona her bloody hands, sending Ramona back into the house to protect her children. As the day wears on the woman seems to inch ever closer to the house, tensions between the despondent mother and her children flare, and Ramona is left to deal with a secret she harbors that threatens her family is she does not confront her own guilt and depression head on. There's been a slate of recent film that are meditations on grief, guilt and depression filtered through supernatural horror, and this is the latest one of 'em. It didn't work for me, I thought the cast was actually quite good, the sparing effects used to  convey the threat of the titular woman draped in a black shroud are effective, but at a script level this didn't come together for me, but still, worth a watch just for the strong performances and creepy imagery, maybe not a re-watch though. The Blu-ray features a couple of featurettes, includes a digital copy and a slipcover.   

Special Features: 

- Making The Woman in the Yard - Travel through the darkest corners of the film during this behind-the-scenes journey where filmmakers work with cast to craft a story that is both haunting and human. (8:03) 

- Beneath the Veil - Cast and filmmakers lift the veil on the film’s frightening figure for this revealing look at the themes, designs, and styles that shape her eerie specter into a powerful presence. (5:02) 

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BLACK BAG (2025) 

Collector's Edition 

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital 

Label: Universal Studios

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: R

Duration: 93 Minutes 24 Seconds 

Audio: English Dolby TrueHD  with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (2.39:1)  

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Rege-Jean Page, Marisa Abela, Naomie Harris, Tom Burke, Pierce Brosnan

From director Steven Soderbergh (Contagion) we get Black Bag, a different sort of spy drama, not so much an action-packed stunt fest but something more thoughtful, and deliciously melodramatic. In it Michael Fassbender (Centurion) portrays the fastidious George Woodhouse part of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) intelligence agency wo is informed that there is a traitor among the ranks, at risk is a secret bit of programming dubbed Severus, which is in the wrong hand, or even the right hand, would lead to a nuclear meltdown. After checking who has the proper security clearances and access the list of suspects are narrow down, among them are couples Clarissa (Marisa Abela, Back to Black) and Freddie (Tom Burke, Mank), and therapist Dr. Zoe Vaughan (Naomie Harris, Venom: Let There Be Carnage) who is dating Col. James Stokes (Regé-Jean Page, Bridgerton), and George's own wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett, The Good German) - the latter putting George to the ultimate test - putting his marriage tot he test. What transpires charming and well-executed, and superbly acted. This is sort of the anti-spy thriller and more of a old fashioned detective story set in a high-tech and high-stakes environment, with Fassbender's delightfully retro and old school spymaster with his horned rim glasses and OCD sense of cleanliness and tidiness making for a an incredibly entertaining 93-minutes, and yes, this lovely thriller is only 93-minutes long, kudos to Soderberg for the stylish execution and the manageable run time! The HDR10 color-grade offers a terrific UHD presentation and the Dolby TrueHD audio shines. We get two featurettes and  deleted scenes, plus a digital copy and a slipcover with this one. 

Special Features:

- Deleted Scenes (6:25) 

- The Company of Talent (10:12) 

- Designing Black Bag (5:28) 

- Digital Copy

- Slipcover 

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MICKEY 17 (2025)
4K Ultra HD + Digital

Label: WBDHE

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: 

Duration:

Audio: DolbtvAtmos (TrueHD 7.1) with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 2160p HD Widescreen 

Director: Bong Joon Ho

Cast: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo

From writer/director Bong Joon Ho (Parasite) we get Mickey 17, a sci-fi satire about a guy named Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson, The Batman) who to escape his Earthly debt and potential death at the hands of mobster out for his blood, literally signs his life away to join an off-word expedition to the plane Niflheim. He's unknowingly signed up to be an "expendable" a hazardous worker grunt who is assigned the most deadly tasks, if he dies his memories have been saved, and they reprint his body each time, recycled from food and septic waste generated by the ship. We are treated a myriad ways he is killed in the line of duty, some of the horrific, many of them comical, he is then re-printed, and literally rolls out of the replicator like copy paper! It's a fairly surface level satire, there are jokes and commentary about a Trump like fascist who is leading the expedition, played by Mark Ruffalo (Pretty Things) and his vapid wife played by Toni Collette (Hereditary), animal rights, class segregation, human rights, and of course the difficulty of maintaining a relationship when you are a clone, with Mickey dating the bad ass security agent Nasha Barridge (Naomi Ackie, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker), and the troubles that arise when there are accidentally two version of Mickey on the ship. We also get an alien species native to the planet who are dubbed "Creepys", which play heavily into the finale of the film, which were a highlight for me. It's a pretty goofy film, very offbeat and comical, and not the sort of film you would think a studio would sink 200 million dollars into, but I guess when you win the Oscar you get to do whatever you want, and I for one appreciate some big-budget shenanigans, and I loved this flick, its never dull and I appreciated it's wiliness to be ! I really liked how weird it is, and the offbeat performance from Pattinson is awesome. Really the only letdown for me is I wanted more of Steven Yeun (Nope) as Mickey's Earth friend who joins him on the expedition, he's in it far too little. The 4K UHD has Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, it looks and sounds utterly fantastic, and we get three featurettes, a digital copy, and a slipcover. 

Special features:  

- Behind the Lens: Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17 (11:32)

- Mickey 17: A World Reimagined (9:44)

- The Faces of Niflheim (8:00)

- Digital Copy

- Slipcover 

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THE ALTO KNIGHTS (2025)

Label: Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: R

Duration: 122 Minutes 52 Seconds 

Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1) with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Widescreen 

Director: Barry Levinson 

Cast: Robert De Niro, Debra Messing, Cosmo Jarvis, Kathrine Narducci, Michael Rispoli, Michael Adler, Ed Amatrudo, Joe Bacino, Anthony J. Gallo, Wallace Langham, Louis Mustillo, Frank Piccirillo, Matt Servitto, Robert Uricola

The Alto Knights re-teams actor Robert DeNiro (Casino) and director Barry Levinson (Men In Black), with a script by Nicholas Pileggi (Goodfellas), and it's lensed by cinematographer Dante Spinotti (L.A. Confidential). The film is notable in that it stars DeNiro in a dual-role, playing two of New York’s most notorious organized crime bosses, Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, former friends who vie for control of New Yor City's street, which leads to an unravelling of the truth behind the near organized crime in America in the 1950. Costello is respected as a highly influential yet diplomatic mafia boss of the Luciano crime family, while Vito, formerly a boss who handed over his position when forced into a sort of exile in Italy, is a vicious and violent man who will stop at nothing to regain his seat as the "boss of bosses". It's a pretty decent old school mafia flick, but it's bloated and dense, and I found DeNiro's dual-role, using both prosthetics and de-aging digital effects which actually looks pretty great more than a little distracting, his Vito character coming off as a bit of DeNiro channeling Goodfella's era Joe Pesci. the heart of the story should be fascinating, how a rivalry between former friends brought ruination to not just themselves, but exposed the mob for the nationwide syndicate it was, but it's unfocused, the story jumps arounds, and the shift in eras and a weird fourth wall breaking sequences of DeNiro as Frank addressing the audience really add to it feeling bloated and disjointed. That said, still a very handsomely mounted period mob flick, the cast is terrific, but it's all a bit been there and done that better sort of deal, but if you're a crime family . The Blu-ray looks terrific, and appreciated the Dolby Atmos upgrade, but there are zero extras, just a digital copy of the film.    

Special Features:

- Digital Copy 

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TRANCE - BREAKOUT  (1982) 2024 CD Remaster 

Label: Rockport Records

Duration: 45 Minutes 51 Seconds 

Band: 

Bass - Thomas Klein

Vocals - Lothar Antoni

Guitar - Markus Berger , Lothar Antoni

Drums - Jürgen Baum

Trance's debut album Break Out was originally released in 1982, they were  contemporaries of other German rockers like Accept and the Scorpions, melodic metal-tinged hard rock with a twin-guitar attack and a vocalist that has a bit of rasp that brought to mind Nazareth. The album opener "Breakout: opens things strong, metallic riffs and leads, the rasp vocals and occasional higher-pitched vocals making for a driving track. The next song "Confessions"  has some very tasty lead work on guitar, but the the rest of the song is pretty mid-sounding with weak lyrics that seem half thought out. "Get It Now" channels AC/DC a bit too much to take seriously, with "Burn the Ice" with it's burning leads and some solid riffs and bass work, making up for the previous track, it's a pretty catchy tune. The anti-war song "Loser" has a tasty early Judas Priest edge to it, and a mid-song solo that had more than a smidge of Schenker influence. "Higher" is another one with a repeated riff that I liked a lot, some nice screaming; soloing, and a vocal turn that agreed with me, but I hated the bass tone on this song, it stuck out like a sort thumb. I like the guitar playing on this album, but the vocals were not for me it, especially during the slower ballads, which for me just brought out the singer's limitations, but if you're a fan of German hard rock the guitar work here is worth checking out, even if the lyrics and vocals put me off. I am curious, this is the only album i have heard from trance, did the vocals get better as the band went along, did he hone is rasp to perfection? If you now, or have an opinion please let me know. We also get two bonus non-LP tracks by way of" A Hard Way To Go" and "Haze In The Twilight", the latter of which is among my favorite tracks on this re-issue, which appeared on a singles, they have also also remastered. 

The album was remastered by Andreas 'Neudi' Neuderht, who has been the band's drummer 2016, it has a nice beefy sound, Having never heard the original pressing I don't know how it stacks up, but its clean and powerful sounding.  

This re-mastered re-issue arrives in a triple-fold DigiSleeve , which includes a 16-page illustrated booklet with lyrics.

Track List: 

1. Break Out (Remaster 2024)

2. Confession (Remaster 2024)

3. Get It Now (Remaster 2024)

4. Burn the Ice (Remaster 2024)

5. For Your Love (Remaster 2024)

6. Loser (Remaster 2024)

7. Ain't No Love (Remaster 2024)

8. Higher (Remaster 2024)

9. Baby Child (Remaster 2024)

10. A Hard Way To Go (Single Track) (Remaster 2024)

11. Haze In The Twilight (Single Track) (Remaster 2024)

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PAGAN ALTAR- NEVER QUITE DEAD (2025) Dying Victims productions CD Review

 

PAGAN ALTAR- NEVER QUITE DEAD (2025) CD

Label: Dying Victim Productions 

Duration: 42 Minutes 

Band: 

Brendan Radigan – Vocals

Alan Jones – Guitars

Diccon Harper – Bass

Andy Green – Drums

Folky doom-rockers Pagan Altar have been a underground force since the the early days of the  NWOBHM movement, active initially from 1978-1986, though their brand of folk-infused doomy hard rock went largely unknown outside of the UK until the 90's well after the band had dissolved, when a collection of their music was re-issued. More re-issues followed and the band's legacy grew in metal circles, the band reforming in 2004, re-recording vintage material from the '70s and '80s, the father and son team of guitarist Alan Jones and his father Terry Jones taking up the mantle of Pagan Altar once more. Sadly, founding vocalist Terry Jones’ died  from cancer in 2015, with Alan and the band finishing the work that Terry started, releasing 2017's the The Room of Shadows album. With this new album, the appropriately titled Never Quite Dead vocalist Brendan Radigan (of Savage Oath) steps into Terry's shoes, quite capably, his voice having a resemblance to Terry's, with a slightly nasally register and a bit of grit, I dig it. The songs here all, for the most part,  date back to the days with Terry, he having written many of lyrics for the songs, but some of which did not have finished lyrics or song structures at the time of his death. The stories of which are lovingly detailed in the accompany booklet with extensive liner notes from his son Alan, that I found pretty fascinating. Getting into the album here, the production sounds terrific, the heavier doomy riffs sound terrific, the folksier stuff shines, the singing is nicely brought into focus, and the bottom end holds it own. The album opens with "Saints And Sinners", surprising upbeat, reminding at forst blush of a Deep Purple of Whitesnake rocker, the organ grinding away, multi-layered vocals, it's a rocker, and a bit of an upbeat banger that soars. Next is "Liston Church", a nice doom n' gloomer, mid-paced, some really tasty twin guitar work, bringing to mind Candlemass,  then into the two-part "Madame M'Rachel" and "Madame M'Rachel's Grave" the first part slower folksier, airier tune,  then into the more upbeat second part, again some wonderfully vibrant guitar work, Radigan's mournful vocals sound terrific, tasty drum fills from and solid bottom end. "Well Of Despair" is another doomy Candlemass-esque burner, lots of textured guitar and tones, gorgeous soloing over it, the vocals. I love the song structure of "The Dead's Last March", infectious guitar leads and riffs that captivated me, a strong turn from Madigan on vocals. "Westbury Express" is a full-on folksy blues interlude that would not have been out of place on Pink Floyd's A Saucerful of Secrets album, then into the album closer, the 12-min "Kismet", chock full of delicate acoustic guitar work, electric soloing, then into soaring leads and a magnificent turn from Radigan.

It's a pretty terrific doomy hard rock album with folksy flourishes, well keeping in the mythical and magic tradition of past Pagan Altar album - you can certainly still feel the late Terry Jones presence looming over the album, but the vocals from singer Radigan brings new mournful charisma to the band, and while I will say I love Terry's voice on the older albums, I think Radigan is just a stronger singer overall. This might well be the last album to have the later Terry Jones fingerprints but I do hope to see this incarnation of the band keep on, this quite a tasty trad-doom album, and one that I have had playing in my car for weeks with no signs of taking it out of rotation anytime soon. I also hope to see more Pagan Altar catalog titles get new re-issues from Dying Victim Productions - the Pagan Altar albums have been hard to come by for a minutes, so I have truly appreciated having them widely available, and in the hands of fans like myself. 

The single-disc CD release arrives in a standard jewel case with a clear insert tray with a 20-page booklet containing lyrics and liner notes for each song by co-founding member Alan Jones. This release also comes with a removable Obi-Strip on the spine, and ticked away inside is a sticker with a version of the album artwork. 

Tracklist: 

1. Saints And Sinners (4:12) 

2. Liston Church (5:54) 

3. Madame M'Rachel (4:05)

4. Madame M'Rachel's Grave (4:01)

5. Well Of Despair (4:56)

6. The Dead's Last March (4:26)

7. Westbury Express (1:26)

8. Kismet (9:12) 

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