THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME (1979) (Blue Underground Blu-ray Review)

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME (1979) 

Label: Blue Underground
Region Code: Region-Free 
Rating: PG
Duration: 98 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD 5.1, DTS-HD Mono with Optional  English, French, Spanish Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: George McCowan
Cast: Jack Palance, Carol Lynley, Barry Morse, John Ireland, Nicholas Campbell, Eddie Benton

The sci-fi future world of The Shape of Things to Come is described in the movie as "the tomorrow after tomorrow" wherein mankind has laid waste to the planet Earth and set-up a new colony on the Moon where we live an enormous domed city known as New Washington. There we are dependant on an anti-radiation drug only produced on the planet Delta Three which is run by the power-mad Emperor Omus (Jack Palance, Jess Franco's Justine), who has grand ideas of becoming the new King of the Cosmos. To that end he has cut-off the supply of the life-saving drug, in addition to launching robutt-piloted kamikaze attacks on New Washington. A team of scientists led by Dr. John Caball (Barry Morse, Space: 1999) launches a mission to destroy the dictator and his menacing robot army, joining him on this life-threatening adventure are the attractive security officer (Carol Lynley, Vigilante) and his son (Nicholas Campbell, of Cronenberg's The Dead Zone) and together they arrive on Delta Three and attempt to thwart the intergalactic tyrant with the aid of their tenacious robot and whole lot of cheesy sci-fi drive-in action.

This science fiction clunker was directed by George McCowan (eco-horror clunker Frogs) and so loosely based on H.G. Wells' visionary novel that I swear his very name threatens to fall of the Blu-ray artwork. In the wake of Star Wars there were wanna-be sci-fi epics coming out of every space wormhole in the cinema but this anemic Canadian entry was among the cheapest and most yawn-inducing of them all, and that is saying something when you put up against a few of those Roger Corman rip-offs, but somehow this has managed to stay right at the bottom of the pile, aging like the rancid turd that it is. 

The saving grace of the movie is the intrinsic schlock-value of such a poor production with low-rent sets made of cardboard and alien-worlds which are about as exotic as rural Canada where the movie was made - there sure are a lot of maple trees on Delta Three! The cast have to speak massive amounts of sci-fi verbal vomit but at least we have Jack Palance nicely chewing-up the scenery as he usually did when working for producer Harry Alan Towers. As the diabolical Emperor Omus Palance does what he can as the purple caped villain, but even his treacherous charms have their limits within the context of such an atrocious affront to science fiction cinema. 

Audio/Video: The sci-fi clunker arrives on Blu-ray from cult favorite Blue Underground who have been on a Harry Alan Towers kick of late, though this is by several parsecs the worst of his movies that I have seen. However, Blue Underground work their HD magic and have struck a new HD master from the original 35mm camera negatives, breathing new life into this schlocky space-movie. The image can be a bit dark and the cinematography has an ugly softness to it, through no fault of the new transfer, this is as good as this slice of sci-fi awfulness will ever look on home video. Audio options include your choice of original DTS-HD mono or surround sound, optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles are included. 
Extras on the disc include interview with star Nicholas Campbell (14 Mins) and composer Paul Hoffert. Campbell (17 Mins). Campbell is a hoot and seems like a wild man, giving some great insight into the anemic sci-fi movie and its notorious producer Harry Alan Towers. There is also a selection of trailers, TV spots, an image gallery and the entire pressbook for the movie. 

Special Features: 
- Jason's Journey - Interview with Star Nicholas Campbell (14 Mins) HD 
- Symphonies In Space - Interview with Composer Paul Hoffert (17 Mins) HD 
- French Trailer (2 Mins) HD 
- TV Spot (30 Secs) 
- Poster and Still Gallery (3 Mins) HD 
- Pressbook Gallery (2 Mins) HD 

The Shape of Things to Come is an awful sci-fi entry that came out in the wake of Star Wars but feels more like as on-the-cheap version of the TV series Battlestar Galactica by way of the science fiction movie of the fifties. This is a recommend to hardcore collectors of bad science fiction movies, and possibly a hard-sell to anyone else. Sometimes I wonder how Lustig and company choose their HD upgrades, were fans really clamoring for this on Blu-ray? Whatever the process I remain in awe of Blue Underground;s commitment to cult-film preservation. 

DVD Review: VIC (2006)

VIC (2006)

Label: Grindhouse Releasing
Region Code: ALL
Duration: 32 Minutes 
Rating: Unrated
Video: 16:9 Widescreen (1.85:1) 
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Director: Sage Stallone
Cast: Clu Gulager, Tom Gulager, Carol Lynley, Gregory Sierra, John Phillip Law, Gary Frank, John Lazar
Tagline: Hollywood's Forgotten Vic Reeves ...You Never Will

Vic Reeves (Clu Gulager, The Invitation) is a faded movie star, once an award winning actor popular in TV westerns now in hs seventies and well past his prime. He just barely scrapes out a career with bit parts on low budget horror productions, paying for groceries at the corner store with rolls of pennies - it's a tough life. 

When he receives a phone call young upcoming filmmaker Tony LaSalle (Tom Gulager) it appears that a comeback might loom on the horizon if he can just land the role. Clu Gulager completely inhabits the character of Vic Reeves, the desperation and anxiety that he pours into it is affecting, it feels authentic. 

When he arrives for the audition he shows up having gone to lengths to appear younger (dye job, make-up and mascara) and launches into his prepared line readings, the scripted dialogue dredges-up the frustrations within the faded star and the resulting reading is powerful and dark.

I loved this short, the direction is confident and Gulager gives a touching and desperate performance with a lot of depth. the parallels between art and reality were certainly not lost on the actor who was perfectly cast for the role. When it was finished I wanted more of Vic Reeves. Sage Stallone showed some serious chops as a young filmmaker and you walk-away wondering what might have been had he pursued other directing projects.

DVD: Vic arrives on DVD from Grindhouse Releasing on DVD in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and it looks great with a solid transfer with some minor depth to the image. The Dolby digital 2.0 Stereo audio is clean and the Franco Micalizzi (Beyond the Door) score sounds fine, there's also the option of French, Spanish or Italian subtitles. . 

The extras include an interview with Clu recorded in 2008 moderated by Sage Stallone. The star reflects on his career and how the short paralleled his own career as an actor Hollywood past his prime. The film is a Gulager family project of sorts featuring his two sons and late wife Carolyn Lynley in her last role, son John handled the cinematography chores and would later the same year make a name for himself with the gore-comedy Feast (2006).

The disc also includes text biographies for the entire cast and a highlight reel of Vic's career which is actually Clu Gulager highlight reel with loads of vintage black and white TV westerns culminating with his 80's slasher entries and the classic Return of the Living Dead (1986) 

Special Features:
- Cast and Crew Biographies
- Interview with Clu Gulager (14:30
- Vic's Montage (2:17) 

Verdict: Vic (2006) is a touching testament to Sage's love of 70's exploitation cinema and the character actors who inhabited them, a confident first film with a lot of depth. Clu Gulager as the faded star gives one of his finest performances, it might be just a short film, but there's little doubt that this is something special, capturing something very real on film. 3.5 Outta 5