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The perfect weapon [KL Studio Classics]
What is it? A man avenges the murder of his friend.
Why watch it? The ’90s were a great decade for studios taking chances on hopeful action stars. While a movie like this would go straight to VOD today, it was released in theaters back in the day. So is it good? As for the plot, it’s as generic as it gets, and protagonist Jeff Speakman is as charismatic as a punching bag, but you come to an action movie for one thing: the action, and there the movie delivers. Speakman shows off some crazy Kenpo Karate skills here, and it’s fun to see him take down bad guys in a style we don’t often see celebrated this way. Kino’s Blu looks great, has new extras, and is worth a purchase for fans of the film.
[Extras: New 4K scan, commentary, interview, deleted scenes]
The best
bad colonel [4K UHD, KL Studio Classics]
bad colonel [4K UHD, KL Studio Classics]What is it? A corrupt cop slides further into a hell of his own creation.
Why watch it? Abel Ferrara’s filmography is filled with men and women, often in New York City, caught up in all manner of petty, violent, and self-destructive endeavors. Some are great, some not so much, but they all feel like a Ferrara film. This early ’90s effort is one of the first with its exhausting but captivating look at a Catholic man who realizes that everything is a big pile of shit. Harvey Keitel flies by the wayside here with a performance fueled by pain, intensity, and a complete lack of shame. It is a cruel film, also sad, and it never stops being fascinating. Plus, you can now watch Keitel’s naked rant in 4K!
[Extras: New 4K scan, commentary, documentary, featurette, interview]
Glory [4K UHD, steelbook]
Glory [4K UHD, steelbook]What is it? The true story of the first black regiment to fight for the North during the Civil War.
Why watch it? Ed Zwick’s war drama remains an exciting and moving feature that also happens to be an important reminder for many people. Denzel Washington is the brash young soldier, a former slave, and Morgan Freeman is the older fighter who saw even more trauma during his time in this troubled new country. Matthew Broderick and Cary Elwes provide the white and everyone does a tremendous job here. Some feel Broderick was miscast, but in my opinion, his awkward insecurity actually supports the character he plays. Regardless, the battle scenes are exciting, the character beats are beautiful, and everything is even more impressive in 4K as the scope and detail comes to new life.
[Extras: Commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes, documentary]
The rest
Death machine [KL Studio Classics]
What is it? A security company discovers that its biggest threat comes from within.
Why watch it? An early effort by Stephen Norrington (Blade), this slice of action/sci-fi is essentially one big homage (or series of homages) to the best-known genre classics of the ’80s and early ’90s. Terminator, Robocop, Aliens, etc. all get a recognition in one form or another, and that’s okay! It prevents the film from finding its own identity, but it’s still fun to watch a metal monster make its way through a building in search of prey. All that plus an unhinged performance from Brad Dourif? Hell yes. The film is a mixed bag, but Kino’s new Blu is a treasure trove for fans with three different cuts of the film and plenty of extras exploring its production. A great release for a pretty good movie.
[Extras: Three versions — US cut, foreign, director’s, commentaries, interviews]
The old oak
What is it? A small town struggles with the economy and immigrants.
Why watch it? Ken Loach’s (likely) final film focuses largely on his wheelhouse as ordinary people struggle with everyday problems. This is a small British town in economic crisis and, what’s worse (for the ignorant and hateful among them), they are also seeing a group of Syrian refugees relocated to the community’s empty apartments and houses. It’s a story about solving problems, seeing past stereotypes, and embracing change, and there are sweet interactions as friendships form. It’s not a surprising film, as it goes where you expect, but empathy is never a bad lesson to watch play out.
[Extras: Deleted scenes]
Also available this week:
The Chimera, fear and loathing in Las Vegas [4K UHD, Criterion]Founders Day, Lost Soulz, Rango [4K UHD]Typhoon Club [4K UHD]
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