Fabulous Dorseys Retored By The Film Detection For Special Edition Blu-ray And DVD Release On Oct. 26

They fought like cats and dogs, and yet they were brothers.   They became household names during “The Big Band” era.   And yet during the height of their fame they were not speaking to each other … and they died within six months of each other back in the mid-50s, but remain famous to this day.

The Film Detective announced this past week that director Alfred E. Green’s 1947 music-themed biopic, The Fabulous Dorseys, will be released on Oct. 26 as “Special Edition” DVD and Blu-ray product offerings.

What is unique about this particular Hollywood-style biopic is that the lead actors are none other than Tommy Dorsey and Jimmy Dorsey playing themselves.  

The film begins with a bit of backstory, where their father (played by Arthur Shields — She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, The Quiet Man), a coal miner living in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, wants more for his sons.  He’s a music instructor on the side and has his own amateur band, with both of his sons as members … this could be their ticket out of Shenandoah.

And sure enough, we pick up the action with the brothers trying to make it as a Jazz band during the Depression.   With them is Janie (Janet Blair — My Sister Eileen, Gallant Journey, The Black Arrow), a life-long friend of the brothers and their lead singer.   Also with the group is Bob (played by William Ludigan — Inferno, Pinky, etc.), a song writer and in love with Janie.

Once these characters are established, we get to the crucial point in the narrative, which takes place at the Glen Island Casino in May of 1935.   The pair, during a performance, got into a violent argument over their music (tempo, etc.) and that was it, they wouldn’t speak to each other for years and went their separate professional ways.

The center of the film tracks their separate successes and includes such production numbers as “Sandman,” “Tangerine,” “I'll Never Smile Again” and “I'll Never Say ‘Never Again’ Again” … meanwhile Janie is scheming on a plan to get the brothers back together again.    But it isn’t easy, especially when Bob gets frustrated with her unflagging loyalty to the Dorseys.   He takes a hike.

The Fabulous Dorseys is a biopic with a happy ending as Janie concocts a plan that not only gets Tommy and Jimmy on the same stage once again, but a clever little stunt that also brings Bob back into the picture as well!!

Bonus goodies include commentary from writer Jennifer Churchill (“Movies Are Magic”) and the documentary titled The Fabulous Forties: Big Bands on Screen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full Moon Features Targets Dec. 14 As The Street Date For The Blu-ray Debut Of Director Charles Band's Crash!

Full Moon Features, with sales and distribution support provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has set Dec. 14 as the street date for a newly remastered — and uncut — presentation of director Charles Band’s 1977 horror classic, Crash!

There will be both DVD and Blu-ray editions available.

Filmed during the summer of 1976 on the streets of Los Angeles, prolific director and producer Charles Band was just 25-years-old and just getting started.  This was the first of a series of films — as either producer or director — that literally put him on the map and got him rolling.  

Crash! was followed by End of the World (1977, John Hayes directing, Band producing), Laserblast (1978, Michael Rae directing, Band producing), Tourist Trap (1979, Band producing with direction by David Schmoeller), Parasite in 1982 as both producer and director (starring a pre-Brat Pack Demi Moore) and more … Trancers, Ghoulies, Zone Troopers.   A long list and it is only 1985!!

He had to start somewhere and Crash! is as good a starting point as any.  

You would think that a divorce would be the civil way of ending a marriage.   But when it comes to Marc Denne (José Ferrer — Oscar nominated three times in his film career, he won Best Actor laurels in 1950 for Cyrano de Bergerac), the ending to his marriage with trophy bride Kim (Sue Lyon — Lolita, The Night of the Iguana, End of the World, The Astral Factor) will not be pretty.

He is a highly regarded dealer in antiquities and is now wheelchair-bound as a result of an auto accident that he blames on Kim.   His anger has been building for some time now.   It reaches a breaking point when Kim, trying to be nice, presents Marc with a gift that she found at a flea market. 

The trinket appears to be a little statue of the ancient Hittite god of Akaza, but instead of being pleased, Marc flies into a rage and Kim departs with token in hand, drives off, but Marc at that moment hits upon this as being the perfect moment and sends his trained Doberman after her.

She is involved in a nasty car wreck.   Two things, Marc figures she’s dead, that proves to be wrong, and second, the crash didn’t kill her, but landed her in the hospital, identity unknown.

Meanwhile, her ebony black Camaro has magically put itself back together and now rampages through the streets of Los Angeles, possessed by Akaza.  

Back at the hospital strange things are going on, Kim has no idea who she is and Dr. Martin (John Ericson — Pretty Boy Floyd, The Bamboo Saucer) has taken an interest in his pretty patient and invites her back to his place to “recuperate.”   He also decides to play detective and figures that the little trinket she’s been hanging on to might be a clue as to who she is.   The best person to help solve this mystery is the go-to expert in antiquities, Marc Denne (small world).

When Marc gets wind of what has happened to Kim, he hatches a plan to be rid of her once and for all.   Will he succeed?  Will the curse of Akaza have anything to say about this?  Will the rogue Camaro come rolling home?   Will Dr. Martin figure things out and save the lovely Kim?   For the answers, be sure to check out Full Moon Features’ Blu-ray debut of Crash! on Dec. 14!

Bonus goodies include commentary by director Charles Band who is joined by long-time associate and fellow filmmaker David DeCoteau, plus there is the documentary titled Speed Demon: Crash!.

 

 

 

 

The Film Chest Tabs Nov. 16 For The DVD Release Of Dark Film Mysteries III (Three-Disc Set; 13 Films)

On Nov. 16 we can report that the lucky number will be 13.   That’s the number of mysteries, thrillers and film noir films that the Film Chest has assembled for its next Dark Film Mysteries DVD collection (a three-disc set).   This will be the third volume in the popular collectible film series from Film Chest.

Where to begin?   There are so many wonderful films …

How about with director Anthony Mann’s 1945 film noir gem, The Great Flamarion, starring Dan Duryea, Erich von Stroheim and Mary Beth Hughes (Highway Dragnet, The Lady Confesses, I Accuse My Parents, Las Vegas Shakedown, etc.) as the femme fatale, Connie Wallace.

Told in flashback, it begins with chaos at a music hall in Mexico City as shots ring out and the police are summoned.   Instead of finding someone full of bullets, the police discover Connie Wallace, one of the music hall performers, strangled to death.   They quickly place the blame for her untimely demise on Eddie (Steve Barclay), her husband … case closed.

The place now empty, save for Tony (Lester Allen), a clown performer, who is busy tidying up, when WHOMP from the rafters tumbles The Great Flamarion (played by none other than Erich von Stroheim), who is dying of gunshot wounds … mystery solved on that shooting front.  

His death certain, he confesses to Tony that it was he who strangled Connie and then proceeds to tell him the entire backstory in flashback (very effective).

It seems that they worked the vaudeville circuit back in the United States and Connie was married to a drunk by the name of Al (Dan Duryea — The Little Foxes, Sahara, None But the Lonely Heart), who will not give her a divorce.  She comes up with a nifty little plan to do away with Al — a murder in plain sight!

It seems that The Great Flamarion is a trick shot performer, very skilled in what he does, so she seduces him and convinces him to shoot Al during a performance in front of an audience.   He does, it is ruled an accident since poor Al was drunk at the time!!

Connie is one nasty woman.   She convinces him to meet her in Chicago in three months (let things cool off), but she is secretly having an affair with Eddie and they have a year-long contract to work south of the border.   When the poor schmuck shows three months later, no Connie … and thus begins his long quest to find her!!

Another film in the Dark Film Mysteries III collection from auteur filmmaker Anthony Mann is his 1949 French Revolution thriller, The Black Book (aka: Reign of Terror),

The movie is constructed as period piece, complete with real characters from the French Revolution, with the exception of Charles D'Aubigny (Robert Cummings — Kings Row, Saboteur, Dial M for Murder), who is the hero of the piece.   None other than the Marquis de Lafayette has given Charles the assignment of stopping the treacherous Robespierre (Richard Basehart) before he can become the dictator of France.  

To accomplish this, Charles murders the equally ruthless Duvall, Robespierre's newly appointed prosecutor (inquisitor) — whom Robespierre has never met personally — and assume his identity.   Later Charles (as Duvall) meets with Robespierre, who give him an assignment, find a missing “black book” that contains a list of people that he has marked for death … the book is missing.

It is a race against time.   Will Duvall’s identity be uncovered?   Will the book be found?   And what of the mysterious Madelon (Arlene Dahl — A Southern Yankee, Scene of the Crime, Journey to the Center of the Earth)?  

The other eleven films in this wonderful collection from the Film Chest on Nov. 16 are: The Inner Circle (1946, with Warren Douglas and Adele Mara), A Life at Stake (1955, Angela Lansbury), Dark Mountain (1944, directed by William Berke), Lady Gangster (1942, Faye Emerson), Gambler's Choice (1944. Chester Morris), Whistle Stop (1946 with Ava Gardner and George Raft), Shoot to Kill (1947, directed by William Berke), The Limping Man (1953 with Lloyd Bridges), The Hoodlum (1951, Lawrence Tierney), The Great Guy (1936, James Cagney and Mae Clarke) and Ed Wood’s glorious 1954 film release of Jail Bait.

 

 

 

 

Blue Underground Readies 4K Ultra HD Edition Of Director Dennis Donnelly's The Toolbox Murders For Release On Jan. 18

Blue Underground, with sales and distribution support provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has a new 4K film restoration — from the uncut original negative — of director Dennis Donnelly’s 1978 horror gem, The Toolbox Murders, ready for delivery on Jan. 18 as a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack.

What can you do with a drill, a hammer, a screwdriver and a nail gun?   Build something?   Sure, that’s one answer, but in Donnelly’s streets of Los Angeles thriller, these tools are used as murder weapons by a grieving father who has become obsessed with good and evil and what God would do to rid the world of sinners.

Vance Kingsley (Cameron Mitchell — Cass Timberlane, Flight to Mars, Hell and High Water … as Buck Cannon in The High Chaparral) has lost his daughter in a car accident and can’t quite come to grips with it.   His solution is to go on a killing spree, but not just any victims mind you, but women that he knows are sinful.   Yes, Kingsley is twisted.

Why does he use tools?   He owns an apartment complex and they come in handy for making repairs.   He also knows where his victim pool of “sinners” live.

What makes The Toolbox Murders an effective — and, as it turns out, timeless — horror tale is that the police are baffled, even though the killer is right there in front them.   Next in line in the elements that make it shine would be high school beauty, Laurie (Pamelyn Ferdin, who is famous for being the voice of Lucy in A Boy Named Charlie Brown), who reminds Kingsley of his daughter, so he kidnaps her.   Except, he doesn’t use a wrench or a saw on her as he is a little unsure as to what to do with Laurie once he has her as a prisoner.

Not to worry, his nephew Kent (Wesley Eure — perhaps best known as Will from the Land of the Lost television series … he made his feature film debut here), who is good friends with Laurie older brother, Joey (Nicolas Beauvy — The Cowboys), discovers the kidnapped Laurie … certainly he will tip off the police.   That’s what you would expect, right?

However, the finale is a real twist and that proves to be the icing on the cake for this horror tale.

Blue Underground has loaded this 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack up with a ton of extras.   For starters, there’s a newly-prepared commentary option with film historian Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson, plus the vintage commentary with producer Tony DiDio, actress Pamelyn Ferdin and the director of photography Gary Graver.

There are five new featurettes as well — “Drill Sergeant,” “Tools of the Trade,” “Flesh and Blood,” Slashback Memories” and “They Know I Have Been Sade.”

 

 

 

Nozomi Entertainment's Irresponsible Captain Tylor OVA Series On Blu-ray This Coming Nov. 02

Nozomi Entertainment, with domestic sales and distribution expertise provided by Bayview Entertainment, announced this past week that director Koichi Mashimo’s Irresponsible Captain Tylor OVA Series (Original Video Animation) will be heading to the Blu-ray arena on Nov. 2 as a three-disc set.

Fans of The Irresponsible Captain Tylor anime series know about the incredible skill (or, perhaps dumb luck) of Justy Ueki Tylor as he “accidently” became the captain of the United Planets Space Force’s Soyokaze.   Despite all attempts to either defeat him, or his own command get him out of the UPSF, he manages to overcome all obstacles … and even save Princess Azalyn!!

The OVA picks up the action about six-months after the original series concluded and we find that the Raalgon Empire is back with an even more powerful weapon.  We get gaps filled in, members of the Soyokaze get some focus in their own adventures … and once again the incredible skill (blind luck) of Captain Tylor wins the day!

Bonus goodies include music videos from the series.

 

 

 

Paramount Home Entertainment Preps Two Blu-ray Releases Featuring Warren Beatty ON Nov. 30 • Reds And Heaven Can Wait

It was a busy week over at Paramount Home Entertainment with three new Blu-ray announcements, two of which focus on Warren Beatty.   Let’s cut right to the action.

Nov. 30 will be the street date for actor, writer, producer and director Warren Beatty’s two-decade long interest in the writings of John Reed (“Ten Days That Shook the World”) which finally made it to the screen in 1981 as Reds.   Paramount is putting out a Blu-ray edition titled Reds: 40^th Anniversary Edition as a double-disc release, which is a new 4K film restoration from the original camera negative.

John Reed (played by Warren Beatty) was an American journalist who bounced around Europe during the first two years of World War I as a “war correspondent,” but if the truth be known he spent much of the time drinking and having sexual encounters.  

We pick up the action in Beatty’s Best Picture nominated Reds (Beatty won the Best Director Oscar for his work here) with Reed meeting Louise Bryant Trullinger (Diane Keaton) at a political event back in the United States in 1915.  Despite being married, John “Jack” and Louise begin an affair, which culminates in her getting a divorce and marrying Reed … but they soon find themselves at odds.

It is not until the two reunite in Europe and travel to Petrograd that the real action begins.   Reed will, despite all of his flaws, literally be in the right place at the right time and became an eye-witness to the Communist revolution in Russia.   His book, “Ten Days That Shook the World” would be published in 1919.   He would fall ill (typhus) and die in Moscow in mid-October of 1920 at the age of 32.

Beatty structured the events and love-story with Louise by punctuating the narrative with 32 actual “witnesses” who offer insights and memories about their encounters with both Jack and Louise.

The film was a full-year in production, but ironically most of the filming took place in England (elaborate sets were built) and winter scenes were filmed in Finland as the Soviet Union denied Beatty access to filming there.

As to bonus features included with this 40^th Anniversary edition, there is a multi-part “legacy” collection titled “Witness to Reds” (broken down into seven segments).

Nov. 30 also marks the Blu-ray debut of Warren Beatty’s 1978 film adaptation of Harry Segall’s 1938 play, Heaven Can Wait (which was previously adapted for the screen in 1941 as Here Comes Mr. Jordan).

Beatty was nominated in three separate categories … Best Picture (as the producer), Best Actor and Best Director.  

And, rounding out the new announcements from Paramount this past week is the feature-length animated adventures of PAW Patrol: The Movie.   The street date for both DVD and Blu-ray editions will be Nov. 2.

The ARR works out to 74 days and theatrical ticket sales currently stand at $39.6 million.

Bonus goodies include a pair of production featurettes — “A Totally PAW-some Team” and “ACN: Adventure City News Reports with Marty Muckraker” — and the PAW Patrol: The Movie Lyric Video.

 

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Selects Nov. 30 As The Street Date For A Three-SKU Helping Of Shang-Chi And The Legend of the Ten Rings

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has tabbed Nov. 30 as the street date for a three-SKU helping of writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

The ARR comes in at 88 days and domestic box office receipts have grown to $206.2 million.

Planned for distribution are stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray editions, plus a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack selection.

Bonus features include with filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton (Just Mercy, The Glass Castle) and co-writer Dave Callaham (Wonder Woman 1984, Zombieland: Double Tap), a gag reel, 11 deleted scenes and a pair of featurettes — “Building a Legacy” and “Family Ties.”