A pair of rock concerts, and the classic films Howards End and Time After Time have all earned Blu-ray upgrades this week.
The T.A.M.I. Show/The Big T.N.T. Show (Shout!, 1964/1966, b/w, T.A.M.I.: audio commentary, trailer, radio spots; T.N.T.: featurettes, 36-page booklet). These are two concert movies from the mid-1960s recorded on black-and-white videotape and blown up to 35mm film that are aimed squarely at baby boomers and filled with terrific hit songs by energetic early rockers in their prime and are on Blu-ray for the first time in this double-feature set. T.N.T. is enjoyable, but T.A.M.I. is a real knockout.
Jan and Dean sing and host the 1964 concert The T.A.M.I. Show, introducing the Rolling Stones, James Brown, the Supremes, Chuck Berry, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Lesley Gore, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, the Barbarians and the Beach Boys, whose footage is restored here after being excised following the original theatrical release. (Look sharp to see Glen Campbell as a guitarist and Leon Russell as a pianist, along with future Oscar-nominee Teri Garr as a backup dancer.)
The Big T.N.T. Show was performed the next year, with Ike and Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Joan Baez, Petula Clark, Donovan, the Byrds, Bo Diddley, Roger Miller, the Lovin Spoonful, the Ronettes, and David McCallum hosting and conducting an orchestra. (This one is also available for the first time as a standalone DVD; The T.A.M.I. Show was released on DVD in 2010.)
Howards End (Cohen, 1992, PG, audio commentary, documentaries, featurettes, trailers, 28-page booklet). A superb, lush ensemble drama set in 1910 England about three families of varying social strata whose intertwined relationships tragically affect each other. It's loaded with irony and unexpected twists and turns, with a stellar cast led by Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave and Helena Bonham Carter. Oscars went to the art direction, to Ruth Prawer Jhabvala for the screenplay (based on E.M. Forsters novel) and to Thompson as best actress.
Its Always Fair Weather (Warner Archive, 1955, trailer). Three soldiers (Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Michael Kidd) leave the service with a promise to meet up 10 years later, but when they reunite theyve changed so much they dont even like each other. A satirical subplot slaps down the then-new phenomenon of television, and some of the dance numbers offer some real wow moments. A flop at the time, this musical comedy-drama plays better now, especially on this Blu-ray, which enhances its Technicolor and CinemaScope presentation. (Available at warnerarchive.com.)
Time After Time (Warner Archive, 1979, audio commentary, trailer). H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) not only wrote The Time Machine, he actually built the device and used it to chase Jack the Ripper (David Warner) from 1883 London to 1979 San Francisco, where he was assisted by a feminist bank employee (Mary Steenburgen). Thats the plot of this utterly winning balance of two genres: the sci-fi thriller and the romantic comedy. It's written and directed by novelist Nicholas Meyer (who would later direct Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). (Blu-ray debut available at warnerarchive.com.)
Sudden Fear (Cohen, 1952, b/w, audio commentary, trailer, eight-page booklet). A wealthy playwright (Joan Crawford) marries an actor (Jack Palance) after a whirlwind courtship, then discovers hes planning to kill her with help from an old girlfriend (Gloria Grahame). But he doesnt count on the writers ability to use her skills to change the story what if Palance is killed and Grahame is implicated? This is the blu-ray debut for this neatly structured woman-in-peril film noir.
FitzPatrick Traveltalks Shorts, Volume 3 (Warner Archive, 1940-54, three discs, 64 short films, two specials). James A. FitzPatrick takes his Technicolor cameras to New Zealand, Morocco, Vera Cruz, London and many other far-flung locations in these nine-minute Technicolor shorts. Included are two People on Parade efforts and a 20-minute special about Manhattan. (A non-FitzPatrick special is about the making of Quo Vadis in Rome.) This has been announced as the final FitzPatrick collection. (Manufacture-on-demand DVD-R available at warnerarchive.com.)
Mad Max High-Octane Collection (Warner, 1979-2015; R for violence, language, nudity/PG-13; eight discs, four movies, black-and-white version of Fury Road with introduction, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, documentary, featurettes, trailers). All four Mad Max movies are here, with Mel Gibson in the first three and Tom Hardy taking over for last years Fury Road. Filmmaker George Miller also introduces a black and chrome version of Fury Road, and a new documentary reunites Gibson, Miller and screenwriter Terry Hayes. (Available on DVD or a Blu-ray set that includes a 4K Ultra-HD version of Fury Road.)
Phantasm: Remastered (Well Go, 1979; R for violence, sex, nudity, language; deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes). This is Don Coscarellis cult-favorite horror fantasy about two young brothers discovering that the local mortuary hides killer dwarfs, a scary mortician and a flying killer drill-ball. It makes no sense but, between moments of gore, there is some arresting imagery.
Creepshow 2 (Arrow, 1987; R for violence, sex, nudity, language, drugs; audio commentary, featurettes, trailers/TV spots, booklet). This Blu-ray upgrade is a sequel with three short horror stories by Stephen King: Old Chief Woodn-head, The Raft and The Hitchhiker. It is scripted by George Romero, with animated interludes. The cast includes George Kennedy, Lois Chiles, a cameo by King and, in her final film, Dorothy Lamour.
The Driller Killer (Arrow, 1979; R for violence, sex, nudity, language; audio commentary, documentary, featurettes, booklet). This is the Blu-ray debut for Abel Ferraras first legitimate film, a very dark, graphically violent horror satire that owes something to Taxi Driver as a psychotic New York artist (Ferrara) kills vagrants in reaction to the debauchery around him and to inspire his art.
The T.A.M.I. Show/The Big T.N.T. Show (Shout!, 1964/1966, b/w, T.A.M.I.: audio commentary, trailer, radio spots; T.N.T.: featurettes, 36-page booklet). These are two concert movies from the mid-1960s recorded on black-and-white videotape and blown up to 35mm film that are aimed squarely at baby boomers and filled with terrific hit songs by energetic early rockers in their prime and are on Blu-ray for the first time in this double-feature set. T.N.T. is enjoyable, but T.A.M.I. is a real knockout.
Jan and Dean sing and host the 1964 concert The T.A.M.I. Show, introducing the Rolling Stones, James Brown, the Supremes, Chuck Berry, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Lesley Gore, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, the Barbarians and the Beach Boys, whose footage is restored here after being excised following the original theatrical release. (Look sharp to see Glen Campbell as a guitarist and Leon Russell as a pianist, along with future Oscar-nominee Teri Garr as a backup dancer.)
The Big T.N.T. Show was performed the next year, with Ike and Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Joan Baez, Petula Clark, Donovan, the Byrds, Bo Diddley, Roger Miller, the Lovin Spoonful, the Ronettes, and David McCallum hosting and conducting an orchestra. (This one is also available for the first time as a standalone DVD; The T.A.M.I. Show was released on DVD in 2010.)
Howards End (Cohen, 1992, PG, audio commentary, documentaries, featurettes, trailers, 28-page booklet). A superb, lush ensemble drama set in 1910 England about three families of varying social strata whose intertwined relationships tragically affect each other. It's loaded with irony and unexpected twists and turns, with a stellar cast led by Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave and Helena Bonham Carter. Oscars went to the art direction, to Ruth Prawer Jhabvala for the screenplay (based on E.M. Forsters novel) and to Thompson as best actress.
Its Always Fair Weather (Warner Archive, 1955, trailer). Three soldiers (Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Michael Kidd) leave the service with a promise to meet up 10 years later, but when they reunite theyve changed so much they dont even like each other. A satirical subplot slaps down the then-new phenomenon of television, and some of the dance numbers offer some real wow moments. A flop at the time, this musical comedy-drama plays better now, especially on this Blu-ray, which enhances its Technicolor and CinemaScope presentation. (Available at warnerarchive.com.)
Time After Time (Warner Archive, 1979, audio commentary, trailer). H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) not only wrote The Time Machine, he actually built the device and used it to chase Jack the Ripper (David Warner) from 1883 London to 1979 San Francisco, where he was assisted by a feminist bank employee (Mary Steenburgen). Thats the plot of this utterly winning balance of two genres: the sci-fi thriller and the romantic comedy. It's written and directed by novelist Nicholas Meyer (who would later direct Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). (Blu-ray debut available at warnerarchive.com.)
Sudden Fear (Cohen, 1952, b/w, audio commentary, trailer, eight-page booklet). A wealthy playwright (Joan Crawford) marries an actor (Jack Palance) after a whirlwind courtship, then discovers hes planning to kill her with help from an old girlfriend (Gloria Grahame). But he doesnt count on the writers ability to use her skills to change the story what if Palance is killed and Grahame is implicated? This is the blu-ray debut for this neatly structured woman-in-peril film noir.
FitzPatrick Traveltalks Shorts, Volume 3 (Warner Archive, 1940-54, three discs, 64 short films, two specials). James A. FitzPatrick takes his Technicolor cameras to New Zealand, Morocco, Vera Cruz, London and many other far-flung locations in these nine-minute Technicolor shorts. Included are two People on Parade efforts and a 20-minute special about Manhattan. (A non-FitzPatrick special is about the making of Quo Vadis in Rome.) This has been announced as the final FitzPatrick collection. (Manufacture-on-demand DVD-R available at warnerarchive.com.)
Mad Max High-Octane Collection (Warner, 1979-2015; R for violence, language, nudity/PG-13; eight discs, four movies, black-and-white version of Fury Road with introduction, deleted scenes, audio commentaries, documentary, featurettes, trailers). All four Mad Max movies are here, with Mel Gibson in the first three and Tom Hardy taking over for last years Fury Road. Filmmaker George Miller also introduces a black and chrome version of Fury Road, and a new documentary reunites Gibson, Miller and screenwriter Terry Hayes. (Available on DVD or a Blu-ray set that includes a 4K Ultra-HD version of Fury Road.)
Phantasm: Remastered (Well Go, 1979; R for violence, sex, nudity, language; deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes). This is Don Coscarellis cult-favorite horror fantasy about two young brothers discovering that the local mortuary hides killer dwarfs, a scary mortician and a flying killer drill-ball. It makes no sense but, between moments of gore, there is some arresting imagery.
Creepshow 2 (Arrow, 1987; R for violence, sex, nudity, language, drugs; audio commentary, featurettes, trailers/TV spots, booklet). This Blu-ray upgrade is a sequel with three short horror stories by Stephen King: Old Chief Woodn-head, The Raft and The Hitchhiker. It is scripted by George Romero, with animated interludes. The cast includes George Kennedy, Lois Chiles, a cameo by King and, in her final film, Dorothy Lamour.
The Driller Killer (Arrow, 1979; R for violence, sex, nudity, language; audio commentary, documentary, featurettes, booklet). This is the Blu-ray debut for Abel Ferraras first legitimate film, a very dark, graphically violent horror satire that owes something to Taxi Driver as a psychotic New York artist (Ferrara) kills vagrants in reaction to the debauchery around him and to inspire his art.