MONSTER TRUCKS -- Blu-ray/DVD Review by Porfle

Some of the most heart-tugging family films have been about a boy and his dog, or a girl and her pony, or whatever kid-animal combination the writers could come up with for our gratification.  So I guess it was about time to tell the story of a lonely, mixed-up high school guy and his monster truck.

In 2016's MONSTER TRUCKS (Paramount, Blu-ray/DVD/Digital) opens with a spectacular oilfield explosion like something out of John Wayne's HELLFIGHTERS, an explosion that releases three strange creatures living beneath the surface of the earth in an underwater ecosystem. 

Two are captured, but one escapes into the wild and hides out in an auto wrecking yard where he cute-meets the aforementioned lonely, mixed-up high school guy, Tripp (Lucas Till, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, LAID TO REST, ALL SUPERHEROES MUST DIE).

 

While Tripp and "Creech" are making friends, and Tripp's studious-but-cute classmate Meredith (Jane Levy, BANG BANG BABY) is trying to make friends with him, evil oil company CEO Reece Tenneson (Rob Lowe, WAYNE'S WORLD) is plotting to capture and kill Creech and the others so that he won't have to abandon an incredibly rich oil discovery.  To this end he unleashes his ogre-like henchman Burke (Holt McCallany, ALIEN 3, FIGHT CLUB) who will stop at nothing until Creech is no more.

Creech himself is a pretty delightful creation who resembles a big cartoony octopus with an expressive turtle-like head, and he ends up living inside the vintage pickup truck Tripp's restoring the same way a turtle inhabits its shell.  Only with big undulating tentacles and a highly excitable disposition. 

When it's found that he can propel the truck by spinning the axle with those tentacles, this not only delights Tripp to no end but also sets up most of the action that'll come at us fast and furious for the entire second half of the movie.

 

As you might guess, bad-guy Burke eventually locates and captures the errant creature, setting up a rescue scheme involving Tripp, Meredith, and a former oil company toady named Dowd (Thomas Lennon, MEMENTO, HANCOCK) who's had a change of heart.

Before we know it, all three creatures are now sporting their own pickup-truck shells with their three human friends at the wheels, with Burke and a motley crew of truckers after them in a harrowing cross-country chase that's like something out of a kids' version of MAD MAX.  It's an incredible sequence filled with non-stop, frenetic action and excellent CGI that's well incorporated into the live action. 

This scene, in fact, is so intense and filled with hair-raising action that it goes well beyond the kind of excitement usually found in kid-oriented fare.  At one point they even flip a full-sized tanker truck, something I've rarely if ever seen done before.  Other stunts are equally amazing, with some great practical effects performed by full-scale animatronic trucks and a good balance between the realistic and the cartoony.

 

Till and Levy are a likable pair (Levy, who was so utterly charming in BANG BANG BABY, is just as endearing here) and Rob Lowe gets to play another amusingly coldhearted corporate villain with his usual relish.  Barry Pepper (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, TRUE GRIT) seems to enjoy taking a break from being totally serious as the well-meaning town cop who has a crush on Tripp's divorced mom.   Danny Glover (LETHAL WEAPON, THE HARIMAYA BRIDGE) appears as Tripp's boss, Mr. Weathers.

Frank Whaley (PULP FICTION's unfortunate "Brad") has a brief but well-played part as Tripp's dad, who's unfortunately portrayed as a bad guy (he works for the oil company) although he's basically just a poor working shlub trying to get by.  Also, I feel a little weird rooting against the oil company as usual, since I do happen to drive a motorized vehicle that's powered by gasoline instead of a convenient monster.

Through it all, the personalities of the lovable Creech and his two fellow monsters make them into fully-realized characters that we can root for.  MONSTER TRUCKS is brimming with good, old-fashioned sentimentality that tugs at the heartstrings, which is what this sort of film is all about.  Although, thank goodness, it manages to not get overly sappy about it.  

 

The 2-disc set from Paramount Home Media Distribution contains both Blu-ray and DVD versions of the film and a code for downloading a digital copy, as well as a couple of cool monster truck stickers.  Subtitles in several languages are available.  Bonus features include the featurettes "Who's Driving the Monster Trucks?", "The Monster in the Truck", and "Creating the Monster Truck."  There's also a gag reel, deleted scenes, and production diaries.

MONSTER TRUCKS is like a modern incarnation of Disney's HERBIE THE LOVE BUG only less farcical and with a compelling ecological angle that gives the story added urgency.  But much more importantly, it's a heck of an action-packed thrill ride that'll have the whole family hanging on until the wheels fall off.

Buy it at Amazon.com:
Blu-ray
DVD

http://www.MonsterTrucksMovie.com/
Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/MonsterTrucksMovie
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MONSTER TRUCKS -- Blu-ray/DVD Review by Porfle

Final Days to Vote in This Year's Rondo Awards!

YIKES!  TIME TO VOTE FOR THE RONDOS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

The esteemed burgomeister of the Classic Horror Film Board, David "taraco" Colton, reminds us: 

Voting for the (Gasp!) 15th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards ends Sunday night (April 16), at midnight.

The ballot can be found at the CHFB or at rondoaward.com.

We hope you'll take the time to vote in one, some or all of the categories. Your participation helps thank all those who work so tirelessly to keep classic horror alive! Thanks for considering!


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(NOTE: Just a reminder that our very own HK AND CULT FILM NEWS is nominated in the category of Best Website or Blog of 2016! We would really appreciate your vote--and thanks in advance!)

 

Final Days to Vote in This Year's Rondo Awards!

Play a Terrifying Game with "HEIDI" on DVD and VOD April 11

Wild Eye Invites you to Play with "Heidi"

Daniel Ray's Award-Winning Horror Indie Comes Home

Available on DVD and Digital HD April 11th
   
New York, NY - Wild Eye Releasing has opened the toy chest and brought Daniel Ray's Heidi to DVD and Digital HD to punish all the bad children. 

Available nationwide on April 11th, Daniel Ray's first feature took home five awards at the Pollygrind Film Festival of Las Vegas, including Audience Choice for Best Feature Film.  Heidi stars Samuel Brian, Joei Fulco, Joey Bell, Eva Falana, Elizabeth Callahan and Michael Monteiro.
 

 

 

 After investigating a neighbor's attic, two high school pranksters are increasingly plagued by a series of disturbing, supernatural events involving a creepy, vintage doll named Heidi.  As she stalks them day and night, no one will take their claims seriously until it is too late.

Heidi (Official Trailer)


Order Heidi on Amazon

Play a Terrifying Game with "HEIDI" on DVD and VOD April 11

Step Into "CHUPACABRA TERRITORY" on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD April 11th

Begin the Hunt in Chupacabra Territory April 11th
Available Nationwide on Blu-ray, DVD and Flixfling
Expands to iTunes, Amazon Instant & Cable VOD after 30 Days
   
Los Angeles, CA - Maltauro Entertainment, in association with Baumant Entertainment and Invincible Pictures, has announced the April 11th Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD release of Chupacabra Territory. Writer-director Matt McWilliams and producer Christopher Maltauro have crafted a raw found footage film that tests the bonds of friendship and the will to survive to their breaking point.  Chupacabra Territory will be available to rent or own starting April 11th on Flixfling as a 30 day exclusive.  The film will then launch on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video and Cable VOD platforms.

 

 

 Chupacabra Territory stars genre favorite Sarah Nicklin (The Haunting of Alice D, The Sins of Dracula, Flesh for the Inferno), Michael Reed (Dark Feed, Exhumed), Megan Hensley (The Crazies, Fake the Joy), Julianne Tura (Bloody Bloody Bible Camp, Chastity Bites), and Pierre Kennel (Man Down, Doonby).

Four friends hike into the Pinewood Forest to find evidence of the Chupacabra, an ancient creature believed to be responsible for the disappearance of four experienced hikers a year earlier. As they journey deeper into the forest, their innocent search uncovers more than they had ever hoped for, and with it a darkness that threatens to consume their very existence.  One by one they are hunted down, their survival tested, their lives hanging in the balance of fear, friendship, disbelief and horror.

Chupacabra Territory (Official Trailer)


Order Chupacabra Territory on Amazon

The Blu-ray (SRP $22.95) and DVD (SRP $17.99) release of Chupacabra Territory will exclusively include interviews with the cast and crew, trailers and more.

Step Into "CHUPACABRA TERRITORY" on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD April 11th

Arnold Schwarzenegger in "AFTERMATH" - Now Playing In Theaters and On Demand

LIONSGATE PREMIERE
"AFTERMATH"

Genre:     Thriller  
Rating:  Rated R for a scene of violence
U.S. Release Date:   April 7, 2017 (In Theaters and On Demand)
Run Time:   92 minutes 

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Scoot McNairy, Maggie Grace, with Martin Donovan

Directed by: Elliott Lester Written by: Javier Gullón Produced by:  Scott Franklin, Randall Emmett, Eric Watson, George Furla, Peter Dealbert, Arnold Schwarzenegger

SYNOPSIS: Two strangers’ lives become inextricably bound together after a devastating plane crash. Inspired by real events, AFTERMATH tells a story of guilt and revenge after an air traffic controller’s (Scoot McNairy) error causes the death of a construction foreman’s (Arnold Schwarzenegger) wife and daughter.

The film features Arnold Schwarzenegger ( Terminator Genisys , The Expendables 3 ), Scoot McNairy ( Our Brand Is Crisis , 12 Years A S lave ), and Maggie Grace (The Taken Series, Lockout).

Lionsgate Premiere, Grindstone Entertainment and Emmett Furla Oasis Films present, an Emmett Furla Oasis Films production, a Protozoa Pictures production, an Oak Productions, Inc. production, a Hat and Coat Productions Limited production, in association with The Fyzz Facility.

Official Site:   www.aftermath-the-movie.com    
#AftermathMovie

Arnold Schwarzenegger in "AFTERMATH" - Now Playing In Theaters and On Demand

ROBOT WARS -- Movie Review by Porfle

One of the early titles for ROBOT WARS (2016) was "Kill Box", which is much more descriptive since this movie does have something you could call a "kill box" but doesn't actually have any "robot wars" in it. 

We do briefly see two robots, one at the beginning and one at the end, but they don't do very much.  They certainly don't have any wars.

The "war" is what happens in the dystopian near-future after a ragtag corporate-espionage team infiltrates a rival company and steals their most top-secret project, then finds that they must battle their way back to safety through a barrage of enemy fire after their extraction helicopter fails to show up. 

 

The team of experts consists of head honcho Jules, a strict, no-nonsense company girl (Jennifer Sydney); her right-hand man Decker (Teddy Cañez); Decker's old pal Billy, whom he arranges to have released from prison to join the team (Ben Naasz); nervous electronics whiz Kyle (Aaron Moreland); and callow young Natalie (Faye Kingslee).

They're a fairly interesting bunch and the actors playing them give it their all.  What hinders them is the old convention of having everything we see consist of both security camera footage and, most extensively, the POV of each team member's special ocular implants that turn them all into human cameras with Terminator-vision. 

It seems at first as though this might be an intriguing approach, and during the initial infiltration and theft of the rival company's secret project (a box which two of the team must constantly lug around like a big, heavy stretcher) the old "Blair Witch" found-footage style does kind of work to an extent.

 

Plus, once we find out what's in Pandora's box (which turns out to be pretty interesting) I was looking forward to it leading to a slam-bang sci-fi finale.

As the story drags on, however, the POV thing--which is usually a mixed blessing anyway--gets increasingly haphazard and confusing to follow, draining a lot of the suspense and excitement from the almost non-stop action scenes in the last half-hour or so. 

Often, in fact, I could barely tell whose eyes I was supposed to be seeing out of or what was going on, especially in the numerous shots that take place in near-darkness.  The camerawork, as it is, alternates between extreme Shaky-Cam and what appears to be a bad first-person shooter game.

In its favor, the story does have a twist or two, including at least one traitor in the team's midst, and a couple of other interesting characters along the way such as Billy's old friend Clark (Willie Bingo), one of those nerdy computer hackers who seem to turn up in any movie with computers in it.  And, DIRTY DOZEN-style, we're kept guessing right up until the end who lives and who dies.

After a somewhat abrupt ending, ROBOT WARS left this viewer feeling that it was a case of having a lot of potential but coming up short of realizing it.

Buy it at Amazon.com
Release date: April 11, 2017

ROBOT WARS -- Movie Review by Porfle

"Monster Trucks" - Arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack April 11, 2017

“A delightful family film”  — Andy Webster, New York Times 

FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS AND GEAR UP FOR A FUN,  ACTION-PACKED RIDE

Hilarious and Heartfelt Family Film Hits the Road Just in Time for Easter on  Blu-ray™ Combo Pack April 11
Get the Film Two Weeks Early on Digital HD March 28

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.  – Get ready for “big, big fun” (Max Evry, Coming Soon) when the “perfect family film” (Mike Reyes, Cinemablend) MONSTER TRUCKS revs up on Blu-ray Combo Pack April 11, 2017 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.  Get in the driver’s seat two weeks early with the Digital HD release on March 28. 

Tripp is a high school senior with a knack for building trucks who makes an incredible discovery - a gas-guzzling creature named Creech. To protect his mischievous new friend, Tripp hides Creech under the hood of his latest creation, turning it into a real-life superpowered Monster Truck. Together, this unlikely duo with a shared taste for speed team up on a wild and unforgettable journey to reunite Creech with his family.

A fun-filled adventure that never slows down, MONSTER TRUCKS features a terrific ensemble cast including Lucas Till (X-Men: Apocalypse), Jane Levy (Don’t Breathe), Thomas Lennon (“The Odd Couple”),  Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon), Amy Ryan (Central Intelligence) and Rob Lowe (“Parks and Recreation”).  A perfect family Easter gift, the MONSTER TRUCKS Blu-ray Combo Pack features over 40 minutes of action-packed behind-the-scenes bonus content. 

Take a look under the hood and discover the magic behind MONSTER TRUCKS with interviews from cast and crew, deleted scenes, a hilarious gag reel and much, much more!  Plus, the Blu-ray Combo Pack includes collectible MONSTER TRUCKS wall decals, for a limited time while supplies last.  The film also boasts a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack* remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. 

MONSTER TRUCKS Blu-ray Combo Pack
The MONSTER TRUCKS Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD compatible), French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.  The DVD in the combo pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.  The combo pack includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film as well as the following: Blu-ray • Feature film in high definition • Bonus Content: • Who’s Driving the Monster Trucks? • The Monster in the Truck • Creating the Monster Truck • Gag Reel • Deleted Scenes • Production Diaries DVD • Feature film in standard definition

The Blu-ray Combo Pack available for purchase includes a Digital HD copy of the film that can be accessed through UltraViolet™, a way to collect, access and enjoy movies.  With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them—reliably and securely—to a variety of devices.    
 
MONSTER TRUCKS Single-Disc DVD
The single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.  The disc includes the film in standard definition.

http://www.MonsterTrucksMovie.com/
Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/MonsterTrucksMovie
Twitter: https://Twitter.com/MonsterTrucks
Amazon: http://j.mp/OwnMonsterTrucksNow
iTunes: http://j.mp/MonsterTrucksWebsite

Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies present a Disruption Entertainment production of a Chris Wedge film: “Monster Trucks.”  Music by David Sardy.  Costume designer Tish Monaghan.  Edited by Conrad Buff, ACE.  Production designer Andrew Menzies.  Director of photography Don Burgess, ASC. Executive producers Cale Boyter, Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. Produced by Mary Parent, p.g.a. and Denis L. Stewart, p.g.a.  Story by Matthew Robinson and Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger.  Screenplay by Derek Connolly.  Directed by Chris Wedge.

About Paramount Home Media Distribution 
Paramount Home Media Distribution (PHMD) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.  PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), home to premier media brands that create television programs, motion pictures, consumer products, and digital content for audiences in 180 countries and territories.  The PHMD division oversees PPC’s home entertainment and transactional digital distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CBS and applicable licensing and servicing of certain DreamWorks Animation titles.  PHMD additionally manages global licensing of studio content and transactional distribution across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.  

About Dolby Atmos 
Dolby Atmos delivers moving audio—sound that can be precisely placed and moved anywhere in threedimensional space, including overhead. It brings entertainment alive all around the audience in a powerfully immersive and emotive experience. To learn more about Dolby Atmos, visit dolby.com/Atmos.

MONSTER TRUCKS
Street Date:     March 28, 2017 (Digital HD)    April 11, 2017 (Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand) 
U.S. Rating:    PG for action, peril, brief scary images and some rude humor
Canadian Rating: PG for violence, not recommended for young children

* To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar; however, Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.

"Monster Trucks" - Arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack April 11, 2017

No One is Safe in the First Trailer for "POOL PARTY MASSACRE"!

Bikini Babes Face a Killer's Blade in Retro Throwback
First Trailer and Images Debut for Drew Marvick's
 
"Pool Party Massacre"
   
Los Angeles, CA - Floating Eye Films has released the first trailer and stills for the old school splatterfest Pool Party Massacre. 

The debut feature from horror fanatic Drew Marvick, Pool Party Massacre is an ultra low-budget 80's-inspired slasher that cuts to the flesh and bone of a group of young friends. 

With a pounding synth score and a heavy metal soundtrack, Marvick has crafted a loving homage to the body count of 80s B-movies.

 

Blair Winthorpe, a high-maintenance young socialite, is having a pool party while her parents are out of town. What should have been a relaxing summer day spent tanning for the girls quickly becomes a blood soaked nightmare when an unknown guest crashes the party.  He finds a garage full of dangerous toys and gets to work stalking and dismembering them one by one.

Pool Party Massacre (Official Trailer)


Pool Party Massacre is expected to premiere in 2017.

No One is Safe in the First Trailer for "POOL PARTY MASSACRE"!

Olive Films Revisits Its Auteurist Roots With Its April 2017 Films

Olive Films revisits its auteurist roots with its April 2017 releases

Chicago, IL – Olive Films, a boutique theatrical and home entertainment distribution label dedicated to bringing independent, foreign, and classic films to DVD and Blu-ray, has announced that April 25th will be the Blu-ray debut of six new titles, including Ophélia, The World’s Most Beautiful Swindlers, and four from Walerian Borowczyk.

“They sort of get in there, into the world that I find activates a part of my brain that few other things do” said filmmaker Terry Gilliam about the works of Walerian Borowczyk in his introduction for Walerian Borowczyk – Short Films Collection. “They have all stuck with me.”

Theatre of Mr. & Mrs. Kabal; Goto, Isle of Love; Blanche; Walerian Borowczyk – Short Films Collection
While Walerian Borowczyk might most often be remembered as a provocateur who pushed the sexual conventions of his time, it’s also important to note his significance as a groundbreaking surrealist, animator, and arthouse film auteur. Born in Kwilcz, Poland, he originally studied painting and lithography, getting his introduction to the cinematic world as a designer of film posters. His first films were animated shorts, some of the most acclaimed being The Astronauts (1959), Renaissance (1963), and Angels’ Games (1964), which are included (along with twelve other shorts) on the upcoming Olive Films Walerian Borowczyk – Short Films Collection. Another Borowczyk DVD and Blu-ray coming from Olive is the animated Theatre of Mr. & Mrs. Kabal (1967), the director’s first feature film. His lithography background is evident in these projects, which incorporated a number of surrealist elements as well as stop-motion.

After that, Borowczyk’s next feature film was the live-action Goto, Isle of Love (1968), which stars his wife, Ligia Branice, and is often considered a masterpiece of surrealism.  Interestingly, the motif of flies in the film can be directly linked to the work of French surrealist philosophers, most notably of Georges Bataille. His next feature film, Blanche (1971), stars Branice as well as the great Michel Simon in one of his final performances. In what was an unconventional decision at the time, Blanche’s score was recorded entirely with period instruments, from medieval France. With these two films, Borowczyk began to sculpt his identity as an auteur of provocative tales of illicit love. Olive Films brings Goto, Isle of Love and Blanche to DVD and Blu-ray on April 25th.


Ophélia
Another film coming to DVD and Blu-ray from Olive Films on April 25th is Claude Chabrol’s Ophélia (1962). When a high-strung young man of means suspects that his mother and uncle are responsible for the death of his father, he takes inspiration from Hamlet and sets out to reveal their foul deed, wooing the beautiful daughter of his parents’ groundkeeper in an attempt to make her his de facto Ophelia.  Although Chabrol directed the film at the beginning of his career, many of his signatures can already be seen. His tradition of bringing strong female characters to the screen (perhaps most famously with Stéphane Audran and Isabelle Huppert) is on full display in this collaboration with Alida Valli and Juliette Mayniel. Some of the other recognizably Chabrol touches include the emergence of several themes, such as the film’s examination of guilt as well as a pivotal scene’s focus on food.



The World’s Most Beautiful Swindlers
The other film coming to DVD and Blu-ray form Olive Films on April 25th is The World’s Most Beautiful Swindlers (1964), a portmanteau film that highlights the talents of top-tier directors and actors from the world of American, French, Italian and Japanese cinema. Directors Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard, Ugo Gregoretti, and Hiromichi Horikawa weave together four tales of conmen and their sensational swindles in France, Italy, Morocco, and Japan, with help from the acting talent of Jean Seberg, Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Francis Blanche, and Ken Mitsuda.
NOTE: The Amsterdam segment, A River of Diamonds (directed by Roman Polanski), which was featured in original theatrical release of The World’s Most Beautiful Swindlers, has been removed from presentations of the film at the request of the director.


Theatre of Mr. & Mrs. Kabal (1967); directed by Walerian Borowczyk; with the voices of Pierre Collet and Louisette Rousseau.

LANGUAGE: FRENCH (with optional English subtitles)
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 78 mins
VIDEO:  1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; Color/B&W

Walerian Borowczyk - Short Films Collection (1959-1984); directed by Walerian Borowczyk.

The Concert (1962), The Astronauts (1959), Angels’ Games (1964), Renaissance (1963), Joachim’s Dictionary (1965), The Greatest Love of All Time (1978), Diptyque (1967), Grandma’s Encyclopedia (1963), Venus on the Half-Shell (1975), Gavotte (1967), The Phonograph (1969), Rosalie (1966), Scherzo Infernal (1984), A Private Collection [Long Version, Censored] (1973), A Private Collection [Short Version] (1973)
LANGUAGE: FRENCH (with optional English subtitles)
TOTAL RUNNING TIME:  144 mins
VIDEO:  1.33:1/1.66:1/1.78:1 Aspect Ratios; Color/B&W

EXTRAS
• Introduction by filmmaker Terry Gilliam
• Film is not a Sausage: Borowczyk’s Short Films – Interview program featuring Borowczyk, producer Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin, assistant André Heinrich and composer Bernard Parmegiani
Goto, Isle of Love (1968); directed by Walerian Borowczyk; starring Pierre Brasseur, Ligia Branice, Guy Saint-Jean, and Jean-Pierre Andreani.

LANGUAGE: FRENCH (with optional English subtitles)
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 94 mins
VIDEO: 1.66:1 Aspect Ratio; Color / B&W
EXTRAS
• Introduction by artist and Turner Prize nominee Craigie Horsfield
• The Concentration Universe: Goto, Isle of Love – Interview program featuring actor Jean-Pierre Andréani, co-writer Dominique Duvergé- Ségrétin, cameraman Noël Véry and camera assistant Jean-Pierre Platel





Blanche (1971); directed by Walerian Borowczyk; starring Michel Simon, Georges Wilson, Ligia Branice, Jacques Perrin.

LANGUAGE: FRENCH (with optional English subtitles)
TOTAL RUNNING TIME:  94 mins
VIDEO:  1.66:1 Aspect Ratio; Color
EXTRAS
• Introduction by director Leslie Megahey
• Ballad of Imprisonment: Blanche – Interview program featuring producer Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin, assistant director André Heinrich, camera operator Noël Véry and assistant Patrice Leconte


Blu-ray debut of Ophélia (1962); directed by Claude Chabrol; starring Alida Valli, Claude Cerval, André Jocelyn, Juliette Mayniel, and Robert Burnier.

LANGUAGE: FRENCH (with optional English subtitles)
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 104 mins
VIDEO:  1.66:1 Aspect Ratio; B&W


Blu-ray debut of The World's Most Beautiful Swindlers (1964); directed by Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard, Ugo Gregoretti, and Hiromichi Horikawa; starring Jean Seberg, Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Francis Blanche, and Ken Mitsuda.

LANGUAGE: FRENCH, ENGLISH, GERMAN, ITALIAN, JAPANESE (with optional English subtitles)
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 95 mins
VIDEO:  2.35:1 Aspect Ratio; B&W

NOTE: The Amsterdam segment, A River of Diamonds (directed by Roman Polanski), which was featured in original theatrical release of The World’s Most Beautiful Swindlers, has been removed from presentations of the film at the request of the director.

About Olive Films
Olive Films is a Chicago-based boutique theatrical and home entertainment distribution label dedicated to bringing independent, foreign, documentary, and classic films to life. Its catalog boasts over 500 titles ranging from Hollywood classics to contemporary titles. More information about Olive Films may be found at olivefilms.com.

Olive Films Revisits Its Auteurist Roots With Its April 2017 Films

Prop Store to Showcase Rare Princess Leia's Gown From STAR WARS (1977)

PROP STORE TO SHOWCASE PRINCESS LEIA’S (CARRIE FISHER) FILM-WORN 1977 CEREMONIAL GOWN AT STAR WARS CELEBRATION EVENT IN ORLANDO
PLUS AN EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW OF TWO UPCOMING AUCTIONS AT PROP STORE’S BOOTH 2044

A SELECTION OF ORIGINAL FILM PROPS, HAND-DRAWN ARTWORK, STORYBOARDS, AND POSTERS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR SALE

Prop Store, one of the world’s leading film and TV memorabilia companies, will be exhibiting at the world-famous Star Wars Celebration event at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida between April 13 - 16, 2017.

Attendees will have the opportunity to view Princess Leia’s (Carrie Fisher) Film-Worn Ceremonial Gown from Star Wars A New Hope, as well as lots from their upcoming Star Wars and Star Trek Blueprint Online Auction and annual Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction to be held in London later this year. Leia (Carrie Fisher) Ceremonial Gown on display is the only Princess Leia costume from the first film known to still exist.

Prop Store will have a spread of original film props, hand-drawn artwork, storyboards, posters and more, available for direct sale at the show. This material was used in the production of the films themselves.

Lots from the upcoming Blueprint Auction will be on show at booth 2044. Prop Store will be offering over 75 individual lots of Star Wars and Star Trek set blueprints during the online auction, beginning on Friday 14th April at PST at propstoreauction.com. Bidding on all lots will close on Friday 28th April at PST. All bidding takes place online and lots can be shipped anywhere in the world. All lots are being sold without reserve, allowing the fans to determine the final bid prices.

Prop Store will once again hold one of the UK’s largest live auctions of film and TV memorabilia this fall, held at London’s BFI IMAX proudly presented by ODEON, Europe’s largest cinema chain. Visitors to the booth will be able to be view many of the key Star Wars lots due to go under the hammer later this year in London.

Stephen Lane, Prop Store CEO, commented on the upcoming event: “It's been 40 years, but there is still nothing quite like Star Wars! Please take a moment to stop by booth 2044 where you'll be able to see Princess Leia's white gown from A New Hope among other priceless items from the greatest franchise of them all.”

About Prop Store
Prop Store sells original movie memorabilia, with over 7,500 items available for sale on www.propstore.com
Operating since 1998, Prop Store founder Stephen Lane’s love for movies led him to begin hunting for the same props and costumes that were used to create his films. He found that he could not only provide collectors with access to their most coveted but also establish archival standards for a new, pop-culture hybrid of fine art and memorabilia collecting – prop art. Prop Store handles prop disposal, sale, archive and auction services to production companies and distributors as well as fixed price item sale on its website.

Prop Store to Showcase Rare Princess Leia's Gown From STAR WARS (1977)

THE CONTROL GROUP -- Movie Review by Porfle

I like it when a movie starts out with a mystery--such as a group of people trapped in a strange place with no idea how they got there or why--which harkens back to some of the more brain-teasing episodes of "The Outer Limits" and "The Twilight Zone." 

THE CONTROL GROUP (Wild Eye Releasing, 2014) does exactly that, this time with a quintet of college students whose last memory is of being at a party before waking up in some kind of vast, deserted facility with no exits.

Bossy, abrasive Vanessa (Jenna Enemy), her sullen boyfriend Grant (Justen Jones), space-case Jaime (Kodi Saint Angelo), and insecure gay guy Corey (Shane Philip) have all known each other since fifth grade.  Jack (Ross Destiche), who recently attempted suicide after the death of his sister and suffers from trust issues, is the outsider of the group.

All will end up at each other's throats before it's over.  Till then, the story is instantly intriguing as they begin to hallucinate (doors they've just walked through are suddenly bricked over, hooded figures with birdlike masks appear in the shadows) while each potential way out ends up leading them further into captivity.

This is my favorite part of THE CONTROL GROUP, because when the true nature of their situation begins to be revealed to them, it turns out to be something we've seen before.  That is, it's all a super hush-hush government experiment and our heroes are the guinea pigs.

While this does make things more mundane, it also ramps up the action, beginning with a shocking death scene that will be the first of several.  The people behind it all are made up of various factions--scientific, military, political--that are at odds with each other to the point where any monkey wrench in their plans threatens to make the whole thing go seriously awry.  Which, of course, it does.

 

That's when the movie quickly becomes a mish-mash of both very cool sequences (the mangled dead bodies coming back to life as freaky, cackling zombies with glowing eyes are fun) and scenes with so much exposition coming at us all at once that I eventually gave up trying to keep track of the plot (something about a machine that separates the spirit from the body) and just rooted for the good guys to kill the bad guys and get out of there alive and intact.

Everything is technically well-done save for some iffy digital effects.  The performances are generally good, especially Brad Dourif (CHILD'S PLAY) playing yet another googly-eyed scientist losing control of his own experiment as he did in ALIEN RESURRECTION. 

Emily Soto is rather endearing as Anne, a childlike girl who's been trapped in the cogs of the machine so long that she may or may not be a ghost.  I also liked Monique Candelaria as government agent Heather, who has a crisis of conscience during the mayhem, and Taso N. Stavrakis as the freakiest, and funniest, of the whacked-out zombies.

 

The tension between the scientists and the military, coupled with the constant threat of both zombies and armed humans whose mental stability is in serious flux, results in a fair amount of gunplay and gratuitously splattery violence.  (Look fast for a blatant nod to Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA during the climax.)

According to the press release, "writer-director Peter Hurd's debut feature is now available on cable and digital platforms, including iTunes, Dish Network, Vudu, Xbox, Google Play, and YouTube.  A DVD release is planned for May."

While confusing at times, at least this movie doesn't get boring and there's always something happening that makes noise or spurts blood, or both.  So if you're simply in the mood to be entertained and don't care how, THE CONTROL GROUP isn't a bad situation to get caught up in. 

Order The Control Group on iTunes

THE CONTROL GROUP -- Movie Review by Porfle

Simon Pegg to Star in Katharine O'Brien's "LOST TRANSMISSIONS" For Pulse Films

SIMON PEGG TO STAR IN KATHARINE O’BRIEN’S LOST TRANSMISSIONS FOR PULSE FILMS

Los Angeles (April 4, 2017): Award winning global studio Pulse Films, today announced that Katharine O’Brien will direct Lost Transmissions with Simon Pegg (Star Trek, Mission Impossible, Shaun of the Dead) attached to star. Pulse Films’ Thomas Benski and Lucas Ochoa will Produce, with Brian Levy Executive Producing. Craig Newman from ATC Management will Co-Produce, with Alvaro Valente as Associate Producer. UTA Independent Film Group are representing the domestic rights

Based on O’Brien’s script, Lost Transmissions follows Hannah, a shy songwriter, who discovers her friend, respected record producer Theo Ross, has lapsed on his medication for schizophrenia. Hannah rallies a group of friends to help commit Theo to a psychiatric facility, chasing him as he outruns his colorful delusions through the glamour and grit of Los Angeles. From the highs of rock and roll to rock bottom, this is a story of the unsung heroes behind the hits.

Thomas Benski quote: “At Pulse we've always been about discovering and championing new filmmakers and therefore we're super excited about Katharine and her debut film. We are genuinely excited that we will be bringing this remarkable true story to life with Katherine O’Brien and the incredibly talented Simon Pegg.”

Katherine O’Brien quote: "In dealing with mental health, Lost Transmissions combines both comedic and tragic elements. Simon has such a uniquely attuned sense of how to play a range of comedy in moments that still feel real. I'm excited to embrace his very fine skills as a dramatic actor with this film."

Pegg is best known for co-creating and starring in the 'Cornetto-Trilogy' of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End, as well as iconic roles such as Montgomery Scott (“Scotty”) in J.J. Abrams’ highly acclaimed reboot of the Star Trek franchise, and starring as Benji Dunn in worldwide smash hit Mission: Impossible III, Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol and follow up, Mission Impossible Rogue Nation.

Marking her feature film directorial debut, O’Brien wrote The Automatic Hate, which received its world premiere at SXSW Film Festival in 2015. O’Brien has directed a number of critically acclaimed, award winning short films garnering attention from film festivals both domestically and internationally.

Pegg is represented by UTA and Dawn Sedgwick Management.  O’Brien is represented by Pulse Films and Danny Passman at Gang, Tyre, Ramer and Brown.

Lost Transmissions is the latest in a series of major slate developments and successes from studio Pulse Films. Last year American Honey, helmed by Andrea Arnold, was awarded the coveted Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was BAFTA nominated. The studio also produced double Sundance winners The Witch and All These Sleepless Nights. In 2017 Trophy received glowing acclaim following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the film is set for release later this year.

ABOUT PULSE FILMS
Pulse Films is an award-winning, independent, modern-day studio encompassing the development, production, financing and distribution of cross-platform content for audiences worldwide. Pulse Films was founded by Thomas Benski and Marisa Clifford in 2005, and is headquartered in London with outposts in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Berlin.
Dedicated to creating moments of culture through innovative storytelling, Pulse Films operates under the following divisions: Film, Television, Branded Entertainment, Music and Commercials.
Pulse Films’ recent successes include Andrea Arnold’s Cannes Jury Prize winner and BAFTA nominated AMERICAN HONEY, Sundance Award winners THE WITCH and ALL THESE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS as well as the forthcoming feature documentary TROPHY. The studio also produced Kahlil Joseph & Beyonce’s Emmy and Grammy nominated LEMONADE film.
In March 2016, VICE media acquired a majority stake in Pulse Films.
For more information see: http://www.pulsefilms.com/

Simon Pegg to Star in Katharine O'Brien's "LOST TRANSMISSIONS" For Pulse Films

Mike Nichols' "THE GRADUATE"- New 4K Restoration To Be Released Nationwide For 50th Anniversary

Mike Nichols’
THE GRADUATE

starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft

BACK IN THEATERS FOR 50th ANNIVERSARY
WORLD PREMIERE OF NEW 4K DIGITAL RESTORATION
AT TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL APRIL 8

NATIONWIDE THEATRICAL PREMIERE APRIL 23 AND 26 ONLY THROUGH TCM/FATHOM EVENTS

April 3, 2017- New York-based specialty distributor Rialto Pictures and Studiocanal will release Mike Nichols’ groundbreaking THE GRADUATE, starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, in new 4K digital prints beginning in April.

The 50 anniversary restoration will have its World Premiere on April 8 at the TCL Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, as a centerpiece event of this year’s TCM Classic Film Festival. The new GRADUATE restoration will then play in over 700 movie theaters nationwide on April 23 and 26, as part of TCM and Fathom Events’ monthly “TCM Big Screen Classics” series.

The new restoration will also screen at this year’s Il Cinema Ritrovato festival in Bologna and will be released theatrically and as a special edition Home Entertainment release in all Studiocanal territories (France, Germany, U.K., Australia and New Zealand) throughout the summer.

WATCH THE TRAILER:


Hoffman, in his star-making, breakout role, is Benjamin Braddock, the college track star suddenly adrift after graduation, and ripe for seduction by an older, married woman: Bancroft's coldly calculating friend-of-the-family Mrs. Robinson. When Ben ultimately falls for dream girl Elaine (Katharine Ross), who happens to be the Robinsons’ daughter, it sets up a love triangle like no other in American films up to that time.

Adapted from the Charles Webb novel by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham (which immortalized the word “plastics” in the lexicon of hip expressions), THE GRADUATE was the biggest box office surprise of the decade, nominated for seven Oscars® andwinning for director Nichols’ sophomore effort. The classic “Top 40” score by Simon & Garfunkel started a new, youthful trend in soundtrack music as well.

“A MILESTONE IN AMERICAN FILM HISTORY!” – Stanley Kauffmann

About Rialto Pictures
Described by the Los Angeles Times as “the gold standard of reissue distributors," New York-based Rialto Pictures was founded in 1997 by BruceGoldstein. Adrienne Halpern joined him as Co-President a year later. A specialist in the release of film classics, Rialto holds rights to films by Hitchcock, Kurosawa, Godard, Fellini, Renoir, Antonioni, De Sica, Resnais, Buñuel, Jules Dassin, Carol Reed, Jean-Pierre Melville, and many others. Upcoming releases include John Schlesinger’s A Kind Of Loving, De Sica’s Il Boom,and the much anticipated centennial celebration of Melville’s films. Rialto has had a close partnership with Studiocanal on much of the French company’s classic library and for the past five years has been the domestic theatrical distributor of Studiocanal’s catalogue.

About STUDIOCANAL
STUDIOCANAL is Europe’s leader in production, rights acquisition, distribution and international sales of feature films and TV series. It operates directly in all three major European markets, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. STUDIOCANAL is also present in the USA and in China. STUDIOCANAL has fully-financed recent box office hits like Paddington, Shaun the Sheep and Non-Stop. Upcoming films backed by STUDIOCANAL include The Commuter featuring Liam Neeson, the highly anticipated Paddington 2 by Paul King, and Aardman Studios’ stop-motion movies Early Man by Nick Park and Shaun the Sheep 2. STUDIOCANAL is actively developing and distributing high-end TV series through its network of award-winning production companies including Tandem Productions in Germany (Crossing Lines, Spotless), the UK’s RED Production Company (The Five, Happy Valley) and BAMBÚ PRODUCCIONES (Grand Hotel, Velvet). Additionally, STUDIOCANAL owns one of the most important film libraries in the world, boasting more than 9000 original titles from 60 countries, including 6000 films. STUDIOCANAL’s parent company, CANAL+ Group, is fully-owned by Vivendi, a global media and content production and distribution group. For further information please contact: mikey.ellis@studiocanal.com

Mike Nichols' "THE GRADUATE"- New 4K Restoration To Be Released Nationwide For 50th Anniversary

FIFTEENTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS -- Voting Under Way NOW!

IT'S MONDO RONDO TIME AGAIN! (AND WE'RE NOMINATED!)

"Long live the Rondos!" - Ain't It Cool News
"I love Rondo!" - Guillermo del Toro

Forget the Oscars--forget the Emmys--it's time to cast your vote for the awards that really matter. Namely, the Fifteenth Annual Rondos!

And your very own HK AND CULT FILM NEWS is nominated for BEST WEBSITE OR BLOG OF 2016! (So we would really appreciate your vote!)

Growing in popularity by leaps and bounds is this increasingly prestigious annual award which was created by fans (David Colton and Kerry Gammill) for fans (this means you!) and is a fond tribute to the one and only Rondo Hatton of THE BRUTE MAN and HOUSE OF HORRORS fame. The eerily lifelike bust itself was sculpted by illustrator Gammill, and cast by modeler Tim Lindsey.

Everything you need to know about the Rondos, including nominees, past winners, upcoming unsanity, and tons of other stuff (along with how to participate in the excitement yourself, plus a crypt-load of other creepy threads on the subject) check out the Rondo folder at the Classic Horror Film Board.

OFFICIAL BALLOT

All together now: "Da doo ron Rondo, da doo ron ron!"

FIFTEENTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS -- Voting Under Way NOW!

"THE MUMMY" With Tom Cruise -- Watch the Latest Trailer Now!

THE MUMMY
June 9, 2017

Genre:        Epic Action-Adventure       
Cast:        Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis,
Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance and Russell Crowe
Directed by:        Alex Kurtzman
Writers:        Jon Spaihts, Christopher McQuarrie
Produced by:    Alex Kurtzman, Chris Morgan, Sean Daniel
Executive Producer:        Sarah Bradshaw

OFFICIAL TRAILER #2


Tom Cruise headlines a spectacular, all-new cinematic version of the legend that has fascinated cultures all over the world since the dawn of civilization: The Mummy. 

Thought safely entombed in a tomb deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient princess (Sofia Boutella of Kingsman: The Secret Service and Star Trek Beyond) whose destiny was unjustly taken from her is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.  

From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters. 

Cruise is joined by a cast including Annabelle Wallis (upcoming King Arthur, television’s Peaky Blinders), Jake Johnson (Jurassic World), Courtney B. Vance (TV’s American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson) and Oscar® winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator).

The creative team on this action-adventure event is led by director/producer Alex Kurtzman and producer Chris Morgan, who have been instrumental in growing some of the most successful franchises of the past several years—with Kurtzman writing or producing entries in the Transformers, Star Trek and Mission: Impossible series, and Morgan being the narrative engineer of the Fast & Furious saga as it has experienced explosive growth from its third chapter on.  Sean Daniel, who produced the most recent Mummy trilogy, produces alongside Kurtzman and Morgan. 

http://www.themummy.com 

"THE MUMMY" With Tom Cruise -- Watch the Latest Trailer Now!