The Nude Vampire

It could be said that this was Rollin's first real debut feature film, seeing as it was that Rape of the Vampire really began life as a short and was later embellished with more material to transform it into a full length movie. Not only that, but 1970’s The Nude Vampire (or La Vampire Nue) switched to colour (no doubt due to an increase in available funds) and seemed to really kick off some of the themes that cemented the road into Rollin's future directorial career.

Following the discovery of an oddly mute woman pursued by mysterious animal-masked (à la The Wicker Man) individuals, a bored, bourgeois young man by the name of Pierre adopts a certain degree of interest in his snobbish father's covert nightly activities. His interest and cunning gains him access to the exclusive-entry mansion where the running female had escaped from earlier - inside he discovers groups of masked individuals indulging in strange nocturnal activities (sounds like my local council). The blood/death cult appear to be willingly sacrificing themselves to the very woman that Pierre came across earlier, and despite the fact that she was apparently shot dead before his rapid departure, she now walks around looking rather healthy and all too happy to feast on the life fluid of the recently despatched cult members.

Like the character of Pierre, we the viewers are confronted by a rather unhinged little world where people act in an unusual fashion, possibly oblivious to their own purpose in the greater good. In this sense, the nonchalant manner of many of the actors seems have been unwittingly suited to the characters they are portraying. Pierre's access to the mansion is gained in amusing fashion, and inside the world only becomes weirder. The collision of vampirism, eroticism, and pseudo-science clearly announces the developing idiosyncratic tendencies of the film's creator, and - leanings towards scientific territory aside - formed part of the legacy that would eventually result in viewers such as myself with niche tastes being able to enjoy his many cinematic excursions decades later.

This film also marked the first of many whereby his staple concept of two united nubile females would remain attached throughout their journey within the story, albeit relegated to almost background status in this particular outing. This staple would fully manifest itself in the likes of Requiem for a Vampire. Furthermore, the conclusion manages to find its way to the rough seashore that would also play a significant part in so many of his stories. The Nude Vampire (incidentally, the titular character, whilst admittedly stunning to look at, is more often than not clothed, albeit in a translucent fashion) is not the best of Rollin's films but it boasts indelible stamps of his personality all over it, and it's nicely shot as a bonus (as were many of his best works) - recognition must go to Rollin's cinematographers (here Jean-Jacques Renon, who frequently lensed Rollin's seventies flicks) for their role in the recreation of an abundance of attractive images, and I would argue that they are too omnipresent to dismiss Rollin himself as an incompetent or occasionally lucky director (which most casual viewers – and indeed audiences of the time according to Rollin’s own testimonies - would probably be all too happy to do).

As part of an ongoing series, The Nude Vampire has had a new UHD and HD makeover (1.66:1); eternal thanks to the Indicator label of Powerhouse Films.  The previous 2012 Blu-ray from Kino, in their collaboration with Redemption, was a notable improvement over older presentations.  The new Indicator discs are a surprisingly substantial upgrade again – I thought the Redemption disc was really nice, however, it’s quite astounding how much more there was to pull out of the negative in terms of small detail and fine film grain.  Having been watching this since the Redemption VHS days in the 90s (and later again on DVD) it's satisfying to experience these films in the kind of quality that I believe represents how they were meant to be viewed.

Audio was available in both French and English for the Redemption release, whereas on Indicator there are two slightly differently edited versions, one French language (new English translated subtitles), one English – both versions are exactly the same length.  Redemption extras totalled around thirty minutes with a long interview with the director, an introduction, some trailers, and a further interview with Natalie Perrey, who worked on a number of Rollin's films in various capacities, from script writing to acting to editing. The package at that time contained the same booklet that made its way into the other Blu-rays from the first wave of releases from Kino (I’m not sure why they did this because the same fans, such as myself, inevitably ended up with multiple copies of the same booklets).  Indicator’s release is a little different, containing roughly the same amount of filmed extras plus a commentary from Jonathan Rigby plus Kevin Lyons.  Similar to the other Indicator 4Ks, the housing case is attractively designed with original poster art containing an inner case that holds the disc.  The bundled book is gloriously high quality, highlights include a couple of interviews (one of the 70s, one the 90s) with Rollin – I love that they are exhuming legacy materials such as this – and a decent essay by David Jenkins.  The packaging design of these discs is very respectful, acknowledging Rollin as the auteur that he really was. All in all, while mainstream viewers may find this film a little too inaccessible for conventional tastes, Rollin fans will want this straight away.

Vivarium

Society's leaders, whoever they may be, have laid before you an established, very well walked - or crawled - path, and they would recommend you to take it (there's surprisingly little in way of alternative options anyway): grow up whilst acquiring an education (i.e. the world is the way we are telling you it is), leave school and get even more educated, find a partner, find a job, find a house, settle into it, produce offspring, die.  There are a few extras, such as discover new ways to despise your fellow human beings (a neat little distraction and focal point for your energy) and assimilate as much as the media can feed you.  The point of all this is unclear; perhaps there was a point to your existence but it has been lost in the shaping of your essentially predetermined life by others who remain unknown to you.

If I may be as bold, I will make a recommendation contrary to the above: do not, if at all possible, follow the established path.  Particularly if you are male.  If you do find a partner, no matter how perfect she may be, do not if you can avoid it cohabitate, especially do not get married, and if nothing else: never, ever, EVER impregnate someone.  Your life will be over, even if you don't realise it at that point, and you will have satisfied the purpose laid down before you by those unknown others.  Tricked into a marital existence where your finances and freedom will be forever compromised while you are drained very gradually of your soul.  And once you have produced the offspring so begged of you, so acclaimed as normal behaviour, anything that was ever unique about you or your potential will be eliminated over time, and that offspring will replace you.  You will become redundant, and figuratively or literally - it really won't matter to the world - dead.  Your leaders won't have to dig your grave for you, you will voluntarily do it yourself.

This paragraph doesn't contain spoilers as such, but Vivarium is best viewed to my mind without knowing too much about it.  A young couple are perusing the housing market for their new nest, the perfect place to conventionally exist and bring up the child that does not yet exist in their lives.  They discover an estate agent selling homes on what appears to be a newly rooted development, some drive away.  A strange man to be selling property, the couple reluctantly drive along with him to take a cursory look at the place, more out of politeness or persuasion than any real volition.  Once in the bland estate, devoid of people, where all of the new houses look pretty much alike, they wander around the intended sale without too much of a spark going off.  Then the estate agent departs without warning.  They decide to do the same, realising it to be perplexingly impossible to find their way back out of the estate.  Eventually their car runs out of fuel right outside the very house they didn't want in the first place, so they're forced to stay the night.  The next day, or days, they desperately try to get out of the town but cannot locate the exit, nor any other people.  Eventually they resign to accepting they are trapped.  At which point a child is delivered to them, the promise of freedom written in the box should they manage to raise the child.  At this point their troubles really fire up.

Taking a blend of horror and science fiction as its genre base, 2019's Vivarium (directed by Lorcan Finnegan) is really a grim social satire which I see as a commentary on the life you are quite likely to lead, a story that - if you see through its metaphors - is also likely to scare the bejesus out of you.  The bland estate and its identical houses, a place full of nobody, a 'job' of sorts that Tom goes to each day that is largely fruitless and ultimately self-destructive, deteriorating relationships, and a child that is frankly one of the scariest children ever put on screen.  If you were half considering children before watching this film, you will - wisely in my opinion - decide against it afterwards!  All of this is delivered with a heavy dose of surrealism and no attempt to pretend that the world Tom and Gemma find themselves is remotely real.  Sort of like your own world really.  If you want conventional narrative - that thing that you think applies to your life - you've come to the wrong place with this film.

I think the project itself could have taken a stronger path but the ideas themselves combined with the enslaved plight of the ordinary couple grab your interest and really keep it ensnared throughout the running time.  If I had to pick issues it would primarily be in Jesse Eisenberg, who I think is miscast and not capable of delivering the raw emotional disintegration that would have made his character's hell much more poignant.  British-born Imogen Poots (you might recognise her from 28 Weeks Later) as Gemma does a better job of displaying her suffering.  And whoever that kid is, well, I never want to run into him in my nightmares!  The other approach I would have taken is to grant the world slightly more verisimilitude, but not completely.  I get that the filmmakers wanted this to look unreal, I personally think it would have hit the mark harder if it resembled what appears to be reality just a little more closely (i.e. as it is, many people might simply see this as a surreal science fiction rather than a distorted mirror designed, possibly, to aid awakening).  Still, they are minor gripes and overall this Danish sourced production is a very impactful one, and one that kept me thinking for days afterwards.  There's not too much in modern cinema that manages that.

In terms of purchasing, annoyingly the British distributors have chosen to put this out of DVD only at time of writing.  I would suggest not supporting such decisions and go for an overseas Blu-ray, either from the US or if you want a reasonably priced option, Germany.  The film did play on Film 4 recently, which is of course a convenient way to check it out first.

eXistenZ

At some unspecified time in the future a software company is demonstrating their newly developed pre-release game to a crowd of enthusiasts, one which requires an organic gaming pod to physically attach a string of gamers to allow them to take part in a hyper-real virtual reality experience.  Before the demo gets properly underway one of the participants attempts to assassinate the game's designer, Allegra Geller.  She's rescued by a security guy/marketing trainee by the name of Ted Pikul, the couple heading out into the countryside in effort to avoid further attempts on Geller's life.  She's surprised to find that Pikul is no gamer himself, and thus persuades him to obtain a bioport (an entry hole to the spine) which will allow him to plug into the game pod alongside Geller.  Once hooked up they're assimilated by the game world where Pikul experiences the vivid realm of eXistenZ first hand, and its gradually perplexing effect on one's ability to discern one realty from another.

Produced around the time when home gaming was simultaneously being propelled to mainstream popularity alongside virtual reality becoming a buzz which hinted at an exciting future that seemed to procrastinate itself in a frustrating fashion, 1999's eXistenZ is David Cronenberg's problematic but nonetheless enjoyable foray into the world of gaming, incorporating his own philosophical spin on personal perception of reality.  It was an obvious choice in a sense: he'd already made a couple of wonderful films about people being confused by the boundary between that which is (apparently) real, and that which is not, referring of course to the drug-fuelled Naked Lunch and Videodrome, both of which I've revelled in viewing many times over.  I've also enjoyed viewing eXistenZ (eight times at point of writing) since and including its cinema release here in the UK, however, it's often struck me as noticeably less 'perfect' than the aforementioned highpoints of Cronenberg's illustrious career.  Harder-core gamers, or even those of the casual variety, would most likely find some of the rules of the eXistenZ game world cumbersome (the main example for me is characters getting stuck in loops until one of the players says something that progresses the game plot), whilst others may find the performances a bit odd (again, for me, I've never been keen on Jude Law's fake American-accented Ted Pikul).  Despite those problems the film inadvertently or otherwise manages to overcome them with its conclusion. i.e. by the end it's inherently difficult to argue that whatever you've found to be an issue is indeed that.  I'm not sure the distributors knew how best to market it, seeing as the trailer and poster hint at something action orientated - the film is somewhat more cerebral than that, although would never compete with the bombshell sci-fi classic that was The Matrix the very same year.

After watching eXistenZ at the cinema back in '99 I was eager to pick up the DVD the following year.  Aside from being non-anamorphic it was actually a pleasing disc for its day.  The movie has later appeared on Blu-ray a couple of times across the globe, the UK special edition release by 101 Films finally prompting me to upgrade.  Image comparisons of course reveal superiority, albeit not with as great a jump in detail as one might have expected considering the near two decades' gap between the two releases.  The transfer used could be from an older master, although it doesn't look bad in the grand scheme of things.  You have a choice of stereo or 5.1 audio replicating the Dolby Digital original.  It's a largely vocal driven, aurally subtle film so the surrounds don't get to do much, although as with the former DVD the soundtrack comes alive to some extent for the final battle (which is not large scale by any stretch) between the opposers of artificial reality and, presumably, those who revel in it.

The 101 edition comes in a very nice slipcase, packed with two discs (Blu-ray, and DVD, although not all of the extras are replicated on the DVD) and a good quality booklet.  There are three commentary tracks, though only one of these (by the director) originates from the first 2000-era DVD.  There were actually two other commentaries on the old DVD that aren't ported to the new release, so you might want to hold on to the ancient disc.  The new set does carry across the 53 minute documentary and trailer, whilst adding a host of standalone interviews from the time alongside an exclusive contemporary talk with Christopher Eccleston.  Apart from a couple of points where he brings slightly political views into the equation (I'm not sure why celebrities feel the need to attempt to indoctrinate weaker-minded viewers with their opinions but I would be happy not to have to listen to them) this is a great talk about his time on set and recollections of Cronenberg's approach.  The discs are region locked to B and 2 respectively.  In summary, this is not a perfect release (which would entail a new 4K scan in addition to - if it exists - the workprint that allegedly ran nearly 20 minutes longer) but it is a very good effort.

2019: After the Fall of New York

Set in the far distant future year of 2019 we find that nuclear war has ravaged the world, and along with it humankind's prospective longevity - mutated female survivors of the holocaust are infertile.  Two political factions compete to find ways to restore mankind's ability to continue its questionable existence, one (that responsible for the bomb in the first place) sending in military personnel to New York's wasteland in search of survivors to genetically experiment with.  The other have more ambitious plans: to locate and retrieve the sole remaining fertile female, also reported to be alive in New York somewhere, before departing Earth altogether for the nearest inhabitable planet in order to restart the population using her eggs as its beginnings.  For this they acquire the skills of a rogue survivor, making a deal with him to get him off the planet too, if he can bring out the female alive.  With new companions he enters the hostile wasteland of New York in search of mankind's final hope.

Initially looking like it's going to be trash cinema of the highest order, 1983's 2019: After the Fall of New York, whilst unavoidably containing elements of cheese, is pretty good in my opinion, and featuring miniature work that's better than I expected.  It should go without saying that Carpenter's Escape from New York is obviously a huge influence on this, although influences appear to have their origins elsewhere in addition: Death Race 2000 helps to give our hero, Parsifal, his backstory, while Ridley Scott with both Blade Runner and Alien presumably kick-started the idea of human helpers turning out to be androids.  The spirit of Mad Max is also omnipresent.  On its own merits director Sergio Martino gifts the viewer a number of gory and gusto-filled setpieces, of particular note being the chaotic tunnel-bound escape from the city through increasingly threatening traps.  Prolific Italian star George Eastman also manages to make an appearance as an untrustworthy half ape/half man (leading a group of mutated individuals who now resemble cast members of Planet of the Apes).  The easily offended PC squad will want to give this a miss, for example the story's leading 'small person' is known as Shorty...  To digress, when the characters were discussing Parsifal's mission to locate the final hope in the shape of a fertile woman, I momentarily mused over the possibility that she could turn out to be obese and thoroughly undesirable, much to the chagrin of those chosen to impregnate her for the sake of the human race.  On the contrary, she of course proves to be a true Sleeping Beauty in the form of Valentine Monnier, albeit ultimately underused.  The final scenes could easily have led to a new science fiction adventure in a sequel that was never to be.

Unseen in Britain for a long time, 88 Films have blessed us with a Blu-ray that presents the film very nicely indeed in HD and widescreen, substantially outclassing the old Media Blasters DVD.  Soundtrack is English stereo (the old DVD also featured a faux 5.1 mix that is not missed here).  In terms of the package, you get - as is common for 88's Italian Collection - a reversible cover with alternative artwork (and title, which omits the '2019' prefix), an insert containing an interview with the director, and on the disc itself filmed interviews totalling forty minutes.  Code Red have put out an edition in the US with alternative extras.  Overall it's nice to see such a good looking edition of the film appear from 88 uncut (as opposed to its videotape incarnation, which was truncated in accordance with the trends of the times) and easily available to British and European audiences.

Ejecta

Ejecta (made/released in 2014) is about a mythical blogger obsessed with extra-terrestrial activity and his fanboy companion, who together encounter a threatening lifeform from the stars, the story being intercut with the blogger's subsequent capture by a hostile authoritarian organisation who are willing to torture him to acquire the details of his mysterious experience.

Occasionally an underdog comes along that you've never heard of, turning out to be an undiscovered classic that blows you out of your recliner, leaving you with an inert smile pasted across your face for days.  Unfortunately, it was not this occasion.  Ejecta is science fiction produced on the very cheap, although I would never hold that specific characteristic against a film.  The greater sin that it is thoroughly uninteresting and the viewer may find it difficult to engage with anything that happens on screen.  Odd-looking Julian Richings puts in a reasonable performance as the disturbed blogger, countered by the cringe-worthy take on a nutty woman in charge by Lisa Houle, who appears to be attempting to emulate John Travolta's headcase character performances (which always annoyed me anyway).  There is a lot of dark scenery and plenty of not-particularly-appealing wobbly camerawork no doubt designed to trick the viewer into thinking the production is bigger than a couple of rooms and some woodland, but there will be few who are fooled.  I looked at director Chad Archibald's filmography on IMDb, and aside from The Heretics from 2017, which sounds potentially interesting, there is nothing else much good by him to seek out by the looks of it.

Released by Signature in the UK on DVD and Blu-ray, I viewed the latter to find an average image that probably recreates its digital origins accurately enough, demonstrating multiple aspect ratios intended to reflect different types of footage.  The stereo soundtrack is serviceable and there are, perhaps mercifully, no extras.  If you must buy the film you may as well pick it up on Blu-ray because it's generally as low-priced as the DVD and in fact I bought it for less than most people will have paid for the DVD (it turns up in Poundland occasionally, which is more than its worth).  Better things have emerged from Canada, and this is eighty soul destroying minutes that I have lost forever!

Cabin Fever 3: Patient Zero

Unlike many reviewers before me, I actually like Cabin Fever 1 and 2, both in my opinion tapping into the black comedy splatterfest ethos of the likes of Braindead and others of that era (although I'm not elevating them to that kind of status), and perhaps Piranha if you're more familiar with this century's output.  CF2 seems to be particularly maligned by a good portion of those that have seen it, so I thought I'd give this one a go considering it seems to split audiences in the same way.  The plot doesn't need outlining in detail: a research facility on a remote island runs into problems containing the flesh-eating virus (of the earlier movies) that they're attempting to find a cure to.  A bunch of dumb partying teens ('natch) go out to the island (i.e. they won't get a mobile signal) for a stag party only to find themselves dropping victim to the virus one by one (a development that some viewers may be thankful for...).  Has potential perhaps.

From the outset of putting the third outing into your disc tray it's fairly clear that the black comedy madness of the first two films has been almost entirely eschewed by virtual newbie film-makers Andrews and Wall in favour of what they probably believe is a grittier, nasty affair.  My favourite character (the cop) is also lamentably absent.  Sam the hobbit shows up to give it all a bit of credibility, but the teens themselves are unable to give this cash-in anything convincing, as they just appear to be aping the performances of every other dumb-teen actor that you've seen in horror films over the last twenty years or so (unless that's how all American teens naturally are, in which case I forgive them), and the script is just as clichéd (I'm trying to remember some examples but the experience is mercifully fading from my mind).  There are some moments of hefty gore if that's what you're after but the few moments of injected humour fall flat, making this entry feel like it doesn't really belong as part of the series.

What truly ruined CF3 for me, however, was the near relentless shaky-cam approach - seriously, this cameraman can barely keep the thing still, and regardless of what's happening on screen and whether it calls for a feeling of seasickness, the image will be waving around like a wet kipper.  Watch this stuff on a projector or large screen like I do and the chances are you'll come out of this movie feeling nauseous for all the wrong reasons.  I'm not sure why this habit with film-makers persists - shaky camerawork does not draw a viewer into the action (and in my case it actually draws me right out, because I'm too conscious of the camera frame itself).  I think bad film-makers use this technique as a tool to cover up their ability to generate genuine tension by any skilful means.  Hence what might have been a 2.5 star film on a generous day becomes in my eyes a 1.5 star film.

The Blu-ray reminds me of the old days collecting films on tape - not because the image/sound is terrible (it isn’t) but rather there is nothing in way of bonus features on the disc.  Zilch.  Although you do get to select chapters.  The 1.78:1 full HD image is very detailed although clearly shot digitally.  Daylight scenes are reasonably nice, with perhaps an unrealistic edge to the colour.  DTS-HD audio has some oomph as might be expected.  If you must watch this, the Blu is the way to go and can be obtained incredibly cheaply anyway.

Slave Girls From Beyond Infinity

Yeah, that's where they're from.  Can I have directions please...?  In the far depths of space two female astronauts escape with their lives from potential slavery using a spacecraft that ultimately plummets into the tractor beam of another planet.  There they are taken in by an eccentric hunter who initially appears to be hospitable.  They are soon warned by one of the other 'guests' that they're in danger (a matter also hinted at by the collection of severed heads on one of the walls...) and have to head out on the run through the surrounding jungles in order to once again escape with their lives.

Directed for Taryn Productions by Ken Dixon in 1987 Slave Girls From Beyond Infinity is a pleasing science fiction romp on a very limited budget that makes up for shortcomings in the epic department with several gorgeous women who spend the entire film wearing very little.  While acknowledged scream queen Brinke Stevens might be present, for me the star of the show is Hungarian-born Elizabeth Kaitan (credited here as Cayton).  She's got a cute voice, lovely face, perfect body, and next to the other woman comes across as much more voluptuous - to see her running around scantily clad for almost an entire film is pretty much worth paying for the film alone.  Pity that she was never more widely famed in the eyes of genre fans as the other scream queens of the era were.

The sets are cheap, and the effects are base level.  Oddly the dialogue is not overtly humorous, which feels offbeat when spoken by actors who are clearly in quite ridiculous situations, but because of this restrained nature in the delivery I feel that the material works quite well.  I was never a fan of the OTT Troma style of script delivery.  I do, however, feel that the exploitation elements could have been enhanced somewhat (and given a 70 minute running time, there was certainly room for it!).  Considering the girls have next to nothing on for most of the film, there is surprisingly little in way of nudity (although it is thankfully there to some extent).  If you're gonna do it, then go the whole hog!  As a Saturday night after-drinks film though, this is not a bad way to end it.

Once released in the US by Cult Video, 88 Films in the UK many years later put out a DVD (as part of their Grindhouse Collection) with similar credentials on the surface.  The full frame (probably as shot) transfer is merely okay - serviceable.  I suspect a Blu-ray upgrade will never be on the cards unfortunately.  Luckily the 88 disc does improve a little on sharpness over the old disc, and colour is much more bearable than the red-hued transfer of old.  The Dolby Digital stereo soundtrack is, again, functional.  While both discs have a batch of trailers to enjoy, along with a couple of other minor titbits, the 88 disc excels by including a feature length documentary also by Ken Dixon called 'Famous T&A', which is basically exactly what it states, featuring clips of actresses who have at one time or another bared their flesh for Charles Band (and other) productions.  Rough quality standard definition (closer to VHS quality actually) does not detract much from the novelty factor of having this grimy little piece as a bonus, so well done to 88 for including that.  The final advantage of the 88 disc is that is has a reversible cover with alternate artwork on the rear.  I prefer the main cover (pictured) as it replicates the art of the old video tape that I once owned many moons ago.

The Asphyx

After spotting apparent photographic anomalies that occur at the point of a subject's death, two scientists embark on a journey to capture the mystical being responsible (dubbed the 'asphyx') that theoretically captures the escaping soul.  Their aim is to ultimately prevent death itself - if they can stop the asphyx from taking away an individual's soul then it could be the case that the individual themselves could attain immortality.

A leisurely paced UK production from around 1973, The Asphyx was directed by veteran camera operator Peter Newbrook.  It's not considered a classic but it is surely a carefully crafted and eloquent production that does explore some interesting concepts.  I think what holds this one back from more widespread appeal is the lack of dynamism - Newbrook hardly takes things forward with energetic zeal.  However, it's an exquisitely shot piece of work with some dark moments that can yield rewards for the patient viewer.  The beauty of the film should come as no surprise when you realise that its cinematographer, Freddie Young, won several Oscars for his work.

I'd only ever seen the UK 86 minute 'theatrical' version of this film - it had been widely available on VHS and DVD for years but old reviews dangled a carrot suggesting that the longer 99 minute US version was a better way to view the film.  Odeon Entertainment have in recent years released a two-disc DVD containing the extended version but that has since been bettered: a welcome entry into home video was Redemption's Blu-ray, which contains both versions of the film.  The standard cut is fully mastered (from the negative I believe) in HD and looks stunning.  Fully scoped (as shot in Todd-AO) the detail is amazing for a film of this vintage, and really shows what can be done with older stuff.  The longer cut is featured as an extra (and has to be accessed, as such, from the bonus menu).  This cut is taken from an inferior source mastered in standard definition.  Redemption could have done the lazy thing and just included this as is, but they've retained the HD footage where possible and inserted the extra material where it should be, meaning you're still watching the bulk of the film in HD if you choose to watch the longer version.  I don't mind this, because the periodic quality shift reveals exactly what they decided to remove, presumably in the name of brevity.  There is also a slight ratio shift from 2.39:1 to what must have been the only thing available for the extra material, 1.85:1 approximately, although this is 'window boxed' to prevent too much of a visible jolt for the viewer.  Personally I think the excised material is of some value as there is greater exposition on some of the themes explored, plus additional characterisation.

Other extras include some trailers and a photo gallery, but really this remains an invaluable acquisition because this disc means we can choose whether to watch the shorter or longer cuts completely (in the former case) or mostly (in the latter) in full HD.  If you like the film, or have a fondness for Hammer-era horror, the Redemption Blu will sit comfortably on your shelf.  The gorgeous presentation of the HD transfer enhances one's appreciation without a doubt.

Dredd

Some time in the future the overpopulated world is overrun with crime (hang on, that's happening now!) so the authorities employ specialists, known as judges, to dish out instant punishment for deeds that warrant immediate elimination or imprisonment.  Judge Dredd is called out to the scene of a multiple murder, accompanied by a psychic rookie, and following an arrest at the monolithic tower block housing 75000 people (sounds like one or two places I know around here) the place goes into shutdown - blast shields that seal the entire building in during event of war.  It's sold to the authorities as a drill, to prevent them from coming out to the scene, but it's actually a homicidal ploy for the gangland boss woman who unofficially runs the place to have chance to have her minions assassinate the interfering duo of judges.

Wisely pretending the 1995 adaptation of the 2000A.D. comic story never existed, Dredd confines much of its action to one building (less of an epic scope than the Sylvester Stallone vehicle), albeit one very big building.  It's a violent mix of science fiction technology/weaponry with high octane action, feeling very adult in nature.  The main character (played nicely by Karl Urban of recent Priest and Star Trek fame) is much more faithful to the source creation than Stallone's version, which will surely be pleasing to fans of the comics.  Most importantly, he never takes off his helmet!  Dredd comes across as a combination of Robocop and Christian Bale's Batman (albeit somewhat more credible), thankfully keeping the temptation for wisecracks in check.  For once, unlike some other contemporary action films, the slow motion (extreme slow motion in this case) is contextually justified, simulating as it does the impact of a drug that's being used and distributed by certain antagonists.  It gives rise to some startling visual effects, which complement the striking shooting techniques employed throughout.

The UK Blu-ray (from Entertainment in Video) grants you a full HD 2D or 3D image, which is stunningly sharp even when surveying the distance of a long corridor; the director's overall compositional approach is commendable.  3D really sucks the viewer into this world, and it's this kind of film that makes investing in 3D equipment worthwhile, rather than some of the crap that has been unleashed on the unsuspecting public in the last couple of years. Some of the interview snippets are worth taking a look at for a change, and you can get a glance at just how bulky the 3D cameras really are in use.  Paul Leonard-Morgan's pounding score is implemented well on the lossless soundtrack, and it goes without saying that the dynamic audio of this film will kick your butt through the wall if you have a decent system.  Demonstrating that the cinema-going public have little in way of sense the film flopped (my theory is the lack of super-star names, which really shows how shallow people are when deciding what to see), but it is surprisingly one of the best movies of the last few years - get it on Blu and show the studios that some of us out here have some taste.

Resident Evil: Extinction

The third live-action film in the franchise that may never end begins with Alice seemingly waking up as she did in the first outing, only to be killed by a booby trap.  She turns out to be part of a cloning experiment at the Umbrella Corporation, the real Alice now travelling across country as a simultaneous means of avoiding the plague while searching for answers/solutions.  She hooks up with a travelling team of soldiers and survivors as they work they way across the deserts, finding hope in the idea that a place in Alaska has escaped the plague.

Resident Evil: Extinction feels more solid than its predecessor Apocalypse where the story is being pushed forward in a number of ways, and the script is superior.  Whilst it may still be a case of the desperately surviving characters ambling from place to place, I do quite like the 'adventure' structure of each episode, and Milla Jovovich's Alice is quite an appealing driving force that ties together each instalment.  Freed of the constraints of Racoon City and its immediate underground, the series can now take off across the globe (as indeed it's announced at the beginning of this film that the plague has spread internationally).  Extinction borrows heavily from movies that have gone before it, most notably Day Of The Dead (Romero's masterpiece of mid-eighties downbeat horror rather than the remake, which doesn't exist as far as I'm concerned) - witness the now-slightly-worried authorities living in an isolated base surrounded by thousands of hungry corpses waiting for entry, and their experiments to domesticate the creatures, in particular the Bub-like monster that is shown items with which it has some familiarity, emphatically reminding the viewer of Bub fumbling with a personal stereo and Stephen King novel as he momentarily disregards his hunger for meat.  And then there is the hint of (or homage to?) Hitchcock's The Birds, giving birth to one of the best set pieces of the series when the convoy come under attack from flocks of infected crows.  I found the Clare-led convoy somewhat difficult to digest - the rather attractive blonde doesn't convince as the leader of a small army and I'd suggest that in such circumstances as those depicted by the franchise tribe mentality would overwhelm leading to the likes of Clare being impregnated and/or dead rather than unanimously followed.  Not a nice thought, but then again that premise would not have sunk well with today's PC audience.  I also got the impression that Jovovich's face had been digitally softened during close-ups - rather than making her look 'perfect', it was odd at best and distracting at worst.  Of course I could be wrong but even the other actors, who were almost certainly plastered in some sort of screen make-up, had visible skin pores for crying out loud.  I also felt that Alice's superpowers diminished from the impact on occasions, being difficult to identify with and making her less human in the process.  Aside from those gripes I found Extinction to be the most enjoyable of the series, with plenty of action, a few nice ideas, and an epic, almost spaghetti western kind of scope.

The Blu-ray is the way to see this film: an incredibly colourful and consistently sharp 2.39:1 1080p image (grainy during the darker sequences), aside from Milla's Gaussian-blurred close-ups.  The TrueHD audio track really wallops, with incidental music grabbing you and sound effects exploding from all directions.  Sony's disc is backed up by a large amount of deleted material (why do they script and film this stuff only to ditch it?  If it's not working you'd get the idea during storyboard stage), plus featurettes and commentary.  An exemplary disc pretty much all round.  P.S. What happened to Jill?

The Fly

1986, US / Canada, Directed by David Cronenberg
Colour, Running Time: 96 minutes
Review Source: Blu-ray, Region B, Fox; Video: 1.85:1 1080p 24fps, Audio: DTS HD MA

Is there anyone that hasn't seen David Cronenberg's The Fly remake? In an age where remakes have swamped the cinema release schedules over the last ten years or so, this film is an overwhelming demonstration of what can be done with someone else's previously filmed material. Taking the core story of the Vincent Price 1958 original, the 1986 version of The Fly is brought up to date for the (then) modern era in terms of technology, science, and sheer gruesomeness. It's the story of a scientist who has cracked the teleportation problem, and in testing the machine (two pods, whereby the molecules of the one are disintegrated and reintegrated into the second) he goes through unknowingly at the same time as a house fly that has unfortunately landed in the pod prior to the teleportation. The computer confuses the two organisms and effectively splices them together at a genetic level, thus beginning a progressive transformation of the man into a horrific amalgamation of the two. What sets Cronenberg's story apart from the average monster movie, partially, is a particularly strong emotional foundation. Brundle's degeneration into disgusting monstrosity, the product of his own relentless curiosity and drive to push science forward, is ultimately tragic and believable. There are five stars of this film in my opinion - firstly, David Cronenberg of course, who continued his exploration of mutations of the human body on a thematic level, in the process creating one of the greatest remakes in cinema history. Then there is possibly the most talented composer in the film (and probably non-film) world, Howard Shore, whose score pounds home Cronenberg's themes at key points, building momentum to the devastating climax. The next two are Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, whose performances bring all of this together in a gripping fashion. Finally, there is Chris Walas' awe-inspiring creature effects, which are still repulsive to this day. There are a couple of moments that seem to be there purely for shock value more than anything else but the result of Brundle's dabbling is like a nasty car crash - you kind of can't take your eyes of it despite the fact that it's not at all nice to look at. The stilted dialogue of the early scenes is not to be off-putting - the film develops itself into a classic of the horror/science fiction hybrid (appropriately) genre.

I've seen this film on most home video formats and have more recently picked up the Blu-ray Disc, promptly selling the DVD. Video cassettes of this film looked awful - very muddy and indistinct. DVD was noticeably better, but the film's rough look has made it difficult to translate to the lower resolution of VHS and DVD. The Blu-ray is significantly improved - in lighter scenes the detail is very strong, colours are far more realistic, and the contrast is better balanced. Darker scenes still look quite rough, but it's probably easier to see exactly what's going on now. There are details on the creature effects that I'm sure I never saw before on DVD. Overall, it's definitely worth upgrading to the Blu-ray for full HD image quality alone. The audio track is serviced by a lossless DTS-HD surround track - most of the sound comes from the front, particularly centre, channels, but the music is embellished with the greater resolution and very welcome impact. It is limited by 80s recording technology and that's never going to change, but it sounds better here than it ever has. On the disc you also get the extras of one of the former DVD special editions (the set I originally bought had The Fly II on an extra disc, but of course that isn't included here). That includes director commentary, documentary, deleted scenes, and loads more. For fans of the film, you have to pick up this very strong Blu-ray and ditch your old DVD/laserdisc/VHS as soon as possible.

The X Files

1998, US, Directed by Rob Bowman
Colour, Running Time: 118 minutes
Review Source: DVD, R2, Fox; Video: Anamorphic 2.35:1, Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1

Taking an idea that was most recently (in terms of the show's chronology) mentioned in the finale to season 5, the movie begins with a couple of Neanderthals discovering in a cave what may be an extraterrestrial life form, a malevolent and putrid creature that destroys them. Jump forward several million years to the present day and some Dallas boys stumble across what is probably the same place underground, one of them (the lad who played Caleb so perceptively in American Gothic) becoming trapped with a strange black liquid that infiltrates his skin and takes over his body… Not only do the fire brigade turn up but a horde of militaristic vehicles arrive, suggesting that something altogether more profound is going on than a mere threat to a child’s life. Some time later FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are involved in a terrorist situation that has them attempting to prevent the explosion of a building and its possible consequential catastrophic loss of life. Thanks to Mulder’s innate ability to turn a seemingly illogical hunch into the catalyst for an unprecedented discovery the agents end up searching what is initially suspected to be the wrong building. It actually turns out to be the ‘right’ building and they barely escape with their lives before the whole thing blows. It later transpires that what they thought was a cleared area just prior to the blast has in fact become the death bed for a couple of firemen and a young boy. Not only that but the FBI are as good as blaming the two agents for the disaster - they really were in the wrong place at the wrong time it seems. After a hearing that places their careers somewhere in mid air Mulder is contacted by a rogue writer of conspiracy theories, a man who is constantly at odds with authorities that are pinning anything on him that might put him out of action (e.g. child pornography claims). The man suggests that the people who ‘died’ in the explosion were actually already dead and this puts Mulder (along with a reluctant Scully) on a trail that leads the agents to the realisation that the whole thing may have been designed to cover up evidence of the possibility that aliens once visited the Earth and now threaten to repopulate it.

The first theatrical outing (sometimes under-titled Fight The Future or simply The Movie) for The X Files effectively bridges the gap between seasons 5 and 6: for the cracking final episode of the former the X Files department (read: basement) was not only shut down but burned down with Mulder and Scully being reassigned to more mundane cases (such as terrorist bomb threats and the like…). The irony is that the case they’re working on turns out to be inextricably linked to the very conspiracies that they’ve been ushered away from. The opening bomb scenario reminds me a little of that in Speed, but with a touch more realism (apart from Mulder’s discovery of the bomb’s location, one of those coincidences that underpins much of the series) - a pretty exciting and highly functional grip on the viewer for what’s to come. Woven into the dialogue are keenly inserted snippets of historical passages no doubt designed to familiarise viewers who may not be up to date with the show itself, but their incorporation just about manages to avoid contrivance. Familiar characters from the show are also peppered throughout - the smoking man, the lone gunmen, and Skinner of course - and these characters become mechanically relevant elements of the fairly intricate plot. In fact some viewers unaware of the show’s staples may find some of the dialogue-heavy sections hard work, being articulate, complicated, and undeniably paranoid as they are. Hence all of the elements are there that made the show work in the first place and this would be amongst the best episodes if it were such. Surprisingly the movie doesn’t simply take on the appearance of just another episode - it looks and feels much bigger in scope from the outset: the famous 20th Century Fox ident at the beginning, an apparently much more generous budget, the 2.39:1 aspect ratio (up from the 1.78:1 of the preceding season and the 1.33:1 of earlier seasons), and the absence of the show’s opening sequence, which it has to be said just wouldn’t have worked for a convincing theatrical presentation. Some of Mark Snow’s distinctive theme has been implemented into the score generally, however, so it’s not entirely missed. Gillian Anderson and Dave Duchovny both translate their characters to the big screen well and are by this point very comfortable with the two people who simply couldn’t have been portrayed by anybody else. Their near onscreen kiss is a cool highlight too. It was really nice to see Lucas Black show up (as the boy who comes into contact with the substance) though the fact that they used Christopher Fennell too (one of Caleb’s friends in American Gothic) makes me wonder whether this was an in-joke. The story itself, penned by the show’s creator Chris Carter along with regular collaborator Frank Spotnitz, reaches a huge and rousing climax that really tingles the flesh and proves that there was still life in the dog at that point.

The video transfer is by now dated but just manages to serve its purpose in an age that is rapidly becoming hi-def by default. It’s soft and features a slightly artificial looking colour scheme that I suspect could be substantially improved nowadays. The 5.1 track is aggressive, loud, and enveloping; this suits the TV series-to-cinema upgrade perfectly. A second disc of extras combines with an audio commentary to round out a pretty good package, however, the US Blu-ray version has really made this set redundant (for some reason, only the later film - I Want To Believe has made its way to UK Blu). I think this film is a thoroughly good expansion on the show’s concepts and a carrot to entice people to continue watching into season 6. Unfortunately I feel that the show was to go on way too long and ran well out of steam by the end of its ninth and final season.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

1956, US, Directed by Don Siegel
B&W, Running Time: 80 minutes
Review Source: Blu-ray, Region A, Olive Films; Video: 2.00:1 1080p 24fps, Audio: DTS HD MA

Based on a serialised story entitled The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney that appeared in the American-bred Collier's Magazine in 1954 (which was also subsequently published as a novel), Invasion of the Body Snatchers has become an undisputed classic of science fiction over the half century or so since. It wasn't especially perceived as anything over and above the crowd at the time, but the maturity of the production along with its immortal aura of fear has allowed it to stand the test of decades of progression whilst many other sci-fi movies of the fifties are generally considered by critics as disposable. Dr Miles Bennell returns to his home town amidst a general hysteria of residents feeling that people they know intimately have changed somehow, despite no visible difference in appearance. Bennell is initially ambivalent, unable to decide whether there's any validity in the claims, until he's called round to a friend's house where they've found a 'body' that appears to be an underdeveloped replica of his friend. The body disappears but later on the group discover a number of giant seeds that produce dormant versions of themselves before their eyes. Bennell destroys them and sets off to get out of town with his old flame, Becky Driscoll, realising that the escalating situation is seeing the population being taken over by emotionless imitators that have grown from the mysterious pods. Unable to get a phone line out to other locations, and now the target of a hostile populace, Bennell and Driscoll embark on an increasingly frantic race to avoid becoming one of the others as they fight to escape.

Probably more highly regarded than the Finney novel itself, Invasion... is a frightening tale of paranoia and loss of humanity/autonomy. Made during an era of uncertainty as very real invasion from malevolent international forces, a factor that most likely made the story flavour of the time with the American public, it has been considered to be a parable against communism but Siegel and Finney have both opposed this theory, preferring to uphold its non-political status as simply a science fiction thriller. Of course it's easy to see why viewers will see the proposed political allegory, as everyone effectively becomes the same as they find themselves a victim of the pods, in a world that would eventually be devoid of emotion. It was never really clear in the film how the legitimate bodies were extinguished as they're replaced by the pod-grown replicas, however, Finney's text is more explicit in revealing that they actually turn to dust - I can understand why this may have posed a problem cinematically, either because audiences were more easily shocked at the time or because the budget simply wouldn't allow it (I suspect it was more so the former, as the special effects that are on screen are actually quite impressive). After the part of Bennell was thought to be suitable for a number of other actors, Kevin McCarthy eventually got the job, giving an amiable performance that progresses to mounting panic as hope is gradually torn away. His partner's shoes - that of Becky Driscoll - were filled by the shapely, highly feminine Dana Wynter. Elsewhere it's surprising to see Sam Peckinpah (later to direct such violent tales as Straw Dogs and The Wild Bunch) in a bit role - apparently he worked as a dialogue coach on the film itself (as well as several other of Don Siegel's movies around the time), claiming to have had a large part in re-writing the screenplay, a matter hotly disputed by credited screen-writer Daniel Mainwaring. The dialogue is a product of its time, but the scenarios and overall concept are just as frightening as they ever were. Yet the promised world of the aliens is a superior one in their view - one that is devoid of emotion and therefore problems. It poses an interesting idea and question - is it the presence of emotion that makes humans distinct, and would the world be a better place without it? This very idea would form the basis of another science fiction film made in more recent times - Equilibrium, where emotion is essentially banned in society and children are brought up to acknowledge its lack of use. Of course the argument in Invasion..., presented by the two surviving characters who love each other, is that the removal of emotion via the transition of conventional human to pod-born human is not something that is desirable, despite those that have been converted boasting its advantages. Without wasting a minute Invasion... remains a powerfully gripping experience to this day, with an influence on the genre that has spawned admiration, and remakes of course - these seem to diminish in quality with each subsequent attempt strangely (one is particularly good, one reasonable, and the last is, well...). As usual, the original is the best.

Considering its highly rated standing, a commendable disc release has been a painfully long time coming. I did own this on video cassette in the nineties but as my understanding of composition progressed I became frustrated with the ugly cropped fullframe transfer, and stopped watching it in the hope/expectation that a special edition of some sort would eventually materialise. None of the DVDs really lived up to that - they were either cropped, colourised, or widescreen but with substandard picture quality (Universal treated their UK fans with usual contempt as they put out a couple of can't-be-bothered DVDs that were inadequate), while stateside Republic put out the best DVD which contained both fullframe (useful only really for comparison and for argument against cropping) and fairly accurately framed widescreen versions in one pack, alongside an interview with McCarthy and liner notes - image was not up to much though. Thankfully Olive Films have arrived to correct one of home cinema's great wrongs - their US Blu-ray basically demolishes all releases as far as the transfer is concerned. Reportedly shot in a fairly standard 1.85:1 spherical frame it was projected (supposedly against the director's wishes) in the experimental 'Superscope' ratio of 2.00:1 - that's how it's framed here, and it feels very comfortable (particularly if you've seen the film cropped to 1.33:1, which routinely loses characters on either edge of the screen - ridiculous). The black and white photography can finally be appreciated for the proficient art that it was, detail is sharp throughout, and the gray tones look wonderful. Audio is presented via the respected DTS HD Master Audio format - mono naturally, but very clear. Alas there are no extras, which is a shame (there's room for a historian based commentary here, or a retrospective documentary perhaps). Having said that, if the production of extras compromised the efforts that went into the transfer, then I'd take the improved AV presentation over bonus material every time. The Blu-ray is packaged in an attractive cover, all housed inside a slipcase. An amazing film finally looks and sounds stellar in HD, and there shouldn't be much thought going into whether to buy this if you already like the movie.

Resident Evil: Afterlife

2010, US / Germany / France, Directed by Paul W S Anderson
Colour, Running Time: 97 minutes
Review Source: Blu-ray, Region B, Sony; Video: 2.39:1 1080p 24fps 3D, Audio: DTS HD MA

Infilitrating a huge scientific laboratory, Alice massacres her way through to locate Wesker, one of the people at the top of the nefarious Umbrella Corporation.  The ensuing battle results in a mass of bodies and the nuclear destruction of place, just before she hitches on an escaping jet containing Wesker.  Her assassination attempt fails, however, and in the brief struggle she is injected with a cell 'normalisation' serum by the now-superhuman Wesker.  The jet crashes (as Wesker rather foolishly takes his attention away from the non-automated controls to beat up Alice!) as they conclude their combat and Alice is left to roam a barren landscape in search of uninfected humans and a final solution to the organisation responsible for the worldwide mess.  Eventually locating a small aeroplane, along with an unwilling partner, she sets off on an airbound mission in search of a reportedly safe 'town' called Arcadia.  Closing in on her objective she sees a group of people stranded atop a building surrounded by infected, and particularly hungry, crowds.  Crash landing the plane on top of the building Alice and the group have to find a way off the place in order to reach Arcadia, which they can see via binoculars just a few miles away.

Crossing back and forth over genre borders, Afterlife is as much a superhero action movie as it is zombie horror.  The plot outline above could also be summarised as 'Alice and a group of survivors have to find a way from point A to point B in the hope of discovering safety', and the sequences prior to Alice's arrival on top of the building may have formed the opening set up of an RE console game, just before your take control of Alice to find a way out of the place.  But that's really the tradition of this series.  Emotionally as empty as anything the Resident Evil cinematic cycle has to offer, the film is nevertheless a slickly moving pounder of the senses,becoming a constant stimulus for eyesight and ears as it shows off cutting edge film-making technology and highly tuned technical/artistic flair.  It could at many points topple into the category of 'pop/rock video' if not careful but somehow manages to carry its slim plot and lack of emotional enagegment on its visual achievments and sensory pummelling.  Somewhat inspired - consiously or otherwise - by The Matrix, Wesker is modelled embarrassingly closely on the principal 'Agent' of that film, actor Shawn Roberts doing his utmost to out-Hugo Mr Weaving, while elsewhere flo-mo has been perfected and Alice drifts almost serenely through showers of bullets with near balletic poetry.  In fact, slow motion is used so much during the meticulously designed action sequences the film would probably lose ten minutes or so if everything had been played at normal speed!  Strikingly designed Milla Jovovich appears to be quite comfortable in the role of Alice, while everyone else (including the pretty hot Ali Larter from House on Haunted Hill, the first couple of Final Destination films, and Resident Evil: Extinction) function as they should, probably cognizant of the fact that they are never going to be the stars of the show in any Resident Evil film... Speaking of the stars of the show (aside from Alice), the Dead are there in their millions, as is to be expected, and the gore is quite plentiful, though largely of the digital variety as far as I can tell (and all the less offensive for it unfortunately).  By its conclusion you will be aware that this would not fail to lead up to another sequel, which you may actually be tempted to watch, Afterlife essentially being the guilty pleasure that it can be if you switch off your powers of reason.

Complementing the astute visual imaginations of the film-makers themselves, Afterlife was shot in 3D, specifically using the same PACE Fusion cameras that made the equally emotionally void Avatar so powerful an impact upon the eyes.  The Blu-ray is very sharp and near flawless throughout, with a vast palette of colours and plenty of opportunity to marvel at what you're looking at, whether there's anything else to engage the brain or not (thankfully Anderson avoids the use of annoying shaky cam in this film, something that would probably result in any 3D film becoming unwatchable).  The world is enveloping, compounded by the pounding rock soundtrack along with gunfire, explosions, and anything else the DTS HD track wants to throw at you from varying directions.  The BD can be watched in either 3D or 2D so this is the disc to get (rather than the standard 2D Blu-ray), because even if you don't own 3D viewing equipment yet, you should - and when you do you're gonna wanna watch this on it!  A moderately enjoyable film + a stunning AV presentation = a thoroughly fun experience.

Leviathan

1989, US/Italy, Directed by George P. Cosmatos
Colour, Running Time: 94 minutes
Review Source: VHS, PAL, CBS/Fox; Video: 1.33:1, Audio: Stereo

A deep sea mining expedition is thrown slightly off schedule on the discovery of a sunken Russian ship that is reportedly still floating around the ocean as part of a larger fleet - it looks to the crew like it was torpedoed. A remote investigation results in the crew bringing back a stash of items, including a frantic Russian captain's final log (luckily the rig's doctor speaks fluent Russian...) and some alcohol. After sneakily taking a few sips of the quickly confiscated drink a couple of the crew fall ill with skin rashes and nausea, soon after one of them dying in a rather gruesome fashion. Then his corpse begins to mutate before the team leader decides to get the body off board before any infection spreads - but whilst they do manage this, they don't initially realise that a prehensile organism remains on the rig, and it's continuing to mutate at an alarming pace.

Clearly Leviathan was inspired by the likes of Alien and Aliens, throwing in elements of The Thing and Forbidden World just in case anything was missed. In this respect it's not remotely original - the plot is structured in order to lead to anything that was good about those other films, the characters are cut and paste jobs from any Hollywood action film of the period (with nicknames like 'SixPack' and hip - for the 80s - dialogue such as 'go suck on a squid', or something like that), and it features a disgustingly forced 'surprise' climax where you thought it was all over but, hey, it's really not! Aside from all that it's fairly easy to watch, with some lovely effects work from one of the 80s masters of prosthetics, Stan Winston - very gooey and disgusting despite the final monster not quite coming off so well. There are a number of name actors on board - post-Robocop Peter Weller doing a very good job as the skipper, Amanda Pays there to look good (though strangely her character takes showers with her bra and panties on... well at least it saves on washing!), the freaky looking Meg Foster as the bitch who actually gets her comeuppance, Daniel Stern as the prerequisite overly sexed stereotype male - but this is really a B movie at heart, and should only be viewed as such. Jerry Goldsmith is also there to give some credibility to the whole show, although his score is strangely generic. Coincidentally he also scored Alien but the material here invokes no emotion whatsoever - for a man who composed such stunning scores as those for The Omen and Total Recall this is a shame. Still, for monster movie fans this is a sci-fi horror (whose director was best known for Rambo: First Blood Part 2) that will pass some time relatively painlessly, if you don't pay too much attention to its shortcomings.

Re-watching this old video cassette makes one appreciate DVD and Blu-ray again!  The picture is horrifically cropped (from a J-D-C Scope ratio) to 1.33:1, sometimes requiring visible scanning to get essential visual information into view. Colours are washed out and detail vague. What colours are there tend to bleed, especially during the end credits. Audio is servicable. There have been a couple of DVDs released of the film over the years in the US and Europe, however it's surprising to note that there has never been a UK release (to my knowledge). I suspect this film would fare a little better presented properly, though it will never be considered essential.

The People Who Own The Dark

1976, Spain, Directed by Leon Klimovsky
Colour, Running Time: 82 minutes
Review Source: DVD, R1, Code Red; Video: Anamorphic 1.78:1, Audio: DD Mono

A selection of bourgeois individuals gather at an isolated mansion to participate in a series of anonymous (via masks) games where their desires are allowed freedom, aided by the attendance of a group of models and prostitutes.  So far, so promising.  However, the party is broken up by an earthquake-like shock that runs through the house, shaking items from walls, upturning ornaments, etc.  Mystified by the occurrence, the masks quickly come off as they contemplate what just happened, although a scientist present already has some idea.  The landscape outside is strangely desolate as the silence is broken only by a distant warning siren.  Obtaining nothing on the radio the scientist reveals that it's likely an atomic bomb has been detonated a good distance away, but close enough for potential radiation poisoning depending on wind direction, etc - they're advised to stay put while the situation outside sorts itself.   However, whilst most of the guests are healthy, anyone above ground (the others were in the cellar at the time) has gone blind.  When the survivors head down to the nearest village to pilfer some supplies they find hordes of blind people, who are also kind of off their heads with anger - the 'tribes' immediate take a dislike to one another and the mansion is soon under siege from rock-throwing, weapon-wielding crazy people with no good senses of aim.

Último deseo, as the film was less appropriately known in its Spanish territories, was very hard to come by up until recently.  Paul Naschy is present amongst the cast members, but he takes a back seat in comparison to some of the films he's better known for.  I like the way the plot crosses over from a story that would appear to be going in one direction to one that goes somewhere else entirely (sort of in the fashion of From Dusk Til Dawn).  Logic is not at the forefront of the thinking here, but this is Spanish exploitation cinema so that's not a mind-bending shock, and the dialogue/character actions are somewhat questionable in places.  There are factors that work surprisingly well, however.  The minutes following the blast are shrouded in mystery as the characters come to grips with what's happening, and the pause as one character looks across a barren landscape from the mansion balcony hearing nothing but a distant air-raid siren is poignant and eerie.  Furthermore, an inevitable mounting drama unfolds among the group as characters have different ideas on how to survive, and this actually reaches an intensity I didn't expect, particularly in the film's final fifteen minutes or so.  In fact, the conclusion itself was quite a bit darker than anticipated.  The blind people are little on the goofy side but even they eventually prove to be a snowballing threat as their numbers increase and they learn, somehow, where the healthy survivors are holding up.  No doubt you will guess that there are elements of Night of the Living Dead, The Last Man on Earth, and The Earth Dies Screaming within, all these wrapped up nicely within a Euro-horror type of context.  Overlooking the meagre budget, and some of the aforementioned allusions to issues with the blind assailants, dialogue, and character behaviour, there are a few things going on in this film that shape a very worthy ride for the viewer.

After looking forward to locating this film for some time I would say it generally lived up to expectation - certainly I'm extremely glad Code Red took the time to release it.  Apparently, because it's a very limited appeal product, the press run will only extend to 400 copies, plus can only be ordered direct from Code Red (or ebaying sharks determined to rip off film collectors).  The breadth of features is understandably restricted.  A 35mm print was found for the main anamorphic transfer, but condition is rough to say the least - there are scratches and marks throughout, with frames sometimes being lost altogether.  Otherwise detail is actually good when not obscured by print damage.  This makes up the 78 minute version of the film.  There is a slightly longer cut, running around 82 minutes, which has been culled from a video source (labelled on the back as fullscreen, it was more like letterboxed widescreen).  Here there is significantly less damage, but detail is blurred as you would expect with anything coming from VHS.  I sampled the latter (a good couple of minutes of the difference actually occurs during the opening four minutes, where Naschy is seen spending more time shooting birds) but opted to watch the shorter cut - despite the state of the print I found the experience to be more satisfying.  Audio is English language dub and plenty of pops/cracks/hiss abound.  Shame a Spanish language version couldn't be exhumed.  Despite this, I certainly think this is a groovy little piece deserving a position in your collection, and I somehow doubt anybody will be scrubbing this up for a full HD restoration.  Also on the disc are a bunch of nutball trailers for various films that you are unlikely to see at the multiplex.

The Dark Knight Rises

2012, US, Directed by Chris Nolan
Colour, Running Time: 164 minutes
Review Source: Cinema screening; Image: 2.39:1, Anamorphic Panavision/IMAX (select scenes)

The plot takes place several years after the events of The Dark Knight, whereby Batman has effectively vanished after being accused of the murder of Harvey Dent, and Bruce Wayne has become a recluse in his isolated mansion.  Meanwhile a criminally insane masked terrorist by the name of Bane is plotting to release Gotham City from its authoritative constraints and detonate an atomic bomb in the process, this state of system and peace threatening affairs prompting the despondent Wayne to bring Batman out of 'retirement' against the judgement of omnipresent butler Alfred, to confront Bane and hopefully restore order to Gotham.

The synopsis itself is generally what you might expect of a Batman, or indeed any other superhero story.  On the surface, at least, it is made  much more complex by director Nolan's propensity for labyrinthine narrative detail but can, I think, be stripped down to the basic outline above.  There is a strong element of drama as we watch Wayne broken at the beginning, knocked back even further after his first confrontation with Bane, and then rise from near death and the imminent implosion (and explosion) of Gotham to become the Batman we know and love (this arc actually reminds me a little of the Rocky films).  His journey is punctuated with encounters with characters that either care about him, or don't care at the beginning but do later on, the main examples of this being Alfred and 'hothead' cop Blake (whose trajectory you may be able to guess as the film moves into its later stages) in the former case, and Selina/Cat Woman in the latter.  Michael Caine's Alfred is there in some kind of advisory capacity that I think would get on your nerves if you had to live with his guru-like preaching for as long as Wayne has, while Morgan Freeman's Fox makes a welcome return as the enthusiastic technology developer.  Other characters making a re-appearance include Liam Neeson's Ra's Al Ghul (yes, he's dead, but it's more of an apparition/flashback kind of situation), Maggie Gyllenhaal in image only (though it would never take someone with Wayne's monolithic wealth to find another beautiful woman to hitch up with...), and surprisingly, Cillian Murphy as Jonathon Crane, though this is brief.  These inclusions are quite nice as it helps to wrap up the 'trilogy' that this is intended to be, and maintains a pleasing level of continuity between the films.  Of course, what's most noticeable with this final outing (until Warner revive it with another team anyway), as with pretty much all of Nolan's features, is the extremely far-fetched nature of the proceedings along with vast lapses in logic (in fact there is a complete absence of logic in places), but you have to question whether you can put your belief on the back burner whilst watching - if you can't then you probably won't have too much fun watching it.  Why we really want to watch these films though is because of the action sequences, and these are as monstrous as they get, with a substantial chunk of violence smashing its way through the screen (no doubt on course to attracting complaints from idiotic parents who take their sub-12 year old kids in without asking whether it may even be suitable for their developing minds), and the obligatory appearance of bulky vehicles of mass destruction - nothing beats the funky design of the old 60s batmobile in my opinion though!  It's appropriately epic, overblown, and slightly corny in places, but is a pretty enjoyable way to conclude a very attention-grabbing series.

I saw Dark Knight at what was then the IMAX cinema in Birmingham in 2008, and was blown away by the periodic use of 70mm footage - this material opened up from the traditional scope ratio to fill the screen with an astonishingly detailed 1.44:1 image, before switching back to the widescreen 35mm stuff.  Of course, the new movie has had about 70 minutes of its running time shot with the huge cameras - Nolan is one of the film world's biggest fans of the super resolution format - and I was expecting more of the same.  Material shot on IMAX, as you probably know, captures several times the amount of visual information as that of normal (35mm) film - the effect on a big screen is stunning.  The IMAX screen in Birmingham 'de-branded' itself a while ago and became known as 'The Giant Screen' and a couple of screenings I've recently attended have been impressive.  What they have done in the process is install a 4K digital projector (in addition to changing the dimensions of the screen itself to the more standard 1.85:1 whilst retaining the approximate size).  Unfortunately it is apparent that they now no longer have the capability to run genuine IMAX film through a suitable projector, and what we got was a very strong image at a consistent 2.39:1 for The Dark Knight Rises, but it did not open up to the full height for the IMAX-shot sequences.  The IMAX film footage therefore is really downscaled to 4K for this, and other conventional cinemas - what we've lost in the process of not showing the film in its intended format is the impact of the increased resolution that was captured during shooting, therefore admittedly I felt a bit cheated.  It's still a better experience at The Giant Screen than at your average multiplex cinema, but it wasn't the full experience, and one of the thrills of Dark Knight was seeing this footage for key sequences in all its glory (something which, to an extent, has even been captured on the Blu-ray).  That was lost here, which is a huge shame, as I'm now wishing that we still had a genuine IMAX cinema in Birmingham, instead of just a very large screen with a great projection system - believe it or not, it's not the same, and there is a difference when it comes to real IMAX.

Alien 2 - On Earth

1980, Italy, Directed by Ciro Ippolito
Colour, Running Time: 84 minutes
Review Source: Blu-ray, Region A, Midnight Legacy; Video: 1.85:1 1080p 24fps, Audio: DTS-HD

A young girl goes wandering across the beach during a family holiday and foolishly attempts to satisfy piqued curiosity upon discovering some kind of pulsating ‘blob’. A short while later, after heading off to look for her, the mother is somewhat distraught to find the daughter whimpering with half of her face missing. Elsewhere a party of initially intrepid cave explorers is preparing for a mission to descend into a vast array of dangerous underground caverns when one of their number discovers a scattering of unusual rocks - he decides to keep one of them. Once beneath ground, and separated from the rest of mankind, not only do they become hopelessly lost but it’s not long before the rock turns out to be something of extraterrestrial origin and people start disappearing as they realise that there’s something inhuman down there with them, something decidedly alien, hostile, and unsympathetic towards human survival.

Long before The Descent there was Alien 2 - On Earth. Okay, they’re not identical twins (and fans of the former may consider the latter to simply be low budget trash) but neither are they a million miles apart. The original Italian title (Alien 2 Sulla Terra) would suggest a sly attempt to cash in on Alien. Plot is as straightforward as it gets: group of people explore caves and die one by one at the hands of an unearthly terror. Therein partly lies the problem - much of the first hour fundamentally focuses on the party endlessly meandering the admittedly striking caverns (these are no sets!) and it can drag a little. If you’re in the right mood it does have a fair amount of atmosphere (the quirky but typically Italian score sometimes adding to this) and there have been occasions when I’ve enjoyed this slow moving film. Aside from a fun appearance by the omnipresent Michele Soavi, there are a number of pretty bloody deaths punctuating the endless searching of underground passages but one thing that the film-makers seemed to have tapped into is the potential claustrophobic terror of being lost in a subterranean world, monstrous being in pursuit or no monstrous being in pursuit - when they realise they’re hopelessly lost there is a creeping feeling of genuine fear that the viewer can possibly identify with on a pure instinctive level (and surely that’s where fear itself largely has its roots?), even after never having been lost beneath the earth‘s surface for oneself! Where the boredom is really put to sleep, however, is when one of the characters finally manages to break free, only to find a deserted city above ground suggesting that the extraterrestrial threat has infiltrated Earth on a much more catastrophic level. It’s quite potent and almost epic, but the film unfortunately fails to take it much further, this perhaps being a remnant of features such as Zombi 2 (or the cash suddenly running out!), where the world is on the verge of the apocalypse just before the end credits interrupt. Nevertheless, in my opinion there are factors that prevent Alien 2 being simply consignable to the dustbin.

I picked this up in the late nineties on the old (early eighties, I think) VTC cassette, the feature here being entitled Alien Terror - once available separately, it was smartly paired up here with the classic (depending on your view…) Nightmare City, making a cool double bill. It was a large and chunky video box with OTT artwork emblazoned across the cover. In addition both films actually looked surprisingly clean and detailed, for the VHS format, especially considering the tape was a few decades old. While NC was definitely censored, AT was possibly uncut (though I can‘t be certain). One strange thing about the aspect ratio on the VTC release of AT: there is stock footage used throughout the earlier half of the film (kind of in the fashion of Ed Wood's approach of "use anything") but while the movie itself was letterboxed at about 1.66:1, the stock footage was pillarboxed fullscreen - this struck me as quite odd. Midnight Legacy kind of shocked people who knew anything about this film by announcing a Blu-ray release around 2010/11, and even more shocking is that the film looks blinking beautiful on this disc. Consistently framed at 1.85:1, and possibly containing a slightly different cut compared to the original UK tape, the image here is realistically colourful and highly detailed (for the main footage - the stock material looks very rough and it always will), occasionally looking almost as vivid as a more recent, higher budgeted film. Limited extras (a trailer and some stripped-out footage) aside, they've bravely taken the time to have a minimal-fanbase movie mastered in an extremely respectful manner, something which should have been a sign of things to come; alas, they seem to have vanished (hopefully not permanently) in times of very low returns. Real shame that people aren't open minded enough to pick this stuff up instead of (or as well as) big US films, though I guess the fact that not too many people like Alien 2 even in the cult world doesn't help! I think the film, despite being a little boring in places, has its merits, and for the fan of Italian horror this Blu-ray has to be on your shelf.

Prometheus

2012, US, Directed by Ridley Scott
Colour, Running Time: 124 minutes
Review Source: Cinema screening; Image: 2.35:1, Redcode RAW 3D (Digital)

So, was this film supposed to be a sequel to the Alien series? A prequel? Something vaguely related? Or something with nothing at all to do with the acid-blood monsters from the outer regions of the cosmos? Amidst the pre-release hype I began to lose track, thus - interested in the latest Ridley Scott sci-fi project either way - I stopped watching the trailers (which tend to show too much in my opinion) and finally sat back to enjoy a film whose direction I wasn't entirely sure of. To keep the plot down to spoiler-free level I would relay to potential viewers the following details: Towards the end of the 21st century two anthropologists have found further evidence in cave paintings that suggests ancient knowledge of planetary coordinates in the galaxy that could link mankind to his creator. Several years on and an intergalactic science mission is funded to determine the validity of the evidence - a long distance trip to another world aboard 'Prometheus'; in simple terms, a quest to meet the maker. Coming out of a two year hyper sleep, an exploratory expedition across the world's landscape does indeed reveal remains of alien activity on the surface (and beneath), however, the findings prove to be increasingly threatening and not quite as expected.

The opening minutes actually take place on a windswept alien domain and mysteriously set up a taster for what's to come: a humanoid consumes a compound that breaks down and transforms his genetic structure as a spacecraft takes off for the stars. This sequence combined with what follows epitomises what science fiction is all about in my eyes: it reinstates a sense of wonder about the future, the undiscovered universe, and its multitude of theoretically inhabitable planets. It creates such a tangible environment (no doubt helped along by the 3D projection - more on that below) that your consciousness is drawn into the world devised by the artists; you want to be a part of it. Despite the fact that it's a decidedly hostile terrain that is. There are some mutterings about this being a limited story, and that may be the case, but what it might lack in narrative complexity (which, as far as I'm concerned, isn't a cinematic pre-requisite anyway) it makes up for in wonderment and the sheer scope of its core concept. And to not be interested in such a concept - the question of mankind's origins (evolution is still only theory after all) - would require a head made of wood. Aside from the vastness of the question it asks, and partly attempts to answer, there are many science fiction trappings present and accounted for here, including the Alien series favourite, the inclusion of a human-like robot as part of the crew. Ironically, Michael Fassbender's android character is possibly the most fascinating out of the otherwise human crew - while his 'peers' are in hyper sleep he spends his months educating himself on human history. Essentially he's trying to find out as much as possible about his creators, just as they are about theirs. There are many more imaginative ideas revolving around technology (for example, the brilliant levitating reconnaissance devices that progressively build a holographic three dimensional map of any structure they're released in), the abundance of which endangers the focus of the film itself admittedly. Unlike many of today's Hollywood products, the characters aren't excessively dislikable (even the hard-hearted ship's commander played by Charlize Theron doesn't irritate like it should) and Noomi Rapace, who plays what is arguably the film's anchoring character, is refreshingly imperfect. The question you may be asking is, how does this film tie in to the Alien franchise? It's one I won't answer as I think this journey is far more rewarding when embarked upon without prior notice of what's likely to happen. I will, however, state that the final moments sent a cold chill through my nervous system: this is one film where I actually want there to be a sequel. It's pleasing to see Ridley Scott once again reshaping the science fiction genre, as he has on a couple of prominent occasions before.

Viewing this film as a digital 3D projection in a suitably advanced cinema is an incredibly gratifying experience (for the record I saw this at Birmingham's amazing Giant Screen, formerly branded as Imax) - the visuals and special effects of Prometheus are second to none, the planet and surrounding space created with inspiring design and realisation. A convincing landscape is made all the more so with the stunning addition of a natively shot third dimension (notably superior to a recent screening at the same cinema of the post-processed Avengers Assemble - or just Avengers to those outside England). With a potent surround mix this is a satisfyingly enveloping experience, one that should leave you walking out of the cinema feeling thrilled and in awe of what has been achieved here. This is something that is all too uncommon these days. Highly recommended as a cinema viewing, though I'll be in the queue for the Blu-ray too without a doubt.