Our Pick of the Week Will Have You Saying “So Fetch” for Days

Pick of the Week

Mean Girls – 20th Anniversary [4K UHD]

What is it? The new girl in school hangs out with the cool kids.

Why see it? This Tina Fey-penned comedy remains the pinnacle of her feature film work, and while its 90s elements and dialogue are now dated the film’s observations, humor, and characters are as timely as ever. A high school comedy about fitting in and finding yourself, Mean Girls finds numerous laughs in relatable situations and interactions that ring memory bells for most of us in one way or the other. And look at this cast! Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, Lizzy Caplan, Amy Poehler, and Fey herself all do great work, as does a wickedly good Rachel McAdams as they big bad mean girl herself.

[Extras: Commentary, featurettes, gag reel, deleted scenes]

The Best

Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors [4K UHD, Vinegar Syndrome]

What is it? An Amicus anthology!

Why see it? The folks at Amicus were kings of the horror anthology back in the day with titles like Torture Garden (1967) and Asylum (1972) making memories for genre fans. This effort from 1965 isn’t quite as beloved, but it’s a great time all the same as genre legends lead the way though five stories of varying degrees of fun. Peter Cushing is the mysterious man at the center of it all, and he’s joined by Christopher Lee, Donald Sutherland, and more. I’m most partial to the hand and vampire segments (in addition to the connective tissue), but there’s a good time across the board. Vinegar’s new 4K looks great offering rich detail and color, and the Blu is loaded with extras.

[Extras: New 4K restoration, commentary, featurettes]

Drift

What is it? A refugee finds ups and downs in her new life.

Why see it? Anthony Chen’s feature is a beautifully shot drama celebrating courage and resilience that also weighs heavy on your soul. That’s a good thing, a sign of a well-crafted film, but it’s a lot. The heart of the film is its lead, Cynthia Erivo, who delivers a performance that immediately takes hold. Her story details are kept tight to the chest, but her past suffering is clear. Equally evident is the sunny calm of the Greek island she’s made her new home. It’s a study in contrasts, the outer tranquility and her inner pain, and the result is an affecting experience.

[Extras: Commentary]

Kin-dza-dza! [Deaf Crocodile]

What is it? Two strangers are abducted by aliens and transported to a strangely infuriating world.

Why see it? Comedy is the most subjective of genres, and that’s doubly true when you’re dealing with a Russian sci-fi film from the 80s. This one goes even further by being as dryly comic as they come earning laughs with exchanges and deliveries that hang in the air with hilarity. It won’t be to every taste, but the wit and creativity on display here, not to mention the ingenuity given the film’s small budget, make for a sci-fi adventure sure to please fans of Douglas Adams and Kurt Vonnegut. Visuals entertain, but the dialogue and delivery reign supreme for those willing to go along for the ride.

[Extras: New restoration, interviews, commentary]

Lady Reporter aka The Blonde Fury [Vinegar Syndrome]

What is it? An undercover FBI agent fights baddies in Hong Kong.

Why see it? While Cynthia Rothrock’s American movies leave me mostly cold, her Hong Kong output remains supreme. Of those HK films, Rothrock’s best performance is right here as she gives a fun, playful turn in a similarly aligned movie. The action thrills with plenty of fights and stunts showcasing Rothrock’s mad skills, and the story offers up plenty of good times with its typical silliness. This is her first lead role, and she shows why she was a big deal for action fans in the 80s and early 90s — she arguably should have been even bigger, but we’ll take what we can get.

[Extras: New restoration, theatrical and export versions, commentary, interviews]

True Love [KL Studio Classics]

What is it? A story of love and marriage, Italian-American style.

Why see it? Nancy Savoca won big at 1989’s Sundance film festival with this look into a young couple’s ups and downs in the lead up to their wedding. Part drama, part comedy, the film follows their personal tribulations as well as their interactions with friends and family. It’s a universal tale that anyone can relate to, but Savoca sets the film within an Italian-American community giving the characters and events a more specific angle. The community comes to life here, but the heart sits at the center with the great Annabella Sciorra and Ron Eldard playing the couple. Like I said, it’s fun at times, but it never shies away from the struggle that is relationships. Savoca’s most acclaimed film remains 1991’s Dogfight, and she hasn’t made a feature since 2011, but her filmography is one worth exploring.

[Extras: Commentary, interviews]

The Rest

Bluebeard [KL Studio Classics]

What is it? A tale of a mad artist!

Why see it? John Carradine stars — young, but still looking as menacing as ever — as an artist who loves ’em and leaves ’em… floating in the Seine. Often described as a noir, the film is more of a thriller about the efforts to stop a madman. It’s no lost classic, but director Edgar Ulmer finds some suspenseful beats and spooky shadows to play around in.

[Extras: New 4K scan, commentaries]

Daniel Isn’t Real

What is it? A young man’s imaginary friend might not be a very good friend after all.

Why see it? There are more than a few films about imaginary friends, but Adam Egypt Mortimer’s film takes a more horrifying tact than most. The unreal Daniel has a secret of her own, and it’s a pretty good reveal. That and the film’s ending are the highpoints here, but too much of the rest walks a fine line between obnoxious misunderstandings — people think Luke is crazy! — and a rough approach to mental health — maybe Luke is crazy! It could work, but the bigger issue here is a lead performance that struggles to earn our empathy.

[Extras: Featurettes, commentaries, deleted scenes]

The Great Land of Small

What is it? A little magical man comes to Earth in search of good people.

Why see it? The fifth entry in the Canadian film series, Tales for All, is a low budget fantasy from the 80s that should still appeal to young kids with patience. It was a different time, and most kids won’t have the stamina, but those who do might just enjoy the silliness of it all. The other audience quadrant will be those who remember the film from their own childhood, but that will have to a strong feeling of nostalgia. Michael J. Anderson plays the little guy, and he remains as enigmatic of a performer as you recall from Twin Peaks.

[Extras: New restoration, commentary, interviews, featurettes, short film, student film]

The House Where Death Lives aka Delusion [Vinegar Syndrome]

What is it? A nurse has a nightmare of a time on a home care gig.

Why see it? A young woman takes a job offering home health care for a rich old man, but his mansion holds secrets that soon lead to murder. Joseph Cotten is the old guy bringing a dash of low-key class to the proceedings, but he’s a minor player in a sea of baddies, weirdos, and the sole innocent. The film is being sold as an early slasher, but the slow pacing and lack of real kill thrills makes for something of a near slog. The film looks good and finds some atmosphere, but it still doesn’t amount to much.

[Extras: New 4K restoration, commentary, interviews]

Kinski’s Paganini [Vinegar Syndrome]

What is it? An ugly vanity project.

Why see it? Klaus Kinski was, by all accounts, an absolutely terrible man, and it turns out he’s also a terrible director. He is, however, an engaging screen presence, and that — combined with an abundance of female nudity — is all that prevents this underwhelming effort from boring viewers. Incapable of finding an interesting shot, Kinski instead has his camera focus on him and the women at his disposal as he attempts to deliver a biopic of sorts on the legendary violinist. I do salute him for choosing not to learn a single damn thing about holding or playing a violin before setting off on this endeavor.

[Extras: New 2K restoration, commentary, interviews, director’s cut, behind the scenes]

Madame Web [4K UHD]

What is it? Her mother was studying spiders in the Amazon.

Why see it? Look, there were obviously issues during this film’s production (pre and post included), and the script maybe needed a few more passes, but it is far from the disastrous waste of time that y’all led me to believe. The script is hilarious with some highly quotable lines, and while most of the cast feel only half committed, Dakota Johnson is an absolute joy. Her disbelief of what her character’s saying and going through is good fun and comes through in her performance. It more than makes up for the nonsensical plot and underwhelming action scenes too, because at the end of the day, it’s entertainment and fun we’re after — and Johnson makes sure we get both.

[Extras: Gag reel, featurettes, deleted scene]

Mean Girls [4K UHD]

What is it? A musical remake!

Why see it? There’s an understandable urge to remake the 90s original with updated lingo and character beats, but this go round instead chooses to morph the teen comedy into a musical experience. Well, a partial musical experience? Chunks of it play out like a “regular” movie while others descend into musical set pieces and sequences, and while the songs are occasionally catchy the whole just doesn’t quite jive together. Still, there are some laughs, and Angourie Rice is a charismatic lead with sharp comic timing. Fans should give it a spin knowing full well that the original is still available.

[Extras: Featurettes, gag reel, music video]

Mom n Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the 80s/90s!

What is it? A documentary about the video stores that Blockbuster killed.

Why see it? We’ve had more than a few documentaries recently (new ones or newly released to disc) about our collective analog past, and this is one of them. The subject here is the non-chain video stores that used to dot the landscape, stores not beholden to corporate mandates, stores that made discovering new film favorites an exciting social prospect. The doc looks backwards, but we also get spotlights put on some stores still standing, ones that have found their niche and their neighborhood. It’s an interesting watch for physical media fans.

[Extras: Commentary, interviews, music video]

Quantum Cowboys

What is it? Two men, one woman, and a whole lot of science.

Why see it? The film itself an interesting exercise in mixing, matching, and contrasting art and science, but the two biggest draws right off the bat are Lily Gladstone — seriously, just watch everything she’s in — and the film’s creative use of various animation styles. Gladstone speaks for herself, but the animation is its own treat as nearly every style of the art form sees the light here. It’s all in service of a story exploring ideas about time, quantum theory, and the role that art and creativity play in our existence. It’s heady stuff that doesn’t always work in context, but more filmmakers should take big swings like this.

[Extras: Deleted scenes, Q&A]

Singapore Sling [Vinegar Syndrome]

What is it? A tale of madness, abuse, and viscera.

Why see it? The filmmaker made this thinking it was a comedy, but the world’s reaction suggested that maybe wasn’t the case. I lean a bit towards his own interpretation, though, as the film is arguably too over the top and ridiculous making it difficult to take even remotely serious. A mother and daughter, both out of their gourds, seduce, abuse, and murder anyone who enters their home — that’s it, that’s the thrust of the story here — and if you’re intrigued by that, just know that this Greek feature is shot in black & white and features numerous long takes of violence, torture, and other inappropriate behaviors. It’s humorous in its excess, but it’s still a very grueling watch.

[Extras: New 4K restoration, documentary, interviews]

Specters & Maya [Vinegar Syndrome]

What is it? Two Italian monster movies from Marcello Avallone.

Why see it? If you don’t recognize Marcello Avallone as an Italian genre filmmaker of note, well, there’s a reason for that. He made some saucy romps, but these two creature features are probably the better known in his filmography, and it’s easy to see why. Donald Pleasance co-stars in Specters, and while it’s clear he did it for the free European vacation, he’s still always a welcome sight. The film itself is a basic tale of people opening a gateway to something bad underground and then paying the price. Meh. Maya came two years later with a pretty similar setup as people open things they shouldn’t, but there’s more of an effort on character work. That’s not necessarily a good thing. Anyway, if you’re an Avallone fan, this is a solid release.

[Extras: New 2K restorations, commentaries, interviews]

Starting Over [KL Studio Classics]

What is it? A Burt Reynolds comedy.

Why see it? You don’t expect to see this kind of collaboration — Burt Reynolds in the lead, James L. Brooks behind the typewriter, and Alan J. Pakula in the director’s chair — and yet, here we are. The result is a mixed bag even as each of the three elements seems strong on their own. Collectively, though, the three disparate talents don’t completely mesh making for a film that works well enough but never lets any of the three shine. Reynolds comes closest and gives a performance finding humor and pathos, but it’s ultimately Jill Clayburgh and Canice Bergen who steal the show.

[Extras: New 4K scan, commentary]

Story of a Junkie [Vinegar Syndrome]

What is it? A story of a junkie.

Why see it? New York City in the 80s was a thing of ugly beauty, and there are numerous films that succeed at capturing the sights, sounds, and smells of a city that never sleeps but has nightmares all the same. This mid 80s effort is one of the bleaker films to follow that path, but that’s not necessarily an achievement as it comes at the cost of disconnect with viewers. The film takes a somewhat documentary-like approach capturing the downward spiral of a man without finding the character or soul of it all. It’s an experience and highlights a time and a place we’ll never see again, but that alone doesn’t make good movies.

[Extras: New 4K restoration, interviews, soundtrack cd]

The Tunnel [Umbrella]

What is it? An old subway tunnel holds a dark secret.

Why see it? I know I’m talking to a brick wall when it comes to these things, but if you’re going to make a found footage/faux doc film — and there are some great ones — you should really try to follow the format you’ve chosen. This Australian effort sets itself up nicely, and the back half features some intense night vision beats, but it shoots itself in the foot tension-wise. Breaks to talking heads undercut the momentum and atmosphere, janky digital glitches scream “post!”, and the camera element is just rarely convincing. Again, a couple nice moments here, but it can’t maintain them.

[Extras: Commentary, documentaries, Q&A, alternate ending]

Witch Story [4K UHD, Vinegar Syndrome]

What is it? A group of friends enjoy a weekend in a house where a witch once lived.

Why see it? The premise and setup here suggest some fun times ahead for fans of films like Demon Wind and Spookies — both legit genre classics — but the actual end result is something far less fun. It’s those movies, but without the cool creature designs, fun practical effects, entertaining characters, or legit comedy. Some bloodletting at the end here almost saves it, almost, but we’re left settling only for Vinegar’s new 4K UHD looking pretty great for the age and obscurity.

[Extras: New 4K restoration, commentary, interviews, documentary]

Also out this week:

Dogfight [Criterion], Hey Folks! It’s the Intermission Time Video Party [AGFA], Mad Props, Misunderstood [Radiance], Ocean’s Trilogy [4K UHD], Ordinary Angels, The Other Dimension and the Films of Fabio Salerno, Out in the Ring, Phantasmagoria, Promised Land, The Shape of Night [Radiance], The Spirit of ’45, The Tin Star [Arrow], What Rhymes With Reason