New on Home Video: “The Maltese Falcon” 4K Ultra HD

April 2, 2023 by Keith Garlington

As part of the year-long celebration of Warner Bros. Studio’s 100th anniversary, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has announced “The Maltese Falcon” for the first time in 4K resolution and High Dynamic Range (HDR). This Humphrey Bogart film noir classic originally released in 1941 and marked the memorable directorial debut for the great John Huston. The film still holds up extremely well, and this beautiful new edition highlights many of the reasons why. Read my full review of the film HERE.

This 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital edition of “The Maltese Falcon” hits shelves April 4th, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and features breakdown of this brand new combo-pack.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

Year: 1941

Rating: NR

Runtime: 101 minutes

Directors: John Huston

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter MacLane, Lee Patrick, Ward Bond, Jerome Cowen

Academy Award winner Humphrey Bogart stars in this classic film noir as tough San Francisco private detective Sam Spade in the classic, convoluted story of Spade’s involvement with a deadly band of international thieves who will lie, double cross and murder to obtain a small, jewel-encrusted statue known as The Maltese Falcon. Sam Spade’s (Bogart) partner, Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan), accepts a job protecting a young woman (Mary Astor). Neither Spade nor Archer believe the woman or the story she tells them, but they do believe her money. Then, when Archer is murdered, Spade’s search for the killer drags him in the web of lies and death spun by the desperate people seeking The Maltese Falcon.

The 1941 film is directed by John Huston in his directorial debut. The screenplay is by Huston and is based on the 1930 novel by Dashiell Hammett. The film stars Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, and Sydney Greenstreet.

The Maltese Falcon was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Sydney Greenstreet) and Best Adapted Screenplay (John Huston). Considered one of the greatest films of all time, it was one of the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress to be included in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

BONUS FEATURES

The Maltese Falcon Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

Commentary by Eric Lax
“Warner Night at the Movies”
- “Sergeant York” Trailer
- “New Highlights of the Roosevelt Churchill Parley” (newsreel)
- “The Gay Parisian” (1941 WB short)
- “Meet John Doughboy” (1941 WB cartoon)
The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Brid
Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart
Breakdowns of 1941 (WB short)
Make-up Tests
2/8/43 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast
9/20/43 Screen Guild Theater Broadcast
7/3/46 Academy Award Theater Broadcast
Trailers
- 1936 “Satan Met a Lady”
- 1941 “The Maltese Falcon”

Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French

Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French

REVIEW: “Murder Mystery 2” (2023)

March 31, 2023 by Keith Garlington

(CLICK HERE to read my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

It can be a little challenging to understand Netflix’s metrics for what constitutes a financial success on their platform. To my knowledge the streaming leader hasn’t really opened up about their formula. But rather than box office ticket sales, they seem to mostly rely on viewer counts, click rates, and (of course) revenue, specifically new subscribers coinciding with an original film’s release. And most certainly production budgets have to figure in.

Some believe reviews play a part, which is funny considering Netflix signed and extended a lucrative development deal with Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions whose films are routinely hammered by critics. Obviously it’s because Sandler’s films are (by some measure) profitable. Take his 2019 comedy “Murder Mystery”. While I don’t think Netflix ever formally announced the film’s production budget, they did share that it broke a number of the platform’s streaming records at the time despite a pretty tepid reception from critics.

But whether on the big screen or a streaming service, we live in an age of sequels which leads to “Murder Mystery 2”, the latest lightweight Sandler concoction that sees him and several of his friends enjoying more vacation time on Netflix’s dime. This time it’s to the Caribbean and Paris. That means we’re guaranteed some gorgeous sun-soaked island vistas and the beautiful sites of the City of Lights. Unfortunately that’s about all we get.

“Murder Mystery” wasn’t a great movie, but it wasn’t a terrible watch either. In fact, it had its moments and was significantly more tolerable than much of what has come out of the Happy Madison camp. But nothing about its slack and uninspired sequel clicks. It feels as if Sandler and company are simply cashing checks and coasting. There’s no doubt the cast is having a good time. Unfortunately the fun they seem to be having doesn’t exactly carry over to us.

Following the events of the first film, husband and wife Nick (Sandler) and Audrey (Aniston) Spitz have quit their jobs and gone into the private detecting business. But unfortunately for them, business hasn’t been good. Audrey thinks they need to be officially licensed if they want to make it as private dicks. Nick thinks all they need is better marketing. It never occurred to them that maybe they simply aren’t very good at it. Regardless, their struggles has led to some tension in their marriage.

Then they get a call from The Maharajah (Adeel Akhtar), a billionaire Indian businessman and wannabe rapper from the first film. He tells them he’s about to get married to a French woman named Claudette (Mélanie Laurent – how did she get involved in this?) and invites them for an all expenses paid stay on his private island to attend their wedding. Mutually agreeing that they need a break from “work”, Nick and Audrey take his offer and are whisked away on their posh tropical getaway.

Things seem to be going great until the night of the bride and groom’s extravagant rehearsal dinner. A bodyguard is murdered and the Maharajah is kidnapped and taken off the island. Without much thought, Nick and Audrey immediately deduce that someone on the inside is working with the kidnappers. Their list of suspects includes the soon-to-be married Claudette, the Maharajah’s antisocial sister Saira (Kuhoo Verma), a womanizing former soccer player Francisco (Enrique Arce), and a snooty rich countess named Sekou (Jodie Turner-Smith).

Returning screenwriter James Vanderbilt attempts to give each suspect some semblance of a motive. But he and director Jeremy Garelick (replacing Kyle Newacheck) spend so little time on developing their characters (and even less on their story) that it’s impossible to invest much into any supposed mystery. Things only get worse when Nick and Audrey jaunt off to Paris, working with SAS Agent Miller (Mark Strong in a thankless role) to lure out the kidnappers.

After inundating us with lazy gags, lame stereotypes, and unoriginal plot turns, everything culminates in a hopelessly silly action sequence at the Eiffel Tower where the very few pieces of the mystery come together in the most unimaginative way possible. And if that wasn’t enough, the movie ultimately ends with a shamelessly cheap cliffhanger that turns out to be a fitting nail in the coffin of this paper-thin and woefully unfunny whodunnit. “Murder Mystery 2” premieres today on Netflix.

VERDICT – 1.5 STARS

First Glance: “Master Gardner”

March 30, 2023 by Keith Garlington

High on my 2023 anticipated list is “Master Gardner”, the new crime thriller written and directed by Paul Schrader. I’m always onboard for a new Schrader film, and his last two movies behind the camera (“First Reformed” and “The Card Counter”) were among my favorites from their years. The film had its world premiere last September at the Venice International Film Festival. With its official release nearing, a new trailer has dropped and I love what we’re shown.

Joel Edgerton plays a brilliant and devoted horticulturist who works at an extravagant garden estate owned by a dignified dowager played by Sigourney Weaver. When the gardener is forced to take on his employer’s troubled niece niece (Quintessa Swindell), dark secrets from his past slowly start to boil to the surface. From the trailer it’s clear that Schrader is taking his story to some interesting places. And Edgerton looks to be a perfect fit for the role he’s taking on. I can’t wait to see it.

“Master Gardener” hits theaters May 19th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

First Glance: “Asteroid City”

March 29, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Wes Anderson is….an acquired taste. And it’s a taste that I have fully acquired. His movies have their very own style and his humor resembles no other. His upcoming movie “Asteroid City” looks, feels, and sounds like a Wes Anderson movie. From color palette, to wacky setting, to an A-list cast of Anderson regulars. There’s also some compelling new faces that should be a lot of fun. Yesterday Focus Features dropped the official movie poster. Today they shared the first trailer and it’s pretty incredible. Wes Anderson fans rejoice.

“Asteroid City” takes place in a tiny American desert town during the 1950s as parents and students from across the country gather for a Junior Stargazer convention. It starts as a well-meaning event to promote scholarly competition and to commemorate a particularly funny past event. But it turns to chaos after something resembling an alien encounter ends up with the town being quarantined. A veritable who’s who of talent pop up in the trailer including Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Maya Hawke, and Jason Schwartzman. The film also features Margot Robbie, Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Bryan Cranston, Hong Chau, and Adrien Brody among others. I’ll be there on opening day.

“Asteroid City” lands in theaters on June 16th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Movie Poster Spotlight: “Asteroid City”

March 29, 2023 by Keith Garlington

A new Wes Anderson movie is always going to be on my must-see list. His latest feature “Asteroid City” is looking to be right up my alley. The film is set in a fictional American desert town circa 1955 where students and their parents from across the country gather for an annual junior Stargazer convention. An eye-catching group of Anderson regulars and some striking new faces fill out the star-studded cast. Meanwhile the setting and concept alone looks to be prime territory for a Wes Anderson comedy. With the first trailer landing today, Anderson and Focus Features have dropped the movie poster. Whatcha think?

DIRECTOR – Wes Anderson

WRITER – Wes Anderson

STARRING – Tilda Swinton, Tom Hanks, Adrien Brody, Margot Robbie, Rupert Friend, Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, Jeff Goldblum, Hope Davis, Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schreiber, Tony Revolori, Matt Dillon, Edward Norton, Steve Park, Willen Dafoe, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Hong Chau, Jake Ryan, Fisher Stevens, Sophia Lillis

RELEASE – June 16, 2023

REVIEW: “Tetris” (2023)

March 28, 2023 by Keith Garlington

I remember when I first played Tetris, the simple yet joyously addictive puzzle game created in 1984 by Soviet-born computer engineer Alexey Pajitnov. In 1989 the game came packed with Nintendo’s ambitious Game Boy hand-held game console. I was instantly hooked. Between it and a version released a few months later for Nintendo’s home console, there’s no telling how many hundreds of hours I’ve spent rotating and placing blocks in what would become one of the best selling video games of all-time.

But it’s what went on behind the game that turns out to be the most fascinating, specifically what it took to bring Tetris beyond the volatile Iron Curtain. The new fittingly named film “Tetris” from director Jon S. Baird sets out to tell that story. Noah Pink’s knock-out script drops us into the dull sounding world of licensing and publishing rights. But together with Baird, the two unwrap this remarkable true story that plays like a political, an espionage, and a corporate thriller all wrapped into one.

“Tetris” is a riveting film that’s sure to speak to any long-time fan of the game itself or the video game industry. There’s lots of fun industry lingo. There are some terrific 8-bit pixelated vignettes and title cards. There are some cool nods to early video game development. And there’s some rich history that serves as a window into the time when video games were exploding and on their way to becoming the lucrative entertainment juggernaut they are today.

But “Tetris” is also for anyone who simply loves good storytelling and filmmaking. Pink’s script is full of twists and turns. It’s ripe with corporate collusion, shaky loyalties, even shakier ethics, and shifting allegiances. But it also plays like a windy Cold War spy thriller, tapping into all sorts of late 1980s era political and cultural history. Baird attacks it all with a go-for-broke zest, infusing the film with a playful yet propulsive energy. It all makes for a funny, absorbing, and at times surprisingly thrilling ride.

The mostly real-life characters are portrayed by a fantastic cast led by the wonderfully vibrant Taron Egerton. He plays Henk Rogers and we first meet him at the 1988 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. He’s there to sell his not-so-great video game GO to any interested parties. The problem is, there are no interested parties. Even his own salesgirl has ditched him for another game just a few spaces over. That’s where Henk is introduced to Tetris and he’s instantly smitten by the seemingly simple game of falling tetriminoes.

Seeing dollar signs, Henk uses the money he borrowed from the bank to fund his own failed video game and snatches up the PC and arcade rights for Tetris. But he quickly learns that obtaining licensing and distribution rights for a game made in the crumbling Soviet Union isn’t as easy as writing a check. And as word about the game spreads, Henk finds himself in a ruthless race against two other Western rivals to lockup Tetris, most notably the potentially bankable handheld rights that would allow it to be distributed with Nintendo’s new Game Boy console.

Racing against Henk is businessman Robert Stein, (Toby Jones), the owner of the British company Andromeda Software. Also in the hunt is billionaire media tycoon Robert Maxwell (Roger Allum) and his entitled son Kevin (Anthony Boyle). Before long Henk, Stein, and the younger Maxwell are in communist Moscow courting the game’s creator, Alexey Pajitnov (portrayed by Nikita Efremov), a kindhearted programmer at the Soviet Computer Science Center. But more than him they need the ok of the Soviet government, and that’s no easy ask.

Soon the determined Henk and company are trying to win over a high-ranking government official (Igor Grabuzov), dodging a menacing yet undeniably greedy KGB agent (Oleg Shtedanko), figuring out a mysterious translation specialist (Sofya Lebedeva), and even convincing Mikhail Gorbachev himself (Matthew Marsh). The supporting cast does a great job bringing to life these characters, some with comically massive personalities. But the performances hit their marks, and Baird gives them plenty of scenes to shine.

I do wish more time had been given to Henk’s savvy and reasonably concerned wife Kimmy (a really good Ayana Nagabuchi). And it’s easy to get lost in all the heavy corporate chatter about licensing agreements and distribution rights. Thankfully the snappy pacing doesn’t give us time to dwell on how little it makes sense at times. And it’s so much fun bouncing around between Seattle, London, Tokyo, and Moscow, mostly with Taron Egerton who delivers a career best performance. He proves to be the perfect escort through this incredible blend of history and old-school thriller. In a nutshell, “Tetris” is a blast. “Tetris” premieres March 31st on Apple TV +.