Author Archives: Keith Garlington

New on Home Video: “High Plains Drifter” (1973) 4K UHD

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Kino Lorber Studio Classics is giving a beloved Clint Eastwood Western the 4K UHD treatment. “High Plains Drifter” is both directed by and stars Eastwood. He plays a mysterious stranger who drifts into a small mining town to dole out his own brand of justice. Heavily influenced by his spaghetti western trilogy with the great Sergio Leone, “High Plains Drifter” shares many similarities with his ‘Man With No Name’ films. Yet the movie has its own distinct identity in large part thanks to Eastwood’s terrific direction.

This new 4K UHD of “High Plains Drifter” hits shelves NOVEMBER 22, 2022. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 1973

Rating: R

Runtime: 105

Director: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Marianna Hill, Verna Bloom, Mitchell Ryan, Geoffrey Lewis, Jack Ging

THEY’D NEVER FORGET THE DAY HE DRIFTED INTO TOWN! From Clint Eastwood, the acclaimed director/star of The Outlaw Josey Wales, Pale Rider, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino and The Mule, comes this western masterpiece and homage to his “The Man with No Name” legend. Eastwood portrays a mysterious stranger who emerges out of the heat waves of the desert and rides into the guilt-ridden town of Lago. After committing three murders in the first 20 minutes, The Stranger is hired by the town’s citizens to protect them from the three vengeful gunmen about to be released from jail.

Eastwood’s second film as a director is a tribute to his three spaghetti western classics with the great Sergio Leone, and features a strong supporting cast that includes Verna Bloom (Medium Cool), Marianna Hill (The Baby), Mitchell Ryan (The Hunting Party), Jack Ging (Play Misty for Me), Geoffrey Lewis (Every Which Way but Loose), Anthony James (In the Heat of the Night), John Hillerman (Blazing Saddles), John Quade (Breakheart Pass) and Billy Curtis (The Terror of Tiny Town). Beautifully shot in CinemaScope by Bruce Surtees (Dirty Harry) with a great screenplay by Ernest Tidyman (The French Connection) and a memorable score by Dee Barton (Thunderbolt and Lightfoot).

BONUS FEATURES:

DISC 1 (4KUHD): Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative | NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson | Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Alex Cox | 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio | Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc | Optional English Subtitles

DISC 2 (BLU-RAY): Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative | NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson | Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Alex Cox | LADY VENGEANCE: Interview with Actress Marianna Hill | HELL TO PAY: Interview with Actor Mitchell Ryan | THE BARBER OF LAGO: Interview with Actor William O’Connell | A MAN NAMED EASTWOOD: Vintage Promo in HD | TRAILERS FROM HELL Episodes with Josh Olson & Edgar Wright | Poster and Image Gallery | TV & Radio Spot | 2 Theatrical Trailers | 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio | Dual-Layered BD50 Disc | Optional English Subtitles

REVIEW: “The Stranger” (2022)

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Actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and playwright Thomas M. Wright helms “The Stranger”, a new psychological crime thriller inspired by the real-life police investigation into the murder of 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe. In 2003, young Morcombe was abducted while waiting at a bus stop. Eight years later, police arrested Brett Peter Cowan and charged him with Morcombe’s murder. Cowan was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment.

“The Stranger” is based on Kate Kyriacou’s non-fiction book “The Sting: The Undercover Operation That Caught Daniel Morcombe’s Killer”. Wright fictionalizes the intense undercover sting operation that eventually brought the killer to justice. Out of respect for the family, all the real names were changed and the movie (thankfully) makes no attempt at recreating the boy’s death. Instead it stays focused on the police officers – those working covertly in the field and those working behind the scenes putting the pieces together in order to build a case. It does move to its own unique gritty rhythm. But once you get in step with it, it’s hard to turn away.

Image Courtesy of Netflix

Wright’s story takes place in 2010, some eight years after the abduction and murder of a young boy James Liston. The police suspect a man named Henry Peter Teague (a cryptically chilling Sean Harris) but they lack the evidence for a conviction. So they set up a Mr. Big operation. That’s when the police create an elaborate ruse meant to fool their suspect into making a confession. It often consists of undercover cops creating a fake organized crime ring and then luring the suspect to join. They then build a relationship with the suspect in hopes of earning their trust.

Joel Edgerton plays a cop going by the assumed name Mark Frame who works in the Undercover Crimes Unit of the Western Australian Police. He’s good at his job and committed to every case. But it’s starting to take a toll. We get references to stress, depression, and trouble sleeping. He’s haunted by terrifying dreams, often connected to his work. And we see him laboring at home to be the best father he can be to his young son.

A fellow deep-cover officer named Paul (Steve Mouzakis) strikes up a conversation with Henry Teague on a late-night bus ride. Paul offers to let Henry in on some small jobs for the make-believe gang he works for. Henry accepts and is introduced to Mark who who takes him under his wing. Mark’s job is to loosen Henry up over time and get him to start talking. But this proves to be difficult and taxing. Since Henry is considered too dangerous for densely populated areas, Mark is ordered to isolate him. But that leaves Mark unprotected and unobserved (aside from his unreliable recording gear). Exasperated and worn down, it becomes a question of whether or not Mark can keep it together long enough to get the confession they need.

Image Courtesy of Netflix

While Mark works in the field, Wright routinely cuts back to Detective Senior Constable Kate Rylett (Jada Alberts). Her side of the story plays as a serious-minded police procedural as she works to put together a case against Henry that will stick. While her scenes feel a bit underserved, they’re still compelling and Wright uses them to offer us another side of the police-work that goes into cases like these.

As “The Stranger” shows, this kind of cop work changes people, and Mark is no different. Is it the prolonged close proximity to evil? Is it the crushing stress? Is it the feeling of isolation? Wright shows how all three wear down his lead character. And Joel Edgerton is essential to conveying Wright’s message, thoroughly convincing in his portrayal of a tortured man slowly losing his edge. It’s a central piece of this understated yet gripping thriller; a key ingredient that makes this cold, moody, and evocative slow-burn work so well. “The Stranger” is now streaming on Netflix

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “Room 203” (2022)

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Something creepy is going on in room 203. And wouldn’t you know it, that’s just the apartment that two lifelong friends move into in this interesting horror film from director Ben Jagger. Based on a Nanami Kamon’s novel of the same name, the Japanese horror influence can be seen all over “Room 203”. You see it most in the slow, patient tension-building and in how its scares are often rooted in the psychological as much as the supernatural. And of course mood and atmosphere are essential.

But what surprised me most about “Room 203” was its welcomed patience. The trio of co-writers (Jagger, John Poliquin, and Nick Richey) clearly have something sinister at the center of their story. But they’re very deliberate and take their time getting there. In fact, for most of the second act, “Room 203” is more of a mystery movie than straight-up horror. Perhaps it’s a constraint brought on by the strict COVID-19 safety protocols and a limited budget. But it feels like a gutsy creative choice – one that works both for and against the film.

Image Courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Shot and (I think) set in Shreveport, Louisiana, the movie introduces us to Kim (Francesca Xuereb), a journalism major ready for her first year of college, and her best friend Izzy (Viktoria Vinyarska), a boisterous aspiring actress. The two friends come with their own sets of baggage. Kim is at odds with her disapproving parents who see Izzy as a bad influence. Izzy is still struggling to cope with the death of her mom – a loss that took her to some dark places.

Problems aside, Kim and Izzy are all set to become roommates, renting an apartment together in a historic former commerce building. Upon arriving at the property they’re greeted by their pasty-faced and glaringly weird landlord, Ronan (Scott Gremillion) who shows them #203. It’s a dated but cozy pad with “vintage” furnishings and accented by a beautiful but strange stained glass window. He wraps up his tour with a warning, “The basement is off limits to residents”. That’s always an indicator that we’ll end up there at some point.

The one detail Ronan left out was the apartment’s blood-soaked history (It’s no wonder rent is so cheap). Of course it soon comes to haunt the new tenants. Before long Kim and Izzy begin noticing a rash of unexplainable occurrences. There’s the ugly hole in Kim’s bedroom wall and the growing stench emanating from it. There’s the appearance of an old necklace and music box – totems that are clearly channeling some kind of malevolent force. And then there’s Izzy’s sudden sleepwalking (that’s never good, especially in a horror movie).

Image Courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Kim begins suspecting something’s not quite right with the apartment and recruits the help of her fellow journalism student and potential love interest, Ian (Eric Wiegand) to help her dig deeper into the building’s history. Along the way, Jagger sloooowly ratchets up the horror elements, never shying away from using a number of well-known horror tropes – figures scampering by in the shadows, mysterious foul smells, creaking floors, milky eyes, etc.

In a way I really appreciated the slow-burn and how it gave the characters more room to develop. But the movie does reach a point where the wait for the horror to kick in starts to feel long. And like so many other movies in its vein, “Room 203” leaves a lot of questions unanswered. But these are hardly dealbreakers, and the movie’s strong points are enough to offset, and in several cases overcome, its shortcomings. “Room 203” is now streaming on Hulu and on VOD.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

REVIEW: “Decision to Leave” (2022)

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

South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook is a very distinct filmmaker, yet he’s one who is impossible to put into a box. He has certain signatures fans will often look for. For example, he’s well known for his use of extreme violence, and it’s often fused with pitch-black humor. His subject matter and themes can be notoriously bleak and brutal. And his characters are often defined by their complexities and usually driven by some form of revenge.

But for every ”Oldboy” there is something dramatically different like “Joint Security Area” or “Stoker” (a vastly underrated 2013 English-language thriller). Now the 59-year-old Park is back with “Decision to Leave”, his first feature film since 2016’s “The Handmaiden”. It’s coming off a terrific festival run with Park winning Best Director at Cannes. Better yet, this very well may be his best film to date.

Park’s fans will notice the filmmaker’s fingerprints all over “Decision to Leave”, from his treatment of characters to his sheer technical savvy. His story (which he co-wrote with Jeong Seo-kyeong) revolves around two emotionally intricate people and their complicated relationship that uncoils over the movie’s 138 minutes. It’s not always clear where Park is going. But a big part of the movie’s allure is trying to piece together its knotty human puzzle while navigating the shifting emotions and shaky morality. It’s made even better with Park’s precision and DP Kim Ji-yong’s arresting visual language as our guide.

Image Courtesy of MUBI

Among the many joys of watching “Decision to Leave” is taking in Park’s use of genre. Early on his film plays like a Hitchcockian crime noir, complete with a hardboiled detective and a seductive femme fatale. Later it evolves into a simmering psychological romance – one that makes for an exquisite examination of obsession and the many forms it can take. Along the way we get pinches of dark humor that often come in the most unexpected moments. But it’s also a movie with a steady ache and full of longing. It all comes together into one spellbinding web that constantly has us questioning what we’re being shown.

Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) is a Busan homicide detective who’s dedicated to his work at the expense of his marriage. He and his wife of 16 years, Jung-an (Lee Jung-hyun) have a stable relationship and a comfortable life. But their marriage has lost its spark. Hae-jun spends weekdays in the city close to his work, only coming home on weekends. There is no noticeable tension or hard feelings. They’re simply a couple who have grown apart, and they don’t know what to do about it.

Rather than finding fulfillment in his marriage, Hae-jun finds it in his work. So naturally he’s quick to jump on a new murder case. He’s sent to investigate the death of a mountain climber who plummeted from the top of a tall, oddly flat-topped mountain peak. After examining the scene, Hae-jun pays a visit to the deceased’s beautiful Chinese-speaking wife, Seo-rae (an absolutely magnetic Tang Wei). She doesn’t come across as mournful or even surprised by her husband’s death which immediately pique’s Hae-jun’s curiosity.

Image Courtesy of MUBI

Over time, that curiosity slowly evolves into an unhealthy obsession. Hae-Jun begins staking out Seo-rae’s home and following her to work where she’s a caretaker for the elderly (make note of that – there are no wasted details in a Park Chan-wook film). Soon he’s bringing her into the police station for dinner over “questioning”. The deeper we get into the story the more infatuated Hae-Jun gets. He begins using his detective status as a means of satisfying that infatuation. Never mind that he’s supposed to be determining whether Seo-rae shoved her husband off the mountain ledge.

Most interesting is that Seo-rae is perfectly aware of Hae-Jun’s evolving feelings for her, and she’s not above using them to her advantage. Yet over time she too shows a growing affection. How deep are her feelings? Despite the simmer between them, it’s always hard to tell. Seo-rae is a beguiling mystery, and much of what makes Tang Wei’s performance so great is her ability to keep so much hidden. One minute she has us convinced Seo-rae is crooked and playing Hae-Jun like a fiddle. But then she’ll catch us off guard with an unexpected line. Sometimes it’s a simple look. Tang Wei keeps us asking the question – is this a psychological chess match or is it a forbidden love story? Maybe a little bit of both.

Park keeps us guessing throughout. Even later on when it appears everything is taking form, he broadsides us with another jolt – one that eases the film towards a powerful and heart-rending conclusion. It’s an ending perfectly tuned for a movie so full of melancholy and longing. And the final few minutes offer yet another example of Park’s impeccable control of his characters and also his audience. “Decision to Leave” is now showing in select theaters.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

New on Home Video: Four Warner Bros. Holiday Classics on 4K UHD

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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has just brought four perennial holiday classics to 4K UHD for the first time. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, “A Christmas Story”, “Elf”, and “The Polar Express” are now available in their own individual Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Packs in sparkling 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and with gorgeous new cover art. Each film will come with 4K, Blu-ray, and digital versions of the film along with their pre-existing special features.

These new 4K UHD Blu-ray Combo Packs for “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, “A Christmas Story”, “Elf”, and “The Polar Express” hit shelves NOVEMBER 1, 2022. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 1989

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 97 Minutes

Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik

Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, Miriam Flynn, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nicholas Guest

As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Even worse, Clark’s employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.

The film is directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. The screenplay is by John Hughes and based on characters by Hughes. The film is produced by Hughes and Tom Jacobsen and stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo and Randy Quaid.

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

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

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 1983

Rating: PG

Runtime: 94 Minutes

Director: Bob Clark

Starring: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Ian Petrella, Scott Schwartz, R.D. Robb, Zack Ward, Yano Anaya

Set in a 1940s-era Midwestern town and told from the viewpoints of a seven-year-old boy, who only wants one thing for Christmas — a Red Ryder BB gun — the episodic tale chronicles not only his schemes to convince his mother and father to buy him one, but also offers a warmly nostalgic look into 1940s middle-class American life. From the stories of, and narrated by, Jean Shepherd.

The film is directed by Bob Clark. The screenplay is by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, and Bob Clark and is based on the novel “In God We Trust: All Other Pay Cash by Shepherd. The film is produced by Rene Dupont and Bob Clark and stars Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin and Peter Billingsley.

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

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

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2003

Rating: PG

Runtime: 97 Minutes

Director: Jon Favreau

Starring: Will Farrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Edward Asner, Bob Newhart

This hilarious Christmas film tells the tale of a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts on Christmas Eve and is transported back to the North Pole and raised as an elf. Years later Buddy learns he is not really an elf and goes on a journey to New York City to find his true identity.

The film is directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum. It is produced by Jon Berg, Todd Komarnicki , and Shauna Robertson, and stars Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Edward Asner and Bob Newhart.

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

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

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2004

Rating: G

Runtime: 100 Minutes

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, Eddie Deezen

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

The film is directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay by Zemeckis and William Broyles Jr. It is based on the classic Caldecott award-winning children’s book written by Chris Van Allsburg. The film is produced by Steve Starkey, Zemeckis, Gary Goetzman, and William Teitler, and features the voices of Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen.

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

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

REVIEW: “Causeway” (2022)

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Fans of Jennifer Lawrence’s more intimate and subdued work (i.e. “Winters Bone”) will probably love her latest film “Causeway”, a moving low-key drama that offers an honest and unvarnished look at working through trauma. It’s a remarkable feature film debut from director Lila Neugebauer who ushers this soulful character study along with a confident control. Yet she also knows when to simply be still, step back, and lean on her terrific actors. The results are pretty great.

Working from a script by co-writers Elizabeth Sanders, Luke Goebel, and Ottessa Moshfegh, Neugebauer navigates the film’s themes of trauma, guilt, remorse, loneliness, and the struggle to cope through two seemingly rudderless characters, each marked by their own painful tragedies. While their story maintains a serious tone, Neugebauer doesn’t wallow in their misery. Instead she unpacks it, not by force, but through the unlikely yet revealing friendship that blossoms on screen.

Image Courtesy of Apple TV+

Lawrence plays Lynsey, an American soldier who suffers a serious brain injury during her tour in Afghanistan. She returns to the States, but before going home to New Orleans she’ll have to undergo rehab. She’s looked after by a home health worker named Sharon (a wonderful Jayne Houdyshell) who helps her with once simple tasks such as standing on her own, taking off her jacket, brushing her teeth, or writing her name. Add to it severe headaches, memory loss, and sudden panic attacks. Lynsey is in a bad way.

But over time she begins to get her strength back and is eventually allowed to go home to continue her recovery. But for Lynsey, returning home comes with its own trauma. And against the better judgement of those around her, all she wants is to be redeployed. “I need to get back to work,” she says with an unconvincing confidence. But that will require her New Orleans neurologist, Dr. Lucas (the always great Stephen McKinley Henderson) to sign a waiver which isn’t something he’s in a hurry to do.

At home Lynsey has a cold relationship with her mother Gloria (Linda Emond), who at first seems selfish and insensitive, but who we later learn isn’t quite as prickly. There’s clearly some thorny family history, but we only get allusions to it, a choice that at different times works both for and against the story. In one sense, it keeps the movie very much in the moment by not wandering off into loads of backstory. In another way, it shortchanges one of the film’s key relationships and left me wanting to know more about the mother and daughter tension.

To help pass the time (and stay away from home), Lynsey takes a job cleaning pools. On her way to work one day, her old 1985 Chevy Scottsdale pickup blows a gasket. She ends up taking it to a local mechanic named James (Brian Tyree Henry), a fellow wounded soul bearing the weight of his own painful past. The majority of the movie centers on the unexpected friendship that develops between these two struggling individuals. Over time they discover they have a lot in common, and they find spending time together to be mutually therapeutic.

Image Courtesy of Apple TV+

Rather than being plot-driven, “Causeway” is all about the characters and the healing that can come from having someone to spend time with who understands your pain. For that reason, the performances are crucial, and what we get from Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry is staggering. Both deliver textured and nuanced work that conveys vulnerability and quiet anguish. For Lawrence it’s a naturalistic return to form, while Henry continues to define himself as a skilled and strikingly versatile actor.

How you react to “Causeway” may come down to how much you care about the characters. There’s no story hook that grabs you. There’s no big dramatic climax. There’s no surprise twist at the end. Instead, we simply follow this young woman who masks her pain but finds the strength to deal with it through the empathy of another. “I’m going to be fine,” Lynsey says at one point. By the end we still don’t know if she’s right. But the film offers us hope. And as someone who did care for Lynsey and James, that’s all I was hoping for. “Causeway” is now streaming on Apple TV+.

VERDICT – 4 STARS