1. ‘The Invisible Man’ – 1933
A blend of science fiction and horror, The Invisible Man is one of four monster movies released by Universal Studios this month. Directed by horror master James Whale, the film starred Claude Rains as Dr. Jack Griffin, a mysterious scientist who discovers that a serum of his invention renders him invisible. With his face wrapped in bandages and eyes covered by dark sunglasses, Griffin returns to his mentor (Henry Travers) and starts to wreck havoc in a small English village because the serum is slowly, but surely turning him insane. The Blu-ray release has several good extras including feature commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer, the featurette Now You See Him: The Invisible Man Revealed, production photos, original trailers, and 100 Years of Universal: Unforgettable Characters.
Releases June 4, 2013More »
2. ‘Phantom of the Opera’ – 1943
Another great monster movie released by Universal Studios, Phantom of the Opera was the second film adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s novel. While Lon Chaney’s 1925 silent version remains the most famous, director Arthur Lubin’s 1943 take featured Claude Rains in the title role and was more musical than horror movie. Despite criticisms for its lengthy opera sequences, which some felt zapped the film’s fear quotient, Phantom of the Opera was a big hit with audiences. As part of the Universal Classic Monsters Essentials Collection box set, the release contains extras like commentary from film historian Scott MacQueen, the featurette The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked, production photographs, and the behind the scenes documentary 100 Years of Universal: The Lot.
Releases June 4, 2013More »
3. ‘Perfect Understanding’ – 1933
A romantic comedy starring silent film star Gloria Swanson and a young Laurence Olivier, Perfect Understanding was a British-made independent that hoped to revitalize Swanson’s career following her flailing transition to sound movies. Here she played wife to Olivier’s doting husband who agree during their honeymoon to never disagree. But soon the happily married couple finds themselves at odds when he becomes attracted to another woman (Nora Swinburne). A long-forgotten film, Perfect Understanding has found new life thanks to this newly restored version from the Cohen Film Collection. The Blu-ray also contains two Mack Sennett short films from 1933, Husband’s Reunion and Dream Stuff.
Releases June 4, 2013More »
4. ‘Enter the Dragon’ – 1973
One of the most popular martial arts film ever made, Enter the Dragon was a kung fu masterpiece starring Bruce Lee at the height of his career. Lee plays a martial arts expert out for revenge against a drug dealer named Han (Shih Kien) for killing his sister. Han remains holed up on a hard-to-reach island populated by martial arts experts and runs both a school and a competition as a front for his drug trade. Lee enters the competition and takes out one evil henchman after another, one of whom happens to be a pre-fame Jackie Chan. Sadly, Enter the Dragon was the last film Lee made before his untimely death. Released by Warner Bros. for its 40th anniversary, the Blu-ray has numerous extras including commentary by producer Paul Weller, featurettes like No Way As Way and Wing Chun: The Art that Introduced Kung Fu to Bruce Lee, a profile of Bruce Lee, and several theatrical trailers and TV spots.Releases June 11, 2013More »
5. ‘Hard Times’ – 1975
Featuring a great minimalist performance from Charles Bronson, Hard Times was a brilliant look at rough-and-tumble New Orleans during the Depression while marking the directing debut of Walter Hill. Bronson played an aging street brawler who struggles for survival fighting in illegal bare knuckle matches by luring unsuspecting bettors to be against him because of his age. Both brooding and action packed, Hard Times co-starred James Coburn and Bronson’s wife Jill Ireland, and was the actor’s best film, though certainly not his most famous. The limited release from Screen Archives Entertainment contains no known extras or technical specs at this time.
Releases June 11, 2013More »