Articles by Charlie Largent

Disney Classics on Blu ray

Though long embraced by parents as family-friendly safe zones, Disney’s live action films were just as often called out for their squeaky clean posturing and regressive world views. Fair enough – but as Noah Cross growled, “Politicians, ugly buildings and whores all get respectable if they last long enough” – and a good number of those mild-mannered…

True Stories

True Stories Blu ray Criterion 1986 / 1.85:1 / 89 Min. / Street Date – November 27, 2018 Starring David Byrne, John Goodman, Swoosie Kurtz, Pops Staples Cinematography by Ed Lachman Directed by David Byrne A concert film filmed over four nights at the Pantages Theater in 1983, Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense has the…

Mamie Van Doren Film Noir Collection

Mamie Van Doren Film Noir Collection Blu ray KL Studio Classics 1957 – 1959 / 1.75:1, 1.85:1, / 216 Min. / Street Date – November 20, 2018 Starring Mamie Van Doren, Anne Bancroft, Lee Van Cleef, Lex Barker Cinematography by Stanley Cortez, William Margulies Directed by Howard Koch, Edward Cahn Mamie Van Doren, née Joan…

The Best of The Three Stooges

The Best of The Three Stooges DVD Time-Life 1934 – 1959 / 1.33:1 / Over 45 Hours (!)/ Street Date – June 6, 2018 Starring Moe Howard, Curly Howard, Larry Fine, Joe DeRita Cinematography by Benjamin Kline, Gert Andersen, Ray Cory Directed by Jules White Garden variety slapstick has always been fraught with physical peril…

Sword of Sherwood Forest

Sword of Sherwood Forest Blu ray  Twilight Time 1960 / 2.35:1 /80 Min. / Street Date October 16, 2018 Starring Richard Greene, Peter Cushing, Richard Pasco, Nigel Green Cinematography by Ken Hodges Directed by Terence Fisher The prime architect for the gothic horror revival of the 50’s, Hammer Studios began the next decade with a…

William Castle at Columbia – Volume One

Following in the footsteps of trailblazing publicity hound Carl Denham, William Castle learned that if you can’t bring your audience to the sideshow, bring the sideshow to them – the 3D craze of the 50’s allowed him to do just that. After toying with the format in 1953’s Fort Ti and 1954’s Jesse James vs. the Daltons,…

The Night Stalker/The Night Strangler

The Night Stalker/The Night Strangler Blu ray  Kino Lorber 1972/73 / 1.33:1 / 74/90 Min. / Street Date October 2, 2018 Starring Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland Cinematography by Michel Hugo, Robert B. Hauser Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey, Dan Curtis In January of 1972 ABC broadcast the story of a middle-aged newsman hot on the…

Horrors of Malformed Men

Horrors of Malformed Men Blu ray – Region Code: B  Arrow Films 1969/ 2.35:1 / 99 Min. / Street Date September 17, 2018 Starring Teruo Yoshida, Yukie Kagawa Cinematography by Shigeru Akatsuka Directed by Teruo Ishii The Toei Company made their mark in the 50s with a series of atmospheric horror films like Kinnosuke Fukada‘s…

The Collector

The Collector Blu ray – All Region  Indicator/Powerhouse 1965/ 1.85:1 / Street Date September 24, 2018 Starring Terence Stamp, Samantha Eggar Cinematography by Robert Surtees, Robert Krasker Directed by William Wyler German-born William Wyler was a storyteller who asked the audience not to understand him too quickly. A notorious perfectionist (Bette Davis credited him with…

The Changeling

The Changeling Blu ray   Severin Films 1980/ 1.85:1 / Street Date August 7, 2018 Starring George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas Cinematography by John Coquillion Directed by Peter Medak The success of 70’s shockers like The Devils, The Exorcist and Alien – grindhouse films in big budget drag – opened the door to increasingly explicit…