Articles by Charlie Largent

THE WONDERFUL WORLDS OF RAY HARRYHAUSEN, VOLUME ONE: 1955-1960

Since the early days of home video Ray Harryhausen’s films have been a lightning rod for companies eager to one-up the competition with bigger and brighter releases of the beloved animator’s work. Located in the UK, Powerhouse/Indicator is the latest to jump on the bandwagon with lavishly appointed blu ray sets each featuring three of…

The Piano Teacher

The Piano Teacher  Blu-ray Criterion 2001 / 1:85 / Street Date September 26, 2017 Starring Isabelle Huppert, Benoît Magimel, Annie Girardot Cinematography: Christian Berger Film Editor: Monika Willi, Nadine Muse Produced by Veit Heiduschka Music: Martin Achenbach Directed by Michael Haneke Her face merely a mask just waiting to crack along with her sanity, the…

David Lynch: The Art Life

David Lynch: The Art Life  Blu-ray Criterion 2016 / 1:75 / Street Date September 26, 2017 Starring the One and Only David Lynch Cinematography: Jason S. Film Editor: Olivia Neergaard-Holm Produced by Josefine Bothe Music: Jonatan Bengta Directed by Jon Nguyen, Rick Barnes and Olivia Neergaard-Holm Twin Peaks: The Return recently ended its 18 hour…

La Poison

La Poison  Blu-ray Criterion 1951 / 1:33 / Street Date August 22, 2017 Starring: Michel Simon, Germaine Reuver Cinematography: Jean Bachelet Film Editor: Raymond Lamy Written by Sacha Guitry Produced by Jean Le Duc, Alain Poiré Music: Louiguy Directed by Sacha Guitry   One of the most insightful commentaries on Sacha Guitry’s La Poison can…

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)  Blu-ray Twilight Time 1972 / 1:85 / Street Date July 18th, 2017 Starring: Woody Allen, Gene Wilder, Tony Randall, Burt Reynolds Cinematography: David M. Walsh Film Editor: Eric Albertson Written by Woody Allen Produced by Jack Brodsky, Elliott Gould Music: Mundell Lowe…

Jerry Lewis Returns to the Cosmos

  On August 20, 2017, Jerry Lewis took a pratfall off this mortal coil, presumably knocking an unwitting dowager on her keister and sending a surprised cop into an open manhole on his way out. The durable enfant terrible was all of 91 years when he finally left the building though he had been making spirited…

Bob Hope on Blu-ray

You pick up a lot of baggage when you live to be 100, a sentiment confirmed by the long, long movie career of Bob Hope. His unofficial status as the preeminent entertainer of the 20th century is open to debate but he was without a doubt that era’s most conspicuous comedian. Marlon Brando’s infamous dismissal,…

Re-Animator

Re-Animator  Blu-ray Arrow 1985 / 1:85 / Street Date August 8, 2017 Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton Cinematography: Mac Ahlberg Film Editor: Lee Percy Written by Stuart Gordon, Dennis Paoli, William Norris Produced by Brian Yuzna Music: Richard Band Directed by Stuart Gordon   Released in 1985, Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator remains the grandest of Grand…

Lost in America – The Criterion Collection

Lost In America  Blu-ray Criterion 1985 / 1:85 / Street Date July 25, 2017 Starring: Albert Brooks, Julie Hagerty Cinematography: Eric Saarinen Film Editor: David Finfer Written by Albert Brooks, Monica Johnson Produced by Marty Katz and Herb Nanas Music: Arthur B. Rubinstein Directed by Albert Brooks   According to a Newsweek cover story published…

Straw Dogs – The Criterion Collection

Straw Dogs  Blu-ray Criterion 1971 / 1:85 / Street Date June 27, 2017 Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Susan George Cinematography: John Coquillon Film Editors: Paul Davies, Tony Lawson, Roger Spottiswoode Written by David Zelag Goodman and Sam Peckinpah Produced by Daniel Melnick Music: Jerry Fielding Directed by Sam Peckinpah   Adrift from civilization, an attractive young…

Ugetsu

Ugetsu  Blu-ray Criterion 1953 / B&W / 1:33 / Street Date June 6, 2017 Starring: Mitsuko Mito, Masayuki Mori, Kikue Mouri, Sakae Ozawa, Kinuyo Tanaka Cinematography: Kazuo Miyagawa Film Editor: Mitsuzô Miyata Written by Matsutarô Kawaguchi, Yoshikata Yoda Produced by Masaichi Nagata Music: Fumio Hayasaka, Tamekichi Mochizuki, Ichirô Saitô Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi   In…

Dracula & The Mummy: Complete Legacy Collections

The 2016 blu ray release of the Frankenstein and Wolf Man Legacy Collections was a moment of celebration for movie and monster lovers everywhere, bringing together all the golden age appearances of Frankenstein’s misbegotten creation and Larry Talbot’s hairy alter-ego. Universal Studios treated those dusty creature features to luminous restorations; from Bride of Frankenstein to…