Film Score Daily: Aisle Seat 4-15: Arrow, Warner Archive Rundown

Director Renny Harlin’s ill-fated pirate sojourn with then-wife Geena Davis, “Cutthroat Island,” became an immediate box-office bomb upon its release in 1995 – making it a good thing their next collaboration, THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT (120 mins., 1996, R; Arrow), was already in production. A movie that brought its screenwriter, Shane “Lethal Weapon” Black, an enormous sum before a frame was shot (a then-record $4 million), “The Long Kiss Goodnight” one-upped Harlin’s seafaring adventure yet still underwhelmed with a disappointing $32 million domestic gross for New Line.

Black’s script offers Davis as a Pennsylvania housewife whose memory dates back a mere eight years. Unable to remember any of her existence before then, Davis’ Samantha Caine looks to be the perfect schoolteacher mom, yet when assassins converge on her domestic bliss, Samantha begins to piece together her previous identity: a sleek, sexy CIA operative named “Charly Baltimore,” a Bourne-like agent with an impeccable special set of skills. To the rescue comes a down-on-his-luck private eye (Samuel L. Jackson) who accompanies Samantha/Charly in an effort to stop the bad guys and piece together both of her identities, all the while saving her young daughter.

“The Long Kiss Goodnight” likely read better than it plays here, the dialogue boasting some funny lines and the script enabling Davis and Jackson to generate decent chemistry together. What’s surprising is that the direction and action set-pieces are barely more than pedestrian, despite Harlin’s genre expertise and a budget that ran upwards of $65 million. It’s hard to see where the money went, because the staging of its physical action scenes is no more than serviceable at best and the overall look of the film only a notch or above your typical (and far thriftier) Van Damme film from the era. DP Guillermo Navarro later won an Oscar for his work on Del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” but there’s little to comment on this movie’s ordinary, unremarkable appearance, some of the stunts augmented with mediocre digital FX and one shoot-out in the picture being interchangeable from the next. It’s a vanilla looking thriller without a whole lot of style.

In terms of performances, Jackson in particular has a good time here in one of his most appealing roles, yet dramatically, the movie only works in fits and starts, and Davis’ narration at the outset seems to have been added in an effort to get the action to kick into gear faster – at a cost to the viewer gaining a fuller appreciation of her character’s domestic side. While Davis still fares much better here than she did as a female Jack Sparrow, this picture, while watchable, never really gels into what it could have been – something confirmed by a nondescript supporting cast (save an under-utilized Brian Cox) that fails to generate much interest.

Nevertheless a cult fave amongst some viewers, “The Long Kiss Goodnight” has been remastered for its 4K UHD by Arrow in another of the label’s superb Dolby Vision HDR (2.39) transfers. Immediate enhancements over Warner’s old Blu-Ray are evident from the start, including warmer, more saturated colors and a nice, if somewhat inconsistent, layer of grain (some shots look softer than others). The original 5.1 and 2.0 DTS MA mixes house a formulaic Alan Silvestri score with a new Dolby Atmos mix included for overhead audio users.

On the supplemental end, Arrow has included new interviews with stunt coordinator Steve Davidson, make-up artist Gordon Smith and actress Yvonne Zima. There are also “visual essays” by Josh Nelson, Howard S. Berger and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, along with archive extras from previous releases (deleted scenes, promo interviews, Making Of). Two new commentaries have also been recorded with critics Walter Chaw, and another track with Drusilla Adeline and Joshua Conkel.

BLUE SUNSHINE 4K UHD/Blu-Ray/CD Limited Edition (95 mins., 1977, R; Synapse): Jeff Lieberman didn’t helm a ton of features but the few that he turned out mostly hit cult status: “Squirm,” “Just Before Dawn,” “Remote Control” and, of course, “Blue Sunshine.” This odd picture stars future soft-core producer Zalman King as the target of a series of brutal killings at a party where one of the guests goes nuts, loses their hair and becomes the most violent member of Blue Man Group ever envisioned. From there, King uncovers a conspiracy involving a drug now causing its users to become psychotic killers years after the fact, along with its dealer who’s now running for Congress.

Lieberman’s independent film is one of his best, well-written and suspenseful despite being, technically, a little rough around the edges. Synapse’s Limited Edition offers a chipboard slipcase and tons of extras, in addition to a new Dolby Vision HDR transfer (1.85) with 5.1/2.0 sound (remixed stereo/mono). On tap for supplements are two commentaries with the director; a new intro from Lieberman plus two additional conversations with the director; a recent 4K premiere Q&A; anti-drug scare movies from the late ‘60s; two versions of Lieberman’s debut film, “The Ringer,” with optional commentary from Lieberman and Howard S. Berger; trailers; a still gallery; booklet notes; a fold-out poster; plus a Blu-Ray and a CD soundtrack. Highly recommended for buffs.

Upcoming from Arrow on April 29th, V CINEMA ESSENTIALS – BULLETS AND BETRAYAL features no less than nine titles from Japan’s Toei studio which were shot expressly for the home video market during the late 1980s. These pictures offer ample action and often straightforward revenge plots which genre fans should take to, even though these pictures were very rarely shown, for many years (if ever), outside their native Japan.

Included here, all in 1080p (1.33, mostly 2.0 stereo) transfers are, each in a double-feature disc configuration, CRIME HUNTER: BULLETS OF RAGE and NEO CHINPIRA: ZOOM GOES THE BULLET; STRANGER and CARLOS; BURNING DOG and the sequel FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: DEATH THREAT; THE HITMAN: BLOOD SMELLS LIKE ROSES and DANGER POINT: THE ROAD TO HELL.

The limited-edition package includes introductions on each film by critic Masaki Tanioka; interviews with directors Shundo Okawa, Banmei Takahashi, Shunichi Nagasaki, and Kazuhiro Kiuchi; video essay appreciations on the films and genre from historians like Tom Mes, Jonathan Clements, Mark Schilling, Samm Deighan, Frankie Balboa and James Balmont; trailers; English subtitles; nine postcard sized artcards; and, of course, Arrow’s trademark booklet with writing from Earl Jackson, Daisuke Miyao, and Hayley Scanlon.

MABUSE LIVES! DR. MABUSE AT CCC: 1960-64 Blu-Ray (Eureka): Fritz Lang returned to the world of the diabolical criminal mastermind, Dr. Mabuse, by helming THE THOUSAND EYES OF DR. MABUSE, a late-career triumph in his native Germany. Widely regarded as a solid reworking of his earlier Mabuse classics (“Dr. Mabuse The Gambler” and “The Testament of Dr. Mabuse”), the picture actually stirred up a series of new Mabuse pictures in Germany, produced without Lang, that are also fascinating as they continue the misadventures of the dastardly villain whose mind-control efforts coerce violent attacks and killings, in addition to other deeds of the Big Bad variety. The sequels include THE RETURN OF DR. MABUSE, THE INVISIBLE DR. MABUSE, THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE, SCOTLAND YARD HUNTS DR. MABUSE, and the final picture, THE DEATH RAY OF DR. MABUSE, and while they lack the urgency of Lang’s works, directors Harald Reinl, Werner Klingler, Paul May and Hugo Fregonese are still able to produce worthy B-follow-ups which mostly serve as intriguing riffs on Lang’s predecessors.

All six films have been newly remastered in 2K restorations (1.66/1.37 B&W) from original film elements courtesy of CCC Film, the original German distributor, with both the original German audio as well as dubbed English tracks available for fans. There are commentaries by historian David Kalat on all six films (five of them newly recorded), while Tim Lucas provides insightful introductions on each picture as well. We also get a new interview with producer Alice Brauner, whose father Artur started CCC; video essays by David Cairns and Fiona Watson; an archival talk with actor Wolfgang Preiss; an alternate Italian cut of “Death Ray” with an alternate ending on “Thousand Eyes”; trailers; a 60-page booklet with extensive liner notes and history on the series, along with a limited edition, hardbound slipcase.

Coming April 29th from Eureka is the only collaboration between Hong Kong star Andy Lau and prolific director Ringo Lam: THE ADVENTURERS (110 mins., 1995), the story of a Thai Air Force colonel who finds out the man responsible for his CIA-employed father’s death in Cambodia years prior is now a wealthy, U.S.-based arms dealer. Globe-trotting adventure with gun fights popping all over the place, “The Adventurers” has been restored in 2K (1.85) by Eureka with extras including the original Cantonese stereo audio (2.0/5.1); a new commentary by critic David West and interview with HK cinema expert Gary Bettinson; an archival interview with writer-producer Sandy Shaw; the trailer; and a collector’s booklet with writing by genre schlar Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park.

88 Films New Releases: A trio of vintage Shaw Brothers productions are new to Blu-Ray this month from 88 Films. The difference here is that all three hail from the early 1980s, towards the end of the venerable Hong Kong studio’s run, and offer a variety of genre content for fans.

Widely hailed as one of the best Shaw efforts from this era, AN AMOROUS WOMAN OF TANG DYNASTY (101 mins., 1984) is a period piece that breaks from conventional martial arts to tell the story of a female poet (Patricia Ha) who has difficulty fitting into the conservative confines of the era she’s living in. Sensitively directed beyond its still-copious nudity by Eddie Fong, this is a strongly acted and beautifully mounted production that some critics rank with the best of the later efforts of Hong Kong cinema’s “Golden Age.” A 1080p transfer (1.85) is included with Cantonese audio and English subtitles, with extras including a commentary by writer David West, a featurette “Alex Man on An Amorous Woman…,” the trailer, a stills gallery, double-sided poster, reversible sleeve and slipcover with new cover art by Justin Coffee.

From period drama to a culture clash comedy, THE LADY IS THE BOSS (97 mins., 1983) stars Kara Hui as a young, Americanized Chinese woman who returns to Hong Kong, bringing her own ideas to her father’s conventional martial arts studio. Widescreen action and comedy mix in this fresh, enjoyable early ‘80s effort from veteran genre director Lau Kar-leung. 88’s Blu-Ray features a good looking 1080p (2.35) transfer with Cantonese audio and English subtitles, and extras including a Frank Djeng commentary, the Fred Ambroisine featurette “Sam Ho on Lau Kar-leung,” a trailer, stills gallery, and reversible cover art to go along with Lucas Peverill’s new cover design.

Finally, HONG KONG HONG KONG (97 mins., 1983) offers a contemporary love story between an illegal immigrant from mainland China (Cherie Chung) who strikes up a relationship with an aspiring kickboxer (Alex Man) in Hong Kong. This well-reviewed film from director Clifford Choi debuts on Blu-Ray (1.85) with Cantonese audio and English subtitles, a commentary by David West, Fred Ambroisine’s “Alex Man on Hong Kong, Hong Kong”, the trailer, a stills gallery, reversible sleeve, and new slipcover art by James Neal.

More traditional Shaw Brothers fare can be found in LADY WITH A SWORD (89 mins., 1971), a period martial arts drama about a swordswoman (Lily Ho) who finds out the latest target in her quest to avenge her sister’s murder is the man her parents have arranged for her to marry. Family intrigue mixes with genre conventions in this 1971 effort from director Kao Pao-shu, with 88’s Blu-Ray (2.35) featuring Cantonese mono audio, English subtitles, a David West commentary, and a stills gallery.

Two Limited Edition releases in 88 Films’ “Japanarchy” Blu-Ray imprint are out this month for fans. Both releases include numbered OBI strips and archival artwork, along with new, reversible covers from Sean Longmore, introductions by Mark Schilling, and bonus supplements.

Kinji Fukasaku’s JAKOMAN AND TETSU (99 mins., 1964) is an early effort from the prolific director, here adapting a script by Akira Kurosawa. The great Ken Takakura plays Tetsu, a WWII veteran who returns to his small coastal village in Hokkaido and deals with a one-eyed madman (Tetsuro Tamba) who holds a grudge against the father of Takakura’s character. Slick B&W widescreen cinematography (2.35, Japanese mono with English subtitles) graces 88’s Blu-Ray along with a commentary from critics Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp and a stills gallery…Hideo Gosha’s YAKUZA WIVES (119 mins., 1986) looks at life for the women associated with the Japanese criminal underworld, in particular a spouse (Shima Iwashita) who has to take over her clan after her husband goes to jail. Things are further complicated when her sister becomes involved with a man from a rival gang in Gosha’s 1986 dramatic thriller, on Blu-Ray here (1.85, Japanese mono with English subtitles) featuring an interview with tattoo artist Seiji Mouri.

HARDBOILED: Three Pulp Thrillers by Alain Corneau Blu-Ray (Radiance): Modern French noir with a dash of ‘70s American crime thrillers can be felt in a trio of films by director Alain Corneau, all new to Blu-Ray this month in a Radiance box-set anthology.

POLICE PYTHON 357 (125 mins., 1976) kicks things off with the great Yves Montand playing a grizzled veteran cop who has to clear his name after a rival, corrupt colleague implicates him in a murder. A definite touch of the “Dirty Harry” films – as well as various ‘70s paranoia-infused American thrillers – permeates this entertaining Corneau effort with a Georges Delerue score. Patrick Dewaere stars in SERIE NOIRE (116 mins., 1979), an adaptation of a Jim Thompson novel that’s much darker in tone as Dewaere’s hapless character tries to escape an unhappy marriage by taking up with a teen prostitute. Predictably, things don’t end well in this “edgy” character study with a more “realistic” tone meant to evoke Scorsese’s ‘70s period (“Mean Streets”). Finally, big star power courtesy of Yves Montand, Gerard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve fuel LE CHOIX DE ARMES (136 mins., 1981), a well-done mix of character drama and crime thriller with an especially good score by Philippe Sarde.

All three movies include 1080p transfers (1.66/2.35) licensed from Studio Canal with special features including commentary on “Police Python” by Mike White; a featurette by Maxim Jakubowski on “Python”; archival interviews with the stars and filmmakers on each picture; a documentary, “Serie Noire”; a visual essay about various Jim Thompson adaptations; an intro from documentarian Jerome Wybon; an interview with Manuela Lazic on Montand’s ‘70s output; trailers; French audio and English subtitles; a reversible sleeve; and an 80-page booklet sporting liner notes by Andrew Male, Nick Pinkerton, Charlie Brigden and archival pieces, all newly translated into English.

Also new from Radiance is THE EEL (117/134 mins.), Shohei Imamura’s 1997 film about a man, released from prison for murdering his philandering wife, who strikes up a relationship with a troubled woman recovering from a failed suicide attempt. Their relationship and respective attempts to reconcile their pasts make for an introspective and sensitive film from Imamura, presented here in two cuts including a longer Director’s Cut with Japanese mono audio and English subtitles. The digital restoration (1.85) is superb and extras include new interviews with Daisuke Tengan and Tony Rayns plus a visual essay by Tom Mes, a limited edition booklet and reversible cover art.

BABY, IT’S YOU Blu-Ray (105 mins., 1982, R; Fun City):One of indie filmmaker John Sayles’ few forays into studio filmmaking receives a remastered Blu-Ray from Fun City Editions.

“Baby, It’s You” is a surprisingly tart coming-of-age story that charts the relationship between a Jewish-American princess (Rosanna Arquette) and a would-be Italian Sinatra wannabe, “The Sheik” (Vincent Spano), in mid ‘60s New Jersey.

The early portions of Sayles’ film – which he directed and scripted from a story by Amy Robinson – work best in terms of its atmosphere and the relationship between Arquette and Spano, but the second half turns bitter and downbeat, leading to a particularly sad conclusion. At least there’s a snappy period soundtrack and early appearances from Matthew Modine, Fisher Stevens, Robert Downey, Jr. and Tracy Pollan among others, making for a thoughtful if uneven film with superb cinematography by Michael Ballhaus convincingly rendering the era.

A box-office disappointment, the commercial failure of “Baby, It’s You” kept Sayles away from too many subsequent studio-backed pictures, but the film has managed to develop a modest cult following over time. Fun City’s Blu-Ray offers a superlative 4K remaster (1.85, mono) of the Paramount release that’s a nice, appreciable upgrade from Olive’s earlier Blu-Ray of a decade ago. Insightful supplements are also on-tap courtesy of video interviews featuring Sayles, Dunne, Arquette, Spano, Modine and Amy Robinson. There’s also a new commentary by Bill Ackerman and the usual accoutrements (liner notes) in Fun City’s latest release.

Warner Archive New Releases

EARTH II Blu-Ray (97 mins., 1971, Not Rated): After “2001” cinematic sci-fi enjoyed a resurgence that carried it through the years leading up to “Star Wars,” resulting in some “thoughtful” if pretentious efforts that retained some of the influences of Stanley Kubrick’s groundbreaking ‘68 classic. That holds true for “Earth II,” a busted pilot for a prospective series that MGM released with a couple of extra minutes in overseas theaters. That long version makes its debut on Blu-Ray this month from Warner Archive, the picture offering some fairly good FX, a Lalo Schifrin score, and the appearance of “2001”’s Gary Lockwood in this story of an orbiting space colony and its involvement in land-based global politics. Tom Gries helmed with “guest stars” Mariette Hartley and Tony Franciosa playing out a slow-paced effort that understandably didn’t make it to a weekly series. Yet, as a standalone feature, it’s still an engagingly dated piece of genre work from its era, with pleasing cover artwork resembling some of the lovely designs that adorned early Atari 2600 cartridges from the later ‘70s. Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray features a beautifully detailed 1080p (1.85, mono) transfer with an international trailer included on the supplemental end.

HIT MAN Blu-Ray (91 mins., 1972, R): A year after Michael Caine strutted to the cool vibe of Roy Budd’s score for “Get Carter,” MGM tried their own, Americanized, “Blackploitation” version of its source material – Ted Lewis’ book “Jack’s Return Home” – for “Hit Man.” The result is this minor picture starring Bernie Casey as Carter, here renamed “Tyrone Tackett,” who hits the streets of L.A. trying to find out who killed his brother. A young “Pamela” Grier co-stars in George Armitage’s functional movie, which is watchable but certainly makes less of an impression than its British crime classic predecessor. Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray (1.85, mono) features a perfectly acceptable new transfer and the trailer.

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE Blu-Ray (134 mins., 1921): One of the great silent epics receives a new remaster from Warner Archive. MGM’s 1921 adaptation of the Ibanez novel provides matinee idol Rudolph Valentino with one of his most popular roles, in addition to offering a massive scope, plenty of tragedy and tears to go along with it. This restoration of “Four Horsemen” is based on the 1993 Channel Four reconstruction of the film by David Gill, Kevin Brownlow and Patrick Stanbury, with Carl Davis’ rousing orchestral score being a key element to its success. The brand new master (1.33 with side mattes, 2.0 DTS MA stereo) is in B&W with color tinted sequences.

SADIE McKEE Blu-Ray (93 mins., 1934): Early Joan Crawford, pre-Code melodrama sports the ingenue as the title maid, who maneuvers through a Great Depression-era drama as she chooses between no less than three male leads: Edward Arnold’s alcoholic millionaire, Gene Raymond’s aspiring crooner, and Franchot Tone’s sympathetic lawyer. Warner Archive’s fresh transfer (1.85, mono) brings a new look to this vintage MGM production helmed by Clarence Brown, making its Blu-Ray debut here alongside three bonus cartoons and the trailer.

MONOGRAM MATINEE Volume 1 Blu-Ray (54/68/54 mins., 1949): Saddle up for a trio of low-budget Monogram westerns with this single-disc anthology of enjoyable programmers from the late ‘40s. Offered here for viewers looking for a nostalgic trip back to the Saturday Matinees of its day are MISSISSIPPI RHYTHM featuring Jimmie Davis, along with Johnny Mack Brown in WESTERN RENEGADES and Whip Wilson in CRASHING THRU. Sturdy old-fashioned fun for audiences who’ll remember when they used to call it the “Bijou,” and all three pictures are presented in solid new 1080p (1.33 B&W) transfers and mono sound.

MAGILLA GORILLA: The Complete Series Blu-Ray (Warner Archive): Good-looking Blu-Ray houses the complete run of the short-lived (albeit fondly remembered) Hanna-Barbera Saturday Morning cartoon in a remastered, new HD restoration with several fun, archival special features to boot.

Though he didn’t have the lasting impact of Yogi Bear, “Magilla Gorilla” first aired in the mid ‘60s and the Blu-Ray offers all 23 episodes from the beloved (if short-lived) series, which also sports stories featuring Ricochet Rabbit, Deputy Droop-a-long, and Puss and Mushmouse. Warner’s set also includes rare archival footage of composer Hoyt Curtin with Bill Hanna at the piano, introduced by animator Jerry Eisenberg; an interactive interview gallery with voice artist Allan Melvin, Eisenberg and animation history guru Jerry Beck; and an archival TV special, “Here Comes a Star,” which offers an introduction to Magilla.

Sony Pictures Classics New Releases: A terrific cast has a good time in Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s underrated French gem BON VOYAGE (115 mins., 2003, PG-13; Sony), the story of a number of disparate Parisians with one thing in common – getting out of Paris before the Nazi occupation. Getting the recipe for “heavy water” is among the goals of this ensemble, which ranges from Isabel Adjani and Gerard Depardieu to Virginie Ledoyen and Peter Coyote. A good mix of humor and unusual WWII goings-on make for a memorable import shot by Theirry Arbogast and scored by Gabriel Yared. Sony’s Blu-Ray (2.35, 5.1 DTS MA French with English subtitles) include an archival commentary by Rappeneau and the trailer…A superb performance from Omar Sharif is the most memorable component in Francois Dupeyron’s 2003 film MONSIEUR IBRAHIM (95 mins., R; Sony), a character study involving Sharif’s Turkish grocery store owner in Paris and his relationship with a young teenage boy. Dupeyron tugs at the heart strings here with a winning, if sad, little film worth catching for its veteran star’s late career turn. Sony’s Blu-Ray (1.66, 5.1 DTS MA French with English subs) includes Sharif’s archival commentary and the trailer.

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Quick Takes

THE UFOs OF SOESTERBERG Blu-Ray (78 mins., 2025; Leomark): While we eagerly await the declassification of UFO government files here in the U.S., Bram Roza’s straightforward documentary confirms that the phenomena of UFOs flying over military bases is indeed a worldwide happening. This look at a widely viewed UFO appearance over a Dutch airbase in 1979 is by the book and well laid out, with a dozen (credible) witnesses detailing the incident. Leomark’s Blu-Ray includes both a subtitled presentation as well as a version with English speakers dubbing over the Dutch audio track (I preferred the former). The transfer (2.39) is fine as well.

THE BEAST HAND Blu-Ray (77 mins., 2025; Cleopatra): Low-rent Japanese horror about a guy who has his hand amputated and gets an underground transplant, only to end up in an even worse spot once said hand has its own agenda. Grizzly stuff for J-horror addicts only. Cleopatra’s Blu-Ray features a 1080p transfer, Dolby Digital sound, alternate promo clips and trailers.

NEXT TIME: DONOVAN’S REEF Remastered in 4K and more Kino releases! Until then, don’t forget to drop in on the official Aisle Seat Message Boards and direct any emails to our email address. Cheers everyone!