News: THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME (1979) Coming to Blu-ray this Summer

On August 30th, video label Blue Underground will be releasing director George McCowan's 1979 Canadian space opera, The Shape Of Things To Come on Blu-ray disc.

Although frequently cited as among the worst of the 70s Star Wars rip-offs, I have admitted here on this site more than once a certain fondness for the low budget interstellar "epic," and I am looking forward to having a high definition edition on my shelves next to Battle Beyond The Stars and Starcrash.

Yeah, it's a pretty dumb movie, but I find it kinda charming in its low budget ineptitude. I like the cast, which includes Space: 1999's Barry Morse, and Buck Rogers veterans Jack Palance and Eddie Benton (a/k/a Anne-Marie Martin) and I also enjoy the miniature effects, which are surprisingly decent for such a cheap production.

The Shape Of Things To Come Blu-ray can be pre-ordered now through online retailers such as Amazon.

DARK STAR (1974) "Thermostellar Edition" Blu-ray Review

This new high-definition Blu-ray of 1974's Dark Star is the third version of the John Carpenter-Dan O'Bannon cult classic I've reviewed from VCI Entertainment, so I won't synopsize the story again (you can check out my last DVD review here).

This new "Thermostellar Edition" Blu-ray version features a newly remastered 1080p HD, widescreen 1.78:1 transfer of the 83 minute "theatrical cut." Originally shot cheaply on 16mm film and then blown up to 35mm for theatrical exhibition, Dark Star has never really looked all that good, and even with the extensive work put into this Blu-ray, it still doesn't look particularly good. But it is a noticeable improvement over all previous home video releases, with brighter, more stable colors and significantly better contrast. The overall image is still frustratingly soft, and it looks like it may have been subjected to overzealous digital scrubbing to eliminate visual "noise."  Faces are unnaturally smooth, and there is very little fine detail or textures evident anywhere in the movie. That all said - it's still the best-looking presentation of the film I've seen, including the one theatrical showing I attended years ago.

The Bonus Features are identical to those included on VCI's previous "Hyperdrive Edition" DVD: an audio commentary track by "super fan" Andrew Gilchrist, an on-camera interview with science fiction author Alan Dean Foster, who discusses the challenge of writing the film's novelization back in the 70s (as well as the rest of his career), a 3D Visual Guide to the Dark Star spaceship, an interview with actor Brian Narelle (Doolittle), text trivia, and the original theatrical trailer.

Missing from this edition is the shorter, 68 minute "student film" version of the film, which means that I'll probably be hanging onto my old DVD just for completion's sake.

If you're a fan of the film and have a Blu-ray set-up, it's worth picking up. Picture and audio quality are better than previous editions, and while the visual quality can't match the HD transfers of its big-budget studio contemporaries (never mind today's digital spectacles), it's probably the best this particular film is likely to look for the forseeable future.

The Dark Star Blu-ray streets today, or you can pick it up for less than twenty bucks from Amazon: Dark Star - Thermostellar Edition (Blu-ray)

Hi-Def SPACE

For Christmas, I received the new A&E Region 1 Blu-Rays of Space: 1999 Season One. I honestly didn't expect much from the HD upgrade (the show is 35+ years old, after all), and was initially more interested in the extensive bonus features.

But, I have to say that the high definition remasters are absolutely gorgeous. In a direct comparison to the A&E DVDs, the new transfers are remarkably, vastly superior.

Colors are truer and perfectly balanced, there is virtually no dirt or debris evident, and the miniature effects - by far the most impressive aspect of the show in the first place - look utterly fantastic, with rock-solid blacks and razor sharp detail. And I don't know if they went in and digitally removed the effects wires that were visible on DVDs, or if the new, high-contrast transfers simply hide them better, but on the handful of episodes I've watched so far, I haven't seen a single one - and I've been looking.

I'm also digging the cleaned-up titles and new audio mix; Barry Gray's opening theme sounds spectacular in 5.1.

I haven't yet made it through all the bonus features, but the featurettes I've checked out have all been entertaining and informative. I'm looking forward to working my way through all of the supplements and re-watching all the episodes again. I had also forgotten that Sseason 2's debut episode, "The Metamorph," was among the extras (It wasn't listed on the package). It also looks beautiful in HD, and I'm eager to see the rest of Year Two make its way to America on Blu-Ray....

ADDENDUM: Amazon currently has the set at more than 50% off: Space: 1999: The Complete Season One [Blu-ray]

MAD MAX (1979) Blu-Ray / DVD Review

Arguably the most influential genre film of the late 70s, the George Miller/Byron Kennedy-directed Mad Max (1979) was released last month on high definition Blu-Ray by MGM/20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Set in the near-future where society's infrastructure is crumbling and the economy and government are rapidly falling apart, the officers of the Main Force Patrol are the last bastion of law and order, attempting despite incredible obstacles, to protect civilians from nomadic bands of ravagers. One MFP patrolman, Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) gets on the bad side of a particularly vicious gang of these motorcycle marauders, and when they brutally murder his wife and child, Max sets out alone - behind the wheel of his ebony, V8 "Interceptor" - down the bloody road to revenge.

A major international hit in 1979, the Australian-produced Mad Max sired two theatrical sequels, which were released domestically by Warner Brothers (MM was distributed in the U.S. by American International Pictures, who re-dubbed all the Australian voices with American actors), and made a major Hollywood personality out of Gibson. MM and its sequels also spawned a slew of imitators from all over the world, action-packed post-Apocalyptic Westerns where the good guys wore fetishistic leather and the barbarians of the future sported a look inspired by the punk rock and professional wrestling scenes.

What is sometimes forgotten is just how good a movie Mad Max really is. Produced on a microscopic budget by an inventive and intrepid crew of filmmakers in the Australian outback, MM is remarkably well-paced, acted and shot. The story is simple, straightforward and emotionally resonant, and the action scenes not only still hold up now, 31 years later, but are more impressive than much of what you see on screen in 2010. There was no CGI when this film was made. So what you get are real cars, real drivers, real explosions and real stuntmen risking life and limb to capture the astounding chase sequences that open and close the film.

The new Blu-Ray disc from MGM/20th Century Fox Home Entertainment appears to use the same source material as the 2002 Special Edition DVD (which is included in this package). That's fine, because it's an amazing, pristine transfer that is now presented in 1080p HD at its correct, 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio. Audio is a resounding 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio in the original Australian English. The American voice track, as well as Spanish and French dubs, are provided as mono options. Extras on the Blu-Ray disc are both duplicated from the SE DVD - an audio commentary by crew members Jon Dowding, David Eggby, Chris Murray & Tim Ridge, a retrospective documentary, and theatrical trailers.

As noted above, this package also includes the 2002 Special Edition DVD. This "flipper" disc includes both a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation and a 1.33:1 pan & scan version. Audio is 5.1 Dolby Surround. It sports the same extras as the Blu-Ray disc plus a photo gallery, TV spots, and a pop-up trivia track.

Mad Max is a genuine classic and should be in every Space: 1970 fan's video library. Obviously, this new high definition Blu-Ray is the finest presentation of the film to date, far surpassing even the original theatrical showings (especially those in U.S. drive-ins), and it's very reasonably priced. Highly recommended.

BUY: Mad Max (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging)

GALAXY OF TERROR (1981) Blu-Ray Review

As a Halloween Special, here's my review of the Shout! Factory Blu-ray release of one of my favorite "Space Horror" films, 1981's Galaxy of Terror. This review originally appeared at my DVD Late Show site in July of 2010.

Intended as a budget-conscious rip-off of Alien, the Roger Corman-produced, sci-fi horror thriller, Galaxy Of Terror (1981), has been a much sought-after title for cult film fans for years. Previously released back in the 80s on VHS in a dark, fuzzy, full-frame version, Shout! Factory has now brought the movie to digital disc in high style.

The spaceship Quest, with a hastily-assembled crew, is sent to the dread planet Morganthus on a mission to investigate the crash of another vessel and rescue survivors, if any. A quick trip through hyperspace later, they land on the mist-shrouded, wreckage-strewn planet. There they find a gigantic alien pyramid, and upon entering it, each crew member finds themselves being attacked by the physical manifestations of their own deepest fears....

With the kind of eclectic cast that makes B-movies so much fun to watch - including Jason Of Star Command's Sid Haig, Robert Englund, Erin Moran, Edward Albert, Ray Walston and Grace Zabriskie - imaginative production design and second-unit direction by a young James Cameron (fresh off of Battle Beyond The Stars), and a memorable, show-stopping, classic exploitation sequence where a beautiful young woman (Taaffe O'Connell,) is sexually assaulted by a gigantic space slug, Galaxy Of Terror delivers a solid 81+ minutes of late night sci-fi horror for cult film aficionados.

There's really very little story here, and director Bruce Clark seems to have been just going through the motions, but Cameron's sets, costumes and miniature effects designs (as well as his stylish second unit direction) make the film look much more expensive than it really was, and the veteran actors manage to breathe a surprising amount of life into the cyphers the script gives them to play. Corman's crew - most of whom went on to stellar Hollywood careers - also accomplishes some genuinely striking pre-CGI special effects that hold up astoundingly well, even nearly 30 years later. There's lots of great miniature work, a bit of stop-motion animation, and plenty of convincing and disgustingly bloody demises.

Originally released theatrically as Mindwarp: An Infinity Of Terror to disappointing box office returns, Corman quickly retitled it Planet Of Horrors, and then Galaxy Of Terror, and created a new, more lurid, pulpy ad campaign. It worked, and the movie was a moderate hit in the autumn of 1981.

Shout! Factory gives another "Roger Corman Cult Classic" the Rolls Royce treatment on Blu-Ray disc, with a remarkably clear and detailed 1.77:1 1080p HD widescreen transfer that is light years away from the murky VHS version that I bought more than a decade and a half ago. Audio is presented in Dolby 2.0 mono. As with their other Corman titles, Galaxy Of Terror is just loaded with supplemental features, including an entertaining cast & crew commentary, an extensive, multi-part documentary on the making of the film, huge still galleries, and trailers for the feature and other Corman titles coming from Shout! In addition, there's a 12-page booklet of liner notes!

And if, for some reason, you prefer the MINDWARP title, the company has thoughtfully printed that title and poster artwork on the reverse side of the disc sleeve, so you can shelve your disc under that name, if you like.

It's exciting to finally see a good (far better than good, actually) presentation of this long-time B-flick favorite, and the abundance of informative and engaging bonus features is just icing on the cake. If you're a fan of "astronauts in hell" movies, Galaxy Of Terror is one of the best. Sure, it's illogical and tasteless, but it's also a heck of a lot of fun, and looks great in high-def. Besides, how many other films have little Joanie Cunningham meeting her gory demise in the bowels of an alien pyramid?

Highly and enthusiastically recommended.

BUY: Galaxy Of Terror (Roger Corman's Cult Classics) [Blu-ray]

BUY: Galaxy Of Terror (Roger Corman's Cult Classics) [DVD]

My STARCRASH (1978) Blu-Ray Review

I spent all of last night delving into it's vast trove of treasures, and now I've posted my review of Shout! Factory's new Blu-Ray edition of Starcrash over at my DVD Late Show website.

You may gather that STARCRASH is one of my favorite movies, and you're right. I've always maintained that the only bad movie is one that fails to entertain, and by that criteria, STARCRASH is far from a bad movie. In fact, I find it vastly more pleasurable and rewarding than any of the STAR WARS prequels. If you're willing to give it - and its unique charms - a chance, you may enjoy it, too.

You can find the full review HERE. Enjoy.

News: MAD MAX (1979) on Blu-Ray in October

One of the most influential of 70s sci-fi films, George Miller's high-octane Mad Max, is making the jump to HD. I did not see Max in theaters, but I do distinctly remember seeing the late-nite TV spots for the U.S. drive-in circuit release of movie, which gave it a distinct, Death Race 2000 vibe.

Here's the press release and details. The disc is already available for pre-order at Amazon.

MGM/Fox Home Entertainment has announced that the Sci-fi classic MAD MAX will be released, on Blu-ray, on October 5th. MSRP is $24.99 (Canada: $25.99).

Considered one of the best films of 1979, MAD MAX garnered three Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards for editing, sound and musical score. The film was also nominated by the AFI for Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Hugh Keays-Byrne).

In the ravaged near future, a savage motorcycle gang rules the road. Terrorizing innocent civilians while tearing up the streets, the ruthless gang laughs in the face of a police force hell-bent on stopping them. But they underestimate one officer: Max Rockatansky (Gibson). And when the bikers brutalize Max's best friend and family, they send him into a mad frenzy that leaves him seeking revenge, which is the only thing left in the world for Max to live for.

Extras:
DISC ONE (Blu-ray):
Filmmaker Commentary by Jon Dowding, David Eggby, Chris Murray & Tim Ridge
Documentary: “Mad Max: The Film Phenomenon”
New-To-The-U.S. Original Australian Language Track
Two theatrical trailers
TV Spots

DISC TWO (DVD):
New Digitally Remastered Transfer
"Mel Gibson: The Birth Of A Star" Documentary
"Mad Max: The Film Phenomenon" Documentary
New-To-The-U.S. Original Australian Language Track
Theatrical Trailers"Road Rants" Trivia & Fun Fact Track
Photo Gallery

Pre-Order: Mad Max (W/Dvd) (Ws) [Blu-ray]

Remastering SPACE: 1999 (1976) for HD

TVShowsOnDVD has more information on the forthcoming Blu-Ray edition of Space: 1999, including what bonus material will be included. Most intriguing is the rather vague "Behind-the-scenes featurettes." I wonder if this is vintage promotional material, or newly-created for this edition.

They also linked to this fascinating article on the digital restoration process that Space: 1999 has been put through for high definition. One thing I'm surprised at is that they are apparently "re-creating" the main title sequences to remove all the dirt and debris that existed in the originals:

As the main series credits shots are extremely important and the existing quality of the optically combined shots were rather poor Granada International's Controller Operations Fiona Maxwell agreed to electronically re-building the generic parts of the opening titles from the best available materials in HD.

Lots of these textless background shots still exist as small rolls of negative which were supplied as part of the re-mastering. This material was firstly graded, noise reduced and then manually cleaned-up in the same way as a standard episode to produce the master background shots. I took the opportunity to transfer these elements in both 4:3 and 16:9 widescreen ratios as there was the strong possibility that the latter would be required at some stage. Then the digital data was imported into a non-linear HD editing suite where colleague Steve Jamison went about re-building the sequence with guidance from myself as to which shots to use. Basically, the original optical captions were isolated and re-keyed at the appropriate points over the background shots making sure that things like the position and timing were matched.

No mention of whether they'll be removing wires or making any other actual changes/corrections to the source material. More at the link above.

70s SciFi Blues

Previously released on DVD by MGM and Warner Brothers at least three times, the 1976 science fiction favorite Logan's Run made its high-definition debut on Blu-Ray disc last winter, but I only just got my hands on the disc over the past weekend. I've always enjoyed the movie and I was eager to replace my old 1998 MGM disc.

Sometime in the distant future, after a great global catastrophe, humanity lives in sealed, domed cities where their every need is met, and life is devoted to sybaritic pleasures. There's one catch, though - at age 30, each citizen must undergo the rite of Carousel where they are killed, supposedly to be renewed - presumably reincarnated - into a newborn life.

Some people don't have much faith in the whole "renewal" concept, and instead decide to try and avoid their fate by running away to someplace outside the domes that they call "Sanctuary." These "runners" are hunted and terminated by a special, armed force known as Sandmen. One of these Sandmen, Logan 5 (Michael York, The island of Doctor Moreau) is ordered by the computer intelligence that runs the city to infiltrate the runners, find "Sanctuary," and destroy it. Using a young woman named Jessica 6 (Jenny Agutter, An American Werewolf in London) to win the trust of the runners, he begins his search - only to find himself questioning the system, falling in love, and being hunted by his best friend.

Directed by Michael Anderson (The Martian Chronicles, Millennium), Logan's Run is very much a product of its era, and while much of it may seem dated today, it was clearly an expensive, seriously-intended science fiction effort on the part of the studio and filmmakers.

Somewhat loosely based on a novel by George Clayton Johnson and William F. Nolan, the film is an entertaining futuristic adventure with good performances by York and the lovely Agutter, and a particularly delightful thespic turn by Peter Ustinov. It further benefits from charming, old-school, hand-crafted special effects (the movie was produced just one year before the effects revolution inaugurated by Star Wars), and some imaginative production design. Jerry Goldsmith's musical score is also innovative, with a fascinating melding of electronic tonalities with symphonic themes.

Logan's Run isn't without its flaws, but it's a fun movie. The film was popular enough in its day to spawn a Marvel Comics series, a single-season television show, and a couple of sequel novels by Nolan, and it's fondly remembered by more than a few old fanboys like myself.

Warners' Blu-Ray disc is a significant improvement over the 1998 MGM DVD I own, with a razor-sharp, color-balanced transfer that is utterly devoid of specks or other imperfections. Presented in 1080p 2.40:1 widescreen, the disc apparently uses the same source material as the 2007 Warners DVD, and it looks absolutely stunning in high-def. Ported over from the '07 DVD is an audio commentary track by director Anderson, star York and costume designer Bill Thomas. There's also a vintage promotional featurette and the original theatrical trailer.

Logan's Run is a minor classic of 1970's science fiction cinema, and the Blu-Ray is the best home video presentation of the film to date. Considering that it retails for around ten bucks, every self-respecting vintage SF fan should consider adding it to their HD library.

I also picked up the new Flash Gordon (1980) Blu-Ray over the holiday. This new HD edition is, to all intents and purposes, identical to Universal's 2007 "Saviour of the Universe Edition" DVD in every way but technically. You can read my review of that DVD edition here.

Where this edition differs from that previous DVD release is in format, obviously. The new Universal Blu-Ray disc sports a stunning, high-definition, 1080p 2.35:1 widescreen transfer, apparently from the same, remastered 2007 source, and as gorgeous as that looked, it benefits further from the bump up to HD. The colors are vibrant, detail is astounding, and the presentation looks superior to any previous home video releases, and light-years better than it did in theaters in 1980. Audio options are a robust 5.1 DTS Master Audio and 2.0 Dolby Digital. Bonus features are identical to the "Saviour of the Universe" DVD - interviews with screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr. and comic book artist/FLASH-fan Alex Ross, the original theatrical trailer and the complete first chapter of the 1936 Flash Gordon movie serial with Buster Crabbe and Charles Middleton. Well, it doesn't include the "teaser" for the abominable short-lived SyFy Flash Gordon television series that was on the '07 DVD, nor the Alex Ross art cards that were included in the DVD, but otherwise, the supplements are the same.

As Flash Gordon is one of my all-time personal favorites (and I don't need to justify myself to you, mister), upgrading to Blu-Ray was pretty much inevitable. If you're a fan of the film and are HD-equipped, you'll probably want to pick it up, too - especially if you don't already own the "Saviour" DVD from three years ago. It's the best home video version of the movie to date.

News: FLASH GORDON (1980) Blu-Ray in June

Figures. Almost to the moment that I revise and post my three year-old review of the Flash Gordon - Saviour Of the Universe Edition DVD to this blog, Universal announces that the exact same version - but in high definition - will be hitting the street in June on Blu-Ray Disc.

The format will be 2.2:1 1080p and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. D-BOX Motion Code will be included as well as BD Live. Bonus features appear to be identical with those on the Saviour edition DVD: An interview with screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr., and interview with illustrator/fan Alex Ross, the first chapter of the 1936 serial with Buster Crabbe, and the original theatrical trailer. I'm assuming the promo for the now gone-and-forgotten SciFi Channel disaster will not be included this time.

Universal's SRP is $26.98. But you can pre-order Flash Gordon [Blu-ray] (1980) from Amazon at that link now for less than twenty bucks.

News: STARCRASH and BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS on DVD in September

According to a report at DVD Drive-In, two of the announced titles in Shout! Factory's new arrangement with legendary exploitation film producer Roger Corman are new DVD and Blu-Ray special editions of Starcrash and Battle Beyond The Stars - both of which are due in the U.S. on September 7, 2010.

Since these are authorized editions and Shout! will have access to the Corman film library - and, presumably, master prints and/or negatives - I expect that these will be high quality transfers. Also, Shout! has a very good reputation for really going the extra mile on their releases both technically and in terms of supplements.

Both titles have been released before (there was an authorized version of Battle from Corman's New Horizons video, with a decent array of extras but a non-anamorphic, fairly-beat-up looking transfer, and various bootleg versions of Starcrash are floating around out there from different outfits, none of which look very good) but I expect these editions to blow those away.

I'll keep people posted as more information becomes available.