Mike Clark
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Panique’ and ‘The Last Command’
Panique Criterion, Drama, $29.95 DVD, $39.95 Blu-ray, NR. Stars Viviane Romance, Michel Simon, Paul Bernard, Max Dalban. 1946. Director Julien Duvivier’s Panique, a French-language adaptation of a Georges Simenon novel just after the end of World War II, features Michel Simon playing an anti-social man of mystery residing in a Paris suburb and rendered a target … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Panique’ and ‘The Last Command’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘The Atomic Cafe’ and ‘The Glenn Miller Story’
The Atomic Cafe Kino Lorber, Documentary, $24.95 DVD, $29.95 Blu-ray, NR. 1982. An artful assemblage of Cold War propaganda films about dealing with the atomic age and potential nuclear war, The Atomic Cafe’s near-singular mix of solemnity and gonzo remains as relevant as ever. The new Blu-ray restoration makes the film look and sound as … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘The Atomic Cafe’ and ‘The Glenn Miller Story’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Panique’ and ‘The Last Command’
Panique Criterion, Drama, $29.95 DVD, $39.95 Blu-ray, NR. Stars Viviane Romance, Michel Simon, Paul Bernard, Max Dalban. 1946. Director Julien Duvivier’s Panique, a French-language adaptation of a Georges Simenon novel just after the end of World War II, features Michel Simon playing an anti-social man of mystery residing in a Paris suburb and rendered a target … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Panique’ and ‘The Last Command’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘The Atomic Cafe’ and ‘The Glenn Miller Story’
The Atomic Cafe Kino Lorber, Documentary, $24.95 DVD, $29.95 Blu-ray, NR. 1982. An artful assemblage of Cold War propaganda films about dealing with the atomic age and potential nuclear war, The Atomic Cafe’s near-singular mix of solemnity and gonzo remains as relevant as ever. The new Blu-ray restoration makes the film look and sound as … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘The Atomic Cafe’ and ‘The Glenn Miller Story’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Brewster McCloud’ and ‘Distant Voices, Still Lives’
Brewster McCloud Available via Warner Archive Warner, Comedy, $21.99 Blu-ray, ‘R.’ Stars Bud Cort, Sally Kellerman, Shelley Duvall, Michael Murphy, William Windom. 1970. Sandwiched between two of its era’s landmark screen achievements — MASH and McCabe and Mrs. Miller — Robert Altman’s Astrodome fantasy Brewster McCloud is an oddball even by his standards, which indeed … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Brewster McCloud’ and ‘Distant Voices, Still Lives’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure’ and ‘The Ice Harvest’
Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure Available via Warner Archive Warner, Drama, $21.99 Blu-ray, NR. Stars Gordon Scott, Sara Shane, Anthony Quayle, Sean Connery. 1959. Tarzan joins the hunt for some nefarious jewel thieves in this robustly spun yarn. Read the Full Review The Ice Harvest Kino Lorber, Drama, $29.95 Blu-ray, ‘R’ for violence, language and sexuality/nudity. Stars … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure’ and ‘The Ice Harvest’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘A Man Alone’ and ‘The Last Hurrah’
A Man Alone Kino Lorber, Western, $19.99 DVD, $29.99 Blu-ray, NR. Stars Ray Milland, Mary Murphy, Ward Bond, Raymond Burr. 1955. A Man Alone is the movie that finally satisfied lead Ray Milland’s long-gestating desire to direct, with him playing a weary ex-gunfighter who unknowingly rides into a dusty town to be immediately accused of … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘A Man Alone’ and ‘The Last Hurrah’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘The Naked Prey’ and ‘The Adventures of Hajji Baba’
The Naked Prey Criterion, Drama, $39.95 Blu-ray, NR. Stars Cornel Wilde, Ken Gampu, Gert van den Bergh. 1966. Of his eight forays into directing, actor Cornel Wilde’s best known feature remains The Naked Prey, which, among other things, became a model of drive-in entertainment in the summer of its release, about a safari guide on … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘The Naked Prey’ and ‘The Adventures of Hajji Baba’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Art School Confidential’ and ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’
Art School Confidential Street 11/6/18; MVD, Comedy, $24.95 Blu-ray, ‘R.’ Stars Max Minghella, Sophia Myles, John Malkovich, Jim Broadbent. 2006. Something of a halfway follow-up to Ghost World, Art School Confidential remains the last feature to date of Terry Zwigoff, full of been-there comic observations that give Confidential a distinct point of view. Extras: This … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Art School Confidential’ and ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Shampoo’ and ‘Queen of Outer Space’
Shampoo Criterion, Comedy, $29.95 DVD, $39.95 Blu-ray, NR. Stars Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Jack Warden, Lee Grant. 1975. Once perceived and basically sold as a sex comedy conceived to trade in on star/co-producer Warren Beatty’s then real-life rep as Hollywood’s predominant anti-monk, Shampoo now looks amazingly prescient and, thus, a whole lot more … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Shampoo’ and ‘Queen of Outer Space’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘The Day of the Jackal’ and ‘The Man Who Cheated Himself’
The Day of the Jackal Street 9/25/18 MVD/Arrow, Drama, $39.95 Blu-ray, ‘PG.’ Stars Edward Fox, Michael Lonsdale, Delphine Seyrig. 1973. Adapted from Frederick Forsyth’s fictional novel dealing with a paid assassin’s attempted 1962 assassination of French president Charles De Gaulle, an outstanding screenplay delineates a lot of complex material in ways that always keeps us … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘The Day of the Jackal’ and ‘The Man Who Cheated Himself’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘My Man Godfrey’ and ‘The Last Hunt’
My Man Godfrey Street Date 9/18/18 Criterion, Comedy, $29.95 DVD, $39.95 Blu-ray, NR. Stars William Powell, Carole Lombard, Gail Patrick, Alice Brady, Eugene Pallette. 1936. With My Man Godfrey’s light-touch treatment of a serious underlying subject (the Depression) and a cast of characters that “loopy” doesn’t even begin to describe, there are about a dozen … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘My Man Godfrey’ and ‘The Last Hunt’”