THE 10TH VICTIM On Blu-ray From Kino

 

Kino Lorber has released a new Blu-ray featuring the 1965 Italian cult science-fiction film THE 10TH VICTIM. This movie has gotten plenty of attention in recent years due to its influence on numerous films and TV shows, such as AUSTIN POWERS, THE RUNNING MAN, and THE HUNGER GAMES. 

Sometime in the 21st Century, war has been outlawed, and mankind's thirst for violence has been replaced by "The Big Hunt". Those who sign up for it are matched by computer with other players to legally hunt and kill each other. Italian Marcello (Marcello Mastroianni) is picked to be the "victim" of American "hunter" Caroline (Ursula Andress). Not only are the duo both proficient in killing and avoiding being killed, they're also well matched in physical attractiveness. The two start to fall for one another, but can they avoid their instincts to complete the hunt? 

THE 10TH VICTIM was based on a short story by American fantasy writer Robert Scheckley called "The Seventh Victim". Needless the say, plenty of changes were made to the original tale before it became a full-length feature film. (Scheckley himself was not pleased with the result.) Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Elio Petri, THE 10TH VICTIM has plenty of pop-art 1960s fad style--nearly every shot composition resembles a fashion ad or a snippet from a TV commercial. The future is presented here not through any intricate special effects, but with a certain sense of coolness and a stylized look. 

If there are any major special effects in this movie, they would have to be Ursula Andress and Marcello Mastoianni. There's a coldness, however, in their combined beauty--one doesn't believe that their characters have any deep feelings for anyone (at one point Caroline refers to herself as an iceberg). One could say that the duo are so detached with their perfect looks that they deserve one another. They're certainly eye candy, but it's hard for a viewer to be all that involved in their plight. More eye candy is provided in the form of Elsa Martinelli, who plays Marcello's high-maintenance mistress. 

The satirical aspects of a futuristic society that legalizes hunting other human beings are laid on pretty thick, but this is a society that isn't really delved into with any depth. The entire movie is more style than substance, but there are plenty of highlights for film geeks, such as the iconic opening sequence where Ursula Andress uses a "bullet bra" to kill someone, a cameo appearance by the space suits from Mario Bava's PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES, and pistol and rifle sound effects that are the same that can be heard in dozens and dozens of spaghetti westerns. 

Kino states that this Blu-ray features a 2K restoration of the film, and it is a fine-looking, colorful print (and Ursula Andress is absolutely devastating in HD). This print carries the Italian title LA DECIMA VITTIMA, with Italian main & end credits. Two audio tracks are included--the original Italian with available English subtitles, and an English dub track. (The Italian is much superior.) 

A brand new audio commentary is featured on this disc. The Blu-ray case states that the talk is by Steve Mitchell, Howard S. Berger, and Nathaniel Thompson.....but actually it's Mitchell and Euro Cult expert Troy Howarth. The duo give a wide-ranging and informative discussion that covers the careers and the star power of the three main actors at the time of the production, and they also detail what impact international cinema was making in America during the 1960s. 

Included on this disc is a 30 minute program with Elio Petri's widow and film expert Kim Newman. Mrs. Petri gives some behind-the-scenes info on THE 10TH VICTIM, including the fact that producer Carlo Ponti didn't like scinece-fiction (or the director), while Newman gives insights and analysis on Petri's film making career. Kino has also included the original Italian and American trailers for the film, and a comparison of the two shows how different the movie was looked at on both sides of the Atlantic. 

THE 10TH VICTIM will appeal more to film geeks than a regular audience. It feels more like a magazine layout than a science-fiction story--it's about as Sixties Mod as you can get. 

NORTHWEST PASSAGE On Blu-ray From Warner Archive

 

Warner Archive once again presents a magnificent restoration of a classic Technicolor Hollywood film with their Blu-ray release of MGM's NORTHWEST PASSAGE (1940). 

NORTHWEST PASSAGE is one of the great historical epics of the pre-World War II sound era, and it is one of the very few films concerning the French & Indian War. Set in 1759, the movie tells the story of an expedition undertaken in northern New England by Roger's Rangers, a group of irregular warriors led by Major Robert Rogers (Spencer Tracy). The group, fighting for the British Crown, ventures North into the wilderness to attack an Abenaki Indian village. 

The obstacles and privations the Rangers deal with are vividly detailed--by the end of this movie, the viewer feels as tired and as hungry as any of the men onscreen. Most of the film was shot on location in Idaho, and director King Vidor went to great lengths to show what the Rangers had to go through. The result is one of the more brutal pictures from the classic Hollywood period--the locations look amazing on this Blu-ray, but there's nothing romantic about the Rangers' experiences. 

Spencer Tracy gets one of his best roles as the determined and no-nonsense Major Rogers, and Robert Young and Walter Brennan play two civilians who join up on the forbidding adventure to escape trouble at home. The real stars of this film are nature and the elements--this is one classic studio film set in the past where it really does feel you are experiencing something that happened long ago, without any modern intrusions. 

NORTHWEST PASSAGE was released on DVD by the Warner Archive Collection a few years ago, but the image was soft, and the colors dull and faded. This Blu-ray is a marvelous improvement--the colors really pop, and there's plenty of fine detail visually. While watching this disc one can understand why this was one of MGM's most expensive productions at the time. The DTS-HD sound is full and distinct. 

The only extras on the Blu-ray are a vintage trailer (which shows how bad the movie looked over time) and a short black & white promotional feature from MGM that is essentially a commercial for the film. The promotion is relevant due to the fact that it shows behind-the-scenes footage of the making of NORTHWEST PASSAGE, with glimpses of King Vidor and Spencer Tracy on the set. 

Warner Archive has put out a number of fantastic looking Technicolor features on Blu-ray recently, and NORTHWEST PASSAGE is a worthy addition to the list. 

ROAR OF THE DRAGON

 

ROAR OF THE DRAGON (1932) is a fast-paced Pre-Code from RKO. It's another of those movies dealing with a random group of English-speaking people who are stranded in a far-flung exotic foreign locale, facing danger at every moment. 

The story is set in Manchuria, where a bandit chief named Voronsky (C. Henry Gordon) vows revenge against a riverboat captain named Carson (Richard Dix). During a battle with the bandits, Carson's boat was damaged, and he managed to rip off Voronsky's left ear. While the boat is being repaired, Carson holes up at a hotel with other foreign travelers. Among the group is Voronsky's kept woman, Natascha (Gwili Andre). Voronsky's motley crew attack the town and lay siege to the hotel, and the cynical Carson must band together with his charges to survive. 

ROAR OF THE DRAGON is so obscure that it isn't even listed in the copy that I own of LEONARD MARTIN'S CLASSIC MOVIE GUIDE. Nonetheless, it keeps things hopping during its 70 minute running time. Director Wesley Ruggles provides plenty of atmosphere--the entire story takes place at night, with the sounds of a howling wind and thunder in the background. The movie doesn't shy away from the horrid aspects of the situation--it begins with Voronsky having a red-hot iron applied to his head in order to close up his ear wound. One of the people under siege is captured and set on fire, and how high someone is listed on the cast list doesn't guarantee that their character will survive. 

Among those playing the besieged in the hotel are Edward Everett Horton, ZaSu Pitts, and Arline Judge (who was married to the director at the time). Richard Dix's Carson is drunk most of the time, but he sobers up at the end to fulfill his tough-guy duties. (I have to say that if I was cooped up with Edward Everett Horton and ZaSu Pitts, I'd probably start drinking too.) Whenever I've seen Richard Dix in a movie, he always comes off as stiff and unlikable to me, and he does here as well. 

Danish actress Gwili Andre made her screen debut as Natascha. Andre is exquisitely photographed, so much so that she looks like a fashion model instead of a put-upon woman in a desperate situation. Natascha and Carson wind up falling for each other, although once again the viewer wonders what the heck she would see in him, other than a chance to get away from a horrible fate. RKO was hoping that Andre would be the studio's answer to Garbo or Dietrich, but she didn't have much of an impact in her short acting career. 

Gwili Andre and C. Henry Gordon in ROAR OF THE DRAGON

C. Henry Gordon gets the best role as the vicious Voronsky. This is a bandit chief who isn't above getting off his horse and fighting all by himself, and he's such an impressive foe one doubts a guy like Carson could best him. 

One notable thing about ROAR OF THE DRAGON is how it uses Edward Everett Horton. At the beginning he's his usual fussy, fluttery self--but he winds up being more of a hero than Carson. At one point Horton mans a machine gun and starts mowing down charging bandits--an event that could only happen in the Pre-Code era. Horton also gets to have a romance with Arline Judge. I certainly didn't think I'd be seeing EEH doing all these things when I sat down to watch this film. 

ROAR OF THE DRAGON was shown on TCM recently, and it was a surprising discovery for me, with its use of Edward Everett Horton and its effective presentation of the "White Folks besieged by a foreign threat" scenario. 

CATLOW

 

CATLOW is a 1971 Western that has a lot in common with SHALAKO--both films were made in Spain, both were based on Louis L'Amour novels, they were produced by Euan Lloyd, and they feature a cast of international actors. 

The title character in CATLOW, played by Yul Brynner, is an easygoing rogue who winds up in one scrape after another. After being accused of rustling a herd of cattle, Catlow heads to Mexico, where he and his raggedy band attempt to steal a fortune's worth of gold. Along the way Catlow is pursued by his old friend Ben (Richard Crenna), a trustworthy Marshal who has a warrant for his arrest. Catlow and Ben wind up facing all sorts of foes and situations. 

CATLOW may have been filmed in Spain (many of the locations used will be familiar to spaghetti western fans), but it has none of the early 70s Euro Western attitude. CATLOW has an almost old-fashioned vibe to it--the movie was originally rated PG, and there's nothing in it that is all that outstanding or original. Yul Brynner's Catlow is a devil-may-care fellow who constantly has a big grin on his face. Catlow doesn't seem very worried about what is going on, no matter how dangerous things get--and if the main character of a movie isn't all that concerned about things, why should the audience? 

There's plenty going on in CATLOW, with subplots involving cattle barons, bounty hunters, Native Americans, Mexican federales--perhaps the movie would have been better if it had focused more on the main character's activities. The solo adventures of Richard Crenna's diligent Marshal give that character as much screen time as Catlow. (Crenna is as solid and dependable as always--his Marshal is a far more interesting person than Catlow is.) Leonard Nimoy all but steals the film as Miller, a cold-blooded relentless bounty hunter who wants to get Catlow no matter what (one also wishes that Nimoy had more scenes). Daliah Lavi plays a spunky senorita and Jeff Corey fills the "crazy old coot" role. Most of the other minor roles are taken by spaghetti western veterans. 

The director of CATLOW was American actor Sam Wanamaker, but the real talents behind the film's pace and action scenes were James Bond veterans John Glen (chief editor and 2nd unit director) and Bob Simmons (stunt coordinator). British composer Roy Budd provides a score that goes out of its way to be reminiscent of classic Western themes. 

CATLOW is a decent 100 minutes of entertainment, but compared to the many more notable Westerns being made around the same time, it feels plain and generic. 

THE WONDERFUL LIES OF NINA PETROVNA

 

I've been fascinated by German actress Brigitte Helm ever since I first saw her memorable screen debut in Fritz Lang's legendary silent epic METROPOLIS (1927). Unfortunately most of Helm's work is unavailable in America, and there isn't even all that much info about her on the internet. 

One of her best roles can be found on YouTube. It is the title character in THE WONDERFUL LIES OF NINA PETROVNA, a 1929 romantic drama made for UFA Studios. It was the last silent feature made by that extraordinary company, but it does have an accompanying music track. 

The story is very simple. In pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg, the enchanting Nina is the mistress of a much older wealthy army colonel (Warwick Ward). Nina catches the eye of a young junior cavalry officer named Michael (Francis Lederer). Nina and Michael truly love one another, and Petrovna gives up her glamorous but empty life to live with the innocent young man. The two of them on their own cannot make ends meet, so Michael tries to win some money by gambling with his fellow army officers. The Colonel catches Michael attempting to cheat, and uses this information to force Nina to give up her young lover. Nina loves Michael so much, she's willing to throw away their happiness together in order to save him from disgrace. 

Brigitte Helm is absolutely stunning as Nina Petrovna, so much so one can easily understand why Michael and the Colonel do what they do to be near her. When one starts out to watch THE WONDERFUL LIES OF NINA PETROVNA, one assumes that this will be another German silent where a desperate man's desire for an alluring woman leads him to ruin, but in this case the alluring woman saves a man from ruin. Director Hanns Schwarz gives Nina plenty of exquisite closeups, and he allows Helm's emotional depth to carry the story. 

Francis Lederer (PANDORA'S BOX) makes a dashing but inexperienced Michael, a young man who hasn't considered the consequences of the situation he helped create, and Warwick Ward (VARIETY) makes the aristocratic, self-assured Colonel an imposing figure without having to act like an out-and-out villain. Helm, Lederer, and Ward are the only three main players in the film--that entire story revolves around their triangle. 

The cinematography of Carl Hoffman and the art direction of Robert Herlth & Walter Rohrig clearly define the splendor of Imperial Russia. Nina's opulent lifestyle as the Colonel's mistress is presented by Hoffman's camera slowly tracking through the rooms of the expensive villa she stays in. Later we are shown how much different Nina's and Michael's lives are as a couple on their own--they live in a common apartment, where Nina wears basic clothes and even peels potatoes (but she still manages to look gorgeous). The ending is particularly moving, and it certainly isn't of the Hollywood type--but it shows that Nina has more courage and determination than the two men who desire her. 

Brigitte Helm gives a magnificent performance in THE WONDERFUL LIES OF NINA PETROVNA, and this is another silent feature that greatly deserves a major restoration and home video release. 

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (2024)

 

This is a film that I hoped would be shown in a theater near my area, but no such luck. (Considering that it's a three hour movie made in France, I'm not surprised it didn't get a major release in America--perhaps the production should have cast a rapper in the lead role??) I became interested in this recent adaptation of Dumas' THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO when I found out that the directors and writers of it, Alexandre de La Patelliere & Matthieu Delaporte, were associate producers and writers on the two-part  THE THREE MUSKETEERS that was made a couple years ago, a version that impressed me a great deal. 

The latest THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is grand storytelling in the classic tradition, a film that is authentic to the characters and the period in which it is set. In 1815, French sailor Edmund Dantes (Pierre Niney) has his whole future ahead of him. He's recently been promoted to captain, and he's about to marry his true love. In the middle of the wedding ceremony, however, Dantes is arrested and charged with treason. Totally innocent of the charges, Dantes spends 14 years in prison, where he befriends a mysterious fellow inmate who helps him escape. The inmate also reveals to Dantes the location of a fantastic treasure on the island of Monte Cristo--a treasure that will enable the wronged man to instigate a lengthy and complicated plot of revenge against those who took away his future. 

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is an opulent and sweeping production, with impressive sets and costumes. The cinematography and editing are lively, but they don't overwhelm the narrative (there's no CGI-fueled video-game style sequences here). Thankfully this version doesn't try to be trendy or topical by inserting 21st Century style issues in the storyline or the casting. There's no attempts at modern humor, and, even better, there's no desaturated color schemes. 

Pierre Niney ably shows how Dantes is transformed from an openhearted positive young man to a cunning and calculating larger than life figure. While watching this film I realized how much the character of Edmund Dantes has influenced adventure stories ever since--in a way Dantes is an early 19th Century Bruce Wayne. You could even say that Dantes is one of the first superheroes--but he also could be looked upon as a supervillain as well. This new version doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of Dumas' tale. 

I need to point out once again that this is a French production, with mostly French actors playing the major roles. For me this made the film work even better--not knowing who any of the cast were meant that I was able to better believe them as the characters. I bought this movie on Blu-ray, and the disc does have an English language option, but by all means the French audio track (with English subtitles) is the best way to view the film. 

Some on the internet have quibbled about the changes made from the original Dumas novel, but overall I felt this was an excellent adaptation, featuring a classic epic film-making style that I have a preference for. The 2024 THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO is now out on Blu-ray and streaming, and it's a film that should have gotten more attention in North America. 

STOOGE O-RAMA

 

This came out a couple years ago, but I didn't get it until recently because it was (you guessed it) at a discount. STOOGE O-RAMA is a 3 disc grab bag of odds & ends involving the Funky Trio, available on DVD and Blu-ray. (I bought the DVD version--considering the less-than-pristine quality of the clips featured on this set, I doubt the Blu-ray would be all that much better.) 

The first disc on the set presents an hour-long documentary program on the Stooges entitled "The Men Behind the Mayhem". It's a decent look at the history of the group, sticking to the basics. The other two discs contain trailers for Stooges films, TV appearances, commercials, audio interviews, home movie footage, radio spots, etc. 

As a life-long Three Stooges fan I would say that there's nothing earth-shattering or revelatory about this material--it's the type of stuff that one can find on YouTube or gets shared on social media sites. One does notice in the behind-the-scenes footage how short of stature all the Stooges were, and how much older they looked when they were sporting their "civilian" hairstyles (one must remember that when the Stooges gained their second wind in the late 1950s-early 60s, they were all well past middle-age). 

The audio interviews show that Moe Howard was a very astute, articulate man who definitely was the leader of the group. (One wishes that Moe was around today, mainly because of all the info he could provide for film geeks.) 

There is a certain randomness to this collection, but I believe the folks behind it wanted to get as many things as they could in the set to make it more attractive to fans. It needs to be mentioned that the set features all the Stooges: Moe, Larry, Curly, Shemp, Joe, and Curly Joe. If you are expecting a Curly-fest you're going to be disappointed. Curly quit performing in 1946 due to health issues, and he died in 1952, so there isn't as much behind-the-scenes footage of him available as there is of his Stooge comrades. 

This is a set that is more for hardcore Stooges fanatics than those who watch the boys on MeTV from time to time. The footage is more unique than entertaining, and if you're not aware of Stooges history you may wonder what's going on in these clips. (An audio commentary giving context on some of the footage might have helped.) This is still a nice set overall, especially if you can get it at the discount I did. STOOGE O-RAMA is from Kit Parker Films, a company that has been doing excellent work over the years releasing rare product from the Hal Roach Studios.