Earlier this week we started a new month and with that comes new Blu-rays (and a couple of DVDs) from the always wonderful Kino Lorber. This month offers another round of variety from the Kino Lorber library with new releases from cinema greats Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, and an early Roland Emmerich flick. Kino Lorber is working both ends of the spectrum and I appreciate that. Check out all the month’s releases below!
Making Contact (1985)
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: May 9, 2017
Science Fiction / 79 min / PG / Color
Director: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Joshua Morrell, Eva Kryll, Tammy ShieldsSynopsis:
Following the death of his father, nine-year-old Joey finds himself at the center of a frightening series of phenomena, including telekinesis, phone calls from beyond the grave and one very sinister ventriloquist dummy with extremely homicidal instincts. But when the authorities arrive to investigate Joey’s gifts, they unknowingly unleash a horrific supernatural force that no scientist can comprehend and only one boy can hope to stop. Roland Emmerich, the director of blockbusters Independence Day, Stargate, The Day After Tomorrow and Universal Soldier, wonderfully directed this haunting shocker.
Marjorie Morningstar (1958)Newly Mastered in HD from a 4K scan!
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: May 9, 2017
Drama / 128 min / NR / Color
Director: Irving Rapper
Starring: Natalie Wood, Gene Kelly, Claire Trevor, Everett Sloane, Carolyn Jones, Martin Balsam, Edd ByrnesSynopsis:
Marjorie Morningstar (Natalie Wood, Love with a Proper Stranger) is eighteen and very beautiful, an innocent young heart eager to explore the excitement of a career in the theater. She leaves her family and fiancé for a season of summer stock at an east coast resort, where she meets and falls in love with a handsome but worldly producer, Noel Airman (Gene Kelly, An American in Paris). Immediately attracted to her, he sweeps Marjorie off her feet and into a once-in-a-lifetime love affair. With his new love by his side, Noel decides to make the jump from the world of professional theater to the far more demanding Broadway. Irving Rapper (Now, Voyager) directed this beautifully made romantic drama co-starring Claire Trevor (Stagecoach), Everett Sloane (Citizen Kane), Carolyn Jones (The Addams Family), Martin Milner (TV’s Adam-12 and Route 66), Martin Balsam (After the Fox), Jesse White (Harvey) and Edd Byrnes (77 Sunset Strip).
Adios, Sabata (1971)Blu-ray Street Date: May 9, 2017
Western / 104 min / PG-13 / Color
Director: Gianfranco Parolini
Starring: Yul Brynner, Dean Reed, Ignazio Spalla, Gérard HerterSynopsis:
Legendary spaghetti western producer Alberto Grimaldi (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) produced this rousing chapter of the Sabata series, which sees screen icon Yul Brynner (Taras Bulba, Invitation to a Gunfighter) stepping into the title character’s boots. Under the brutal rule of local garrison leader Colonel Skimmel and European tyranny, a group of Mexican revolutionaries hire gunslinger Sabata (Brynner) to rob a transport of Austrian gold in order to buy weapons. But Colonel Skimmel has other plans, taking the gold for himself and blaming the revolutionaries, but no scheming colonel is going to keep Sabata from earning his pay. Gianfranco Parolini (Sabata, God’s Gun) directed this rip-roaring, action-packed western filled with fabulous gadgets and wicked humor.
The Return of Sabata (1972)Blu-ray Street Date: May 9, 2017
Western / 100 min / PG / Color
Director: Gianfranco Parolini
Starring: Lee Van Cleef, Annabella Incontrera, Ignazio Spalla, Reiner SchöneSynopsis:
The man with gunsight eyes is back and this time, he’s judge, jury and executioner. The great Lee Van Cleef (Death Rides a Horse, Barquero) returns as the famous freewheeling gunslinger Sabata. This third and final go-round for the enigmatic sharpshooter who administers a unique brand of justice in the American West in the years following the Civil War finds Sabata in the role of victim. Sabata’s skills as a gambler and thief are unparalleled. However, when a shifty band of desperadoes bilks him out of $5,000, he wants revenge. Legendary producer Alberto Grimaldi (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) and director Gianfranco Parolini (Sabata, We Are No Angels) took the Sabata series to another level, delivering the best and most action-packed film in the trilogy.
The Indian Fighter (1955)Blu-ray Street Date: May 9, 2017
Western / 88 min / NR / Color
Director: Andre De Toth
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Walter Matthau, Elsa Martinelli, Lon Chaney Jr., Elisha Cook Jr., Alan Hale Jr.Synopsis:
Only one man has the power to stop the war! Screen Legends Kirk Douglas (The Devil’s Disciple) and Walter Matthau (The Laughing Policeman) co-star in this exciting account about a man who made his name fighting Indians, but now must use his peacekeeping skills to keep wronged Sioux warriors from massacring a wagon train and a nearby fort. After the Civil War, Johnny Hawks (Douglas), the Indian Fighter, returns to the West and establishes a treaty with the Sioux Indians. But when renegade frontiersmen seeking a legendary Indian gold mine murder the brother of the Sioux chief, tensions escalate, endangering every man in the territory. The great Andre De Toth (Pitfall) directed this action-packed western featuring a stellar cast that includes Lon Chaney Jr. (Big House, U.S.A.), Elsa Martinelli (The Oldest Profession), Alan Hale Jr. (A Man Alone) and Elisha Cook Jr. (I Wake Up Screaming).Special Features:
-Audio Commentary by Western Historian Toby Roan
Those Redheads from Seattle (1953) 3-DNewly Restored in HD and 3-D from 2K Scans!
DVD and 3-D Blu-ray Street Date: May 23, 2017
Musical / 90 min / NR / Color
Director: Lewis R. Foster
Starring: Rhonda Fleming, Gene Barry, Agnes Moorehead, Teresa Brewer, The Bell SistersSynopsis:
A married woman (Agnes Moorehead) takes her four unmarried redheaded daughters (Rhonda Fleming, Teresa Brewer, Cynthia and Kay Bell of The Bell Sisters) to Alaska during the 1898 Gold Rush so they could help their father run his newspaper. All four are members of the singing sister act The Edmonds Sisters, and upon arriving in Yukon they find out their father was murdered. The four heroines get work at the saloon owned by Johnny Kisco (Gene Barry). Kathie Edmonds (Fleming) searches for her father’s murderer, who may or may not be Kisco. Hollywood veteran Lewis R. Foster directed this wonderful and colorful musical, which was the first ever 3-D musical and the first widescreen film released by Paramount Pictures.Special Features:
-Audio Commentary by Film Historians Hillary Hess, Greg Kintz, Jack Theakston and Bob Furmanek
-2006 Interview with Rhonda Fleming
-Before/After Restoration Demo
-Original Theatrical Trailer
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)Mastered in HD! (DVD)
Musical / 121 min / NR / Color
Director: David Swift
Starring: Robert Morse, Michele Lee, Rudy Vallee, Maureen ArthurSynopsis:
Big business means big laughs as Robert Morse (The Loved One) schemes and scams his way to the top in this bold and bawdy musical that celebrates the Great American Corporate Way and lampoons it at the same time. With musical supervision by the legendary Nelson Riddle (Pal Joey), this tune-filled comic gem is a goldmine of Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls) songs. Written, produced and directed by David Swift (The Parent Trap) and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway smash, this classic musical is bristling with humor, romance and song. The story charts the meteoric rise of an ambitious window washer (Morse) who, with the help of a simple guidebook, gets the job, gets the girl (Michele Lee, Knots Landing), gets the raise and gets the attention of the Big Boss (Rudy Vallee, The Palm Beach Story) himself – all by his second day at work. Now it’s only a matter of hours before he goes from zero to CEO!
The World of Henry Orient (1964)Mastered in HD! (DVD)
Comedy / 106 min / NR / Color
Director: George Roy Hill
Starring: Peter Sellers, Paula Prentiss, Angela Lansbury, Tom Bosley, Phyllis ThaxterSynopsis:
Comedy Legend Peter Sellers (The Party, After the Fox), Paula Prentiss (What’s New Pussycat?), Angela Lansbury (Something for Everyone) and Tom Bosley (TV’s Happy Days) are hilarious in The World Of Henry Orient, a funny, charming, lively and imaginative place you’ll want to visit again and again. Two starry-eyed schoolgirls spy, stalk and scheme their way into the life of a concert pianist (Sellers) in this wacky piece of inspired lunacy. With half of New York – including a bevy of befuddled cops and one man-hungry mom – in tow, these precocious teens do all they can to keep tabs on their harried hero, turning The World Of Henry Orient entirely upside down. The great George Roy Hill (The Sting, Slap Shot) directed this hilarious comedy with screenplay by Nunnally Johnson (How to Marry a Millionaire, Night People) and his daughter Nora Johnson, based on a novel by Nora Johnson.
The Paradine Case (1947)Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: May 30, 2017
Mystery / 125 min / NR / B&W
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Gregory Peck, Alida Valli, Charles Laughton, Charles Coburn, Ethel Barrymore, Louis Jourdan, Leo G. Carroll, Ann ToddSynopsis:
From master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock (Lifeboat, Notorious) comes this nail-biting thriller that packs a punch. Hollywood legend Gregory Peck (Night People) headlines a brilliant cast in this masterful story of a murder trial that will keep you guessing until the final frame. When arrestingly attractive Maddalena Anna Paradine (Alida Valli, The Third Man) is charged with poisoning her husband, she hires famous London barrister Anthony Keane (Peck) to defend her. But as Keane unravels Maddalena’s exotic past, the young attorney becomes hopelessly infatuated with his captivating client. Now, allowing his heart to rule his head, Keane’s blind obsession could cost him the case and his marriage as the shocking truth is revealed in a sensational courtroom climax! The stellar cast includes Charles Laughton (Witness for the Prosecution), Charles Coburn (The More the Merrier), Ethel Barrymore (Deadline – U.S.A.), Leo G. Carroll (North by Northwest) and Louis Jourdan (Gigi).Special Features:
-Audio Commentary by Film Historians Stephen Rebello and Bill Krohn
-Hitchcock/Truffaut: Icon interviews Icon (audio)
-New interviews with Cecelia Peck and Carey Peck
-1949 Radio Play Starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli and Louis Jourdan
-Peter Bogdanovich interviews Alfred Hitchcock (audio)
-Restoration Comparison
-Isolated Music and Effect Track
-Original Theatrical Trailer
One, Two, Three (1961)
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: May 30, 2017
Comedy / 115 min / NR / B&W
Director: Billy Wilder
Starring: James Cagney, Horst Buchholz, Pamela Tiffin, Arlene Francis, Howard St. JohnSynopsis:
Hollywood great James Cagney (The Gallant Hours) gives one of the richest, funniest, most breathlessly paced performances of his career in this comedy that defrosts the Cold War with gales of laughter. C.R. “Mac” MacNamara (Cagney) is a top-ranking soda executive stationed in West Berlin who’s responsible for his boss’ daughter (Pamela Tiffin, Come Fly with Me) while he’s away on business. But when he learns that she’s gone and married a fierce young communist (Horst Buchholz, The Magnificent Seven) and that his boss will be arriving in town in 24 hours, Mac must transform the unwilling beatnik into a suitable son-in-law or risk losing his chance for advancement! Before you can say “one, two, three,” his plans have spun out of control and into an international incident that could infuriate the Russians, the Germans and, worst of all, his own suspicious wife. Legendary director Billy Wilder (Irma La Douce) directed and co-wrote this hilarious, fast-paced and lighthearted comedy with his twelve-time writing partner I.A.L. Diamond (Avanti!).Special Features:
-Audio Commentary by Film Historian Michael Schlesinger
-Billy Wilder and Volker Schlondorff discuss ONE, TWO, THREE (3:01)
-Billy Wilder on Politics and ONE,TWO, THREE (6:05)
-Billy Wilder Trailers
Tough Guys (1986)Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: May 30, 2017
Action / 104 min / PG / Color
Director: Jeff Kanew
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Eli Wallach, Charles Durning, Dana Carvey, Alexis Smith, Darlanne Fluegel, Billy BartySynopsis:
Hollywood legends Burt Lancaster (Elmer Gantry) and Kirk Douglas (The Indian Fighter) star in this upbeat, action-packed comedy adventure. Set free after 30 years in prison, train robbers Harry Doyle (Lancaster) and Archie Long (Douglas) discover that they have a lot of catching up to do as they face the high-tech, new-wave, whirlwind lifestyle of the 1980s. And with crooked cop (Charles Durning, The Rosary Murders) and a myopic hitman (Eli Wallach, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) hot on their trail, Harry and Archie find the straight life a little too tough to handle. That’s when these two old pros start doing what they do best… making plans for their boldest, most explosive train heist ever. Jeff Kanew (Revenge of the Nerds) directed this final teaming of the two screen giants. The wonderful cast also includes Alexis Smith (Night and Day), Dana Carvey (Wayne’s World), Darlanne Fluegel (Freeway) and Billy Barty (Foul Play).Special Features:
-Audio Commentary by Director Jeff Kanew
The Blue Racer (1972-74) (17 Cartoons)Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: May 30, 2017
Animation / 109 min / NR / Color
Director: David H. DePatie, Friz Freleng
Starring: Larry D. Mann, Tom HollandSynopsis:
Unlike other high-velocity cartoon characters, nothing about DePatie-Freleng’s supersonic Blue Racer could be described as “streamlined.” While surely speedy, this lisping reptile is definitely not slick and ranks as more of an Everysnake who loses more battles than he wins, most of them to a philosophical Japanese Beetle. The DePatie-Freleng artists, while dubious ethnologists, still display their knack for extended physical comedy and squash-and-stretch action scenes in this surprisingly popular skein that bucked the contemporaneous trend toward limited animation. Never consigned to any indigenous natural habitat, the Blue Racer vacations in Tokyo, winters in Alaska, even emigrates to Ireland with a wanderlust echoed by the films’ producers, who outsourced one of the entries to Sydney, Australia and another to Barcelona, Spain.List of shorts:
HISS AND HERS * SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SERPENT * NIPPON TUCK * PUNCH AND JUDO * LOVE AND HISSES * CAMERA BUG * YOKAHAMA MAMA * BLUE RACER BLUES * THE BOA FRIEND * WHAM AND EGGS * KILLARNEY BLARNEY * BLUE ACES WILD * FOWL PLAY * FREEZE A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW * SNAKE PREVIEW * ACES AND SNAKES * LITTLE BOA PEEPSpecial Features:
-Two documentaries by Greg Ford and William Hohauser: “DePatie-Freleng’s Range Rovers” and “Art for Art’s Sake” (a tribute to brilliant DePatie-Freleng multi-hyphenate Art Leonardi), featuring Mark Arnold, Jerry Beck, Barbara Donatelli, Will Friedwald, Art Leonardi and layout artist Martin Strudler.
-Audio commentaries for selected films by author Mark Arnold, director Bob Balser (archival audio), animation historian Jerry Beck, filmmaker Greg Ford and cartoon writer William Hohauser.
Sheriff Hoot Kloot (1973-74) (17 Cartoons)Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: May 30, 2017
Animation / 109 min / NR / Color
Director: David H. DePatie, Friz Freleng
Starring: Bob Holt, Larry D. MannSynopsis:
Diminutive loudmouth Sheriff Hoot Kloot, astride his curmudgeonly, limping horse Fester, wages an ongoing battle of witlessness against lunatic sheep rustler Crazywolf. DePatie-Freleng’s only series of cartoon Westerns, the Sheriff Hoot Kloot™ films are characterized by especially strong direction and layout (by Hawley Pratt, Gerry Chiniquy, Art Leonardi and others). Delighted with the chance to slip in clever Wild West in-jokes, writer John Dunn further pits Kloot and crew against a veritable rogues gallery of ridiculous outlaw villains, including Billy the Kidder, Calamitous Jane, Butch Casualty, Wild Bill Hiccup, and the hanging Judge Soy Bean.List of shorts:
KLOOT’S COUNTY * APACHE ON THE COUNTY SEAT * THE SHOE MUST GO ON * A SELF-WINDING SIDEWINDER * PAY YOUR BUFFALO BILL * STIRRUPS AND HICCUPS * TEN MILES TO THE GALLOP * PHONY EXPRESS * GIDDY UP WOE * GOLD STRUCK * AS THE TUMBLEWEED TURNS * THE BADGE AND THE BEAUTIFUL * BIG BEEF AT THE O.K. CORRAL * BY HOOT OR BY CROOK * STRANGE ON THE RANGE * MESA TROUBLE * SADDLE SOAP OPERASpecial Features:
-Two documentaries by Greg Ford and William Hohauser: “DePatie-Freleng’s Range Rovers” and “Art for Art’s Sake” (a tribute to brilliant DePatie-Freleng multi-hyphenate Art Leonardi), featuring Mark Arnold, Jerry Beck, Barbara Donatelli, Will Friedwald, Art Leonardi and layout artist Martin Strudler.
-Audio commentaries for selected films by author Mark Arnold, cartoon director Bob Balser (archival audio), animation historian Jerry Beck, filmmaker Greg Ford and cartoon writer William Hohauser.
