"ROBOCOP" (LIMITED EDITION 4K UHD)
You already own the "RoboCop" VHS, DVD and Blu-ray. Is it worth purchasing the film in yet another format? Absolutely! The new limited edition 4K UHD, two-disc release from Arrow Video makes the movie pop as well as a pristine 35mm print could.
1987's "RoboCop," directed by Paul Verhoeven at the height of his cinematic powers, stands as a science-fiction/action classic. Set amidst the urban chaos of Detroit in the near future, the film tells the tale of a police officer (played smartly and hauntingly by Peter Weller), who is slain by a criminal gang.
He is revived by a powerful corporation and transformed into a cyborg cop. He doesn't remember his former existence, but his consciousness contains remnants of his human self and that leaves him conflicted.
You'll be rocked by the ultra-violence in Ultra HD. But the movie also offers dark humor and sharply satirical social commentary. Weller is memorable in the title role, as is Nancy Allen who brings a winning mix of toughness and vulnerability to her character, Officer Anne Lewis, RoboCop's partner. The fine supporting cast includes Kurtwood Smith, MIguel Ferrer and Ronny Cox.
The film looks spectacular in Ultra HD and sounds incredible, particularly when listening to the Dolby Atmos version. Sound effects and score are sharp and clear.
The Arrow package includes tons of bonus material to make "Robcop" fans salivate. Among the myriad attractions are the director's cut, the theatrical release, the edited TV version, several audio commentaries, and many interviews, including the casting director, second unit director, composer Basil Poledouris and female lead Nancy Allen.
You'll also find theatrical trailers, TV spots, production stills, lobby cards, storyboards, a Q&A with the filmmakers and the isolated original score.
"RoboCop" is a film well worth watching and rewatching. And the Arrow UHD version is the best way to experience it.
"GIRL ON A CHAIN GANG" (Special Edition)
The sultan of schlock, master of marketing, Jerry Gross produced, co-wrote and made his directorial debut with 1966's "Girl on a Chain Gang." Though a timely message creeps through about the evil of bigotry, this flick definitely falls into the exploitation category. A fair amount of footage is spent drooling over the two voluptuous main female characters. The film is now available in a special edition Blu-ray from The Film Detective.
The movie was shot not long after the shocking murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi. The film is set in a small Southern town (though shooting took place in Long Island). Three young Northerners -- a white man, a black man and a white woman -- travel down there to aid in voter registration and voter rights. The townsfolk, about as hospitable as the denizens of "Deliverance," scornfully refer to them as "carpetbaggers."
The sadistic sheriff (played with unsettling effectiveness by William Watson, whose name may not be familiar but whose face and nastiness you may recall from guest shots on dozens of TV series in the 60s, 70s and 80s) and his equally depraved deputies resent the interracial interlopers. The three are railroaded to jail. Outraged, the white detainee stands up to the lawmen, further antagonizing them. Bragging about their college educations may not have been the best way for the Northerners to win over the rednecks. The visitors are fined all their cash, roughed up a bit, then set free.
Unfortunately, they don't hightail it out of town. They head for the local bar. That results in the men being charged with transporting a woman over state lines for immoral purposes, with their female companion, Jean (Julie Ange), being accused of prostitution. It's an obvious frame-up, but the entire town is under the sheriff's dirty thumb. So no outcry follows the ensuing murder and rape. The sheriff reads from the Bible just before sexually assaulting Jean. It's a disturbing scene.
As Jean snarls in court, glancing around at the leering, uncaring townsfolk, "Time is moving forward. You're standing still." These human dinosaurs, roaring their hateful racist and misogynistic filth should have been extinct centuries ago, but as we know, they're still lurking, even today.
So Jean, very late in the movie, is sent to the chain gang referred to in the title. That triggers a sequence that brings to mind a poverty row "Defiant Ones."
Though it's tacky and melodramatic, "Girl on a Chain Gang" does provide a frightening reminder of the menacing atmosphere civil rights activists faced in the 60s. Despite its stereotypical villains and other flaws, the movie proves to be compelling and suspenseful. It has more substance than most grindhouse flicks. This was probably the creative pinnacle of Gross' checkered career. His credits include "Teenage Mother" and "I Drink Your Blood."
Film Detective's newly remastered Blu-ray release looks crisp and clean. Extras include an interesting, brief featurette on Gross, an audio commentary by author/film historian Jennifer Churchill, and a 14-page booklet with an essay, "Girl on a Chain Gang: Race, Rednecks and Civil Rights" by Lisa Petrucci of Something Weird Video.
CDS
KYRA GORDON - "SOUL OF A SHOW GIRL"
Berkeley, California-based singer-songwriter Kyra Gordon proves on "Soul of a Show Girl," her debut album of original material, that she has plenty of soul, as well as abundant eloquence, a gift for memorable melodies and a stirring voice. Whether powerfully passionate or gently reflective, Gordon brings an engaging honesty and sincerity to her beautiful Americana compositions.
It's been a long and winding road taking Gordon to this auspicious debut, including stops in Oakland, New Orleans, Hollywood and North Carolina. She studied at several schools, including California Jazz Conservatory. She produced and starred in the one-woman show "Loving Janis," an homage to both Janis Joplin and Janis Ian.
Decades of experience and dedication have paid off in a sparkling album, displaying her songwriting and performing prowess. In addition to her impressive vocals, Gordon plays keyboards.
On the title track, "Soul of a Showgirl," she sings, "I was born with the love of lights" and "I’ll sing a song, I’ll dance for you, reach out your hand, I'll pull you through." But she makes clear in the song, not everyone can relate to or accept an artist's overriding fervor for a creative pursuit. In her own quest, nothing was going to stop Gordon.
Gordon offers a disarming poignancy in the sympathetic "Bravest One," an inspiring tribute to a resilient friend. "Who The Hell" simmers in bluesy style.
Blues legend Tracy Nelson joins Gordon on the moving tale of "Laredo Slim," a tribute to a fellow musical artist, the late Powell St. John. There's a sigh-inducing country lilt to the spiritual encounter described in "Doppelganger Angel." "Emotional Pirate" reflects Gordon's harrowing time in a cultish artists' commune.
Other outstanding tracks include "Greetings from East Texas," "Tender Hearts" and the exhilarating "Big City Lights," But there isn't a weak cut on this album. Listeners will embrace each and every one.
Kudos to producer Rachel Efron, another of the Bay Area's finest singer-songwriters, for achieving such an eminently pleasing sound with this record. She helps give strong identity to each of Gordon's distinctive songs. Gordon and Efron understand just when to insert instruments like organ, harmonium and harmonica to complement the guitars, bass and drums.
With this, her first album of her own compositions, Kyra Gordon instantly establishes herself as an artist whose work is well worth exploring.
JOHN DOE - FABLES IN A FOREIGN LAND"
Though he's best known for co-founding the seminal L.A. punk rock band X, John Doe is also a dedicated troubadour, recounting tales that dig deep into the American landscape. His jumps into folk, alt-country and roots rock have been just as powerful as his louder, more frenetic music.
With perfectly understated instrumentation -- primarily bassist Kevin Smith (upright and electric) and drummer Conrad Choucroun backing acoustic guitarist/vocalist Doe -- his latest, "Fables in a Foreign Land," proves riveting from start fo finish. Accordion and violin add vital colors.
The songs, all set in the late 19th century, present fascinating characters, dark deeds and the struggle to survive. Doe finds grief, fear, desperation, an urge to run from the darkness, but also discovers determination and, ultimately, hope.
Wind blows ominously as the opening number, "Never Coming Back" begins. Co-written with outlaw country icon Terry Allen, the song, bristling with persecution and injustice, describes the protagonist's pain, anger and unease following their parents' murder. Doe sings, "So many people rushing by... Everybody dressed in black... Whispers up in the sky... They're never coming back."
Doe travels south of the border for a co-write with Louie Pérez of Los Lobos, the jaunty "El-Romance." The driving, dire and unnerving "Destroying Angels" was co-written by Doe, his ex -- and X bandmate -- Exene Cervenka, and Garbage's Shirley Manson.
In "The Cowboy and the Hot Air Balloon," Doe spins a captivating western yarn filled with vivid imagery. A pining lover professes his devotion to a woman being released from prison in the pretty "Sweetheart." "Travelin' So Hard" is a rollicking rockabilly number that would have suited early Carl Perkins or Johnny Cash. Other standout Doe songs include "Down South," "Where the Songbirds Live," "See the Almighty" and "There's a Black Horse."
Doe's vocals are earnest and expressive, somehow comforting. The compelling beauty of his voice recalls Phil Ochs. Doe's artfully realized lyrics, poetic and thought-provoking, reveal more with each listening. Stir in his disarming melodies and you have an album that weaves an irresistible spell. On "Fables in a Foreign Land," Doe gives an intense sense of time and place, but transcends both, creating a universality. Journeying back more than a century, he unveils truths that resonate today.
ANN PEEBLES & THE HI RHYTHM SECTION - "LIVE IN MEMPHIS"
Ann Peebles began making hits for Hi Records almost half a century ago. And today, vintage recordings of her scintillatingly soulful voice sound as exciting and enticing as ever. A new release of a 1992 Memphis concert, with Peebles backed by Hi's horn section and background singers, captures the urgency and electricity of 70s Memphis soul.
Her nine-song set that night was relatively brief, but enthralling. Peebles delivers a burning "Part Time Love" and then pours her heart out on the torchy ballad "Didn't We Do It." A fierceness flows through her vocal on "I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody's Home Tonight," as she's prodded to greater heights by sultry horns and pounding piano.
Her trademark tune, "I Can't Stand the Rain," simmers to a full boil. Many stars have covered her song. But Peeble's rendition can't be topped.
Other grabbing tracks include "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down," the defiant, blues scorcher, "I Didn't Take Your Man" and "Let Your Love Light Shine," one of three numbers on the album she co-wrote with her husband, Don Bryant.
Now 75, Peebles was 45 at the time of the Memphis concert. Her voice still had a youthful vigor, enhanced by a worldly maturity. Her live set here will make you hunger for more.
BOOKS
BE MY BABY: A MEMOIR
By Ronnie Spector with Vince Waldron [Henry Holt and Co.]
Upon experiencing "Be My Baby" for the first time, who wouldn't want to be Ronnie Spector's baby? That look! That voice -- so powerful, penetrating, alluring! Keith Richards, who wrote the foreword for this memoir, said, "Do I have to tell you that Ronnie's got one of the greatest female rock-and-roll voices of all time? She stands alone.” Her trio, The Ronettes, epitomized the girl groups of the era.
A new edition of her memoir has been published and it's thoroughly absorbing. For it, Ronnie Spector, who passed in January of 2022, added a postscript that updates us and provides a glimpse into the group's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Ronettes influenced countless female artists who followed in their footsteps.
As the lead singer with The Ronettes, she also enjoyed huge success with "Baby, I Love You" and "Walking in the Rain." Her story is a spellbinding look at 60s rock. But it's also a cautionary tale about the horrors of being trapped in an abusive relationship.
Veronica Bennett was a born performer. As a child, she was already relishing the attention she received when singing for family and friends. Childhood wasn't easy, not with an alcoholic father. Music was her lifeline. As a teen, she, her sister and their cousin formed a vocal group, The Ronettes. They developed an appealing, harmony-focused sound and a striking look -- hair up to here... and eyeliner out to there.
Joey Dee of "Peppermint Twist" fame took them under his wing and helped them begin establishing a following. That was expanded enormously, when renowned New York deejay Murray the K featured them on his radio shows and live extravaganzas. Their concerts made them a local sensation. But they struggled get a record up the charts.
It was when Phil Spector noticed them that their careers took a dramatic turn. And Ronnie's life changed completely. First he wanted to make her a star. With her voice at the center of his epic, Wall of Sound recordings, The Ronettes shot to the top. In England, they befriended The Rolling Stones, who opened for them on tour.
Romance blossomed between Ronnie and Phil. Was the super-producer simply eccentric or a dangerous, mad genius? In the beginning, he was intrigued by Ronnie. But soon he was obsessed.
His insane jealousy made Ronnie jittery, but she loved him and thought his sweet side would come to the fore, if they married. But marriage only made Phil's rage and irrational behavior even more traumatic. Desperate to hold onto her, he resorted to bullying to keep her from leaving him. He demeaned her, exacerbating her insecurities. Ronnie found herself confined in their Beverly Hills mansion, where Phil shut out all sunlight... and tried to block any possible contact his wife might have with the outside world. Ronnie's dream had turned into a nightmare.
Not wanting to share her with the world, Phil thwarted opportunities for Ronnie to indulge in her passion -- performing. She turned to alcohol to numb the desolation and misery. They adopted children, hoping a family might bring them a taste of joy and stability. It didn't.
Finally she was able to escape. Ronnie eventually found a loving husband and had a fulfilling family life, as well as a renewal of her singing career. The memoir details her entire journey, which includes interactions with numerous legends. Ronnie serves up some great stories about The Beatles -- run-ins with a lecherous John Lennon and the rush of having George Harrison write a song especially for her, only to have the occasion become awkward. Phil took her to Abbey Road, where George played it for her, an odd ditty that was obviously completely wrong for her. The single was a dismal failure.
There are descriptions of her youthful meetings with her idol, Frankie Lymon, who was alcoholic, drug-addicted and licentious. Quite disillusioning. During her post-Phil years, Ronnie had a strange and erotic adventure with David Bowie. It makes for a memorable chapter.
The book contains many fabulous photos, including shots of Ronnie with the Fab Four and bizarre shots of her with Phil.
Ronnie writes from the heart, not shying away from the most painful or humiliating moments. Her ability to survive and thrive, to declare her independence and establish the life she had always wanted makes her autobiography an inspirational, as well as entrancing read.
DANGER ON THE SILVER SCREEN:
50 FILMS CELEBRATING CINEMA'S GREATEST STUNTS
By Scott McGee [Running Press/Turner Classic Movies]
Scott McGee, TCM's senior director of original productions, has assembled a wonderfully entertaining book honoring the daring men and women who put their lives on the line to deliver some of the most memorable stunts in movie history. Filled with fantastic photos, the work expands our perspective on many film favorites.
McGee uses interviews, reviews and behind-the-senes stories to give readers fascinating insights into how the death-defying stunts were planned and executed. Of course, there are instances when the stunts failed, sometimes with tragic results. But usually they ended up in unforgettable cinematic sequences, in many genres, splashing car chases, aerial thrills, explosions, wild animals and brutal fights across the silver screen.
The book, which features 50 important films, spans the history of the art form, from silent classics to modern hits like "The Matrix," "John Wick" and "Baby Driver." In the early years, directors, demanding realism, often coaxed their stars into performing dangerous stunts themselves. McGee shows Lillian Gish and Richard Barthelmess nearly drowning in a freezing river, floating on ice floes during the "Way Out East" shoot. Cecil B. DeMille convinced Gloria Swanson to allow a lion to pounce on her bare back.
Some stars relished displaying their courage and agility. The athletic Douglas Fairbanks dazzled audiences with his dashing derring-do. After an exploration of Fairbanks' rousing work, there's a terrific pic of Fred Caven, who taught him swordplay, instructing Doug's swashbuckling successor, Errol Flynn.
Comedy geniuses Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton devised elaborate stunts that had audiences gasping, as well as guffawing. McGee examines the breathtaking work of stunt pilots on movies like "Wings and "Hell's Angels."
McGee sings the praises of stuntmen who gained renown by taking the risks for the stars, among them Hal Needham and Yakima Canutt. The book details the innovative, dauntless Canutt's mind-boggling stunts amidst galloping horses in John Ford's "Stagecoach."
Stuntmen also risked life and limb in 1959's "Ben Hur." McGee also touches on the silent version.
Some stuntmen graduated to acting roles, including Richard Farnsworth, who earned Oscar nominations for "Comes a Horseman" and "The Straight Story." Former stuntman Ben Johnson, who memorably brawled in a barroom in "Shane," won the Academy Award for "The Last Picture Show."
Science-fiction is represented by "The Thing From Another World," in which an alien is doused with kerosene and set aflame. It was terrifying to shoot and to watch on screen.
You'll find so many iconic moments, such as Steve McQueen's motorcycle exploits in "The Great Escape," as well as the much-imitated car chase in "Bullitt."
Women have long held their on in the stunt world and McGee includes a study of Charlize Theron's dynamic action scenes in "Atomic Blonde." He also shines a light on the "Stunt Queen of the Silver Screen," Polly Burson, who gained prominence in the late 40s and continued to ply her dangerous trade through the 60s.
Yes, you may say, "It's only a movie," but McGee's listing of Jackie Chan's injuries over the years is a stark reminder of the chances the actors and stunt people take for your enjoyment.
Naturally, James Bond makes his presence felt here, with glimpses into Roger Moore's tour-de-force "Live and Let Die" and Daniel Craig's "Casino Royale." McGee also delves into "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," as well as the entries of Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan.
There are movies that might not spring to mind when contemplating the zenith of stunt work, such as "The Blues Brothers," "Romancing The Stone" or "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Mad World." But with McGee's explanations, these selections make perfect sense.
You might quibble about films that he included or excluded. That would make a fun debate. But "Danger on the Silver Screen" provides a marvelous overview of the history of movie stunts and the men and women who boldly brought them to life.
