Film Reviews by Adam Long

Now in Theaters: 

Scream VI (not screened) The latest entry in the horror franchise that refuses to lay down and die is now in theaters, transporting the story to the locale of NYC. Also missing this time is the character of Sydney (Neve Campbell) which tends to happen when salary demands aren’t met for creative talent. 

65 (not screened) Adam Driver travels back in time from the future and faces a real life Jurassic World as he battles dinosaurs and the like.

New to Streaming: 

Unseen (2023) (** ½) A visually impaired woman, running from her abusive ex in the woods and saddled with a pair of broken glasses, gets help from an unlikely source-a convenience store clerk she misdialed- in her quest for survival. This Blumhouse production offers nothing new but does maintain interest and is well acted and stylistically interesting. It’s also blessedly short at 75 minutes. 

New to Disc: 

Theaters, Streaming & Disc

Adam Driver in 65.

Scream/Shout:

Streets of Fire (1984) Walter Hill’s musical fable, a longtime cult fave, gets a 4K upgrade this week in a new edition that retains previous extras. 

Razorback (1984) Music Video director, Russell Mulcahy, helmed this tale of a monstrous pig terrorizing the Australian outback which gets its first ever Blu Ray release. The release includes some new extras. 

Universal: 

The Prince of Egypt (1998) The animated retelling of the story of Moses gets a Blu Ray issue this week from the label along with previous extras. 

Synapse: 

Phenomena (1985) Jennifer Connelly stars as a girl with telepathic powers who finds herself at odds with a killer while attending a private school. The new 4K edition includes two cuts of the film, multiple commentaries and a feature length documentary on the film. 

Sony: 

A Man Called Otto (2022) Tom Hanks is the nicest curmudgeon in cinema history in this sickeningly sweet tale of a ‘grumpy old man’ who learns to be a better person by loving his neighbor. There are a few featurettes on the new Blu-Ray edition.

Criterion: 

Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1979) Legendary Asian filmmaker, John Woo, in one of his earliest efforts, directed this tale of a pair of swordsmen assisting a nobleman in his quest for vengeance. Extras include interviews, trailer and essay book. 

Warner Archive: 

Flamingo Road (1949) Joan Crawford and director Michael Curtiz reunited for this tale of a carnival dancer being victimized by the local sheriff in a small town. Extras include cartoon and blooper reel. 

Neptune’s Daughter (1949) Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban find romance in this musical comedy. Extras include a radio promo and outtake musical number. 

Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939) Edward G. Robinson stars as a government agent going after a Nazi in one of the first Hollywood films to address the Nazi threat. 

The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier, in their only onscreen appearance, star in this technicolor adaptation of The Sleeping Prince. 

Film Movement: 

The indie film label has several new international films getting a DVD release. These include the Vietnamese documentary, Children of the Mist, the Italian period drama, King of Laughter, the sequel, Belle and Sebastian: The Adventure Continues and the Israeli drama, All Eyes Off Me.

Questions/comments? [email protected].