Latest news with #VinegarSyndrome
Los Angeles Times
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Why a boutique video label is taking over L.A.'s theaters, plus the week's best movies
Hello! I'm Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies. Among this week's new releases is '28 Years Later,' the third film in the series that dates back to 2002's '28 Days Later.' The new project reunites the core creative team from the first movie: director Danny Boyle, screenwriter Alex Garland, cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle and producer Andrew Macdonald. This time out the 'rage' virus that turns people into crazed cannibal monsters has been isolated to the U.K., which has been quarantined from the rest of the world. A small community of uninfected survivors live on a coastal island and make their way to the mainland to hunt and for supplies. A teenage boy (Alfie Williams), having made one expedition with his father (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), goes back with his ailing mother (Jodie Comer) in search of a doctor (Ralph Fiennes) rumored to be able to help them. In her review of the film, Amy Nicholson wrote that it 'has a dull central plot beefed up by unusual ambition, quirky side characters and maniacal editing. It's a kooky spectacle, a movie that aggressively cuts from moments of philosophy to violence, from pathos to comedy. Tonally, it's an ungainly creature. From scene to scene, it lurches like the brain doesn't know what the body is doing. Garland and Boyle don't want the audience to know either, at least not yet.' '28 Years Later' is the first film in a planned trilogy, with the second film, directed by Nia DaCosta, having already been shot. I spoke with Boyle, Garland, Mantle and Macdonald for a feature story that will be in print on Sunday. Whereas the original '28 Days Later' was notable for its use of consumer-grade digital video cameras, this time the production used modified iPhones to capture most of its imagery. The result is a fresh and distinctive look with both a sense of immediacy and an unexpected beauty. 'What was great about the script is that although you were inheriting some DNA from the original film, it was a completely original story,' said Boyle. 'And deserved to be treated like that.' This week the boutique home video label Cinématographe is participating in screenings all over town, further cementing the evolving relationship between physical media and the local revival scene. Curated and produced by Justin LaLiberty as an offshoot of the Vinegar Syndrome label, Cinématographe is among a handful of companies that create releases meant to look as nice on your shelf as they do onscreen. With beautiful restorations presenting the titles as optimally as possible, the releases come with many extras highlighting their production and what makes them special, alongside new critical essays on the films. Among the titles released by the company so far are John Dahl's 'Red Rock West,' Paul Schrader's 'Touch,' Robert Altman's 'Thieves Like Us' and Martha Coolidge's 'Joy of Sex.' 'Cinématographe has a very specific kind of curatorial approach,' said LaLiberty in a Zoom call this week from his home in Connecticut. 'And it also has a mission in that it's trying to shine a light on these movies that have fallen into obscurity for one reason or another.' Working in conjunction with the local screening collective Hollywood Entertainment in pulling together some of the local events, LaLiberty got a sense of the current repertory scene in L.A. and hopes that putting on Cinématographe screenings here is something that can become a regular occurrence. 'What I like about L.A.'s cinema scene, without being there, is seeing how the spaces cater to different audiences,' said LaLiberty. 'It happens in New York to an extent too, but I've noticed it a lot more with L.A. where I think just by virtue of geography, those theaters have to build a community that's a lot more specific to whatever their mission may be or whatever audience they're trying to cultivate is. So that's what I tried to do with these screenings is kind of hone in on what demographic those spaces are going to reach and what film made the most sense for each one.' On Sunday at Brain Dead Studios there will be a restored 4K screening of the exuberant 1983 remake of 'Breathless' with director Jim McBride in person. That will be followed by the Los Angeles premiere of the 4K restoration of Bob Saget's 1998 comedy 'Dirty Work,' starring Norm MacDonald, in its newly created 'Dirtier Cut,' which restores the film to a version screened for test audiences before it was chopped down to earn a PG-13 rating. Co-writer Frank Sebastiano will be in attendance. On Monday, LaLiberty will be at a pop-up at the Highland Park video store Vidéotheque, selling discs from Cinématographe, Vinegar Syndrome and affiliated titles from OCN Distribution — including some that are out of print. (Discs will be on sale at all the events too.) On Tuesday at Whammy Analog Media, 1994's essential lesbian rom-com 'Go Fish' will show in a 4K restoration with director and co-writer Rose Troche in person. On Wednesday, there will be a 45th anniversary screening at Vidiots of the 4K restoration of Ronald F. Maxwell's 1980 'Little Darlings,' starring Tatum O'Neal and Kristy McNichol as two teenage girls having a private competition at summer camp to lose their virginity. On Thursday, in conjunction with Cinematic Void, the Los Feliz 3 will host a showing of John Badham's 1994 action-thriller 'Drop Zone' starring Wesley Snipes, with the director in person. And while it may seem counterintuitive for a home video label to be encouraging people to go see movies in theaters, for LaLiberty the two go hand in hand. 'My ultimate mission is for these films to find an audience,' LaLiberty said. ''Little Darlings' is one of those movies that was out of circulation for so long that now that it's back and people can find it — to me that's the work. The end goal is that these films are brought back and that they're available for people to see and talk about and share. Theaters can play them and have them look great. I don't see it as cannibalizing. I see it as just being a part of the job.' The American Cinematheque is launching a series looking at films from Southeast Asia made around the turn of the 21st century and shot through with the energy of specific Y2K anxieties. These were films that felt cutting-edge and of the moment when they were released, but now perhaps function at least in part as memory pieces of their time and place. This is a sharp, smartly put-together series that contextualizes a group of films and filmmakers. Kicking off with Wong Kar-wai's 1995 'Fallen Angels,' the series also includes Hou Hsiao-hsien's 2001 'Millennium Mambo,' Tsai Ming-liang's 1992 'Rebels of the Neon God,' Fruit Chan's 1997 'Made in Hong Kong,' Shunji Iwai's 2001 'All About Lily Chou-Chou' Jia Zhangke's 2002 'Unknown Pleasures' and Lou Ye's 2000 'Suzhou River.' Writing about 'Fallen Angels' in 1998, Kevin Thomas called it 'an exhilarating rush of a movie, with all manner of go-for-broke visual bravura that expresses perfectly the free spirits of his bold young people. … Indeed, 'Fallen Angels' celebrates youth, individuality and daring in a ruthless environment that is wholly man-made, a literal underworld similar to the workers' realm of 'Metropolis' — only considerably less spacious. Life proceeds at a corrosive rock music beat.' 'Dogtooth' in 4K Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos' second feature, 'Dogtooth,' was his international breakthrough, winner of the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes and nominated for an Oscar. Yet even its most ardent admirers at the time would likely never have imagined Lanthimos would become the maker of commercially successful, Oscar-winning (and still weird) films such as 'The Favourite' and 'Poor Things.' A new 4K restoration of 'Dogtooth' will screen at the American Cinematheque at the Los Feliz 3 on Saturday, Tuesday and Sunday the 29th. The story feels abstracted and fractured, as a family lives in comfortable isolation, creating their own rules and language as the parents attempt to keep their children, now young adults, in a state of arrested development. When it was first being released, 'Dogtooth' struggled to find screens in Los Angeles. In my January 2011 review, I referred to it as 'part enigma, part allegory and even part sci-fi in its creation of a completely alternate reality.' When the film had its local premiere as part of the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival some seven months earlier, I spoke to Lanthimos, who perhaps pointed the way to some of his future work when he said, 'It's much more important to me for the audience to be engaged and to think about things themselves. If they miss any information, I'm OK with that instead of explaining every little detail and telling everyone what they should be thinking and how exactly things are.' Lanthimos added, 'People ask me if the film is about home-schooling or if it's political, about totalitarian states or the information we get from the media. And of course all those things were not in our minds as we were making the film, but it was intentional to make the film so people can come in and have their own thoughts about it.' 'The Seven Year Itch' 70th anniversary On Wednesday the Laemmle Royal will present a 70th anniversary screening of Billy Wilder's 'The Seven Year Itch' introduced by film writers Stephen Farber and Michael McClellan. Starring Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, 'Itch' was written by Wilder and George Axelrod, an adaptation of the hit Broadway play that also starred Ewell. Though the movie does include the iconic scene of Monroe standing over a subway grate, it deserves to be remembered for much more than that. It's a bracing satire of midcentury masculinity, with Ewell playing a mild-mannered family man who lets himself be taken away by fantasies of what may happen while he is on his own for a summer with a young single woman living upstairs from his New York apartment. Writing about the movie in June 1955, Edwin Schallert said, 'This picture is nothing for the moralists, though it may not quite satisfy the immoralists either, whoever they are.' Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton among honorary Oscar recipients This week the motion picture academy announced four honorees for the Governors Awards in November. Dolly Parton will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, while honorary Oscars will go to actor, dancer, choreographer and director Debbie Allen, production designer Wynn Thomas and actor and producer Tom Cruise. As always, it must be noted how disappointing it is that these awards will be bestowed at an untelevised ceremony and not as part of the Academy Awards telecast itself. The idea of giving an award to Tom Cruise, who has recently refashioned himself as nothing less than an international ambassador for movies and Hollywood in general, and not putting it on TV is just beyond reason. Here is hoping that Cruise will perhaps be able to do what his co-star in 'The Color of Money' Paul Newman once did, which is win a competitive Oscar after already being given an honorary one.
Geek Vibes Nation
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'The Golden Child' 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review - Supernatural Eddie Murphy Adventure Gets A Premium Release
The eighties were a white-hot time for Eddie Murphy, who had broken out of Saturday Night Live to become one of the most bankable stars in the business. Nestled between early decade breakouts such as Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop and the phenomenon that was Coming to America, there is a title that is often labeled as the odd creative miss from this decade. The Golden Child is an oddity no matter how you look at it; this was Murphy's first foray into the realm of the fantastical, and it was also the first time he deviated from his standard R-rating in favor of a more audience-friendly PG-13. The results were not a complete disaster financially – it comfortably made its money back – but the response was more muted than everyone had become accustomed to for Murphy. As we are nearing the 40th anniversary of this polarizing film and Vinegar Syndrome has finally deemed it worthy of a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release, we take a look and see if the ambivalence towards this film is warranted. The titular 'Golden Child' is a mysterious young boy in a remote Tibetan temple who is capable of carrying out some truly astonishing miracles that have to be seen to be believed. When you have anyone with this type of power, there is also bound to be people mobilizing to control it or eliminate it. The group in opposition to this child is led by the devious Sardo Numspa (Charles Dance, Game of Thrones), who leads a deadly raid on the temple that leaves countless slaughtered monks and the miracle child abducted. Halfway around the world in Los Angeles, we meet social worker Chandler Jarrell (Eddie Murphy), a caring, unyielding man who seeks to protect the safety of children with everything in his power. Jarrell actually happens to have more power than he even knows, as he is told when the tantalizing Kee Nang (Charlotte Lewis) shows up to reveal his destiny as 'the Chosen One' who will save 'the Golden Child.' While this news sounds patently ridiculous to Jarrell, evidence starts to pile up that she may not be entirely off her rocker. Chandler Jarrell was considered a very atypical role for Murphy at this point in his career. Murphy was known for being loud and brash and unrepentantly shocking with his off-color humor. Jarrell, on the other hand, exhibited traces of these attributes while mostly remaining way more reserved than normal. This allowed Murphy to showcase a softer, sweeter side than audiences had seen, but it did not help in the comedy department. There are a few solid laughs in The Golden Child, but the film is extremely plot-driven in a way that stifles the natural charisma of Murphy. This might not be such an issue if the plot was compelling, but it really lacks momentum in that department, as well. There are so many elements that are introduced and shoved into the lore that it starts to become more than a bit convoluted. The basic elements are in place for the film to be good, but the script does not give anyone much to latch onto. Charles Dance is a really great villain, but inconsistent writing holds him back from being truly menacing. There are moments in this film that scream to be seen by a certain type of fan, but morbid curiosity might not be enough of a driving force for most viewers. As mentioned, this was the first time that Murphy delved more into the realm of fantasy, and it is understandable if this experience soured him on the genre for a little while. When you sit down for an Eddie Murphy film, you do not exactly expect to see a half-snake lady or full-on shape-shifting demons, but there the movie is getting more and more outlandish. I would argue that some of these elements could have been sort of cool, but some extremely rocky special effects just make everything laughable. The film is not a complete disaster, which we have seen on occasion from Murphy, but there are numerous script issues and technical choices that leave a lot to be desired. This film will never be known as top-tier Eddie Murphy, but it does deserve some recognition for inspiring Murphy to have a greater hand in writing many of his future films – many of which ARE extremely entertaining. Video Quality The Golden Child makes its 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with an exceptional 2160p transfer in Dolby Vision/HDR newly scanned and restored in 4K from the 35mm Original Camera Negative. One of the biggest benefits of this new transfer is the splendid implementation of Dolby Vision for expanded color output. There are a lot of bold hues in the film that radiate off the screen with an immaculate vibrancy. The black levels are extremely deep and allow for true detail to come through well. Highlights likewise hold firm with nothing veering into blooming. Skin tones are natural and lend themselves to showcasing an amazing amount of detail. This presentation is a powerhouse that preserves the filmic look with proper film grain and texture throughout. The level of clarity and detail on this release is unbelievable, with only the occasional shot that looks a bit on the soft side due to optical effects. There are very subtle details in the lush production design that are more clearly visible than ever from minute details on outfits to some of the production design on display in the temples. Vinegar Syndrome has done an excellent job of restoring this, as all print damage has been cleaned up without messing with the natural look of the film. Those who have been waiting for this one to be given the ultimate treatment on 4K UHD Blu-Ray should be thrilled by the results Audio Quality The 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio lossless soundtrack that sonically represents the film quite wonderfully. The activity focuses heavily on the front channels with the synth-based score from Michel Colombier filling the room appropriately. Music is used skillfully throughout the presentation, but it never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. The grandiose dialogue comes through clearly and never falls victim to any digital anomalies. Rear speakers get some occasional activity with ambient sounds, but it is not a standout in that regard. There is a substantial amount of low-end support when the scene calls for it, as well. Both tracks accomplish everything they need to do with great ease. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided. Special Features Audio Commentary: Author/screenwriter Kelly Goodner and film historian Jim Hemphill provide a new commentary track in which they discuss the production of the film, the challenges of shooting on location, the career of Eddie Murphy, the background of the ensemble, the notes from the studio, and more. Throwing Elbows – Writer/Co-Producer Dennis Feldman on Writing, Selling, and Making It To Hollywood: A new 19-minute interview with the screenwriter in which he discusses his career, developing the idea for The Golden Child , the process of selling the script, getting Eddie Murphy attached, the legacy of the film, and more. Lover of Realism – An Interview with Matte Painter Caroleen 'Jett' Green: A new 13-minute interview with the artist in which she discusses discovering the art of matte painting, her background in art, working at LucasFilms, the paintings she worked on, and more. FX Man – An Interview with Academy Sci-Tech Award Winner Mark Noel: A new 13-minute interview with the creative in which he discusses creating some intricate special effects moments for the film including overcoming some difficult moments. The Demon I Wanted To Make – Designer and Sculptor Randal Dutra on Creating Sardo Numspa's Demon Form: A new 12-minute interview with the artist in which he discusses his background working on Star Wars and Gremlins , what he wanted to accomplish on The Golden Child , the challenges that stood in his way, and more. Master of a Lost Art – Go-Motion Supervisor Harry Walton on Animating The Golden Child's Go-Motion Sequences: A new 15-minute interview with the artist in which he discusses turning down working on Star Wars (twice), his specialty in stop-motion, working on The Golden Child , and more. The Chosen Ones: A seven-minute vintage featurette in which the cast and crew take a closer look at the script, characters, performances and more. Daggers, Design & Demons: The second half of this featurette runs seven minutes and takes the viewer on a journey through the technical details including the production design, costumes, stunt work, special effects and more. Archival Interview with Harry Walton: A five-minute archival interview in which the artist discusses the go-motion process as it pertains to the film. Theatrical Trailer (2:04) Image Gallery Final Thoughts The new release of The Golden Child brings a notable title from Eddie Murphy to 4K UHD for the first time. The film itself may not be a top-tier effort, but there are some elements that Murphy fans may want to check out if they have never caught this one. The 4K UHD Blu-Ray itself is quite wonderful with a stellar A/V presentation and a striking array of special features. If you are already a fan of the film, you will be very pleased by this release. The Golden Child is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack. Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray. Disclaimer: Vinegar Syndrome has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cincy-based ‘Dandelion' on-sale for limited Blu-ray run
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Nicole Riegel's second feature film is available to purchase on Blu-ray for a limited time. 'So much growth going from film one to film two': Nicole Riegel talks 'Dandelion' The filmmaker and Wright State University alum said Monday that her film 'Dandelion,' is receiving a limited edition slipcover Blu-ray release. 'Only 500 limiteds were made and when they're gone, they're gone,' Riegel said in an Instagram post. 'Support physical media.' The release includes the following special features: Audio commentary with Riegel and cinematographer Lauren Guiteras. A booklet of essays from the filmmakers, including Guiteras, Producer Adam Cobb, Colorist Phil Beckner, Sound Mixer/Designer Brian Berger. Deleted scenes. Behind the Scenes footage. A stills gallery. A lyric/music video for 'River.' A trailer for the film. 'Dandelion' is available for pre-order now from 'Vinegar Syndrome,' a film restoration and distribution company. They focus primarily on independent films. Quantities are limited, with only 238 left in stock as of writing. 'Dandelion' was filmed in and is set in Cincinnati, Ohio. It also stars Cincy's own Kiki Layne as the titular 'Dandelion.' Learn more about the film here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
