Two films that might seem to have absolutely nothing in common are Stanely Kramer’s 1963 zany epic “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” and Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1970 counterculture offering “Zabriskie Point.” After all, what can a massive all-star comedy chase film have with a moody, erotically charged drama of youth rebellion?
Since it’s been about a year since we’ve seen the “Ocean’s Trilogy” released on physical format, Warner unleashes the trilogy of crime thrillers once again for physical media collectors. Yes, this time the individual movies from the “Ocean’s series was released in individual Steelbooks and a pair of specially packaged movies for the hardcore base of these trilogy of crime drama comedies. Oddly missing from the whole shebang is the original Frank Sinatra “Ocean’s Eleven,” as well as the abysmal female led “Ocean’s 8.” Maybe someday the fans will get a complete, ultimate edition with the whole series for their library, but for now this covers the basic trio of movies that gave us back the ensemble vanity project.
High Diving Hare (1949)
Directed by Friz Freleng
Written by Tedd Pierce
Animation by Gerry Chiniqiuy
Music by Peter Burness
You wouldn’t think you could do much with a short that centered on almost nothing but gags of Yosemite Sam falling off a high dive, but you’d be wrong. While short on variety, “High Diving Hare” is a blast because it feels like a return to form. Like previous shorts, there’s a three act structure, a perfectly funny set up, and a lot of really funny gags between Yosemite Sam and Bugs Bunny. I remember watching this short a lot during the “Bugs Bunny and Tweey Show” back on Saturday mornings but with a lot of the opening set up cut out to fit commercials. While the opening set up to the ensuing mayhem isn’t detrimental to enjoying the entire short, it does give the whole concept a lot of context,
Out on Blu-ray on May 7, 2024, from Arrow Video
Manhattan, mid-1990s, a young district attorney suddenly finds himself in the middle of a case that could make or break his career. This case will affect those around him just as much as himself, adding to the pressure.
BOOTLEG FILES 863: “Room to Let” (1950 British drama inspired by the Jack the Ripper murders).
LAST SEEN: We cannot confirm the last presentation of this film.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On a collector-to-collector label.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: An obscure film that fell through the cinematic cracks.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
Unless you are a scholar of either the Hammer Film Productions canon or cinematic endeavors inspired by the Jack the Ripper crimes, there is an excellent chance that you never heard of the 1950 British film “Room to Let.” And that would be a great shame, because “Room to Let” might be the greatest film you never saw.
In concept, there was little in “Room to Let” to inspire greatness. With a 68-minute running time, the film was never intended to be more than the lower half of a double feature bill in British cinemas. The film’s director, Godfrey Grayson, was not responsible for any work that could be mistaken for a classic. And the film covers territory that was previously plumbed in critically and commercially successful works by Alfred Hitchcock with “The Lodger” in 1927 and John Brahm with “The Lodger” in 1944.
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Out on Blu-ray on April 30, 2024, from Radiance Films
Following the death of his wife, a man returns home to Italy where their two sons await their return. There, he decides to inform his oldest, but withholds the information for his youngest for his protection. Soon, things turn sour in the household with big secrets and burdens affecting all that live there.
Out on Blu-ray on April 30, 2024, from Radiance Films
When a beautiful young woman falls in love with a Yakuza, she soon finds out that he and his organization expect her to sell herself to bring in money.