It’s Black History Month once again and in honor of the occasion I continue the series of “Great Minority Movie Heroes” which we have been running over and over for years, now. What better occasion than Black History Month than to continue listing movie heroes that are people of color? Be sure to check out the past editions of the series and let us know what some of your favorite minority movie heroes are.
The Bootleg Files: Woody Allen
BOOTLEG FILES 853: “Woody Allen” (1965 British television special).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: Not yet.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: A performance rights clearance issue.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
On February 10, 1965, British television audiences who tuned into ITV had their first look at Woody Allen, who starred in an eponymous one-off television special. Most viewers that night probably thought “Woody Who?” – he was unknown in Britain and his fame in his own country was mostly limited to occasional appearances on television talk shows and in clubs that featured up-and-coming stand-up comics.
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Turning Red (2022)
Will be in Limited Re-Release on February 9th; will be preceded by the Sparkshort Kitbull. Check Local Listings.
You gotta give it to Pixar, when they decide to do something new, they approach it head on and go all the way. Although subtlety was never their strong suit, here “Turning Red’s” one big noticeable element is that it’s about as subtle as a brick on the head. With Domee Shi directing, “Turning Red” is a decidedly very Asian flavored coming of age film that’s drawn in the style of anime and Manga.
Every Bugs Bunny Ever: Gorilla My Dreams (1948)
Gorilla My Dreams (1948)
Directed by Bob McKimson
Written by Warren Foster
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation by Charles McKimson
It’s interesting to review “Gorilla My Dreams” as it’s a fun introduction of the ape villain Gruesome. While Warren Foster does a good job of bringing us new Bugs Bunny foil, Gruesome and this whole premise was applied so much better in the 1959 remake “Apes of Wrath.” I could swear I had seen this short before, but for a long time it was always the aforementioned. It goes without saying that set up for “Apes…” is so much cleverer than the one we get in “Gorilla My Dreams.” That’s not to say that this short doesn’t bring with it its own merits. It’s not a terrible short at all, all things considered.
Alienoid: Return to the Future (2024)
In theaters from Well Go USA from January 26th, 2024
In this follow-up to Alienoid (2022), the story picks up where the first film ends. We get to see Lee Ahn in the far away past, stuck there, but maybe not, looking for a divine sword and a way home.
The Conan Chronicles [Limited Edition Arrow Video Box Set]
Out on Blu Ray and 4K January 30th, 2024
By now, most film fans are at the very least aware of the Conan films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger from the 1980s. Here, Arrow Video gives both films, Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer, the luxury release treatment. So, how does it look and is it worth picking up?
Departing Seniors (2024)
In Select Theaters & VOD/Digital on February 2nd.
Director Clare Cooney’s “Departing Seniors” is an ode to the classic giallo pictures of the seventies where someone is having psychic visions of a lurking masked killer. This masked killer though is lurking inside and around a high school, while the protagonist is a young man who is grappling with his own trauma involving his sexuality. While I give big respect to Joe Nateras for writing a movie that evokes the giallo pictures of the seventies, “Departing Seniors” misses on every other front. It’s a horror comedy that completely fails to keep its eye on the ball, centering so much more around teen drama and forgetting that it’s also supposed to be a horror movie.