With the “remake” of “The Crow” right around the corner with Bill Skarsgard, and the popularity of the original film about as big and marketable as ever, Cinemark is bringing director Alex Proyas’ The Crow back to theaters for the classic movie’s 30th anniversary as part of the “Scream Greats” label from Paramount Scares and Fangoria. Fans that missed the original experience will be able to see The Crow up on the big screen at Cinemark theaters on two nights only: May 29th & May 30th. You Can Head over to Cinemark’s website to check local listings now. “Adapted from the comic book saga of ..read more

BOOTLEG FILES 864: “Hot Dogs for Gauguin” (1972 student film short by Martin Brest starring Danny DeVito). LAST SEEN: On the OK.ru website. AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None. REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: An obscure film that fell through the cinematic cracks. CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely. At the risk of being cruel, it needs to be acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of student films represent a victory of enthusiasm over talent. But that’s not to say the genre lacks gems – Denis Sanders’ “A Time Out of War” (1954) won the Academy Award, while George Lucas’ career has it ..read more

Out on Blu-ray on May 28, 2024, from Arrow Video    Following an accident, a man wakes up on the road out of his car with a second man standing there. Soon, doors appear. A bit later, the man finds himself in hell, where he gets to experience the suffering of others until he has satisfied the needs of his sentence.   Written and directed by Quarxx, the man behind Un ciel bleu presque parfait, Pandemonium is a trippy walk-through hell and what it can represent for different people. The story here is built of shorter stories showing how some deal with death and with pain, sh ..read more

Out on Blu-ray on May 21, 2024, from Arrow Video    A Narcotics undercover agent who left the field gets pulled back in when the investigation of a policeman’s murder hits a standstill.   Written and directed by Joe Carnahan, Narc is a gritty look on the life of a narcotics agent who has had it rough and made a few questionable decisions who then finds himself involved in an investigation somewhat against his will. The writing here is solid with well-developed, interesting characters, as well as a story that grabs you out of the gate and does not let you go until the very ..read more

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? But filmmaker Daniel Kramer declares there are wide acreage of common ground between these unlikely works: “The wide-open spaces, arid terrain, comings and goings, meetings and partings, amateur aviation, rapacious capitalism, modernity gone mad, and panoramic composit ..read more

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 ..read more

A filmmaker with cerebral palsy makes a documentary about his own life, how he has evolved and how his life has changed along the way, proving that a full life is what everyone deserves.  Written by Alexander Freeman and Michaelle McGaraghan and directed by Freeman, My Own Normal is a documentary about the director himself, one where he gives access to his own life and films it shows how he lives and how he can have a full life while dealing with cerebral palsy. The subject here is interesting as a whole, but the approach feels like it’s only skimming the surface and giving the viewer th ..read more

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.  Written by Sidney Lumet, based on Robert Daley’s novel, and directed by Lumet, the film has the pedigree of a masterpiece, and it is quite near one. The writing here is solid with a great story, and director beyond well by Lumet. The film here brings to the screen police corruption, complex plots, and the city ..read more

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 gre ..read more

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.  Written by Leonardo Benvenuti and Piero De Bernardi with collaboration from Lucia Drudi Demby and Giuseppe Mangione, based on the novel by Florence Montgomery, and directed by Luigi Comencini, the film is one that is all abo ..read more