Americana
(2025/Bron*)/Best
Christmas Movies Ever!
(2025/MVD Blu-ray)/Best
Christmas Pageant Ever
(2024/*both
Lionsgate Blu-ray w/DVD)/Laurel
& Hardy, Volume Two
(1929 - 1954/MVD/SabuCat/VCI Blu-ray Set)/Naked
Gun
(2025 revival/Paramount Blu-ray)/Splitsville
(2025/Neon
Blu-ray)
Picture:
B- & C/B-/B- & C/B-/B-/B Sound: B & C+/B/B &
C+/C+/B/B Extras: C-/C/C-/B-/C+/C- Main Programs:
C-/C/D/B-/C+/C-
Comedy
is not easy, but especially when you cannot decide what is funny, if
you know what funny is and/or are just clueless....
Tony
Tost's Americana
(2025) wants to be a comedy, but also a 'modern western' (whatever
that means,) a Coen Brothers film, A Tarantino film or anything else
that will stick. Unfortunately, it comes close to none of them,
wastes its cast, money and our time as much as it is clueless as how
to handle any genre or any storytelling and shows once again why the
Western is still dead.
With
a title that becomes more pretentious as you watch, the MacGuffin is
a Native American artifact everyone suddenly wants (all for the money
save actual Native Americans and their friends) and the result is a
mess. Sydney Sweeney, Eric Dane and Halsey lead the cast, however
that goes. Yawn!
Extras
include Digital Copy, while the disc adds an Original Theatrical
Trailer, Feature Length Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Tony
Toth and featurette A
Western Fairy Tale: The Making Of Americana.
Mark
A. Altman's Best
Christmas Movies Ever!
(2025) is a documentary where everyone talks about their favorite
holiday films, but many of the choices are lame, a few obvious and
most people here apparently have seen few films before the early
1980s. Despite some people being interviewed being those I like
(Brett Spiner in that minority,) this is far form exhaustive and not
as deep or thorough as it ought to be, especially with such a title.
Only view if you are really, really bored.
Extras
include Digital Copy and Mini Poster, while the disc adds a feature
length audio commentary track by Director Altman & Producer Scott
Mantz, live presentation of the film, an Original Theatrical Trailer,
Deleted and Extended Scenes.
Dallas
Jenkins' Best
Christmas Pageant Ever
(2024)
wants to be A
Christmas Story
in a cruder way, but the precocious young cast is not cute, funny or
amusing, but more like a group of bad stereotypes that do children
and anyone else watching this mess no favors. Somehow based on a
book, Judy Greer is the only familiar face in this dud and when it
was all done, it was like getting a very dirty, deadly lump of coal.
Avoid it!
Extras
include Digital Copy, while the disc adds a feature length audio
commentary track by Director Jenkins & Producer Kevin Downes,
five featurettes: (Hearing
The Kids,
Director's
Diary,
All
About The Pageantry: Creating The Look,
Legacy
Of The Christmas Pageant,
The
Least Of Those,)
an Original Theatrical Trailer, Deleted Scenes and Bloopers.
Laurel
& Hardy, Volume Two
(1929 - 1954) is the new Blu-ray set from VCI of the legendary comedy
duo, the first of which we reviewed at this link:
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15739/Cannery+Row+(1982/MGM*)/Finding+Joy:+Series+1
The
shorts this time, on this set, include Men
O' War
(1929)
No
doubt the duo continued to be great, though some aspects of these
transfers got in the way the first set did not, I was still laughing,
et al. We have been covering all reissues of these films since cheap
CDs and go back to VHS, Beta, 12-inch LaserDiscs and even 8mm, Super
8 and 16mm prints, just to see these gems. Pretty much the
best-selling comedy duo in all those old formats, There has not been
enough of them on Blu-ray, but that continues to change. This set
helps that and even if the shorts can come up a little short, the
extras are as big a reason to get this set. Cheers to all the hard
work that went into this set!
Extras
(per the press release) includes a full color booklet with rare
photos, original production information, restoration notes, while the
discs add:
Previously
lost SILENT versions of Blotto and Brats with scores
by accompanist Andrew Earle Simpson
Alternate
audio tracks for Perfect Day (1937 reissue version,) Blotto,
and Another Fine Mess
(voice & effects tracks only)
Rare
trailers for Pardon Us, Fra Diavolo, Bohemian Girl,
Our Relations, and Swiss Miss
Galaxy
of Stars (1936): An MGM promotional film for foreign exhibitors!
Recently
rediscovered SHIP'S REPORTER (1952) featuring both Laurel &
Hardy
THIS
IS YOUR LIFE: LAUREL & HARDY (1954) from 35mm kinescope negative
There
Goes My Heart (1938) trailer and outtakes of the Roach Studios
backlot
Commentary
tracks from authors Richard W. Bann and Randy Skretvedt
Galleries
of fascinating studio stills, scripts, posters, lobby cards, and
other archival materials
and
an exclusive interview with Hal Roach, the legendary producer behind
the magic.
Akiva
Schaffer's The
Naked Gun
is a 2025 revival of the original three hit films that surprisingly
delivered box office, despite being based on the six-episode series
Police
Squad!,
which we covered years ago at this link:
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/5155/Police+Squad!+[In+Color]+â
With
most of the cast no longer with us, including Leslie Nielsen as Fran
Drebin, a coup for the film is getting Liam Neeson to play Drebin's
son. Of course, the O.J. Simpson scandal ruined the watchability of
the trilogy, with only a single nod to that and one nod was enough in
this film. Drebin has to investigate how a key person died in a car
going over a hill, which leads to other clues an the sister of that
man (Pamela Anderson, the Barb
Wire
actress re-reminding us she can handle genre work) who also wants
answers.
This
leads to a rich industrialist (Danny Hudson, chewing up the scenery
up very well) who might know more than he is saying. The opening of
the film spoofs The
Dark Knight,
while the body of the screenplay takes shots at the James Bond film
Tomorrow
Never Dies
and we even get a bizarre, extended Harry Potter joke. The film has
some laughs, but unlike its predecessors, way too much toilet humor
and that hurt it at the box office. It works better when it goes for
truly funny dialogue, visual laughs, absurdity and some slapstick,
which made the previous incarnations work. I will not spoil things
by identifying anyone else in the cast, but Family
Guy
creator Seth MacFarlane co-produced and I wish he had been even more
involved.
A
mixed commercial success, I still think there could be a sequel and
it so, readjust to really make things work better. Go back to basics
and what made the older films work even more. We don't get enough
big screen comedies anymore and it would be a nice surprise. For
now, this is recommended for those who are curious.
Extras
include Digital Movie, while the
disc adds six featurettes, including A
Legacy of Laughter:
Join the cast and crew as they dive into what keeps the crime hard
and the guns naked in this all-new installment of the Naked
Gun
franchise.
Son
of a (Naked) Gun: Only one man has the particular set of skills
to lead Police Squad! Find out what makes Liam Neeson the perfect
Frank Drebin Jr.
On
Set Of A Set Within A Set That's In A Set: Take a look within a
look for a look into the reality-bending hospital scene that takes
practical effects to a whole new dimension.
The
Funny Femme Fatale: Pamela Anderson embodies the perfect femme
fatale in her role as Beth Davenport.
The
Really Unusual Suspects: Get to know the cast who steal the show
by playing it straight.
and
Dropping the Balls: Explore the production and stunt team
behind the ball dropping finale sequence.
Outtakes:
Outtakes
Montage: Breaking the law is easy. Playing it straight? Not so
much.
WWFC
Outtakes:
See the quips and digs beyond the punches at the WWFC match in these
outtakes.
Deleted,
Alternate, and Extended Scenes:
Bank
Fight #1 Extended
Bank
Fight #2 Extended
Noir
Opening Alternate
Last
Year's Incident Joke Alternate
Cane's
Boardroom Deleted
Beth
Scat Extended
Frank
Sees Wolf Deleted
Tivo
Alternate
Facade
Moment Extended
Frank
and Ed See Balls Deleted
Skybox
Deleted
Beth
Weapons Extended
Frank
Rant in Octagon Deleted
Frank
and Cane Under Arena Extended
Frank
and Ed Under Arena Deleted
and
Revenge Kill Speech Extended
and
Mock Ads:
Gorilla
Nut: Try this enhanced drink supplement for men.
Muscle
Slime: Want to get ripped? All you need is Muscle Slime.
Michael
Angelo Covino's Splitsville
(2025)
proves without a doubt that no other actor or actress alive has a
built-in magnet for hideous screenplays and movies more than Dakota
Johnson. Again involving sex (and none of it convincing, which
brings up other issues we cannot get into here without an extended
essay) has a couple that seemed to be happy, but the gal want out, so
the guy goes and visits another couple (Dakota is the gal there,
while the Director plays her man(!!!!)) who claim they have a healthy
relationship that did nto split because it is open, so they are
sleeping with all kinds of other people.
Well,
surprise, that all gets tested when he arrives and these people all
turn out to be as boring as they are unsexy, making any viewer
thrilled you can still get birth control. Not that they would use
it...
If
anything, I (once again for a Dakota film) felt insulted and
talked-down to, resulting in 104 minutes of my life (plus
supplements) I'll never get back. You have been warned!
Extras
include a Making
Of
featurette, Trailer and spots.
Now
for playback performance. The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition
image on Americana
is not great, on the weak side, but maybe it would look better in 4K?
Compositions are mixed and not the best use of the scope frame,
while the
lossless Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems) is
professional competent and not too memorable either. The
anamorphically enhanced DVD with its lossy dolby Digital 5.1 mix are
both weak and weaker, especially in the picture department and are
only here for convenience.
The
1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image on Movies Ever is
mixed, with a variety of usually decent classic film clips and newly
taped interview footage that is usually not as good, plus editing can
be a mixed affair. The DTS-HD MA
(Master Audio) 5.1 and PCM 2.0 Stereo lossless mixes are as mixed
with the 5.1 really pushing it, but maybe slightly better than the
PCM. The combination is as mixed as the program itself.
The
1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image on Pageant
Ever
is uninspired and looks as bad as the glut of holiday films,
especially the hundreds (thousands?) of off-season telefilms that
have helped ruin the holidays and maybe the country. The
lossless Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems) is
barely consistent, with a combination that is as annoying as the
film. The anamorphically enhanced DVD with its lossy dolby Digital
5.1 mix are both weak and weaker, especially in the picture
department and are only here for convenience as well.
The
1080p 1.33 X 1 black & white digital High Definition image
transfers on the Laurel & Hardy shorts can show the age of
the materials used, coming from all kinds of 35mm footage and sources
that has survived. People complained about too much digital
tampering with the shorts like the last set and that's valid, but my
issue is that many transfers are a bit faint in the Video Black
department, no matter how good the restorations are otherwise. For
now, this is the best we've seen much of this material, from 4K
scans. The PCM 2.0 Stereo are all
new scores for the silent shorts and they sound just fine, but any
sound material shows its age as expected.
The
1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image on The Naked Gun
does not try to look like the older trilogy or TV show it is based
on, different from the 1.33 X 1 of the old TV show and 1.85 X 1 of
the old trilogy. The compositions offer mixed results, but are
usually good and this likely looks better in 4K. The
lossless Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems)
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image on Splitsville
tries to look like older film stocks, but that rings false for the
most part, though might work better in 4K, while the
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix is second to Naked
Gun
for sonics, but not by much.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
