The
Bride! 4K (2026*)/Crime
101 4K (2026/Amazon MGM
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray**)/IT:
Welcome To Derry 4K - Season One
(2025/HBO/*both Warner 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays)/The
5-Man Army (1969**)/The
Mastermind (2026/MUBI
Blu-ray/**both Alliance)/7
Faces Of Dr. Lao
(1963/**both MGM/Warner Archive Blu-ray)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: B+/B/A- Picture: X/X/X/B/B-/B Sound:
B+/B/A-/C+/B/B- Extras: C+/D/B/C-/C/C Main Programs:
C+/C-/B+/C+/C+/C+
PLEASE
NOTE:
The
5-Man Army
and 7
Faces Of Dr. Lao
Blu-rays are now only available from Warner Bros. through their
Warner Archive series and can be ordered from the link below.
Now
for some genre releases that try, but most don't always succeed...
Maggie
Gyllenhaal's The
Bride! 4K
(2026) is the latest Frankenstein film, but one of the only focusing
on The Bride Of Frankenstein and not the first revisit, as the
Sting/Jennifer Beals 1980s feature film was also a controversial
release that bombed. This time, the great actress goes behind the
camera and tries to do something different, something sometimes
darkly comical and definitely post-modern, meaning it tires to go
beyond the confines of the original text and do other odd things that
are not odd if you see the slight deconstructions going on
throughout.
Most
critics and audiences did not, so we got a film I liked a little more
than most, one that plays much better than the Branagh Frankenstein
with Robert De Niro that Francis Coppola-produced after the success
of his successful (albeit overrated)n Dracula and this film has more
to do with the likes of the little-seen Frankenstein
Unbound
(directed by Roger Corman in one of his very rare artist turns) that
deals with the original Shelley novel in futuristic terms, more
relevant as AI and the like show up.
Jesse
Buckley is a Punk Rock/New Wave variant of the legendary title
character, only created when Frankenstein (Christian Bale, more than
knowing what he is doing here) comes to the U.S., leaving his Doctor
creator behind and getting a woman scientist (a nicely cast Annette
Bening) to create his woman. Like all A-level big studio horror
movies, the monster still comes from overseas, even if she is now an
American-grown version, bringing her closer to low budget U.S.
monsters from Texas
Chainsaw,
Hills
Have Eyes
and various slasher films, et al, than is usually the case.
When
you have Frankenstein here referencing Mel Brooks' Young
Frankenstein,
the most success Frankenstein of any Hollywood production since the
1931 Universal original, you known the screenplay and film are
working on a higher level that went over more than a few heads. Does
it make it a great film? No, but it is one of the better of its kind
in a long time and the costumes, production design, great
cinematography by Director of Photography Lawrence Sher, A.S.C., (who
just lensed both Joker
films) and locales only help, as does the supporting cast that
includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Penelope Cruz and Peter Sarsgaard.
So
it might take some adjustments and more effort, but The
Bride! 4K
is worth the extra effort if you like these characters, the book, the
previous movies and more, this film is more for you than you've
heard. All this smart talent did nto get together and not know what
they were doing and maybe audiences will even catch on after this one
has been out for a while. Here's the best way to see and experience
it outside of a deluxe theatrical screening.
Extras
include Digital Movie Code, while the disc adds
four featurettes:
Uncover
the artistry behind The Bride! with exclusive footage and revealing
interviews. From Maggie Gyllenhaal's daring direction to the cast's
transformative performances, witness how this modern masterpiece was
brought to life.
From
first sketch to final transformation, explore how The
Bride!'s
unforgettable creatures took shape. With exclusive make-up tests,
behind-the-scenes footage, and cast insights, discover the artistry
that turned vision into cinematic legend.
In
The
Bride!,
Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale embody the intertwined forces of
creation and consequence. Guided by Maggie Gyllenhaal's vision,
their performances reveal how love, pain, and artistry can reanimate
even the darkest myths.
A
bride is always the center of attention, especially this one. Annette
Bening, Penelope Cruz, Julianne Hough, John Magaro, and Peter
Sarsgaard reveal their deepest thoughts on The Bride, Frank, and the
unforgettable film they all leapt to be in.
Bart
Layton's Crime
101 4K
(2026) has Chris Hemsworth as a jewel thief chased by a detective
played by Mark Ruffalo and Halle Berry is an insurance lady trapped
in the middle. From there, the film cannot decide if it is a clever
thriller, sexy thriller or anything genre-connected to such a film.
The result is very uneven, plodding and wastes the talent on screen
as it wastes the viewers time.
I
like Hemsworth and his brothers are also good actors, but he keeps
getting stuck in films where he is not given much to do, like
Blackhat,
Red
Dawn,
Men In
Black: International,
Bad
Times At The El Royale
and even the all-female Ghostbusters
remake where he does not get a chance to stretch or do much, so he
becomes flat and dull very quickly. Good thing he has some other
films outside of playing Thor where he does better.
Ruffalo
tries to be more gruff here, but that only goes so far, while Berry
stretches the most, plus Nick Nolte and Barry Keoghan also show up,
while Director Layton's last (and only other narrative feature film)
was also a heist romp (apparently a better one) so he tries again and
it just never gets going, connects or takes off. No panache and it
has some visual issues I'll address below. If nothing else, it is an
odd, weird failure, but not in a particularly interesting way. I
doubt it will be a cult item either, so only the most interested
should check it out.
There
are no extras.
Andy
Muschietti and HBO's
IT: Welcome to Derry
(2025) is the perfect companion piece to the recent IT films directed
by Muschietti (who also directed Mama
and The
Flash),
all of which have been reviewed on this website.
IT:
Welcome to Derry
boasts high production values, great performances, and an intriguing
screenplay that travels back to 1962, capturing the fictional town of
Derry during the early years of Pennywise the Clown's reign of
terror. There are many easter eggs and references to other Stephen
King stories including a character from The
Shining.
The
eight episodes in Season
One
include "The
Pilot,"
"The
Thing in the Dark,"
"Now
You See It,"
"The
Great Swirling Apparatus of Our Planet's Function,"
"Neibolt
Street,"
"In
the Name of the Father,"
"The
Black Spot,"
and "Winter
Fire."
Pennywise
the Clown is one of Stephen King's most iconic creations, and Bill
Skarsgård takes the role to another level in this series.
Particularly in the final episodes, where he is covered in blood, the
character is at his most terrifying and unhinged yet. The series is
pretty brutal and doesn't hold much back, as it isn't as constrained
by the source novel as the films were. There are some changes to the
mythology and origins of Derry here and there, but I feel that what
the creative team ultimately came up with works well and remains
consistent with the world established by the films.
Extras
include Inside
Derry
with 3 extended behind-the-episode featurettes
and
Fear
the Other,
a bonus featurette that explores the societal dynamics of 1962 Derry,
Jim Crow, the Red Scare, and the government trespassing on indigenous
lands that wreak terror in this tiny New England town.
There's
also a steelbook edition on the market should you want that one.
I
look forward to seeing where future seasons of Welcome
To Derry
go as the town has many legends and mysteries we have yet to see
unfold in different eras. You can read more about the first film in
4K:
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15122/Dario+Argento's+Opera+(1987/Music+Box/Scorpion+Bl
And
the second film in 4K at this link:
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15617/Crimson+Peak+(2015/regular+edition*)/Hills+Have+Ey
Don
Taylor's The
5-Man Army
(1969) is a curio as Peter Graves is the Hollywood star of tis
internationally-cast actioner that we reviewed on DVD years ago here:
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/13733/Child+44+(2015/Summit/Lionsgate+Blu-ray)/The+5-Ma
Its
the kind of film you want it to be good, you keep wishing it would
pick up, but it never does, even when it could and could work. They
might get the hidden gold, but not a better screenplay. Still,
completists and the interested will want top see it.
Extras
once again only include an Original Theatrical Trailer, but maybe
someone will want to do more if this ever comes to, like maybe when
CBS/Paramount puts the original Mission:
Impossible
series out in 4K?
Kelly
Reichardt's The
Mastermind
(2026) is another heist film, this time set in 1970 (with an odd
attempt in style to conjure that up, but to little avail) stealing
some very valuable paintings. Because of the time it is happening
politically, the crime is seen as possibly politically connected or
making some kind of statement. The feds are seen as weak (thanks to
Vietnam) and there are those so mad at the U.S. Government (via the
Civil Rights Movement) that any attack on wealth is celebrated.
The
film does an above-average job of capturing that and has some good
moments, but is no great heist film either and in many ways, is not
totally concerned with that like Crime
101
might have been. The cast is not bad here, led by Josh O'Connor
(Challengers)
as the architect who gives up on his occupation of a big deal, albeit
illegal.
Its
not exactly a character study either, especially when the plot kicks
in, but it is ambitious and the supporting cast (mostly unknowns) led
by Hope Davis are not bad. The result is something only for the most
curious, but Reichardt tries (I liked Meek's
Cutoff
and Night
Moves
more) in a serious way and that is better than most such attempts at
anything mature I've seen lately, os cheers for trying.
Extras
include a collection of sealed postcards and a nice slipcase, while
the disc adds an Original Theatrical Trailer.
George
Pal's 7
Faces Of Dr. Lao
(1963) is the fantasy producer/director's wacky film about a circus
coming to town and brings unusual and unexpected characters with it,
including no less than seven played by the late, great Tony Randall.
That includes the problematic bit of him playing the title Asian
character, whom some may think of as stereotypical, yet we would see
this kind of character all the way to Remo Williams in the 1980s.
Others
might freak out when he shows up as Medusa, complete with stop-motion
snakes for hair, but it is Pal's attempt to do his most outright
comedy. Not that it always works, but it has its moments and fans
who love it more than myself. The supporting cast includes Barbara
Eden, John Ericson, Arthur O'Connell, Noah Berry Jr., Lee Patrick,
John Qualen, Royal Dano, John Doucette, Douglas Frawley and Frank
Cady among others ands they all fit in well.
However,
this is more of a one-off versus other Pal classics like War
Of The Worlds,
Doc
Savage,
Destination
Moon,
Conquest
Of Space,
Tom
Thumb,
The
Power,
Atlantis:
The Lost Continent
and the one maybe closets to this one, The
Wonderful World Of The Brothers Grimm.
Either way, its worth a look for what does work, its solid cast and
its approach to the Fantasy genre.
Extras
include an Original Theatrical Trailer, a vintage Making Of
featurette King
Of The Duplicators
and two classic Tom & Jerry animated cartoon short The
Cat Above and the Mouse Below.
Now
for playback performance. The 2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.35 X 1, Dolby
Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition
image on The
Bride! 4K
was shot with Technovision and Atlas Scope lenses in Ultra HD formats
up to 8.6K, resulting in a film that looks very good and is visually
effective, stylized consistently and properly that results in
impressive shots that include a few demos and is better overall than
it is getting credit for. The
lossless Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems) mix
is its active, clever equal, nicely recorded, mixed, mastered and
thought out. The combination holds together very well, even when the
film might not.
The
2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.35 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD
Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on Crime
101 4K
is sometimes dark in ways that make no sense and someone overdid the
post-production, but other shots are decent and color can be fine.
Unfortunately, it does not flow well like it should and disappoints,
while the
lossless Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems) mix
has its moments, they are not as often as I would have liked, so the
presentation disappoints more than it should.
The
2160p HEVC/H.265, 1.78 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD
Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on IT!:
Welcome To Derry 4K
is on two 4K UHDs with HDR10, an HEVC/H.265 encode, a 1.78:1 aspect
ratio, and lossless
Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems in
48kHz/24-bit)
sound, resulting in a presentation that far exceeds the original
streaming/broadcast quality. The series is beautifully produced and
maintains the same caliber of filmmaking and visual style as the
theatrical films. There is really nothing to complain about here in
terms of presentation.
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image on 5-Man
Army
is a very welcome improvement on the old DVD and other older
transfers of the film, which was way too soft, even for that older
format, while the
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono lossless mix also outdoes the very
lossy Dolby Digital Mono on the old DVD, which was a challenge to
listen to. This is the best this film will ever likely sound.
The
1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on The
Mastermind
has some good moments, but a few are a little off and is the most
relatively disappointing of all the discs here, though maybe a 4K
disc would resolve better, while the
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix is more like it, well
recorded and with a consistent soundfield.
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on 7
Faces Of Dr. Lao
can show the age of the materials used, including in some visual
effects as expected, but this has been restored well and as well as
possible. I like some of the older effects and would add their
digital equivalents today are often no better and more often much
worse. The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono lossless mix sounds a little richer
tan expected, aging a little better than expected and though it would
have been nice if this were in stereo at least, this is fine.
To
order The
5-Man Army
and/or 7
Faces Of Dr. Lao
Warner Archive Blu-rays,
go to this link for them and many more great web-exclusive
releases at:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/ED270804-095F-449B-9B69-6CEE46A0B2BF?ingress=0&visitId=6171710b-08c8-4829-803d-d8b922581c55&tag=blurayforum-20
-
Nicholas Sheffo and James Lockhart (IT)
https://letterboxd.com/jhl5films/
