A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman (Through a Glass Darkly / Winter Light / The Silence) (Blu-ray) <small>by Stuart Galbraith IV</small><hr /> Those less familiar with the cinema of Swedish director Ingmar Bergman and not quite ready to roll the dice with Criterion's gargantuan boxed set from last year (39 films with an SRP of more than $200), A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman, also by Criterion, is a good place to start. The thematically-linked titles - Through a Glass Darkly (1961), Winter Light, and The Silence (both 1963) - find the director at the peak of his powers and international acclaim. The first two are relatively short and highly accessible, while the third, far more ambiguous, prepares the viewer for Bergman's later, more challenging works. The new restorations look as good as 1.37:1 black-and-white gets, and each disc is loaded with enlightening extras, including amusing introductions by Bergman himself, recorded in 2003. Read the entire review »

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (4K) (Blu-ray) <small>by Ryan Keefer</small><hr /> The Movie: So much about the film from Mitchell Zuckoff's book "13 Hours" was politicized from start to finish, at times it's a wonder if anyone saw the film. What's "13 Hours" you say? It's a book about Benghazi. Wait, a Benghazi book? Oh my gosh (segues into memes and political identity positions). And they made a movie about it? Oy vey. Wait, Michael Bay (Transformers) directed it? Holy crap if it had any seriousness before, it was lost now, right? Well, maybe try watching it first OK? Anyway, Chuck Hogan (The Town) adapted Zuckoff's book, which is centered around Jack Silva (John Krasinski, A Quiet Place), an operative that works at a CIA base in Libya, fresh after the ouster of Qadafi. T...Read the entire review »

Hotel Mumbai (Blu-ray) <small>by Ryan Keefer</small><hr /> The Movie: I've found myself in this macabre rhythm of seeing films based on depressing historical events lately, and each are good for their different reasons. You can go read my 13 Hours review if you'd like before getting into Hotel Mumbai (about the terrorist attacks on the Taj Mahal hotel), but this is probably a bit more gruesome given the bodycount, though the storytelling is just as straightforward. Written and directed by Anthony Maras in his feature film debut, the film's main focuses of attention are on both sides of the service desk at the hotel. You have Arjun (Dev Patel, The Man Who Knew Infinity), one of the more prominent concierges, then you have David (Armie Hammer, The Social Network) and his muslim w...Read the entire review »

RKO Classic Adventures (The Painted Desert / The Pay-Off / The Silver Horde) (Blu-ray) <small>by Stuart Galbraith IV</small><hr /> In association with Lobster Films, Kino has released two sets of mostly obscure pre-Code early talkies, one called "RKO Classic Romances Collection," with five films, and "RKO Classic Adventures Collection," with three. The latter set consists of The Painted Desert (1931), The Pay-Off (1930), and The Silver Horde (1930). To call these three films RKO titles is slightly misleading, as all were actually produced by Path around the time Joseph Kennedy's Film Booking Offices (FBO) and the theater chain Keith-Albee-Orpheum (KAO) joined the larger Radio Corporation of America (RCA) to form RKO Radio Pictures. Only The Silver Horde bears the familiar RKO logo. Note: The back-cover text errs in touting "four newly-restored action-packed film." There are, in fact, three. Read the entire review »

Devil's Kiss (Blu-ray) <small>by Ian Jane</small><hr /> The Movie: A French-Spanish co-production released by trash film mavens Eurocine in 1976, Devil's Kiss (which is also known as The Wicked Caress Of Satan, the title that appeared on the print used for Something Weird Video's VHS release from back in the day) is, in a word, goofy. Essentially what was, when it was made, an attempt to update the classic Italian gothic horror films that proved popular in the sixties, the film takes place, of course, at an old ornate castle conventionally located in the middle of nowhere. Duke de Haussemont (Jos Nieto), the man who owns the joint, brings in a medium named Claire Grandier (Silvia Solar) to hold a s ance in the old building as part of the entertainment required for a fashion show that he's involved with. She arrives with Professor Gruber (Olivier Mathot), a scientist involved in some bizarre experiments who also happens t...Read the entire review »