Mephisto (Blu-ray) by Justin Remer The Movie: The title Mephisto refers to the devil character in Goethe's Faust. Hendrik H fgen, the actor played by Klaus Maria Brandauer in Istv n Szab 's 1981 film, is obsessed with playing the role. The irony of the film, and of the 1936 Klaus Mann novel which inspired it, is that Hendrik finds himself becoming unwittingly damned -- a real-life Faust -- in order to achieve his dream.The film begins in Hamburg, Germany, just before the Nazis come to power. Hendrik is a promising small-town nobody whose thwarted ambition is just on the verge of curdling. Brandauer plays him as both foppish and feral: when he is happy, he can flirt like a man who believes he is suaver than he is, and when he is angry, he tears apart dressing rooms and scene ...Read the entire review »

P.O. Box Tinto Brass (Blu-ray) by Jesse Skeen Cult Epics delivers us Americans another film from Italy's Tinto Brass, known by some as the "absolute master of erotica". He's probably best known here for 1979's Caligula, which many think of as a "big-budget porno" but those who've actually seen it know is more of a campy historic tale with some hardcore shots spliced in by producer Bob Guccione. Brass began in the 1960s making experimental films with somewhat explicit content, and leaned more towards light-hearted adult fare by the late 80s which this 1995 tribute to himself fits in with. Titled Fermo Posta Tinto Brass in its original Italian, it's a series of vignettes based on fan mail he's received.The setup has Brass in his office with assistant Cinzia Roccaforte bringing in the day's mail, consist...Read the entire review »

Lucky Grandma (Blu-ray) by Tyler Foster Grandma (Tsai Chin) is set in her ways. She lives alone, following the death of her husband, occasionally sees her son Howard (Eddie Yu) and his family, including his wife, and their children, including her favorite grandson, Little David (Mason Yam). She has a routine involving prayer, exercises at the pool, and soap operas. She also sees a fortune teller, Lei Lei (Wai Ching Ho), who she refers to as her doctor (and who even writes "prescriptions" for feng shui). On one of her visits, Lei Lei tells Grandma that she's going to become very lucky on October 28th. Grandma goes to a casino and racks up a big win, only to lose it all on a final card game. Depressed, she gets on the bus back home, only to discover her seatmate has died en route, leaving behind a bag full of cash. Desperate for the fortune to pay off, she takes the money, only to find herself pursued by various gangsters who want the cash bac...Read the entire review »