WtD? No, just no.

Ronin was all John Frankenheimer, Mamet was incidental on that. Ronin also has an epic car chase, too.

I don’t agree, I searched the net and there is a purported early draft by Zeik, the original story creator and while it largely follows the movie, all of the dialog I mentioned as classic Mamet are not in that script but there are a lot that stayed in the movie.

Iconic is not incidental.

Despite making a couple of truly iconic films, Frankenheimer was not an auteur. His output as a director was at the mercy of the scripts he worked from, and he didn't always have the best judgment in that respect (e.g. Island of Dr. Moreau, Reindeer Games). Ronin was always going to be a B-movie. While Frankenheimer certainly deserves credit for the cool car chases, the film is elevated by its memorable dialogue, which was pure Mamet.

I'm not a Frankenheimer fan, but these are poor examples. He was a replacement director for Island of Dr. Moreau hired during the production, and with Reindeer Games he himself admitted that his film is completely different from the script, as he got different ideas for the story once filming began. I believe that why Vin Diesel quit.

Why So Blu? is right. This was not nearly a Mamet-like dialogue movie. This was John Frankenheimer all the way. Mamet much more subdued and little action save for Spartan and Redbelt to an extent. I wouldn’t even think it was close to a Mamet movie. And tbh had no idea he had anything to do with it until it was mentioned posts back. I’ve seen all but one Mamet written or directed movie (Oleanna) both in movies and Broadway or off-Broadway and this was not Mamet.

And why is Ronin considered B movie? I think the look, cinematography, car chase, action and great production value elevates this way beyond a B movie. I don’t agree with that at all.

Like most working screenwriters, Mamet has divided his time between writing personal statement pieces and for-hire work. Was The Untouchables a "Mamet movie"? No, but he wrote the damn thing and certainly put his stamp all over it. Same with Ronin. If you don't hear any Mamet in the dialogue... well... I suppose that's just OldBoy being OldBoy.

You don't understand what a B-movie is, do you?

Hence my comments about Wag the Dog. No real life political spin doctors would have the wit and brevity as DeNiro’s character, as well as most of the others who spoke.

I've yet to watch Reindeer Games - either cut.

Director's cut of Reindeer Games isn't terrible.

I would wager that there are precisely zero real estate agents in the world who speak like the characters in Glengarry Glen Ross. Mamet's dialogue is not intended to be realistic. His writing is heightened and stylized for effect.

People in Elizabethan times didn't actually speak like Shakespeare characters either.

Agree watch that NOT the theatrical even though it may arguably have the better sex scene. In the theatrical they make Affleck's character way different and it sucks.

The site-exclusive blu-rays of "Big Bad Mama / Big Bad Mama 2" and "Crazy Mama" and "The Lady In Red" that were previously announced and then withdrawn are up for sale and reportedly shipping now. They're limited to 1500 copies.

Crazy Mama / The Lady In Red [Double Feature] - - Blu-ray | Shout! Factory (shoutfactory.com)

Big Bad Mama / Big Bad Mama II [Double Feature] - - Blu-ray | Shout! Factory (shoutfactory.com)

Is Shout Factory picking up the Twilight Time business model?

They've been doing this every so often for a few years now. Message from Space was one of the first -- the first I bought, anyway -- back in 2016. Attack of the Crab Monsters is another one that comes to mind.

They're essentially doing upgrades of their old DVD packages, more recently "Jackson County Jail", "Deathsport 2020" and two "Deathstalker" films. They've been routinely selling out.

I'm guessing these website exclusives have never gone on sale before selling out?

I'm not sure but the last few sold out very quickly, before it would even make sense to drop the price.

Crap. Had to bite on these. I absolutely LOVE The Lady in Red (I love how it goes from one exploitation trope to the next, just to check off the boxes. Even figured out a way to include a women-in-prison sequence. Also great to see Christopher Lloyd as a bad, and I mean really bad guy, and an uncredited Robert Forster delivers one of the great closing lines in film history if I remember correctly).

This cuts into my budget for next week's Vinegar Syndrome sale, dammit!

Sounds like another gem from Shout Select...Explorers. Really looking forward. Probably saw once, way back. Think I liked it, but now knowing who’s in it and started careers of Phoenix and Hawke.

Heads up on the double features of Big Bad Mama/Big Bad Mama II, and Crazy Mama/The Lady in Red.

They've ported over all the extras from the DVD editions like audio commentary with Robert Forster (who went uncredited in The Lady in Red) and Jonathan Demme, so you won't wanna miss those. But what they didn't include was something called "The Grindhouse Experience". It was just an option that played both movies back-to-back, but with old Roger Corman trailers before the first feature and in between the two, along with the infamous "Our Feature Presentation" bumpers before the movies.

I know it's a small complaint, First World Problems and all, but I actually selected those options and ran them for a delightful 3-hour home "drive-in" session on Friday nights. The new HD transfers are much better so I don't think I could go back to the DVDs, but I sure liked that "Grindhouse Experience". Whenever they have Comic-Con again and Shout is there, I now have a question for their panel that's better then "Can you release {Movie Title} on Blu-Ray?"

"Crazy Mama" is missing an interview that's listed on the back. If you've already ordered yours, -like me, -you'll be sent a replacement. New discs will be available for order in mid-July. Send your order number and details to the address below.
[email protected]

By the way, I sent the e-mail and got an immediate auto-response from their help desk.

Shout! Factory...Kings of Quality Control!

Once again they shoot themselves in the foot and cost themselves money. I have no idea how they stay in business.

The House of Wax Extras are now out. Just the standard interviews but I always liked the movie and it'll probably be fun to watch the Paris Hilton interview.
https://www.shoutfactory.com/product...roduct_id=7617