Review: Power spells danger in this week’s releases
This week’s releases include a murder mystery spanning past and present; a tale of how power corrupts; a movie that inspired a classic TV show; and a titillating vampire picture.
The Brass Bottle (Blu-ray)
When architect Harold Ventimore (Tony Randall) buys an antique Arabian bottle at auction, he ends up freeing the centuries-imprisoned genie, Fakrash (Burl Ives). Forever indebted and ready to serve his new master, Fakrash grants Harold his every wish. But things quickly go from bad to worse when his beautiful fiancée (Barbara Eden) discovers a herd of camels living in his garage, belly dancers in his house, and a pack of elephants marching through the streets! Now the whole town thinks that he’s gone off the deep end, and Harold has got to make everything right and convince his fiancée he’s not crazy.
It’s easy to see how this hilarious comedy classic was the precursor to I Dream of Jeannie, even though Eden’s role is relatively small in comparison and entirely straight. Fakrash wakes up centuries after his confinement and has trouble grasping how things changed in that time. His best intentions result in disaster for Harold as the genie’s version of help only creates debacles the architect can’t explain. To make matters worse, his fiancée’s parents don’t approve of him and the outlandish Arabian displays don’t do much to impress them. Randall is a master of the screwball comedy and he reacts humorously to all these inappropriate gifts. Similarly, Ives is over-the-top in his positivity and desire to please, which is both charming and funny.
Special features include: commentary by author/film historian Lee Gambin; exclusive interview with Barbara Eden; and theatrical trailer. (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
The Mitchells Vs. The Machines (Blu-ray & DVD)
An old school father and his plugged-in, filmmaker daughter struggle to relate as their family embarks on a road trip to her new college. Their drive is interrupted by a machine apocalypse that threatens to tear these unlikely heroes apart unless they can find a way to join forces and save humanity.
In addition to presenting audiences with a unique family, the film and animation design are also distinctive. The Mitchells don’t necessarily mesh well as a unit with dad Rick (Danny McBride) being an avid outdoorsman who has trouble connecting to his daughter Katie (Abbi Jacobson), who is always glued to a video recorder. Their strained relationship is much to the chagrin of mother Linda (Maya Rudolph), who wishes they were more like their perfect neighbours, though dinosaur-obsessed brother Aaron (Michael Rianda) keeps Katie grounded in the family. The traditional animation style is very lively, but Katie’s perspective adds random “hand-drawn” embellishments like expressive lines and rainbows that give the picture more personality. In addition, the malfunctioning robots and shorts that star their loosely defined dog are very amusing.
Special features include: “Katie’s Extended Cinematic Bonanza Cut”; filmmakers’ commentary; eight bonus scenes; “Dog Cop 7: The Final Chapter”; “Katie’s Cabinet of Forgotten Wonders”; “The Mitchells Vs. The Machines: Or How a Group of Passionate Weirdos Made a Big Animated Movie”; “How To Make Sock Puppets”; and “How To Make Katie Face Cupcakes.” (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
The Seduction of Joe Tynan (Blu-ray)
Joe Tynan (Alan Alda) is a decent, hardworking senator whose job in Washington keeps him away from his wife (Barbara Harris) and family. Matters become even more complicated when he begins to develop a relationship with a civil rights activist (Meryl Streep) in this political drama where power and principles, like love and marriage, collide.
Alda also wrote the screenplay for this story of a man who lets the power and confidence of a shoe-in election go to his head. Joe is charming and competent, which draws support from many people of influence, though their pacts are tested as Joe’s pursuit of victory becomes increasingly cutthroat. In spite of his affair with Streep’s character, the film’s title doesn’t necessarily refer to their extramarital relationship but rather how Joe is seduced by position and his career goals. Audiences watch as the stand-up family man’s moral compass gradually goes astray and then wait to see if he’s able to find his way back to true north. Alda is perfect for the role, while Streep plays the assertive and encouraging woman that represents his greener grass.
Special features include: commentary by entertainment journalist and author Bryan Reesman; and theatrical trailer. (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
The Vampire Lovers [Collector’s Edition] (Blu-ray)
A diabolical female vampire ravages the young girls and other townsfolk of a peaceful hamlet in eighteenth century Europe in revenge for the killing of her fellow vampires years earlier. A rousing hunt for the vampiress ensues as a group of men follow her bloody trail of terror through the countryside.
This is a different direction for the Hammer horror picture as it aims to be closer to soft-core pornography. There are numerous scenes with naked women, and a very erotic relationship between the female vampire and her latest female conquest. Women’s bare breasts are frequently the focus of the picture with even the opening slaying being provoked by a very visible vampire’s nipple’s contact with a crucifix. Peter Cushing’s presence in the movie is meant to give it some clout and provide a connection to the studio’s rich genre history. Instead, viewers may be left to wonder why he would agree to be in the exploitation film, which surprisingly still manages to tell a pretty evocative vampire tale.
Special features include: commentary with film historian/author Dr. Steve Haberman and film historian/filmmaker Constantine Nasr; commentary with director Roy Ward Baker, actress Ingrid Pitt, and screenwriter Tudor Gates; commentary with film historians Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby; “The Rapture Of Cruelty: Carmilla In Classic Cinema”; “To Love A Vampire”; “Carnal Crimson”; “Fangs For The Memories”; “Feminine Fantastique – Resurrecting The Vampire Lovers”; “New Blood: Hammer Enters The 70s”; “Madeline Smith: Vampire Lover”; reading Of Carmilla By actress Ingrid Pitt; deleted shot of the opening beheading; photo galleries; radio spots; and theatrical trailer. (Scream Factory)
