Reviews
COMEDY/ PORN PA 0
R DY BEING RON JEREMY (18) 40min (Revolver DVD retail) 0
semi. v
With his appearance on Channel 5's The Farm, Ron Jeremy seems to be trying to diversify from his role as the world's most famous porn star, and this pointless spoof/mini- movie is another hapless attempt to break out of his niche. Essentially it's an amateurish take on Being John Ma/kovich. A geeky wannabe comedian goes to a mucky peepshow booth and discovers a pOrtal into Ron Jeremy. He and his girlfriend start to sell tickets for shots in Ron's body. and Ron starts to suffer premature ejaculation. It's rubbish, but at least no one takes him or herself too seriously. Extras include outtakes. deleted scenes. interviews. a Ron Jeremy stand-up routine (in which we learn he's not a comedian) and chats with the various ladies involved about their porn careers. Useless. (Doug Johnstone)
See Answer Machine, page 112.
HORROR
THE BROOD
(1 5) 182min
(Anchor Bay UK DVD retail) 0”.
When people connected to Nola Carveth (Samantha Eggar) and Dr Hal Raglan (Oliver Reed) start to die mysteriously, her husband Frank (Art Hindle) feels compelled to investigate goings on at the doctor's remote clinic, with gruesome results.
A slow burning, cerebral horror film
punctuated by bursts of
brutal violence and anchored by the camp yet mesmeric presence of Reed. The Brood is often cited as director David Cronenberg's first ‘mature' movie. and marks the beginning of his obsession with ‘body horror.‘
Exploring the fragility of family and the cruelty
of divorce - Cronenberg 3
called it his Kramer Vs Kramer — this remains disturbing long after the film ends, mostly thanks to an infamous scene of maternal love and the menacing Howard Shore score which
THEBRODD
drives things on to a shocking finale combining psychological fear with old-fashioned schlock. This two-disc set also includes the US cut of the film, and the American Film Institute documentary The Directors: David Cronenberg.
(Dave Martin)
THRILLER DRUNKEN ANGEL (PG) 93min (BFI Publishing DVD retail) 0000 This stylish, atmospheric thriller — Kurosawa's eighth feature - acknowledges influences from Western cinema such as French poetic realism and Italian neorealism while remaining firmly grounded in traditional Japanese values and imagery.
In a sweltering post-
war Tokyo still occupied i
by the US. young gangster Matsunaga (Toshiro Mifune) seeks the help of local doctor Sanada (T akashi Shimura) in an attempt to treat his worrying
Symptoms of tuberculosis. After several heated encounters, Sanada — the compassionate ‘Drunken Angel' of the title — begins to see in Matsunaga a reflection of his own reckless younger self. Doctor and patient become locked in a furious battle of wills as Sanada attempts. initially with some success. to curb Matsunaga's hard-living ways. That is. until the reappearance of powerful rival gangster Okada (Reizaburo Yamamoto).
Built around fantastic performances from Mifune and Shimura. Drunken Ange/ is the first of two excellent new additions to the BFl‘s Kurosawa catalogue. Minimal extras.
(Pasquale lanonne)
CLASSIC EPIC ZORBA THE GREEK
(PG) 136min
(20th Century Fox Home Entertainment DVD retail) a...
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Fresh from The Guns of Navarone, Lawrence of Arabia and Barabas. Anthony Quinn was quite the box office draw by the time he started shooting the film that would forever be connected with his name.
Following the journey
CLASSIC JACKIE CHAN
PROJECT A BOX SET
(15) 203min
(Hong Kong Legends DVD retail) 0000
Recognised as the juncture where Chan shifted from the traditional format of Eastern cinema to incorporate more of a Western influence, 1983’s Project A is a seminal kung fu movie that predates Pirates of the Caribbean in transcending the traditional format of folklore for a more comical
historical slant.
Set in 19th century Hong Kong, the surface plot charts the story of a pirating racket and the underlying issues of corruption from within the police force and local government. What sets Project A apart from Chan’s earlier work is his willingness to insert (albeit secondary to the action) a vague political message about being in an increasingly controlled police state. This leads Chan as Dragon Ma to take matters into his own hands. Ably assisted by two long time cohorts from his infamous Academy, he goes about uncovering a web of double crosses, betrayal and deceit.
Injected with all the humour you’ve come to expect from Chan, ProjectA fires along on all cylinders, rarely taking a breather for either sentimental character development or long-winded cinematography. There’s almost an Ed Wood philosophy at work here which aptly demonstrates that filmmaking can be equally absorbing if shot at breakneck pace. What also complements this method is Chan’s homage to the silent era, slapstick and
theatre.
Seen at this remove, Chan’s take on Harold Lloyds clock tower stunt from Safety First is still impressive (although it famously nearly cost him his life) as is the extraordinary backstreet bicycle chase sequence which is executed with the finesse of a great gymnast. With the inferior but still interesting Project A II on the second disc, this set also has some superb extras. They include Project A: A Classic Revisited, a documentary with location links, Dancing with Danger, an interview with Hong Kong Stunt God ‘Mars’, The Pirates’ Den, 3 featurette with prolific on-screen villain, Dick Wei, and interviews with Yuen Biao, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, Wing Chun Grandmaster plus much much more.
(Simon Dehany)
of Brit-cum-Greek descendant Basil (Alan Bates). who is tracing his linage back to Crete in order to make sense of his inner turmoil as a frustrated writer, he meets Zorba (Quinn). a Greek borderline miscreant peasant. who is also seeking direction
and redemption. Pairing together in master and manservant roles respectively, they tackle the issues of work and love. each with conflicting styles yet with equally dark and often comical outcomes. The real message is the
ALI. DVDS WERE REVIEWED ON A SYSTEM SUPPLIED AND INSTALLED BY LOUD 8: CLEAR
48 THE LIST 21 Jul—4 Aug 2005
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celebration of life through the lessons of triumph and adversity, a humanitarian message that is captured beautifully by the resulting Oscar-winning cinematographer Walter Lassally. A bona fida classic. Minimal extras. (Simon Dehany)