Troy is going to begin the September 2021 Close Out by talking about the movies this month he didn’t find the time to hammer down like he wanted. However, he feels they are important enough to bring to your attention. Buy all the things, people. BUY ALL THE THINGS!
Don’t Go Gentle, Escape from Area 51, Harry and Snowman, Elstree 1976 arrive from MVD
Don’t Go Gentle is about the band Idles. I had no idea who they were before picking up this Blu-ray, but I like their presentation and setup. The Blu-ray comes with no special features. Hell, I would have just appreciated having a featurette about their history. I can feel our British readers screaming at me through the Internet. Kinda like Lawnmower Man.
Escape from Area 51 is a crazy little movie that I didn’t know I needed. Playing like a low budget romp found on deep premium cable, Donna D’Errico is rather fun in this one. Plus, her daughter Frankie Sixx gets to make her acting debut in this one. Killer music to score this one out, as it feels like a mix between a late 90s video game and a no budget action fantasy. Truly recommend this one and you get the soundtrack on a bonus CD.
Harry and Snowman is about horse trainer Harry DeLayer and his favorite horse. They competed in show jumping and other events. But, the documentary is a loving story about an immigrant finding his way in America. If you dig 20th century history as much as I do, this will be a treat. Otherwise, at least you’ve got horses to show off to the kids. The September 2021 Close Out continues with a bit of Star Wars.
Elstree 1976 is a Star Wars documentary that I feel like I have covered before here. But, it’s making its Blu-ray debut now. You don’t get any special features, which is typical for a Filmrise documentary. However, the improved Dolby track and 1080p transfer helps to make some things easier to understand. It’s worth a pick-up for super Star Wars fans.
Engelbert Humperdinck arrives from Cleopatra
Engelbert Humperdinck brings 80 minutes of making your grandmother’s pants moist in this Blu-ray and Audio CD combination. Thrill to standards that weren’t played for 20 years before your birth. Swoon to this elderly man, as he makes eyes at the Oxygen tank and sans Oxygen tank crowd. Watch as 55 year old ushers in the background are simply not getting the appeal. You get an interview and photo gallery as the special features.
Summer of 85 arrives from Music Box Films
Summer of 85 is the latest from Francois Ozon. As the September 2021 close out, something has dawned on me. I’m not a fan of Ozon. Most of this film feels like a much more realistic take on Call Me By Your Name. But, again…not the target audience. The Blu-ray is pretty stacked with special features ranging from interviews, deleted scenes, featurettes and a poster gallery.
My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To arrives from Dark Sky Films
My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To is a great title, but I’m already tired of writing it. I’m a big fan of Patrick Fugit as an actor and I’ve watched this movie at least three times this summer. However, I can’t say that I recommend it to everyone. Watching as two siblings try to forget a family unit in the face of something otherworldly is stunning. I kinda wish we got a commentary at least, but the idea behind the film is one of the most original things I’ve seen in 2021. The September 2021 Close Out rolls on!
Cast a Dark Shadow and Wanted for Murder arrives from Cohen
Cast a Dark Shadow and Wanted for Murder arrives from the Cohen Collection. Dirk Bogarde got some love from Criterion in the early days of DVD, then it dropped off. From there, it’s been Dirk time creeping into select films getting their digital debuts. Cohen only packs the release with trailers and some subtitles. But, what matters is getting a double feature of classic British drama in stunning black and white cinematography. The September 2021 Close Out continues!
Crazy Nights arrives from Full Moon
Crazy Nights is the latest Full Moon we’re covering. So, it makes sense to add it to the September 2021 Close Out. It’s a hard to find 1978 mondo movie from Joe D’ Amato. If you’re a fan of Cinema Snob, that name should sound familiar. This was a disco movie created to show off Amanda Lear and the fame she had from being associated with David Bowie. While the special features aren’t crazy, this is the kind of movie you watch for historical value. The September 2021 close out rages on!
Dreambuilders arrives from Shout Factory
Dreambuilders was included in the September 2021 close out because I wasn’t sure where else to place it. Danish animation adapted into English for American audiences doesn’t seem like it should connect. However, all audiences can enjoy a film about kids using their imagination to move past recent changes. I wish we had some special features, but my kid seemed to dig it. The September 2021 Close Out continues!
Analog Love arrives from Passion River
Analog Love is another documentary in the September 2021 Close Out. Everyone from Henry Rollins to Jennifer Finch and more get to chime in about the beauty of a mix tape. Everything is very typical for those that fetishize music love. The special features range from an extended tour of Henry Rollins’ tape collection, featurettes, deleted scene and music videos.
The Snoopy Collection, Hardball and Mommie Dearest arrives from Paramount
The Snoopy Collection is a four movie collection of the major Peanuts theatrical releases from 1969 – 1980. They represent this killer moment in time that no one else has enjoyed. While you get trailers and a featurette as the special features, the big win is the digital copies for the Peanuts films. I included a screen shot above to show off how insanely well they cleaned up the movies.
Hardball is one of those movies that had the misfortune of hitting theaters around 9/11. While it has developed a following on home video, it was an unfortunate chain of events that killed this movie in its crib.
Keanu Reeves and Diane Lane are great as the leads. But, Hardball is carried by its youthful performances from future superstars such as Michael B. Jordan. That being said, I still mistake most of this movie for the Tracy Jordan baseball coaching episode of 30 Rock. Well, outside of G Baby catching a bullet due to gang activity near his house. Pour one out for G Baby, as we close the September 2021 Close Out.
Mommie Dearest was one of the films I was going to add to Year 1 of the video show. I pushed off it in favor of the fan selection, mainly because I feel every idiot has been talking about Mommie Dearest this year. Why? Well, because it’s the 40th anniversary. Beyond that, it’s still a cult classic.
I love the wire coat hanger that Paramount sent along with the Blu-ray. Never in a million years did I think I would be sending it to a friend in Texas, but life comes at you strange. So, what was I saying during this September 2021 Close Out? Well, Mommie Dearest gets the Paramount Presents treatment and its rapidly becoming my favorite way to watch Paramount movies.
The special features are packed full of new outings with a new filmmaker focus and a new commentary from Hedda Lettuce. The classic John Waters commentary is still on disc and that’s amazing. However, the A/V Quality shines in 1080p. That’s the magic of the September 2021 Close Out as we get ready for the bonus round.
BONUS DVD Round for the September 2021 Close Out
Time Life has released The Soul of the Midnight Special. While I’m a music nerds that loves watching these clips on YouTube, it’s fun to have a massive DVD package that bundles it all together. You get multiple discs, interviews, a booklet and so much more. But, a lot of this is going to depend on your ability to get into 70s mainstream soul. If that sounds like your bag, then check it out.
Scenes from an Empty Church is now available from MPI
Scenes from an Empty Church is one of my favorite films of 2021. So, why haven’t I been talking about it more? Well, it’s because we get busy around here. While we have a long form review pending, I wanted to talk about the stellar MPI DVD as part of the September 2021 Close Out.
The special features range from a commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, music vidoes, camera test and short film. Honestly, it’s the most packed DVD I’ve ever seen for an Onur Turkel film. Turkel is rapidly becoming one of my favorite directors and he has found something that works with Kevin Corrigan and Thomas Jay Ryan. Great stuff all around.
