2021 Gift Guide: CBS Home Entertainment and Film Detective Rule

 

The Christmas newsletter portion of this holiday gift guide is that 2021 was a back to the future year for these posts that primarily focus on DVD and Blu-ray releases. 

Technical and proverbial personal problems (as well as a Covid-accelerated shift in the marketing of physical media) prompted discontinuing the enhanced Matt Nelson Reviews site that stemmed from Unreal TV. Those 1,000s of posts getting irrevocably lost was an unfortunate consequence.

Needing to cut way back on these posts was the main reason for resurrecting Unreal TV.

A guiding philosophy for the below choices comes from the early 2000s teen scifi cult classic series "Roswell." The gift-giving guidelines from that series are that a present should be something that the other person wants but would not buy for himself or herself.

Further guidance comes from the companion series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." The wisdom from those mid-20s actors playing teens is that gift certificates are just like money except for being less useful. 

A personal pet peeve is when a donation is made in my name to a charity. 

Fully separating the wheat from the chaf has been a lagniappe. CBS Home Entertainment and Film Detective have both released some awesome titles and are very supportive of the incredible shrinking reviewer who is trying to share the news about cult titles. These elements support putting CBSHE and Detective titles under the tree. 

The CBSHE recent "Star Trek" OS CS BD set deserves strong praise. This stunning (pun intended) collection of the one that showed that cerebral sells and that almost literally launched 1,000 ships is at the top of the make-a-wish list of your not-so-humble reviewer. 

"Trek" OS is representative of the "TV Land" section of the extensive CBSHE library, which literally runs the gamut from the '50s to the present. An all-time fave is the (reviewed) EPIC 65th anniversary CS DVD set. The value of this desert-island worthy set is that it proves that westerns have much more substance than saloon fights and cattle stampedes.

A ripped-from-today's-headline story as to "Gunsmoke" is as fresh as this morning. A visiting friend remarking that her husband still watches the series prompted showing her my CS set. Her eyes lit up, and convincing her to buy her husband a set was far from futile. 

The aforementioned carnage as to the demise of Matt Nelson Reviews includes the loss of the post on the CS DVD set, which is the personal fave of the CBSHE 2021 releases, of "Beverly Hills 90210." This literal trend setter is the one that has launched 1,000 imitators and parodies. The epicness this time includes S1 of the hilarious 2019 series "BH90210."

Detective fully embracing the sublime, the ridiculous, and the sublimely ridiculous make it a best friend of your not-so-humble reviewer. These (often 4K) releases featuring equally entertaining and educational Ballyho Films documentaries is the icing on the cake.

The (reviewed) "Eegah" release, which includes the riff-heavy "Mystery Science Theater 3000" version of this cult classic, is an all-time fave. The wonderful performance by B-caliber character actor Arch Hall, Jr. and the hilariously cheap production make this one must see. 

Recent comparable Detective releases, which have typically top-notch Ballyho documentaries, include the (reviewed) "Amazing Mr. X" about a conman who will psych you out in the end and the (reviewed) "Frankenstein's Daughter" that notches up the Freud to a level that will make you feel Jung again. 

Saving one of the bests for last, the unparalleled Detective gift set of four Sherlock Holmes films plus a plethora of collectibles is a must-have and give. This perfect gift for anyone who loves classic films and accompanying SWAG, including a 13-month Sherlockian calendar and a notebook for fans who are not clueless, is the epitome of the "Roswell" theory. 

The deadline for ordering the "Holmes" set is November 26, 2021. The blessing-in-disguise as to the December 21, 2021 release date is that it allows giving the lucky recipient a placeholder gift such as a stuffed dog that represents "The Hound of the Baskersville" or a similar Holmes-themed gift and having that loved one deduce the real gift that should arrive in time for an awesome New Year's Eve movie marathon. A post on this set is scheduled for early January 2022. 

The bottom line this time is that awesome loot under the tree delights kids of all ages. These gifts being equally delightful and surprising is the icing on the gingerbread person. CBSHE and Detective releases check all these boxes. 

Frankenstein's Daughter: Suburban Smash Monster Mash

The bright and shiny Film Detective October 26, 2021 4K release of the 1958 cult classic "Frankenstein's Daughter" makes a perfect "bride" for the Detective 4K release of fellow kiddie matinee fodder "The Amazing Mr. X." As the Unreal TV post on the "X" release states, Detective awesomely reminds us that they don't make 'em like that anymore. 

As usual, Detective enhances fanboy viewing pleasure ala Ballyhoo Films labor-of-love documentaries. 36 minutes of the wit-and-wisdom directly from the mouth of "Daughter" auteur in "Richard E. Cunha: Filmmaker of the Unknown" tells the viewer everything that be wanted to know about making B movies but was afraid to ask. 

A highlight of "Filmmaker" is watching Cunha discuss making "Giant From the Unknown," which is another exceptional Detective 4K release. That low-budget opus will make you remember the Alamo. 

The bonus companion piece "John Ashley: Man From the B's" has Ballyho regular talking head/film historian extraordinaire C. Courtney Joyner explore the life-and-times of the titular portrayer of the teen doofus stock character in "Daughter." One spoiler is that Ashley is no Arch Hall, Jr. of the (reviewed) Detective 4k of "Eegah." 

The following Detective promo for "Daughter" goes above-and-beyond by featuring the aforementioned included Ballyho documentaries. A highlight of this is explaining the appearance of the titular creature. 

Two primary themes of "Daughter" set it apart from its fellow '50s thrillers. The larger concept borrows the Hitchcock theme of moving the terror from the spooky house (or castle) on the hill to the center-hall colonial in the 'burbs. The nefarious doings this time occur in what essentially is a man cave. This also feeds on Cold War paranoia by showing that you never know what is going on next door. 

The other notable aspect of "Daughter" reflects the vibe of "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" (1957). Both films are non-canon productions of franchises with universal appeal. They also add a particularly strong "Jekyll and Hyde" element to tales of teen angst. On a related note, "Werewolf" easily could have ben titled "Lycanthrope Without a Cause."

Our story begins with teen slut Suzie, who ultimately gets a Hays Code style comeuppance, finishing up a typical date with her disposable beau-du-jour when she encounters the Hyde of the film. The morning-after action shifts to affable scientist/guardian Carter Morton checking in with his niece/ward Trudy. The disturbed state of the mind of Trudy provide early clues to a Cosby-type situation that proves to be especially sad-but-true. A sociological aspect is girls of the era coming across as Sandra Dee at the cost of fully suppressing their inner Mamie Van Dorn. 

The other primary player is madman-with-an-evil mind/research assistant Oliver Frank, who is very proud of the heritage of his family. His garden-variety deranged assistant adds an awesome touch that makes one hope that he finds a "donor" whom he believes is named Abby Normal.

The plot thickens on the reveal that Frank expresses his frustration as to his lack of game by slipping an unsuspecting Trudy an experimental drug that brings out her ugly side on a few levels. This is a prelude to the primary trauma-and-drama of the film. One confrontation puts the concept of poetic justice to the acid test.

"Daughter" further reflects its time with an odd '50scom epilogue with a highly predictable climax. The message here is that our principals have recovered from the wacky adventure of the previous proverbial 30 minutes and now can laugh about it. As stated above, they do not make 'em like that anymore. 

'Eegah' Blu-ray: Captain Caveman Meets Joel and the Bots

Deity to lovers of classic and/or obscure movies, The Film Detective fully puts the turkey back into Turkey Day with a pristine 4K restoration (complete with "Mystery Science Theater 3000" version) of the 1962 scifi cult classic "Eegah" on November 26, 2019. The Turkey Day tie-in dates back to '90s-era MST3K Thanksgiving marathons of the best episodes of this series that hilariously and relentlessly riffs on movies that are "the worst we can find."

An unintentionally amusing element of "Eegah" is that its 1955 Mexican release date is April 1. 

The true MST3K gems are the ones such as "Eegah" in which the roasted fowl itself is highly entertaining and creator/head writer/host Joel Hodgson (later Mike Nelson, no relation) and the "bots" that join him in watching B-movies are fully on their game both in their riffing and the bumper skits. The voice of experience advises to not eat cereal while watching these frequent trifecta offerings; Apple Jacks will become airborne. 

The ONLY complaints about "Eegah" are that the MST3K gang NEVER mentions the '70s cartoon "Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels" or the 1992 Pauly Shore teencom "Encino Man" and misses a chance for a  PERFECT reference as to wannabe teen idol Arch Hall, Jr. commenting in "Eegah" that he is taking his beloved dune buggy off road. Even moderate MST3K fans are sure to yell out "Roads?! Where we're going, we don't need roads." Lesser sins of omission are not referencing Kristin Shepard or Joe Gillis in a climatic scene, 

The MANY ways in which the almost non-stop clever quips more than compensates for the omissions include a clever reference to the 1963 star-laden comedy "Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World."

The "True Palm Springs Story" behind "Eegah" is just as entertaining as the action in this film about the titular caveman (Richard "Jaws" Kiel) looking for love in all the wrong places. As blonde surfer dude star Arch Hall, Jr. tells it in an interview for the blu-ray, he and his father simply decide to run a low-budget scifi film up the flagpole and see if any teens salute.

As Hodgson states in a separate DVD extra, the pandering to the target audience includes giving the kids all they love in the form of numerous elements that include rock-and-roll and a character who wants to be a Flintstone (a little baby Flintstone). Hearing about when Joel meets Arch years after brutally verbally bashing the latter is another interview highlight.

Our story fully begins after roughly 10 minutes of (sometimes comically obvious) exposition. Love interest Roxy is driving her two-seater convertible down a desert road when she runs into Eegah (name written in blood). She lives at least another day to tell her tale to father Mr. Miller (Arch, Sr.) and boyfriend Tom (Arch Jr.).

This soon leads to the "watch out for snakes" reference that is an all-time Misties favorite. Mr. Miller then makes a desert crossing that initially gives Tom glee in the form of getting to show off his speed buggy. Subsequent events show that a father and daughter reunion is only a booty call away. 

Their unfortunate incarceration in the land of the lost allows the Millers to meet the parents and to ponce on the origin story of their host. (The missed opportunity here is the Sherwood Schwartz failedcom "It's About Time" that has two astronauts time travel to prehistoric times.)  

It is equally predictable that a successful escape is not the end of the story; Our brother from another era fully finds himself in the modern world on coming in search of his bride. Needless to say that this blast from the past with a variation of a shotgun wedding does not lead to happily ever after. 

The broadest appeal of this pleasure that does not provide any cause to feel guilty is that it is a strong example of the Saturday afternoon matinee fare that delights and amuses in a manner that keeps MST3K initially on the air for 11 years and has it find new life on Netflix. The next layer is that Arch Jr. has infectious youthful exuberance for his role. He literally is born to play an an OC everydude. 

On  a related note, this "lost episode" release comes two years after the final DVD release of every MST3K episode for which licensing is not a fatal obstacle. (Owning the quickly recalled due to licensing issues Volume 10 is a point of personal pride.) This makes "Eegah" comparable to fans of the classic '50scom "The Honeymooners" getting to own rare episodes of that series that are not part of "the original 39."

It is highly advised to pre-order two copies of the 1,500 copies of this limited-edition release. This allows keeping one for yourself and watching it on Turkey Day and giving the fanboy in your life the second one for a holiday gift.

The only proper way to end these musings is to say "push the button, Frank." 

'The Amazing Mr. X' BD: X Marks the Spot On

 

The two Film Detective October 26, 2021 4K releases double down on the Detective tradition of showing the viewing public that it does not know what it is missing. Our topic du jour is the 1948 thriller "The Amazing Mr. X." An upcoming post will be on the "sister" release of the 1958 kiddie matinee cult-classic "Frankenstein's Daughter." 

The icing on both cakes are the always insightful and entertaining Ballyho Films documentaries that are Detective staples. 

The following SPOILERS-LADEN  promo, which literally will make you say "Damnit, Janet" from Detective perfectly illustrates the awesomely atmospheric style of this literally hauntingly take on "Gaslight." These few minutes alone are sad reminders that they don't make 'em like that anymore. 

Our story begins with heiress Christine hearing the ghostly voice of deceased husband Paul whispering not so sweet nothings into her ear. The Freudian aspects of this include this occurring just as a brand new life is around the bend with neighbor Martin. Younger sister/Patty Duke figure Janet is the primary catalyst for this marriage of convenience.

Worlds collide when Christine meets titular psychic Alexis while using a dark beach as a shortcut to a rendez-vous with Marin. This leads to Christine visiting the home of Alexis, who may not be telling the truth and may psych her out in the end. Impressionable Janet becoming a smitten true believer on joining the action thickens the plot. 

Highlights in this building up the maddening tension include a highly symbolic eerie ghostly manifestation in the boudoir of Janet and a creepy seance at Chez Alexis. We also learn the depths to which a low-down creep will sink to get inside information and to torment a victim. 

The real twist comes roughly mid-way; a PERFECTLY filmed scene shows both that things are not as they seem and that there is no honor among thieves. We also meet the best cast actor in this well-chosen ensemble.

The rest of "X" further enhances the Scooby noir vibe of this lost classic, complete with an unmasking of the villain. The best part of this is that the bad guy would have gotten away with it if not for that meddling kid.

The aforementioned documentary, "Mysteries Exposed: Inside the Cinematic World of Spirtualism," puts "X" in wonderful perspective. One talking head discusses the 19th-century origins of the scammers who literally earn fame and fortune convincing their victims that they can put those suckers in contact with their dearly departed. The "Spiritualism" expert also reveals the tricks of the trade that show that the "X" filmmakers get it right.

The other talking head is a film historian who offers an embarrassment of riches in terms of his insights and film clips as to movie depictions of close encounters with spirits. Showing how "X" earns high marks in that regard provides a fascinating perspective. 

Detective completes this treasury with a written essay on the career of leading man Turhan Bey and behind-the-scenes gossip of "X."