Hard Boiled (The 4K Restoration)

So, last night I rented the new 4K UHD stream of Hard Boiled. It was on other platforms but just yesterday I saw it available on Amazon. The first time I reviewed Hard Boiled was February of ’23; I explained my foolishness for thinking that The Killer (a great movie in its own right) was better, proclaimed how the second half was incredible & at the end, hoped that a proper restoration was done one day so people didn’t have to resort to YouTube or DVD for a lesser print of an all-timer action classic.

I can assuage fears or concerns that the 4K restoration process would go awry, via obvious DNR, AI disorder, or other complications. While I of course have never viewed an original 35mm print of Hard Boiled, it looks far better than I’d ever seen before; it on 4K UHD disc in the future would be sublime. Note that on Amazon, the default audio is English… BUT hitting “pause” and then hitting the down arrow on your remote to the “Audio Options” will allow you to change it to the original Cantonese language.

To copy and paste part of what I wrote in February, 2023:

“Long ago I viewed this motion picture for the first time; for reasons now not even known to me, I preferred The Killer so I waited so many years for a revisit. Turns out, I was a complete fool. As for 5 star ratings, I am personally stingy with them due to preference. This is a movie I could nitpick if I wanted to; however, I won't and as the second half is so masterfully done and was far more glorious than I had recalled, might as well give the film credit for that.

Instead of focusing on the underworld, John Woo wanted to make heroes out of police officers. The legendary Chow Yun-Fat played “Tequila;” imagine Dirty Harry if he played clarinet in a jazz band. Along with an undercover cop, they attempt to stop an upstart in “The Syndicate” along with his associates, including an appropriately named Mad Dog. The first half is pretty rad as there are great action beats to go along with the pathos and drama.

However, the second half raises all the stakes even higher than you can imagine. It's all OOT between character behaviors, the tragedy, the babies (oh yes, the final hour is entirely set in a hospital), the violence, the thousands of bullets fired, all the epic moments... it is like the thrill I still get when watching large stretches of other classics like Aliens or T2. Of course, everything revolving around one baby in particular is ludicrous but I'm sure that was the intention so might as well laugh along with the movie, right?

Perhaps it's how many movies in the 21st century (especially in the action genre) leave me wanting more or are just disappointing when it comes to those beats, but getting to see all the time and effort in putting together those astounding thrills and beats that still are effective…”

Much to my relief, besides Hard Boiled never looking better, the movie itself is still an incredible experience. What a cast; of course, Tony Leung and Chow Yun-Fat shone brightest. Last time, I lamented how Woo and Yun-Fat weren’t utilized properly by Hollywood. Perhaps that’s unfair-both had good or better films in Hollywood-although there was also dreck. Other foreign talent didn’t even have the luxury of decent American films.

In 2025, the operatic ballet of bloodshed, gunshots propelling people feet back, melodrama, and yes, thousands of bullets being shot—while I’m saddened that in the history of film there have been far too few epic action thrillers that could even come close to the majesty of all the gun-fu, the explosions, the memorable characters-I now appreciate the henchman Mad Dog more than before-and the interesting score (in this case, jazz-infused)… I’m glad that an all-timer action film finally has been properly restored for people to visit or revisit in the future.

Mandalay

Mandalay (1934)

Runtime: Only 65 minutes

Directed by: Michael Curtiz

Starring: Kay Francis, Ricardo Cortez,  Warner Oland, Lyle Talbot, Reginald Owen

From: Warner Bros.

About time I viewed something recorded off the DVR this past January, right? Truth be told, there are recordings from last year still waiting to be tackled... one day. TCM played this as part of a marathon of Kay Francis on her birthday; Mandalay was selected as it had an exotic-sounding plot set in what was then known as Burma, now known as Myanmar. I've enjoyed Francis in the few flicks I'd seen her in before; the same hold true here.

Besides looking ravishing in a number of Orry-Kelly gowns, her performance was a highlight. Tanya-a former resident of Russia-is hooked up w/ Ricardo Cortez, a shady dude doing shady things across the world. They are in the city formerly known as Rangoon but he's such a slime bucket, Kay is abandoned and left with an even bigger slime bucket in Warner Oland, running a nightclub. It's heavily implied that she is forced to do more than just sing... no wonder she escapes on a riverboat to the title city, meeting with alcoholic doctor Lyle Talbot, a fellow broken spirited individual.

Yes, this is a melodrama, yes there's a love triangle, and yes the woman in the relationship is forced to do something bold due to the circumstances; this happened more in 30's movies than I first realized. Familiarity aside, Mandalay was still a pretty good time. The colonial implications notwithstanding, the exotic allure of various individuals (at least some skirting the law, if not outright breaking it) congregating in an intoxicating location far-flung from the West can be delightful, as it was here.

There were various other names that I knew from previous movies or at least recognized... Etienne Girardot, Reginald Owen, Lucien Littlefield. To reiterate, Kay Francis was the star & she shone bright as she had to express various emotions throughout & did it superbly. Director Michael Curtiz was another key asset; if not for them, Mandalay would have been a random B movie that had a few amusing side characters but otherwise it'd have been long-forgotten by most. Instead, this was fine entertainment that is only a 65 minute time commit for the viewer.

The Stone Tape

The Stone Tape (1972)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Peter Sasdy

Starring: Michael Bryant, Jane Asher, Iain Cuthbertson, Michael Bates, Reginald Marsh

From: BBC

An interesting BBC horror/sci-fi movie, this was.

After a weekend where I was out & about (including attending an Orlando SC soccer match Saturday night; I’ll give details on that at the end for anyone interested) I felt like using my Shudder account; an old BBC production I’ve known of for ages was selected. This was one of their spooky programs the channel always showed on Christmas night. The film was so effective-at least at the time-that the supernatural phenomenon depicted here is now known by paranormal investigators as the Stone Tape Theory.

The premise is unique: an electronics company rents an old Victorian home for usage as a research lab… so they can create a new recording medium “to put the boots to old Nippon,” i.e. “Create something to beat the Japanese in the electronics field.” From Wiki, I understand that the BBC used to own a mansion that was used by its R&D team. A woman (yeah, some attitudes of its time was present; there’s also some unfortunate bigotry against the Japanese straight out of World War II propaganda) spots a ghost in a room formerly boarded up.

To echo what others have stated, a nice change to the formula is that the story isn’t “no one else believes that this person saw a ghost or another form of apparition.” Rather, by the end of the first act, it’s accepted and the team now uses its awesome early 70’s tech to try and capture it. However, there are complications; when only some can feel or see the ghost & its presence… I won’t reveal more or why the film is entitled “The Stone Tape.” 

As I’ve said for some other 70’s productions, its methodical pacing isn’t for all modern tastes. However, the combination of period fashion, period tech, different premise, occasional electronic score, and lo-fi special effects won me over. The cast was fine in general; I’ll spotlight Jane Asher as Jill. She-a great computer programmer-is the lone woman present not doing menial work; she both receives sexist treatment and is gaslit by her dumb male coworkers. Thus, the movie’s spotlighted around her and Ms. Asher did a swell job.

For many, hopefully you’ll at least like this analog production; the echoes of Prince of Darkness I understand were deliberate on Carpenter’s part. As for the Orlando SC match I saw on Saturday night, they played to a 1-1 draw against CF Montreal, a bad team they should have beat. No matter, it was still a fun time and my return to Orlando’s great stadium should have happened years ago. Like in the association football (or futbol or whatever name you call the sport) of elsewhere, there are supporters who chant, bang the drum all day, and wave their banners about. Don’t worry, there aren’t any hooligans about who start riots or throw lit flares on the pitch!

The Deep

The Deep (1977)

Runtime: 124 minutes

Directed by: Peter Yates

Starring: Nick Nolte, Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Shaw, Louis Gossett, Jr., Eli Wallach

From: Columbia 

There’s a scene featuring cricket. I mention that as someone I follow on Letterboxd has been viewing films which have at least one scene containing the sport. It’s background to a scene of two key characters conversating w/ each other; whether or not they’ve interested in a viewing just for that reason…

As for The Deep, it was a movie my late mother enjoyed! She passed away this month 5 years ago; no, not because of COVID but rather due to an illness she had since the start of 2020. As many know this for an infamously gratuitous moment involving Jacqueline Bisset, there may be surprise that she was a fan. While I don’t know for certain, the presumption is “it was an aquatic adventure in a scenic location from the guy that wrote Jaws and Robert Shaw played a key role.”

The opening was lovely—Nick Nolte & Jacqueline Bisset diving underwater in Bermuda, a lovely John Barry score in the background, many lovely sights to see. That includes… Bisset obviously diving underwater in only a white t-shirt and no bra! How shameless that was—that is what sticks out by modern standards, no pun intended. A shame that due to the era, she was endangered more than once-still, at least her character did contribute at times. Bisset did a swell job in the part.

She and Nolte were a couple vacationing in Bermuda who discovered something that may be treasure but of course there are rivals; this includes Lou Gossett, Jr. in an ominous part as a Haitian. Nolte wasn’t quite the grumpy Nick Nolte we all expect, although he still did some yelling. Shaw, though… the echoes of Quint were unconcealed and that character gave no F’s, even when it came to voodoo and well, something bad happens to a cat, unfortunately.

A common complaint is that The Deep is “boring;” I won’t argue with anyone who feels that way. However, movies like that usually aren’t boring in my eyes as long as interesting elements were present. I never wavered in my interest due to the cast which had other familiar faces (Robert Tessier, Eli Wallach, Mr. Universe turned wrestler turned actor on rare occasions Earl Maynard), stunning views of Bermuda, and of course the copious amounts of underwater footage, filmed in that area, the British Virgin Islands, and even Australia. It still looks great today.

Others won’t find the film as interesting as me; I was entertained despite the measured pacing. The movie was a big hit at the time and even had a theme song from Donna Summer. The Deep didn’t resonate in people’s minds like a big hit yet my mom was a fan. A shame on my part that I never gave The Deep a shot while she was alive so discussion could be had w/ her. Randomly, the movie has been on the Criterion Channel for awhile now, which is how I went on a pleasant journey to Bermuda.

 

Jason and the Argonauts

Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

Runtime: 104 minutes

Directed by: Don Chaffey

Starring: Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Gary Raymond, Laurence Naismith, Niall MacGinnis

From: Columbia

A movie I had seen before… during my high school years, meaning “over a quarter-century ago.” Like with probably many, the dominant memory is the legendary Ray Harryhausen stop-motion effects finale where the titular heroes do battle with sword-wielding skeletons, a moment paid homage to countless times in the 60+ years since. It is rather loosely based on the ancient Greek poem The Argonautica but as I am not a devotee of such classical tales, the bastardization of those stories isn’t particularly offensive.

It's the sort of tale as old as time: an adventure where a villain slays the king of a land; a prophecy foretells that the king’s infant son Jason will overthrow that tyrant. Meanwhile, he meets Zeus, Hera, and the other Greek gods as he goes to the ends of the Earth to locate the Golden Fleece, a key item in eradicating the villain Pelias. Via competition he found such figures as Hercules, Hylas, and Acastus to join the crew on the epic voyage. 

Jason and the Argonauts was a rousing adventure, buttressed by a bold, confident score from Bernard Herrmann that ironically for the composer of the Psycho score contained no stringed instruments, solid direction, and attractive cast of tanned men & women in exotic locations dealing with a variety of different threats.

Of course, it’s the Harryhausen effects that are still the most memorable aspect; regrettably, even in the late 90’s, some in my age group poo-pooed and dismissed those effects. While those and the other practical moments of the past may look “dated” to people in 2025, they are still rad in my eyes. The knowledge that the art of stop-motion is a time-consuming, difficult art—that may color my opinion but I hope there’s never a time where people of all ages aren’t able to be enthralled by stop-motion animation.

I could quibble about some narrative decisions, acting and dialogue that isn't always stellar, or a final scene that felt abrupt; those points duly noted, Jason and the Argonauts was still a pretty good time and was as much fun as during my teen years.

True Grit (The Remake)

True Grit (2010)

Runtime: 110 minutes

Directed by: The Brothers Coen

Starring: A quality cast, including Hailee Steinfeld… the reason why I saw the film

From: Paramount/Skydance Media

Another review done via request. Way back in late April, I was blessed w/ the good fortune of viewing a 70mm presentation of Sinners. In that review (which I’m glad is one of my most popular on Letterboxd) which received more than a few comments, one person noted how I should check out the True Grit remake after reading that I had only seen Hailee Steinfeld in Sinners. As I have viewed the original True Grit back four summers ago, no excuse for me to not finally give the movie a shot.

Turns out, it was better than the original. It can be argued whether John Wayne or Jeff Bridges was better as Rooster Cogburn, not to mention Glen Campbell or Matt Damon as Le Boeuf the Texas Ranger. However, Steinfeld certainly was better than Kim Darby as little Mattie Ross, hiring U.S. Marshal Cogburn to track down Tom Chaney, the rapscallion that murdered her father.

The cast as a whole does a swell job, whether it be Bridges, Damon, Barry Pepper, Josh Brolin, etc. However, it was neophyte actor Steinfeld who most impressed, especially for a feature film debut. She made the bold, confident Mattie a believable character. 15 years after the fact, I probably don’t need to extol the virtues of the direction, the score from Carter Burwell, the Roger Deakins cinematography, the New Mexico/Texas scenery that represented the Arkansas/Indian Territory of 1878.

Remakes-especially ones made in the 21st century-typically are rejected wholesale; thankfully, this version of True Grit was not only worthwhile and an improvement on the original film, it is a rare 21st century Western that isn’t a lousy B-movie & can be enjoyed by fans of classic genre efforts of decades past.

A Quintet of Stooge Shorts

A Snitch in Time: 

(Short # 128 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

The most violent of the Shemp era, this is a common refrain. Of course they haven’t all been viewed yet; today, it can be stated that Moe suffers plenty of abuse throughout.

Their blue-collar job this time: carpenters. Some moments from the Curly era were brought back here but they still made me chuckle. In the opening minutes alone, Moe gets wood glue on his hands… and in his eye. Then, both his face & and his butt are sent into a giant table saw! They make furniture for a Miss Scudder; as they deliver said furniture-which to their credit doesn’t fall apart-so does three new boarders, who are thieves.

Them blundering their way through the job then later succeeding is nothing new, either—again, not a demerit when they did almost 200 shorts. What they presented felt fresh. The “tough” of the criminal trio looked like a pro wrestler and had a voice like he garbled razor wire like an old pro wrestler—thus, I wasn’t shocked when it was learned that Henry Kulky actually WAS a pro wrestler, competing under various versions of the name Bomber Kulkovich. 

Feeling fresh is important to me as I go through those almost 200 shorts; thankfully, A Snitch in Time saved nine… er, fulfilled that task, I mean.

Three Arabian Nuts: 

(Short # 129 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges) 

An actual genie is part of this short. The blue-collar job the boys have this time: “employees of a warehouse.” Vernon Dent wishes for his treasures that he had shipped over to the warehouse to be treated delicately; instead, plenty of crashing sound effects are heard throughout. A stereotypical lamp is part of the collection; Larry and Shemp discover the genie, although Moe doesn’t so he’s naturally skeptical.

Yes, it isn’t great that the genie is called AMOS because he’s Black and he utters the phrase “I’ll be your slave.” White people cosplaying as Arabs is expected for the era; as for white people taking items from other cultures, that can always be questioned… in this case, they framed it as “those villains want the lamp solely for the genie” rather than “they want those Arabic treasures back in their homeland.”

Nuts is yet another Shemp short featuring a climax where the trio run away from their foes; thankfully, the way it was done here still made it feel not stale or hackneyed. While I don’t love this as much as some-or more than some-Stooge fans, Arabian is still a very good time featuring enough of what I want… from one-liners (including one from Larry in the conclusion that had me rolling) to the silliness of Shemp referring to the genie as “genius” because he doesn’t know the correct word.

Baby Sitters Jitters: 

(Short # 130 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges) 

Standing on your head will always quiet a crying child. They’re babysitters; that is as disastrous as expected. Some gags are reminiscent of the times in the Curly era when they dealt w/ little kids; that isn’t always a bad thing, although it was a shock that they repeated the gag of a toddler with a LOADED GUN.

The boys need cash to avoid being kicked out of their apartment for rent past due; via a manual from a “Davenport Seats” they attempt to take care of said toddler, who notes that her estranged husband has been given her problems. Of course, George the husband kidnaps Junior and they become involved w/ that domestic squabble.

It wasn’t my favorite of the Shemp era; at the same time, them abusing each other was still amusing, Shemp being functionally illiterate here resulted in a debacle when attempting to make soup, and Larry gets to do more than usual. The ending sort of fell flat yet overall, the running gag of Shemp (or others) standing on their head to stop someone from crying not only is the most noteworthy moment of Jitters, the joke is comical.

Don't Throw That Knife: 

(Short # 131 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges) 

“Any resemblance between The Three Stooges and regular human beings, whether living or dead, is a dirty shame.”

This is the refrain which opened Don’t Throw That Knife, another fine Shemp-era short that I wasn’t expecting to view then review also on Sunday, July 6. However, all through July I’ve been busy w/ various activities and my initial plan of viewing two feature-length pictures on this day is one I ultimately won’t do; catching up on other things instead was better for this lazy Sunday. Expect a feature film review sometime tomorrow evening, even if a little later than usual.

Knife had some familiar beats as like in No Census, No Feeling, Knife featured the Stooges in that occupation. This time, the short only featured two other actors (Jean Willes and Dick Curtis, both veterans in this universe); Curtis and Willes are a husband-and-wife magician duo; the husband is “insanely jealous,” which is a plot point that hasn’t aged well given the rise of discourse concerning both domestic violence and abusive spouses.

Regardless, the trio attempt to avoid detection once Curtis returns to his apartment. The conclusion was rather juvenile but overall this was still fine, whether using new or modified bits. For example, if anyone was ever pondering how the Stooges would react to funhouse mirrors… as flawed and derivative as Knife would be, there were enough smirk-worthy moments where I can proclaim that this was good.

Scrambled Brains: 

(Short # 132 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges) 

An inspiration for Shallow Hal? While Stooge fans Bobby & Peter Farrelly did not write the script for that film, the author of that screenplay (Sean Moynihan) could have taken the most memorable plot point from Scrambled Brains: Shemp is in a sanitarium but is about to be released. The gag is that he’s still mentally unwell-yeah, mental health is treated far differently now over 70 years later-and Nora the nurse is a middle-aged lady missing many teeth but Shemp sees her as a rather attractive young blonde.

While it’s an outdated look at such things, perhaps the idea that Moe & Larry can’t keep him at the sanitarium due to the high cost is still relevant today… while it is rather bizarre that a little girl lives with the Stooges and there’s no explanation as to who is the father-her presence is to provide a gag involving a doll-otherwise this was rather entertaining.

Shemp has trouble swallowing pills, his hallucinations manifest themselves while playing the piano, Emil Sitka portrays a doctor named Gesuntheit, and in the highlight, a great moment is Vernon Dent stuck in a phone booth w/ the trio, where they beat each other up. Scrambled Brains was one of Larry’s favorites; besides him being allowed to do a bit more than usual, the short was a lot of fun.