Forgotten Friday Flick – “The Hot Spot”
September 23rd, 2016 by Jason Coleman
With the weather hot as hell down here in sunny LA it brings to mind a sizzling screen gem that is ripe for resurrection – welcome to Forgotten Friday Flick! This week we’re take a sharp right turn into the mind of the late great Dennis Hopper as a director and what a mind trip it is. A turbulent Texas tale of blackmail, bank robbery and plenty of beautiful babes ripe with scorn and sweetness, it’s a flick so sizzling that it divided critics right down the middle. Ready for a little noir via the head games of Hopper – then let’s hit…The Hot Spot!
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Disney and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Walden Media, present the fantasy adventure film “The BFG,” the first-ever motion picture adaptation of Roald Dahl’s resonant tale of childhood, the magic of dreams and the extraordinary friendship between a young girl and a big friendly giant. Directed by three-time Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, the film reunites the director with his Oscar®-nominated collaborator on “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” Melissa Mathison, who adapted the children’s author’s timeless adventure for the big screen. This magical tale of an extraordinary friendship loaded with exciting extras will brighten the holidays for the whole family! “The BFG” comes to Digital HD, Blu-ray™ and Disney Movies Anywhere Dec. 6.
Lionsgate is exhuming classic horror films with a red carpet rollout this fall for the limited edition Vestron Video Collector’s Series. Hours of materials have been assembled for the Vestron Video Collector’s Series Blu-ray™ releases, starting with with Chopping Mall andBlood Diner, and continuing with Waxwork and Waxwork II: Lost in Time Double Feature,Return of the Living Dead 3, andC.H.U.D. II: Bud the CHUD, these re-releases are for the collector and horror fan alike and will be available for a limited amount of time. Each limited-edition feature, transferred from the original film elements to high-definition Blu-ray™, is packed with special features like Blood Diner’s new making of and audio commentary with director Jackie Kong. 
Since this week’s big budget remake might have some in a ho-hum movie mood, it felt right to insert a little indie help. So taking titular inspiration off the upcoming weekend western rehash, I’ve braved a whopping seven different feature films – though not all are ‘magnificent’ – to help distract and dissect what else is out there for cinefiles. (Plus I’ve even added a review of a short at the end for those with a low attention span!) Sassy seamstresses, controversial docs, fictitious post secondary hazing stories, game show horror and even tech guys run amok keep us cinematically covered this week. Check out the Encapsulated Movie Reviews of the seven features The Dressmaker, Audrie & Daisy, The Lovers & the Despot, 31, Chicken People, I.T., Goat and the short The Many Sad Fates of Mr. Toledano below!
A young boy with a magical gift sets out on a thrilling quest to discover his family’s legacy in LAIKA’s newest film, Kubo and the Two Strings. The latest masterpiece from the animation studio behind the Academy Award®-nominated films Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls comes to Digital HD on November 8, 2016 and Blu-ray™ 3D, Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on November 22, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Hailed as “an exquisite, beautiful film,” (Scott Mantz, Access Hollywood) Kubo and the Two Strings has captivated audiences of all ages, earning an extraordinary 97% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the best-reviewed films of the year!
The Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers (C.H.U.Ds) return with a vengeance in high definition when the Vestron Video Collector’s Series resurrects C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud in limited edition Blu-ray™ on November 22 from Lionsgate. In the outrageous sequel toC.H.U.D., the half-dead decomposing humanoids, led by the suave and charming Bud, must be eliminated to halt the spreading plague in this classic horror satire. The C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud Blu-ray includes all-new special features, including an audio commentary with Director David Irving and interviews with Actor Gerrit Graham, Actress Tricia Leigh Fisher, and Special Effects Artist Allan Apone.
Love never dies! The Vestron Video Collector’s Series goes beyond the grave when the zombie horror classic Return of the Living Dead 3 arrives on limited-edition Blu-ray™ for the first time on November 22 from Lionsgate. Watch all of the terror in high definition when Curt transforms his girlfriend into a flesh-eating monster after her accidental death, in order to fulfill their pact to love each other forever! The Return of the Living Dead 3 Blu-ray includes all-new special features, including an audio commentary with Actress Melinda Clarke and Special Make-Up Effects Artist Tom Rainone; a conversation with Director Brian Yuzna and Screenwriter John Penney; and interviews with Special Effects Artists Steve Johnson and Chris Nelson and Editor/Post-Production Supervisor Christopher Roth. 
Lionsgate is exhuming classic horror films with a red carpet rollout this fall for the limited edition Vestron Video Collector’s Series. Hours of materials have been assembled for the Vestron Video Collector’s Series Blu-ray™ releases, starting with with Chopping Mall and Blood Diner, and continuing with Waxwork and Waxwork II: Lost in Time Double Feature, Return of the Living Dead 3, andC.H.U.D. II: Bud the CHUD, these re-releases are for the collector and horror fan alike and will be available for a limited amount of time. Each limited-edition feature, transferred from the original film elements to high-definition Blu-ray™, is packed with special features including brand-new audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and interviews with cast & crew — including one with Chopping Mall’s robot! 
Throughout fairy tale history, Beauty and the Beast is a story that is a well, with directors, writers, studios, theatres and such constantly going back to it. Its been done on the stage, in film, on television and I’m sure in the comic book format as well. My youth had a week to week series back in the day, a modernized version where a Ron Perlman Beast lived in the sewers woo’ing his beauty that was Linda Hamilton. No matter how many, there are only two interpretations that have really stood the test of time and become the “go to” definitive versions. One obviously being the Disney animated film (Which I just review the new Blu-ray for last week). The other, is the masterpiece of French cinema, Jean Cocteau’s 1946 film. And next year, Disney is doing a live action rendition of their animated feature with Emma Watson and Dan Stevens. Today, we are taking a look at 2014’s French take on the classic story from the director of Brotherhood of the Wolf and Silent Hill. 
The intrepid crew of the USS Enterprise returns in “the best action movie of the year” (Scott Mantz, “Access Hollywood”). The “highly entertaining” (David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter) new installment in the iconic franchise, Star Trek Beyond sets a course on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray Combo Packs, DVD and On Demand November 1, 2016 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. The sci-fi adventure will also be available as part of the Star Trek Trilogy Blu-ray Collection. The film warp speeds to Digital HD four weeks early on October 4, 2016. 
EAT THAT QUESTION, Frank Zappa In His Own Words is a riveting documentary in which rock era icon Frank Zappa, in a series of interviews, shares his candid, often saucy, worldview on music and everything else. It debuts on Blu-ray, DVD and digital on 
Time once again to scour the DVD bargain bin to find out if there are any gems buried way down deep. (And I don’t mean the dust bunnies either!) These are what I refer to as quick fix flicks – they either satisfy or sour the good movie seeking cinefile and fast. This time we’re covering two docs on both iconic former films and music watering holes and scary outing that doubles as as a warning for those seeking to buy a horror home. Check out the DVD Roundup reviews of All Things Must Pass, Back In Time and A House Is Not A Home below! (Again, tech specs provided at the end for those with a DVD demand!)
There are no accidents. 
A bizarrely veiled allegory for the McCarthy-era Red Scare, Johnny Guitar was misunderstood upon its initial release. With the leads at their operatic best, the table is now set for an epic showdown in this one-of-a-kind western from director Nicholas Ray (Rebel Without a Cause). One of the most original takes on the western genre—the women are far tougher than the men—Johnny Guitar is praised by fans, filmmakers, and critics alike as groundbreaking. Boasting superb supporting performances, Johnny Guitar features Joan Crawford (Best Actress, Midred Pierce), Mercedes McCambridge (Best Actress, All The King’s Men), Sterling Hayden (Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb), Ernest Borgnine (Marty), Scott Brady (The China Syndrome), Ward Bond (The Searchers), Paul Fix (To Kill a Mockingbird), Royal Dano (The Outlaw Josey Wales) and John Carradine (Stagecoach). Notably, Johnny Guitar’s indelible title song was a collaboration between the Academy Award-winning composer Victor Young (Around the World in Eighty Days), and co-writer and songstress Peggy Lee. 
All the Way exists in a strange space for films where it is packed on with talent and amazing performances, but was made for HBO to be shown on the premium channel instead of in theaters, where its message, cast, writing, and brilliance would have a greater chance to be celebrated by a larger audience. Lucky for viewers, it was recently released on Blu-ray by HBO Films for people without a subscription to find and enjoy. And, well, if possible, viewers should find and enjoy this wonderful look at some key points in the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson, as portrayed by the outstanding Bryan Cranston (Trumbo, “Breaking Bad”). 
