THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT (Blu-ray Review)

USA/2018
Directed By: Robert D. Krykowski
Written By: Robert D. Krykowski
Starring: Sam Elliott, Aidan Turner, Caitlin Fitzgerald
Color/97 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: April 2, 2019

The Film
Sam Elliott stars as Calvin Barr, a retired solider who was tasked with the top secret mission of assassinating Adolf Hitler. Though his mission was successful the war carried on with imposters in place of Hitler and Barr would live with the baggage of murdering a man. Now decades later the government has tracked him down again to kill the mythological Bigfoot who is responsible for spreading a deadly contagion.

THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT has a title that immediately caught my attention. My imagination ran wild with the potential madness and excitement that such a movie with such a title could contain. Admittedly I didn't think the trailer was anything special and it didn't really get me excited to see the full film but the title and Sam Elliott in the starring role still had me curious about the whole thing.

I'll start with what I liked about the film and first and foremost that is Sam Elliott who totally owns the screen with his strong yet vulnerable performance. A big part of Elliott's character makeup in this film is loneliness as he apparently had found the love of his life early on but the war kept them apart and he never really was the same or loved again. Even his relationship with his brother who is his barber was distant. This would come in to play years later after his encounter with the Bigfoot (who is apparently misnamed) and realizing it is also a lonesome creature, but his mission is his mission. The writing for Elliott's character is somewhat messy in that regard because it really doesn't make much of a difference but Elliott gives it all he's got and he really is fantastic delivering all aspects of his character. I also liked the direction and thought many of the scenes were well executed and put together nicely, especially the Hitler assassination sequence. The cinematography was also nice at times but then there were moments where it was so dark that I couldn't see what was going on at all.

Then there's the things I didn't care for, a couple of which I briefly touched on already such as poor lighting during certain scenes and the character of Calvin Barr's having blurry motivations which I could deal with but the main thing about this movie I couldn't get over is that it's an utter bore. The most exciting scenes are here and gone in a flash after feeling like it taking forever to get to amid the filler. Even during what should have been the highlight scene of the movie, the Bigfoot encounter, the scene that I feel the title of the movie builds up to, goes over like a wet fart when the Bigfoot ends up being about five feet tall and resembling a young Wookiee from the Star Wars Holiday Special.

Upon finishing the movie I sat wondering exactly what I was going to say in this review because I had such a little reaction to the whole thing other than boredom and wondering exactly what the point was. I still wonder what the point was because it doesn't work as a character piece that it seems like they were going for and it definitely fails as anything more exciting than that. Somehow I still didn't hate the movie, Sam Elliott saves it from being a miserable experience as I was happy to follow him on his journey but I wish the journey was a more riveting one. Ultimately I'd be happy to sit through a celebration of Life Day on Kashyyyk than I would to revisit this one.

The Audio & Video
RLJE Films releases THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT on Blu-ray with a very nice looking anamorphic widescreen 2.40:1 transfer. The picture is sharp and has great detail depth. Black levels are deep while colors have a bit of a overcast muted look to them, which is an artistic choice as the whole film looks this way. A DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix handles the audio giving body and power to the sound. The mix job is excellent, and dialogue and music are crisp and free of any distortions or imperfections.

The Extras
-The Making Of THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT
-Audio Commentary With Director Robert D. Krykowski
-Interview With Composer Joe Kraemer
-Deleted Scenes
-"Elsie Hooper" Short Film
-Concept Art Gallery

The Bottom Line
I don't know what to say about this film. I really don't. It's well made but seemed to be lost and satisfied with wandering around it its own meandering path to a conclusion of "what was the point?". If you're curious about the film I would suggest giving it a look because it's very possible you'll get something more out of it than I did but if the trailers didn't do much for you I'd say you're probably not going to get anything out of the actual film.

THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT is available HERE

PREYHSTERIA! (Blu-ray Review - Full Moon)

USA/1993
Directed By: Charles Band, Albert Band
Written By: Michael Davis
Starring: Austin O'Brien, Brett Cullen, Colleen Morris
Color/83 Minutes/PG
Region Free
Release Date: October 23, 2018
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
Rico Sarno is a crooked collector and dealer of antiques and finds a stash of unhatched dinosaur eggs in a South American temple. He brings them back but mixes up the cooler he's keeping them in with that of frequent customer Frank Taylor (Brett Cullen). Frank's kids discover the mix up and take care of the hatchlings after the family dog incubates the eggs and try to keep their discovery a secret but Rico and his henchman turn the Taylor's life upside down and put their lives in jeopardy to get his dinosaurs back.

PREHYSTERIA! is a video store era family classic that cashed in on the building buzz surrounding the release of Jurassic Park very similarly to how production companies like The Asylum operate today. Instead of trying for a mock blockbuster Charles Band, ever the businessman, went in the direction of a children's adventure movie keeping costs low. Austin O'Brien stars as Jerry Taylor, and he's a face that you certainly recognize as he was a go-to child lead in that era having also starred in Last Action Hero and My Girl 2. He's a good lead that any kid can connect with as he rips on his older, cooler sister played by Samantha Mills in what seems to be her final screen acting credit. The siblings end up bonding over their little baby dinos including T-Rex, Triceratops, and "the flying one" among others.

I remember PREHYSTERIA! fondly, it's one of the earliest introductions to Full Moon and their children's imprint Moonbeam Films that I have and it was definitely a favorite that you'll find people in their late 20s to mid 30s remembering renting at the video store even if they grew up to have no interest in Charles Band or cult film at all. That's the type of power and pull a lot of the Moonbeam titles had over kids looking up at the seemingly endless rows of tapes for rent. My excitement dwindled and dwindled as I rewatched the movie however. It became pretty clear that PREHYSTERIA! might not be the rip-roaring prehistoric adventure I remember and by the end I was honestly surprised by just how little there is going on in the movie. There's a couple wacky scenes of dino shenanigans and one scene of the family really being attacked by Rico but this plays more like a two-part TV episode than a feature film and even at that I'm not sure I would have tuned back in after the "to be continued" screen flashed at the end of part one. Some dinosaur eggs are better left buried in the past and it pains me to say that PREHYSTERIA! is one of them.

The Audio & Video
Full Moon finally brings their children's label Moonbeam Films fan favorite to Blu-ray with a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer that looks solid overall with good colors and clean, warm transfer. The high definition transfer has been remastered from the original 35mm negative but at times lack truly excellent detail depth. The audio is presented with two options, a 5.1 surround track and a 2.0 digital stereo track. There's not much going on in the movie in terms of exciting or flashy sound design or effects so either track really does the movie justice. The quality is solid, free of any distracting distortions or background noise.

The Extras
Special features include a commentary track by star Austin O'Brien and director Charles Band and the original Videozone featurette.

The Bottom Line
PREHYSTERIA! has received a suitable Blu-ray release to give all of us that remember the film from its video store days a trip down memory lane but unfortunately once the nostalgia wears off you'll find out that there's really not much going on in PREHYSTERIA! and it's better left as a childhood memory.

PREHYSTERIA! is available HERE

TOMB RAIDER (Warner Brothers Blu-ray Review)

UK, USA/2018
Directed By: Roar Uthaug
Written By: Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Alastair Siddons, Evan Daugherty
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Walter Goggins
Color/118 Minutes/PG-13
Region A
Release Date: June 12, 2018
Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD

The Film
Lara Croft is the daughter of an archaeologist adventurer who went missing seven years ago and has been presumed dead. Refusing to accept his death Lara has not accepted her inheritance including his estate or companies despite barely making ends meet as a bike courier. Lara discovers a final puzzle left for her by her father and decides to leave her world behind and follow in her father's footsteps to a dangerous mythical island near Japan to find out what happened to her father.

TOMB RAIDER is based off of a successful video game franchise that debuted in 1996 and was adapted for the silver screen in 2001 with Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and a sequel two years later both of which performed well at the box office but haven't aged particularly well in part because of dated special effects and a less than stellar performance from their star Angelina Jolie along with flat stories. This new entry into the series reboots it with a new lead (Alicia Vikander) and frankly it caught me off guard. I wasn't aware that it was being released until the advertising campaign started but I immediately thought it looked like a fun summer blockbuster in spite of its early March theatrical release. I 'm pleased to say that Roar Uthaug's TOMB RAIDER is pretty much just that- a fun summer movie.

It starts with Alicia Vikander who has become a household name in the last few years for roles in films such as Ex Machina and The Danish Girl which she won an Oscar for. While she won't be winning an Oscar for her performance in TOMB RAIDER she proves her versatility and that she can more than handle a physically demanding role such as this. Vikander is fit and beautiful but she doesn't rely on that to get her through the movie. While she could be bumbling around the jungle and arcane crypts and still look good doing it she handles the perils and pitfalls that any good adventure movie is plagued with. I make mention of this because fanboys of the Tomb Raider series have long sexualized the Lara Croft character and I wanted to make sure to point out that Alicia Vikander is not just a pretty face. Walter Goggins plays a rather vanilla villain in charge of an army of nameless workers and henchman trying to find the same tomb as Lara and her father before her. Goggins' character may not be the most original or exciting but he is good in the role and manages to be properly unlikeable. It is Dominic West in the role of Lara's father that may be the misstep in casting as I found him to be silly and inappropriately comedic at times that reminded me of Brendan Fraser's character in The Mummy franchise (which worked in those films but feels wildly out of place here).

Roar Uthaug's direction is competent without being overly flashy or relying on tired and annoying shortcuts like overly shaky camera work. He brings the screenplay to life with enough flair that I'm surprised the film didn't perform better in American box offices but this adventure of archeology and family takes more than a few pages from the Indiana Jones book and gives us the Cliff's Notes version of them. It's during the trials to enter the tomb and find the fabled queen who's crypt they are trying to reach where there's a bit of borrowing from Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade. I'm okay with that but it does lack the emotional punch that Last Crusade has and I feel that we never quite get the payoff we (or the film itself) deserves. I was really hoping for something epic and possibly not of this world to happen inside that crypt but the climax never hits that fever pitch where the film hits a real rolling boil of excitement. I feel that would have brought TOMB RAIDER from a good movie to something great.

The Audio & Video
Warner Brothers brings TOMB RAIDER to home video with an expectedly gorgeous Blu-ray release. The anamorphic widescreen transfer looks stunning with a lush and vivid color palette that really takes off once we arrive on the Island. Otherwise detail level is quite strong, skin tones are naturally healthy with no signs of excessive DNR and there's no issues with compression or blocking even in the darkest scenes. The audio on the disc is presented with a few different options including Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround tracks that are booming. The mix across the channels is steady and the levels are appropriately mixed. There are scenes that will definitely give your system a bit of a workout and could leave pictures rattling on the walls. Audio quality is crisp and very clear with no hiss or distortions even at its craziest. French, Spanish and Portuguese audio options and subtitles are also available.

The Extras
Four featurettes make up the special features section of the disc and they include:

-"Lara Croft: Evolution Of An Icon" - This featurette takes a look at the Lara Croft character from her original video game origins to the most recent film adaptation
-"Croft Training" - A look at the workouts and training Alicia Vikander did to prepare for her role as Lara Croft
-"Tomb Raider Uncovered"- A cast and crew look at bringing the video game to life on the big screen
-"Breaking Down The Rapids"- A look at the one of the film's most exciting and memorable action scenes.

The Bottom Line
TOMB RAIDER is what I hoped it would be- An updated take on a dated adventure film with a far more capable lead. This is a perfectly enjoyable summertime popcorn flick in the tradition of Indiana Jones.

TOMB RAIDER is available HERE

SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS (Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review)

Italy/1989
Directed By: Enzo G. Castellari
Written By: Tito Carpi, Enzo G. Castellari
Starring: Lou Ferrigno, John Steiner, Roland Wybenga
Color/93 Minutes/PG-13
Region A
Release Date: February 6, 2018

The Film
A young prince recruits the aid of Sinbad and his shipmates which include a viking, and a samurai are recruited by Prince Ali to rescue the princess who has been kidnapped by the evil Jaffar in order to marry her. Jaffar also has magic gems that help generate his powers and has them spread across the land guarded by various evil creatures. After escaping Jaffar's torture chamber Sinbad and his crew set sail to gain control of the magic gems and strip Jaffar of his evil powers.

SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS is as a bed time story being narrated by Daria Nicolodi who has constant voice overs describing the action we see on screen. It's clunky and even if the story would be  a bit bumpy and choppy without it, it's unnecessary. Luckily it doesn't matter because this is a whimsical romp into fantasyland. Lou Ferrigno has stated that this movies was one of his favorite movies to make and it shows every second he's on screen. You can tell he's having a blast as the legendary sailor and he's perfect for the role. Ferrigno is ripped, jacked and cut. He looks the part and while he's not going to win any awards for his acting abilities he's the perfect mound of muscle to cheer on as he fights demons, rock monsters and all of the other perils and pitfalls he encounters along the way. His sidekicks add a bit of fun as well with some sword play and martial arts action to mix things up a bit but Ferrigno really is the main course as Sinbad.

Enzo Castellari is known for successfully making films in whatever genre was trendy at the moment in Italy. Whether it be war and actioners or spaghetti westerns and even gialli, Castellari was able to craft really great, or at least very entertaining pictures in whatever genre gave him work. SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS is more along the lines of the latter. It would be easy to rip this thing apart as much of the acting is stilted or totally overblown, the writing jumps from scene to scene with little flow and it claims to be based on Edgar Allan Poe's "The Thousand And Second Tale Of Scheherazade" without resembling that story at all except maybe for a balloon scene. SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS simply asks for you to not expect too much except for fun. Castellari nailed the most integral thing in making this movie a success and that's sheer entertainment value. The action and fantasy in this movie are silly but pure at heart. I dare you to watch Sinbad pick up a demon creature and swing him around over his head knocking out several other demon creatures and not smile ear to ear. It is delightful and it's that childhood feeling I get while watching it that makes the bedtime story narrative angle passable even if it gets intrusive at times. SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS is like gathering a few friends in the park or playground and each picking a different character to pretend to be and you battle for supremacy of the rope bridge and the twisty slide except it was done on sound stages and you weren't jacked like Lou Ferrigno when you were 7 years old playing on the jungle gym.

The Audio & Video
Kino Lorber brings SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS to Blu-ray for the first time with an anamorphic widescreen transfer that looks good though the master is obviously a bit older which leaves room for improvement. The film has a wide array of colors in its palette and they're bright and vivid and are my favorite aspect of the picture quality of this disc. Detail levels are adequate but even at their best during tight shots and close ups they still lack that really fine detail. Skin tones look healthy and natural and the clarity is pretty good with just a bit of speckling and light imperfections that are par for the course with many Kino titles. I'm not in love with the transfer but I am satisfied with it.

The audio quality features an English dub track in a 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio mix that sounds good. The dub track is typical for Italian productions of the period and make for a strong presence in the mix that is always front and center. The score comes through nicely though with the levels mixed well. The tracks is crisp and clear with little in the way of imperfections or background noise.

The Extras
A theatrical trailer makes up the entirety of the special features.

The Bottom Line
It doesn't take more than a glance at who directed this film and who stars in it to realize it's probably going to be an exercise in campy fantasy storytelling and it is, but in all the right ways. For all of its flaws SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS is a light hearted adventure flick full of laughs and thrills and I'm a fan.

SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS is available HERE

BABY: SECRET OF THE LOST LEGEND (Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review)

USA/1985
Directed By: Bill Norton
Written By: Clifford Green, Ellen Green
Starring: William Katt, Sean Young, Patrick McGoohan
Color/95 Minutes/PG
Region A
Release Date: February 13, 2018

The Film
A pair of American scientists find themselves in the African jungle after discovering a series of dinosaur fossils. The natives give the pair clues and reassurance that the legend of the dinosaurs is real and before long they have found a living breathing pair of Brontosauruses and a young hatchling deep in the jungle. Unfortunately their discovery quickly turns into a fight to keep the dinosaurs alive as an evil and corrupt scientist has also found out about their discovery and is more interested in profits and his own devious intentions rather than the vast knowledge that could be gained from such a discovery.

Sean Young and William Katt star as the duo that discover the dinosaurs and are a likable pair with great chemistry. They're an easy couple to latch on to and cheer for to save the dinosaurs and their own relationship. Patrick McGoohan is perfectly despicable as their villainous counterpart who lusts after fame and fortune instead of learning from the prehistoric creatures that were long thought extinct. McGoohan has paired up with an African military group that provides the firepower and eventually kills one of the adult dinosaurs. Katt and Young turn to the local tribes who view the dinosaurs as almost god-like legends for help in rescuing the baby and the mother before they're transported away from their jungle home.

BABY was produced by Disney's Touchstone Pictures division which gave the film some breathing room to be more adventurous and violent. And while there are multiple shootouts and fight scenes with some minor explosions and this isn't technically a true Disney picture there are some very Disney flourishes that keep things child friendly. It's equal parts a fantasy and adventure and while I wouldn't suggest the toddlers watch it I think it's plenty safe enough for any child in elementary school. Released in 1985, the film features practical dinosaur effects that aren't too shabby for its time. You have to remember that this was several years before Stan Winston turned the special effects world on its head with his work on Jurassic Park. If you're expecting that level of work or try to compare it to the work done in the Spielberg classic you're going to be sorely disappointed. If you're able to accept the effects for when they were done I think they're fine and perfectly believable in spite of the fact that this film is showing its age more and more with each passing year.

BABY received negative reviews upon its release and hasn't been too lovingly accepted over the years but has developed a small cult following. It honestly surprises me that it's so harshly critiqued and there's a large disdain for it because I have always found it be an entertaining adventure film that may not be a classic or ever held in exceptionally high regard but is a fun little romp through the jungle with a few dinos in tow.

The Audio & Video
Kino Lorber has delivered BABY: SECRET OF THE LOST LEGEND to Blu-ray for its second release in high definition, previously having been released on Blu-ray by Mill Creek. This release features a serviceable HD transfer that seems to be from an older master. The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer features a good color palette but for a film set in such a lush and colorful landscape it's disappointing that the visuals aren't more breathtaking. Skin tones are healthy with no waxiness and details is decent but never exceptionally strong. There are two audio options including a 5.1 surround and a 2.0 stereo mix. The 5.1 is nice for surround diehards but lacks anything to really make it essential. The 2.0 mix is crisp and clear and definitely a pleasing listening experience. There's no background noise or distortions.

The Extras
Extra features include a pair of interviews with director Bill Norton and star William Katt and is rounded out by the original theatrical trailer.

The Bottom Line
Despite being a bit dated, BABY still serves as an entertaining jungle adventure with a message of appreciating and preserving nature and life that all ages can enjoy.

BABY: SECRET OF THE LOST LEGEND is available HERE

THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU/THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU - Blue Underground Blu-ray Review

Spain, Germany/1968, 1969
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Manfred Barthel, Harry Alan Towers, Jess Franco
Starring: Christopher Lee, Tsai Chin, Richard Greene
Color/
Region FREE
Release Date: May 30, 2017

The Films
Harry Alan Towers brought Fu Manchu back to the silver screen after three decades without the Chinese madman who was hellbent on world domination. He put Christopher Lee in the titular role and five movies later Fu Manchu's legacy is that of a schlocky B-movie franchise that is underloved and overly scrutinized.

Yes, the films are campy and flawed but taken for what they are, globetrotting adventure films with far fetched plot devices and grandiose plans that they could never truly fully realize, they offer plenty of enjoyment and entertainment value. Christopher Lee adds a touch of class to the productions as he was never one to phone it in. He cared about the character even if he was a bit miserable playing him due to the makeup effects done to give him a more Asian appearance. His co-star was Tsai Chin who played his daughter and second in command to his power and leadership. Chin is also quite good and gives the film a nice one two punch of villains. Richard Greene plays Nayland Smith, a Scotland Yard agent who has made a career out of chasing his arch rival and putting a stop to his nefarious plans. Greene is passable in his role but a more charismatic actor would certainly have spiced things up and given the audience more of a hero to grasp on to.

THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU is the fourth film in the series and the first to be directed by Jess Franco. The film follows Fu Manchu, now hiding in South America, as he attempts world domination once again. This time he has discovered an ancient poison found in snakes that he will transfer to the beautiful women he has captured and imprisoned and unleash on the world slowly. One kiss on the lips from these women will result in blindness, paralysis and ultimately death. If his demands are not met he will unleash the full scale version of and wipe out a large portion of Earth's population.

While BLOOD is an entertaining film, it is ultimately messy and filled with too much fat that could have been trimmed. There are characters that don't fit the film and are present for one of the film's several subplots that don't go anywhere. There are scenes that could have been lifted straight from a comedy spaghetti western.  Lee is unsurprisingly the shining star of the film giving a stoic and centered performance. The film has several signature touches of director Jess Franco, most notably sexy women in prison being tortured in some way. I enjoy THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU but it could have been a tighter film with some editing or a better script.

Jess Franco returns to the directors chair to wrap up the franchise with THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU from 1969 where Fu Manchu has developed a plan to freeze the oceans of Earth using special crystals which he demonstrates on a smaller scale in the opening scene that features an ocean liner striking an iceberg and sinking in a scene that is eerily similar to some of the scenes in James Cameron's blockbuster Titanic when it sinks. Cameron is no stranger to genre films so it would not surprise me if he had seen this film and set up a shot or two in his film to match that of Franco's sinking ship shown here as a wink and nod to the type of cult films he cut his teeth on.

Christopher Lee is a bit more animated in his performance here and the film as a whole is more visually appealing. The sets feature more colored lighting and detailed dressing and there's no unnecessary subplots getting in the way. It's odd to me that CASTLE is received less positively than BLOOD from the research I've done prior to this review. I think CASTLE is a better film in almost every way. The film ends similarly to how BLOOD ends but we never get the return that Fu Manchu promises in a voice over before the credits roll.

THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU may not be the neatly wrapped gift under the tree type conclusion to the series that I would have liked to see happen in perhaps one final movie but it is a step up from the previous installment and if this was how the series was to end at least it ended heading in the right direction and on a positive note. The series deserved at least that much.

The Audio & Video
This double feature from Blue Underground brings the final two Fu Manchu films to high definition for the first time but unfortunately the presentations aren't stellar. Both films feature a 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. BLOOD is worst of the two films with a soft transfer that mostly fails to impress. While it is an upgrade over standard DVD it is a small one. Colors have little pop to them and the image is overly noisy with digital artifacts. There's a lack of fine detail that makes Blu-ray special and there is a wobble present in a couple of scenes. CASTLE is a bit of an improvement over BLOOD as colors have more life to them and there's a bit more fine detail. The picture is also less hampered by digital noise. Thankfully the audio is great. The DTS-HD Master Audio track features a mono mix, recreating the original English language audio mix in crystal clear HD. There's no issues with crackling, popping or other imperfections or background noise. The sound is crisp and the levels are steady. Dialogue blends well with the score and one never overpowers the other.

The Extras
Special features include "The Rise And Fall Of Fu Manchu" a two part interview totaling half an hour and including footage with Jess Franco, Christopher Lee, Tsai Chin and Shirley Eaton. These interviews are quite an enjoyable listen with plenty of good insights and anecdotes. Also included are original theatrical trailers and a poster and still gallery.

The Bottom Line
These are two entertaining cult films that are underrated and I recommend current fans or anyone with a curiosity towards Fu Manchu pick up this double feature.

THE FU MANCHU DOUBLE FEATURE is available HERE

ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. (Kino Lorber) Blu-ray Review

UK/1966
Directed By: Don Chaffey
Written By: Brian Clemens
Starring: Raquel Welch, John Richardson, Percy Herbert
Color/100 Minutes/
Region A
Release Date: February 14, 2017
2x Blu-ray

The Film
A look at the tough and rugged life early humans had to live all while being hunted by massive man eating lizards, dinosaurs and bugs. ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. isn't historically accurate by any means but it is far more entertaining than a day spent in class.

It was ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. that broke out Raquel Welch as an international star and sex symbol. The film's main selling point is 100 minutes of the stunning Welch trouncing around in a fur bikini getting into all sorts of trouble. The film is mostly family friendly, with only a few moments that could be considered excessively violent, even for 1966. And even those moments fall short of some of the violence we saw from earlier Hammer productions but still nine minutes were trimmed from the US cut of the film. However Welch still brought a strong sex appeal and as we all know, sex sells and we all bought in.

Welch's sexiness wasn't all the film has to offer, not by a long stretch. The most obvious draw to the film, especially at the time of release was the special effects and creatures created by Ray Harryhausen which include classic scenes with a Pteranodon and Welch along with a epic fight scenes between the tribesman and an Allosaurus that gets a bit bloody. Alongside those classic scenes are giant Iguanas, Tarantulas, various other dinosaurs, ape men and more. Harryhausen's use of stop motion animation here is as good as it ever would be giving full life to each and every creature he designed. The sculpts have an exceptional lifelike quality and make for an exciting and believable cast of creatures and enemies. Director Don Chaffey was plenty experienced by the time he made ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. and was no stranger to fantasy adventure epics having previously directed Jason And The Argonauts, another Harryhausen special effects epic. He would go on to make a couple more films in the genre with 1967's The Viking Queen and 1970's Creatures The World Forgot, both Hammer productions. He proved more than capable of steering the production toward a glorious and successful finish with great set pieces and action scenes.

ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. may be light on plot, existing largely to show off a scantily clad Raquel Welch and yet another highlight reel of glorious Ray Harryhausen creatures, but it does manage to fulfill the promise that the opening narration tells us of the world being unfriendly and inhospitable and though there's no dialogue besides some grunting and a couple of names there's definitely and undeniable character development and meaningful relationships forged and broken during the course of the film. Brian Clemens' screenplay is breezy, quickly paced and filled with deadly encounter after deadly encounter but he proves you don't need page after page of talky characters spewing endless dialogue to have a film that can draw you in to it's characters and the story. At least not when there is Raquel Welch and Harryhausen monsters.

The Audio & Video
Kino Lorber has given a brand new 4K restoration to the film and it looks absolutely stunning. I don't think the prehistoric ages have ever looked this good! Colors are vivid and eye catching with bright blues and fleshy, natural skin tones. Detail is incredible from the fur and leather outfits to being able to separate individual grains of sand. The film has a healthy grain structure maintaining its original film look and feel and I couldn't be happier. The DTSHD audio is an audible winner as well. Crisp and pleasing to the ear, the sound features a perfect mix in levels, no distortions or damage of any kind and no background noise. I think it is safe to say ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. hasn't looked or sounded this good since its original theatrical run.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary With Film Historian Tim Lucas of Video Watchdog Magazine
-91 Minute US Cut
-"In The Valley Of The Dinosaurs" - Interview with Raquel Welch
-Interview with Ray Harryhausen
-Interview with actress Martine Beswick
-Animated poster and image gallery
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. is pure adventure fun and it has never looked better! This is one you can (and will want to) watch over and over! You can count this Hammer fanboy as very satisfied.

ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. is available HERE