Up first this week is a new 4K release for 1980s Sylvester Stallone cable mainstay Cobra. The film was a box office hit that grew an even bigger following on cable and came from an idea that Stallone had that eventually became Beverly Hills Cop. I think it’s closer to Judge Dredd with Stallone’s “Cobra” character being a shoot first ask questions later type. It’s definitely not the comedy the Eddie Murphy series was. I probably hadn’t seen it in a couple of decades and I forgot how great the car chase scene was. For some reason it never gets mentioned in cinematic car chase lists and I think it’s quite good. Cobra is peak 80s Stallone with classic one-liners, over the top violence and Brigitte Nielsen. This is the first time I’ve ever owned it on physical media and I had a blast with it. I grew up on 80s action flicks with Stallone, Arnie and the others so this is right up my alley. The bonus features on this new 4K are awesome too with multiple commentaries including director George P. Cosmatos, a TV-edited version of the film, multiple archived interviews, essays and more. If you are a Stallone collector or 1980s action flick guy, this is a must own.
Sticking with 1980s, the cult classic The Stuff gets a new 4K release as well this week. Another film I hadn’t seen in forever, it’s a fantastic dark comedy tackling commercialism with a creature feature type vibe from director Larry Cohen. It wasn’t a box office hit because it was sold more as a horror flick and the crowd got a dark comedy. Don’t get me wrong, it has some fantastic practical effects and a few top notch kills, but the characters and story are played more for a laugh than a scare. It’s about a new product flying off the shelves that may be having some adverse side effects to consumers. Michael Moriarty plays Mo Rutherford, an investigator hired to find out exactly what The Stuff is and Moriarty plays Mo straight-laced and deadpanned and it brings laughs with his interactions. The big businessmen are played as one dimensional business types and it’s almost too serious at times. I think that’s the issue some people have with it, it has crazy tonal shifts and you can tell parts were cut out that maybe would have made the film run smoother from scene to scene. I’ve always had a soft spot for it because it’s so 80s ridiculous. Capitalism and consumerism were big topics in Reagan-era America so a filmmaker like Cohen would easily have something to say about it. I think the film works for what it is especially with the practical effects, but I can also see why it wasn’t a hit and ended up in the cult classic section. This 4K release comes with new commentaries, archival commentary with Cohen, a documentary and more.
Next we have The Nightwatch Collection featuring Nightwatch and Nightwatch: Demons are Forever. I’m going to be honest, I was not aware of these Danish films and it turns out Nightwatch was the feature debut for Nikolaj Coster-Waldau of Game of Thrones fame. He plays a law student who takes a job as a night watchman of a morgue when there is an active serial killer. A local inspector thinks there is more to the law student and he soon finds himself as a suspect. It’s a clever drama and I’m shocked I hadn’t at least heard of it because of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s fame. Its sequel, Nightwatch: Demons are Forever is set 30 years later and returns the cast who survives the first film. This time it’s Coster-Waldau’s daughter who takes the night watch job. His family’s past comes forward as does the killer’s past. Ole Bornedal directed both films and I enjoyed both. The first film is the better of the two, but the sequel is a solid follow up decades later. I’m sure these have a big following overseas thanks to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and the sequel also stars an actor from the TV show Vikings.
Ash is a sci-fi flick starring Aaron Paul and Eiza Gonzalez. It’s not a bad watch, but it definitely feels like a ton of other movies. Life immediately came to mind and maybe Moon. It’s about a crew on a far off planet looking for something comparable to Earth which has been done a thousand times already, but I’m fine with it. All of a sudden the ship’s alarms are going off and Gonzalez’s character seems confused and unsure of what’s happening. She seems to be the lone survivor until Aaron Paul’s character shows up. You immediately think there’s something off about him, but the film does have a decent twist. It’s nothing overly original if you watch a lot of science fiction, but it’s good for a watch. The biggest negative is that The Raid’s Iko Uwais is in it and they give him very little to do. He’s a fantastic action actor and he gets little to show off. There’s no reason to cast someone of his caliber for a role like that.
Last we have Detonation! Violent Riders. This is a 1970s biker flick out of Japan that has all the styling of an American greaser/biker story. The gangs wear colors and all drive bikes. They have greased back hair and leather clothing. There is partying and getting into gang fights. It’s funny how such an American thing (biker gangs) traveled the world. Normally you’d expect Yakuza or something like that, but for the most part it’s all just biker gangs. Plus Sonny Chiba who plays the brother of the love interest. It’s another solid flick that could easily be an American story with a romance and bikes and gang fights. I wasn’t familiar with it and didn’t realize Chiba was in it until he popped up after the romance started between the lead actor and actress. The lead is a mechanic who just wants to race, but ends up in the middle of a gang war because of the love interest. It was a pretty neat watch to see how 1970s Japan looked like 1950s America in terms of style and clothing. This new Blu-ray is a limited edition and comes with commentary, stills gallery and more.
The Nerds Templar 