A crackling film noir from the heyday of RKO, THE NARROW MARGIN (72 mins., 1952; Warner Archive) is a blisteringly good thriller from director Richard Fleischer. Charles McGraw plays a tough cop tasked with transporting a gangster’s moll (Marie Windsor) from Chicago back to the City of Angels in order to testify. Twists, turns, and double-crosses abound in Earl Fenton’s economical script, which moves fast and is consistently entertaining under Fleischer’s strong direction.

Warner Archive’s Blu-Ray (1.37 B&W, 2.0 mono) sports a sharp new remaster and comes with a superb commentary from Fleischer admirer William Friedkin, including an audio interview conducted with Fleischer; a classic short and cartoon; and the trailer. A nifty package for a superior film later remade – disappointingly so – by Peter Hyams with Gene Hackman and Anne Archer in 1990, with some ill-advised changes from the original script incorporated to diminishing returns.

Doris Day and Gordon MacRae reprised their roles from “On Moonlight Bay” for Warner’s breezy, full color musical BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON (103 mins., 1953), another slice of nostalgic Americana adapted from Booth Tarkington stories. David Butler helmed this solidly produced piece of early ‘50s Hollywood studio moviemaking, the picture sporting a number of vintage tunes and production numbers tailor made for its stars. Warner Archive’s restoration (1.37, 2.0. mono) is lovely and two classic comedy shorts, a classic toon and the trailer are all included in the now-available Blu-Ray.

Opera star Mario Lanza had a big voice that was ideal for the MGM roster of musical stars, and he belted out a number of passages – for the final time, it turned out – in the ironically-titled FOR THE FIRST TIME (97 mins., 1959), a Technirama-shot travelogue with Lanza touring Europe and trying to romance a deaf girl (Johanna Von Koczian). Rudolph Mate helmed this co-production between MGM and West Germany’s Corona studio, which was responsible for much of the movie’s casting and technical components. A classic MGM cartoon and the trailer are on-tap in the vividly colorful Warner Archive Blu-Ray (2.35, 2.0 mono).

Sidney Greenstreet plays a veteran Scotland Yard detective who comes out of retirement in THE VERDICT (86 mins., 1946), a Victorian era-set mystery shot in Hollywood with Greenstreet paired with frequent co-star Peter Lorre, playing an artist friend who serves as his Watson in the feature film debut of prolific director Don Siegel. Two classic WB cartoons and a trio of old time radio shows featuring Lorre and Greenstreet make for a Warner Archive Blu-Ray (1.37 B&W, 2.0 mono) recommended for mystery fans.

Edward G. Robinson and George Raft play hard-working power line workers who, when they’re not squaring off against the elements, spar over nightclub hostess Marlene Dietrich in MANPOWER (103 mins., 1941), a typical star-driven Warner Bros. programmer from the era. Jerry Wald co-wrote with Raoul Walsh helming this slickly played melodrama, buoyed by an exciting storm set-piece that jazzes up the action. Two classic WB cartoons are included in the crisp B&W Blu-Ray (1.37, 2.0 mono).

Later remade as “Mogambo,” RED DUST (83 mins., 1932) was one of the defining Hollywood romances of the early ‘30s. Clark Gable stars as a rubber plantation overseer with Jean Harlow as the object of his desire and Mary Astor, the married wife of Gene Raymond, a visitor to Indochina who also falls for him. A soaper with a superior script by John Lee Mahin, “Red Dust” was a big hit and mixes comedy in effectively as well, as only a pre-Code effort could. Helmed by Victor Fleming, “Red Dust”’s debut on Blu-Ray (1.37 B&W, 2.0 mono) comes with a pair of MGM Technicolor shorts and the Spanish theatrical trailer.

Hanna-Barbera revisited many of their cornerstone characters a number of times throughout the years, but only first produced a new run of “Flinstones” cartoons starting in 1979. Rechristened as THE NEW FRED AND BARNEY SHOW (410 mins.), the series brought the enduring characters back to Saturday morning TV in some 17 episodes with traditional story lines and even some goofy elements like run-ins with creepy werewolves and a prehistoric Dracula to match. New, colorful HD transfers (1.37, 2.0 mono) grace the two-disc Warner Archive set of this complete “revival” series.

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4K UHD New Releases

FRIDAY THE 13th PART II 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (86 mins., 1981, R; Paramount): A fairly hackneyed retread of its predecessor from producer-director Steve Miner, with former “Powers of Matthew Star” heroine Amy Steel taking over for Adrienne King, who’s offed in the early-going of this first “Friday the 13th” sequel. Offered now in a standalopne 4K UHD with Dolby Vision HDR, “Friday the 13th Part II” includes a solid if glossy transfer (1.85) with 5.1 TrueHD audio. Extras include a retrospective featurette on the production (with cast and crew interviews), a featurette on fan conventions and “Friday”’s role in their popularity, the second half of the “fan” film “Lost Tales From Camp Blood,” a Blu-Ray disc and the trailer.

KEEPER 4K UHD/Blu-Ray (98 mins., 2025, R; Neon): Osgood Perkins continues adding to his oddball filmography with this bizarre tale of a couple (Tatiana Maslany, Rossif Sutherland) that experiences horrifying goings-on once Sutherland takes his girlfriend to his remote cabin in the woods. Perkins’ movies are so out there that one’s tolerance for the bizarre is likely to dictate your tolerance for something like “Keeper,” which ends up trying to sell a completely outlandish premise despite a capable performance from Maslany. Neon’s 4K UHD (1.85) offers 5.1 DTS MA audio and Dolby Vision HDR along with the Blu-Ray, Perkins’ commentary track, and trailers.

Two new John Woo films join Shout’s line of Hong Kong Cinema Classics this month on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray.

The well-reviewed, though somewhat varied in terms of performance, BULLET IN THE HEAD (131 mins., 1990; Shout!) finds Woo making a 1960s period piece wherein three friends (Tony Leung, Jacky Cheung, Waise Lee) leave Hong Kong to prove themselves – only to find life in war-ravaged Saigon to be anything but a conventional place to grow up. Solid action but occasional splashes of heavy-handedness makes for a somewhat uneven picture, here restored from the OCN with Dolby Vision HDR (1.85) by Shout in their three-disc set. The package includes a new commentary by critic Frank Djeng and fresh interviews with Woo, Lee, producer Terence Chang, editor David Wu, production planner Catherine Lau, author Grady Hendrix and professor Lars Laaman. Both the UHD and Blu-Ray feature newly translated English subtitles and Cantonese and English mono soundtracks.

A more playful concoction from Woo, ONCE A THIEF (108 mins., 1991; Shout!) again focuses on a character triangle – this time a trio of thieves played by Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung and Chere Chung – who head to the French Riviera for one last gig. Some very silly comedy and outlandish stunts make for a decidedly more lightweight yet likeable film that met with mixed reviews during the heyday of Woo’s HK output. Shout’s two-disc UHD/Blu-Ray (1.85) sports another Dolby Vision HDR transfer with all-new extras including a commentary by James Mudge and interviews with Woo, writer Clifton Ko, cinematographer Poon Hang-Sang, producer Terence Chang, editor David Wu, author Grady Hendrix, critic Frank Djeng, and an archival talk with co-star Kenneth Tsang. Both the UHD and BD again contain newly translated subtitles and both Cantonese mono audio and an English dub.

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Severin New Releases

Two major new box-sets from Severin are out this month, providing horror, Eurotrash and exploitation fans with much to savor.

Coming later this month is THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 3, Severin’s third foray into the more obscure and eclectic offerings of the great British star, mostly produced far and away from the mainstream studio system.

This time out, Severin’s set ranges from the 1959 British indie BEAT GIRL (88/92 mins.), presented in two different versions, to the 1960 thriller THE HANDS OF ORLAC (95/104 mins.), likewise contained in two specific cuts, one from the France and another, cut-down version from the UK. THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG (84 mins., 1963) is also included – in both UHD and Blu-Ray platters – plus the 1979 Saturday matinee effort ARABIAN ADVENTURE (98 mins.), while the set is capped by Lee’s turn in A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT (106 mins., 1994). Severin rounds out the box with THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE (102 mins., 2023), a recent documentary.

With over 16 hours of extras and a deluxe 142-page book, this is another offbeat set that’s a must-have for Lee fanatics and fans of independent European productions from the era.

Now available from Severin, EXORCISMO is one of Severin’s more eclectic sets to date – a 10-disc odyssey through 1970s Spain, both movies made during Franco’s dictatorship and others in post-Franco Spain where permissiveness was again the norm on the big screen and landmark films from visionary filmmakers like Javier Aguirre, Eugenio Martin, Leon Klimovsky and Eloy de la Iglesia were major events.

18 films and the acclaimed new Severin doc EXORCISMO: THE TRANSGRESSIVE LEGACY OF CLASIFICADA “S” are included here – a recent profile of the rating that came to define Spanish culture and would impact genre cinema worldwide. The included 18 features include FAR FROM THE THREE (1972), THE BELL FROM HELL (1973), CREATION OF THE DAMNED (1974), THE DEVIL’S EXORCIST (1975), AFTER… PART ONE: CANT YOU BE LEFT ALONE (1983), THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE DARK (1975), BATTERED FLESH (1978), THE PRIEST (1978), SINS OF A NYMPHO (1979), DIMORFO (1980), BLOODY SEX (1981), MORBUS (1983), TRIANGLE OF LUST (1978), THAT HOUSE IN THE OUTSKIRTS (1980), SUPERNATURAL (1981), POPPERS (1984), and AFTER… PART TWO: TIED UP AND TIED WELL (1983).

A 168-page booklet and over 21 hours of special features make this a fascinating journey for interested genre fans, richly researched and meticulously presented.

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New Catalog Releases & Re-Issues

MA AND PA KETTLE Complete Comedy Collection Blu-Ray (Universal): Before the advent of TV, and before the debut of “down home” sitcoms like “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Green Acres” came the adventures of the Kettle family – Ma (Majorie Main) and Pa (Percy Kilbride), who went from supporting players in the Claudette Colbert-Fred MacMurray hit “The Egg and I” to the main stars of a series of Universal comedies that hit box-office paydirt throughout the late ‘40s and ‘50s.

The gags and story lines fall into a familiar rhythm but there are still laughs to be found throughout the series, which included writers like future “Get Smart” creator Leonard Stern. Eventually, after the series hit its peak with the 1954 hit “Ma and Pa Kettle at Home,” things dried up, with Kilbride departing the series a film installment later, then replaced to diminishing returns by radio vet Parker Fennelly in its 1957 finale “The Kettles on Old MacDonald’s Farm.”

Universal’s Blu-Ray box collects the entire series in perfectly acceptable 1080p B&W transfers with mono sound, including the original – an adaptation of Betty MacDonald’s best-seller THE EGG AND I (108 mins., 1947), and going on to include MA AND PA KETTLE (76 MINS., 1949), MA AND PA KETTLE GO TO TOWN (80 mins., 1950), MA AND PA KETTLE BACK ON THE FARM (81 mins., 1951), PA AND PA KETTLE AT THE FAIR (79 mins., 1952), MA AND PA KETTLE ON VACATION (76 mins., 1953), MA AND PA KETTLE AT HOME (82 mins., 1954), MA AND PA KETTLE AT WAIKIKI (79 mins., 1955), THE KETTLES IN THE OZARKS (81 mins., 1955), and THE KETTLES ON OLD MACDONALD’S FARM (81 mins., 1957).

Note all transfers are 1080p (1.33) AVC encodes in B&W with the exception of 1.85 on “Waikiki” and “Ozarks” and a 2:1 widescreen framing on the finale. A featurette, “Claudette Colbert: Queen of the Silver Screen” puts the finishing touches on an enjoyably nostalgic slice of ‘40s/’50s cinematic comfort food.

LUCIFER: The Complete Series Blu-Ray (2016-21; Warner): There’s nothing like Lucifer teaming up with a lovely LAPD detective to help solve crimes – which is exactly what we got with this agreeable, if strictly formulaic, Fox crime procedural, which initially came off as being little more than reminiscent of “Sleepy Hollow.” That series started off strong but, as I wrote back in 2017, “lost its way, something that is entirely likely to happen with “Lucifer,” though the concept is workable enough to sustain its initial 13 episodes.”

Actually, “Lucifer” did better than that – lasting for several seasons on Fox before migrating to Netflix where it concluded its run in 2021. In fact, its final season picks up with Lucifer having left Los Angeles but not his feelings for Chloe, whose adventures culminate in the Sixth and Final Season of the series, which leapt from network to streaming while retaining the bulk of its viewership. This final group of episodes finishes off “Lucifer” in style — complete with a widely praised conclusion.

Warner’s Complete Series Blu-Ray of “Lucifer” presents its entire series with good looking 1080p (1.78) transfers, 5.1 DTS MA soundtracks and three hours of legacy special features.

TWILIGHT ZONE – THE MOVIE Blu-Ray (101 mins., 1983, PG; Warner): Big-budget, early ‘80s big-screen adaptation of Rod Serling’s classic TV series from then red-hot filmmakers Steven Spielberg and John Landis turned into an endeavor most involved wish had never been undertaken, especially once actor Vic Morrow and a pair of children were killed in a tragic on-set accident. The resulting movie was released with a cloud of controversy and general bad vibes, which carried over into most critical reactions that questioned the movie’s relevance, since three of its four stories merely remade well-known Zone episodes.

That said, there’s still Jerry Goldsmith’s great score to enjoy, and George Miller’s crackerjack capper “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” offers bravura filmmaking and a terrific John Lithgow performance to match, off-setting Spielberg’s syrupy “Kick the Can” remake, Joe Dante’s excessive “It’s a Good Life” reworking, and Landis’ feeble original story “Time Out.”

Warner’s early-format Blu-Ray of “Twilight Zone – The Movie” has been out of print for a while and it’s now been repressed, offering the same VC-1 encode and PCM 5.1 sound as its original release. A new remaster would go a long way to benefit the film, but fans will have to live with this older disc presentation and its low bit-rate transfer in the meantime.

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Also New From Alliance

10 RILLINGTON PLACE Blu-Ray (111 mins., 1970, Not Rated; Alliance): A harrowing and grim cinematic retelling of the John Christie case – a British man who killed over a half-dozen women (that authorities are aware of) in the years following WWII. Richard Attenborough is convincing as Christie with John Hurt as Timothy Evans, a man living on the edge with his young wife (Judy Geeson) and infant daughter, who moved in next to Christie – with tragic consequences for all involved.

American director Richard Fleischer may have seemed an odd choice to helm this Columbia/Filmways co-production, but having recently directed Fox’s groundbreaking, true-crime classic “The Boston Strangler,” must have appealed to the producers on the basis of that 1968 release. Unfortunately, “10 Rillington Place” offers none of Fleischer’s filmmaking prowess that was on display in “The Boston Strangler” as it methodically – sometimes overly so – recounts its events in reportedly accurate detail.

Though exceedingly, and believably, well-acted by the three leads, “10 Rillington Place” is a difficult, claustrophobic picture to watch. While that may have been its point, it’s also hard to classify as an ‘entertainment’ in the purest sense of word, with viewers intrigued by its unrelentingly depressing course of events being most likely to find it of interest.

Alliance’s Blu-Ray features the same 1080p (1.66) transfer and mono 1.0 DTS MA soundtrack as seen in Twilight Time’s out-of-print 2016 Blu-Ray.

Cher and Dennis Quaid toplined director Peter Yates’ 1988 courtroom thriller SUSPECT (122 mins., R; Alliance), one of those star-driven dramatic vehicles we seldom see at the movies these days. Yates’ assured direction makes for a suspenseful film with an Eric Roth script and a terrific supporting cast including Liam Neeson, John Mahoney and Joe Mantegna. Michael Kamen didn’t write one of his more memorable scores for “Suspect,” which returns to Blu-Ray from Alliance with a serviceable 1080p (1.78) transfer and 2.0 DTS MA sound.

Originally intended as a vehicle for Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, only to be reworked for Wilder’s wife Gilda Radner, HANKY PANKY (108 mins., 1982, PG; Alliance) is a lightweight variation on “North by Northwest” with the mismatched couple on the run from double agents in a Sidney Poitier-helmed Columbia production that performed poorly at the Summer ‘82 box-office. Making its Blu-Ray debut from Alliance, the catalog transfer (1.78) supplied by Sony is pretty decent and the 2.0 DTS MA audio is clear.

PULSE (92 mins.., 1988, PG-13; Alliance) is a wan Columbia late ‘80s thriller about electricity run amok and serving as a deadly antagonist to suburban family man Cliff DeYoung and his wife (Roxanne Hart) and son (Joey Lawrence). Paul Golding’s film is merely by-the-numbers throughout and worth it only for the era’s genre completists; Sony’s 1080p (1.78) transfer, licensed here to Alliance, is workable and again features 2.0 DTS MA audio.

Quick Takes

HEAVEN Blu-Ray (80 mins., 1987, PG-13; Lightyear): Diane Keaton’s feature directorial debut came in this offbeat documentary feature wherein the actress/filmmaker mixes old movie footage (a la “The Atomic Cafe”) with talking head interviews about the afterlife, whether it exists, doesn’t, what’s there if there is, etc. Some amusing moments but there’s nothing especially captivating about “Heaven,” which met with mixed reviews and indifferent box-office, but has been remastered for Lightyear’s Blu-Ray. Their 1080p (1.66, 2.0 stereo) presentation is just fine and Howard Shore’s score mixes with jazz passages to create a suitably ethereal mood.

A LITTLE PRAYER Blu-Ray (90 mins., 2025, R; Music Box Films): Writer-director Angus Maclachlan’s latest chronicles the relationship between members of a southern family, particularly its patriarch (David Strathairn) and his connection with his daughter-in-law (Jane Levy) after he finds out his son is having an affair. Well-acted across the board, this indie earned numerous awards and hits Blu-Ray from Music Box featuring commentary by the director; an interview with the director and Levy; a 2025 panel discussion; image gallery; 1080p (1.59) transfer and 5.1 DTS MA sound.

NEXT TIME: Arrow’s latest, including EXCALIBUR and WESTWORLD in 4K for the first time! Until then, don’t forget to drop in on the official Aisle Seat Message Boards and direct any emails to our email address. Cheers everyone!