Author Archive: Mark R. Hasan

The Lost One: Peter Lorre’s Der Verlorene (1951)

Review of Peter Lorre’s lone film as director – the grim & gripping DER VERLORENE / THE LOST ONE (1951), from Germany’s Arthaus.

Podcast: Jason Pichonsky on Restoring Julian Roffman’s THE BLOODY BROOD (1959) + PHOBIA (1980)

Alongside a podcast with CanCon film historian Jason Pichonsky are revised reviews of Julian Roffman’s THE BLOODY BROOD (1959) + John Huston’s PHOBIA (1980), both from KINO Lorber / Unobstructed View.

‘You go in pieces, a**hole!’

Review of Craig Baxley’s combustible cult classic I COME IN PEACE / aka DARK ANGEL (1990) on Blu from Scream Factory.

Super Action in Superscope: UNDERWATER! (1955) + VERA CRUZ (1954)

Two Superscope classics on Blu: John Sturges’ fluffy UNDERWATER! (1955) from Warner Archives + Robert Aldrich’s outstanding buddy western VERA CRUZ (1954) from MGM.

Kinski, Cozzi, and Caminito: NOSFERATU IN VENICE (1988), PAGANINI HORROR (1989), and WHITE HUNTER (1990).

Three films connecting director Luigi Cozzi, actor & temperamental cyclone Klaus Kinski, & producer Augusto Caminito.

Podcast: Jason Pichonsky on Restoring Julian Roffman’s THE BLOODY BROOD (1959) + PHOBIA (1980)

Alongside a podcast with CanCon film historian Jason Pichonsky are revised reviews of Julian Roffman’s THE BLOODY BROOD (1959) + John Huston’s PHOBIA (1980), both from KINO Lorber / Unobstructed View.

Podcast: ANNE WITH AN E composers Amin Bhatia & Ari Posner

Podcast interview with ANNE WITH AN E’s composing team Amin Bhatia and Ari Posner.

Podcast: Austin Wintory’s REMNANTS + ERICA (2019)

In a new podcast, composer Austin Wintory discusses scoring the interactive PS4 video game ERICA + the eclectic music on the compilation album REMNANTS.

Bandolero! (1968) + 100 Rifles (1969) and au revoir to Twilight Time

Reviews of two Raquel Welch westerns – BANDOLERO! (1968) + 100 RIFLES (1969), and Twilight Time bids farewell!

BR: Bandolero! (1968)

Twilight Time’s stellar Blu-ray features one of the heaviest fact-filled commentary tracks by Cinema Retro’s Lee Pfeiffer, historian Paul Scrabo, and Dean Martin biographer Tony Latino…

BR: 100 Rifles (1969)

This may not be the greatest western produced near the end of the decade, but it’s an important marker of several transition points – of the western being re-embraced by studios…

DVD: Verlorene, Der / The Lost One (1951)

A thinner Peter Lorre is Dr. Karl Rothe, rechristened Dr. Neumeister, administering routine prescriptions and treatments to war refugees in a daily grind that’s neither pressing nor interesting…

DVD: Deathmaker, The / Totmacher, Der (1995)

Adapted from the actual psychiatric examination records of Germany’s infamous serial killer of prostitute boys, this is one of the finest dramatizations of a shrink extracting information…

LP: John and Mary (1969)

Written during his busiest period (1968-1970), Quincy Jones’ score for John and Mary was quite sparse, leaving obligatory space for the film’s myriad dialogue exchanges and source music, but the score is memorable for being atypical of the material Jones was writing at the time: action comedies (The Italian Job, The Hell with Heroes), comedies (Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice,Cactus Flower), and the funky style of They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!

CD: Runaway Train (1985)

For some soundtrack fans, it was a bit of surprise to learn the composer of pioneering synth scores had begun his career with large orchestral scores for John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981) and Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal (1982)…

LP: Bourne Identity, The (2002)

The first film in the enduring franchise gave John Powell the perfect opportunity to write what remains both his definitive action sound, and the definitive action score of that decade, blending large orchestral sounds with layers upon layers of electronics…