youtube Shoutout number 1. Chris Mohan

During lockdown, I've been checking out the growing number of Blu-ray video blogs by a taleted, knowledgeable bunch of people who are building up communities of film fans.
My first pick in what I intend to be a regular column is Chris Mohan.

Chris has a nicely varied selection of casts to work your way through, with solid recommendations for Blu-ray purchases from Arrow, Criterion, Indicator and other labels.
This is clearly a man who knows his films and loves his films, armed with real insight into what makes a great film tick.
Chris is a genuinely nice guy, and happily engages with his subscribers in the comments section below each video.

Enter Chris Mohan in the youtube search engine, and please subscribe to his channel for the lowdown on those valuable Blu-ray releases. Don't forget to tell him who sent you. Thank you.

I'll give details of another must-see channel in the next youtube post.


https://www.youtube.com/user/chrismohan/videos

Blu-ray Review: Walkabout (Second Sight)

Possibly the pinnacle of Nicolas Roeg's golden period of filmmaking, "Walkabout" is based on a novel by James Vance Marshall, and concerns a young brother and sister who find themselves stranded in the Australian outback. The female (played by Jenny Agutter) is a 16 year old schoolgirl whose younger brother ( played by the director's 7 year old son Luc) initially seems to take their new surroundings in his stride. Soon, the siblings encounter a young Aboriginal boy (David Gulpilil), sent out by his tribe on'walkabout'; a ritual that dictates an individual must leave his home and attempt to live off the land. The difference in cultures is somewhat offset by Luc Roeg's character who uses the international language of sings and gestures to communicate an urgent need for water, and a pattern emerges.

In essence, this is a coming-of-age tale, embroidered by themes of identity, dislocation of time and decay, mixed in with growing sexual tension between the two elders. Accompanied by a gorgeous John Barry score, Roeg's film is quite beautifully shot, taking in harsh terrain and beautiful scenery to stunning effect. There are so many iconic scenes and images here, and the script is equally as strong, leading us on an unforgettable journey that ends exquisitely. The 16 year old Agutter - chosen for the role 2 years earlier - is perfect as the youngster on the verge of adulthood, while Gulpilil cuts and imposing, haunting figure whoser mating ritual late in the film leads to tragedy. Of course, Roeg's son must also take credit as the young boy who must face a trial that many adults would find beyond them. Roeg's masterly use of editing, zooms, fades and painterly eye for capturing the great outdoors so beautifully make this a veritable feast for the eyes, and the themes employed here add a vast amount to the lasting appeal of this film.

Second Sight's Blu-ray presentation employs a brand new 4K scan and restoration that delivers sumptuous image quality, with glorious orange sunsets, verdant greens and vivid skintones. The supplemental features begin with a new audio commentary track with Luc Roeg and David Thomson. David takes the mic for the lion's share of the talk, recalling the film received a AA rating for its UK release; discusses the source novel (which may have been written by Donald Payne, rather than Marshall); compares "Walkabout" with Nicolas Roeg's "The Man Who Fell To Earth"; tlaks about the movie-going experience then and now and turns the spotlight on Nic's inspirations from various works of art. Overall, Luc has excellent recall of the shoot and talks about how his late father evolved with technology. I think Luc was enjoying watching this film again, admiring his father's craft while at the same time feeling emotional at seeing his younger self all those years ago

Producing Walkabout: an interview with Si Litvinoff (10m 7s) Si shares fond memories of what he terms Nic Roeg's "masterpiece", recalling how he met the director and became involved and talks about "A Clockwork Orange".

Luc's Walkabout: an interview with Luc Roeg (11m 9s) Luc discusses the shoot and talks about his admiration for David and Jenny.

Jenny And The Outback: an interview with Jenny Agutter (19m 20s) Jenny recalls her first meeting with Nicolas Roeg when she was 14, and how she joined the cast 2 years later, and goes into the ingredients that make Roeg's films so enduring.

Remembering Roeg: an interview with Danny Boyle (18m 31s) Danny explains why he has such a very high regard for the late director; how Roeg employed the unused potential of cinema and why "Walkabout" still comes across as a radical, modern film.

011 BFI Q&A with Nicolas Roeg, Jenny Agutter and Luc Roeg (16m 55s) Recorded at London's NFT on 5th March 2011, Nic talks about how he raised the finance for his film; Jenny recalls how she got the role and the trio remember the considerable contribution of David Gulpilil.

Archive Introdction By Nicolas Roeg (3m 54s) The director discusses the initial short script and how it evolved. Second Sight's Blu-ray package also includes the source novel, with cover art exclusive to this release. There's also a soft cover book featuring facsimilie copy of the original 65 page script with a preface by Daniel Bird, and a soft cover book with new essays by Sophie Monks Kaufman, Simon Abrahams and Daniel Bird, plus stills and lobby card images(none of which I've seen to date). Second Sight's disc is Region B, and will be released on 27th July. An essential purchase for Roeg buffs and indeed for newcomers to his work who like to be challenged by a director at the top of his game.

Blu-ray Review; The Man With The X-Ray Eyes (Second Sight)

The history of cinema boasts many tales of mad scientist's whose desire to play God often leads to an unhappy ending for all involved.
In Roger Corman's 1963 feature "The Man With The X-Ray Eyes", a much respected scientist Dr James Xavier (Ray Milland) begins ground-breaking experiments with all good intentions.
Xavier claims that human vision is blind to all but one-tenth of the universe, and seeks to develop a way to sensitise the human eye
so that it can see radiation up to the gamma rays and beyond, thus enabling us to truly see everything around us for the first time.

Dr Brandt (Harold J. Stone) and Dianne Fairfax (Diana Van Der Vlis) both step in to warn Xavier of the consequences of self-testing,
but Xavier stubbornly ploughs away, ignoring cease-and-desist calls from the medical authorities.
Following a partially successful animal experiment, Xavier finds the serum now gives him the ability to see through solid objects,
leading him on a journey to manslaughter, the thrill-seeking world of the fairground and the gambling halls of Las Vegas,
en route to a truly chilling downbeat ending.

The portrayal of Xavier by Ray Milland really is a triumph, running through the whole gamut of human emotions,
with solid support from the smart Diana Van Der Vlis, whose character displays courage, compassion
and a fierce sense of loyalty right up to the very end.
However, it's Don Rickles who almost steals the show here, taking Xavier under his wing and turning him into a would-be healer and,
consequently, money-making machine who can instantly diagnose exactly what is wrong with those who seek medical aid.

It's a hugely entertaining ride for sure, with speculative scientific theories that are just about plausible, and special effects
that would have fired the imaginations of early 1960s audiences.
In many ways, this is my own favourite film from the Roger Corman collection, and Second Sight's Blu-ray presentation
does the film full justice.

Here, Floyd Crosby's cinematography looks splendid, with bold, bright colours beautifully rendered by this high definition disc.
On the extras front, we begin with two audio commentary tracks.
The first is by director Roger Corman, who talks about the 15 day shoot, explaining the original story concerned
a jazz musician who took too many drugs and why this story was dropped.
Roger is fullsome in his praise for Milland, Van Der Vlis, Rickles and Floyd Crosby, and justifiably proud of how well
his film fared at the US box office against the industry big hitters.
He also talks about his time with AIP, and explains why he feels this film should be remade.
It's a fascinating track, setting us up nicely for another commentary; this time from Tim Lucas.
As usual, Tim delivers a wonderfully informative track, and declares from the start that he considers "The Man With The X-Ray Eyes"
to be Roger Corman's signature film.
Tim manages to include a wealth of background and theory into his talk, going into a comparison between script and film; providing career information
on credited and uncredited cast members; talks about David Cronenberg, "The Lost Weekend", "Through A Glass Darkly",
"Nightmare Alley", Edgar Allan Poe - all highly relevant in his discussion of Corman's film - and X-ray vision.
Do listen out for his comment regarding drying paint in Xavier's room! You will certainly see this film
with fresh eyes after listening to this track.

Next up is The X Effect; an interview with Roger Corman (14m 16s)
Roger talks about his original treatment for this film; about the two movies he mad with Ray Milland;
the importance of pre-production planning and connects X to his Poe films.

American Gothic: an interview with Kat Ellinger (23m 13s)
A video essay from one of the brightest and best film scholars. Here, Kat discusses the 50s and 60s films that preyed on our fears, and about the deep
existential themes that lie within.
"Paradise Lost", "Frankenstein", "Mr Sardonicus" and "Masque of The Red Death" are just a few of the books and films mentioned in this beautifully delivered talk that will
raise your appreciation of what Corman accomplished here. Kat also references Corman's Poe series, with a look at the gothic
aspects of Corman's work.

Joe Dante on The Man With The X-Ray Eyes (6m 7s)
Joe labels this film one of the most ambitious films of its decade, and goes on to enthuse about the cast,
with a special mention for Don Rickles and also chats about film technology of today and yesteryear.

Trailers From Hell (2m 35s)
Mick Garris plays the trailer for his favourite Corman film.

Original Prologue (5m 2s)
Well worth inclusion here, the original prologue takes in the 5 senses touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste.

The disc concludes with the 2m 19s original trailer.
There's also a booklet - which I haven't seen - which includes writing by Jon Towlson and Allan Bryce.
Most of the UK's excellent boutique labels provide booklets with their releases, which are a valuable addition
to the special features. I respectfully encourage you to read them, if you don't already.

Second Sight will release "The Man With The X-Ray Eyes" on 4th May. The disc is Region B.
An essential purchase for lovers of Cinema Fantastique.

Update:
Thanks to the wonderful Debbie Murray at Aim Publicity, I now have a copy of the booklet.
It's a beautiful 38 page affair, comprising of cast and crew credits, terrific colour and monochrome photographs
and two informative essays.
The first, by film historian Allan Bryce, is titled X Marks The Plot" Seeing Through A Cult Sci-Fi classic.
Allan's 5 page overview of this film begins with his early fascination with X-Ray vision,
moving onto a resume of Corman's career leading up to X and a look at the screenplay and optical effects.

The second essay, by critic and novelist Jon Towlson, is titled Roger Corman: The Auteur With The X-Ray Eyes, running for 6 pages.
Here, Jon talks about the failure of Corman's "The Intruder" and what drove him to make X, and goes into the script
and the concept of 'Spectorama'.
Both essays are so very well conceived and written, and eminently worthy of your time.
Second Sight have also included a reversible poster with new and original artwork, and the disc and booklet
are housed in a rigid box featuring some rather splendid artwork by Graham Humphreys.

Final Curtain. Ed Wood (1957)

With "The Twilight Zone" still two years away, Ed Wood's "Portrait of Terror" series ended almost as quickly as it had begun, though the sole surviving episode
is recommended for fans of Rod Serling's series.

Theatres all over the world have long been associated with supernatural manifestations, with the spirits of deceased performers and patrons reputed to
revisit the places that gave them great pleasure during their time on earth.
The setting here is the Dome Theatre, based in an unnamed American town or city. Here, the actor (played by James "Duke" Moore") finds himself onstage in
the after hours, when cast and audience have departed to the safety of their homes.
The actors imagination soon begins to move into overdrive. Was the burning out of an arc lamp due to intervention from another world?
Is there someone/something out there amongst the supposedly empty seats?
As the actor surveys the darkened auditorium, the urge to visit every room in the building takes hold, and he ascends the spiral staircase in the witching hour.

Of course, Dudley Manlove's narration some 'wonderful' Woodsian dialogue: " A night I had looked forward to with fear" is one such gem, and the familiar reliance
of stock footage; the camera lingering for too long on shots of no great import and Moore's short bursts of overacting remind us that this is an Ed Wood production we're watching.
Still, this 22 minute short really got under my skin at times, as Moore - who overall delivers an acceptable performance, wanders through the theatre en route
to the final room that may contain a true portrait of terror.
Credit must go to director of photography William C. Thompson for creating a truly unsettling point of view, and to Jenny Steven's whose involvement gels on
repeated viewings.

It's a real shame that the intended series never happened, but full marks to one Jonathan Harris who purchased "Final Curtain" from a collector,
thus ensuring it received its 15 minutes of fame.
"Final Curtain" is currently available to view on youtube, and well worth a view for Woodites and for those who enjoy a journey into fear, uneven as it is.