Author: Tom Stockman

I’d buy that for a dollar! ROBOCOP Screens Midnights This Weekend at The Tivoli


“Excuse me. I have to go. Somewhere there is a crime happening.”


ROBOCOP (1987) plays midnights this weekend (July 6th and 7th) at the Tivoli (6350 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO) as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight series.


Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 sci-fi opus ROBOCOP remains a timely and startling send-up of American violence, media and corporate corruption.  It’s startling mainly because of its format – noisy blockbuster — and like most satires, it embraces what it mocks (violence and non-subtlety).  An enterprise, Omni Consumer Products, plans to gentrify crime-plagued “Old Detroit” and metamorphose it into “Delta City.” After a droid (“the future of law enforcement” / “hot military product”) malfunctions in a board meeting, in the movie’s first big shootout (filled with great dollops of chunky gore), deceased cop Murphy (Peter Weller) is revamped into Robocop, a gun-toting cyborg designed to rid the city of its crime and relieve the burden of an overtaxed police unit once and for all.  In the presence of his former partner Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen), Robocop/Murphy begins to remember his former self and gathers information to hunt down his killer and also his mercenary megacorp creator.


A Facebook invite for the screening can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/186110118875177/

The Tivoli’s located at 6350 Delmar Blvd., University City, MO. Admission is a mere $8!

The Tivoli’s website can be found HERE

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/st.louis/tivolitheatre.htm

Here’s the Reel Late at the Tivoli Line-up for the next couple of weeks:

July 13-14            AKIRA

July 20-21            YELLOW SUBMARINE

WOMAN IS THE FUTURE OF MAN and TALE OF CINEMA – Two Films By Hong Sangsoo on Blu-ray July 17th from Arrow Academy

Woman Is The Future Of Man and Tale Of Cinema, Two Films By Hong Sangsoo, will be available on Blu-ray July 17th from Arrow Academy

This collection brings together Women is the Future of Man and Tale of Cinema, the fifth and sixth films by Hong Sangsoo, the masterful South Korean filmmaker who has been favorably compared to that great French observer of human foibles, Eric Rohmer.

Women is the Future of Man tells of two long-time friends, a filmmaker (Kim Taewoo) and a teacher (Yoo Jitae), who have had an affair with the same woman (Sung Hyunah). The friends decide to meet the girl one more time and see what happens…

Tale of Cinema uses the trope of a film within a film to tell two stories, that of a depressive young man (Lee Kiwoo) who forms a suicide pact with a friend (Uhm Jiwon); and the tale of a filmmaker (Kim Sangkyung) who sees see a film that he believes was based on his life, and who meets the actress from the film with view to turning their onscreen relationship into reality.

With these critically-acclaimed films, presented here in High Definition for the first time with a wealth of extras, Hong Sangsoo employs his idiosyncratic, measured style to create two compelling and truthful tapestries of human emotion and behaviour.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

 

  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
  • Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
  • Newly translated optional English subtitles
  • Newly filmed introductions to both films by Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns
  • Interviews with Kim Sangkyung, Lee Kiwoo and Uhm Jiwon, the stars of Tale of Cinema
  • Introduction to Woman is the Future of Man by director Martin Scorsese
  • The Making Woman is the Future of Man, a featurette on the film s production
  • Interviews with the actors of Woman is the Future of Man
  • Stills gallery
  • Original trailers
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Scott Saslow
  • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the films by Michael Sicinski

 

BIG Starring Tom Hanks Back in Theaters July 15th and 18th For its 30th Anniversary


If you can remember sitting in a movie theater watching Tom Hanks as a grown-up child, we’ve got some news for you: You’re BIG! That’s a nice way of saying you’re all grown up now, too — because it’s been 30 years since the release of director Penny Marshall’s fantasy-comedy classic BIG, and to mark the occasion the movie is returning to theaters this July.

Thirty years ago this summer, 12-year-old Josh Baskin uttered a secret wish to a carnival fortune-teller machine and made movie history as he grew up overnight, turning director Penny Marshall’s Big into a box-office smash and one of the defining films of the 1980s.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Big, Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Twentieth Century Fox are bringing its magic back to movie theaters throughout the U.S. as part of the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series. This special presentation will also include pre- and post-film commentary by TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz.

Tickets for Big can be purchased online at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices.

Big will play in more than 700 U.S. movie theaters on Sunday, July 15, and Wednesday, July 18, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. each day (local time), through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). A complete list of theater locations is available on the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Filled with the “zip and exuberance of a classic romantic comedy” (The Washington Post), Big is “funny, warm, sophisticated and, above all, imaginative from start to finish” (Los Angeles Times). Tom Hanks stars as the 30-year-old Josh, whose desire to leave childhood behind and become a grown-up comes with consequences he never imagined, leading to an adventure that takes him into Manhattan, where he becomes an executive at a toy company.

For his role, Hanks received his first Best Actor Oscar® nomination. The film’s screenwriters, Gary Ross & Anne Spielberg, were also nominated for their work on Big, which co-stars Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard, Jared Rushton, David Moscow as Young Josh, and Mercedes Ruehl as his worried mother.

 “Big is the film that really cemented Tom Hanks’ place as a superstar, and it’s easy to see why – it’s one of the sweetest and most charming comedies ever made, and it’s a real pleasure to bring such a beloved film back to movie theaters as a summertime treat thanks to our partnership with Turner Classic Movies,” said Tom Lucas, Fathom Events Vice President of Studio Relations.

Victoria Price to Speak This Sunday at The Ethical Society in St. Louis


Victoria Price will be speaking this Sunday July 1st at 11am at The Ethical Society (9001 Clayton Road St. Louis, MO 63117). This is a free event.

Scientists say we live in an infinitely expanding universe — an idea that they also say our human minds are incapable of comprehending. Essentially, infinity scares the heck out of us. Which is how desire—the yearning for something or someone — became the gasoline in the motor of humanity, filling the empty tanks of our fears and fueling everything from global economies to our most intimate moments.


Taking inspiration from poetry as well as experiences from her own life, Rev. Victoria Price asks us to consider whether this limited view of desire has blinded us to the possibility of a life-changing dialogue with Infinite Love in the farthest spaces of our hearts.

Victoria Price brings her unique story to the national and international stage as an author, inspirational speaker, blogger, designer, artist and art consultant and interspiritual, and interfaith minister. Victoria’s popular blog, Daily Practice of Joy, chronicles her journey back to joy that began in 2011, the year in which the world celebrated the 100th birthday of her father, Vincent Price, with Vincentennial celebrations around the globe.

In 2016, after living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for a quarter century, Victoria embarked on an ongoing journey of intentional homelessness, chronicled in her new inspirational memoir, The Way of Being Lost: A Road Trip to My Truest Self. Her critically-acclaimed biography of her father, Vincent Price: A Daughter’s Biography, was published in 1999 by St Martin’s Press and 2014 by Open Road Media.

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I AM ELIZABETH SMART Arrives on DVD July 10th


The Lifetime hit I Am Elizabeth Smart comes to DVD on July 10 from Lionsgate. Discover the true story of 14 year old Elizabeth who was abducted and tortured, shocking the world to the core. 

Experience one of the most harrowing true stories of all time told by the one who survived it when I Am Elizabeth Smart arrives on DVD July 10 from Lionsgate. Based on one of the most famous abductions in history, authorized and narrated by Smart herself, the film tells the true story that only she can tell. A smash hit when it premiered on Lifetime®, I Am Elizabeth Smart will be available on DVD for the suggested retail price of $14.98.

This Lifetime® film chronicles the true story of the June 2002 abduction of 14-year-old Elizabeth Ann Smart (Alana Boden) from her home in Salt Lake City by religious fanatic Brian David Mitchell (Skeet Ulrich). Over the course of her nine-month captivity, Elizabeth was starved, drugged, raped, and subjected to bizarre religious rituals by Mitchell and his twisted accomplice, Wanda Barzee (Deirdre Lovejoy), until she enabled her own rescue. Elizabeth serves as a producer and on-screen narrator in order to discuss how she survived and confront the truths and misconceptions about her captivity.

 

CAST

Elizabeth Smart                    Executive Producer and Narrator

Alana Boden                           TV’s “Ride,” TV’s “Wolfblood,” TV’s “Mr. Selfridge”

Skeet Ulrich                            TV’s “Riverdale,” TV’s “Unforgettable,” Escape Room

Deirdre Lovejoy                      TV’s “The Blacklist,” TV’s “Shameless,” TV’s “American Gothic”

Classic Spaghetti Western THE GREAT SILENCE Screens at Webster University This Weekend


“They call him “Silence.” Because wherever he goes, the silence of death follows.”


THE GREAT SILENCE (1968) directed by Sergio Corbucci, screens Friday June 29th through Sunday July 1st at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). The film starts at 7:30pm all three nights.


Sergio Corbucci’s masterpiece THE GREAT SILENCE (1968) is more than just one of the greatest Westerns of all-time. Unlike Corbucci’s earlier classic DJANGO (which recenetly played as part of Webster U’s ‘Strange Brew’ series), a violent Spaghetti Western filled with dark humor, THE GREAT SILENCE is a downbeat and completely serious movie from beginning to end, a brutal tale about misery, greed and selfishness, about injustice and the desire for revenge.


THE GREAT SILENCE is set in the winter of 1898, in the mountain town of Snow Hill, Utah. People who were forced to steal in order to survive an ice cold winter, are mercilessly chased and murdered by unscrupulous bounty hunters, who don’t care who they kill as long as there is a reward on their victim’s head. The most atrocious of these bounty hunters is vicious Loco, outstandingly played by Klaus Kinski. In their calamity, desperate relatives of the head hunters’ victims hire a mute gunman called Silence ( Jean-Louis Trintignant), in order to avenge their loved ones and end the killings.

The Music in THE GREAT SILENCE by Ennio Morricone is, once again, excellent (how couldn’t it), the main theme is one of his greatest compositions. The locations are very well-chosen, impressive images of a snowy mountain wasteland make you almost feel the cold. THE GREAT SILENCE is a must-see, not only for fans of Spaghetti Westerns, but for every lover of film. Don’t miss your chance to catch this rare screening this weekend at Webster University

Admission is:

$7 for the general public
$6 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$5 for Webster University staff and faculty

Free for Webster students with proper I.D.

Advance tickets are available from the cashier before each screening or contact the Film Series office (314-246-7525) for more options. The Film Series can only accept cash or check.

 

The Original THE EVIL DEAD at The Tivoli Midnights This Weekend

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“I’m all right now, Ashley! Come unlock this chain and let me out! I’m all right now! It’s your sister Cheryl!”

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The original THE EVIL DEAD plays midnights this weekend (June 29th and 30th) at the Tivoli (6350 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO) as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight series.

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Low budget horror does not get much better than the original THE EVIL DEAD from 1981. In fact no other low budget horror film even looks like THE EVIL DEAD thanks to Sam Raimi. So if you want to see how a future major director starts from the real bottom end of film making and works his way up then you need to watch THE EVIL DEAD at all costs. Besides, Raimi was just a young kid when he made it (using a school’s 16mm film camera)….. and so were his friends who acted in it…. The movie was filmed in 1979 and released in 1982 where it hit the video market just at the right time. It was one of the very first cult classics promoted by the advent of video tape.
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THE EVIL DEAD still is one of the nastiest films ever made. It contains extreme violence, blood, tree rape, torture, beheadings, dismemberments, mutilations, gore, violence towards women, chain saws – all in full view of the camera. The camera work is used unusual and skillful, the editing is dramatic and the low budget special effects beat the pants out of some of the neutered CGI we’re subjected to these days.
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The premise of THE EVIL DEAD is simple. Five young kids go to a cabin in the woods for a short vacation. In the house they find a tape recording which manages to invoke an incantation which wakes up the evil in the woods. It comes after them – turning some of them into the undead, demons, zombies and flesh eating ghouls. Cue lots of household items being used as weapons, an initially sissy anti-hero (Bruce Campbell) who became, thanks to this film and its two sequels, the god of millions of adoring horror fans Copied by a hundred other horror films, exploited by a million uncensored bootleg copies – THE EVIL DEAD is still the low budget horror king. And that is a hard act to beat! Now you can catch it again on the big screen when it plays midnights this weekend (June 29th and 30th) at The Tivoli Theater.

A Facebook invite for the screening can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/1273711006094438/

The Tivoli’s located at 6350 Delmar Blvd., University City, MO. Admission is a mere $8!

The Tivoli’s website can be found HERE

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/st.louis/tivolitheatre.htm

Here’s the Reel Late at the Tivoli Line-up for the next few weeks:

July 6-7                 ROBOCOP (1987)

July 13-14            AKIRA

July 20-21            YELLOW SUBMARINE

 

Sergio Martino’s THE CASE OF THE SCORPION’S TAIL Available on Blu-ray July 17th From Arrow Video


One of the major consequences of Western Europe s post-war Economic Miracle was the proliferation of international travel. Eager to tap into audiences desire to experience the glamor of the jet set lifestyle, the popular filmmakers of the day rushed to make the most of the exotic locales at their disposal.


Arguably no other giallo captured this trend as vividly as The Case of the Scorpion s Tail. The film begins in London, where Lisa Baumer (Evelyn Stewart, The Psychic) learns that her husband has died in a freak plane accident. Summoned to Athens to collect his generous life insurance policy, she soon discovers that others besides herself are keen to get their hands on the money and are willing to kill for it. Meanwhile, private detective Peter Lynch (George Hilton, The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh) arrives to investigate irregularities in the insurance claim. Teaming up with a beautiful reporter, Cléo Dupont (Anita Strindberg, Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key), Lynch resolves to unearth the truth… before he too ends up on the wrong end of the murderer s straight razor.


The second giallo by genre master Sergio Martino (Torso, The Suspicious Death of a Minor), The Case of the Scorpion s Tail combines stunning views of Athens and the Greek coastline with brutal bursts of violence, a typically tangled script by Ernesto Gastaldi (Death Walks on High Heels), and a cast overflowing with Euro cult talent, including Alberto de Mendoza (A Lizard in a Woman s Skin), Janine Reynaud (Jess Franco s Succubus) and Luigi Pistilli (A Bay of Blood).


SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

  • Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
  • Original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks
  • Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
  • Audio commentary with writer Ernesto Gastaldi, moderated by filmmaker Federico Caddeo (in Italian with English subtitles)
  • New interview with star George Hilton
  • New interview with director Sergio Martino
  • New analysis Sergio Martino s films by Mikel J. Koven, author of La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film
  • New video essay by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon
  • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Rachael Nisbet and Howard Hughes, and a biography of star Anita Strindberg by Peter Jilmstad

 

Shark Week: Sharktacular Adventures Arrives on DVD July 3rd


The recurring series Shark Week: Sharktacular Adventures comes to DVD on July 3 from Lionsgate. Take a dive if you dare with the marine biologists as they share their incredible shark stories and technological advancements in studying the most famous predator in the ocean. 

Just in time for Shark Week’s landmark 30th anniversary, celebrate this JAWSOME summer sensation when Shark Week: Sharktacular Adventures arrives on DVD July 3 from Lionsgate. Packed with 18 all-new fintastic episodes, this release includes the infamous episode where Michael Phelps races a great white. Catch up on the 2017 season of Shark Week on DVD just in time for the new season when Shark Week: Sharktacular Adventures comes home for the suggested retail price of $19.98.

Celebrate America’s summertime tradition with 18 fintastic episodes! Shark Week is back, making a huge splash with all-new, compelling and jaw-dropping shark stories and shark technology. Working with the most respected marine biologists and science institutions, the 2017 season of Shark Week highlights some of the most recent breakthroughs and developments that have led to remarkable new insights into these magnificent creatures.

Shark Week: 30th Anniversary Edition Arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack July 3rd

The popular series Shark Week: 30th Anniversary Edition comes to Blu-ray™ Combo Pack (plus Digital and DVD) on July 3 from Lionsgate. Explore the science and stories behind one of Earth’s most incredible predators, and how it has shaped pop culture throughout the years. 

Dive in and celebrate 30 years of sharktastic excitement when the Shark Week: 30th Anniversary Edition arrives on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack (plus Digital and DVD) July 3 from Lionsgate, exclusively at Walmart September 4. The Blu-ray Combo Pack includes over six hours of classic episodes including many rarities and an exclusive code that allows fans to access 25 additional episodes. Get ready for mind-blowing fun when Shark Week: 30th Anniversary Edition arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack for the suggested retail price of $24.99.

Shark Week celebrates 30 years with fan-selected favorites ranging from shark science to harrowing survival stories. Witness the awe-inspiring AIR JAWS, explore HOW JAWS CHANGED THE WORLD, and dive deep into the details of incredible species like the great white and hammerhead. Also, take a look back at PREHISTORIC SHARKS, the thrilling DIARY OF A SHARK MAN, and the terrifying BULL SHARK: WORLD’S DEADLIEST SHARK.