Fangs of the Living Dead – Shout! Factory (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/Italy, 1969
Director: Amando de Ossorio
Writer: Amando de Ossorio
Cast: Anita Ekberg, Gianni Medici, Diana Lorys, Adriana Ambesi, César Benet, Carlos Casaravilla, Fernando Bilbao, Paul Muller, Adriana Santucci, Aurelia Treviño, Juanita Ramírez, Rosanna Yanni, Julián Ugarte

Release Date: February 20th, 2018
Approximate running time: 94 Minutes 14 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $27.99

"Beautiful fashion model Sylvia Morel (Anita Ekberg) receives news that she has inherited a castle from her uncle. Her curiosity leads her to journey to a remote village to see her new house. Once there, she learns of her family’s history and soon falls under the spell of her uncle. He wants her to become the new matriarch of the family … a clan of vampires!” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Fangs of the Living Dead comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 27.7 GB

Feature: 25.9 GB

No information is provided about the source used for this transfer. Though the source is in good shape, there is print debris throughout this transfer. Flesh tones look correct, colors look very good, the image is generally crisp, black levels are adequate, and compression is very good. Also, there appears to be some digital noise reduction, which is more noticeable in some scenes than in others.

Audio: 3.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Spanish), 3.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. When compared to the English-language track, the Spanish-language track sounds muffled. Also, the English language track is not without its own shortcomings; it has hiss, pops, crackles, and some sibilance issues. That said, dialog comes through clearly and range-wise, and the English language track is satisfactory. Included are removable English subtitles for the Spanish-language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 51 seconds, DTS-HD mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), Spanish title sequence (2 minutes 13 seconds, DTS-HD mono), alternate ending (2 minutes 53 seconds, DTS-HD mono Spanish, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with author Troy Howarth.

Summary:

Directed by Amando de Ossorio, who is most known for directing four Blind Dead films: Tombs of the Blind Dead, Return of the Blind Dead, The Ghost Galleon, and Night of the Seagulls. Other notable films that he directed are Fangs of the Living Dead, and The Loreley's Grasp.

The narrative revolves around a woman who inherits a castle infested with vampires.

Three years before he directed The Tombs of the Blind Dead, Amando de Ossorio would direct his first horror film, Fangs of the Living Dead. And though horror cinema was starting to gain traction in Spanish cinema, notably because of the films of Paul Naschy, a film like Fangs of the Living Dead is not a good example of what Spanish horror cinema has to offer; it is arguably Amando de Ossorio’s weakest horror film.

Despite having a strong premise and many of the core elements that one has come to expect from Euro-cult horror cinema, notably a cast filled with recognizable faces and strong visuals, which greatly add to the mood, the result is a film that starts off well but never really builds any sustainable momentum. Most of the narrative is spent following characters doing mundane things or scenarios that are never frightening, despite Fangs of the Living Dead being a horror film. Another area where Fangs of the Living Dead comes up short is its vampires, who are never menacing, and they spend most of their screen time flashing their fangs and not much more.

That said, Fangs of the Living Dead does have a solid cast that is filled with several recognizable faces for anyone familiar with 1960s and 1970s Euro-cult cinema. Anita Ekberg (Killer Nun) is cast in the dual roles of Sylvia De Morel, the woman who inherited a castle, and Malenka, her lookalike descendant. Other notable cast members are Diana Lorys (Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll), Paul Muller (She Killed in Ecstasy), and Rosanna Yanni (Two Undercover Angels). The performances, like pretty much everything about Fangs of the Living Dead, are underwhelming.

When one thinks of horror films, one of their main draws is their kill scenes. Unfortunately, in this regard, Fangs of the Living Dead is lacking in this area. Also, for a film that is virtually devoid of frights, it is a dialogue-heavy film. That said, Fangs of the Living Dead is a film that relies heavily on atmosphere. Fortunately, this is one area where Fangs of the Living Dead does reasonably well. Ultimately, Fangs of the Living Dead is a melodrama that tries to pass itself off as horror.

Fangs of the Living Dead gets a strong release from Shout! Factory that comes with a good audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Long Arm of the Law - Parts 1&2: Deluxe Collectors Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Hong Kong, 1984 (Long Arm of the Law), Hong Kong, 1987 (Long Arm of the Law: Saga II)
Directors: Johnny Mak (Long Arm of the Law), Michael Mak (Long Arm of the Law: Saga II)
Cast: Chen Jing, Kong Lung, Ben Lam Kwok Bun, David Lam Wai, Ng Hoi Tin, Shum Wai, Wong Kin, Wong Yan Tat, Yeung Min, Tommy Wong Kwong Leung (Long Arm of the Law), Alex Man Chi-Leung, Pauline Wong Siu-Fung, Elvis Tsui, Ben Lam Kwok-Bun, Yuen Yat-Choh, Stephen Chan Tak-Gwong, Chiang Lung, Lee Ying-Git, Ng Hoi-Tin, Yip San, Kirk Wong Chi-Keung, Wong Chi-Keung, Shing Fui-On (Long Arm of the Law: Saga II)

Release Date: November 20th, 2023 (UK), December 12th, 2023 (USA)
Approximate running times: 106 Minutes 3 Seconds (Long Arm of the Law - Hong Kong Cut), 105 Minutes 9 Seconds (Long Arm of the Law - Export Cut), 90 Minutes 19 Seconds (Long Arm of the Law: Saga II - Hong Kong Cut), 87 Minutes 23 Seconds (Long Arm of the Law: Saga II - Export Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Long Arm of the Law - Hong Kong Cut, Long Arm of the Law: Saga II - Hong Kong Cut), DTS-HD Mono English (Long Arm of the Law - Export Cut, Long Arm of the Law: Saga II - Export Cut)
Subtitles: English (Long Arm of the Law - Hong Kong Cut, Long Arm of the Law: Saga II - Hong Kong Cut)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £29.99 (UK), $44.95 (USA)

"Return to the mean streets of the 1980s for a pair of ghetto real crime dramas that redefined Hong Kong cop movies. Based on real events in the then Crown Colony, the ‘Long Arm of the Law’ films depict the threat posed by former Mainland Chinese soldiers crossing the border to stage hyper-violent crimes in broad daylight. These films are a stunning blend of cinema verité with bone-crunching Hong Kong stunt sequences. ‘Long Arm of the Law 1 & 2’ left local audiences shell-shocked when first released, and still retains its raw impact today. Don’t miss the chance to see a double bill torn from the most savage era in reel and real Hong Kong history!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Brand New 2K Remaster from the Original Camera Negative".

Long Arm of the Law comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.8 GB

Feature: 29.2 GB

This release uses seamless branching for the two versions.

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Brand New 2K Remaster from the Original Camera Negative".

Long Arm of the Law: Saga II comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.5 GB

Feature: 20.4 GB (Hong Kong Cut), 20 GB (Export Cut)

The sources used for these transfers are in great shape. Though there are few moments early on in Long Arm of the Law that are not as strong as the bulk of the transfer, and the opening moments of Long Arm of the Law: Saga II feature footage from Long Arm of the Law that obviously comes from a lesser source, these two instances are our outliers since the bulk of these transfers range from great to excellent. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong throughout, and compression is solid.

Audio: 4.25/5

Long Arm of the Law, the Hong Kong cut, comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles.

Long Arm of the Law The Export cut comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. There are no subtitles for this version of the film.

Long Arm of the Law: Saga II, the Hong Kong cut, comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles.

Long Arm of the Law: Saga II, the export cut, comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English. There are no subtitles for this version of the film.

All of the audio tracks are in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise action sequences sound robust. That said, there are a few minor sibilance issues on the Cantonese language track for Long Arm of the Law: Saga II.

Extras:

Extras for Long Arm of the Law include a Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Johnny Mak (9 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), a conversation with action director Billy Chan and screenwriter Philip Chan (37 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Philip Chan titled From Hong Kong Police to Big Circle Gangs (28 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Michael Mak titled Family Business (16 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Hong Kong film expert Frank Djeng for the Hong Kong cut.

Extras for Long Arm of the Law: Saga II include a Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), a English-language theatrical trailer (1 minute 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with stuntman Stephen Chan titled The Iron Fist of Crime (24 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Philip Chan titledAn Offer You Can’t Refuse (8 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Ben Lam titled Man of Action (16 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Michael Mak titled Bringing the Action (25 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Hong Kong film expert Frank Djeng for the Hong Kong cut.

Other extras are reversible cover art for each film, a double-sided A3 fold-out poster, and a 40-page booklet with cast and crew information for both films, an essay titled Hong Kong as Battleground: The Long Arm of the Law Saga written by Tom Cunliffe, and archive stills, posters, and lobby cards.

Summary:

Long Arm of the Law: Criminals from mainland China sneak into Hong Kong to pull off a jewelry heist, and when things go awry, they find themselves in a fight for their lives.

Long Arm of the Law is the first film in a series of four. And though each of these films has a similar premise, the characters come from mainland China. That said, they are only linked in theme, with each film having different characters who find themselves caught in the criminal underworld.

The other thing that often comes up when discussing Long Arm of the Law is how it predates many elements that would become integral to heroic bloodshed films that John Woo would become the most prominent filmmaker making them. That said, Long Arm of the Law has elements that fit firmly into heroic bloodshed films. The result is a film that is more melodrama than action, with its minimal moments of violence being more targeted.

Though crime and the dangers that arise from the characters actions play a significant role in the story at hand, a film like Long Arm of the Law can be seen as a fish out of water story, with the four men from mainland China experiencing things in Hong Kong that they would not have if they never left mainland China. Most of these moments are done in a lighthearted way that humanizes these characters, who, without these moments, would be nothing more than cold-blooded criminals.

The most surprising aspect of Long Arm of the Law are the performances, which are all phenomenal. This is truly an ensemble film where no one performance shines brighter than another. Another strength of the performance is the cast's on-screen chemistry.

Despite being a character-driven film, that is not to say that Long Arm of the Law does not have some visually arresting moments. A few moments that stand out are a chase that ensues after the Hong Kong police see the five would-be robbers scoping out a jewelry store, a scene where a character is assassinated in a mall and their dead body falls several stories onto an ice rink below, and an explosive shootout finale in Kowloon’s famed Walled City.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where Long Arm of the Law does not excel. The premise is superbly realized, and the narrative does a great job building momentum towards an amazing finale. Another strength of the Long Arm of the Law is its rawness. Whereas other similar crime-themed films have a more glossy appearance, Long Arm of the Law has a documentary-like vibe. Ultimately, Long Arm of the Law is a solid crime/melodrama that foreshadows heroic bloodshed films, making it a must-see film if you're a fan of this genre.

Long Arm of the Law: Saga II: Three former police officers from mainland China agree to be police informers in Hong Kong in exchange for permanent residence.

Though Long Arm of the Law: Saga II has a different director, Michael Mak, the brother of Long Arm of the Law’s director, Johnny Mak, it retains the same screenwriter and all the core elements that made its predecessor such a memorable film. The main difference is that this time around, not as much time is spent getting to know the characters as they experience new things in Hong Kong. That said, there is not that much action or violence in the opening 40 minutes, but when the bullets start to fly, it is non-stop from there on out.

When it comes to the cast and the performances, once again, the entire cast is phenomenal. The most memorable performance was by Ben Lam (Police Story 2) in the role of King San, an undercover police officer working with three mainland Chinese characters who are now police informers. His character has a gruesome death where he’s tortured and beheaded with an ax. Also, there are several actors in Long Arm of the Law: Saga II that appeared in Long Arm of the Law, albeit playing different characters this time around.

From a production standpoint, Long Arm of the Law: Saga II is a film that maximizes its resources. The premise is well executed, the narrative does a superb job building momentum, and an exceptional ending provides a perfect coda. When compared to its predecessor, Long Arm of the Law: Saga II is a significantly more violent film and more in line with what one considers a heroic bloodshed film. Ultimately, Long Arm of the Law: Saga II is a solid follow-up to Long Arm of the Law that fans of heroic bloodshed films are sure to thoroughly enjoy.

The Long Arm of the Law, Parts 1 and 2, is a solid release from 88 Films that comes with strong audio and video presentations, two versions of each film, and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

La Belle Captive - Olive Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1983
Director: Alain Robbe-Grillet
Writers: Alain Robbe-Grillet, Frank Verpillat
Cast: Daniel Mesguich, Cyrielle Clair, Daniel Emilfork, François Chaumette, Gabrielle Lazure

Release Date: January 20th, 2015
Approximate Running Time: 88 Minutes 25 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"After encountering a mysterious woman (Gabrielle Lazure) at a smoke-filled nightclub, secret agent Walter Raim (Daniel Mesguich) finds the woman lying bound and semi-conscious on a country road. He takes her to an isolated mansion, where a group of mysterious men have gathered. In the morning, Walter awakens to find bite marks on his neck, and embarks on a one-man crusade to unravel the mystery. But his detective work is thwarted by leather-clad, motorcycle-riding femme fatale Sara Zeitgeist (Cyrielle Clair), who commands a squad of black-shirted goons to keep Walter from attaining the object of his quest." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

La Belle Captive comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.6 GB

Feature: 20.5 GB

No information is provided about this transfer’s source. The source used for this transfer is in great shape. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are strong throughout, and there does not appear to be any digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, this audio track sounds very good.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

An unnamed organization asks a man named Walter to deliver a letter to Henri de Corinthe. Along the way, he encounters a mysterious woman who is bound and lying in the middle of the road. From there, he takes the semi-conscious injured woman to a mansion, where a group of sinister-looking men are having some sort of gathering. Though reluctant at first, Walter is able to get one of the men to help him with the injured woman. This man then leads them upstairs to a room, and he locks the door after he leaves the room. Now alone with the woman, he starts to see things that should not be possible, like her freeing herself from the chains that bound her hand and her clothes miraculously removing themselves. Slowly, the mysterious woman draws Walter into her web of seduction. When he wakes up in the morning, she has disappeared into thin air, and all he has left to remember her by are the bite marks that she left on his neck. What does all of this mean? Will he finally discover the truth once he deciphers all of the clues, or was his encounter with her a figment of his imagination?

Inspiration for La Belle Captive comes from two primary sources. The first source of inspiration is Belgian surrealist René Magritte, and the second source is Louis Feuillade, a French filmmaker whose notable films include Fantômas, Les Vampires, and Judex.

Content-wise, La Belle Captive is equal parts Neo Noir and psychological horror film. The Neo Noir side resides mostly in the visuals, while the psychological horror elements manifest themselves in the form of a seductress named Marie-Ange, the woman that Walter discovers bound and semi-conscious in the idleness of the road. This character's potency lies in the fact that she is an enigma due to her lack of communication. And because of her ambiguity, her true indemnity is never fully exposed. Is she a vampire, is she an angel, or is she the grim reaper?

Once again, Alain Robbe-Grillet works with a fractured narrative that focuses on cerebral and sexual themes. The mainstay of the narrative is its constant revisiting of the protagonists’ observations and their suspicions. Imagery, music, and dialog are repeated to the point that it becomes impossible to differentiate between what one thinks that they have seen or what one suspects that they may have experienced. And nowhere is this more evident than in the finale.

Needless to say, anyone expecting anything that even remotely resembles what has since become accepted as the conventional way of telling a story should look elsewhere, while those with a more adventurous cinema palette are sure to thoroughly enjoy La Belle Captive.

La Belle Captive gets a strong audio/video presentation from Olive Films, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Eden and After – Redemption Films/Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France/Czechoslovakia, 1970
Director: Alain Robbe-Grillet
Writer: Alain Robbe-Grillet
Cast: Catherine Jourdan, Lorraine Rainer, Richard Leduc, Sylvain Corthay, Pierre Zimmer, Ludovít Króner, Jarmila Kolenicová, Juraj Kukura

Release Date: May 27th, 2014
Approximate Running Times: 98 Minutes 37 Seconds (Eden and After), 79 Minutes 7 Seconds (N. Took the Dice)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono French (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $34.95

"From the darkly erotic imagination of Alain Robbe-Grillet (Trans-Europe-Express) comes Eden and After, a dreamlike fable in which a group of decadent French students are drawn into the psychological and sexual games of a mysterious Dutchman (Pierre Zimmer). Once they imbibe his "fear powder," the students experience a series of hallucinatory episodes: reminations on death, explorations of sexual curiosity, and striking tableaux of sadomasochistic fantasy." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Eden and After, N. Took the Dice)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly mastered in HD from 35mm elements."

Eden and After comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45 GB

Feature: 22.2 GB (Eden and After), 16 GB (N. Took the Dice)

The sources used for these two versions are comparable, and both versions are in great shape. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look vibrant, image clarity is strong, compression is very good, and though grain remains intact, it does look noisier in some moments than others. Also, there are some issues related to Black Crush. That said, despite these shortcomings, the image does retain an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono French - Eden and After, LPCM Mono French - N. Took the Dice)

Both versions come with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. Both audio tracks are in great shape. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 41 seconds, LPCM mono French with non-removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Trans-Europ-Express (3 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM mono French with non-removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer for The Man Who Lies (3 minutes 22 seconds, LPCM mono French with non-removable English subtitles), a 2014 promo reel for the six Alain Robbe-Grillet films released by Redemption Films and Kino Lorber (2 minutes 9 seconds, LPCM mono with text in English), and an interview with director Alain Robbe-Grillet (30 minutes 56 seconds, LPCM stereo French with non-removable English subtitles).

Summary:

A group of college students have their lives turned upside down after a chance meeting with a mysterious man named Dutchman, whom he introduces as a hallucinatory, inducing white substance that he calls ‘fear powder’.

Where the overwhelming majority of his contemporaries have had their work reappraised, the same could not be said for the films of Alain Robbe-Grillet. That was until recently, as his films have become more widely available. And now that the bulk of his oeuvre has been given quality releases, the films of Alain Robbe-Grillet are ripe for their own reappraisal.

Though he was approached with the idea of shooting in color for the film The Man Who Lies, Alain Robbe-Grillet would hold out for one more film and not make his debut in color until his next film, Eden and After.

The transition from black and white to color is effortless, as Alain Robbe-Grillet immediately takes full advantage of his new palette of colors. Eden and After opens in grand style with a scene where a young woman is pursued through a maze-like structure that is bursting with vibrant colors. And though colors play an integral role in the story at hand, he makes an interesting visual choice halfway through when the action shifts away from robust, colorful locations to more subdued locations that are drenched in white. A few other striking moments visually include a woman watching broken glass and a nude woman descending down a staircase.

Narrative wise Alain Robbe-Grillet continues to experiment as he creates twelve loosely connected scenarios that, for the most part, are improvised. Whereas the first half focuses on a group of friends who hang out at a café called Eden, the second half shifts its focus more towards the protagonist's mind-altering trip after taking a mysterious substance referred to as ‘fear powder’. And to further support the idea that the second half is from the protagonist's point of view, for no reason at all, Eden and After shift locations to Tunisia while the protagonist and her friends are watching a documentary about Tunisia. To further drive home the protagonists’ trip down the rabbit hole, everyone in the documentary they are watching is their doppelganger.

From a performance standpoint, everyone is more than adequate in their respective roles, with Catherine Jourdan (Le Samouraï) in the role of the protagonist, a young woman named Violette, leaving the strongest lasting impression with her short, cropped Mia Farrow-like haircut and well above her knees very short mini dress. And though Eden and After would thematically continue along the same avenues that his previous three films had traversed, in terms of eroticism, Eden and After is the film where Alain Robbe-Grillet finally hits his stride.

Eden and After gets a solid release from Redemption Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and an informative interview, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Man Who Lies – Redemption Films/Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Czechoslovakia/France, 1968
Director: Alain Robbe-Grillet
Writer: Alain Robbe-Grillet
Cast: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Ivan Mistrík, Zuzana Kocúriková, Sylvie Turbová, Sylvie Bréal, Jozef Cierny, Jozef Kroner, Dominique Prado

Release Date: May 27th, 2014
Approximate Running Time: 97 Minutes 55 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $34.95

"On the run from pursuing soldiers, Bois finds refuge in a small European town which, years before, was home to Jean, a resistance fighter hunted by Nazis. Boris ingratiates himself in the community, weaving elaborate tales of his encounters with the martyred rebel, and thereby seducing Jean's widow...and sister...and maid. But Boris's erotic games are interrupted when a mysterious stranger - who may, in fact, be Jean - arrives in the village." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly mastered in HD from the original 35mm elements."

The Man Who Lies comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40 GB

Feature: 28.6 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape; any source-related imperfections are minor and never intrusive. Image clarity is strong, black levels are excellent, compression is very good, and outside of a few moments, contrast looks great. Also, the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 22 seconds, LPCM mono French with non-removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Trans-Europ-Express (3 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM mono French with non-removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Eden and After (2 minutes 41 seconds, LPCM mono French with non-removable English subtitles), a 2014 promo reel for the six Alain Robbe-Grillet films released by Redemption Films and Kino Lorber (2 minutes 9 seconds, LPCM mono with text in English), and an interview with director Alain Robbe-Grillet (35 minutes 22 seconds, LPCM stereo French with non-removable English subtitles).

Summary:

After narrowly escaping soldiers that had been relentlessly pursuing him, a man named Boris finds refuge in a rural village that years before had been the home of a resistance fighter named Jean, who is believed to have died during the war. And not long after his arrival, Boris integrates his way into the lives of Jean’s widow, her sister, and their maid by seducing this trio of women with a series of tall tales about encounters with Jean. Unfortunately for Boris, his charade is put in jeopardy when another stranger arrives, claiming to be the widow's long-lost husband.

Where the overwhelming majority of his contemporaries have had their work reappraised, the same could not be said for the films of Alain Robbe-Grillet. That was until recently, as his films have become more widely available. And now that the bulk of his oeuvre has been given quality releases, the films of Alain Robbe-Grillet are ripe for their own reappraisal.

Alain Robbe-Grillet began his career as a novelist, and as an author, he is one of the pivotal figures associated with the Nouveau Roman (new novel) trend that emerged in 1950s French literature. This type of writing is best summed up as creating a new style with each new piece. From there, Alain Robbe-Grillet would make the shift into the world of cinema when he was asked to collaborate on the screenplay for Last Year at Marienbad. His screenplay would receive an Academy Award nomination for writing the original screenplay and win the Golden Lion for best screenplay. This success would lead to Alain Robbe-Grillet making the transition to directing, making his directorial debut in 1962 with the film L’Immortelle and following that up four years later with Trans-Europ-Express.

For his third feature film Alain Robbe-Grillet would re-team with Jean-Louis Trintignant (The Conformist) the leading man from his previous film Trans-Europ-Express. Only this time around Jean-Louis Trintignant would be given the task of portraying the dual role of Jan Robin, a presumed to be deceased resistance fighter and Boris Varissa, a man that nobody seems to remember and yet he claims to have been a close friend of Jan Robin. From a performance stand point Jean-Louis Trintignant does a remarkable job maintaining his characters likability, which is not an easy task considering the unreliability of the protagonist? Also his role is very important to the story at hand, since the remaining cast of characters are never fully explored and their own motivations never enter the fray. That said, despite the limitations of their characters the rest of the cast are very good in their respective roles.

Though there is a semblance of a linear narrative, the end result, like all of Alain Robbe-Grillet, is anything remotely straight forward. Also, the film’s appropriate title, The Man Who Lies, gives the viewer the ultimate clue on how to process what they are about to see. The protagonist is not to be trusted; don’t rely on what you hear, but on what you see, as it holds what’s left of the truth. And from a visual point of view, Alain Robbe-Grillet creates a world only seen in dreams and nightmares. There is never a moment in The Man Who Lies where anything comes close to being grounded in reality. The events that unfold in The Man Who Lies are firmly rooted in a subconscious world that deeply resonates and leaves itself open for multiple interpolations.

There are many great moments visually in The Man Who Lies, like a scene where the widow, her sister, and their maid are playing a game of hide and seek while the seeker is blindfolded. Or the finale, which features a striking image of the protagonist as he appears to have come to terms with the truth he has been trying to avoid. Another area where The Man Who Lies excels is its use of repetitive sounds and images as a means to reveal things that are just beneath the surface. Also, though The Man Who Lies is not as provocative as some of his later films, The Man Who Lies still delves into many of the themes that would dominate Alain Robbe-Grillet’s filmography, like sexuality and bondage. Ultimately, The Man Who Lies is an engrossing exercise in where the truth ends and a lie begins.

The Man Who Lies gets a solid release from Redemption Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an informative interview, highly recommended.

 Written by Michael Den Boer