Powerhouse Films

[Rob4]

Originally Posted by J Harker

I have the BBC one. Haven't actually got around to it yet. I have a strange love hate thing with Dracula films. My favourite is probably Coppola's take, just for the sheer bombastic approach.

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Give the BBC version a spin. Obviously, its more of a slow burn than Coppola's take, but very rewarding.

It's interesting that the Coppola and BBC versions are about the only ones that keep the race against time Transylvania climax of the novel, albeit with very different dramatic tweaks.

[g053584398]

Originally Posted by Rob4

It's not, imo, one of the better Dracula's, but I quite like it and it has it's moments...

The biggest problem I had with it was that it featured Trevor 'Eddie Shoestring' Eve which kept throwing me out of the movie

I'm looking forward to giving it another go as I'm sure it'll at least look great all spruced up in HD.

I really liked Shoestring. I thought it was a really enjoyable series.

[Justin101]

The soundtrack of the Langella version is one of my favourites although I’ve not seen the film haha! Again not as good as the Wojciech Kilar one from the Frances Ford Coppola film which is one of the best horror soundtracks hands down!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Justin101

The soundtrack of the Langella version is one of my favourites although I’ve not seen the film haha! Again not as good as the Wojciech Kilar one from the Frances Ford Coppola film which is one of the best horror soundtracks hands down!

Definitely, 100% agree.

[SymbioticFunction]

Really pleased about The Swimmer getting a UK blu-ray. I've wanted a HD copy for ages but had been previously put off by the high cost of importing one of the American editions. Day one purchase.

[Graeme73]

Originally Posted by J Harker

Interested in John Badhams take on Dracula though. Any good?

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Sacrilege!

Joking aside, I think it's excellent and probably my favourite version. Some of it may well be down to nostalgia (it was hired a couple of times from the local video shop, until I finally ripped the VHS cover, impatiently trying to get the darn cassette back in), but I think it still stands up today.

The score is haunting, it's quite atmospheric in places and the scene when Van Helsing discovers his daughter's fate is both chilling and heartbreaking.

Perhaps the biggest issue/flaw is that the film doesn't feature one scene in Transylvania, but I still think it has a lot to offer. Anyone who's been to Cornwall's St. Michael's Mount should recognise the opening scene!

[Paul@TheOverlook]

I love it a lot too - it’s great.

I’ve visited a few of the locations as they’re relative close by to where I live now.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Paul@TheOverlook

I love it a lot too - it’s great.

I’ve visited a few of the locations as they’re relative close by to where I live now.

Have you visited that desolate beach and cliff top where Crucible of Terror was filmed.

I love that. Very underrated in my opinion.

[Susan Foreman]

'Bullfighter And The Lady' (1951) - Pre-order available at PowerHouse Films direct - £15:99

Release date: July 18

"American sportsman Johnny Regan (Robert Stack, Written on the Wind) goes to a bullfight while holidaying in Mexico and witnesses the great matador Manolo Estrada (Gilbert Roland, She Done Him Wrong) in action. The two men meet later that evening, and Johnny becomes entranced by Anita (Joy Page, Casablanca), a friend of Manolo’s. Impressed by the world of bullfighting, and seeking to impress Anita, Johnny becomes Manolo's pupil so that he, too, may become a champion torero.

Produced by John Wayne, and based in part on Budd Boetticher’s experiences as a novice bullfighter, Bullfighter and the Lady was initially released in a shorter 87-minute cut, reputedly edited by John Ford. In 1986, with the aid of Boetticher and Stack, the complete 124-minute version was restored, revealing the film to be a true masterpiece. Both cuts are presented on this edition, alongside Boetticher’s final work as a director, the 1985 documentary My Kingdom For… which is part autobiography, part history of the bullfighting art of rejoneo."

Special features:

• High Definition presentation
• Two presentations of the film: the complete 124-minute version, restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive; and the original 87-minute theatrical cut
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary with critics and authors Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme (2022)
• My Kingdom For… (1985): Boetticher’s final film as director, a partly autobiographical documentary about bullfighting, featuring Bullfighter and the Lady actor Robert Stack
• Interview with Mary Boetticher (2022)
• An Evening with Budd Boetticher (2001): audio recording of the great director in conversation with film preservationist Robert Gitt
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Limited edition booklet featuring a new essay by Matthew Thrift, an archival letter from Budd Boetticher discussing his love of bullfighting, archival profiles of Katy Jurado, an overview of contemporary critical responses, new writing on My Kingdom For…, and full film credits

UK premiere on Blu-ray
Limited edition of 3,000 copies for the UK
Extras subject to change

[Susan Foreman]

'Putney Swope' (1969) - Pre-order available at PowerHouse Films direct - £15:99

Release date: July 18

"Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson, Shaft) is the only Black executive at a stuffy Madison Avenue advertising agency. When the chairman dies unexpectedly, Putney is unexpectedly elected the new boss – because those voting never thought anyone else would to do the same. Putney proceeds to kick out the white majority, replacing them with young, revolutionary types, and renames the agency Truth and Soul.

A bracing satire, taking well-aimed pot-shots at capitalism, power and racism in America, Robert Downey’s Putney Swope is a key entry in counterculture cinema, and a landmark of independent filmmaking, and – after more than a half a century – is still very, very funny."

Special Features

• 4K restoration by the Academy Film Archive and the Film Foundation
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary with writer-director Robert Downey (2001)
• Audio commentary with film critic and historian Sergio Mims (2019)
• Interview with Robert Downey (2001)
• Audio interview with cinematographer Gerald Cotts (2019)
• Film Forum Q&A with Robert Downey (2016): the writer and director in conversation with Bruce Goldstein at the Film Forum, New York
• Original theatrical trailer
• Dan Ireland trailer commentary (2014): short critical appreciation
• Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet featuring a new essay by Christina Newland, an archival article on the film, archival comments from Robert Downey, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits

UK premiere on Blu-ray
Limited edition of 3,000 copies for the UK
Extras subject to change