Indicator/Powerhouse Films Announce July Releases
HomeIndicator/Powerhouse Films Announce July Releases
Posted April 14, 2022 05:09 PM by Webmaster
Indicator/Powerhouse Films has announced its July batch of Blu-ray releases. They are: Creatures the World Forgot (1971), Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970), Bullfighter and the Lady (1951), and Putney Swope (1969).
Creatures the World Forgot
Description: Following the enormous success of One Million Years B.C. in 1965, Hammer embarked on a series of prehistoric adventures over the next five years, concluding with Creatures the World Forgot. Directed by Don Chaffey – previously responsible for One Million Years B.C., not to mention the Ray Harryhausen classic Jason and the Argonauts – the film swapped dinosaurs for more adult content, starred former Miss Norway and ex-Bond girl Julie Ege (On Her Majesty's Secret Service), and earned itself an 'X' certificate in the process. Even today, it still rates an '18' from the BBFC.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Diary of a Mad Housewife
Description: Superbly directed by Frank Perry (The Swimmer, Play It as It Lays), with a scathing screenplay by Eleanor Perry (David and Lisa, Ladybug Ladybug), Diary of a Mad Housewife tells the story of Tina Balser (Carrie Snodgress, The Fury, Pale Rider) a frustrated housewife trapped in an unhappy marriage to an insufferably controlling, status-obsessed bore (Richard Benjamin, Catch-22). Tina seeks solace in a fling with an abusive lover, the arrogant writer Georg Prager (Frank Langella, Dracula), who treats her like a sex object, leading to therapy and further unhappiness.
A caustic deconstruction of male chauvinism, Diary of a Mad Housewife was a huge critical hit, earning its female lead an Academy Award nomination upon its release. The Perrys' film is presented here in both its theatrical cut, and a long-unseen alternative TV version.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Bullfighter and the Lady
Description: 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 and Technical Specs:
Putney Swope
Description: 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 and Technical Specs:
Creatures the World Forgot
Description: Following the enormous success of One Million Years B.C. in 1965, Hammer embarked on a series of prehistoric adventures over the next five years, concluding with Creatures the World Forgot. Directed by Don Chaffey – previously responsible for One Million Years B.C., not to mention the Ray Harryhausen classic Jason and the Argonauts – the film swapped dinosaurs for more adult content, starred former Miss Norway and ex-Bond girl Julie Ege (On Her Majesty's Secret Service), and earned itself an 'X' certificate in the process. Even today, it still rates an '18' from the BBFC.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- High Definition remaster
- Original mono audio
- Audio commentary with author and critic Kim Newman (2022)
- Hammer's Women: Julie Ege (2022): profile of the Norwegian actor and model
- David Huckvale on Mario Nascimbene (2022): an appreciation of the film's by the author of Hammer Film Scores and the Musical Avant-Garde
- Three Children's Film Foundation films directed by Don Chaffey: Skid Kids (1953): story about a group of young cyclists; A Good Pull-up (1953): a handyman gets himself into trouble at a workers' café; Watch Out (1953): following the escapades of Dickie Duffle as he tours a film studio
- Original theatrical trailer
- Image galleries: promotional and publicity material
- New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Limited edition exclusive 80-page book with a new essay on the film, archival interviews and articles, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
- REGION-B "LOCKED"
Diary of a Mad Housewife
Description: Superbly directed by Frank Perry (The Swimmer, Play It as It Lays), with a scathing screenplay by Eleanor Perry (David and Lisa, Ladybug Ladybug), Diary of a Mad Housewife tells the story of Tina Balser (Carrie Snodgress, The Fury, Pale Rider) a frustrated housewife trapped in an unhappy marriage to an insufferably controlling, status-obsessed bore (Richard Benjamin, Catch-22). Tina seeks solace in a fling with an abusive lover, the arrogant writer Georg Prager (Frank Langella, Dracula), who treats her like a sex object, leading to therapy and further unhappiness.
A caustic deconstruction of male chauvinism, Diary of a Mad Housewife was a huge critical hit, earning its female lead an Academy Award nomination upon its release. The Perrys' film is presented here in both its theatrical cut, and a long-unseen alternative TV version.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- High Definition remaster
- Original mono audio
- Long unseen alternative TV version containing unique scenes, presented in Standard Definition, as originally broadcast
- Theatrical cut audio commentary with actor Rutanya Alda and film historian Lee Gambin (2022)
- TV version audio commentary with Frank Perry biographer Justin Bozung (2022)
- Video appreciation by Academy Award-winning editor and filmmaker Chris Innis (2022)
- Original theatrical trailer
- Larry Karaszewski trailer commentary (2020)
- Radio spot
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
- New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Paula Mejía, a profile of novelist Sue Kaufman, extracts from interviews with Frank Perry, Eleanor Perry and Carrie Snodgress, a look at Snodgress and Neil Young's relationship, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
- REGION-B "LOCKED"
Bullfighter and the Lady
Description: 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 and Technical Specs:
- 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
- REGION-B "LOCKED"
Putney Swope
Description: 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 and Technical Specs:
- 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
- REGION-FREE
