Arcane Movie tees had me at their "Silver Shamrock Novelties" shirt. If that was the only shirt they carried I'd say they were brilliant. But add in a BURBS-related tee and you've hooked me completely. Let me give you a short tour of this Cult Movie themed t-shirt site:
First you have the above mentioned HALLOWEEN III inspired classic:
http://www.arcanemovietees.com/shop/halloween-3-season-of-the-witchsilver-shamrock-novelties/
And this tribute to Joe Dante's brilliance:
http://www.arcanemovietees.com/shop/hinckley-hills/
For droogs and fans of milk plus and ultraviolence:
http://www.arcanemovietees.com/shop/a-clockwork-orange-korova-milk-bar/
For folks with mental instabilities near Haddonfield:
http://www.arcanemovietees.com/shop/haddonfield/
Game programmers and game players looking to beat the top score on Space Paranoids:
http://www.arcanemovietees.com/shop/flynns-arcade-tron/
When in lovely downtown Neo-Tokyo, stop by:
http://www.arcanemovietees.com/shop/kaneda/
Wanna grab a burger with THE MONSTER SQUAD and Scary German Guy?
http://www.arcanemovietees.com/shop/phils-diner/
Or get your pesky TV fixed to keep your daughter from being pulled in?
(love their tagline)
http://www.arcanemovietees.com/shop/cuesta-verde/
You could even just relax, chew bubble gum (until you run out) and then kick ass:
http://www.arcanemovietees.com/shop/cable-54/
All this and more over at Arcane Movie Tees!
http://www.arcanemovietees.com
https://twitter.com/ArcaneMovieTees
https://www.facebook.com/arcanemovietees
Friday, November 29, 2013
Shirt-Tacular: Arcane Movie tees
Labels:
Arcane Movie tees,
shirt-tacular
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Kino Classics: NOSFERATU and THE BLUE ANGEL on Blu-ray
I was just recently listening to Patton Oswalt's book ZOMBIE SPACESHIP WASTELAND and in it he recounts the story of the first time he saw Murnau's NOSFERATU. Apparently he was quite young and with a group of kids at his local library. One of the librarians there thought NOSFERATU would be a nice little movie to project for the youngsters. In doing so, she apparently terrified them and Patton himself recalls it as a very formative experience for him.

I'm also kind of tickled by the fact that something made so long ago can still have an impact and leave a lasting impression. That is a true testament to the power of the moving image. One thing Murnau definitely has as on his side as far as lasting impressions go is Max Schreck. Talk about nightmare fuel. In all the 91 years since NOSFERATU's release, even with all the advances we've made in the field of special effects, few cinematic creations can rival the look and effect of Schreck and his character in this film. He really does not seem human. I can only imagine the impression he must have left on moviegoers back in 1922. I could see him being the impetus for making some folks believe vampires were a real thing. It is one of those performances and he is one of those actors that are truly unforgettable.
Features:
"The Language of Shadows" - a 53 minute examination of Murnau's personal history and his early films, focusing on the making of NOSFERATU specifically. It goes into fine detail about the pre-production, locations and the process of filming the movie. The locations are one of the main focuses here and there are lots of present-day shot comparisons to show how little some of the locales haven't changed much since the time the film was made.
Also included as an extra are a collection of excerpts from Murnau including: JOURNEY INTO THE NIGHT (1920), THE HAUNTED CASTLE (1922), PHANTOM (1922), THE FIANCES OF THE GRAND DUKE (1924), THE LAST LAUGH (1924), TARTUFFE (1925), FAUST (1926) and TABU (1931).
Kino's Blu-ray transfer looks quite nice here and makes the disc a recommend. The fact that the film was tinted in some scenes helps add to the otherworldly feel overall. And one nice thing about the Kino Blu-ray is that it has English intertitles as opposed to the subtitles of other releases. Some of these intertitles were preserved and some have been recreated.
Audio:
The music feature here is Hans Erdmann's original 1922 score in both 5.1 and 2.0 mixes.
In this early collaboration between von Sternberg and his muse Marlene Dietrich, she plays a nightclub singer who begins to obsess a prudish school teacher (Emil Jannings). The teacher stumbles across Lola Lola (Dietrich) because some of his students have been frequenting the establishment (a speakeasy) where she works.
I first read about THE BLUE ANGEL in Danny Peary's Guide For The Film Fanstic (my favorite book if all time), one of many many films I was in need of discovering at the time. Seeing the movie mentioned there not only made me want to see it, but also lent an air of legitimacy to it (via Peary's endorsement) that I had not previously attributed to the film.
Marlene Dietrich is one of those actresses that was just made for the movies. Or rather it seems like movies were invented to show off personalities like hers. Though THE BLUE ANGEL was not her first film, she was relatively unknown before it and it could easily be considered her "breakout" as we would call it today. Danny Peary said of her in THE BLUE ANGEL, "With her casual manner toward men. (She was ready to skip out on lovers when she got bored and restless) her lack of ego (but a profound knowledge that she is the only one who will take care of her), her ironic attitude toward the hypocritical world and its strict moral code--men like the tyrannical professor condemn her but secretly desire her--her willingness to satisfy her own physical needs no matter who gets hurt, and her tantalizing beauty, she personified sinful sex, available to any man who would get in line."

Features:
Josef von Sternberg filmed German and English versions of the film concurrently and both (including a restored German version) are included in this good-looking Kino set. The original German version (with English subs) runs 107 minutes and the English clocks in at 104 mins.
Additionally, this set includes a scene con patio between the two versions, Dietrich's screen test for THE BLUE ANGEL and interview and concert footage from her as well.
NOSFERATU and THE BLUE ANGEL can be purchased via Kino's site or Amazon and other retailers.
http://www.kinolorber.com
NOSFERATU and THE BLUE ANGEL can be purchased via Kino's site or Amazon and other retailers.
http://www.kinolorber.com
Labels:
blu-ray,
kino classics,
NOSFERATU,
THE BLUE ANGEL
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Rupert's 2013 Film Geek Holiday Gift Guide
Okay, so I realize that I am certainly not the one to originate the idea of doing one of these things(I think Quint at AICN may have inspired me), but I've done a list the past few years so I thought I'd throw together some recommendations for you movie fanatics or those that have a fanatic in their life to shop for. What follows is a list of some of my favorite DVD and Blu-ray releases from this year as well as a few other trinkets like books, shirts and so forth that might also please your cinephile. Hopefully this list serves some use to someone!
P.S. here are my lists from the last two years if you want to peek at them as well:
http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/11/ruperts-blu-raydvd-holiday-gift-guide.html
http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2012/11/ruperts-2012-holiday-buying-guide-for.html
Where to even start? This year has been a lovely one for Blu-ray and DVD releases across the board. All the usual players stepped up and gave us some stellar films(which were often debuting on their respective formats). I'll start with the kids of releases I saw the most of and work my way down.
WARNER ARCHIVE:
http://shop.warnerarchive.com
WAC threw their hat into the Blu-ray ring late last year and have only had a few Blus so far in 2013 but a couple are absolutely worth picking up (both from the 1990s coincidentally):
THE HUDSUCKER PROXY (1994; Joel & Ethan Coen)
ME AND MY GAL (1932; Raoul Walsh)
KINO VIDEO:
LITTLE FUGITIVE (1953; Morris Engel)
NIGHT TIDE (1961; Curtis Harrington)
THE HITCH-HIKER (1953; Ida Lupino)
KIDNAPPED (1974; Mario Bava)
NOSFERATU (1922; F.W. Murnau)
EUREKA! (MASTERS OF CINEMA):
RED RIVER (1948; Howard Hawks)
THE TARNISHED ANGELS (1957; Douglas Sirk)
STUDIO CANAL:
THE WICKER MAN (1973; Robin Hardy)
PORCO ROSSO (1992; Hayao Miyazaki)
KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (1989; Hayao Miyazaki)
CONVOY (1978; Sam Peckinpah)
Warner Bros:
POLICE ACADEMY: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
--------------
SHIRTS:
Film geeks need to wear their loves and influences literally on their sleeves. I've always felt that t-shirts can be disarming and help nerds connect with other nerds in a very simple way. "Hey that person is wearing a shirt for a movie I love, therefore, I have something to talk to them about."
Many of the sites listed below are UK based and I've only come across them this year, but I am so pleased I did. In some cases below, I have done a whole blog post about them so check those out for further details:
Dark Bunny Tees:
http://www.darkbunnytees.com/
http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2013/11/shirt-tacular-dark-bunny-tees.html
Nerdoh Clothing:
https://nerdoh.co.uk/
http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2013/11/shirt-tacular-nerdoh-clothing.html
Found Item Clothing:
http://www.founditemclothing.com/
http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2013/10/shirt-tacular-found-item-clothing.html
Rotten Cotton:
https://www.rottencotton.com/
Arcane Movie Tees:
http://www.arcanemovietees.com/
8 Ball:
http://www.8ball.co.uk/
LICENSE PLATES:
Celebrity Machines License Plates is a nice place for movie fans to find some fun, unique gifts. They exclusively do reproductions of license plates from movies. Want an "OUTATIME" or "ECTO-1" plate? This is the place(and they have so many others!):
http://www.celebritymachines.com/
BOOKS:
There are always tons of good film-related books that come out in any given year. Here are a few that I think might make lovely gifts for the right movie lover:
GUIDE FOR THE FILM FANATIC By Danny Peary
Despite being published in 1986, this book is still the best guide for young cinephiles to help get them on the track of watching great films. The book can be acquired very cheaply on Amazon even though it has been out of print for some time. It is my favorite book of all time and so it is no surprise I am actually making a documentary about Peary's books and their impact. (See interview clips here: http://www.youtube.com/user/dannypearydoc?feature=watch)
BLEEDING SKULL! A 1980s TRASH-HORROR ODYSSEY By Joseph A. Ziemba & Dan Budnik
ON THE CHEAP: MY LIFE IN LOW BUDGET FILMMAKING by Greydon Clark
THE WES ANDERSON COLLECTION by Matt Zoller Seitz
ROMAN POLANKSI: A RETROSPECTIVE By James Greenberg
JOHN BADHAM ON DIRECTING: Notes from the set of SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, WAR GAMES and More By John Badham
GUILLERMO DEL TORO CABINET OF CURIOSITIES: My Notebooks, Collections and Other Obsessions By Guillermo Del Toro & Marc Zicree
THE DISASTER ARTIST: MY LIFE INSIDE THE ROOM, THE GREATEST BAD MOVIE EVER MADE By Greg Sestero & Tom Bissell
THE SLASHER MOVIE BOOK By J.A. Kerswell
CAT PEOPLE (BFI FILM CLASSICS) By Kim Newman
ALTERNATIVE MOVIE POSTERS: Film Art From the Underground By Matthew Chojnacki
P.S. here are my lists from the last two years if you want to peek at them as well:
http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/11/ruperts-blu-raydvd-holiday-gift-guide.html
http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2012/11/ruperts-2012-holiday-buying-guide-for.html
Where to even start? This year has been a lovely one for Blu-ray and DVD releases across the board. All the usual players stepped up and gave us some stellar films(which were often debuting on their respective formats). I'll start with the kids of releases I saw the most of and work my way down.
WARNER ARCHIVE:
http://shop.warnerarchive.com
WAC threw their hat into the Blu-ray ring late last year and have only had a few Blus so far in 2013 but a couple are absolutely worth picking up (both from the 1990s coincidentally):
THE HUDSUCKER PROXY (1994; Joel & Ethan Coen)
FEARLESS (1993: Peter Weir)
BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD - The Complete First Season
As for their DVD releases, WAC had a heckuva great year, putting out several great sets and many wonderful standalone DVDs as well. A few recommends:
FORBIDDEN HOLLYWOOD Volume 7
WHEELER AND WOOLSEY - RKO Comedy Classics Collection
VIVACIOUS LADY (1938; George Stevens)
THE NUISANCE (1933; Jack Conway)
THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS (1944; Jean Negulesco)
LOVE ON A BET (1936; Leigh Jason)
THE MERRY WIDOW (1934; Ernst Lubitsch)
DEATH IN SMALL DOSES (1957; Joseph M. Newman)
HEY GOOD LOOKIN'(1982; Ralph Bakshi)
HARRY O: The Complete Second Season
WAC also continued their streak of releasing some fantastic old Hanna-Barbera cartoons from the 1970s and 80s:
SPACE STARS - The Complete Series
CAPTAIN CAVEMAN AND THE TEEN ANGELS - The Complete Series
HELP! IT'S THE HAIR BEAR BUNCH! - The Complete Series
THE COMPLETELY MENTAL MISADVENTURES OF ED GRIMLEY- The Complete Series
Also here are a few bits of clunky fun that I personally enjoy:
THE BEASTS ARE ON THE STREETS (1978; Peter R. Hunt)
HELLO DOWN THERE (1969; Jack Arnold)
There are obviously other Studios doing their own MOD releases, so here are a few other discs from those services that I recommend:
FOX ARCHIVES:
SONY CLASSICS:
KNOCK ON ANY DOOR (1949; Nicholas Ray)
A few Film Classics collections from TCM (these both feature the DVD debut of at least a few films):
John Ford: The Columbia Films Collection
Frank Capra: The Early Collection
Karloff: The Criminal Kind
Warner Home Video also put out several long awaited catlog titles on Blu-ray this year:
THE RIGHT STUFF (1983; Philip Kaufman)
REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955; Nicholas Ray)
THE HAUNTING (1963; Robert Wise)
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946; William Wyler)
DISNEY brought out some nice Miyazaki on Blu-ray this year:
MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (1988; Hayao Miyazaki)
NAUSICAA AND THE VALLEY OF THE WIND (1984; Hayao Miyazaki)
HOWL'S MOVIE CASTLE (2004; Hayao Miyazaki)
Criterion put out a ton of great stuff this year as they always do. One I'd like to highloght though is one of my favorite old ghost story movies that never had a dvd (let along Blu-ray) release in the U.S. before this:
THE UNINVITED (1944; Lewis Allen)
TWILIGHT TIME:
TWILIGHT TIME is a boutique label whose output is great and on the rise in a big way in 2014. Here are some of my favorite Blu-ray releases from them this year:
THE DRIVER (1978; Walter Hill)
HARD TIMES (1975; Walter Hill)
THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN (1970; George Stevens)
LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945; John M. Stahl)
SCREAM FACTORY:
Scream Factory absolutely killed it this year with their releases. I can't list all them, but I'll give you some highlights. They have more great stuff coming in 2014 too!
THE FOG (1980; John Carpenter)
PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987; John Carpenter)
THE VINCENT PRICE COLLECTION
NIGHT OF THE COMET (1984; Thom Eberhardt)
THE HOWLING (1981; Joe Dante)
LIFEFORCE (1985; Tobe Hooper)
NINJA III: THE DOMINATION (Sam Firstenberg)
THE BURNING (1981; Tony Maylam)
SYNAPSE FILMS:
DEMONS (1985; Lamberto Bava)
(LTD Edition Steelbook only available via Synapse-Films.com)
DEMONS 2 (1986; Lamberto Bava)
(LTD Edition Steelbook only available via Synapse-Films.com)
STREET TRASH (1987; J. Michael Muro)
OLIVE FILMS:
(TIP: these are most cheaply ordered via ImportCDs.com)
SHACK OUT ON 101 (1955; Edward Dein)
CHINA GATE(1957; Samuel Fuller)
THE BIG COMBO (1955; Joseph H. Lewis)
PLUNDER ROAD (1957; Hubert Cornfield)
KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE (1950; Gordon Douglas)
TRUST (1990; Hal Hartley)
TICKS (1993; Tony Randel)
PLAIN CLOTHES (1988; Martha Coolidge)
KINO VIDEO:
LITTLE FUGITIVE (1953; Morris Engel)
NIGHT TIDE (1961; Curtis Harrington)
THE HITCH-HIKER (1953; Ida Lupino)
KIDNAPPED (1974; Mario Bava)
NOSFERATU (1922; F.W. Murnau)
For those with multi-region Blu-ray capability, there was much to be enjoyed this year as well!
(Most of these discs can be acquired through Amazon UK)
P.S. - If you don't have multi-region, you may consider this inexpensive player (recommended by the guys over at CriterionCast.com):
ARROW VIDEO:
THE CAR (1977; Elliot Silverstein)
LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN (1982; Boaz Davidson)
THE LONG GOODBYE (1973; Robert Altman)
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986; John Carpenter) (Steelbook)
TIME BANDITS (1981; Terry Gilliam)
SECOND SIGHT:
THE BROOD (1979; David Cronenberg)
STREETS OF FIRE (1984; Walter Hill)
POSSESSION (1981; Andrzej Zulawski)
CREEPSHOW (1982; George Romero)
(and from 2012)
BASKET CASE Trilogy
FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR (1986; Randal Kleiser) (region free)
EUREKA! (MASTERS OF CINEMA):
RED RIVER (1948; Howard Hawks)
THE TARNISHED ANGELS (1957; Douglas Sirk)
STUDIO CANAL:
THE WICKER MAN (1973; Robin Hardy)
PORCO ROSSO (1992; Hayao Miyazaki)
KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (1989; Hayao Miyazaki)
CONVOY (1978; Sam Peckinpah)
Warner Bros:
POLICE ACADEMY: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
--------------
SHIRTS:
Film geeks need to wear their loves and influences literally on their sleeves. I've always felt that t-shirts can be disarming and help nerds connect with other nerds in a very simple way. "Hey that person is wearing a shirt for a movie I love, therefore, I have something to talk to them about."
Many of the sites listed below are UK based and I've only come across them this year, but I am so pleased I did. In some cases below, I have done a whole blog post about them so check those out for further details:
Dark Bunny Tees:
http://www.darkbunnytees.com/
http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2013/11/shirt-tacular-dark-bunny-tees.html
Nerdoh Clothing:
https://nerdoh.co.uk/
http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2013/11/shirt-tacular-nerdoh-clothing.html
Found Item Clothing:
http://www.founditemclothing.com/
http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/2013/10/shirt-tacular-found-item-clothing.html
Rotten Cotton:
https://www.rottencotton.com/
Arcane Movie Tees:
http://www.arcanemovietees.com/
8 Ball:
http://www.8ball.co.uk/
LICENSE PLATES:
Celebrity Machines License Plates is a nice place for movie fans to find some fun, unique gifts. They exclusively do reproductions of license plates from movies. Want an "OUTATIME" or "ECTO-1" plate? This is the place(and they have so many others!):
http://www.celebritymachines.com/
BOOKS:
There are always tons of good film-related books that come out in any given year. Here are a few that I think might make lovely gifts for the right movie lover:
GUIDE FOR THE FILM FANATIC By Danny Peary
Despite being published in 1986, this book is still the best guide for young cinephiles to help get them on the track of watching great films. The book can be acquired very cheaply on Amazon even though it has been out of print for some time. It is my favorite book of all time and so it is no surprise I am actually making a documentary about Peary's books and their impact. (See interview clips here: http://www.youtube.com/user/dannypearydoc?feature=watch)
BLEEDING SKULL! A 1980s TRASH-HORROR ODYSSEY By Joseph A. Ziemba & Dan Budnik
ON THE CHEAP: MY LIFE IN LOW BUDGET FILMMAKING by Greydon Clark
THE WES ANDERSON COLLECTION by Matt Zoller Seitz
ROMAN POLANKSI: A RETROSPECTIVE By James Greenberg
JOHN BADHAM ON DIRECTING: Notes from the set of SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, WAR GAMES and More By John Badham
GUILLERMO DEL TORO CABINET OF CURIOSITIES: My Notebooks, Collections and Other Obsessions By Guillermo Del Toro & Marc Zicree
THE DISASTER ARTIST: MY LIFE INSIDE THE ROOM, THE GREATEST BAD MOVIE EVER MADE By Greg Sestero & Tom Bissell
THE SLASHER MOVIE BOOK By J.A. Kerswell
CAT PEOPLE (BFI FILM CLASSICS) By Kim Newman
ALTERNATIVE MOVIE POSTERS: Film Art From the Underground By Matthew Chojnacki
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