Cult-classic ‘Valley of the Dolls’ now available on Blue-ray
Available for the first time on Blu-ray, “Valley Of The Dolls” (1967, Criterion, PG-13, $30) is a cult classic about three career gals (Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate) and their struggles with booze, pills and two-timing men.
From the lovely Andre and Dory Previn theme song to Parkins’ doomed romance with her boss (Paul Burke) to the over-the-top ‘60s fashions to Duke’s showdown with Susan Hayward, “Dolls” is pure dynamite. You can complain about the avalanche of suds or just give into the deliciousness of it all. You might never want to get off of this merry-go-round. Extras: featurettes, screen tests and commentary by Parkins.
Also New To DVD
Warcraft (2016, Universal, PG-13, $30): Hard to believe that Duncan Jones, the director behind the elegant and intriguing “Moon” and “Source Code,” oversaw this shoddy online game adaptation which ranks as one of the year’s worst pictures. The plot involves a tribe of Orcs invading the land of Azeroth and clashing with the humans that live there. Can a good-guy Orc (Toby Kebbell) and his human counterpart (Travis Fimmel) broker peace? Jones regurgitates elements of “Avatar,” “Lord of the Rings” and “Game of Thrones” for this f/x spectacle which is monumentally dull when it’s not just plain awful. Extras: featurettes, deleted scenes and gag reel.
*** The Fits (2016, Oscilloscope, unrated, $35): Anna Rose Holmer’s feature film directorial debut is one of the strangest, dreamiest coming-of-age sagas since Sofia Coppola’s “The Virgin Suicides.” Royalty Hightower stars as a tomboyish 11-year-old who abandons the boxing lessons she’s taking with her older brother to join an all-female dance troupe. No sooner does she begin learning the routines than a number of the girls fall victim to unexplained seizures. A mesmerizing look at adolescence, “The Fits” is a true original. Extras: featurettes, outtakes and commentary by Holmer.
*** Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever (2016, TimeLife, unrated, $80): On May 16, 1983, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Motown Records, NBC aired a special that became a water-cooler event thanks primarily to Michael Jackson moonwalking his way through “Billie Jean.” But as this package makes clear, the show was chock full of great moments, including reunions by the Miracles, the Supremes and a battle of the bands between the Temptations and the Four Tops. Richard Pryor hosts the special which features Stevie Wonder lighting a fire underneath “Uptight (Everything’s Alright”) and Marvin Gaye energizing “What’s Going On.” Extras: additional footage from the original show and 14 hours of bonus features.
*** The Chase (1946, Kino, unrated, $20): New to Blu-ray, this obscure film noir manages to generate seething tension by constantly reminding you how thin the line is between dream and reality. Robert Cummings stars as a homeless veteran who winds up working as a chauffeur for a ruthless gangster (Steve Cochrane) and his dodgy assistant (Peter Lorre). Cummings eventually falls for Cochrane’s wife (Michelle Morgan) who’s desperate to escape to Havana. Cummings’ malaria-induced hallucinations are particularly unsettling, especially after both he and Morgan appear to die at the hands of the bad guys. There’s a good reason why filmmaker Arthur Ripley (“Thunder Road”) commands such a big cult following. Extras: none.
*** I Saw What You Did (1965, Shout Factory, unrated, $30): If William Castle is the poor man’s Hitchcock, then this newto-Blu-ray nailbiter is his “Psycho,” complete with a murder in the shower. Newcomers Andi Garrett and Sarah Lane star as two teenagers who make a prank call to a man (John Ireland) who just killed his wife and buried the body. With a scenery-chewing turn by Joan Crawford as Ireland’s neighbor, “I Saw What You Did” keeps the suspense cooking right up to the action-packed finale. Extras: none.
*** Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXXV (2016, Shout Factory, unrated, $60): Join Joel, Mike and their robot compadres Crow and Tom as they snark their way through four features, including Roger Corman’s “Teenage Caveman” featuring Robert Vaughn, “Being From Another Planet” starring Ben Murphy, the hopelessly cheesy “12 To The Moon” and “Deathstalker And The Warriors From Hell,” which is sword-and-sorcery fare at its worst. Extras: featurettes.
*** The Red House (1947, Film Detective, unrated, $15): What’s lurking in the mysterious red house in the woods outside the home of a farmer (Edward G. Robinson) and his spinster sister (Judith Anderson)? When Robinson’s foster child (Allene Roberts) and her high-school buddies (Lon McAllister, Julie London) begin snooping around, they begin uncovering troubling secrets. Written and directed by Delmer Daves (“3:10 To Yuma”) this film, newly restored for a Blu-ray edition, is a grippng blend of horror movie, coming-of-age saga and film noir. The ending, in particular, is gripping, with one good scare after another. Extras: none.
*** The Good Wife: The Final Season (2016, Paramount, unrated, $55): Once one of the best shows on TV, this series delivered a disappointing last season, with a particularly dismal series finale that tried to take Alicia (Julianna Margulies) full circle while dramatizing how much she’s changed. But the pieces didn’t fit together in a satisfying way thanks, in part, to the handling of Alicia’s relationship with law partner Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski). Still, the cast members, particularly the great Baranski, do fine work, helping to make even the weakest episodes watchable. Extras: featurettes.