By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Dec. 31, unless otherwise noted:
Passport to Pimlico (Blu-ray) Details: 1949, Film Movement Classics Rated: Not rated The lowdown: In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Britain’s Ealing Studios produced a series of classic comedies, many of them whimsical, such as “Kind Hearts and Coronets,” “The Lavender Hill Mob” and “The Ladykillers.” “Passport to Pimlico” is another of these comedies. This satire deals with bureaucratic red tape, restrictions and rationing in postwar Britain. An unexploded World War II-era bomb detonates in the Pimlico district of London, unearthing a long-buried cellar that contains fabulous riches and an unknown 15th-century royal charter from King Edward IV that decrees that Pimlico can be recognized in perpetuity as Burgundian soil. The charter has never been rescinded, thus making Pimlico the long-lost Duchy of Burgundy. As such, Pimlico is no longer subject to British law, which includes rationing and, more importantly, pub closing hours. The residents of Pimlico do their upmost to take advantage of the situation, while the government pushes back very sternly. This droll feature was written by T.E.B. Clarke, who also wrote “The Lavender Hill Mob,” and was directed by Henry Cornelius. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for best writing, story & screenplay. It stars Stanley Holloway, Betty Warren, Margaret Rutherford Hermione Baddeley, Paul Dupuis and Basil Radford. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English LPCM monaural. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include an interview with British Film Institute curator Mark Duguid, a look at the filming locations, a restoration comparison and a booklet about the movie.
The Titfield Thunderbolt (Blu-ray) Details: 1953, Film Movement Classics Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Charles Crichton, director of “The Lavender Hill Mob” and “A Fish Called Wanda,” helmed this comedy, set in rural England, about a town that fights back after British Railways announces it is closing its branch line from Titfield to Mallingford. A group of Titfield villagers make a bid to run the line themselves, backed by a wealthy resident who loves to drink on a daily basis. The efforts to continue the railway puts villagers in direct competition with the local bus company. The script was written by T.E.B. Clarke and the cast included such Ealing regulars as Stanley Holloway and Naunton Wayne as well as Hugh Griffith, John Gregson, George Relph, Godfrey Tearle and Sidney James. This was the first Ealing Studios movie to be shot in Technicolor and one of the first color comedies in the United Kingdom. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English LPCM monaural. Don’t miss: Extras include a making of featurette, home movies by director of photography Douglas Slocombe, featurettes on the film’s locations and the “Lion Locomotive,” Slocombe discussing Crichton and a booklet about the movie.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: DIGITAL DOWNLEAD, STREAMING or VOD Black and Blue (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment) Primal (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) The Bromley Boys (Arts Rights Distribution, Jan. 1) The Gulf: Episode 5 (Sundance Now, Jan. 1) Wisting: Episode 3 (Sundance Now, Jan. 1) The Brokenwood Murders: Series 6, Episode 1 (Acorn TV, Jan. 6) The Family Farm (Acorn TV, Jan. 6) Murdoch Mysteries: Season 14, Episode 4 (Acorn TV, Jan. 6) Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal (Acorn TV, Jan. 6)
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. My movie reviews also can be found at Rottentomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.