Hey folks, Vornoc here. Welcome to my almost-every-other-day dive into the movies I’ve been watching, collecting, and obsessing over, one Blu-ray, 4K, or box set at a time.
The work never ends, folks. Movies keep calling, discs keep stacking, and I keep watching. Here are the latest Vornoc picks that almost made the cut.
Sometimes even if they made the cut, I tend not to like them.
Man Hunt
This is Fritz Lang’s best movie since “M”. This is Fritz Lang doing wartime suspense with the screws tightened beautifully. And honestly, Fritz Lang’s name alone is enough reason to peek at any film, but this one has a killer hook: a man gets Hitler in his sights, pulls back from the shot, and then spends the rest of the movie paying for that moment.
Walter Pidgeon carries the paranoia well, George Sanders brings that polished villainy only he could make look this effortless, and a young Roddy McDowall adds extra spark to an already strong cast.
The Odd Job
Peter Medak directs, Graham Chapman stars, and David Jason shows up with that strange, deadpan menace that makes the whole thing feel just a little off in the best possible way.
The premise is dark, the comedy is very English, and the whole movie has that “wait, is this funny or deeply uncomfortable?” energy. Chapman gives it nervous chaos, Jason gives it oddball precision, and the result is a cult curiosity more than a perfect comedy. It is not an essential pick. But for collectors digging through the stranger corners of British cinema and post-Python weirdness, well just go for it.
I would have like it if Benny Hill replaced Graham Chapman for the role.
Sky Crawlers
The only question I have about this film is simple: when are we getting the 4K version already?
This is not the kind of anime movie that rushes to entertain you. It glides, stares, pauses, and lets the sadness slowly sneak into the cockpit.
The aerial dogfights are gorgeous, but the real battle is inside these characters, young pilots trapped in a world that feels designed to keep repeating itself. It has that cool, distant Oshii vibe where half the movie feels like philosophy wearing a flight jacket. Not for everyone, absolutely. But if you like your anime thoughtful, chilly, beautifully animated, and quietly tragic, this one is worth a serious pick.
Glory
Ed Zwick at his absolute best. Big, emotional, sincere historical filmmaking that actually earns the weight it’s carrying. The story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the first formal African American military unit in the Civil War, is already powerful on paper, but the film gives it a kind of bruised dignity that still hits hard.
Matthew Broderick has always felt a little off to me in the lead role — not terrible, just not quite the center this movie deserves. But everything around him? Exceptional. Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher, and the rest of the cast bring the soul, anger, courage, and heartbreak that make this thing matter.
Was this how the West really won?
This is more of a peek than a pick. Historically interesting, definitely sleazy, and probably essential for Lee Frost/Olympic International completists — but casual Western fans should not wander in expecting John Ford sunsets and heroic speeches. This one rides in dirty and leaves the room smelling like trouble.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
A grown-up adventure cinema done properly. Salt air, cannon smoke, creaking wood, exhausted men, and Russell Crowe commanding the screen like he was born wearing that coat. This is not noisy blockbuster fluff. This is a beautifully crafted naval epic where every rope, wave, and whispered strategy feels like it matters.
Peter Weir makes the whole thing feel lived-in and massive without ever losing the human stuff. Crowe and Paul Bettany are terrific together, giving the film its brains, heart, and quiet tension. It is part war film, part survival story, part character study, and part “why don’t they make them like this anymore?” complaint from my couch.
And yes, the 4K edition is a must collector’s item. This is exactly the kind of movie that deserves the biggest, sharpest presentation possible like the sea, the ships, the textures, the sound design, all of it.
No 4K? Alright, but in the early Blu-ray days this is one of the great Blu-ray transfers (Thank you Criterion). A brilliant film at every level, rendered with absolute clarity. Dustin Hoffman’s performance, the Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack, Buck Henry’s screenplay, and Mike Nichols’ direction all operate at the same exceptional level. Anne Bancroft is simply extraordinary. A perfect film.
This is one of those films I wanted to like more than I actually did. You can feel it reaching for something stylish, strange, and “new wave” in its own way — all mood, attitude, and artsy confidence — but for me, it feels like it’s trying a little too hard to convince everyone it’s doing something bold.
There are moments where the look and atmosphere almost pull me in, but the whole thing never fully clicks. It has that “look at me, I’m different” energy, which can work when the film has the goods underneath. Buy at your own risk.
Joel Schumacher at his sharpest, the one where all the style, anger, and human mess actually lock into place. This is not just a guy-loses-it movie. It is a sweaty, uncomfortable pressure cooker about modern life, public frustration, and the tiny daily indignities that can grind people down until something snaps.
Michael Douglas is scary-good here, walking that line between pathetic, furious, and completely gone, while Robert Duvall gives the film its tired, decent heartbeat. And honestly? This might be Schumacher’s best film because it feels genuinely human under all the chaos. Angry, precise, still uncomfortable, and still way too relevant. A serious shelf pick whether it is a Blu-Ray or a 4K (with some goodies included by Arrow Video).