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OLD SCHOOL VIDEO PICK OF THE MONTH

Title: SOUNDER
Year Released: 1972
Running Time: 105
Production Company: 20th Century Fox
Director: Martin Ritt
Director of Photography: John A. Alonzo
Screenwriter: Lonne Elder III
Author: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

REVIEW: "SOUNDER"-- A STORY THAT STILL SPEAKS

I remember the first time I saw the movie "Sounder"--back in 1972, when it first came out--at a downtown Los Angeles theater with my older brothers.

I was just a 11-years-old but watching that powerful story unfold on screen left a lasting impression.

I was captivated by the powerful performances of the late, great Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield,...

NEW ON DVD

GHOST TRAIN Title: GHOST TRAIN
Year Released: 2025
Running Time: 94
Production Company: Dimix Studio
Director: Tak Se-woong
Review By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

"GHOST TRAIN"--A DARK AND BLOODY RIDE

Climb aboard the "Ghost Train," a compact but chilling South Korean horror flick arriving on Digital Feb. 17 from Well Go USA Entertainment.

Directed by Tak Se-woong, ("Devil in the Lake"), the film follows struggling YouTuber Da-kyung (Joo Hyun-young, "The Story of Park's Marriage Contract"), who ventures into the haunted Gwanglim Train Station where there have been disappearances and even ghost sightings. Surely capturing that news will revive her fading channel and perhaps get her boss Woo-jin (Choi Bo-min, "Gory: A Horror Tale") to cut her some slack about her declining viewership.

But Da-Kyung is competing against Hey-jin (Kim Ji-in), a popular beauty influencer who is racking up big numbers including Woo-jin, and Da-Kyung is kind of freaking out.

Da-Kyung soon finds herself listening to the station master's increasingly disturbing tales. They are stories that blur the line between urban legend and terrifying reality.

Structured as a series of eerie vignettes, "Ghost Train" delivers steady suspense, punctuated by bursts of genuinely unsettling imagery.

The anthology format works in its favor, allowing each segment to explore a different flavor of fear, from psychological dread to full-throttle supernatural menace. But be warned: this isn't just a creepy little thriller, it's a bloody one, with graphic moments that are decidedly not for the squeamish.

The special effects are effective, even when the movie occasionally feels uneven. Still, the dark and gory "Ghost Train" maintains enough macabre creativity and unpredictability to keep viewers on edge until the final stop.
(Recommended).

Take A Look At This Trailer For "GHOST TRAIN"

FRONTIER CRUCIBLE Title: FRONTIER CRUCIBLE
Year Released: 2025
Running Time: 125
Production Company: Bonfire Legend/ Renegade Ent.
Director: Travis Mills
Review By: Lana K. Wilson-Comb

"FRONTIER CRUCIBLE" BRINGS GRIT, SWAGGER, AND SURPRISING STAR POWER

At a time when studios often shy away from Westerns due to their high production costs, "Frontier Crucible" from Well Go USA Entertainment, rides in as a gritty and welcome surprise.

Directed by Travis Mills (TV's "The Pendragon Cycle: "Rise of the Merlin") and based on Harry Whittington's 1961 novel "Desert Stake-Out", the film delivers a harsher, more unforgiving portrait of the Old West than most modern entries dare to attempt. This isn't a glossy cowboy saga, it's dusty, violent, and morally bleak.

Myles Clohessy (TV's "The Pendragon Cycle: "Rise of the Merlin") anchors the film as Merrick Beckford, a former soldier forced into an uneasy alliance with outlaws to escort desperately needed medical supplies through dangerous Apache territory.

Clohessy--son of stage/TV actor Robert Clohessy, ("Blue Bloods") appears to have studied Clint Eastwood closely. He borrows a page or two from the legend's playbook, adopting the steely stances, deliberate movements, and quiet swagger that defined Eastwood's Western persona. It mostly works, giving the film a familiar but sturdy center.

Mary Stickley, in her big screen debut, proves she's more than just a pretty face, bringing emotional resolve to a role that could have easily been one-note.

And it's always a treat to see William H. Macy, ("The Running Man") put in work. He elevates even this modestly budgeted production with his seasoned gravitas.

Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising presence is Armie Hammer, making a notable return to the screen after time away amid widely publicized allegations that clouded his career. His appearance adds an extra layer of curiosity, and he delivers--as always--a solid supporting turn.

Violent, tense, and unflinchingly raw, "Frontier Crucible" may not reinvent the Western, but it proves the genre still has bite.
(Recommended).

It is currently available On-Demand/Digital/Blu-ray and DVD.

Watch This Trailer For "FRONTIER CRUCIBLE"

TURA! Title: TURA!
Year Released: 2025
Running Time: 105
Production Company: Quiver Productions
Director: Cody Jarrett
Review By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

FROM SURVIVOR TO SHOWSTOPPER: HOW TURA SANTANA REWROTE HER OWN STORY

Comedian Margaret Cho co-executive produced and narrates this remarkable and unapologetically raw story of Tura Satana, a woman who didn't just survive the odds, she annihilated them.

Tura! is a powerful and unflinching documentary that pulls no punches in telling the life story of Tura Satana, Born Tura Luna Pascual Yamaguchi, a Japanese-American actress, exotic dancer, and pop culture trailblazer who turned her pain into power.

From surviving a brutal gang rape at just nine years old, to being pushed out of her home as a teen and nearly sold into marriage at the age of 13, Tura's life was defined early by cruelty and betrayal. But rather than be crushed by it, she fought back. She trained in martial arts, became a black belt in karate, and vowed that no man would ever hurt her again.

"Tura!" is about survival, of course, but more than that, it's about the refusal to be a victim.

Tura seemed destined for showbiz. Her father was a silent actor in Japanese films, and her mother was a circus performer of Cheyenne and Scots Irish descent.

The film explores Tura's meteoric rise from the underground club scene, where she worked as a dice girl in Illinois and danced burlesque in New Orleans, to the cult status she earned in Russ Meyer's 1965 exploitation classic "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" and director/producer Ted V. Mikels, 1968 sci-fi horror film, "The Astro-Zombies." She wasn’t just playing tough. She was tough. And for an Asian American woman in mid-century America to exude that kind of commanding sexuality and power was unheard of.

The documentary captures her onscreen magnetism and offscreen struggles with equal care, highlighting not only her performances but also the emotional cost of constantly having to fight for respect in an industry and a society that never knew what to do with a woman like her.

Through interviews with filmmaker John Waters, family members, co-stars, and historians, "Tura!" stitches together a complex portrait of a woman who was equal parts myth and flesh. We hear stories of her romantic entanglement with Elvis Presley. He supposedly proposed to Tura, and she turned him down. He insisted she keep the engagement ring. And she did. Tura also had a deep friendship with silent film legend Harold Lloyd.

Audiences experience the chilling accounts of how she tracked down her childhood rapists as an adult, bringing her own version of justice. She was fearless. And yet, the film doesn't shy away from showing the toll it took. There was loneliness, the suicidal lows, the rumors surrounding her violent injuries, and the relentless battles with depression as the industry left her behind.

But what lingers most after the credits roll is her legacy, not just as a cult figure, but as a cultural force. Tura Satana smashed stereotypes and redefined what strength could look like onstage, onscreen, and in life. This documentary doesn't simply celebrate her; it honors her and in such grand and deserving fashion.

With Cho's heartfelt narration, "Tura!" becomes more than a biography. It becomes a rallying cry for women who have had to fight to be seen, heard, and remembered.

Tura wasn't just ahead of her time, she was the time, and finally, the world is catching up. Say her name.
(Highly, Highly Recommended).

Look At This Trailer For "TURA!"

ROBIN AND THE HOODS Title: ROBIN AND THE HOODS
Year Released: 2025
Running Time: 100
Production Company: Future Artists Entertainment/Silver Reel
Director: Phil Hawkins
Review By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

PLAYTIME GETS SERIOUS IN THE DELIGHTFUL "ROBIN AND THE HOODS"

Director Phil Hawkins ("Prancer: A Christmas Tale"), along with screenwriters Stuart Benson ("The Theory of Everything") and Paul Davidson (TV's "British Rationals"), delivers a lighthearted and whimsical fantasy adventure with "Robin and the Hoods."

Bursting with heart and imagination, the film which debuts on all major digital platforms Aug. 27, follows Robin (Darcy Ewart, "Prancer: A Christmas Tale"), a bright and spirited young girl who leads a tight-knit group of kids known as "The Hoods."

Together, they spend their days in joyful make-believe battles across a wild patch of land they've dubbed "The Kingdom." But they're not the only ones with a claim. Henry, (Eddison Burch, TV's Dreamland) the leader of his loyal crew the Knights, often challenges their rule.

Robin is sharp, fearless, and especially handy with a makeshift bow and arrow. Her clan is just as clever: Amaya (Gloria Ishikawa, in her debut) is fiercely loyal and quick-thinking, never backing down from a fight or a debate.
Glen (Bruno Edgington-Gibson, also debuting) adds a dose of magic as a livestreaming wizard. He is always ready with a spell or a clever trick when it matters most.

The fun and games take a serious turn when a pushy "realtor" named Clipboard (a funny and villainous Naomie Harris, "Black Bag") shows up with big plans to turn their beloved playground into a modern town leisure center. Clipboard pitches the idea to Robin's parents, but the kids see the truth. If the Kingdom disappears, so does their world of adventure.

Desperate to save it, Robin brings their concerns to the town's well-meaning mayor (Mark Williams, "Dream Hacker," "Harry Potter" franchise), who may not be hearing the full story from Clipboard.

Realizing they can't win this battle alone, Robin and the Hoods attempt the unthinkable: joining forces with their rivals, The Knights.

With help from a quirky, vegetarian witch (Gwendoline Christie, TV's "Game of Thrones" "Severance"), the kids set out on a bold mission to protect their treasured land, but the clock is ticking.
(Recommended).

"Robin and the Hoods" begins streaming on Digital platforms Aug. 27.

Watch This Trailer For "ROBIN AND THE HOODS"