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Review: This week’s releases yearn for something better

This week’s releases include a perpetual conspiracy; a compelling series; and a couple of Prohibition legends.

A scene from 'Poupelle of Chimney Town'
A scene from 'Poupelle of Chimney Town' courtesy of Eleven Arts
A scene from 'Poupelle of Chimney Town' courtesy of Eleven Arts

Posted July 17, 2022

This week’s releases include a perpetual conspiracy; a compelling series; and a couple of Prohibition legends.

Poupelle of Chimney Town on Blu-ray
Eleven Arts and Shout Factory

Poupelle of Chimney Town (Blu-ray & DVD)

Young Lubicchi lives among the thick smoke from the chimneys of his isolated town, yearning to see the “stars” — to know the truth — his father always told him about. One Halloween night, he meets Poupelle, a man made of garbage, and together they look to the sky as their adventure begins.

This animated film is built around a widespread conspiracy shared by an entire town. Poupelle is an immediately intriguing character as he manifests from nothing and has a distinct personality. He’s quickly ostracized and forced to go underground to avoid persecution, though it’s obvious he has a connection with Lubicchi. It’s very much a story of someone being called crazy for believing the Earth is round, but in this case he believes there is a world — and stars — beyond the smoke-covered sky. It’s a little drawn out, but the eventual solution to show the townspeople the truth involves a very creative and potentially dangerous stunt. The conclusion, while predictable, is still quite satisfying.

Special features include: “The World of Chimney Town”; “What’s Next for Chimney Town”; creator Akihiro Nishino special Q&A at Malibu Film Society screening. (Eleven Arts and Shout Factory)

The Untouchables on 4K
Paramount Home Entertainment

The Untouchables (4K Ultra HD & Digital copy)

During the era of Prohibition in the United States, Federal Agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) sets out to stop ruthless Chicago gangster Al Capone (Robert De Niro) and, because of rampant corruption, assembles a small, hand-picked team to help him.

Released in 1987, this is still one of the most iconic depictions of Prohibition, depicting both sides of the law via some great actors directed by Brian De Palma. Ness is a law enforcement legend, using a variety of tactics to circumvent the corruption in the police force and actually have an impact on Chicago’s bootlegging industry. The team he assembles is played by Sean Connery, Andy Garcia and Charles Martin Smith, though it is a bit strange seeing Connery portray an Irish character. Unfortunately, it’s a dangerous endeavour and nearly impossible to accomplish without bloodshed, leaving no possibility for a real happy ending. On the opposite side of things, De Niro and Capone’s right-hand man, Nitti, played by Billy Drago, portray a cutthroat criminal underground in which they take no prisoners. It’s still amusing one of the most famous gangsters would be convicted on tax evasion, but this film shows some of the hard work still required to get even that.

Special features include: “The Script, The Cast”; “Production Stories”; “Re-Inventing the Genre”; “The Classic”; “The Men”; and production notes. (Paramount Home Entertainment)

Yellowstone Season 1-4 on Blu-ray
Paramount Home Entertainment

Yellowstone: The First Four Seasons (Blu-ray)

The first four seasons of the critically acclaimed series recounts the epic story of the Dutton family, who control the largest ranch in the contiguous United States. Headed by John Dutton (Kevin Costner), the family faces an onslaught of attacks both from within and a world of vicious greed on the outside. Secrets, lies, dangerous liaisons and escalating violence create high stakes drama at every turn. Land developers, politicians, an Indian reservation, oil and lumbar corporations all want a piece of the billions on the line. It’s what America has come to, a wild ride through the eyes of a family that will stop at nothing to protect its legacy.

The first season is an introduction to the family, their dysfunctional dynamics and the lengths they’re willing to go to keep their land. It’s very dramatic and cutthroat, but is nothing compared to what would follow in subsequent seasons. In the second season, more powerful players enter the scene — including local rancher-mobsters — making the battle for supremacy much more dangerous. The extremes these “businessmen” go to retain to their power and control over a particular trade is cringe-worthy, as is the fragility of their egos as they make decisions that protect their pride more than their loved ones. The third season begins on a healing note after some very dark moments, but in an evolving world that favours commerce over legacy, the ranch is always under threat. This time, their enemy has unlimited resources and is coming after them on all fronts… and when that doesn’t work, they decide to play really dirty in a game that everyone may not survive. The fourth season picks up from the previous one’s cliff-hanger as each member of the family must find their own way to deal with the unimaginable trauma this fight for supremacy continues to bring to their doorstep. The flashbacks throughout each season contribute to better understandings of the characters and their motivations — a key component in such a complex story.

Special features include: Season One: “Inside Yellowstone”; “Costner on Yellowstone Cowboy Camp”; “Character Spots”; “Production Design”; “Special Effects”; “Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner on Yellowstone”; official theme music composed by Brian Tyler. Season Two: deleted scenes; making-of featurette; behind-the-scenes; “Inside Yellowstone”; “Behind the Story”; “Costner on Yellowstone: Season 2”; “Fight Choreography”; and “Stories from the Bunkhouse.” Season Three: “Meaner than Evil: Making Yellowstone: Season 3”; “Behind the Story” for every episode; “Working the Yellowstone: Director Stephen Kay”; “Working the Yellowstone: SFX Supervisor Garry Elmendorf”; Inside Yellowstone Season 3”; and “Stories from the Bunkhouse.” Season Four: “Opening Pandora’s Box: Making Yellowstone Season Four”; “Bloodline: Yellowstone Origins”; “Season 4: Back to the Bunkhouse”; “Working the Yellowstone: Making it All Happen”; “Inside Yellowstone: Season 4”; “Behind the Story”; and “Stories from the Bunkhouse.” (Paramount Home Entertainment)

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Written By

Sarah Gopaul is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for film news, a member of the Online Film Critics Society and a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved critic.

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