Newsletter - FOR THE WEEK

OF April 4th, 2011

Jam waali  - After returning more than a week ago we are offering coverage on many discs including 3 Criterion Blu-rays, new format transfer of films by Argento, DeMille, Aronofsky, Norman Jewison, 2 by Martin Scorsese, Jean-Pierre Melville, Nicholas Ray, Mike Leigh, a package of 14 Sherlock Holmes films, apocalyptic Heston, etc. and DVDs of Czech gems, Noirs, a popular British drama series and more. Phew.. Plus a new Criterion Blu-ray prize for this week's contest clip. Enjoy!

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FEATURE DVD and Blu-ray for the MONTH of April chosen HERE

TOOLBAR THE 'DVDBeaver Toolbar'! Give it a test drive! I've created a very simple toolbar for Film-Fans/DVD-o-philes/cinephiles. It embeds effortlessly within Internet Explorer 5.0+ (Windows Vista/XP/2000) and Firefox 1.0.1+ (Windows, Mac, Linux). It offers quick links to Searching both the Net (via Google) and DVDBeaver directly, Amazons, Asian etailors, Forums (Criterion, Home Theater, AVS, Rotten Tomatoes, Film Noir), IMDb, DVDBasen, Beaver links, Blu-ray information, Cinephile Blogs/Journals (Rosenbaum, Kehr, Acquarello etc.). What do you think? FOR MORE INFORMATION / AVAILABLE HERE *** (We can adjust this to suit popular opinion - on-the-fly - no re-install required!)

April 4th CONTEST - identify the clip on the CONTEST PAGE to win a NEW Criterion Blu-ray of Fish Tank

If there are DVD titles you'd like us to cover - please feel free to recommend!

Gary at 2ze dot com

Upstairs, Downstairs - Complete Series - The most popular and successful British drama series in television history, Upstairs Downstairs Complete Series: 40th Anniversary Edition arrives on DVD from Acorn Media on March 29th, 2011, featuring more than 25 hours of extra features (new to North American DVD editions) and “collectible packaging.” Winner of seven Emmy Awards, two BAFTAs, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody, “Upstairs, Downstairs” tells the epic saga of life in Edwardian England. The series inspired the recent hit “Downton Abbey” and the BBC & PBS Masterpiece Classic revival of the same name that resumes the story of 165 Eaton Place where the original series left off... DVD Release Date: March 29th, 2011

...And Justice For All BD - Norman Jewison's blackly satirical look at the American justice system has gained in stature as one of the more incisive... social commentaries of its time. Al Pacino plays Arthur Kirkland, an incorruptible attorney who attempts to initiate reforms in the Maryland justice system. Kirkland is haunted by the fates of two past clients, one of whom committed suicide in jail; the other is still alive but is locked up on a trumped-up traffic violation. The ability of power and money to distort the pursuit of justice becomes all too clear as Kirkland finds out how deeply the rot has spread. Blu-ray Release Date: April 5th, 2011

Mean Streets BD - The breakthrough film for Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and of course, director Martin Scorsese. A common story of small time hoods, familial bonding, pervasive violence and the religious overtones while surviving in New York's Little Italy. We would see much more advanced, superior and mature works from all three in their future films and collaborations. Blu-ray Release Date: April 6th, 2011

Cave of the Yellow Dog - The nomadic Batchuluun family cross the country with their flock of sheep, settling down temporarily in grazing areas. The mother (Buyandulam Daramdadi) takes care of the yurt, the father (Batchuluun Urjindorj) obtains supplies and sells off the skin of his sheep that have been killed by wolves, eldest daughter (6 year old Nansal Batchuluun) watches the sheep, while the two younger children play. Their traditional way of life is becoming more difficult to maintain (the father tells some fellow travelers that he is losing his flock to the wolves and that more and more nomads are giving up their way of life moving to the cities). DVD Release Date: July 5th, 2010

Johnny Allegro - Ex-gangster Johnny Allegro (George Raft) makes the acquaintance of the beautiful Glenda Chapman (Nina Foch) when he helps her out of a tight spot. As a result, a Government agent persuades Allegro to exploit his new contact to go undercover and infiltrate a crime ring led by Glenda's husband, Morgan Vallin (George Macready, Gilda). Allegro achieves his objective, arriving at an island owned by Vallin, but realizes quickly that Vallin is a formidable opponent with a disturbing hobby. Can Allegro trust Glenda - the wife of the man he's trying to bring down? Will Vallin discover that he and Allegro are on the opposite sides of a dangerous and deadly game? DVD Release Date: September 21st, 2010

Footsteps in the Fog - Stewart Granger is the recently widowed Londoner Stephen Lowry in this lovely little Victorian Noir. His housemaid Lily (played by Jean Simmons) confronts Lowry with the knowledge that the former Mrs. Lowry was poisoned, securing herself a better position among the household staff, and eventually, in Lowry's arms. Eventually, the threat of blackmail is too much for Lowry, and both he and Lily struggle to gain the control of the situation - with fatal results. DVD Release Date: September 21st, 2010

Black Swan BD - Whatever might have been the filmmakers’ intention, I rather enjoy seeing Aronofsky’s movie as a nightmare, one that begins in what appears to the protagonist as a harmless, if portentous dream and ends in a delirious, eroticized metamorphosis. In this view, everything, and I do mean everything, are projections of Nina’s psyche - of her desires, repressions, conflicts, urges. She sees these projections - uh, one moment please - I am suddenly aware of Di Caprio’s explanation of how the dreamer affects the dream in Inception - Indeed, Black Swan could easily be seen as a shared dream. We share this dream with the characters in the play. Like Thomas, Lily and Erica, we try to invade Nina’s dream with our own projections. We want to steer her this way or that and make it all come out in some rational way, even if it is to explain Nina as psychotic. (Not my favorite view, by the way) Blu-ray Release date: March 29th, 2011

Of Gods and Men BD - A monastery perched in the mountains of North Africa in the 1990s. Eight French Christian monks live in harmony with their Muslim brothers. When a crew of foreign workers is massacred by an Islamic fundamentalist group, fear sweeps though the region. The army offers them protection, but the monks refuse. Should they leave? Despite the growing menace in their midst, they slowly realize that they have no choice but to stay... come what may. This film is loosely based on the life of the Cistercian monks of Tibhirine in Algeria, from 1993 until their kidnapping in 1996. Blu-ray Release date: April 11th, 2011

Le Cercle Rouge BD - Master thief Corey (Alain Delon) is fresh out of prison. But instead of toeing the line of law-abiding freedom, he finds his steps leading back to the shadowy world of crime, crossing those of a notorious escapee (Gian Maria Volonté) and alcoholic ex-cop (Yves Montand). As the unlikely trio plots a heist against impossible odds, their trail is pursued by a relentless inspector (Bourvil), and fate seals their destinies. Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Cercle Rouge combines honorable anti-heroes, coolly atmospheric cinematography, and breathtaking set pieces to create a masterpiece of crime cinema. Blu-ray Release Date: April 12th, 2011

Too Late For Tears - Too Late for Tears has all the elements of my favorite type of film noir: a vicious woman--so crafty and so evil she fools, manipulates and destroys the men in her life, a once-in a lifetime opportunity to get rich (so what if it involves a few corpses), the double cross when you least expect it, and a fast trip all the way down that slippery moral slope to film noir purgatory. Directed by Byron Haskin (I Walk Alone and The Naked Jungle) and based on a novel by Roy Huggins, Too Late for Tears showcases former fashion model, gravel-voiced Lizabeth Scott in one of the two major roles she played in Hollywood. Image Entertainment DVD Release Date: May 25th, 2004

Taxi Driver BD - Travis' state of mind and his work allow Scorsese to show a side of New York that's progressively darker and darker, with the help of Michael Chapman's gorgeous photography and Bernard Hermann's haunting last score, from the classy campaign HQ to the dirty streets where 12-year-old hookers (young Jodie Foster, incredible) are beaten up by their pimp (Harvey Keitel, amost unrecognizable). Travis becomes more and more self-centered, destructive and mad (the famous "You talking to me ?" scene is a powerful example of it) and finally decides to act and to kill the ones that prevent him from being happy with the girls of his life. Blu-ray Release Date: April 5th, 2011

Topsy-Turvy BD - The world of Gilbert and Sullivan comes to vivid life in director Mike Leigh’s extraordinary dramatization of the staging of the duo’s legendary 1885 comic opera The Mikado. Jim Broadbent and Allan Corduner brilliantly inhabit the roles of the world-famous Victorian librettist and composer, who, along with their troupe of temperamental actors, must battle personal and professional demons while mounting this major production. A lushly produced epic about the harsh realities of creative expression, featuring bravura performances and Oscar-winning costume design and makeup, Topsy-Turvy is an unexpected period delight from one of contemporary cinema’s great artists. Blu-ray Release date: March 29th, 2011

The Mikado BD - The legendary Gilbert and Sullivan troupe the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company joined forces with Hollywood for this 1939 Technicolor version of the beloved comic opera The Mikado, the first work by the famed duo to be adapted for the screen. Directed by musician and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Victor Schertzinger, it is a lavish cinematic retelling of the British political satire set in exotic Japan, with such enduringly popular numbers as “A Wand’ring Minstrel I” and “Three Little Maids from School,” and featuring American singer Kenny Baker as well as a host of renowned D’Oyly Carte performers, including Martyn Green and Sydney Granville. Blu-ray Release date: March 29th, 2011

Soylent Green BD - New York City in the year 2022 the population is over 40 million. Without enough food to feed the masses--most of it must be manufactured in local factories. The dinner choices are between Soylent Blue, Soylent Yellow, or Soylent Green. When William Simonson an executive in the Soylent Company, is found murdered, police detective Thorn is sent in to investigate the case. As he delves deeper into his investigation he uncovers another dark secret-- the heinous truth behind the real ingredients of Soylent Green. Blu-ray Release date: March 29th, 2011

Sherlock Holmes: Complete Collection BD - The character of Sherlock Holmes is to date the character most often portrayed on screen. According to Guinness, per 1988, he had appeared in 193 films (today its well over 200), and of all actors ever to portrait Sherlock Holmes, one stands above the rest: Basil Rathbone. Thus, while the Granada adaptations of Sherlock Holmes, starring Jeremy Brett, is considered near perfect adaptations of both the novels and the character, Rathbone remains the iconographic Sherlock Holmes, not only because he resembles the original Sidney Paget illustrations, but also because Rathbone brought passion, intelligence and idiosyncrasies to the character, thereby creating a visual icon of the worlds greatest detective, which actors only dare dream of. Blu-ray Release Date: March 29th, 2011

King of Kings BD - My favorite of all the Bronston epics and quite possibly my personal number one of all the biblical cinema sagas (including "Ben-Hur", "The Ten Commandments", "The Gospel According to St. Matthew" and 1965's "The Greatest Story Ever Told."). Director Nicholas Ray managed an impressive feat encapsulating the Christ narrative so elegantly into such a spectacular film extravaganza. It really is an encompassing viewing. The movie is majestic yet holds the divine and respectful chronicling of the life of Jesus quite adeptly. Orson Welles narration adds another perfect touch and there are numerous highly memorable scenes - the Sermon on the Mount - coquettish Salome dancing for her stepfather King Herod, the Last Supper and the Crucifixion all stand out with Ray's deft touch. Jeffrey Hunter handles the impossible role of the Lamb of God as well as one could imagine. A classic film running the perfect length (not excessively long) with barely a frame of wasted footage. Blu-ray Release Date: March 29th, 2011

The Mountain - Retired mountain climber and guide Zachary Wheeler (Spencer Tracy) reluctantly helps his younger brother (Robert Wagner) scale a treacherous mountain slope to reach the site of a recent plane crush. Truly his brother’s keeper, he puts aside their differences and agrees to help his inexperienced brother on an immoral looting mission. After reaching the crash site the brothers discover a lone survivor (Anna Kashfi)… Zachary immediately starts caring for the injured young woman planning her rescue while his brother would rather abandon her and make off with the loot. The stellar cast also includes Claire Trevor, William Demarest and E.G. Marshall. This one-of-a-kind action-adventure was directed by Edward Dmytryk (The Caine Mutiny). DVD Release Date: April 5th, 2011

Thunder in the City - Daniel Armstrong (Edward G. Robinson) journey's to England to learn more polished business techniques. While there, he becomes aware of an unexploited mangalite mine in Rhodesia. At the same time, Dan is falling for the Lady Patricia (Luli Deste), but has to compete against another suitor, Henry (Ralph Richardson) to win the Lady's Heart. DVD Release Date: March 29th 2011

Larks on a String - Shot in 1969, but banned by the Czech government until the fall of the Communist regime in 1990, Menzel s wry comic drama is a hymn to humanity and nonconformity. The film s principal characters are residents of a state-run junkyard / labour camp for those whose actions have been deemed counter-revolutionary . On one side of the yard live the men, most sent here for re-education . On the other side, are a group of women interned for the crime of attempted defection. Separately, the two groups lazily toil, sorting out piles of scrap metal (one huge pile is nothing less than a veritable mountain of crucifixes and religious icons); together, they flirt, philosophize, and occasionally sneak off behind the hillocks of slag to make love. Larks on a String is at once a stinging indictment of the repressive politics of Czechoslovakia's past, and an endearing comedy and affecting love story. DVD Release Date: March 14th, 2011

The Ten Commandments BD - Shot in widescreen Technicolor, The Ten Commandments remains the standard by which Biblical epics -- and many epics in general -- are measured. DeMille is heavy handed, but that's DeMille. Heston scowls and Brynner emotes; they are archetypal versions of themselves. Many of DeMille's sets and stunts are obvious fakes (that animated pillar of fire wouldn't scare a house cat), but most are impressive even today. When Moses turns his staff into a snake and back again, the effect is seamless. His turning of the Nile into blood is an impressive camera trick, but his parting of the Red Sea is one of Hollywood's most famous stunts. It's worth sitting through the 220 minutes of movie for this alone. Blu-ray Release Date: March 29th, 2011

Inferno BD - In New York, poetess Rose (Irene Miracle, THE NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS) discovers the alchemist-authored tome THE THREE MOTHERS in a nearby antique shop and learns that her apartment building is one of the houses of the damned belonging to Mater Tenebrarum (the mother of darkness) one of a trio of witches (the other two houses being in Frieberg, Germany - the setting of Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA - and the other being in Rome). An underwater subterranean lair complete with floating rotting corpses suggests to Rose that the book is a work of fact and she writes to her brother Mark (Leigh McCloskey), a music student in Rome. Blu-ray Release Date: March 29th, 2011

Junebug BD - The story deals with a sophisticated art gallery owner who travels to South Carolina to scout an eccentric folk painter. Her young husband comes along and decides the trip is a ‘convenient’ time to introduce his new bride to the Southern family he has distanced himself from and hasn’t seen in nearly three years. What ensues is a humorous and moving film that looks at the differences between small town life and that of liberal city-goers, and reveals some beautiful things about not just our own personal outlooks, but about the way we view the people in our lives, as well as the way we view our own country. Blu-ray Release Date: April 18th, 2011

Under the Skin - wild, heartbreaking young actress named Samantha Morton plays the central role in Carine Adler's ''Under the Skin'' with incredible abandon. This 20-year-old newcomer stars as Iris, the younger of two English sisters whose mother (Rita Tushingham) rather wishfully named them for flowers. And it is pregnant, matronly Rose (Claire Rushbrook, Brenda Blethyn's sulky daughter in ''Secrets and Lies'') whom their mother clearly favors. That makes life all the more excruciating for Iris when, with little warning, their adored mother dies. DVD Release Date: 19 March 2003

Wake Wood - After veterinarian Patrick (Aidan Gillen, 12 ROUNDS) and his wife Louise (Eva Birthistle, THE CHILDREN) lose their daughter Alice (Ella Connolly) to a vicious dog attack, they move to the small Irish village of Wake Wood where he takes over the vet practice - taken over from well-to-do Arthur (Timothy Spall, GOTHIC) - and she takes over the local pharmacy. Louise has not gotten over her daughter's death and resents Patrick for trying to move on. She wants to return to the city. While Patrick is driving Louise to the train station, their car breaks down near Arthur's home. DVD Release Date: March 28th, 2011
 

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