Newsletter - FOR THE WEEK

OF May 20th, 2013

  This Week's Highlights
Djuley! - A solid week with Brian De Palma, John Stahl, more Hayao Miyazaki and Tinto Brass plus on the Calendar new listings including August Criterion announcements; John Schlesinger, René Clair, John Frankenheimer, Ernst Lubitsch, Max Ophuls, many Satyajit Ray, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Brian De Palma, and others on Blu-ray! We've posted this week's CONTEST Enjoy!

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LATEST ADDITIONS TO THE RELEASE CALENDAR:

Marathon Man [Blu-ray] (John Schlesinger, 1976) Paramount

And Then There Were None [Blu-ray] (René Clair, 1945) VCI

Seconds [Blu-ray] (John Frankenheimer, 1966) Criterion Collection

Seconds (John Frankenheimer, 1966) Criterion Collection

The Big City [Blu-ray] (Satyajit Ray, 1963) Criterion Collection

The Big City (Satyajit Ray, 1963) Criterion Collection

Charulata [Blu-ray] (Satyajit Ray, 1964) Criterion Collection

Charulata (Satyajit Ray, 1964) Criterion Collection

Eclipse Series 39: Early Fassbinder (Love Is Colder Than Death, Katzelmacher, Gods of the Plague, The American Soldier, Beware of a Holy Whore) Criterion Collection

To Be or Not to Be [Blu-ray] (Ernst Lubitsch, 1942) Criterion Collection

To Be or Not to Be (Ernst Lubitsch, 1942) Criterion Collection

The Earrings of Madame de... [Blu-ray] (Max Ophuls, 1953) Criterion Collection

Mahapurush: The Holy Man [Blu-ray] (Satyajit Ray, 1965) RB UK Artificial Eye

Kapurush: The Coward [Blu-ray] (Satyajit Ray, 1965) RB UK Artificial Eye

Cleopatra [Blu-ray] (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1963) 20th Century Fox

Exotica [Blu-ray] (Atom Egoyan, 1994) RB UK Artificial Eye

Calendar [Blu-ray] (Atom Egoyan, 1993) RB UK Artificial Eye

The Awful Dr. Orlof [Blu-ray] (Jesús Franco, 1962) Redemption

Assault on Wall Street [Blu-ray] (Uwe Boll, 2013) Peace Arch Trinity

Perry Mason: The Ninth and Final Season, Vol. 2 - Paramount

The Jack Benny Program: The Lost Episodes - Shout! Factory

Life After Death Project (Paul Davids, 2013) Indieblitz
Jennifer Eight [
Blu-ray] (Bruce Robinson, 1992) Paramount

Snake Eyes [Blu-ray] (Brian De Palma, 1998) Paramount

A Virgin Among The Living Dead [Blu-ray] (Jess Franco, 1973) Redemption

Nightmares Come at Night [Blu-ray] (Jess Franco, 1970) Redemption

Calendar [Blu-ray] (Atom Egoyan, 1993) RB UK Artificial Eye

Journey to Italy [Blu-ray] (Roberto Rossellini, 1954) - RB UK BFI

Niagara [Blu-ray] (Henry Hathaway, 1953) Fox Home Entertainment

Bus Stop [Blu-ray] (Joshua Logan, 1956) Fox Home Entertainment

The Bletchley Circle: Cracking a Killer's Code [Blu-ray] - PBS

Successive Slidings of Pleasure [Blu-ray] (Alain Robbe-Grillet, 1974) - RB UK BFI

Trans-Europ-Express [Blu-ray] (Alain Robbe-Grillet, 1967) - RB UK BFI

Swamp Thing [Blu-ray] (Wes Craven, 1982) Shout! Factory

Bruce Lee Legacy Collection (4 Blu-ray/ 7 DVD) Shout! Factory

The Complete Humphrey Jennings volume 3: A Diary for Timothy [Blu-ray] - RB UK BFI

One. Two. One (Mania Akbari, 2011) R2 UK Second Run

Ikarie XB-1 aka Voyage to the End of the Universe (Jindrich Polák, 1963) R2 UK Second Run

The Sun in a Net (Slnko v sieti) (Stefan Uher, 1962) R2 UK Second Run

Colorful: The Motion Picture [Blu-ray] (Keiichi Hara, 2010) - Section 23

My Dog Tulip [Blu-ray] (Paul & Sandra Fierlinger, 2009) New Yorker

Perfect Understanding [Blu-ray] (Cyril Gardner, 1933) Cohen Media

Love Me Tender [Blu-ray] (Robert D. Webb, 1956) Fox Home Entertainment

Physical Evidence & The Anderson Tapes [Blu-ray] - Mill Creek Entertainment

Death Hunt [Blu-ray] (Peter R. Hunt, 1981) Shout! Factory (BEAVER REVIEW)

Quicksilver [Blu-ray] (Thomas Michael Donnelly, 1986) Image Entertainment

Classic Ghost Stories (The Mezzotint, A School Story and The Diary of Mr Poynter, 1980) R2 UK BFI

Riddles of the Sphinx (Laura Mulvey, Peter Wollen, 1979) R2 UK BFI

Foolish Wives [Blu-ray] (Eric Von Stroheim, 1922) Kino

Howl's Moving Castle [Blu-ray] (Hayao Miyazaki, 2004) Disney

My Neighbor Totoro [Blu-ray] (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988) Disney

Black Sabbath [Blu-ray] (Mario Bava, 1963) Kino

 

 

ONE VOICE (not Ellsworth Monkton Toohey): Brian De Palma's Blow Out gets another stellar Blu-ray package from Arrow in the UK equalling or exceeding Criterion's previous effort in most areas. Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro is always a pleasure and to own it in 1080P resolution is a must-have. John Stahl's Leave Her To Heaven may not have the Technicolor vibrancy of its theatrical appearance but the Blu-ray is definitely improved over the old DVD. The Burning is seen by many as the penultimate of slasher/gore flics and the Shout! Factory Blu-ray is loaded to the gills with supplements. Tinto Brass has two films on Blu-ray this week - his usual butt-festival in All Ladies Do It and leaning to a more standard narrative (as much as he can) with The Key. Not as bad as many make it out, but still un-endorsable is Captain America (1990). While I was intrigued by The Town That Dreaded Sundown - the image quality was too inconsistent and distracted from my viewing. On DVD Eric covered the impressive Complete Existing Films of Sadao Yamanaka from The Masters of Cinema group along with the Spanish comedy/drama Stuck to Your Pillow and the Indie effort Fourplay. Tune in my head; "...always believe in Gold...".

  THIS WEEK's REVIEWS / COMPARISONS
 

Blow Out BD - In the enthralling Blow Out, brilliantly crafted by Brian De Palma, John Travolta gives one of his greatest performances, as a movie sound-effects man who believes he has accidentally recorded a political assassination. He enlists the help of a possible eyewitness to the crime (Nancy Allen), who may be in danger herself, to uncover the truth. With its jolting stylistic flourishes, intricate plot, profoundly felt characterizations, and gritty evocation of early-1980s Philadelphia, Blow Out is an American paranoia thriller unlike any other, as well as a devilish reflection on moviemaking. Blu-ray Release date: May 27th, 2013

Leave Her To Heaven BD - Adapted from the Ben Ames Williams million-seller, Leave Her to Heaven (1945) was a blockbuster whose reputation has only grown with time. A juicy Technicolor melodrama with the shadowy heart of a film noir, it focuses on the alluring Ellen (the incomparable Gene Tierney), a femme fatale whose elegant exterior conceals depths of feverish jealousy which will drive her to the most heinous crimes. Although lushly photographed (by the great Leon Shamroy, whose work would win him a well-deserved Oscar), the film is directed with admirable austerity by veteran John M. Stahl. Blu-ray Release Date: May 2013

The Complete Existing Films of Sadao Yamanaka - The brief but prodigious career of Japanese director Sadao Yamanaka resulted in a catalogue of work characterised by an elegant and unforced visual style, fluid editing, and a beautiful attention to naturalistic performances. Although he made 22 films over a six - year period (before dying of dysentery in a Japanese Imperial Army outpost in Manchuria at the age of 28), only three of them survive, collected here for the first time in the West. DVD Release Date: May 20th, 2013

The Burning BD - What starts out as a harmless prank turns into a terrible tragedy when the caretaker at a summer camp winds up horrifically burned. Permanently disfigured, he returns to the campgrounds seeking revenge against the teenagers responsible. His weapon: a huge pair of garden shears! Blu-ray Release date: May 21st, 2013

The Town That Dreaded Sundown BD - Louisiana-based filmmaker Charles B. (The Legend of Boggy Creek) Pierce's The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) is an effective thriller that exceeds the bonds of its budget thanks to brisk pacing and some alarming murder sequences. Based on the real-life "Phantom Killer," a hooded assailant whose five murders in the Texarkana region in 1946 are still unsolved, Pierce's film divides its running time between re-creations of the attacks and their paralyzing effect on the community and an investigation led by Texas Ranger Ben Johnson (playing a fictionalized version of legendary Ranger Captain Manuel "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas) and deputy Andrew Prine. Blu-ray Release date: May 21st, 2013

The Key BD - Tinto Brass s first major film since the notorious Caligula stars Frank Finlay as a man who is terrified of losing his voluptuous wife Teresa (Stefania Sandrelli) because he is unable to satisfy her sexually. He arranges for her to have an affair, by taking erotic photographs of her and asking her would-be lover to develop them. Meanwhile, he keeps abreast of her burgeoning relationship by reading her diary, in the full knowledge that she in turn is reading his... Blu-ray Release Date: May 20th, 2013

My Neighbor Totoro BD - My Neighbor Totoro is that rare delight, a family film that appeals to children and adults alike. While their mother is in the hospital, 10-year-old Satsuki and 4-year-old Mei move into an old-fashioned house in the country with their professor father. At the foot of an enormous camphor tree, Mei discovers the nest of King Totoro, a giant forest spirit who resembles an enormous bunny rabbit. Mei and Satsuki learn that Totoro makes the trees grow, and when he flies over the countryside or roars in his thunderous voice, the winds blow. Totoro becomes the protector of the two sisters, watching over them when they wait for their father, and carrying them over the forests on an enchanted journey. When the children worry about their mother, Totoro sends them to visit her via a Catbus, a magical, multilegged creature with a grin the Cheshire Cat might envy. Blu-ray Release date: May 21st, 2013

Captain America (1990) BD - The film introduces us to Steve Rogers, a patriotic soul trapped in a frail body who yearns to fight for his country in World War II. He’s given the chance when he is chosen to participate in a secret government experiment to create physically enhanced soldiers. The experiment is a success, and Rogers becomes Captain America, a fighting symbol of his country. His first mission is to parachute into Germany in order to prevent a rocket from being launched at the White House. But waiting for him is his German counterpart, the Red Skull. Blu-ray Release date: May 21st, 2013

All Ladies Do It BD - With its star's bottom looming large on the cover, erotic adventure All Ladies Do It is clearly the work of Italian director Tinto Brass. It is another tale of a young woman and her quest to fulfil her sexual desires, in this case Claudia Koll's Diane, who embarks on a series of casual affairs much to the interest of husband Paul who, assuming that her tales are merely the product of an active imagination, finds himself aroused by their content. In the meantime, Diane is increasing her circle of lovers before a trip to Venice threatens to bring her dual life crashing down. The plot is frankly secondary to Brass' appreciation of the female form (absolutely no opportunity is missed to focus on Koll's behind) and it all becomes a little ludicrous. The original Italian title ("Cosi fan tutte") is derived from Mozart's comic opera but, unlike the opera's convoluted sexual politics, here there is only a rather confused attempt at expressing a quasi-feminist message about female independence. All Ladies Do It is best viewed as a piece of glossy titillation and nothing more. Blu-ray Release Date: May 20th, 2013

Stuck to Your Pillow - When Miguel (Suso Marín) dies in a solo scuba-diving accident, he refuses to go to heaven, blaming his guardian angel (Eduardo Tato) for doing a sucky job rather than his own impulsiveness. Wandering the Earth (well, Spain) in his scuba outfit (complete with flippers), he finds himself drawn to Patricia (Paola Verdú) the lonely wife of ambitious government worker Juan (Juan Dávila) who has been presumptuous enough to buy a family home without consulting her and often works late nights. Although Patricia is unable to see or hear Miguel awake, Miguel discovers that he can enter her dreams and proceeds to romance her in her sleep. As Patricia begins to retreat into her dreams, she misses work and her husband begins to get suspicious (even more so when she tells him that she believes Miguel is a ghost). Believing that Patricia might be having an affair (with a corporeal being), Juan hires a private detective; too cheap to hire a professional, he picks the part-time security guard "Vigilante" (Sepu Sepúlveda) who Patricia comes to believe is stalking her (and becomes the object of Miguel's supernatural pranks once he discovers he can interact with the physical world even if he can't be seen or heard). DVD Release Date: April 30th, 2013

Fourplay - The Kickstarter-funded film festival-bait - having played at Cannes, Sundance, Frameline36, and Outfest among others - FOURPLAY is more provocative than profound. The four sections of this portmanteau film are set in different American cities for reasons that are not readily apparent other than the utilization of local talent in front of and behind the camera. In SKOKIE, Gale (Sara Sevigny) secretly fosters a sexual attraction to married choir colleague Marcy (Amy Jean Johnson) but finds an unlikely substitute when she babysits Marcy's Yorkie Myra. In AUSTIN, stuck-in-a-rut practically-married Lily (Danielle Rene) and Kai (Atticus Rowe) "change the game" with by introducing a little mystery into their sex life. DVD Release Date: May 14th, 2013
 

 Next 4 weeks on the Calendar

May 20th, 2013

 

All Ladies Do It [Blu-ray] (Tinto Brass, 1992) RB UK Arrow Video (BEAVER REVIEW)

Beautiful Creatures [Blu-ray] (Richard Lagravenese, 2013) Warner

The Burning [Blu-ray] (Tony Maylam, 1981) Shout! Factory (BEAVER REVIEW)

The Complete (EXISTING) Films of SADAO YAMANAKA - R2 UK Masters of Cinema (BEAVER REVIEW)

Captain America [Blu-ray] (Albert Pyun, 1990) Shout! Factory (BEAVER REVIEW)

Howl's Moving Castle [Blu-ray] (Hayao Miyazaki, 2004) Disney (BEAVER REVIEW)

Jesus Christ Superstar [Blu-ray] (Norman Jewison, 1973) UK Universal

The Key [Blu-ray] (Tinto Brass, 1983) RB UK Arrow Video (BEAVER REVIEW)

The Last Stand [Blu-ray] (Jee-woon Kim, 2013) Lions Gate

Little Caesar [Blu-ray] (Mervyn LeRoy, 1931) Warner (BEAVER REVIEW)

Medium Cool [Blu-ray] (Haskell Wexler, 1969) Criterion Collection (BEAVER REVIEW)

Medium Cool (Haskell Wexler, 1969) Criterion Collection

The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1942) R2 UK Masters of Cinema

The Murderer Lives at Number 21 [Blu-ray] (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1942) RB UK Masters of Cinema (BEAVER REVIEW)

My Neighbor Totoro [Blu-ray] (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988) Disney (BEAVER REVIEW)

The Petrified Forest [Blu-ray] (Archie Mayo, 1936) Warner (BEAVER REVIEW)

The Public Enemy [Blu-ray] (William A. Wellman, 1931) Warner (BEAVER REVIEW)

Sommersby [Blu-ray] (Jon Amiel, 1993) Warner Home Video

Stand Up Guys [Blu-ray] (Fisher Stevens, 2012) Lions Gate

The Town That Dreaded Sundown [Blu-ray] (Charles B. Pierce, 1976) Shout! Factory (BEAVER REVIEW)

Ultimate Gangsters Collection: Classics [Blu-ray] (Little Caesar / The Public Enemy / The Petrified Forest / White Heat - Warner (BEAVER REVIEW)

Ultimate Gangsters Collection [Blu-ray] (Goodfellas, Departed, The Town, Heat, Untouchables) - Warner

White Heat [Blu-ray] (Raoul Walsh, 1949) Warner (BEAVER REVIEW)

 

May 27th, 2013

 

Blow Out [Blu-ray] (Brian De Palma, 1981) RB UK Arrow Video (BEAVER REVIEW)

Blow Out [Blu-ray] Steelbook (Brian De Palma, 1981) RB UK Arrow Video (BEAVER REVIEW)

Blowing Wild [Blu-ray] (Hugo Fregonese, 1953) Olive Films

Cleopatra [Blu-ray] (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1963) 20th Century Fox

Cria Cuervos [Blu-ray] (Carlos Saura, 1976) RB UK BFI

Dark Command [Blu-ray] (Raoul Walsh, 1940) Olive Films

Father Goose [Blu-ray] (Ralph Nelson, 1964) Olive Films

The File on Thelma Jordon [Blu-ray] (Robert Siodmak, 1950) Olive Films

First Position (Bess Kargman, 2011) R2 UK Artificial Eye

The Girl Who Knew Too Much [Blu-ray] (Francis D. Lyon , 1969) Olive Films

The Grass Is Greener [Blu-ray] (Stanley Donen, 1960) Olive Films

I Wish [Blu-ray] (Hirokazu Koreeda, 2011) RB UK Arrow

In Old California [Blu-ray] (William C. McGann, 1942) Olive Films

Lady from Louisiana [Blu-ray] (Bernard Vorhaus, 1941) Olive Films

Life Is Sweet [Blu-ray] (Mike Leigh, 1990) Criterion Collection (BEAVER REVIEW)

Life Is Sweet (Mike Leigh, 1990) Criterion Collection

Lore [Blu-ray] (Cate Shortland, 2012) RB UK Artificial Eye

The Magic Christian [Blu-ray] (Joseph McGrath, 1969) Olive Films

My Brothers [Blu-ray] (Paul Fraser, 2010) Olive Films

My Dog Tulip [Blu-ray] (Paul & Sandra Fierlinger, 2009) New Yorker

My Left Foot [Blu-ray] (Jim Sheridan, 1989) RB UK ITV Studios

Reuben, Reuben [Blu-ray] (Robert Ellis Miller, 1983) Olive Films

Rolling Thunder [Blu-ray] (John Flynn, 1977) Shout! Factory

Shanks [Blu-ray] (William Castle, 1974) Olive Films

The Unbelievable Truth [Blu-ray] (Hal Hartley, 1989) RB UK Artificial Eye

 

June 3rd, 2013

 

Alfred Hitchcock: The Essentials Collection [Blu-ray] (Psycho, Rear Window, North By Northwest, Vertigo, Birds) Universal

Breaking Bad: The Fifth Season [Blu-ray] Sony

Clint Eastwood: 20 Film Collection [Blu-ray] - Warner

Creature From the Black Lagoon [Blu-ray] (Jack Arnold, 1954) Universal Studios (BEAVER REVIEW)

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry / Race With The Devil [Blu-ray] - Shout Factory

Earthquake [Blu-ray] (Mark Robson, 1974) Universal Studios

Electra Glide in Blue [Blu-ray] (James William Guercio, 1973) Shout! Factory

In The Name Of The Father [Blu-ray] (Jim Sheridan, 1993) [Region Free] UK Universal (BEAVER REVIEW)

In Old Arizona [Blu-ray] (Irving Cummings, 1928) 20th Century Fox

The Invisible Man [Blu-ray] (James Whale, 1933) Universal Studios (BEAVER REVIEW)

Joe Kidd [Blu-ray] (John Sturges, 1972) Region FREE UK Universal

The Long Riders [Blu-ray] (Walter Hill, 1980) RB UK Second Sight (BEAVER REVIEW)

Mad Max: Complete Trilogy [Blu-ray] - Warner Home Video

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance [Blu-ray] (John Ford, 1962) [Region Free] UK Paramount (BEAVER REVIEW)

Marathon Man [Blu-ray] (John Schlesinger, 1976) UK Region Free Paramount

Midway [Blu-ray] (Jack Smight, 1976) Universal Studios

The Mummy [Blu-ray] (Karl Freund, 1932) Universal Studios (BEAVER REVIEW)

The Odd Couple [Blu-ray] (Gene Saks, 1968) Warner Home Video

Perfect Understanding [Blu-ray] (Cyril Gardner, 1933) Cohen Media

Phantom of the Opera [Blu-ray] (Arthur Lubin, 1943) Universal Studios (BEAVER REVIEW)

Rooster Cogburn [Blu-ray] (Stuart Millar, 1975) Region FREE UK Universal

Rope [Blu-ray] (Alfred Hitchcock, 1948) Universal (BEAVER REVIEW)

The Sand Pebbles [Blu-ray] (Robert Wise, 1966) RB UK 20th Century Fox

Scum [Blu-ray] (Alan Clarke, 1979) Kino Lorber

The Shadow [Blu-ray] (Russell Mulcahy, 1994) Universal Studios (BEAVER REVIEW)

True Grit / The Searchers [Blu-ray] - Warner (BEAVER REVIEW)  (BEAVER REVIEW)

Two Mules for Sister Sara [Blu-ray] (Don Siegel, 1969) Region FREE UK Universal

The War Wagon [Blu-ray] (Burt Kennedy, 1967) Region FREE UK Universal

Warm Bodies [Blu-ray] (Jonathan Levine, 2013) Summit Entertainment

 

 

 

June 10th, 2013

 

Beyond the Hills [Blu-ray] (Cristian Mungiu, 2012) RB UK Artificial Eye

Enter the Dragon: 40th Anniversary [Blu-ray] (Robert Clouse, 1973) Warner Home Video

Fear Not [Blu-ray] (Nicolo Dominick Gullo, Jameel Saleem, 2011) Kino Lorber

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters [Blu-ray] - Rated and Unrated Versions (Tommy Wirkola, 2013) Paramount

The House of Seven Corpses [Blu-ray] (Paul Harrison, 1974) Severin Films

House On Straw Hill [Blu-ray] (James Kenelm Clarke. 1976) Severin Films

Michael H - Profession: Director (Yves Montmayeur, 2013) R2 UK Artificial Eye

Next of Kin [Blu-ray] (Atom Egoyan, 1984) RB UK Artificial Eye

The Philadelphia Experiment [Blu-ray] (Paul Ziller, 2012) Starz / Anchor Bay

Simple Men [Blu-ray] (Hal Hartley, 1992) RB UK Artificial Eye

Wild Strawberries [Blu-ray] (Ingmar Bergman, 1957) Criterion Collection

     
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