Random DVD and Blu-ray announcements

Started by wilder, November 01, 2011, 01:54:56 AM

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jenkins

Technicolor Dreams and Yuletide Flickers i'm still saving for the future, owing to my tremendous excitement, but like Willie Whopper i went right into Private Snafu.



this has felt immensely rewarding for all sorts of reasons.

QuotePrivate Snafu cartoons were a military secret—for the armed forces only.

Private Snafu was for teaching lessons to illiterate enlistees of WW2. Snafu means Situation Normal: All Fucked Up.

QuoteThe character was created by director Frank Capra, chairman of the U.S. Army Air Force First Motion Picture Unit, and most were written by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, Philip D. Eastman, and Munro Leaf.

Capra, and then related not just to Dr. Seuss but also—



and



QuoteThe cartoons thus represented a multi-talent collaboration by some of America's best in their respective fields; a common occurrence in the war effort.

plus the previously mentioned Chuck Jones and Mel Blanc, and also Bob Clampett and Frank Tashlin were involved. it's a lot of fun to discover, after purchasing, that Frank Tashlin was involved.

to provide an illustration of this show, here's the fifth in the series. 1943-09-20, Dr. Seuss and Phil Eastman uncredited as its writers. Chuck Jones its director. i like this one because its theme is that each person has their own hardships.



everyone with a problem is one of many. classic. here's a cartoon designed as a reminder.

jenkins

from the US National Archives, with the War Department stamp, this next one is Chuck Jones directed, Dr. Seuss written.

this example illustrates some of the broader realities achievable through cartoon logic. the lead character is a mosquito with tremendous personality. the overall lesson is simple: don't get stung by a mosquito. isn't that a boring thing to remember? and yet what an exciting episode to remember:



clearly building up to Looney Tunes

wilder

#722
November 21, 2017

William Morgan's The Violent Years (1956) on blu-ray from the The American Genre Film Archive and Something Weird Video, from a new 4K restoration.



Paula Parkins is the teenage daughter of wealthy parents whom don't seem to make time for her, so she looks for thrills as the leader of her all-girl gang who steal, rob, and rape young men. Screenplay by Ed Wood. (The label has also confirmed that the film will be paired with Boris Petroff's crime thriller Anatomy of a Psycho).

The Violent Years (1956) - Amazon





wilder

September 26, 2017

Joe Sarno's All the Sins of Sodom (1968) and Vibrations (1968) on blu-ray from Film Movement Classics and Something Weird Video, restored from the original film elements



QuoteAll the Sins of Sodom / Vibrations, directed by 'the Ingmar Bergman of 42nd St.,' Joseph W. Sarno, is the second entry in the definitive series celebrating one of the most gifted pioneers of the sexploitation genre. These two seminal films are now being released for the first time on Blu ray.

Encouraged by his agent, struggling NYC photographer Henning begins a daring portfolio of his model, Leslie. But all too soon, jealousies erupt when another model vies for his camera and bed. A strikingly filmed, penetrating study of ambition, romance and lust set in the world of 1960s fashion photography, All the Sins of Sodom is sexploitation auteur Sarno at the top of his game.

Aspiring poet Barbara moves to Manhattan to jump-start her career and sex life, only to spend her evenings listening to the sounds of her neighbor s vibrator. When her extroverted sister Julie comes to town, Barbara is forced to confront her repressed sexual desires. An early classic by sexploitation director Sarno, Vibrations is classy and sophisticated, beautifully shot, a juicy script, filled with wonderful performances and sexy as hell.

All the Sins of Sodom (1968) / Vibrations (1968) - Amazon





wilder

October 24, 2017

James Whale's The Old Dark House (1932) on blu-ray from Cohen Media Group, from a new 4K restoration



From the director of Frankenstein, a group of stranded travelers stumble upon a strange old house, and find themselves at the mercy of the highly eccentric, and potentially dangerous, Femm family. This well-performed, atmospheric thriller features the first starring horror role for Boris Karloff, as the hulking, disfigured butler. Based on the novel Benighted (1927) by J. B. Priestley.

The Old Dark House (1932) - Amazon



wilder

August 29, 2017

Frank Tashlin's Son of Paleface (1952) on blu-ray from Kino



Junior Potter returns to claim his father's gold, which is nowhere to be found. "Mike" is the luscious head of a gang of thieves, and Roy Barton is the federal marshal hot on her trail.

Son of Paleface (1952) - Amazon











wilder

October 9, 2017

The Aki Kaurismäki Blu-ray Collection from Artificial Eye (UK). The box set will also contain a 100-page book.



DISC 1
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
CALAMARI UNION

DISC 2
SHADOWS IN PARADISE
DRIFTING CLOUDS
OO AINA IHMINEN (short film)

DISC 3
HAMLET GOES BUSINESS
LA VIE BOHEME

DISC 4
ARIEL
MATCH FACTORY GIRL
VALIMO

DISC 5
LENINGRAD COWBOYS
LENINGRAD COWBOYS GO AMERICA

DISC 6
TOTAL BALALAIKA SHOW
THESE BOOTS (short film)
THOSE WERE THE DAYS (short film)
THRU THE WIRE (short film)
ROCKY IV (short film)
RICH LITTLE BITCH (short film)
DOGS HAVE NO HELL (short film)

DISC 7
TAKE CARE OF YOU SCARF, TATJANA
JUHA

DISC 8
THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST
LIGHTS IN THE DUSK

DISC 9
LE HAVRE

DISC 10
THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE   

Aki Kaurismäki Blu-ray Collection - Amazon UK

wilder

2017 TBD

Dario Argento's Suspiria (1977) on blu-ray from Synapse, from a new 4K restoration





Currently up for pre-order at Synapse Films


wilder

October 23, 2017

Buñuel: The Essential Blu-ray Collection from StudioCanal (UK)




Diary of a Chambermaid (1964)

The second screen version of Octave Mirbeau's novel (originally filmed in 1946 by Jean Renoir) 'The Diary of a Chambermaid' is another of Bunuel's biting and brilliant attacks on the bourgeoisie. Written by Bunuel and his regular writing partner Jean-Claude Cariere, the film charts the ambitions of Celestine (Jeanne Moreau, 'Jules et Jim'), a woman who comes to work in the Normandy estate occupied by Monsieur Rabour (Jean Ozenne), his daughter (Francoise Lugagne) and the daughter's husband, the right wing Monsaiur Montiel (Michel Piccoli, 'Milou en mai'). Celestine quickly learns that M. Rabour is a more or less harmless boot fetishist, his daughter a frigid woman more concerned with the family furnishings than in returning the affections of her husband, who in turn, can't keep his hands off the servants. Celestine picks her way through this minefield carefully, spurning the advances of all of the men until it's convenient for her.

Charting the rise of 30s Fascisim, Bunuel's film also intelligently considers political, social and sexual positions in relation to the perversity of human desires. Moreau excels as the sharp-witted servant, one of the most fascinating of all Bunuel's proto-feminist heroines.


Belle de Jour (1967)

Synopsis: Undoubtedly Luis Buñuel's most accessible film, Belle de Jour is an elegant and erotic masterpiece that maintains as hypnotic a grip on modern audiences today as it did on its debut over 50 years ago.

Severine is a beautiful young woman married to a doctor. She loves her husband dearly, but cannot bring herself to be physically intimate with him. She indulges instead in vivid, kinky, erotic fantasies to entertain her sexual desires. Eventually she becomes a prostitute, working in a brothel in the afternoons while remaining chaste in her marriage. Stars the incomparable Catherine Deneuve in a career defining role as Severine, the eponymous heroine of the film.


The Milky Way (1969)

In his autobiography "The Last Sigh", Bunuel suggsests that The Milky Way, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeosis and The Phantom of Liberty form a kind of trilogy, or rather a triptych. All three have te same themes, sometimes even thesame grammar, and all evoke the search for truth, aswlee as the necessity of abandoning it as soon as you've found it. Religious pilgrims Pierre (Paul Frnkeur) and Jean (Laurent Terzieff) journey to a shrine in the north of Spain. Their faith is severely tested by some of the irreverent characters they confront in the course of their pilgrimage. Even chance meetings with Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and the Devil are not quite what Pierre and Jean have been prepared for in their religious training.

One of the most challenging and irreverent of the director's later works The Milky Way also continues Bunuel's ongoing disdain of Roman Catholicism. Funnt, intelligent and sardonic, it's availability will be justly celebrated by Bunuel enthusiasts.


Tristana (1970)

Synopsis: Tristana (Catherine Deneuve) is a young devout woman who goes to live with her male guardian after her mother's death. His intentions towards her are clearly more than fatherly, leading to an enforced marriage, but Tristana flees to Madrid when she falls in love with a young artist. Years later, she is afflicted with a life-threatening illness, which, however, does not stop her plotting revenge against the man who had stripped her of her innocence.


The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)

Synopsis: Luis Buñuel's surrealist satire takes on targets as diverse as South American politics, the upper class and religion. Well-to-do couple the Thévenots (Paul Frankeur and Delphine Seyrig), accompany M. Thévenot's colleague Rafael Acosta (Fernando Rey) and Mme. Thévenot's sister Florence (Bulle Ogier), to the house of Henri and Alice Sénéchal (Jean-Pierre Cassel and Stéphane Audran), who are hosting a dinner party. On arrival, however, Alice explains that she expected them the following evening and has no dinner prepared. Inviting Alice to join them for dinner at a local inn, the party quickly leave when they discover that the manager died a few hours earlier and his former employees are holding a vigil over his corpse, awaiting the coroner. So begins a series of increasingly bizarre episodes and surreal dream sequences as the diners, over the course of the following days, find themselves repeatedly frustrated in their attempts at eating out.


The Phantom of Liberty (1974)

Synopsis: Satirical comedy drama from the master of surrealistic cinema, Luis Buñuel. Variously described as surreal, comic and outrageously ironic, all of which are true, it's main theme is that the bourgeoisie is a dying class, and through their indolence and decadence they are actually destroying themselves, a theme Buñuel focussed on a number of times during his career. Amongst the large cast are a host of familiar names, including; Michel Piccoli (Belle de Jour; We Have a Pope); Monica Vitti (The Red Desert; Modesty Blaise); Jean Rochefort (The Hairdresser's Husband) & Michael Lonsdale (Day of the Jackal).


That Obscure Object of Desire (1977)

Synopsis: Adapted from Pierre Louÿs' 1898 novel 'Le Femme et le Pantin', That Obscure Object of Desire marked Bunuel's final film. Recounted in flashback to a group of railway travellers, the story wryly details the romantic perils of Mathieu (Bunuel favourite Fernando Rey), a wealthy middle-aged French sophisticate who falls desperately in love with his 19-year-old former chambermaid Conchita (Carole Bouquet).

Thus begins a surreal game of sexual cat-and-mouse, with Mathieu obsessively attempting to win the girl's affections as she manipulates his carnal desires, each vying to gain absolute control of the other. Brimming with the subversive wit which characterises Bunuel's finest work, That Obscure Object of Desire takes satiric aim at a decadent, decaying society riddled with political unrest and moral bankruptcy.


Buñuel: The Essential Blu-ray Collection - Amazon UK



December 4, 2017

Melville: The Essential Blu-ray Collection from StudioCanal (UK)




Bob Le Flambeur (1956)

Synopsis: Jean-Pierre Melville directs this pre-New Wave classic, chronicling a raid on a Parisian casino. Bob the Gambler (Roger Duchesne) reverts to his old trade as a bank robber after several bad rolls of the dice. However, his plans to rip off a casino are thrown into chaos by an unforeseen murder and the duplicitous scheming of his criminal colleagues.


Léon Morin, Pretre (1961)

Synopsis: The most commercially successful film from Jean-Pierre Melville. Starring Emmanuele Riva and Jean-Paul Belmondo, it is the story of an unfulfilled love affair set against the troubled backdrop of the Occupation.


Le Doulos (1962)

Synopsis: Jean-Pierre Melville writes and directs this French crime thriller starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Serge Reggiani. After serial burglar Maurice Faugel (Reggiani) is released from his latest stint behind bars, he quickly returns to his criminal ways and plans a robbery with Silien (Belmondo) and Rémy (Philippe Nahon). After murdering an old associate in retaliation for the killing of his former girlfriend, Maurice becomes racked with suspicion and distrust of everyone around him amid rumours that Silien has become a police informant. When Maurice and Rémy carry out a robbery of their own, the police quickly close in on them and Maurice begins to unravel the deadly web of deceit that has formed around him.


Army of Shadows (1969)

Synopsis: French war drama directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and based on the novel by Joseph Kessel. Drawing on the director's own experiences in World War II, the film follows a band of resistance fighters in German-controlled France. As the war continues, the grip of the occupying force tightens, and friendships, loyalty and trust give way to suspicion, secrecy and loss.


Le Cercle Rouge (1970)

Synopsis: A gangster film from Jean-Pierre Melville. Starring Alain Delon as a master thief, Yves Montand as an alcoholic ex-cop and Italian star Gian-Maria Volonté as an escaped criminal, the trio plot a daring heist of an upmarket Parisian jewellery story against impossible odds.


Un Flic (1972)

Synopsis: Jean-Pierre Melville's last film stars Alain Delon as Police Commissioner Coleman who finds himself playing a game of cat and mouse with a gang of thieves after a bank robbery in a small Riviera town goes wrong. The gang is led by Coleman's friend, Simon (Richard Crenna), a night-club owner and whose girlfriend (Catherine Deneuve) is also having an affair with Coleman. The two men find the rivalry between them increasing as the net begins to surround Simon. A stylish European take on the Hollywood storylines of the Seventies.   


Melville: The Essential Blu-ray Collection - Amazon UK

wilder

2017 TBD

Fritz Lang's The Woman in the Window (1944) on blu-ray from Kino, from a new restoration



Richard Wanley (Edward G. Robinson) is no criminal... at least, he wasn't until he met "the woman in the window." With his wife and kids out of town, the chaste professor engages in an innocent flirtation with a chance acquaintance (Joan Bennett)... and inadvertently commits a shocking and unspeakable crime! But that's just the beginning of his problems, for as the cunning D.A. (Raymond Massey) - one of Wanley's dearest friends - gets closer and closer to identifying the killer, Wanley finds he's more and more willing to resort to desperate measures to avoid being caught. The Woman In The Window is "a thriller with the logic and plausibility of a nightmare" (Pauline Kael).

wilder

October 11, 2017

Jean-Pierre Melville's Quand tu liras cette lettre aka When You Read This Letter (1953) from Gaumont (France), with English subtitles



Therese is a nun-in-training who returns to "civilian" life to care for her young sister Denise.

When You Read This Letter (1953) - Amazon France



October 23, 2017

Sidney Lumet's Murder on the Orient Express (1974) from StudioCanal (UK)



Famous detective Hercule Poirot is on the Orient Express, but the train is caught in the snow. When one of the passengers is discovered murdered, Poirot immediately starts investigating.





jenkins


wilder

Quote from: wilder on August 15, 2017, 02:28:21 PM
October 24, 2017

James Whale's The Old Dark House (1932) on blu-ray from Cohen Media Group, from a new 4K restoration



From the director of Frankenstein, a group of stranded travelers stumble upon a strange old house, and find themselves at the mercy of the highly eccentric, and potentially dangerous, Femm family. This well-performed, atmospheric thriller features the first starring horror role for Boris Karloff, as the hulking, disfigured butler. Based on the novel Benighted (1927) by J. B. Priestley.

The Old Dark House (1932) - Amazon





wilder

Incredible news...

New Label Arbelos to Bring 4K Restoration of Dennis Hopper's The Last Movie to Blu-ray
via blu-ray.com



Newly founded boutique label Arbelos has announced that it is set to reveal a brand new 4K restoration of Dennis Hopper's directorial follow-up to Easy Rider, The Last Movie (1971). The label will also release the 4K restoration on Blu-ray in early 2018.

The official press release that announced the arrival of Arbelos also describes the label's future goals:

"Blending both new independent features with 4K restorations of classic and cult films, Arbelos will champion bold and innovative voices, cutting across all genres and eras. The four company founders had previously collaborated at arthouse distributor Cinelicious Pics where they had released new films like Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur and Tim Sutton's Dark Knight along with 4K restorations of Japanese underground anime Belladonna of Sadness, the lost Warren Oates film Private Property and (most recently) Toshio Matsumoto's transgender masterpiece Funeral Parade of Roses."

In addition to new projects, Alrbelos will handle the entire Cinelicious Pics film library of 14 feature films, which included the recent, critically acclaimed, 4K restoration of the late Toshio Matsumoto's Funeral Parade of Roses.

Arbelos was founded by David Marriott, Dennis Bartok, Craig Rogers and Ei Toshinari and Chief Business Development Officer Jonathan Marlow.

Bartok, Marriott and Toshinari left Cinelicious Pics several months ago and began to collaborate with restoration expert Rogers (who worked for parent company Cinelicious Inc.) and Marlow, who acquired a number of Cinelicious Pics releases for the SVOD streaming service Fandor.






and


November 20, 2017

Jacques Rivette's Celine And Julie Go Boating (1974) on blu-ray from BFI (UK)



Rivette's rarely seen yet biggest commercial hit, is an exhilarating combination of the themes of theatricality, paranoia and la vie parisienne, all wrapped up in an extended and entrancing examination of the nature of filmmaking, and film-watching.

Celine (Juliet Berto), a magician, and Julie (Dominique Labourier), a librarian, meet in Montmartre and wind up sharing the same flat, bed, fiance, clothes, identity and imagination. Soon, thanks to a magic sweet, they find themselves spectators, then participants, in a Henry James-inspired 'film-within-the film', a melodrama unfolding in a mysterious suburban house with the 'Phantom Ladies Over Paris' (Bulle Ogier and Marie-France Pisier), a sinister man (Barbet Shroeder) and his child. The atmosphere, however, is more Lewis Carroll, with Juliet Berto and Dominique Labourier as twin Alices. The four main actresses improvised their own dialogue in collaboration with Rivette and scriptwriter Eduardo de Gregorio.


Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974) - Amazon UK

wilder

Quote from: jenkins on June 01, 2017, 11:15:11 PM
Quote from: wilder on July 01, 2016, 05:53:37 PM
2017 TBD

Toshio Matsumoto's Funeral Parade of Roses (1969) on blu-ray from Cinelicious Pics



A loose adaptation of Oedipus Rex set in the underground gay counterculture of 1960s Tokyo. Cross-dressing club-kid Eddie (played by real-life transvestite entertainer extraordinaire Peter, famed for his role as Kyoami the Fool in Akira Kurosawa's Ran) vies with a rival drag-queen for the favours of drug-dealing cabaret-manager Gonda. Passions escalate and blood begins to flow — before all tensions are released in a jolting climax that prefigures by nearly thirty years Tsai Ming-liang's similarly scandalous The River.

An important work of the Japanese New Wave, Funeral Parade of Roses combines elements of arthouse, documentary and experimental cinema. The film was a major influence on Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971).



yeah sorry this just landed on my radar. because it's playing at Cinefamily the end of this month




Blu-ray on November 14th