Random DVD and Blu-ray announcements

[wilder]

December 5, 2017

Max Ophuls' Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) on blu-ray from Olive Films in a Signature Edition, from a new 4K restoration



From Max Ophüls, the legendary director of such film classics as The Earrings of Madame de… and Lola Montès, comes a timeless tale of love and obsession. In Vienna during the early 20th century, Stefan Brand (Louis Jourdan, Gigi), a concert pianist whose amorous ways have eclipsed his musical talent, is preparing to flee the city on the eve of a duel to be fought over a recent dalliance when he receives a Letter from an Unknown Woman. Moved by its contents, he'll come to realize that the author is not a stranger, but Lisa Berndle (Joan Fontaine, Rebecca), a woman he's known since her youth and discarded as he has so many others before her. But this time, Stefan's cavalier behavior will have tragic repercussions.

Featuring the master filmmaker's trademark gliding camera, baroque imagery and lush atmospherics (courtesy of cinematographer Franz Planer, The Big Country; art director Alexander Golitzen, Phantom of the Opera; set decorators Russell A. Gaussman, The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry and Ruby R. Levitt, Chinatown), Max Ophüls' Letter from an Unknown Woman, based on Stefan Zweig's novella of the same name, is written for the screen by Howard Koch (Casablanca) and produced by John Houseman (They Live by Night).



December 5, 2017

Elaine May's A New Leaf (1971) on blu-ray from Olive Films in a Signature Edition, from a new 4K restoration



A New Leaf, the deliciously dark and deadpan comedy from writer-director-comedian Elaine May (The Heartbreak Kid), stars Walter Matthau (The Odd Couple) as Henry Graham, who, due to his extravagant lifestyle, has run through his inheritance. After pleading with his incredulous Uncle Harry (played with lip-smacking glee by James Coco, Such Good Friends) for a loan, Henry convinces Uncle Harry to give him the money with the proviso that the loan must be repaid within six weeks or Henry will forfeit all of his property used as collateral. With the aid of his gentleman's gentleman, Harold (a scene-stealing George Rose, The Pirates of Penzance), Henry decides to marry into wealth, and once the vows have been taken he'll decide how to handle getting out of the marriage. Enter wealthy heiress Henrietta Lowell (May), a klutzy botanist and the woman of Henry's get-rich-quick-scheme dreams. But as best laid plans often go, Henry must weather the obstacles placed in his path not only by his Uncle Harry, but by Andy McPherson (Jack Weston, Wait Until Dark), Henrietta's jealous and unscrupulous lawyer. Adding to the amusement are William Redfield (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) as Beckett, Henry's bemused, put-upon lawyer and Doris Roberts (TV's Everybody Loves Raymond) as Mrs. Traggert, Henrietta's pilfering housekeeper.



January 2, 2018

Umberto Lenzi's Seven Blood Stained Orchids (1972) on blu-ray from Code Red



A woman, a survivor of a failed murder attempt by a person dubbed "The Half-Moon Killer" by the police, and her husband must find the connecting thread between herself, six other women, and the killer before the killer strikes at her again.


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[wilder]

Q1 2018 TBD

Billy Wilder's Irma La Douce (1963) on blu-ray from Kino, from a new 4K restoration



In Paris, an ex-cop falls in love with a prostitute, and tries to get her out of that life by paying for all of her time.

December 4, 2017

Carlos Saura's Cria Cuervos (1976) on blu-ray from BFI (UK)



In Madrid, the orphan sisters Irene, Ana and Maite are raised by their austere aunt Paulina together with their mute and crippled grandmother after the death of their mother and their military father Anselmo.

Cria Cuervos (1976) - Amazon UK

[wilder]

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]

March 20, 2018

Michele Soavi's The Church (1989) on blu-ray from Scorpion Releasing



A church is built during medieval times on top of a pile of dead bodies that were considered possessed. Hundreds of years later a young librarian unleashes the evil within, by removing a rock in the catacombs. Series of events occur meanwhile, everybody just does not seem to be the same. Father Gus is the only one not possessed, he must save the city from becoming a pandemonium, he must find the ancient secret of the church so it can crumble to pieces...

The Church (1989) - Amazon




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Restored footage:

February 27, 2018

Michele Soavi's The Sect (1991) on blu-ray from Scorpion Releasing



A spree of grisly murders is perpetrated in Frankfurt by a group of Satan worshippers. A school teacher almost runs over an old man with a box and takes him in. It's no accident that the old man has come into her life, and it quickly becomes apparent that he has plans for her, plans that involve a permanent future with the Satanic cult.

The Sect (1991) - Amazon

[wilder]

November 27, 2017

Jacques Becker's Montparnasse 19 (1958) on blu-ray from Arrow (UK)



Biographic movie about the last year of the famous Italian painter Modigliani. Modigliani, a poor painter in Paris of 1919, falls in love with a daughter from a wealthy family. Her parents are against their relation and stop financial help.

Montparnasse 19 (1958) - Amazon UK

[wilder]

January 30, 2017

Ken Russell’s Gothic (1986) on blu-ray from Lionsgate/Vestron Video



Five famous friends spend a hallucinogenic evening confronting their fears in a frenzy of shocking lunacy and horrifying visions in this fictional tale, which tells the story of Mary Shelley's conception of Frankenstein on one debauched night in Lord Byron's home.

December 12, 2017

Anthony Mann's Raw Deal (1948) on blu-ray from ClassicFlix



An escaped convict (Dennis O'Keefe) flees with his moll (Claire Trevor) and a social worker (Marsha Hunt) he loves.

Raw Deal (1948) - Amazon

[wilder]

November 29, 2017

Jacques Doillon's La Drôlesse aka The Hussy (1979) on blu-ray from Gaumont (France), with English subtitles



Misfit François kidnaps young Mado and takes her to live with him in the attic of his parents' home. A strange relationship evolves till the police comes upon them.

La Drôlesse (1979) - Amazon France

Hoping La Pirate (1984) and Ponette (1996) will follow

[wilder]

Q1 2018 TBD

Jacques Rivette's La Belle Noiseuse (1991) on blu-ray from Cohen Media Group, from a new 4K restoration



Frenhofer, a once-famous artist hasn't painted in ten years. His last work, possibly his masterpiece, La Belle Noiseuse (the beautiful annoyance) remains unfinished. When another artist and his girlfriend Marianne visit, the beautiful and fiercely intelligent young woman inspires Frenhofer, and she reluctantly agrees to be his new model. Twisting Marianne's gloriously undressed body into torturous positions, the posing begins in wary hostility and escalates into a battle of the wills. Yet gradually, their efforts become a sincere collaboration, driving both to dangerous limits. One of the New Wave's greatest directors, Rivette creates a powerful, passionate film about an artist seeking truth, regardless of the cost.


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Q1 2018 TBD

King Vidor's Ruby Gentry (1952) on blu-ray from Kino



Carolina is the setting for this family drama which has a young tomboy (Jennifer Jones) falling for a local gentleman (Charlton Heston). Their relationship is as tempestuous as her lifestyle, which eventually takes her off to the seas as the captain of a ship.   

February 19, 2018

Frank Borzage's Magnificent Doll (1946) on blu-ray from Arrow UK



Dolly Payne is adored by two leaders of the fledgling American government, James Madison and Aaron Burr. She plays each against the other, not only for romantic reasons, but also to influence the shaping of the young country. By manipulating Burr's affections, she helps Thomas Jefferson win the presidency, and eventually she becomes First Lady of the land herself.

Magnificent Doll (1946) - Amazon UK

February 12/3, 2018

Federico Fellini's Orchestral Rehearsal (1978) on blu-ray from Arrow UK and Arrow US



Made in 1978 for Italian television, Orchestra Rehearsal is possibly Fellini's most satirical and overtly political film.

An allegorical pseudo-documentary, the film depicts an Italian television crew's visit to a dilapidated auditorium (a converted 13th-century church) to meet an orchestra assembling to rehearse under the instruction of a tyrannical conductor. The TV crew interviews the various musicians who each speak lovingly about their chosen instruments. However, as petty squabbles break out amid the different factions of the ensemble, and the conductor berates his musicians, the meeting descends into anarchy and vandalism. A destructive crescendo ensues before the musicians regroup and play together once more in perfect harmony.

Abounding with its director's trademark rich imagery and expressive style, Orchestra Rehearsal marks the last collaboration between Fellini and the legendary composer Nino Rota (due to the latter s death in 1979) who provides one of his most beautiful themes in the film s conclusion.

Orchestral Rehearsal (1978) - Amazon UK



Q1 2018 TBD

Henry S. Kesler's Cold War noir 5 Steps to Danger (1957) on blu-ray from ClassicFlix, from a new 4K restoration



Hitchhiking on a deserted New Mexico road after his car breaks down, John Emmett (Sterling Hayden) gets picked up by Ann Nicholson (Ruth Roman), who is in a rush to reach Santa Fe, N.M. The distraught Ann is being pursued by psychiatrist Frederick Simmons (Werner Klemperer), who has been treating her in Los Angeles since she had a nervous breakdown, but she tells John that she is in possession of nuclear secrets that she must deliver to Dr. Reinhart Kissel (Karl Lindt) at a Santa Fe university.

[wilder]

February 12, 2018

Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Michael (1924) on blu-ray from Masters of Cinema (UK), from a new 2K restoration



Based on Herman Bang's 1902 novel of the same name, Dreyer's film is a fascinating fin-de-siècle study of a "decadent" elderly artist (Benjamin Christensen) driven to despair by his relationship with his young protégé and former model, Michael (Walter Slezak). 

Michael (1924) - Amazon UK

March 12, 2018

The Barefoot Contessa (1954) on blu-ray from Masters of Cinema (UK)



A high point in the already success-laden career of writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and one of the most glamorous and extravagant films from Hollywood's Golden Age, The Barefoot Contessa is a tragic drama about the tumultuous rise and fall of fictional Hollywood actress Maria Vargas. Also featuring Edmund O'Brien in an Oscar winning role as a duplicitous publicist, and featuring cinematography from the legendary Jack Cardiff

The Barefoot Contessa (1954) - Amazon UK



February 19, 2018

Stanley Kramer’s Ship of Fools (1965) on blu-ray from Indicator (UK)



Stanley Kramer's star-studded, Oscar®-winning adaptation of Katherine Anne Porter's novel about passengers aboard an ocean liner bound to Germany from Mexico in 1933 forms a potent allegory of a world drifting inexorably towards war. With its incredible cast – including Vivien Leigh (in her last screen role), Simone Signoret, Lee Marvin, George Segal, Oskar Werner and Jose Ferrer – Ship of Fools is a powerful drama and a compelling viewing experience. It remains one of the finest ensemble pieces of the period.

February 13, 2018

Martn Rosen’s The Plague Dogs (1982) on blu-ray from Shout Factory. From the director of Watership Down.



Two dogs escape the research facility where they've been subjected to cruel experiments, and are subsequently hunted by the government because they may carry the plague.

U.S. label Shout Factory confirmed via social media today that it will work with director Martin Rosen to deliver an extended cut of The Plague Dogs. As a result, the label has postponed the previously announced street date of its upcoming Blu-ray release, which was February 13.

[wilder]

February 20, 2018

Emir Kusturica’s Underground (1995) on blu-ray from Kino



Follows an underground weapons manufacturer in Belgrade during WWII and evolves into fairly surreal situations. A black marketeer who smuggles the weapons to partisans doesn't mention to the workers that the war is over, and they keep producing. Years later, they break out of their underground "shelter" --- only to convince themselves that the war is still going on.

March 13, 2018

The Orchard End Murder (1980) on blu-ray from Kino/Redemption, also available from BFI in the UK



Set in an idyllic Kent village one balmy summer during the 1960s, The Orchard End Murder, an obscure British oddity from 1981, is a macabre tale of murder and mischief.

A young woman from the suburbs (Tracy Hyde, Melody), bored by a countryside tryst, wanders off to explore her surroundings. When she meets a gnome-like stationmaster and his towering, half-witted railway-worker friend (played by Casualty’s Clive Mantle), an initially strange encounter turns sinister among the trees of a nearby orchard.

Written and directed by Christian Marnham and shot by Pete Walker’s regular cameraman Peter Jessop, The Orchard End Murder is a violent, darkly humorous thriller, unseen since it originally shocked UK cinemas audiences as the supporting feature to Gary Sherman’s Dead and Buried.

[jenkins]

it's arriving straight to discs in the states? i'm reading it as disc news, dvd and blu-ray, January 23.

Donnie Yen has a fucking mustache. oh i can't wait!

[wilder]

February 27, 2018

Stuart Rosenberg's The Drowning Pool (1975) on blu-ray from Warner Archive. Shot by Gordon Willis.



Private detective Lew Harper (Paul Newman) of Los Angeles investigates a threat in Louisiana bayou country against an old flame of his, Iris Devereaux (Joanne Woodward). Iris is worried that her ex-chauffeur will tell her husband that she has been cheating on him. The story also involves Iris' daughter Schuyler (Melanie Griffith) and Iris' mother-in-law Olivia in several interesting sub-plots.

Harper is caught up in a power struggle between Olivia, the owner of the valuable, oil-rich Devereux estate, and oil tycoon Jay Hue Kilbourne (Murray Hamilton), while local police authority Broussard (Anthony Franciosa) has a personal interest in the family and wants the private eye gone.

February 27, 2018

Harper (1966) on blu-ray from Warner Archive



Paul Newman memorably plays the title role in this box-office hit based on Ross MacDonald's The Moving Target. The first detective film in Newman's then 23-film career, Harper revitalized the genre. Newman's sleuth chews gum fast... and slips out of jams ever faster as he unravels a twisted case of kidnapping and murder. William Goldman's clever script throws quips and a parade of LA-LA-Land characters Harper's way. There's a woman of means (Lauren Bacall), a gun-toting attorney (Arthur Hill), a poolside gigolo (Robert Wagner), a boozy ex-starlet (Shelley Winters), a jazz junkie (Julie Harris), Harper's estranged wife (Janet Leigh) and the unholy order of the Temple of the Clouds (led by Strother Martin). Each may possess a clue. Or a bullet for Harper.

[wilder]

January 30, 2018

Mick Jackson's Threads (1984) on blu-ray from Severin, from a new 2K remaster, in both standard and limited editions



In September 1984, Threads was aired on the BBC and shocked tens of millions of UK viewers. Four months later, it was broadcast in America and became the most watched basic cable program in history. After more than three decades, it remains one of the most acclaimed and shattering made–for–television movies of all time.

Reece Dinsdale (Coronation Street):, David Brierly (Doctor Who) and Karen Meagher, in a stunning debut performance star in this "graphic and haunting" (People Magazine) docudrama about the effects of a nuclear attack on the working –class city of Sheffield, England as the fabric of society unravels. Directed by Mick Jackson (The Bodyguard, Tuesdays with Moorie) from a screenplay by novelist/playwright Barry Hines (Ken Loach's Kes) and nominated for seven BAFTA Awards.

Threads (1984) - Limited Edition - Amazon

Threads (1984) - Standard Edition - Amazon

[wilder]

January 23, 2018

Henry Koster's My Cousin Rachel (1952) on blu-ray from Twilight Time, based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier (Rebecca)



A young man plots revenge against the woman he believes murdered his cousin, but his plans are shaken when he comes face to face with the enigmatic beauty.

January 23, 2018

Woody Allen’s Husbands & Wives (1992) on blu-ray from Twilight Time



Gabe (Woody Allen) and his wife, Judy (Mia Farrow), are shocked to discover that their best friends, Sally (Judy Davis) and Jack (Sydney Pollack), are splitting up. Not only did they not see the breakup coming, but it makes them start to question their own relationship. While Gabe flirts with the idea of dating one of his college students (Juliette Lewis), Sally and Jack discover that being single again isn't all its cracked up to be and contemplate getting back together.

January 23, 2018

Paul Mazursky’s Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) on blu-ray from Twilight Time



After returning to Los Angeles from a group therapy session, documentary filmmaker Bob Sanders (Robert Culp) and his wife, Carol (Natalie Wood), find themselves becoming vigilante couples counselors, offering unsolicited advice to their best friends, Ted (Elliott Gould) and Alice Henderson (Dyan Cannon). Not wanting to be rude, the Hendersons play along, but some latent sexual tension among the four soon comes bubbling to the surface, and long-buried desires don't stay buried for long.

January 23, 2018

Joseph L. Mankiewicz's Dragonwyck (1946) on blu-ray from Twilight Time



For Miranda Wells (Gene Tierney), moving to New York to live in Dragonwyck Manor with her rich cousin, Nicholas (Vincent Price), seems like a dream. However, the situation gradually becomes nightmarish. She observes Nicholas' troubled relationship with his tenant farmers, as well as with his daughter (Connie Marshall), to whom Miranda serves as governess. Her relationship with Nicholas intensifies after his wife dies, but his mental imbalance threatens any hope of happiness.

All to be up for pre-order on Screen Archives on January 10, 2018

[wilder]

Omg...the reason I started this thread. These releases from Tanelorn never happened, but here we are 6 years later and they're finally coming from Olive Films.

Couple of real odd announcements came about today. I'm starting a thread to keep track of these. Never thought these would come about...

Early Julio Medem Films Heading to Blu-ray
Independent distributors Tanelorn Films have revealed that they are planning to begin releasing on Blu-ray in Q4. The distributors will release three early films by acclaimed Spanish director Julio Medem (Lovers of the Arctic Circle, Chaotic Ana): Vacas (1992), La ardilla roja a.k.a The Red Squirrel (1993), and Tierra a.k.a Earth (1996). Preliminary release dates are yet to be revealed.

Source

January 30, 2018

Julio Medem's The Red Squirrel (1993) on blu-ray from Olive Films



Lisa suffers a motorcycle accident and loses her memory. Jota is a musician, desperate after separating from his girlfriend. When he meets Lisa he takes advantage of the situation and reinvents her life according to his desires.

The Red Squirrel (1993) - Amazon

January 30, 2018

Julio Medem's Vacas (1992) on blu-ray from Olive Films



Set in the Basque region, a story of the rivalry of two families, period 1870-1935

Vacas (1992) - Amazon

January 30, 2018

Julio Medem's Tierra (1996) on blu-ray from Olive Films



Angel, an exterminator recently released from a mental hospital, comes to rid a small Spanish town of tiny grubs in the soil. The local wine-making industry has found these pests responsible for giving their product an "earthy" taste that has divided local opinion. While in town, Angel becomes involved with two beautiful and very different women, and impacts their lives on a grand scale. Can either of these women accept the fact that Angel travels with a "ghost" of himself, or that he routinely speaks with the deseased townspeople?

January 30, 2018

Big Lunas’ Jamón Jamón (1992)  on blu-ray from Olive Films



Jose Luis is an executive at his parents underwear factory where his girlfriend Sylvia works on the shop floor. When Sylvia falls pregnant, Jose Luis promises her that he will marry her, most likely against the wishes of his parents. Jose Luis' mother is determined to break her son's engagement to a girl from a lower-class family, and hires Raul, a potential underwear model and would-be bullfighter to seduce Sylvia.

Jamón Jamón (1992) - Amazon


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