09/27/11 Recommended New Releases

A handful of releases this week ends the month on a somewhat quiet note:

Viva Riva! (Djo Munga, 2010) - The synopsis from the official site reads: "Riva is a small time operator who has just returned to his hometown of Kinshasa, Congo with a major score: a fortune in hijacked petrol. With wads of cash and all out for a good time, Riva is soon entranced by the beautiful nightclub siren Nora (Mannie Malone), the kept woman of a local gangster. Into the mix comes Riva's Angolan crime lord ex-boss relentlessly seeking the return of a certain stolen shipment of gasoline. Director Djo Tunda Wa Munga's Kinshasa is a seductively vibrant, lawless, fuel-starved sprawl of shantytowns, gated villas, bordellos and nightclubs and Riva is its perfect embodiment."

Format: DVD - This is a Music Box Films release, which typically entails a high price tag coupled with identical supplements for either format (though I believe this title is currently only available on DVD, with a Blu-ray release to follow in the future). At any rate, the DVD is currently $26.99 at Amazon.

Ben Hur: 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition (William Wyler, 1959) - The epic film starring Charlton Heston in the titular role makes its way at long last to Blu-ray, receiving a boxed set treatment similar to that of the many other classics that have made the transition to the hi-def format.

Format: Blu-ray - The Blu-ray boxed set includes three Blu-ray discs; two are devoted to the film itself, and the third contains a slew of supplements - among which are the 1925 silent version of the film directed by Fred Niblo, a new feature-length retrospective on Charlton Heston and Ben Hur directed by Fraser C. Heston, and two vintage documentaries: Ben Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema and Ben Hur: The Making of an Epic. Also, accompanying the discs are two collectibles: a reproduction of Charlton Heston's personal diary kept from January 1958 through April 1960, and a hardcover book filled with photos, production art, and reproductions from the original theatrical pressbook. The Blu-ray boxed set is available for $44.99 at Amazon; for those who would prefer a DVD version of the set, it is available at Amazon as well for $34.99. Furthermore, Best Buy has two exclusive versions of the release: one is simply the Blu-ray boxed set plus a Roman soldier figurine ($59.99), while the other is a 4-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo format of the film without all the supplemental features or collectible books ($29.99; includes 2-disc Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD of the film).

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The Phantom Carriage (Victor Sjöström, 1921) - New life is given to this classic from the silent era, courtesy of the Criterion Collection. The synopsis from the Criterion webpage (visit the link for the trailer, too) for the film reads: "The last person to die on New Year’s Eve before the clock strikes twelve is doomed to take the reins of Death’s chariot and work tirelessly collecting fresh souls for the next year. So says the legend that drives The Phantom Carriage (Körkarlen), directed by the father of Swedish cinema, Victor Sjöström. The story, based on a novel by Nobel Prize winner Selma Lagerlöf, concerns an alcoholic, abusive ne’er-do-well (Sjöström himself) who is shown the error of his ways, and the pure-of-heart Salvation Army sister who believes in his redemption. This extraordinarily rich and innovative silent classic (which inspired Ingmar Bergman to make movies) is a Dickensian ghost story and a deeply moving morality tale, as well as a showcase for groundbreaking special effects."

Format: DVD - I have always purchased my Criterions on DVD, and with the superb quality they already offer in that format, I am in no hurry to upgrade the collection to Blu-ray. Amazon has it for $20.99.



NOTE: Transformers: Dark of the Moon will be released on Friday, September 30th.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Michael Bay, 2011) - Though critical reception was largely negative for the third (and supposedly final) installment in Michael Bay's series of films based on the Robots in Disguise, I thought the he delivered a sound effort this time around, making up for the overly-comedic and poorly-structured Revenge of the Fallen. In Dark of the Moon, the heroic Autobots learn of a Cybertronian ship helmed by Sentinel Prime that crash-landed on the moon, and race to recover the secrets within it before the maniacal Decepticons.

Format: Blu-ray - The Blu-ray release also includes the DVD version and a Digital Copy. I should note that NO supplemental material is included in this release, as they will accompany a 3D Blu-ray version to be released at a later date (my guess is late November or early December, just in time for the holidays). The 3D release will likely include the 2D Blu-ray as well (and possibly a DVD and/or Digital Copy), for those that do not have the capability to use the former (the special features will probably be on the 2D disc). The current release does include a $10 voucher towards the purchase of the forthcoming 3D Blu-ray, but most might want to simply hold off until then. If you intend to pick it up now, however, Best Buy will have it for $17.99 when it releases this Friday, complete with exclusive packaging (featuring Bumblebee on the front cover and Shockwave on the back).







Finally, on the video game front:

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection (developed by Team Ico; published by Sony Computer Entertainment) - Two beloved Playstation 2 classics, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, receive the HD treatment and Trophy support in this collection available exclusively for Playstation 3. It retailes for $39.99; K-mart is offering a $15 Gaming Coupon* for Shop Your Way Rewards Members (which is free to join) with purchase.








*Gaming Coupons are issued with your receipt and are generally valid beginning on the following Sunday for a set period of time (one to two months). Furthermore, as the name implies, they are only valid on gaming products.