10/18/11 Recommended New Releases

Before I begin, I would like to mention that Barnes & Noble will be having another 50% off sale on Criterion Collection titles (60% in stores if you have a membership), beginning on November 1st and lasting through the 21st. So, if there are any titles you have been holding out on, this sale might be a prime opportunity to nab them at stellar prices. Now, here are my recommendations for what's new this week:

The Last Circus (Álex de la Iglesia, 2010) - The official synopsis, via RottenTomatoes: "1937, Spain is in the midst of the brutal Spanish Civil War. A "Happy" circus clown is interrupted mid-performance and forcibly recruited by a militia. Still in his costume, he is handed a machete and led into battle against National soldiers, where he single handedly massacres an entire platoon. Fast forward to 1973, the tail end of the Franco regime. Javier, the son of the clown, dreams of following in his father's career footsteps, but has seen too much tragedy in his life - he's simply not funny and is only equipped to play the role of the Sad Clown. He finds work in a circus where he befriends an outlandish cast of characters, but as the Sad Clown he must take the abuse of the brutish Happy Clown Sergio, who humiliates Javier daily in the name of entertainment."

Format: DVD or Blu-ray - Though the supplemental content (which is identical on both formats) for this Magnet release is lacking, the pricing between the two formats makes it a matter of personal preference; Amazon has either format available for $22.99. 

Grave Encounters (The Vicious Brothers, 2011) - The official synopsis, via RottenTomatoes: "Lance Preston and the crew of "Grave Encounters", a ghost-hunting reality television show, are shooting an episode inside the abandoned Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital, where unexplained phenomena has been reported for years. All in the name of good television, they voluntarily lock themselves inside the building for the night and begin a paranormal investigation, capturing everything on camera. They quickly realize that the building is more than just haunted - it is alive - and it has no intention of ever letting them leave. They find themselves lost in a labyrinth maze of endless hallways and corridors, terrorized by the ghosts of the former patients."

Format: DVD - Only available on DVD; Amazon has it for $12.99. 

The Robber (Benjamin Heisenberg, 2011) - The official synopsis, via Rotten Tomatoes (edited for relevance): "Directed by Benjamin Heisenberg (Sleeper) and starring established actor Andreas Lust (Revanche). ...Based on a novel by the Austrian author Martin Prinz, and shot on location in Vienna, The Robber was one of the most critically acclaimed films featured at last year's New York Film Festival. The film was also an official selection at the 2010 Berlin and Toronto Film Festivals. The film's main character, Johann Rettenberger, was inspired by the life of Austrian bank-robber and runner Johann Kastenberger, a man who set records in long-distance races while - in the rest of his free time - secretly knocked over bank after bank. Widely referred to as "Pump-gun Ronnie," after the Ronald Reagan mask he wore and the shotgun used on the assaults, Rettenberger still holds the record time in the Bergmarathon, a famous race held in the Austrian Alps. Deprived of by-the-books psychological motivations and character development, The Robber paints a visceral picture of pathological compulsion and it is the rare character portrait that also excels as an action film."

Format: DVD or Blu-ray - As with The Last Circus, the two formats sport identical supplemental features and are priced such that it boils down to which format you prefer. Amazon has the DVD available for $19.99, and the Blu-ray for $20.99. 

Kuroneko (Kaneto Shindo, 1968) - The synopsis from the Criterion webpage for the film reads: "In this poetic and atmospheric horror fable, set in a village in war-torn medieval Japan, a malevolent spirit has been ripping out the throats of itinerant samurai. When a military hero is sent to dispatch the unseen force, he finds that he must struggle with his own personal demons as well. From Kaneto Shindo, director of the terror classic Onibaba, Kuroneko (Black Cat) is a spectacularly eerie twilight tale with a shocking feminist angle, evoked through ghostly special effects and exquisite cinematography."

Format: DVD - Amazon has the DVD available for $20.99, but I would recommend waiting until the Barnes & Noble 50% off sale begins in just two weeks.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Mel Stuart, 1971) - The classic starring Gene Wilder celebrates its 40th anniversary and with a commemorative boxed set.

Format: Blu-ray/DVD Combo - Unlike most similarly-conceived boxed set releases that consist of a separate DVD and Blu-ray version, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory arrives in the form of a 3-disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo (the two formats make up the first two discs while the third contains a few all-new special features). In addition to the film itself, a few items of memorabilia are included: 14 pieces of production correspondence, a retro tin with four scratch-and-sniff pencils and a scented eraser, and a 144-page behind-the-scenes book from director Mel Stuart. Amazon has it available for $43.99.

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Finally, another of the most anticipated video games of the year is out today:

Batman: Arkham City (developed by Rocksteady Studious; published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment) - After the phenomenal success of Batman: Arkham Asylum - which entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever," expectations were set astronomically high when Rocksteady debuted the teaser trailer for this sequel on December 12th, 2009 during the opening of the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards. Over the past year and a half, they have relentlessly hyped Arkham City, and the consensus appears to be that the folks at Rocksteady have delivered. The game is available for Playstation 3 ($59.99), Xbox 360 ($59.99), and PC ($49.99; PC version releases on November 15th). Also, there is a collector's edition available for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 that retails at $99.99.

In addition to the game itself, the collector's edition includes: a custom Batman statue produced by Kotobukiya, a digital copy of the Batman: Arkham City album (which includes a bonus track), a copy of the DC Universe animated movie Batman: Gotham Knight (DVD for Xbox 360, Blu-ray for PS3), a collectible artbook (which houses the game disc), and early access to the Iceberg Lounge challenge map and The Dark Knight Returns skin for Batman (via DLC vouchers). Worth noting, too, is that all new copies of Batman: Arkham City - regular or collector's - come with DLC vouchers for a batch of Catwomen missions that are interwoven into the storyline.

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Here's the scoop on what deals/incentives each retailer has for Batman: Arkham City (be sure to make note of Buy 2 Get 1 Free @ Toys R Us!):

Walmart - A free copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition is included with purchase.

K-Mart - A $30 Gaming Coupon* for Shop Your Way Rewards Members (which is free to join) and a $10 coupon towards Lord of the Rings: War in the North are included with purchase.

Target - A copy of The Dark Knight on Blu-ray or DVD is included with purchase.

Best Buy - Early access to Robin and two bonus challenge maps are included with purchase; save $20 on the Power-A Batarang Controller ($49.99; for Playstation 3 [Wireless] or Xbox 360 [Wired]) with purchase; 40% bonus on all video game traded in towards purchase.

Toys R Us - 1970s Batsuit Batman Figure included with purchase; Buy 2 Get 1 Free on all video games, video game accessories, video game guides, and video game-themed t-shirts.








*K-Mart Gaming Coupons are issued with your receipt; those issued this week are valid from October 23rd to December 3rd. Also, as the name implies, they are only valid on gaming products.

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.

08/23/11 Recommended New Releases

Things are back up to speed with a handful of releases making their way to shelves this week, two of them from South Korea's Lee Chang-dong:

Troll Hunter (André Øvredal, 2010) - Magnet Releasing brings us this critically acclaimed Norwegian pseudo-documentary. The official synopsis reads: "The government says there's nothing to worry about it's just a problem with bears making trouble in the mountains and forests of Norway. But local hunters don't believe it and neither do a trio of college students who want to find out the truth. Armed with a video camera, they trail a mysterious poacher, who wants nothing to do with them. However, their persistence lands them straight in the path of the objects of his pursuits: trolls. They soon find themselves documenting every move of this grizzled, unlikely hero the trollhunter risking their lives to uncover the secrets of creatures only thought to exist in fairy tales."

Format: DVD - Typical of most Magnet releases, the two formats sport identical supplemental features, so I opt for the DVD version, which is available at Amazon for only $10.99.

Poetry (Lee Chang-dong, 2010) - Official synopsis (via Amazon description): "Mija (Yoon Jeong-hee) is a beautiful woman in her sixties who moves gracefully through life, contemplating a trivial daily routine that is ill-suited to her refined persona. With elegance and a dash of eccentricity, Mija takes care of her ungrateful grandson Wook (Lee David) and makes a living by cleaning house for an elderly man who, though paralyzed by a stroke, still responds to her charm with bouts of drug-induced arousal. On a whim, Mija enrolls in a poetry class at the local cultural centre and begins a personal quest to find the perfect words to describe her feelings. However, she s plagued by the onset of Alzheimer's disease, and struggles with new vocabulary and the challenges of the creative process. When her world is turned upside down by the discovery of a monstrous crime, it is Mija's unique and touching poetry that allows her to defy the weight of shame and distance herself from a painful proximity to violence." Poetry won the award for Best Screenplay at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

Format: Blu-ray or DVD - Though there is nothing exclusive to the format, the Blu-ray is only $2.00 more than the DVD at Amazon, making it $20.99, so it boils down to a matter of whether or not you own a Blu-ray player and/or which format you prefer.

Secret Sunshine (Lee Chang-dong, 2007) - Another Chang-dong film is out this week, this one via the Criterion Collection. The synopsis from the Criterion webpage for the film reads: "A master of intensely emotional human dramas, director Lee Chang-dong is a luminary of contemporary Korean cinema, and his place on the international stage was cemented by this stirring and unpredictable work examining grief and deliverance. An effortless mix of lightness and uncompromising darkness, Secret Sunshine (Miryang) stars Cannes best actress winner Jeon Do-yeon as a widowed piano teacher who moves with her young son from Seoul to her late husband’s provincial hometown for a fresh start. Quietly expressive, supple filmmaking and sublime, subtle performances distinguish this remarkable portrayal of the search for grace amid tragedy."

Format: DVD - As I have mentioned in the past, I prefer my Criterions on DVD, as that is how my collection began. Amazon has it available for $18.99; the Blu-ray is $24.99.

Win Win (Thomas McCarthy, 2011) - Paul Giamatti stars as Mike, a struggling New Jersey attorney as well as a volunteer wrestling coach for New Providence High School, where the team is in the midst of a losing streak. Scheming to keep his practice alive, Mike becomes the legal caretaker of an elderly client, whose presence breeds complication when the his grandson, Kyle (Alex Shaffer) shows up at Mike's home seeking a place to stay. However, when it is discovered that Kyle is a gifted wrestler and he becomes the star athlete of the team, Mike thinks he has the perfect win-win scenario, until Kyle's mother shows up fresh out of rehab and threatens to ruin his newfound stability.

Format: DVD - The Blu-ray holds nothing unique in the way of special features, so I opt for the DVD format, which is available for $14.99 at Amazon.






On the video game front:  

Deus Ex: Human Revolution (developed by Eidos Montreal; published by Square Enix) - the third installment and prequel to the popular series that debuted back in the summer of 2000 - is out today. A cyberpunk-themed first-person role-playing game, the prequel is set in 2027 - twenty-five years before the original title - where players assume the role of Adam Jensen, a security officer for Sarif Industries - a company specializing in human augmentations. After an attack from a black ops team leaves Adam near death, he receives cybernetic augmentations to keep him alive. Upon awakening, he sets out on a mission to find the truth behind the attack.

In addition to the standard release ($59.99 for PS3 and Xbox 360; $49.99 for PC), there is a limited edition ($69.99 for PS3 and Xbox 360; $59.99 for PC) available, dubbed the "Augmented Edition."




It includes:

-Premium packaging
-40-page art book
-A bonus DVD containing a 44-minute "making of" documentary, the game soundtrack, the E3 trailer and animated storyboard, and a motion graphic novel adapted from the official series by DC Comics.

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If you are looking to take advantage of the best deal available for Deus Ex this week, K-Mart is offering a $20.00 Gaming Coupon* for Shop Your Way Rewards members (which is free to join) with the purchase of either edition. However, if you are seeking the limited edition, K-Mart stores have an extremely limited number available nationwide (only 300 were shipped per platform, meaning many stores will not even carry it). With this in mind, it is possible - though stores do vary - that you can match this deal at your local Best Buy and thus receive a $20.00 gift card (or perhaps have the $20.00 value subtracted from your total, depending on how your local store operates).

*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.

08/16/11 Recommended New Releases

Just one recommendation this week; next week will be just slightly more fruitful:

The Killing (Stanley Kubrick, 1956) - courtesy of The Criterion Collection, one of Stanley Kubrick's earlier films gets a much-needed update. The synopsis from the Criterion webpage for the film reads: "Stanley Kubrick’s account of an ambitious racetrack robbery is one of Hollywood’s tautest, twistiest noirs. Aided by a radically time-shuffling narrative, razor-sharp dialogue from pulp novelist Jim Thompson, and a phenomenal cast of character actors, including Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Timothy Carey, Elisha Cook Jr., and Marie Windsor, The Killing is both a jaunty thriller and a cold-blooded punch to the gut. And with its precise tracking shots and gratifying sense of irony, it’s Kubrick to the core."

Format: DVD - Amazon has the DVD format available for $21.99; if Blu-ray is your preference, it is $3.00 more.

Criterion Collection Recommendations (Part 2 of 2)

The Barnes & Noble 50% off sale on the Criterion Collection that began on the 12th is still running, lasting through the 1st of August. You can find read the list of my first five recommendations here. What follows is five more recommendations; the link attached to the film title will take you to its page on the Criterion Collection website, from which each synopsis has been taken, while the link attached to the prices will take you to their DVD listings at Barnes&Noble.com (if you opt for the Blu-ray format, they are the same price). Unless otherwise noted, these titles are likely to be found in most stores:



Pickup on South Street (Samuel Fuller, 1953) - Spine # 224 - "Petty crook Skip McCoy (Richard Widmark) has his eyes fixed on the big score. When the cocky three-time convict picks the pocketbook of unsuspecting Candy (Jean Peters), he finds a haul bigger than he could have imagined: a strip of microfilm bearing confidential U.S. secrets. Tailed by manipulative Feds and the unwitting courier’s Communist puppeteers, Skip and Candy find themselves in a precarious gambit that pits greed against redemption, Right versus Red, and passion against self-preservation. With its dazzling cast and director Samuel Fuller’s signature raw energy and hardboiled repartee, Pickup on South Street is a true film noir classic by one of America’s most passionate cinematic craftsmen."

Supplements: Interview with the late Samuel Fuller from film critic Richard Schickel; Excerpts from the Cinéma Cinémas series featuring Fuller discussing the making of the film; illustrated biographical essay on Fuller by Jeb Brody; stills gallery; and a booklet featuring excerpts from Fuller's autobiography A Third Face (including Martin Scorsese's introduction and Fuller's discussion of Pickup on South Street) as well as an essay by cultural historian Luc Sante.

The sale price is $14.99. You may have difficulty locating this one in certain stores; best to check availability via the website first.



Man Bites Dog (Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel and Benoit Poelvoorde, 1992) - Spine # 165 - "Documentary filmmakers André and Rémy have found an ideal subject in Ben. He is witty, sophisticated, intelligent, well liked—and a serial killer. As André and Rémy document Ben’s routines, they become increasingly entwined in his vicious program, sacrificing their objectivity and their morality. Controversial winner of the International Critics’ Prize at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, Man Bites Dog stunned audiences worldwide with its unflinching imagery and biting satire of media violence."

Supplements: 1993 video interview with the filmmakers; No C4 for Daniel-Daniel - a student short by the filmmakers; stills gallery; and a booklet featuring a brief essay by film critic Matt Zoller Seitz.

The sale price is $14.99.



Blast of Silence (Allen Baron, 1961) - Spine # 428 - "Swift, brutal, and black-hearted, Allen Baron’s New York City noir Blast of Silence is a sensational surprise. This low-budget, carefully crafted portrait of a hit man on assignment in Manhattan during Christmastime follows its stripped-down narrative with mechanical precision, yet also with an eye and ear for the oddball idiosyncrasies of urban living and the imposing beauty of the city. At once visually ragged and artfully composed, and featuring rough, poetic narration performed by Lionel Stander, Blast of Silence is a stylish triumph."

Supplements: Requiem for a Killer: The Making of "Blast of Silence"; rare on-set Polaroids; locations revisited in 2008; and a booklet featuring an essay by film critic Terrence Rafferty as well as a four-page graphic-novel adaptation by artist Sean Phillips.

The sale price is $14.99.



The Cranes Are Flying (Mikhail Kalatozov, 1957) - Spine # 146 - "Veronica and Boris are blissfully in love, until the eruption of World War II tears them apart. Boris is sent to the front lines…and then communication stops. Meanwhile, Veronica tries to ward off spiritual numbness while Boris’s draft-dodging cousin makes increasingly forceful overtures. Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival, The Cranes Are Flying is a superbly crafted drama, bolstered by stunning cinematography and impassioned performances."

Supplements: A booklet featuring an essay by Chris Fujiwara.

The sale price is $14.99.



Monsoon Wedding (Mira Nair, 2001) - Spine # 489 - "Cultures and families clash in Mira Nair’s exuberant Monsoon Wedding, a mix of comedy and chaotic melodrama concerning the preparations for the arranged marriage of a modern upper-middle-class Indian family’s only daughter, Aditi. Of course there are hitches—Aditi has been having an affair with a married TV host; she’s never met her husband to be, who lives in Houston; the wedding has worsened her father’s hidden financial troubles; even the wedding planner has become a nervous wreck—as well as buried family secrets. But Nair’s celebration is ultimately joyful and cathartic: a love song to her home city of Delhi and her own Punjabi family."

Supplements: Audio commentary featuring director Mira Nair; seven short films by Nair - three documentaries (So Far From India [1983], India Cabaret [1985], The Laughing Club of India [2001]) and four fiction films (The Day the Mercedes Became a Hat [1993], 11'09'11—September 11 [2002; segment: "India], Migration [2007], How Can It Be? [2008], all with video introductions by Nair; video interview with actor Naseeruddin, conducted by Nair; video interviews with director of photography Declan Quinn and production designer Stephanie Carroll; and a booklet featuring an essay by critic and travel writer Pico Iyer.

The sale price is $19.99.


And that concludes my list of Criterion Collection recommendations. Of course there are a plethora of other titles well worth your attention, but I can not possibly hope to cover them all. With that in mind, here are several honorable mentions you might also want to check out; the link in each film title will take you to the its page on the Criterion Collection website:

-The Great Dictator (Charles Chaplin, 1940) - Spine # 565.
-Kagemusha (Akira Kurosawa, 1980) - Spine # 267.
-Ran (Akira Kurosawa, 1985) - Spine # 316.
-Stray Dog (Akira Kurosawa, 1949) - Spine # 233.
-Videodrome (David Cronenberg, 1983) - Spine # 248.
-The Sword of Doom (Kihachi Okamoto, 1966) - Spine # 280.
-Sweetie (Jane Campion, 1989) - Spine # 356.
-Symbiopsychotaxiplasm (William Greaves, 1968) - Spine # 360.

Criterion Collection Recommendations (Part 1 of 2)

I mentioned previously that Barnes & Noble is having a 50% off sale on the Criterion Collection that began on the 12th and is running through the 1st of August. Furthermore, I mentioned that I would provide a list of recommended titles that you should consider acquiring during the sale. What follows are the first five out of ten; the link attached to the film title will take you to its page on the Criterion Collection website, from which each synopsis has been taken, while the link attached to the prices will take you to their DVD listings at Barnes&Noble.com (if you opt for the Blu-ray format, they are the same price). Unless otherwise noted, these titles are likely to be found in most stores:



Revanche (Götz Spielmann, 2008) - Spine # 502 - "A gripping thriller and a tragic drama of nearly Greek proportions, Revanche is the stunning, Oscar-nominated international breakthrough of Austrian filmmaker Götz Spielmann. In a ragged section of Vienna, hardened ex-con Alex (the mesmerizing Johannes Krisch) works in a brothel, where he falls for Ukrainian hooker Tamara. Their desperate plans for escape unexpectedly intersect with the lives of a rural cop and his seemingly content wife. With meticulous, elegant direction, Spielmann creates a tense, existential, and surprising portrait of vengeance and redemption, and a journey into the darkest forest of human nature, in which violence and beauty exist side by side."

Supplements: A video interview with the director, Götz Spielmann; a half-hour "making-of" featurette; Foreign Land - an award-winning short film directed by Spielmann; a booklet featuring an essay by critic Armond White.

The sale price is $19.99.



Harakiri (Masaki Kobayashi, 1962) - Spine # 302 - "Following the collapse of his clan, an unemployed samurai (Tatsuya Nakadai) arrives at the manor of Lord Iyi, begging to be allowed to commit ritual suicide on the property. Iyi’s clansmen, believing the desperate ronin is merely angling for a new position, try to force his hand and get him to eviscerate himself—but they have underestimated his beliefs and his personal brand of honor. Winner of the 1963 Cannes Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize, Harakiri, directed by Masaki Kobayashi is a fierce evocation of individual agency in the face of a corrupt and hypocritical system."

Supplements: Video introduction by Japanese-film historian Donald Richie; excerpt from a Directors Guild of Japan video interview with the director, Masaki Kobayashi; video interviews with star Tatsuya Nakadai and screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto; poster gallery; a booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Joan Mellen as well as a reprint of her 1972 interview with Kobayashi.

The sale price is $19.99.



M (Fritz Lang, 1931) - Spine # 30 - "A simple, haunting musical phrase whistled offscreen tells us that a young girl will be killed. “Who Is the Murderer?” pleads a nearby placard as serial killer Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre) closes in on little Elsie Beckmann . . . In his harrowing masterwork M, Fritz Lang merges trenchant social commentary with chilling suspense, creating a panorama of private madness and public hysteria that to this day remains the blueprint for the psychological thriller."

Supplements: Audio commentary by German film scholars Anton Kaes and Eric Rentschler; Conversation with Fritz Lang - a 50-minute film by William Friedkin (director of The Exorcist); Claude Chabrol's M le maudit - a short film inspired by M; an interview with Chabrol about Lang's filmmaking technique; classroom tapes of M editor Paul Falkenberg discussing the film and its history; interview with Harold Nebenzal, the son of M producer Seymour Nebenzal; A Physical History of M; stills gallery with behind-the-scenes photos and production sketches by art director Emil Hasler; a booklet featuring an essay by film critic Stanley Kauffmann, a 1963 interview with Lang, the script for a missing scene, and contemporaneous newspaper articles.

The sale price is $19.99.



Gomorrah (Matteo Garrone, 2008) - Spine # 493 -  "Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah is a stark, shocking vision of contemporary gangsterdom, and one of cinema’s most authentic depictions of organized crime. In this tour de force adaptation of undercover Italian reporter Roberto Saviano’s best-selling exposé of Naples’ Mafia underworld (known as the Camorra), Garrone links five disparate tales in which men and children are caught up in a corrupt system that extends from the housing projects to the world of haute couture. Filmed with an exquisite detachment interrupted by bursts of violence, Gomorrah is a shattering, socially engaged true-crime story from a major new voice in Italian cinema."

Supplements: Five Stories - a 60-minute documentary on the making of Gomorrah; video interviews with director Matteo Garrone and actor Toni Servillo; video interview with writer Roberto Saviano (the author of the book on which the film is based); short video piece featuring Toni Servillo and actors Gianfelice Imparato and Salvatore Cantalupo; deleted scenes; a book featuring an essay by critic Chuck Stephens.

The sale price is $19.99.



Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders, 1987) - Spine # 490 - "Wings of Desire is one of cinema’s loveliest city symphonies. Bruno Ganz is Damiel, an angel perched atop buildings high over Berlin who can hear the thoughts—fears, hopes, dreams—of all the people living below. But when he falls in love with a beautiful trapeze artist, he is willing to give up his immortality and come back to earth to be with her. Made not long before the fall of the Berlin wall, this stunning tapestry of sounds and images, shot in black and white and color by the legendary Henri Alekan, is movie poetry. And it forever made the name Wim Wenders synonymous with film art."

Supplements: Audio commentary with director Wim Wenders and actor Peter Falk; The Angels Among Us - a 2003 documentary featuring interviews with Wenders, Falk, actors Bruno Ganz and Otto Sander, writer Peter Handke, and composer Jürgen Knieper; "Wim Wenders Berlin Jan. 87" - an episode of the French television program Cinéma cinémas; interview with director of photography Henri Aleka; deleted scenes and outtakes; excerpts from Alekan la lumière (1985) and Remembrance: Film for Curt Bois (1982); notes and photos by art directors Heidi Lüdi and Toni Lüdi; a booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Atkinson and writings by Handke and Wenders.

The sale price is $19.99.


If you have a Barnes & Noble membership ($25/year), you will save an extra 10% if purchasing these titles in-store. Check back next week for my other five recommendations.

07/12/11 Recommended New Releases

A rather decent assortment of titles hitting shelves today. The Best Buy coupon for $5 off any DVD or Blu-ray priced $14.99+ is still valid, and will surely help to ease the burden on the wallet.

*NOTE: Rango will not be released until Friday, July 15th.

[REC] 2 (Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza, 2009) - The first installment in this soon-to-be quadrilogy was in high demand after its [inferior] American remake, Quarantine, enjoyed a fairly lucrative run in theaters. For whatever reason, though, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment held off on releasing the original film on DVD in the U.S. until almost half a year after Quarantine hit DVD (by that time, [REC] 2 was only a few months away from making its theatrical debut in Spain). Now, two years later, Sony has finally released the sequel on DVD in the U.S.; a prequel (directed by Paco Plaza) and another sequel (directed by Jaume Balagueró)  are slated for release later this year and sometime in 2012, respectively. At any rate, [REC] 2 picks up fifteen minutes after the end of the first film with a medical officer and a SWAT team sent into the quarantined apartment building to get a handle on the situation that has arisen in the wake of a deadly virus outbreak.

Format: DVD - One of my most anticipated releases of the year. Like the first film, it is only available on DVD for the R1 (U.S.) release. Amazon has it available for $18.99.

The Lincoln Lawyer (Brad Furman, 2011) - an adaptation of the Michael Connelly novel of the same name starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller, a defense attorney whose Lincoln Town Car doubles as his office. Haller is called upon to defend a wealthy Realtor (Ryan Phillippe) accused of rape in what initially appears to be a straightforward, open-and-shut case. However, as Haller digs into the evidence, he discovers disturbing links to a prior case of his, setting off a treacherous chain of events. Also starring Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy, and Josh Lucas.

Format: DVD - The Blu-ray includes a DVD and a Digital Copy of the film, but nothing exclusive in the way of supplements. Therefore, I opt for the DVD, which is $2 cheaper this week. It is on sale for $15.99 at Best Buy this week; $10.99 with the $5 coupon.

Insidious (James Wan, 2010) - As a die-hard fanatic of the Saw franchise, I will always be curious when a new film from the director of its first installment comes around. The film stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne as a Josh and Renai, couple who have just moved into a new house. Soon after one of their sons, Dalton, falls inexplicably into what is assumed to be a coma. However, as a mixture of strange and frightening things begin occurring throughout their new house, Josh and Renai gradually begin to realize that whatever is happening is linked to their comatose son, whose current state represents something far more insidious (oooh, clever no?).

Format: DVD - Once again, the Blu-ray offers nothing exclusive except for BD-Live support, so I opt for saving $2 with the DVD format. It is on sale at Best Buy for $17.99; $12.99 with the $5 coupon.

Rango (Gore Verbinski, 2011) - an animated film about a pet chameleon (voiced by Johnny Depp) who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt - a Wild West-inspired town out in the desert that is need of water and new sheriff. Also featuring the voices of Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy.

Format: Blu-ray/DVD/DC Combo - In addition to a DVD and a Digital Copy of the film, the Blu-ray also sports an extended cut (complete with an alternate ending) as well as a few exclusive features. It will be available for $19.99 at Best Buy when it hits shelves this Friday; $14.99 after the $5 coupon.











Finally, today marks the beginning of Barnes & Noble's 50% off the Criterion Collection sale, which will be run through August 1st. If you have a B&N membership, you can save an extra 10% in stores or receive free shipping online (and often lower prices than what you find in stores, too). As promised, I will provide a list of recommended titles for the sale later this week.

02/15/11 Recommended New Releases (and other news)

Just one title releasing today piqued my interest:

Glorious 39 (Stephen Poliakoff, 2009) - a thriller set in the U.K. during the early days of World War II in which Anne Keyes, a woman from a family with significant political power, comes across evidence of a Nazi conspiracy. As she investigates further, she gradually comes to realize that she cannot even trust those closest to her.

Format: DVD - Though Amazon has the Blu-ray version on sale for only two dollars more than the DVD currently, aside from the slight upgrade in picture/sound quality, there is no difference between the two formats.









However, there is also one other noteworthy title hitting shelves today:

Unstoppable (Tony Scott, 2010) - Denzel Washington and Chris Pine star in this action-thriller about a runaway train carrying toxic chemicals that is on a collision course with the town of Scranton, PA; loosely based on a true story.

Format: Blu-ray - this version includes a handful of exclusive features, as well as a digital copy of the film, making it the preferable format.












And on a final note, I received in my e-mail this morning an interesting piece of news: The Criterion Collection is on Hulu. Right now there are a little over 150 films from the collection available to HuluPlus members ($7.99/month membership) for streaming, with plans to make over 800 available in the months to come. You can read the story here, and view the current selection on Hulu.