Stars: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Victor Moore, Helen Broderick, Eric Blore | Written by Howard Lindsay, Allan Scott | Directed by George Stevens
Dazzling dancer “Lucky” (Fred Astaire) steps off stage and straight into his wedding outfit. But his colleagues don’t want to lose their star player to some dame, so they find ways to stop him. Lucky’s lateness triggers a fit of rage in the father of the would-be bride, and he issues an ultimatum: Lucky must go to New York, build a fortune, and return only when he earns the status (i.e. money) to marry his daughter.
Moments later, Lucky is in the Big Apple, where he falls in love with literally the first girl he meets. In classic rom-com stalker style, Lucky pursues Penny (Ginger Rogers) against her wishes. He chases her into a dance studio, where he masquerades as an amateur in order to humiliate...
Dazzling dancer “Lucky” (Fred Astaire) steps off stage and straight into his wedding outfit. But his colleagues don’t want to lose their star player to some dame, so they find ways to stop him. Lucky’s lateness triggers a fit of rage in the father of the would-be bride, and he issues an ultimatum: Lucky must go to New York, build a fortune, and return only when he earns the status (i.e. money) to marry his daughter.
Moments later, Lucky is in the Big Apple, where he falls in love with literally the first girl he meets. In classic rom-com stalker style, Lucky pursues Penny (Ginger Rogers) against her wishes. He chases her into a dance studio, where he masquerades as an amateur in order to humiliate...
- 7/8/2019
- by Rupert Harvey
- Nerdly
Swing Time
Blu ray
Criterion
1936 / 1.33 : 1 / 103 Min.
Starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers
Cinematography by David Abel
Directed by George Stevens
The image of a tuxedo clad Fred Astaire hopping an empty boxcar sums up the double-edged appeal of Swing Time, a transcendent musical-comedy in which Fred and Ginger meet the depression head-on – Runyonesque sentimentality is avoided thanks to George Stevens’ no-nonsense direction and the clear-eyed love songs of Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern.
Astaire plays a down-on-his-luck hoofer named Lucky who catches sight of a beautiful dance instructor named Penny and naturally falls in love (those too-perfect names will hang over the movie like a curse). The smitten hoofer trails her to the studio where she coaches would-be romantics in the art of… being Fred Astaire. Penny does her best with the supposedly flat-footed interloper but only succeeds in getting fired by her bad-tempered boss played by Eric Blore.
Lucky...
Blu ray
Criterion
1936 / 1.33 : 1 / 103 Min.
Starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers
Cinematography by David Abel
Directed by George Stevens
The image of a tuxedo clad Fred Astaire hopping an empty boxcar sums up the double-edged appeal of Swing Time, a transcendent musical-comedy in which Fred and Ginger meet the depression head-on – Runyonesque sentimentality is avoided thanks to George Stevens’ no-nonsense direction and the clear-eyed love songs of Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern.
Astaire plays a down-on-his-luck hoofer named Lucky who catches sight of a beautiful dance instructor named Penny and naturally falls in love (those too-perfect names will hang over the movie like a curse). The smitten hoofer trails her to the studio where she coaches would-be romantics in the art of… being Fred Astaire. Penny does her best with the supposedly flat-footed interloper but only succeeds in getting fired by her bad-tempered boss played by Eric Blore.
Lucky...
- 6/18/2019
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
For some, Ken Burns’ 2001 PBS series Jazz was a definitive, open-and-shut take on its subject, as comprehensive a portrait of the genre as one could hope for. For others, the series was a major slight. As Tom Surgal, director of the new doc Fire Music put it in a 2015 interview, Burns’ 10-part program “really got into pretty thoroughly depicting the entire history of the jazz continuum and virtually ignored free jazz altogether.”
Fire Music, which screens Monday night at the New York Film Festival, is his feature-length corrective. Whether you...
Fire Music, which screens Monday night at the New York Film Festival, is his feature-length corrective. Whether you...
- 10/1/2018
- by Hank Shteamer
- Rollingstone.com
Stars: Carole Lombard, William Powell, Gail Patrick, Eugene Pallette, Alice Brady | Written by Eric Hatch, Morrie Ryskind | Directed by Gregory La Cava
The fate of the stars of this socially-conscious screwball comedy, directed by former animator Gregory La Cava in 1936, couldn’t be more different. Carole Lombard was cruelly cut off in her prime, dying in a plane crash at the age of 33, while William Powell led a remarkably long life, marrying three times and beating cancer, before passing in 1984.
They show great chemistry in La Cava’s darkly comic fable. The rich WASPs of New York engage in a “Scavenger Hunt”, getting wasted and hunting down things no one else wants. This includes Godfrey (Powell), a homeless man living on a trash heap. He spurns the condescending Cornelia Bullock (Gail Patrick), but when her sister Irene (Lombard) takes an interest, he lets her take him back to the party,...
The fate of the stars of this socially-conscious screwball comedy, directed by former animator Gregory La Cava in 1936, couldn’t be more different. Carole Lombard was cruelly cut off in her prime, dying in a plane crash at the age of 33, while William Powell led a remarkably long life, marrying three times and beating cancer, before passing in 1984.
They show great chemistry in La Cava’s darkly comic fable. The rich WASPs of New York engage in a “Scavenger Hunt”, getting wasted and hunting down things no one else wants. This includes Godfrey (Powell), a homeless man living on a trash heap. He spurns the condescending Cornelia Bullock (Gail Patrick), but when her sister Irene (Lombard) takes an interest, he lets her take him back to the party,...
- 9/20/2018
- by Rupert Harvey
- Nerdly
Stars: Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Ralph Bellamy, Cecil Cunningham, Armand Duvalle | Written by Viña Delmar | Directed by Leo McCarey
Cary Grant plays Jerry Warriner, a New York socialite who’s just returned from a Florida vacation. We meet him bragging in the locker room: “What wives don’t know won’t hurt them!” Jerry’s Wife, Lucy (Irene Dunne), has also been away, supposedly to visit her aunt. So why has she strolled in with a handsome French gentleman? Jerry’s jealousy – not to mention his double standards – sends him into a fit of rage. They argue and Lucy files for divorce.
The rest of the film covers the months before the divorce goes through, as Lucy meets a new suitor and Jerry can’t leave her alone, always finding a reason to gatecrash her life. It’s the proto-rom-com stalker setup, although lovesick Lucy winds up behaving just as badly.
Cary Grant plays Jerry Warriner, a New York socialite who’s just returned from a Florida vacation. We meet him bragging in the locker room: “What wives don’t know won’t hurt them!” Jerry’s Wife, Lucy (Irene Dunne), has also been away, supposedly to visit her aunt. So why has she strolled in with a handsome French gentleman? Jerry’s jealousy – not to mention his double standards – sends him into a fit of rage. They argue and Lucy files for divorce.
The rest of the film covers the months before the divorce goes through, as Lucy meets a new suitor and Jerry can’t leave her alone, always finding a reason to gatecrash her life. It’s the proto-rom-com stalker setup, although lovesick Lucy winds up behaving just as badly.
- 4/24/2018
- by Rupert Harvey
- Nerdly
Each month, the fine folks at FilmStruck and the Criterion Collection spend countless hours crafting their channels to highlight the many different types of films that they have in their streaming library. This December will feature an exciting assortment of films, as noted below.
To sign up for a free two-week trial here.
Monday, January 1
Anatomy of a Murder*: Edition #600
A virtuoso James Stewart plays a small-town Michigan lawyer who takes on a difficult case: the defense of a young army lieutenant (Ben Gazzara) accused of murdering a local tavern owner who he believes raped his wife (Lee Remick). Featuring an outstanding supporting cast-with a young George C. Scott as a fiery prosecutor and the legendary attorney Joseph N. Welch as the judge – and an influential score by Duke Ellington, this gripping envelope-pusher was groundbreaking for the frankness of its discussion of sex. But more than anything else, it...
To sign up for a free two-week trial here.
Monday, January 1
Anatomy of a Murder*: Edition #600
A virtuoso James Stewart plays a small-town Michigan lawyer who takes on a difficult case: the defense of a young army lieutenant (Ben Gazzara) accused of murdering a local tavern owner who he believes raped his wife (Lee Remick). Featuring an outstanding supporting cast-with a young George C. Scott as a fiery prosecutor and the legendary attorney Joseph N. Welch as the judge – and an influential score by Duke Ellington, this gripping envelope-pusher was groundbreaking for the frankness of its discussion of sex. But more than anything else, it...
- 1/5/2018
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
What's the right thing to say about a closeted movie career in an industry that feeds on gossip? There's plenty to say, if you're Tab Hunter. The '50s heartthrob breaks his silence with a remarkably candid and positive account of his astonishing, unique Hollywood experience. Tab Hunter Confidential Blu-ray FilmRise 2015 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 90 min. / Street Date August 23, 2016 / 19.95 Starring Tab Hunter, Allan Glaser, Clint Eastwood, Connie Stevens, Portia de Rossi, Robert Wagner, Debbie Reynolds, Lainie Kazan, George Takei, Noah Wyle, John Waters, Liz Torres, Tab Hunter, Dolores Hart, Terry Moore, Don Murray, Robert Osborne, Darryl Hickman, William Wellman Jr., Rae Allen, Rona Barrett, Venetia Stevenson, Rex Reed, Etchika Choureau, Marilyn Erskine, Henry Willson, Shannon Bolin, Eddie Muller, Ronnie Robertson, Gary Giddins, Tamara Asseyev, Neal Noorlag, Marilyn Gevirtz, Jo-An Cox Bunton, Lou Simon, Evelyn Kramer. Cinematography Nancy Schreiber Film Editor Jeffrey Schwarz Original Music Michael Cudahy Produced by Allan Glaser, Neil Koenigsberg,...
- 8/26/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
More than one feature film looks at the making of this picture, focusing on its author, Truman Capote. Criterion's disc returns the discussion to Richard Brooks, the director that dared adapt an unfilmable novel of lurid, unthinkable crime on the Kansas prairie. It's also a last gasp of artistic B&W cinematography from Hollywood, thanks to the indelible images of Conrad Hall. In Cold Blood Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 781 1967 / B&W / 2:35 widescreen / 134 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date November 20, 2015 / 39.95 Starring Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe, Paul Stewart, Gerald S. O'Loughlin, Jeff Corey, John Gallaudet, James Flavin, John Collins, Charles McGraw, Will Geer. Cinematography Conrad L. Hall Production Designer Robert F. Boyle Film Editor Peter Zinner Original Music Quincy Jones Written by Richard Brooks from the novel by Truman Capote Produced and Directed by Richard Brooks
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Some directors just want to work. Others...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Some directors just want to work. Others...
- 11/21/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
“A Study Of Darkness”
By Raymond Benson
One of the more controversial motion pictures to emerge out of what film historians call “New Hollywood” was In Cold Blood, which was released to theaters “for mature audiences only.” The New Hollywood movement began around 1966, when the Production Code finally started to collapse (and before the movie ratings were instituted) and studios commenced allowing auteur filmmakers to do whatever the hell they wanted. The year 1967 was especially a groundbreaking one with the release of such “adult” fare as Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, In the Heat of the Night, and In Cold Blood.
In Cold Blood is based on the “non-fiction novel” by Truman Capote about the true crime of 1959 in which an innocent family of four in Kansas were murdered by two ex-cons who believed there was $10,000 hidden in a safe in the house (there wasn’t). Capote spent several years writing the book,...
By Raymond Benson
One of the more controversial motion pictures to emerge out of what film historians call “New Hollywood” was In Cold Blood, which was released to theaters “for mature audiences only.” The New Hollywood movement began around 1966, when the Production Code finally started to collapse (and before the movie ratings were instituted) and studios commenced allowing auteur filmmakers to do whatever the hell they wanted. The year 1967 was especially a groundbreaking one with the release of such “adult” fare as Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, In the Heat of the Night, and In Cold Blood.
In Cold Blood is based on the “non-fiction novel” by Truman Capote about the true crime of 1959 in which an innocent family of four in Kansas were murdered by two ex-cons who believed there was $10,000 hidden in a safe in the house (there wasn’t). Capote spent several years writing the book,...
- 11/20/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The advertising promised a surfeit of sleaze -- but the film is a superior thriller about a real-life, low-rent serial killers from back in the late 1940s. Tony Lo Bianco and the great Shirley Stoler are Ray and Martha, mixed-up lovers running a Merry Widow racket through the personals ads in romance magazines. Leonard Kastle's film is dramatically and psychologically sound, while the disc extras detail the true crime story, which is far, far, sleazier. The Honeymoon Killers Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 200 1969 / B&W / 1:85 widescreen / 107 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date September 29, 2015 / 39.95 Starring Shirley Stoler, Tony Lo Bianco, Mary Jane Higby, Doris Roberts, Kip McArdle, Marilyn Chris, Dortha Duckworth, Barbara Cason, Ann Harris Cinematography Oliver Wood Film Editor Richard Brophy, Stanley Warnow Music Gustav Mahler Produced by Warren Steibel Written and Directed by Leonard Kastle
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
The ad campaign for this crime shocker...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
The ad campaign for this crime shocker...
- 9/29/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
But almost 40 years since he left us, it's easy to forget that Crosby recorded nearly 400 hit singles over his long career--more than either Elvis Presley or the Beatles. He was also the owner of Pittsburgh Pirates as well as thoroughbred race horses, and played a fab game of golf. In fact, he died on a Madrid golf course at age 73 in 1977. PBS's season finale of "American Masters," "Bing Crosby Rediscovered," aims to dig a little deeper behind the Hollywood persona. The show debuts Tuesday, December 2 at 8 pm, the same day as the DVD, with an encore airing on Friday, December 26 at 9 pm. Narrated by Stanley Tucci, the documentary boasts new interviews the Crosby family, his record producer Ken Barnes, his biographer Gary Giddins and more. In the videos below, crooners Tony Bennett and Michael Feinstein talk about Crosby's singing and "Moonlight Becomes You" from "Road to Morocco" (1942), on one Tonight Show.
- 11/24/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
In today's roundup of news and views: Gary Giddins on Federico Fellini, Glenn Kenny on Walerian Borowczyk and Aliza Ma on Martin Scorsese; interviews with Juliette Binoche and Cherien Dabis; early word on the next projects from Abbas Kiarostami and Stephen Frears; podcasts on Raquel Welch and Slava Tsukerman; Thessaloniki's lineup and a first wave of programming for SXSW; classic horror indies in New York; and Griffin Dunne's preparing a documentary on his aunt, Joan Didion. » - David Hudson...
- 10/22/2014
- Fandor: Keyframe
In today's roundup of news and views: Gary Giddins on Federico Fellini, Glenn Kenny on Walerian Borowczyk and Aliza Ma on Martin Scorsese; interviews with Juliette Binoche and Cherien Dabis; early word on the next projects from Abbas Kiarostami and Stephen Frears; podcasts on Raquel Welch and Slava Tsukerman; Thessaloniki's lineup and a first wave of programming for SXSW; classic horror indies in New York; and Griffin Dunne's preparing a documentary on his aunt, Joan Didion. » - David Hudson...
- 10/22/2014
- Keyframe
“The most miserable life is better, believe me, than an existence protected by a society where everything’s organized and planned for and perfect,” says Steiner (Alain Cuny), Marcello’s (Marcello Mastroianni) only friend with seemingly any moral fiber or family values in the Rome of upper-class debauchery in which they surf throughout Federico Fellini’s groundbreaking critical masterpiece on the vacuous Roman high-life of the late 50s, La Dolce Vita. Steiner’s fleeting suggestion stands as an epiphanic thesis of Marcello’s own internal struggle to find love and stability while carrying out a career in journalism that takes him gallivanting with royalty and movie stars throughout all the ancient and newly minted quarters of Rome. The final frames of the film featuring Paola’s (Valeria Ciangottini) subtle glance to the audience suggest that in this new hodge-podge of old and evolving culture, only the innocence of youth has...
- 10/21/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
I've made no secret when it comes to my love for the work of Federico Fellini's films, especially his classic La Dolce Vita, which was the first entry in my Best Movies section earlier this year. For the longest time I've owned the Koch Lorber, 2-Disc DVD edition of La Dolce Vita, continuously awaiting the day Criterion would be given the chance to add it to their esteemed collection with a transfer the film most definitely deserved. I speculated as to whether it would finally happen once Paramount had been granted exclusive rights last June and lo and behold, it is finally here and the result is exactly what fans of this film have been waiting for with visuals and sound so rich it will be almost as if you are seeing it for the first time. When it comes to the film itself, I'll point you to my...
- 10/16/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Oct. 21, 2014
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg take a dip in the Trevi Fountain in La Dolce Vita.
The biggest hit from the most popular Italian filmmaker of all time, 1960’s La Dolce Vita rocketed Federico Fellini (The Clowns) to international mainstream success—ironically, by offering a damning critique of the culture of stardom.
A look at the darkness beneath the seductive lifestyles of Rome’s rich and glamorous, the film follows a notorious celebrity journalist—played by a sublimely cool Marcello Mastroianni (The 10th Victim)—during a hectic week spent on the peripheries of the spotlight.
La Dolce Vita was an incisive commentary on the deepening decadence of the European 1960s, and it provided a prescient glimpse of just how gossip- and fame-obsessed our society would become.
Presented in Italian with English subtitles, Criterion’s Blu-ray and DVD editions contain the...
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg take a dip in the Trevi Fountain in La Dolce Vita.
The biggest hit from the most popular Italian filmmaker of all time, 1960’s La Dolce Vita rocketed Federico Fellini (The Clowns) to international mainstream success—ironically, by offering a damning critique of the culture of stardom.
A look at the darkness beneath the seductive lifestyles of Rome’s rich and glamorous, the film follows a notorious celebrity journalist—played by a sublimely cool Marcello Mastroianni (The 10th Victim)—during a hectic week spent on the peripheries of the spotlight.
La Dolce Vita was an incisive commentary on the deepening decadence of the European 1960s, and it provided a prescient glimpse of just how gossip- and fame-obsessed our society would become.
Presented in Italian with English subtitles, Criterion’s Blu-ray and DVD editions contain the...
- 7/22/2014
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
The first entry into my "Best Movies" section was Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (read my essay here) and after rights to the film were finally decided I speculated as to whether or not Criterion will finally get their hands on the absolute classics. The answer is a resounding Yes as the Blu-ray release of the film has just been announced for October 21 with the following features: New 4K digital restoration by the Film Foundation, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray New visual essay by : : kogonada New interview with filmmaker Lina Wertmuller, who worked as assistant director on the film Scholar David Forgacs discusses the period in Italy's history when the film was made New interview with Italian film journalist Antonello Sarno about the outlandish fashions seen in the film Audio interview with actor Marcello Mastroianni from the early 1960s, conducted by film historian Gideon Bachmann Felliniana,...
- 7/15/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Chicago – Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights” used to be more widely considered to be one of the best films ever made. In early editions of the Sight & Sound poll (the every-decade poll of film historians and critics), it appeared in the top ten regularly. Its esteem seems to have slipped a bit over the decades as some now prefer other Chaplin to “Lights” (me, I adore “Great Dictator” and “Gold Rush,” both available in Criterion Blu-ray editions as well) but the new Criterion edition reminds one why so many people consider this one of the best. It’s still a glorious gem.
Rating: 5.0/5.0
I think one of the reasons that “City Lights” maintained such esteemfor so long is the fact that it’s Undeniably one of the most influential films ever made. When one thinks of Chaplin, the mind first goes to his tramp character, who was arguably never more...
Rating: 5.0/5.0
I think one of the reasons that “City Lights” maintained such esteemfor so long is the fact that it’s Undeniably one of the most influential films ever made. When one thinks of Chaplin, the mind first goes to his tramp character, who was arguably never more...
- 11/20/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The biggest surprise about this month’s release of Charles Chaplin’s City Lights (1931) is that it wasn’t already a part of Criterion’s prestigious collection. Though several of his other masterworks have already been featured, it’s this 1931 title that many deem to be the quintessential of all his Little Tramp films, a light and breezy comedy that’s as effortlessly comical as it is undeniably moving. Credited as his last silent film, it stands as one of the most revered silent films ever made, famously released after the advent of sound due to Chaplin’s steadfast obsession with cinema as a silent art. And to make the Tramp speak would only have resulted in tantamount sacrilege, a magic and mystery that would have evaporated with the insistent new technology.
A tramp (Charles Chaplin) wanders the streets of Los Angeles, involved in a series of comic scenarios before...
A tramp (Charles Chaplin) wanders the streets of Los Angeles, involved in a series of comic scenarios before...
- 11/19/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Charlie Chaplin's films have stood the test of time not necessarily because they are funny, at least not in today's terms of what classifies a film as a "comedy", but because the best of them are amusing, clever, witty, smart, emotional and, most of all, simple. But don't let their simplicity deceive you. The level of simplicity a film such as Chaplin's 1931 feature City Lights is not easily achieved. In fact, making something look simple may in fact be the hardest thing to accomplish in cinema. Without sci-fi plotlines, outside forces or even additional characters having an effect on the plot, City Lights is the story of Chaplin's iconic Tramp and the love he finds for a blind woman selling flowers on a street corner. As much as comedy has changed in 80+ years, a story such as this could hardly be told in today's cinemas and garner any kind of attention.
- 11/18/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
“City Lights”
“Frances Ha”
(The Criterion Collection, November 2013)
Something Old, Something New
By Raymond Benson
Among the wondrous Blu-ray products released this month by The Criterion Collection, that Cadillac of labels, are a masterpiece from 1931 and an absolute gem from 2013—Charles Chaplin’s City Lights, and Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha. Both packages come with Blu-ray and DVD discs, which apparently will be the norm for Criterion releases from now on.
First up—City Lights, arguably Chaplin’s best and most enduring feature film. Made at a time when sound had already taken over Hollywood, Chaplin insisted on shooting another silent picture. Everyone thought he was mad. The moguls believed that even after only four years of sound movies, audiences would not care to step backwards into the silent era ever again. Chaplin proved them wrong. City Lights, even without spoken dialogue (but with a gorgeous Chaplin score and sound effects) is sophisticated and intelligent,...
“Frances Ha”
(The Criterion Collection, November 2013)
Something Old, Something New
By Raymond Benson
Among the wondrous Blu-ray products released this month by The Criterion Collection, that Cadillac of labels, are a masterpiece from 1931 and an absolute gem from 2013—Charles Chaplin’s City Lights, and Noah Baumbach’s Frances Ha. Both packages come with Blu-ray and DVD discs, which apparently will be the norm for Criterion releases from now on.
First up—City Lights, arguably Chaplin’s best and most enduring feature film. Made at a time when sound had already taken over Hollywood, Chaplin insisted on shooting another silent picture. Everyone thought he was mad. The moguls believed that even after only four years of sound movies, audiences would not care to step backwards into the silent era ever again. Chaplin proved them wrong. City Lights, even without spoken dialogue (but with a gorgeous Chaplin score and sound effects) is sophisticated and intelligent,...
- 11/18/2013
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
City Lights
Written by Charles Chaplin
Directed by Charles Chaplin
USA, 1931
As they have with The Gold Rush, Modern Times, The Great Dictator, and Monsieur Verdoux, The Criterion Collection has released another stunning Blu-ray/DVD transfer of a Charlie Chaplin classic, rife with a surplus of features. City Lights (1931), which Criterion itself calls, “the most cherished film by Charlie Chaplin … his ultimate Little Tramp chronicle,” is certainly a film easy to love and admire; it’s The Tramp at his most endearingly hapless, his best of intentions always hilariously undermined, and it’s perhaps the most emotionally affecting Chaplin film.
The Kid has the unforgettable Jackie Coogan desperately reaching out for his newfound father figure, and throughout, the young boy and Chaplin tug at the heartstrings. But City Lights, especially with its transcendent final scene, trumps the more manipulatively straightforward sentiment in the earlier feature. Much has been made of this supremely effective conclusion,...
Written by Charles Chaplin
Directed by Charles Chaplin
USA, 1931
As they have with The Gold Rush, Modern Times, The Great Dictator, and Monsieur Verdoux, The Criterion Collection has released another stunning Blu-ray/DVD transfer of a Charlie Chaplin classic, rife with a surplus of features. City Lights (1931), which Criterion itself calls, “the most cherished film by Charlie Chaplin … his ultimate Little Tramp chronicle,” is certainly a film easy to love and admire; it’s The Tramp at his most endearingly hapless, his best of intentions always hilariously undermined, and it’s perhaps the most emotionally affecting Chaplin film.
The Kid has the unforgettable Jackie Coogan desperately reaching out for his newfound father figure, and throughout, the young boy and Chaplin tug at the heartstrings. But City Lights, especially with its transcendent final scene, trumps the more manipulatively straightforward sentiment in the earlier feature. Much has been made of this supremely effective conclusion,...
- 11/15/2013
- by Jeremy Carr
- SoundOnSight
Chicago – It’s rare that I feel comfortable using this kind of hyperbole in a Blu-ray review but here it goes — having watched it again on Criterion Blu-ray, after not seeing it in years, I’m more convinced than ever that John Cassavetes’ “A Woman Under the Influence” is one of the best films ever made. Maybe it’s because I’m older now and have a family of my own, but my most recent viewing of this masterpiece was heartwrenching in a totally different way. It’s stunning.
And the Criterion remaster of it, accompanied by four other of the most important films in the history of the independent film movement in “Cassavetes: Five Films” is a beauty. Oh, yeah, “Shadows,” “Faces,” “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie,” and “Opening Night” are damn good too. This is one of the best possible gifts you could pick up for the...
And the Criterion remaster of it, accompanied by four other of the most important films in the history of the independent film movement in “Cassavetes: Five Films” is a beauty. Oh, yeah, “Shadows,” “Faces,” “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie,” and “Opening Night” are damn good too. This is one of the best possible gifts you could pick up for the...
- 11/1/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Blu-ray Release Date: Oct. 22, 2013
Price: Blu-ray $124.95
Studio: Criterion
John Cassavetes—genius, visionary, and the progenitor of American independent film—receives some high-definition respect from Criterion in the John Cassavetes: Five Films collection.
A former theater actor fascinated by the power of improvisation, Cassavetes brought his search for truth in performance to the screen. The five films in this anthology of dramas—all of which the director maintained total control over by financing them himself and making them outside the studio system—are electrifying and compassionate creations, populated by all manner of humanity: beatniks, hippies, businessmen, actors, housewives, strippers, club owners, gangsters, children.
Cassavetes has often been called an actor’s director, but this body of work—even greater than the sum of its extraordinary parts—shows him to be an audience’s director.
Here’s a breakdown of the movies:
Lelia Goldoni and Anthony Ray star in John Cassavetes' 1959 directorial debut Shadows.
Price: Blu-ray $124.95
Studio: Criterion
John Cassavetes—genius, visionary, and the progenitor of American independent film—receives some high-definition respect from Criterion in the John Cassavetes: Five Films collection.
A former theater actor fascinated by the power of improvisation, Cassavetes brought his search for truth in performance to the screen. The five films in this anthology of dramas—all of which the director maintained total control over by financing them himself and making them outside the studio system—are electrifying and compassionate creations, populated by all manner of humanity: beatniks, hippies, businessmen, actors, housewives, strippers, club owners, gangsters, children.
Cassavetes has often been called an actor’s director, but this body of work—even greater than the sum of its extraordinary parts—shows him to be an audience’s director.
Here’s a breakdown of the movies:
Lelia Goldoni and Anthony Ray star in John Cassavetes' 1959 directorial debut Shadows.
- 9/6/2013
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Nov. 12, 2013
Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo $39.95
Studio: Criterion
The 1931 silent comedy-drama City Lights, one of the most cherished films by Charlie Chaplin (Modern Times), is also his ultimate Little Tramp chronicle.
Writer-director-star Chaplin achieved new levels of grace, in both physical comedy and dramatic poignancy, with this silent tale of a lovable vagrant falling for a young blind woman who sells flowers on the street (Virginia Cherrill) and mistakes him for a millionaire.
Though this Depression-era smash was made after the advent of sound, Chaplin remained steadfast in his love for the expressive beauty of the pre-talkie form. The result was the epitome of his art and the crowning achievement of silent comedy.
Criterion’s Blu-ray/DVD Combo of the classic movie includes the following features:
• New, restored 4K digital film transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• New audio commentary by Charlie Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance
• Chaplin Today: “City Lights,...
Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo $39.95
Studio: Criterion
The 1931 silent comedy-drama City Lights, one of the most cherished films by Charlie Chaplin (Modern Times), is also his ultimate Little Tramp chronicle.
Writer-director-star Chaplin achieved new levels of grace, in both physical comedy and dramatic poignancy, with this silent tale of a lovable vagrant falling for a young blind woman who sells flowers on the street (Virginia Cherrill) and mistakes him for a millionaire.
Though this Depression-era smash was made after the advent of sound, Chaplin remained steadfast in his love for the expressive beauty of the pre-talkie form. The result was the epitome of his art and the crowning achievement of silent comedy.
Criterion’s Blu-ray/DVD Combo of the classic movie includes the following features:
• New, restored 4K digital film transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• New audio commentary by Charlie Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance
• Chaplin Today: “City Lights,...
- 8/27/2013
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Criterion has announced its upcoming November 2013 titles and they include some highly coveted films, one of 2013's better films, an impressive box set and their new dual-format DVD/Blu-ray releases. To begin, it was a little bit of a shock to see they have abandoned releasing both DVD and Blu-ray versions of their film and instead will now release DVD/Blu-ray, dual-format editions. Note here it says dual format "editions", not "discs", which leads me to believe most releases will include both a DVD and Blu-ray disc. Consider in today's announcement the 27-disc box set of the Zatoichi films. This consists of nine Blu-ray discs and 18 DVD discs. On top of that Criterion confirms features will be available for on both DVD and Blu-ray formats. As far as this months titles are concerned, I'll begin with the upgraded Blu-ray release of Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story, which was the December 2012 selection...
- 8/15/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
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Retro-active: The Best From Cinema Retro's Archives (This article originally ran in October 2010)
By Raymond Benson
Often called one of the best, if not the best, anti-war movie ever made, Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of Glory solidified the director’s standing in Hollywood as a talent to be reckoned with. The second film in Kubrick’s collaboration with producer James B. Harris (the first was the excellent The Killing), and released in 1957, the picture demonstrated Kubrick’s flair for camerawork, composition, and controversial subject matter. Certainly Paths of Glory stands out among his early works as a monumental achievement.
Based on true events during World War I, the story concerns how three innocent French privates are court-martialed for “cowardice” simply to set an example after a devastating defeat on the battlefield. Their commander (Kirk Douglas, in one of his best performances) must defend them.
Retro-active: The Best From Cinema Retro's Archives (This article originally ran in October 2010)
By Raymond Benson
Often called one of the best, if not the best, anti-war movie ever made, Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of Glory solidified the director’s standing in Hollywood as a talent to be reckoned with. The second film in Kubrick’s collaboration with producer James B. Harris (the first was the excellent The Killing), and released in 1957, the picture demonstrated Kubrick’s flair for camerawork, composition, and controversial subject matter. Certainly Paths of Glory stands out among his early works as a monumental achievement.
Based on true events during World War I, the story concerns how three innocent French privates are court-martialed for “cowardice” simply to set an example after a devastating defeat on the battlefield. Their commander (Kirk Douglas, in one of his best performances) must defend them.
- 7/3/2012
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Feb. 21, 2012
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
It’s great to see Criterion give its stunning treatment to a classic James Stewart (It’s a Wonderful Life) murder mystery. Although 1959′s Anatomy of a Murder didn’t win any Academy Awards, it was nominated for seven: Best Picture, cinematography, adapted screenplay, editing, Best Actor for Stewart and two Best Supporting Actor awards for Arthur O’Connell (The Poseidon Adventure) and George C. Scott (Patton).
In the movie, Stewart plays a small-town lawyer who takes on the case of a young Army lieutenant (Ben Gazzara, The Thomas Crown Affair) accused of killing the local tavern owner, who he believes raped his wife (Lee Remick, The Omen).
Directed by the late Otto Preminger (Laura), Anatomy of a Murder was a groundbreaker when it was originally released for its frank discussion of sex. The film is based on the novel...
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
It’s great to see Criterion give its stunning treatment to a classic James Stewart (It’s a Wonderful Life) murder mystery. Although 1959′s Anatomy of a Murder didn’t win any Academy Awards, it was nominated for seven: Best Picture, cinematography, adapted screenplay, editing, Best Actor for Stewart and two Best Supporting Actor awards for Arthur O’Connell (The Poseidon Adventure) and George C. Scott (Patton).
In the movie, Stewart plays a small-town lawyer who takes on the case of a young Army lieutenant (Ben Gazzara, The Thomas Crown Affair) accused of killing the local tavern owner, who he believes raped his wife (Lee Remick, The Omen).
Directed by the late Otto Preminger (Laura), Anatomy of a Murder was a groundbreaker when it was originally released for its frank discussion of sex. The film is based on the novel...
- 11/16/2011
- by Sam
- Disc Dish
DVD Playhouse—November 2010
By Allen Gardner
Paths Of Glory (Criterion) Stanley Kubrick’s 1957 antiwar classic put him on the map as a major filmmaker. Kirk Douglas stars in a true story about a French officer in Ww I who locks horns with the military’s top brass after his men are court-martialed for failing to carry out an obvious suicide mission. A perfect film, across the board, with fine support from George Macready as one of the most despicable martinet’s ever captured on film, Ralph Meeker, and Adolphe Menjou, all oily charm as a conniving General. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Audio commentary by critic Gary Giddins; Excerpt from 1966 audio interview with Kubrick; 1979 interview with Douglas; New interviews with Jan Harlan, Christiane Kubrick, and producer James B. Harris; French television documentary on real-life case which inspired the film; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
Winter’S Bone (Lionsgate) After her deadbeat father disappears,...
By Allen Gardner
Paths Of Glory (Criterion) Stanley Kubrick’s 1957 antiwar classic put him on the map as a major filmmaker. Kirk Douglas stars in a true story about a French officer in Ww I who locks horns with the military’s top brass after his men are court-martialed for failing to carry out an obvious suicide mission. A perfect film, across the board, with fine support from George Macready as one of the most despicable martinet’s ever captured on film, Ralph Meeker, and Adolphe Menjou, all oily charm as a conniving General. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Audio commentary by critic Gary Giddins; Excerpt from 1966 audio interview with Kubrick; 1979 interview with Douglas; New interviews with Jan Harlan, Christiane Kubrick, and producer James B. Harris; French television documentary on real-life case which inspired the film; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
Winter’S Bone (Lionsgate) After her deadbeat father disappears,...
- 11/6/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
First off, a word of welcome: this is the first entry in Pajiba's DVD Review section, a new section for which I was recently named editor by our esteemed editor and chief, Dustin Rowles. After nearly a decade of writing about film on the web, it feels like a homecoming to be doing DVD reviews once again (I cut my teeth on them initially and, over the years, I've learned a hell of a lot about the craft---those early reviews are embarrassing in retrospect). In any case, the purpose of this section serves two functions. In some cases, as in this review, we'll (yes, we, there will be a special guest writer who is joining the ranks) be reviewing movies with a fresh perspective while paying particular attention to Av quality and supplemental features. In other cases, when a film has already been reviewed for the site, we'll simply be...
- 11/5/2010
- by Drew Morton
Chicago – “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” No film has as succinctly captured the truth of this brilliant Samuel Johnson quote as Stanley Kubrick’s masterful “Paths of Glory,” one of the best anti-war films ever made. It’s a work that often gets overlooked by the flashier projects like “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “A Clockwork Orange,” or “The Shining” that Kubrick would make later in his career, but it’s easily one the best works from one of history’s best directors and the Criterion Collection Blu-ray release of the film is another stunning beauty.
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0
A World War I French colonel (Kirk Douglas, giving one of his career-best performances) gets an order to send his troops on a seemingly-impossible mission. He is told from the beginning that the most-optimistic projections are that half of the already-shellshocked men will die during this mission but he has no choice.
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0
A World War I French colonel (Kirk Douglas, giving one of his career-best performances) gets an order to send his troops on a seemingly-impossible mission. He is told from the beginning that the most-optimistic projections are that half of the already-shellshocked men will die during this mission but he has no choice.
- 11/3/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Paths of Glory Quick Thoughts:
I have not yet seen the whole of Stanley Kubrick's readily available filmography. The one film that eludes me is 1962's Lolita after finally watching Barry Lyndon last December. It wasn't until August 1, 2008 that I finally saw Paths of Glory for the first time, and with each viewing of a Kubrick film the feeling you are watching something special never escapes your conscience. His films are unlike most anything you've seen before and you can tell when today's filmmakers are trying to accomplish something along similar lines. Even earlier this year, Christopher Nolan's Inception was referred to as Kubrickian by indieWire's Anne Thompson and whether you agree or not, it's evident Kubrick's stamp on cinema is one that will be felt throughout the ages.
Kubrick's often discussed as being one of the only directors to tackle all genres, but as noted by his...
I have not yet seen the whole of Stanley Kubrick's readily available filmography. The one film that eludes me is 1962's Lolita after finally watching Barry Lyndon last December. It wasn't until August 1, 2008 that I finally saw Paths of Glory for the first time, and with each viewing of a Kubrick film the feeling you are watching something special never escapes your conscience. His films are unlike most anything you've seen before and you can tell when today's filmmakers are trying to accomplish something along similar lines. Even earlier this year, Christopher Nolan's Inception was referred to as Kubrickian by indieWire's Anne Thompson and whether you agree or not, it's evident Kubrick's stamp on cinema is one that will be felt throughout the ages.
Kubrick's often discussed as being one of the only directors to tackle all genres, but as noted by his...
- 11/2/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Later this month, our friends at the Masters Of Cinema will be releasing Leo McCarey’s 1937 film, Make Way For Tomorrow on Blu-ray.
It was only this past February, that the Criterion Collection released their edition of Make Way For Tomorrow on DVD, with an incredible cover from the comic artist, Seth. The Criterion version was only available on DVD, and the Masters Of Cinema release will only be available on Blu-ray.
Assuming the press release lists all of the supplements on the MoC release, they will be duplicating all of the material from the Criterion disc. You’ll get a video piece from Peter Bogdanovich discussing the life and career of McCarey, and another video interview with Gary Giddins, discussing Leo McCarey’s filmography.
While it will be nice to see this film in high definition, it doesn’t seem like this is a title that you’ll need to double dip on,...
It was only this past February, that the Criterion Collection released their edition of Make Way For Tomorrow on DVD, with an incredible cover from the comic artist, Seth. The Criterion version was only available on DVD, and the Masters Of Cinema release will only be available on Blu-ray.
Assuming the press release lists all of the supplements on the MoC release, they will be duplicating all of the material from the Criterion disc. You’ll get a video piece from Peter Bogdanovich discussing the life and career of McCarey, and another video interview with Gary Giddins, discussing Leo McCarey’s filmography.
While it will be nice to see this film in high definition, it doesn’t seem like this is a title that you’ll need to double dip on,...
- 10/1/2010
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
DVD Playhouse—August 2010
By
Allen Gardner
Black Orpheus (Criterion) Winner of the 1959 Best Foreign Film Oscar and that same year’s Palme d’Or at Cannes, Black Orpheus is a modern-day update of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice reset in 20th century Brazil during Carnival in Rio. Director Marcel Camus offers up a visual feast with some of the decade’s most ravishing color cinematography. A classic. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Archival interviews with Camus and actress Marpessa Dawn; Interviews with Brazilian cinema scholar Robert Stam, jazz historian Gary Giddins, and Brazilian author Ruy Castro; Documentary on the film; Trailer. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
The Last Song (Touchstone) Sentimental adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ (by Sparks and Jeff Van Wie) sentimental novel about a father and daughter attempting to repair their damaged relationship. Greg Kinnear, as the dad in question, comes off best, while tween sensation Miley Cyrus...
By
Allen Gardner
Black Orpheus (Criterion) Winner of the 1959 Best Foreign Film Oscar and that same year’s Palme d’Or at Cannes, Black Orpheus is a modern-day update of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice reset in 20th century Brazil during Carnival in Rio. Director Marcel Camus offers up a visual feast with some of the decade’s most ravishing color cinematography. A classic. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Archival interviews with Camus and actress Marpessa Dawn; Interviews with Brazilian cinema scholar Robert Stam, jazz historian Gary Giddins, and Brazilian author Ruy Castro; Documentary on the film; Trailer. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
The Last Song (Touchstone) Sentimental adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ (by Sparks and Jeff Van Wie) sentimental novel about a father and daughter attempting to repair their damaged relationship. Greg Kinnear, as the dad in question, comes off best, while tween sensation Miley Cyrus...
- 8/29/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
The 1959 Marcel Camus classic Black Orpheus (Winner of both the 1960 Academy Award for best foreign-language film, and the 1959 Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or) has already been honored with the Criterion Collection treatment (in 1999); however, those who own the a copy will know just how bare it is – 1 disc with virtually no extra features; just an extended cut of the film.
Realizing their “error,” the Criterion group has just released a new and improved Black Orpheus on DVD (and Blu-Ray), loaded with several items that should both edify and entertain. The new Black Orpheus Criterion Collection release comes with 2 discs (unlike its predecessor), with special features that include, a new, restored high-definition digital transfer, archival interviews with director Marcel Camus and star actress Marpessa Dawn; new video interviews with film critics Robert Stam, Gary Giddins, and Brazilian journalist Ruy Castro; a feature-length documentary on the making of the film,...
Realizing their “error,” the Criterion group has just released a new and improved Black Orpheus on DVD (and Blu-Ray), loaded with several items that should both edify and entertain. The new Black Orpheus Criterion Collection release comes with 2 discs (unlike its predecessor), with special features that include, a new, restored high-definition digital transfer, archival interviews with director Marcel Camus and star actress Marpessa Dawn; new video interviews with film critics Robert Stam, Gary Giddins, and Brazilian journalist Ruy Castro; a feature-length documentary on the making of the film,...
- 8/17/2010
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
As much as Criterion seems to love their austere period dramas, their extreme genre pushing pieces, and their black and white French coming of age films, every so often, they release, or in the case of Black Orpheus, re-release a film that takes the collection to a completely different place.
When looking at the collection as a whole, very few releases are as stand out as the 1959 Marcel Camus directed love letter to Brazil and it’s then ever growing art scene, Black Orpheus. Based on the legendary Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, takes the story, and plants it in the heart of a favela in Rio de Janeiro, during the then rarely filmed Carnaval, and follows Orfeo, a trolley conductor and aspiring musician, who is engaged to the lively and utterly breathtaking Mira. However, during Carnaval, after being chased from her home by a mysterious stalker dressed in a skeleton costume,...
When looking at the collection as a whole, very few releases are as stand out as the 1959 Marcel Camus directed love letter to Brazil and it’s then ever growing art scene, Black Orpheus. Based on the legendary Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, takes the story, and plants it in the heart of a favela in Rio de Janeiro, during the then rarely filmed Carnaval, and follows Orfeo, a trolley conductor and aspiring musician, who is engaged to the lively and utterly breathtaking Mira. However, during Carnaval, after being chased from her home by a mysterious stalker dressed in a skeleton costume,...
- 8/17/2010
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Here we are again: another mid-month Criterion Collection new release announcement, with some incredible titles to talk about. Many of today’s announced titles have been teased at in one way or another, over the past few months.
First up we are finally going to see Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece, Criterion Collection #2, Seven Samurai finally making its high definition debut in the states. This release was something that Criterion mentioned back in December, as the Ak 100: 25 Films of Akira Kurosawa was released, and the Yojimbo / Sanjuro films were about to be announced on Blu-ray. In the post, Jonathan Turell mentioned that they wanted to have Seven Samurai ready on Blu-ray for Kurosawa’s birth month as well, but that it wouldn’t be ready until later in the year. The Seven Samurai Blu-ray was also teased at earlier this year when Amazon suddenly added a pre-order page for it,...
First up we are finally going to see Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece, Criterion Collection #2, Seven Samurai finally making its high definition debut in the states. This release was something that Criterion mentioned back in December, as the Ak 100: 25 Films of Akira Kurosawa was released, and the Yojimbo / Sanjuro films were about to be announced on Blu-ray. In the post, Jonathan Turell mentioned that they wanted to have Seven Samurai ready on Blu-ray for Kurosawa’s birth month as well, but that it wouldn’t be ready until later in the year. The Seven Samurai Blu-ray was also teased at earlier this year when Amazon suddenly added a pre-order page for it,...
- 7/15/2010
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
Then is now As both a thinker and an entertainer, pianist Jason Moran has enjoyed a high profile as a jazz artist in the era critic Gary Giddins once defined as “post-jazz.” The 35-year-old Houston native has expertly fused tradition and experimentation, tying together both ends of the jazz century in lively tunes that deploy stride technique and hip-hop rhythm with a sly sensibility. Ten celebrates Moran’s decade in the major leagues. Fueled by the expert bustle of his trio (including bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits), he’s given to expansive, sparkling showpieces; solo, he coaxes the still spaces...
- 6/22/2010
- Pastemagazine.com
The great 1959 Brazilian film Black Orpheus, which I recently wrote about on S & A which you can read Here is coming out in a brand spanking new restoration on Criterion in both standard and Blu-ray versions on Aug. 17.
Among the extras will be archival interviews with the director Marcel Camus and the film’s lead actress Marpessa Dawn, who was actually a native of Pittsburgh and who passed away in 2008, and new video interviews with Brazilian cinema scholar Robert Stam, jazz historian Gary Giddins and Brazilian author Ruy Castro. (Trivia: In a strange coincidence the lead actor of the film Breno Mello died only a month and a half before Dawn)...
Among the extras will be archival interviews with the director Marcel Camus and the film’s lead actress Marpessa Dawn, who was actually a native of Pittsburgh and who passed away in 2008, and new video interviews with Brazilian cinema scholar Robert Stam, jazz historian Gary Giddins and Brazilian author Ruy Castro. (Trivia: In a strange coincidence the lead actor of the film Breno Mello died only a month and a half before Dawn)...
- 5/19/2010
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Well here we are, another mid-month Criterion Collection New Release announcement extravaganza. A few titles that we suspected, due to rumors and various clues, and new addition to Maurice Pilat’s section of the Criterion Collection.
First off, we’re getting a re-release of a Criterion classic, Marcel Camus’ Black Orpheus. This is Criterion #48, so they are keeping in line with their re-releasing older titles, with new features, transfers, and absolutely gorgeous cover art. This Black Orpheus painting is one that I would certainly buy a print of, to hang on my wall. Black Orpheus will be released on August 17th on DVD and Blu-ray
A few weeks back, we told you about how the New York Times, in their Summer DVD column, let loose the idea that Criterion was working on a collection of Josef Von Sternberg titles, and we now have a complete list of the films, along with supplemental materials and artwork.
First off, we’re getting a re-release of a Criterion classic, Marcel Camus’ Black Orpheus. This is Criterion #48, so they are keeping in line with their re-releasing older titles, with new features, transfers, and absolutely gorgeous cover art. This Black Orpheus painting is one that I would certainly buy a print of, to hang on my wall. Black Orpheus will be released on August 17th on DVD and Blu-ray
A few weeks back, we told you about how the New York Times, in their Summer DVD column, let loose the idea that Criterion was working on a collection of Josef Von Sternberg titles, and we now have a complete list of the films, along with supplemental materials and artwork.
- 5/14/2010
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
My experience with Lola Montes director Max Ophuls was zero prior to my first screening of Criterion's new Blu-ray edition of his final directorial feature. As a result, while watching the special features and listening to the fascinating audio commentary included, I realized the work of Ophuls cannot be judged by watching one film. It's also my impression he's a director whose signature will be found on most all of his films, leading me to believe the more of his films I see, the more I will appreciate what I am watching. While I enjoyed Lola Montes, and noticed plenty of directorial control as well as an obvious auteur style, I still felt I was missing something.
In September of 2008, Criterion released The Earrings of Madame de..., La ronde and Le plaisir on DVD, three of Ophuls most recognized films with The Earrings of Madame de... probably being his most loved.
In September of 2008, Criterion released The Earrings of Madame de..., La ronde and Le plaisir on DVD, three of Ophuls most recognized films with The Earrings of Madame de... probably being his most loved.
- 2/16/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Chicago – What more is there to write about “The Seventh Seal”? Dozens of scholars more renowned than myself have already examined virtually every shot of the film. It has been dissected and discussed in dozens of languages and continues to be one of the most influential pieces of work in the history of its medium. The new Criterion Blu-Ray edition makes it clear why.
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0 Since it won the Special Jury Prize at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival, “The Seventh Seal” has become a world-renowned masterpiece of cinematography and symbolism. Writing again about its significance in the history of film would be merely repetitive. Instead, let’s look at the remarkable edition that Criterion has released for it.
Death played by Bengt Ekerot and Antonius Block, the knight played by Max von Sydow
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Criterion Collection
In case there are some of you out there completely unfamiliar with “The Seventh Seal,...
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0 Since it won the Special Jury Prize at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival, “The Seventh Seal” has become a world-renowned masterpiece of cinematography and symbolism. Writing again about its significance in the history of film would be merely repetitive. Instead, let’s look at the remarkable edition that Criterion has released for it.
Death played by Bengt Ekerot and Antonius Block, the knight played by Max von Sydow
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Criterion Collection
In case there are some of you out there completely unfamiliar with “The Seventh Seal,...
- 6/23/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Upon receiving Criterion's brand new special edition of Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal I had just finished watching his film trilogy (Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light and The Silence) and there couldn't have been a more appropriate time to do so. Of the three films in Bergman's trilogy, Winter Light is not only the best, it is a perfect companion piece to The Seventh Seal. Made five years after The Seventh Seal, Winter Light also touches on the "silence of God," but where these two films differ is in their outcome. While both are asking questions, Winter Light offers far more answers than The Seventh Seal, but where Winter Light finds answers and The Seventh Seal does not is exactly where both films find their charm. Criterion initially released The Seventh Seal in 1999 with only an audio commentary by Bergman expert Peter Cowie, the theatrical trailer and what...
- 6/16/2009
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
After posting my weekly This Week on DVD and Blu-ray article I got to thinking it had been a while since I added a new title from Criterion to the database with Kurosawa's Ran (5/12) being the most recent Blu-ray added to the release calender. Typically I get a press release announcing all the new Criterion titles once a month, but I have noticed they get added to the Criterion website a day or two in advance so I took a trip on over and lo-and-behold there was a surprise in store for me. On June 16 Criterion will be releasing a brand new 2-Disc DVD and Blu-ray edition of Ingmar Bergman's classic The Seventh Seal, a film I absolutely love and while I own it as part of my Janus collection, those discs don't come with any special features. I have seen the original Criterion Seventh Seal release, but it...
- 3/17/2009
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Chicago – Entries number 251 and number 252 in the most important and impressive series of DVDs in the history of the format, The Criterion Collection, come from the same influential writer/director, one of the godfathers of the independent film industry, John Cassavetes. Both are worthwhile additions to any serious film collector’s shelf.
DVD Rating: 4.5/5.0 The first of the pair is the half-century old “Shadows,” Cassavetes’ directorial debut. As the credit so perfectly says “Improvised/Directed by John Cassavetes”. These visionary films were the forerunner of the American independent film movement - creative people getting together with a camera to create art.
Shadows was released on DVD on February 17th, 2009.
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Criterion Collection Those creative people in “Shadows” were headed by Lelia Goldoni and Anthony Ray. Goldoni plays a character of the same name, a light-skinned black woman living in New York City with her two brothers.
DVD Rating: 4.5/5.0 The first of the pair is the half-century old “Shadows,” Cassavetes’ directorial debut. As the credit so perfectly says “Improvised/Directed by John Cassavetes”. These visionary films were the forerunner of the American independent film movement - creative people getting together with a camera to create art.
Shadows was released on DVD on February 17th, 2009.
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Criterion Collection Those creative people in “Shadows” were headed by Lelia Goldoni and Anthony Ray. Goldoni plays a character of the same name, a light-skinned black woman living in New York City with her two brothers.
- 2/26/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
"The General is a peephole into history and by any definition an uncannily beautiful film," writes Gary Giddins at Slate. "Indeed, for a first-time viewer, I would emphasize the beauty over the comedy."
"With a star-powered trio of Roberts (Ryan, Mitchum and Young) sharing the one-sheet for a film noir produced by the studio that helped define the post-war style, Crossfire really should be a lot better than it is," finds Scott Marks. And then there's Flying Leathernecks. Nicholas Ray "possibly undertook the project in part as a preemptive defense against Huac who viewed him as a left-leaning, Tinsel Town liberal. They were right, of course, but Ray never went down for them. Undoubtedly Ray and Robert Ryan, both leftist liberals, locked horns with the Duke and his favored Gop co-star Jay C Flippen. Sadly, very little of their off-screen tension found its way into the finished product."
Read more below!
"With a star-powered trio of Roberts (Ryan, Mitchum and Young) sharing the one-sheet for a film noir produced by the studio that helped define the post-war style, Crossfire really should be a lot better than it is," finds Scott Marks. And then there's Flying Leathernecks. Nicholas Ray "possibly undertook the project in part as a preemptive defense against Huac who viewed him as a left-leaning, Tinsel Town liberal. They were right, of course, but Ray never went down for them. Undoubtedly Ray and Robert Ryan, both leftist liberals, locked horns with the Duke and his favored Gop co-star Jay C Flippen. Sadly, very little of their off-screen tension found its way into the finished product."
Read more below!
- 11/19/2008
- by dwhudson
- GreenCine
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