Our
Top 5 picks of the new USA DVD releases this
month are : - |
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1.
Ivan's Childhood
AKA
Ivanovo detstvo. Andrei
Tarkovsky's classic 1962 Russian tale of Ivan, a twelve
year old boy working on the eastern front. A Criterion
release.
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2.
Les Enfants terribles
Jean-Pierre
Melville 1952 take on the classic novel by Jean
Cocteau. Another super release from Criterion.
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3.
The Stranger
Like
every of Orson Welles directed films there is
moments of genius. This classic
1946 flix contains much more than its fair share.
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4.
Ace in the Hole
Billy
Wilder directs (magnificently) Kirk Douglas stars
in this 1951 classic now given a Criterion
release.
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5.
Ever Since The World Ended.
An
understandably flawed no-fi movie drama doc which
considers the realities of a post apocalyptic
San-Fransiscan society. Nice.
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Other
notable DVDs released this month that we recommend
: - |
Week Commencing 3rd July
2007
|
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Driving
Lessons
Excellent
and genuinely touching off beat TV movie re-uniting
Julie Walters and Rupert Grint (mother and son
Weasley from The Harry Potter movies).
|
AKA
Cha no aji. Katsuhito Ishii's 2004 excellent film study highlighting the complexities
of a family living in Tokyo.
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What
The Peeper Saw
Britt
Ekland and Mark Lester (Oliver) star in this "English"
style exploitative psychological thriller from
1972.
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Just
The Two Of Us
Sexploitation
flick from the 1975. Worth a watch for its kitsch
styling's alone, but leaves you wondering who used
to watch this stuff in the 1970's.
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Week Commencing 10th July
2007
|
|
The
Page Turner
French
Psychological drama - will appeal to those who
enjoyed
Michael Haneke's recent film Cache.
|
The
Astronaut Farmer
Really
enjoyable film from Mark and Michael Polish
and starring the rather wonderful Victoria Masden.
|
Three
Films By Hiroshi Teshigahara
It
does what it says on the tin. Three films from
the Progressive Japanese director - Pitfall,
Woman in the Dunes, Face of Another.
|
Iraq
in Fragments
Stories
highlighting post war Iraq by focusing in on
the ordinary lives of those living under extraordinary
circumstances.
|
Week Commencing 17th July
2007
|
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Factory
Girl
An
interesting attempt at bringing the life of Edie
Sedgwick (Warhol's muse) to the screen. A missed
opportunity, but interesting all the same and well
worth a look.
|
Hedda
Gabler
Quite
simply one of the best TV adaptations ever made.
Diana Rigg stars in this 1981 production of Henrik
Ibsens classic novel.
|
Lean week.
Nothing else very interesting released this week.
But hey it's summer - why not go out for a walk
or even tackle some of those jobs you've been meaning
to do round the house "when the finer weather
comes".
and would it hurt you to do some tidying once
in a while.
|
Week Commencing 24th
July 2007
|
Jean
De Florette / Manon of the Spring
Claude
Berri directs these two landmarks of the French
cinema.
|
Renaissance
Daniel
Craig stars in this enjoyable future shock sci-fi.
An excellently put together film with a good story
to boot (up).
|
Avant-Garde 2: Experimental
Cinema 1928-1954
Way
ahead of its time experimentalist films from the
future past.
|
Malpertuis
Harry
Kümel's 1972 surrealist / claustrophobic piece.
Newly remastered in a superb expanded DVD release.
|
|
Week
Commencing 30th July 2007 |
Hot
Fuzz
Fresh
from reinventing the Zombie genre in Shaun
of the Dead, the same team reinvent
the buddy / cop genre. Includes one of the finest
appearances by a swan in
cinema history.
|
Kung
Fu Hustle
A
film so enjoyable it can be watched by those
who cant stand martial arts movies. This time
released in an "Axe-Kickin' Edition"!.
|
A Crude Awakening -
The Oil Crash
Basil
Gelpke's documentary concerning the worlds quest
for oil (or how to bury your head in the
stand).
|
300
"We all want to draw like Frank
Miller"
as another comic artist once sang. Visually stunning.
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