Criterion in August

Criterion's newly announced titles for August range from "well, finally" to "thanks, but..." The most obvious "finally" is a three-film set of Josef von Sternberg silents–Underworld, The Last Command and The Docks of New York–which had been speculated to be on their way for years. Still under the "finally" category is Maurice Pialat's L'enfance nue. After Criterion released Pialat's amazing À nos amours in 2006, we might have expected a number of the director's other films to surface, but so far only a crummy disc of Loulou and an out-of-print one for Van Gogh are the only other Pialat's on home video in the US (Masters of Cinema in the UK have been putting out most of his oeuvre on DVD over the past couple years). While I wouldn't necessarily throw Terry Zwigoff's Crumb or his first film, a documentary called Louie Bluie, into the "no thanks" category, as long as these releases don't lead to Criterion putting out any of his fiction features. And, well, as there's only one other title left (on the main line), you can guess my feelings toward Marcel Camus' Black Orpheus [Orfeu Negro], which will get a remastered reissue DVD release as well as a Blu-ray on the 17th. The Eclipse set will be the First Films of Akira Kurosawa–Sanshiro Sugata, Sanshiro Sugata 2, The Most Beautiful and The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail–all four of which were first issued last December in the AK 100 box set. Aside from Black Orpheus, Crumb will be the only other Blu-ray release in August. I have a non-Criterion DVD update coming up soon.

The Big Region 2 Update for the UK, July '09-March '10

Instead of picking through which titles I listed last time around, I've simply narrowed this list of upcoming DVDs in the UK to the titles released after 1 July 09. Keep in mind that the release dates may change without notice (or be canceled), and the DVDs that begin with an asterisk are ones that have rolled over from the last update; the ones in bold are still unavailable in the US (or haven't set a firm release date). Some of the more exciting releases for the second half of 2009 include BFI's Blu-ray release of Visconti's The Leopard; Secondrun's release of Pedro Costa's The Blood; Artificial Eye's uncut (or so I've heard) releases of the two Jeanne la Pucelle films from Jacques Rivette; two Satyajit Ray films (Goddess, Two Daughters) from Mr. Bongo Films; Georges Franju's La tête contre les murs from Masters of Cinema; two early films from Sally Potter (London Story and The Gold Diggers with Julie Christie) from BFI; a Blu-ray of The Quay Brothers' Institute Benjamenta from BFI; and Palisades Tartan's first round of DVDs for the UK, including Tom Kalin's Swoon, Park Chan-wook's Thirst and a remastered edition of Ingmar Bergman's Fanny & Alexander. Please also note, just because a film doesn't have "also on Blu-ray" mentioned doesn't mean it won't happen; I just didn't find mention of one. The titles are in descending order of release.

* Blind Loves [Slepé lásky], 2008, d. Juraj Lehotský, ICA, 6 July
* Bronson, 2009, d. Nicolas Winding Refn, Vertigo Films, also on Blu-ray, 6 July
- Claire Dolan, 1998, d. Lodge H. Kerrigan, Artificial Eye, 6 July
* The Coffin Joe Trilogy [At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul / This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse / Awakening of the Beast], d. José Mojica Marins, Anchor Bay, 6 July
* Dream Boy, 2008, d. James Bolton, Peccadillo Pictures, 6 July
* Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts, 2007, d. Scott Hicks, Drakes Avenue, 6 July
- The Grocer's Son [Le fils de l'épicier], 2007, d. Eric Guirado, ICA, 6 July
- Immortal Love, 1972, d. Chusei Sone, HB Films, 6 July
* The Innocent Sleep, d. Scott Michell, Bluebell, 6 July
* Little Ashes, 2008, d. Paul Morrison, Spirit, 6 July

- Lola Montès, 1955, d. Max Ophüls, Second Sight, 6 July
* Meatball Machine, 2005, d. Yudai Yamaguchi, Jun'ichi Yamamoto, 4Digital Asia, 6 July
- The Red Shoes, 1948, d. Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, ITV, also on Blu-ray, 6 July
* The Scarlet Tunic, 1998, d. Stuart St. Paul, Bluebell, 6 July
* Three Monkeys [Üç maymun], 2008, d. Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Drakes Avenue, 6 July
- A Woman Called Abé Sada, 1975, d. Noboru Tanaka, HB Films, 6 July
* Anti-Clock, 1980, d. Jane Arden, Jack Bond, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 13 July
* Brute Force, 1947, d. Jules Dassin, Arrow Films, 13 July
- Genova, 2008, d. Michael Winterbottom, Metrodome, 13 July
* High Art, 1998, d. Lisa Cholodenko, TLA Releasing, 13 July

* The Other Side of Underneath, 1972, d. Jane Arden, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 13 July
- Panic, 2000, d. Henry Bromell, Arrow, 13 July
* Separation, 1968, d. Jack Bond, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 13 July
* The Young Victoria, 2009, d. Jean-Marc Vallée, Momentum, also on Blu-ray, 13 July
* Diminished Capacity, 2008, d. Terry Kinney, Paramount, 20 July
- Man of Iron [Człowiek z żelaza], 1981, d. Andrzej Wajda, Mr. Bongo, 20 July
- Marlene, 1984, d. Maximilian Schell, Park Circus, 20 July
* Pedro, 2008, d. Nick Oceano, Metrodome, 20 July
- Requiem for Billy the Kid, 2006, d. Anne Feinsilber, Park Circus, 20 July
- Sirens, 1994, d. John Duigan, Arrow, 20 July

- Yellowbeard, 1983, d. Mel Damski, Optimum, 20 July
* Close My Eyes, 1991, d. Stephen Poliakoff, Film4, 27 July
* Comrades, 1986, d. Bill Douglas, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 27 July
* Il divo, 2008, d. Paolo Sorrentino, Artificial Eye, 27 July
* Gerry, 2002, d. Gus Van Sant , Film4, 27 July
* The Hal Hartley Collection [Trust / Henry Fool / The Girl from Monday], d. Hal Hartley, Artificial Eye, 27 July, available individually or as a set
* Hear My Song, 1991, d. Peter Chelsom, Film4, 27 July
* Modern Life [Profils paysans: La vie moderne], 2008, d. Raymond Depardon, Soda, 27 July
* Penny Points to Paradise / Let's Go Crazy, 1951, d. Anthony Young / Alan Cullimore, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 27 July
- House of Cards, 1993, d. Michael Lessac, Arrow, 3 August

- Insomnia, 1997, d. Erik Skjoldbjærg, Arrow, 3 August
* Let the Right One In [Låt den rätte komma in], 2008, d. Tomas Alfredson, Momentum, also on Blu-ray, 3 August
- Gate of Flesh, 1964, d. Seijin Suzuki, HB Films, 10 August
* O' Horten, 2007, d. Bent Hamer, Artificial Eye, 10 August
- Oasis, 2002, d. Lee Chang-dong, Third Window, 10 August
- The Watcher in the Attic, 1976, d. Noboru Tanaka, HB Films, 10 August
- The Fireman's Ball [Hoří, má panenko], 1967, d. Miloš Forman, Arrow, 17 August
- High Heels [Tacones lejanos], 1991, d. Pedro Almodóvar, Optimim, 17 August
- Orders to Kill, 1958, d. Anthony Asquith, Optimum, 17 August
- Pool of London, 1951, d. Basil Dearden, Studio Canal/Optimum, 17 August

- Sparrows Can't Sing, 1963, d. Joan Littlewood, Studio Canal/Optimum, 17 August
- All the Right Noises, 1969, d. Gerry O'Hara, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 24 August
- Les amants du Pont Neuf [Lovers on the Bridge], d. Leos Carax, Arrow, 24 August
- Beautiful Losers, 2008, d. Aaron Rose, Joshua Leonard, Revolver, 24 August
* La belle noiseuse / Divertimento, 1991, d. Jacques Rivette, Artificial Eye, 3-Disc Definitive Edition, 24 August
- Blue Eyelids [Párpados azules], 2007, d. Ernesto Contreras, Axiom, 24 August
- The Burning Plain, 2008, d. Guillermo Arriaga, High Fliers, 24 August
- Delta, 2008, d. Kornél Mundruczó, Drakes Avenue, 24 August
* Hannie Caulder, 1971, d. Burt Kennedy, Odeon, 24 August
- Herostratus, 1967, d. Don Levy, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 24 August

- In the Loop, 2009, d. Armando Iannucci, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 24 August
* Jeanne la Pucelle: The Battles [Jeanne la Pucelle 1 - Les batailles], 1994, d. Jacques Rivette, Artificial Eye, 24 August
* Jeanne la Pucelle: The Prisons [Jeanne la Pucelle 2: Les prisons], 1994, d. Jacques Rivette, Artificial Eye, 24 August
* Lisbon Story, 1994, d. Wim Wenders, Axiom, 21 August
- Man in the Chair, 2007, d. Michael Schroeder, High Fliers, 24 August
- Man of Violence/The Big Switch, d. Pete Walker, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 24 August
- Nous ne vieillirons pas ensemble, 1972, d. Maurice Pialat, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, 24 August
- Passe ton bac d'abord, 1979, d. Maurice Pialat, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, 24 August
* Secret défense, 1998, d. Jacques Rivette, Artificial Eye, 24 August
- The Sorrow and the Pity [Le chagrin et la pitié], 1969, d. Marcel Ophüls, Arrow, 24 August

- Footprints [Le orme], 1975, d. Luigi Bazzoni, Mario Fanelli, Shameless, 29 August
- Antarctica, 2008, d. Yair Hochner, Peccadillo Pictures, 31 August
- The Battle of Algiers [La battaglia di Algeri], 1965, d. Gillo Pontecorvo, Argent, 31 August
- The Big Knife, 1955, d. Robert Aldrich, Optimum, 31 August
- Conversations with My Gardener [Dialogue avec mon jardinier], 2007, d. Jean Becker, Cinefile, 31 August
* The Damned United, 2009, d. Tom Hooper, Sony, also on Blu-ray, 31 August
- Dead Snow [Død snø], 2009, d. Tommy Wirkola, E1, 31 August
* Diary for My Children [Napló gyermekeimnek], 1984, d. Márta Mészáros, Secondrun, 20 July
- Good, 2008, d. Vicente Amorim, Lionsgate, 31 August
- Joseph Andrews, 1977, d. Tony Richardson, Optimum, 31 August

- Look Back in Anger, 1958, d. Tony Richardson, Optimum, 31 August
- Mademoiselle, 1966, d. Tony Richardson, Optimum, 31 August
- The Stranger, 1946, d. Orson Welles, Optimum, 31 August
- Werner Herzog: Encounters in the Natural World Box Set [Encounters at the End of the World / Grizzly Man / The White Diamond / La Soufrière / The Flying Doctors of East Africa], d. Werner Herzog, Revolver, also on Blu-ray, 31 August
- Back to Normandy [Retour en Normandie], 2007, d. Nicolas Philibert, Artificial Eye, 7 September
- Butterfly Kiss, 1995, d. Michael Winterbottom, Second Sight, 7 September
- Chan Is Missing, 1982, d. Wayne Wang, Drakes Avenue, 7 September
- Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, 1985, d. Wayne Wang, Drakes Avenue, 7 September
- Fermat's Room [La habitación de Fermat], 2007, d. Luis Piedrahita, Rodrigo Sopeña, Revolver, 7 September
* Fifty Dead Men Walking, 2008, d. Kari Skogland, Metrodome, also on Blu-rau, 7 September

- The Girl Cut in Two [La fille coupée en deux], 2007, d. Claude Chabrol, Artificial Eye, 7 September
- Helen, 2008, d. Joe Lawlor, Christine Molloy, Drakes Avenue, 7 September
- I, Pierre Rivière [Je suis Pierre Rivière], 1976, d. Christine Lipinska, Artificial Eye, 7 September
- The Inner Life of Martin Frost, 2007, d. Paul Auster, Axiom, 7 September
- Maradona by Kusturica [Maradona par Kusturica], 2008, d. Emir Kusturica, Optimum, 7 September
- Nelio's Story [Comédia Infantil], 1998, d. Solveig Nordlund, HB Films, 7 September
- Street of Joy, 1974, d. Tatsumi Kumashiro, HB Films, 7 September
- Time Regained [Le temps retrouvé], 1999, d. Raoul Ruiz, Second Sight, 7 September
- War Photographer, 2001, d. Christian Frei, Artefact, 7 September
- Atlantis, 1991, d. Luc Besson, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 14 September

- Arrested Development, The Complete 3 Seasons, 2003-2006, Fox, 14 September
- La belle captive, 1983, d. Alain Robbe-Grillet, Second Sight, 14 September
- Beyond the Clouds [Al di là delle nuvole], 1995, d. Michelangelo Antonioni, Wim Wenders, Second Sight, 14 September
- The Big Blue [Le grand bleu], 1988, d. Luc Besson, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 14 September
- Is Anybody There?, 2008, d. John Crowley, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 14 September
- The Last Battle [Le dernier combat], 1983, d. Luc Besson, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 14 September
- Murder on a Sunday Morning [Un couple idéal], 2001, d. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, Artefact, 15 September
- Nikita [La femme Nikita], 1990, d. Luc Besson, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 14 September
- The Second Wind [Le deuxième souffle], 2007, d. Alain Corneau, Optimum, 14 September
- Sexy Killer [Sexykiller, morirás por ella], 2008, d. Miguel Martí, Momentum, 14 September

- Sounds Like Teen Spirit, 2008, d. Jamie Jay Johnson, Warner, 14 September
- Subway, 1985, d. Luc Besson, Optimum, also on Blu-ray, 14 September
- Wonderful Town, 2007, d. Aditya Assarat, Soda, 14 September
- Andy Warhol's Bad, 1977, d. Jed Johnson, Video International, 21 September
- The Art of Being Straight, 2008, d. Jesse Rosen, TLA Releasing, 21 September
- Big Man Japan, 2007, d. Hitoshi Matsumoto, Revolver, 21 September
- The Blood [O Sangue], 1989, d. Pedro Costa, Secondrun, 21 September
- Chéri, 2009, d. Stephen Frears, Pathé, 21 September
- Dynamic: 01, d. David Lynch, Scanbox, 21 September
- A Few Days in September [Quelques jours en septembre], 2006, d. Santiago Amigorena, High Fliers, 21 September

- The French Collection, Volume 3: Isabelle Huppert [The Piano Teacher / Merci pour le chocolat / Gabrielle], d. Michael Haneke / Claude Chabrol / Patrice Chéreau, Artificial Eye, 21 September
- The French Collection, Volume 4: Emmanuelle Béart [La belle noiseuse - Divertimento / Histoire de Marie et Julien / The Witnesses], d. Jacques Rivette, André Téchiné, Artificial Eye, 21 September
* Gimme Shelter, 1970, d. Albert and David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin, Warner, 21 September
- Goddess [Devi], 1960, d. Satyajit Ray, Mr. Bongo, 21 September
- Greek Pete, 2009, d. Andrew Haigh, Peccadillo Pictures, 21 September
- Hatchet for the Honeymoon [Il rosso segno della follia], 1970, d. Mario Bava, Odeon, 21 September
- Lake Tahoe, 2008, d. Fernando Eimbcke, Yume, 21 September
- The Man Without a Past [Mies vailla menneisyyttä], 2002, d. Aki Kaurismäki, ICA, 21 September
- Mark of an Angel [L'empreinte de l'ange], 2008, d. Safy Nebbou, Metrodome, 21 September
- Mørke, 2005, d. Jannik Johansen, HB Films, 21 September

- Rider on the Rain [Le passager de la pluie], 1970, d. René Clément, 1970, Optimum, 21 September
- The September Issue, 2009, d. R.J. Cutler, Momentum, 21 September
- Sleepwalking Land [Terra Sonâmbula], 2007, d. Teresa Prata, HB Films, 21 September
- Sugar, 2008, d. Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Axiom, 21 September
- Sunrise, 1927, d. F.W. Murnau, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, also on Blu-ray, 21 September
- La tête contre les murs, 1959, d. Georges Franju, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, 21 September
- Three Daughters [Teen Kanya], 1961, d. Satyajit Ray, Mr. Bongo, 21 September
- A World Without Thieves, 2004, d. Feng Xiaogang, Palisades Tartan, 21 September
- Amsterdamned, 1988, d. Dick Maas, Nouveaux, 28 September
- Anything for Her [Pour elle], 2008, d. Fred Cavayé, Metrodome, 28 September

- Blood Rain, 2005, d. Kim Dae-seung, Palisades Tartan, 28 September
- Everlasting Moments [Maria Larssons eviga ögonblick], 2008, d. Jan Troell, Icon, 28 September
- The Exiles, 1961, d. Kent MacKenzie, BFI, 28 September
- Fireflies in the Garden, 2008, d. Dennis Lee, Universal, 28 September
* Not Forgotten, 2009, d. Dror Soref, Anchor Bay, also on Blu-ray, 28 September
* Presque rien [Come Undone], 2000, d. Sébastien Lifshitz, Peccadillo Pictures, 28 September
- Rage, 2009, d. Sally Potter, Spirit, 28 September
- Summer Scars, 2007, d. Julian Richards, Soda Pictures, 28 September
- Swoon, 1991, d. Tom Kalin, Palisades Tartan, 28 September
- Tony Manero, 2008, d. Pablo Larraín, Network, 28 September

- Tormented, 2009, d. Jon Wright, Pathé, 28 September
- Fanny & Alexander, 1982, d. Ingmar Bergman, Palisades Tartan, 5 October
- Just Another Love Story [Kærlighed på film], 2007, d. Ole Bornedal, Revolver, 5 October
- The Last Thakur, 2008, d. Sadik Ahmed, Artificial Eye, 5 October
- Piedras [Stones], 2002, d. Ramón Salazar, Arrow Films, 5 October
- Seven Sinners, 1940, d. Tay Garnett, Network, 5 October
- Sex, Party and Lies [Mentiras y gordas], 2009, d. Alfonso Albacete, David Menkes, Momentum, 5 October
- Sleep Furiously, 2008, d. Gideon Koppel, Drakes Avenue, 5 October
- The Uninvited, 2003, d. Lee Soo-youn, Palisades Tartan, 5 October
- The Vampires' Night Orgy [La orgía nocturna de los vampiros], 1973, d. León Klimovsky, HB Films, 5 October

- Vinyan, 2008, d. Fabrice Du Welz, Revolver, also on Blu-ray, 5 October
- Cherry Blossoms [Kirschblüten - Hanami], 2008, d. Doris Dörie, Dogwoof Pictures, 12 October
- Eddie Murphy: Delirious, 1983, d. Bruce Gowers, Anchor Bay, 25th Anniversary, 12 October
- Looking for Eric, 2009, d. Ken Loach, Icon, also on Blu-ray, 12 October
- Momma's Man, 2008, d. Azazel Jacobs, Diffusion, 12 October
- Poltergay, 2006, d. Eric Lavaine, Peccadillo Pictures, 12 October
- Synecdoche, New York, 2008, d. Charlie Kaufman, Revolver, also on Blu-ray, 12 October
- 10 Films from Michael Haneke [Caché / Time of the Wolf / The Piano Teacher / Funny Games / Funny Games U.S. / Code Unknown / The Seventh Continent / Benny's Video / 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance / The Castle], d. Michael Haneke, Artificial Eye, 19 October
- 35 Shots of Rum [35 rhums], 2008, d. Claire Denis, Drakes Avanue, 19 October
- The Agnès Varda Collection, Volume 1 [La pointe-courte / Cléo from 5 to 7 / Vagabond / La glaneurs et la glaneuse], d. Agnès Varda, Artificial Eye, 19 October

- Amos & Andrew, 1993, d. E. Max Frye, Arrow Films, 19 October
- Blood on Satan's Claw, 1971, d. Piers Haggard, Odeon, 19 October
- Die Screaming, Marianne, 1971, d. Pete Walker, Odeon, 19 October
- Frozen River, 2008, d. Courtney Hunt, Axiom, 19 October
- Johnny Stecchino, 1991, d. Roberto Benigni, Arrow, 19 October
- Katyn, 2007, d. Andrzej Wajda, Artificial Eye, 19 October
- The Pleasure Girls, 1965, d. Gerry O'Hara, Odeon, 19 October
- Rudo & Cursi, 2008, d. Carlos Cuarón, Optimum, 19 October
- Skin, 2008, d. Anthony Fabian, ICA, 19 October
- Before I Forget [Avant que j'oublie], 2007, d. Jacques Nolot, Peccadillo Pictures, 26 October

- District 13: Ultimatum [Banlieue 13: Ultimatum], 2009, d. Patrick Alessandrin, Momentum, also on Blu-ray, 26 October
- Drag Me to Hell, 2009, d. Sam Raimi, Lionsgate, also on Blu-ray, 26 October
* Ip Man, 2008, d. Wilson Yip, Shadowbox, also on Blu-ray, 26 October
- Jiang hû [Blood Brothers], 2004, d. Wong Ching-Po, Palisades Tartan, 26 October
- Mad, Sad & Bad, 2009, d. Avie Luthra, Soda, 26 October
- Public Enemies, 2009, d. Michael Mann, Universal, also on Blu-ray, 26 October
- Three Blind Mice, 2008, d. Matthew Newton, Soda Picutres, 26 October
- True Blood, Season 1, 2008, Warner, also on Blu-ray, 26 October
- Boogie, 2008, d. Radu Muntean, Dogwoof Pictures, 2 November
- Christiane F., 1981, d. Uli Edel, Arrow Films, 2 November

- I Sell the Dead, 2008, d. Glenn McQuaid, Anchor Bay, also on Blu-ray, 2 November
- Shank, 2009, d. Simon Pearce, TLA Releasing, 2 November
- The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, 2009, d. Rebecca Miller, Icon, 2 November
- Arranged, 2007, d. Diane Crespo, Stefan C. Schaefer, Soda Pictures, 9 November
- The Gold Diggers, 1983, d. Sally Potter, BFI, 9 November
- Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life, 1995, d. The Quay Brothers, BFI, also on Blu-ray, 9 November
- London Story, 1980, d. Sally Potter, BFI, 9 November
- Playing Away, 1987, d. Horace Ové, BFI, 9 November
- La vallée, 1972, d. Barbet Schroeder, BFI, 9 November
- Young Soul Rebels, 1991, d. Isaac Julien, BFI, 9 November

- Burma VJ, 2008, d. Anders Østergaard, Dogwoof, 16 November
- For All Mankind, 1989, d. Al Reinert, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, also on Blu-ray, 16 November
- Soul Power, 2008, d. Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, also on Blu-ray, 16 November
- Antichrist, 2009, d. Lars von Trier, Artificial Eye, also on Blu-ray, 23 November
- Coco Before Chanel [Coco avant Chanel], 2009, d. Anne Fontaine, Optimum Releasing, also on Blu-ray, 23 November
- Indochine, 1992, d. Régis Wargnier, Arrow Films, 23 November
- Orphan, 2009, d. Jaume Collet-Serra, Optimum Releasing, also on Blu-ray, 30 November
- All Over Me, 1997, d. Alex Sichel, Peccadillo Pictures, 7 December
- Thirst, 2009, d. Park Chan-wook, Palisades Tartan, 28 December
- The Hurt Locker, 2008, d. Kathryn Bigelow, Lionsgate, also on Blu-ray, 28 December

- Mesrine: Killer Instinct [L'instinct de la mort], 2008, d. Jean-François Richet, Momentum, also on Blu-ray, 28 December
- The Burmese Harp, 1956, d. Kon Ichikawa, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, 18 January 2010
- Cloud 9 [Wolke 9], 2008, d. Andreas Dresen, Soda Pictures, 25 January 2010
- À nos amours, 1983, d. Maurice Pialat, Masters of Cinema/Eureka, 15 February 2010
- Home, 2008, d. Ursula Meier, Soda Pictures, 29 March 2010
- Soi Cowboy, 2008, d. Thomas Clay, Network, 31 March 2010

Blu-ray

* 9 Songs, 2004, d. Michael Winterbottom, Optimum, 20 July
* Brick, 2005, d. Rian Johnson, Optimum, 20 July
* Elephant, 2003, d. Gus Van Sant, Optimum, 20 July
* The Grifters, 1990, d. Stephen Frears, Studio Canal/Optimum, 20 July
* The Pianist, 2002, d. Roman Polanski, Studio Canal/Optimum, 20 July
* Redacted, 2007, d. Brian De Palma, Optimum, 20 July
* Switchblade Romance [Haute tension/High Tension], 2003, d. Alexandre Aja, Optimum, 20 July
* Bill Douglas Trilogy [My Childhood / My Ain Folk / My Way Home], d. Bill Douglas, BFI, 27 July
* Gangster No. 1, 2000, d. Paul McGuigan, Film4, 27 July
- Bad Boy Bubby, 1993, d. Rolf de Heer, Eureka, 3 August

* Blue Thunder, 1983, d. John Badham, Sony, 3 August
- Go, 1999, d. Doug Liman, Sony, 3 August
* Angel Heart, 1987, d. Alan Parker, Studio Canal/Optimum, 17 August
* La haine, 1995, d. Mathieu Kassovitz, Studio Canal/Optimum, 17 August
- Near Dark, 1987, d. Kathryn Bigelow, Studio Canal/Optimum, 17 August
- Labyrinth, 1986, d. Jim Henson, Sony, 31 August
- Withnail and I, 1987, d. Bruce Robinson, Anchor Bay, 31 August
- Punch-Drunk Love, 2002, d. Paul Thomas Anderson, Sony, 7 September
- Finding Nemo, d. Andrew Stanton, Disney, 8 September
- Angel-A, 2005, d. Luc Besson, Optimum, 14 September

- Hero, 2002, d. Zhang Yimou, Miramax, 14 September
- Léon [The Professional], 1994, d. Luc Besson, Studio Canal/Optimum, 14 September
- The Black Shield of Falworth, 1954, d. Rudolph Maté, Eureka, 21 September
- The Dam Busters, 1954, d. Michael Anderson, Studio Canal/Optimum, 21 September
- Dead Man's Shoes, 2004, d. Shane Meadows, in2Film, 21 September
- Shaolin Soccer, 2001, d. Stephen Chow, Optimum, 21 September
* L'année dernière à Marienbad [Last Year at Marienbad], 1961, d. Alain Resnais, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
* Belle de jour, 1967, d. Luis Buñuel, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
* The Deer Hunter, 1978, d. Michael Cimino, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
* The Go-Between, 1970, d. Joseph Losey, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September

* The Ladykillers, 1955, d. Alexander Mackendrick, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
* The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum [Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum oder: Wie Gewalt entstehen und wohin sie führen kann], 1975, d. Volker Schlöndorff, Margarethe von Trotta, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
* Le mépris [Contempt], 1963, d. Jean-Luc Godard, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
* Ran, 1985, d. Akira Kurosawa, Studio Canal/Optimum, 28 September
- Beaufort, 2007, d. Joseph Cedar, Trinity, 5 October
- I'm Not There, 2007, d. Todd Haynes, Paramount, 5 October
- Import/Export, 2007, d. Ulrich Seidl, Trinity, 5 October
- The Long Good Friday, 1980, d. John Mackenzie, Anchor Bay, 5 October
- Cabaret, 1972, d. Bob Fosse, Fremantle, 10 October
- The 39 Steps, 1935, d. Alfred Hitchcock, ITV, 12 October

- All Quiet on the Western Front, 1979, d. Delbert Mann, ITV, 12 October
- Bridget Jones's Diary, 2001, d. Sharon Maguire, Universal, 12 October
- Dances with Wolves, 1990, d. Kevin Costner, Warner, 12 October
- Hamlet, 1948, d. Laurence Olivier, ITV, 12 October
- Henry V, 1944, d. Laurence Olivier, ITV, 12 October
- Grizzly Man, 2005, d. Werner Herzog, Revolver, 19 October
- Night of the Living Dead, 1968, d. George A. Romero, Network, 19 October
- The Red Balloon [Le ballon rouge], 1956, d. Albert Lamorisse, Network, 19 October
- The White Diamond, 2004, d. Werner Herzog, Revolver, 19 October
* Wolf, 1994, d. Mike Nichols, Sont, 19 October

- Dawn of the Dead, 1978, d. George A. Romero, Arrow Films, 26 October
- The Leopard [Il gattopardo], 1963, d. Luchino Visconti, BFI, 9 November
- North by Northwest, 1959, d. Alfred Hitchcock, Warner, 16 November
- Hamburger Hill, 1987, d. John Irvin, Lionsgate, 7 December
- Cinema Paradiso, 1988, d. Giuseppe Tornatore, Arrow, 11 January 2010

Spring (And By Summer Fall)

I'm going to be experimenting with a few changes on this blog in the coming weeks, including devising a better way to list DVD announcements. For now, there's no real need, as the holidays kept the studios busy with their Oscar baiters with very few new, noteworthy DVDs announced for spring 09. For starters, Plexifilm's release of 13 Most Beautiful... Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests has been moved to 9 March. The Weinstein Company's release of Martyrs in March looks shaky, so don't be surprised if it doesn't show up then. Actually, be weary of any of the Weinstein Company's films that have been mentioned here; their deal with Blockbuster seems to be screwing up their DVDs' retail.

As for new titles, Sony announced 3 for March: Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York (17th), Jonathan Demme's Rachel Getting Married (17th) and Isabel Coixet's Elegy (10th). Facets is releasing Rafi Pitts' It's Winter, from Iran, on 24 March. Warner announced their third box-set of pre-code baddies called Forbidden Hollywood. The titles, all six features directed by William A. Wellman, are Other Men's Women (with Mary Astor and James Cagney), The Purchase Price (with Barbara Stanwyck), Frisco Jenny, Midnight Mary, Heroes for Sale and Wild Boys of the Road. A number of shorts accompany the features, which streets on 24 March. And finally, the band Xiu Xiu will have a music DVD entitled You Can't Hear Me on 24 February.

As for the rest of the releases, here's a rundown of some of the notable UK releases that have already been announced for the upcoming months. Of course, all are subject to change. They are listed in order of release date. Titles unavailable or as of yet unannounced in the US are in sexy red.

Alexandra [Aleksandra] - dir. Alexandr Sokurov - Artificial Eye - 12 January
Eichmann - dir. Robert Young - High Fliers - 12 January [with Thomas Kretschmann, Troy Garity, Franka Potente, Stephen Fry]
The Handmaid's Tale - dir. Volker Schlöndorff - Optimum - 12 January [with Natasha Richardson, Faye Dunaway]
The Honey Pot - dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz - Optimum - 12 January [with Susan Hayward, Maggie Smith, Rex Harrison]
The Living End - dir. Gregg Araki - Verve - 12 January
Red Sorghum - dir. Zhang Yimou - Drakes Avenue - 12 January [with Gong Li]
The Romance of Astrea and Celadon [Les amours d'Astrée et de Céladon] - dir. Eric Rohmer - Artificial Eye - 12 January
Rosebud - dir. Otto Preminger - Optimum - 12 January [with Peter O'Toole, Richard Attenborough]
Somerstown - dir. Shane Meadows - Optimum - 12 January
Sunday Bloody Sunday - dir. John Schlesinger - Optimum - 12 January [with Glenda Jackson, Peter Finch]
The Wave [Die Wielle] - dir. Dennis Gansel - Momentum - 12 January [with Jürgen Vogel]

This Happy Breed - dir. David Lean - Network - 16 January [
Partner - dir. Bernardo Bertolucci - BFI - 19 January [with Pierre Clémenti, Tina Aumont]
The Chaser - dir. Na Hong-jin - Metrodome - 26 January
The Dardenne Brothers Collection (La Promesse; Rosetta; The Son; L'Enfant) - Artificial Eye - 26 January
Divorce Iranian Style; Runaway - dir. Kim Longinotto, Ziba Mir-Hosseini - Second Run - 26 January
The Fan - dir. Otto Preminger - BFI - 26 January
Import/Export - dir. Ulrich Seidl - Trinity - 26 January
Jar City [Mýrin] - dir. Baltasar Kormákur - Universal - 26 January
The Wong Kar-wai Collection (Ashes of Time Redux; Chungking Express; Happy Together) - Artificial Eye - 26 January
Puffball - dir. Nicolas Roeg - Yume - 1 February [with Donald Sutherland, Miranda Richardson]

The Accidental Husband - dir. Griffin Dunne - Momentum - 2 February [with Uma Thurman, Colin Firth]
Fear(s) of the Dark [Peur(s) du noir] - dir. Various - Metrodome - 2 February
JCVD - dir. Mabroul El Mechri - Revolver - 2 February [with Jean-Claude Van Damme]
A Man Called Adam - dir. Leo Penn - Optimum - 2 February [with Sammy Davis Jr., Louis Armstrong, Cicely Tyson, Ossie Davis, Frank Sinatra Jr.]
Paris - dir. Cédric Klapisch - Optimum - 2 February [with Juliette Binoche, Romain Duris, Fabrice Luchini]
Unrelated - dir. Joanna Hogg - Drakes Avenue - 2 February
Gomorrah [Gomorra] - dir. Matteo Garrone - Optimum - 9 February
Laurent Cantet Collection (Human Resources; Time Out; Heading South) - Artificial Eye - 9 February
The Wong Kar-wai Jet Tone Collection (Christopher Doyle's Away with Words; Jeffrey Lau's Eagle Shooting Heroes; Eric Kot's First Love: Litter on the Breeze) - Artificial Eye - 9 February
Alice et Martin - dir. André Téchiné - Optimum - 23 February [with Juliette Binoche, Mathieu
Amalric, Carmen Maura]

Alone Across the Pacific - dir. Kon Ichikawa - Masters of Cinema - 23 February
The Devil and Daniel Webster - dir. William Dieterle - 23 February
Exterminating Angels [Les Anges exterminateurs] - dir. Jean-Claude Brisseau - Axiom - 23 February
Kokoro [The Heart] - dir. Kon Ichikawa - Masters of Cinema - 23 February
Lola Montès - dir. Max Ophüls - Second Sight - 23 February
To Get to Heaven First You Have to Die - dir. Jamshed Usmonov - Trinity - 23 February
Wise Blood - dir. John Huston - Second Sight - 23 February [with Brad Dourif, Harry Dean Stanton]
Federico Fellini Collection (Nights of Cabiria; La Strada; White Shiek) - Optimum - 2 March
Jean-Pierre Melville Collection (Army of Shadows; Le Doulos; Léon Morin, prête; Bob le flambeur, Un flic) - Optimum - 2 March
My Dinner with Andre - dir. Louis Malle - Optimum - 2 March [with Wallace Shawn]

Quiet Chaos [Caos calmo] - dir. Antonio Luigi Grimaldi - 2 March [with Nanni Moretti, Valeria Golino, Alessandro Gassman]
Linha de Passe - dir. Walter Salles, Daniela Thomas - Pathe - 3 March [with Sandra Corveloni]
The Baader-Meinhof Complex [Der Baader Meinhof Komplex] - dir. Uli Edel - Momentum - 9 March [with Moritz Bleibtreu, Alexandra Maria Lara]
Obscene - dir. Daniel O'Conner, Neil Ortenberg - Revolver - 9 March
L'air de Paris - dir. Marcel Carné - Optimum - 16 March [with Jean Gabin]
Les amants criminels [Criminal Lovers] - dir. François Ozon - Optimum - 16 March [with Natascha Régnier, Jérémie Renier, Miki Manojlovic]
'night Mother - dir. Tom Moore - Anchor Bay - 16 March [with Sissy Spacek, Anne Bancroft]
Taxi 4 - dir. Gérard Krawczyk - Optimium - 16 March
À l'aventure - dir. Jean-Claude Brisseau - Axiom - 23 March
Let's Talk About the Rain [Parlez-moi de la pluie; Let It Rain] - dir. Agnès Jaoui - Artificial Eye - 23 March [with Jaoui]

Muriel [Muriel ou Le temps d'un retour] - dir. Alain Resnais - Masters of Cinema - 23 March [with Delphine Seyrig]
A Time to Love and Die - dir. Douglas Sirk - Masters of Cinema - 23 March
The Wind Will Carry Us - dir. Abbas Kiarostami - Artificial Eye - 23 March
Of Time and the City - dir. Terence Davies - BFI - 30 March
Patti Smith: Dream of Life - dir. Steven Sebring - Drakes Avenue - 30 March
Tyson - dir. James Toback - Revolver - 30 March
Waltz with Bashir - dir. Ari Folman - Artificial Eye - 30 March
La gueule ouverte [The Mouth Agape] - dir. Maurice Pialat - Masters of Cinema - 20 April [with Nathalie Baye]
Il grido - dir. Michelangelo Antonioni - Masters of Cinema - 25 May
Une femme mariée - dir. Jean-Luc Godard - Masters of Cinema - 25 May

Quelque fois...

Sometimes, a film, no matter how good or bad it may be, just cannot connect with me. Today, I received Cassavetes' Opening Night and Maurice Pialat's Loulou in the mail from Netflix, popped Loulou in (which I had seen years ago), and promptly pushed the stop button twenty minutes in. It had nothing to do with the quality of the film, but my particular mood. I just couldn't bring myself to get into a Cassavetes-esque film after watching an actual Cassavetes film. Plus, how many times do I have to see Gérard Depardieu as the rugged French tough guy? And how many times do I have to see Isabelle Huppert slapped? Don't get me wrong, I could watch Huppert get slapped 'til the cows come home... but not today. So I did what I had to do: I sealed the envelope up and dropped it in the mailbox. Maybe another day.

Summerdreams

Here are some upcoming summer DVDs worthy of mention, more to come as I look harder:

27 June 2006
Michael Haneke's wonderful Caché will be hitting the shelves on today. Let's hope you've caught up on others before then, as Kino will have four of his early works on DVD in May.




That very same day, you can get a taste of what's already rumored to be this year's worst film (even though it's release in the States was delayed by two years), The Libertine, with Johnny Depp hamming it up (isn't that all he does?) opposite Samantha Morton and the loathesome John Malkovich.



But better still... Comedy Central is releasing a box-set of all three seasons of Strangers with Candy just in time for its much-delayed theatrical release. It comes in a very special trapper-keeper packaging. I better sell my copy of Season 1 fast.







Criterion
Criterion is bringing us Maurice Pialat's somber romance À nos amours in June, along with a double-disc of Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused, which I shamefully enjoy immensely. In May, we'll have Viridiana. And in July, Edward Yang's Yi yi.




Dolls
Feeling like a good dose of camp? 20th Century Fox is releasing special edition of Valley and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, with awesome cover art to boot.






Along the same lines, in July Universal will be releasing Stoned, a biopic of Brian Jones, founder of the Rolling Stones. TLAVideo suggests that this would be a good match-up with Nicolas Roeg's Performance, where Mick Jagger does his best impersonation of Brian Jones there. Expect plenty of drugs, moppy-hair, and threesomes.

On May 1st, Island Records will be releasing in the UK (in PAL and NTSC versions, don't worry) the first ever PJ Harvey DVD, entitled PJ Harvey On Tour: Please Leave Quietly. The live performances will span her career, from Dry to Uh Huh Her. She's interviewed on her website about the disc.