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'Master of the House' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed[teaser]The classic 1925 silent comedy will have its revenge on Blu-ray this April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, the Criterion Collection will be bringing 'Master of the House' on Blu-ray on April 22. Before he got up close and personal with 'Joan of Arc,' the Danish cinema genius Carl Theodor Dreyer fashioned this finely detailed, ahead-of-its-time examination of domestic life. In this heartfelt story of a housewife who, with the help of a wily nanny, turns the tables on her tyrannical husband, Dreyer finds lightness and humor; it's a deft comedy of revenge that was an enormous box-office success and is considered an early example of feminism on-screen. Constructed with the director's customary meticulousness and stirring sense of justice, 'Master of the House' is a jewel of silent cinema. The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack will feature a new 1080p 2k digital restoration, a recent score by Gillian Anderson presented in uncompressed stereo on the Blu-ray, and supplements include: New interview with Dreyer historian Casper Tybjerg; New visual essay on Dreyer's camera work and editing by film historian David Bordwell; and A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Mark Le Fanu. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Master of the House' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 22.Posted Mon Jan 20, 2014 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
'Meet Him and Die' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]Franco Prosperi's 1976 crime thriller heads to Blu-ray in April. Pre-orders are now available here! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, RaroVideo says 'Meet Him and Die' is planned for Blu-ray on April 1. Things go wrong for a hapless criminal knocking off a jewelry store. He is caught by the store's security system, and then sent to jail. It doesn't take long, however, for him to befriend a big time crime boss inside, and the two execute a successful escape. But do we really know the background of these criminals, and what is motivating them? Starring Ray Lovelock and Elke Sommer, 'Meet Him and Die' has clever plot twists, fistfights, and motorcycle chases, making it an entertaining entry in the poliziotteschi genre. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but supplements will include a video introduction by Mike Malloy (6'34") and a fully illustrated booklet. The suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $34.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Meet Him and Die' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 1.Posted Mon Jan 20, 2014 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Blu-ray Highlights: Week of January 19th, 2014Even though this is technically a holiday week in the U.S., new Blu-ray releases keep coming out, including a few of interest. Check out our latest disc roundup in the blog.Posted Mon Jan 20, 2014 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
'Il Sorpasso' Criterion Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The 1962 Italian comedy from filmmaker Dino Risi will speed to Blu-ray this spring. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Criterion has revealed 'Il Sorpasso' will be available on Blu-ray on April 29. The ultimate Italian road comedy, 'Il Sorpasso' stars the unlikely pair of Vittorio Gassman and Jean-Louis Trintignant as, respectively, a waggish, free-wheeling bachelor and the bookish law student he takes on a madcap trip from Rome to rural Southern Italy. An unpredictable journey that careers from slapstick to tragedy, this film, directed by Dino Risi, is a wildly entertaining commentary on the pleasures and consequences of the good life. A holy grail of commedia all’italiana, Il sorpasso is so fresh and exciting that one can easily see why it has long been adored in Italy. The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack will feature a new 1080p 2k digital restoration, an uncompressed mono soundtrack, and supplements include: New interviews with screenwriter Ettore Scola and film scholar and professor Rémi Fournier Lanzoni; Interview from 2004 with director Dino Risi by film critic Jean A. Gili; Introduction by actor Jean-Louis Trintignant from a 1983 French television broadcast of the film; A Beautiful Vacation, a 2006 documentary on Risi featuring interviews with the director and his collaborators and friends; Excerpts from a 2012 documentary that returns to Castiglioncello, the location for the film's beach scenes, featuring rare on-set color footage; Trailer; and a booklet featuring essays by critics Phillip Lopate and Antonio Monda, as well as excerpts from Risi's writings, with an introduction by film critic Valerio Caprara. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Il Sorpasso' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 29.Posted Mon Jan 20, 2014 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
HDD Deal of the Week: 'Fringe: The Complete Series' Blu-ray $82.99 at Amazon[teaser]Own every episode of the sci-fi series on 20 Blu-ray discs and save nearly sixty percent at Amazon![/teaser] Amazon is selling 'Fringe: The Complete Series' for $82.99 (58% off the suggested retail price). This five-season set includes all 109 episodes with fan-favorite bonus features including featurettes, a digital comic book excerpt, gag reel and more! Click here to order this set for a great price now! This offer is available from now through January 26.Posted Sun Jan 19, 2014 at 07:33 AM PST by: -
Weekend Roundtable: Best & Worst Buddy-Cop MoviesInspired (if that's really the right word) by the new theatrical release of 'Ride Along', this week's Roundtable takes a look at some of the best and worst movies from the prolific buddy-cop genre. Share your favorites (and least favorites) with us in the blog today.Posted Fri Jan 17, 2014 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
'Out of the Furnace' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Scott Cooper's 2013 crime thriller is planned for Blu-ray in March.[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox is working on 'Out of the Furnace' is planned for Blu-ray on March 11. From Scott Cooper, the critically acclaimed writer and director of 'Crazy Heart,' comes a gripping and powerful drama about family, fate, circumstance and justice. Russell Baze (Christian Bale) leads a dead-end life – he works a meaningless steel mill job all day, and cares for his terminally ill father at night. When Russell's brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) returns home from Iraq, he is lured into one of the Northeast's most ruthless crime rings and mysteriously disappears. When the police fail to solve the case, Russell puts his life at risk in order to seek justice for his brother. The Blu-ray/Digital Copy combo will feature 1080p video, a lossless 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include four featurettes and a theatrical trailer. The suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Out of the Furnace' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 11.Posted Fri Jan 17, 2014 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Theatrical Review: 'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit'Pushed back from a planned release last month, 'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit' hopes to be the first blockbuster of 2014. As Chris Pine takes over the character previously played by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck, does the re-reboot live up to past entries in the series? Read our review in the blog to find out. Also: Ice Cube and Kevin Hart team up in the buddy-cop comedy 'Ride Along'.Posted Fri Jan 17, 2014 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
'Norma Rae: 35th Anniversary Edition' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The 1979 Best Picture nominee is in the works for Blu-ray in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox is preparing 'Norma Rae: 35th Anniversary Edition' for Blu-ray on April 1. Sally Field is unforgettable as Norma Rae, the Southern millworker who revolutionizes a small town and discovers a power in herself she never had. Under the guidance of a New York unionizer (Ron Leibman) and with increasing courage and determination, Norma Rae organizes her fellow factory workers to fight for better conditions and wages. Based on a true story, 'Norma Rae' is the mesmerizing tale of a modern day heroine. Beau Bridges co-stars. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include Hollywood Backstory: Norma Rae and the Original Theatrical Trailer. The suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined At this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Norma Rae: 35th Anniversary Edition' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 1.Posted Fri Jan 17, 2014 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
'Breaking the Waves' Blu-ray Dated and Detailed[teaser]Lars von Trier's acclaimed 1996 film will wash up on Blu-ray in April. Click here to order! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, the Criterion Collection will present 'Breaking the Waves' on Blu-ray on April 15. Lars von Trier ('Antichrist') became an international sensation with this galvanizing realist fable about sex and spiritual transcendence. Emily Watson ('Punch-Drunk Love') stuns, in an Oscar-nominated performance, as Bess, a simple, pious newlywed in a tiny Scottish village who gives herself up to a shocking form of martyrdom after her husband ('Insomnia’s Stellan Skarsgård) is paralyzed in an oil-rig accident. 'Breaking the Waves,' both brazen and tender, profane and pure, is an examination of the expansiveness of faith and of its limits. The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack will feature a new 1080p 4k digital restoration, a lossless 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: Selected-scene audio commentary featuring director Lars von Trier, editor Anders Refn, and location scout Anthony Dod Mantle; New interview with filmmaker and critic Stig Björkman; New interviews with actors Emily Watson and Stellan Skarsgård; Interview from 2004 with actor Adrian Rawlins; Watson's audition tape, with commentary by von Trier; Deleted and extended scenes, with commentary by von Trier; Deleted scene featuring the late actor Katrin Cartlidge; Cannes Film Festival promotional clip; Trailer; and an essay by critic David Sterritt. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Breaking the Waves' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 15.Posted Fri Jan 17, 2014 at 06:00 AM PST by:
