Ingmar Bergman

Blu-ray Holiday Gift Guide 2011: Classics

By Brenden ⋅ December 20, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

Almost there. We’re less than a week away from Christmas morning and thankfully, I’m almost through my yearly gift guide. This list of classics on Blu represents some of the best and most exciting high-def releases of the past year. Every last one of them would make an ideal gift for the real film fan in your life. …Continued…

Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of November 8

By Brenden ⋅ November 9, 2011 ⋅ One comment

This week’s new Blu-ray releases include ‘HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2′, ‘HARRY POTTER: COMPLETE 8-FILM COLLECTION’, ‘BLUE VELVET’, ‘FANNY & ALEXANDER’, ‘BAND OF BROTHERS & THE PACIFIC: SPECIAL EDITION GIFT SET’, ‘MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY’, ‘LITTLE BIG MAN’, ‘MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY’ and many, many more!

[VIDEO] Three Reasons: The Phantom Carriage – The Criterion Collection

By Brenden ⋅ October 31, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

Though it’s filled with ghoulish imagery, The Phantom Carriage feels more like a New Years film to me, than a spooky Halloween treat. Perhaps because it takes place on New Year’s Eve. Yeah, that’s it. It’s a terrific, haunting film and one of my favourite Criterion Blu-ray discs of the year so far. See Criterion’s Three Reasons to own the disc in their new trailer, posted above. Read the many reasons I recommend it in my full review, linked to below. …Continued…

The Criterion Collection: The Phantom Carriage Blu-ray Disc Review

By Brenden ⋅ September 25, 2011 ⋅ 2 comments

The Phantom Carriage is not only one of the most influential Swedish films ever made, it’s also a genuinely chilling and moving tale of redemption. The new Blu-ray edition of the film from The Criterion Collection is not without it’s weaknesses but sports some nice special features and the best transfer available on home video. …Continued…

Criterion November Blu-ray titles: Three Colors Trilogy, Fanny and Alexander, 12 Angry Men, Rushmore, The Rules of the Game

By Brenden ⋅ August 16, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

We all knew this was coming. We all knew Criterion was going to hit us with a killer line-up of titles this November, in preparation for the holiday sales blitz. And we were pretty sure from all the hints they’ve been dropping the past few weeks that Krzysztof Kieślowski’s brilliant, moving Three Colors (or Colours, as we prefer here in Canada) Trilogy would be on the docket. So here it is, come to pass, this whopper of a Blu-ray announcement which is comprised of not one but two amazing boxed sets due to drain my bank account in a couple of months time. …Continued…

The Criterion Collection: Smiles of a Summer Night Blu-ray Disc Review

By Brenden ⋅ May 20, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

Any Bergman on Blu-ray is cause for celebration. And Smiles of a Summer Night, the director’s most glorious and merry cinematic outing, is so fine it deserves one hell of a cake and a sky full of fireworks. …Continued…

Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of May 3

By Brenden ⋅ May 3, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

This weeks new Blu-ray releases include ‘THE GREEN HORNET’ from Sony, ‘SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT’ and ‘FAT GIRL’ from Criterion, ‘TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH’ and ‘ALL THE RIGHT MOVES’ from Fox/MGM and many, many more!

Criterion May Blu-ray titles: Diabolique, The Great Dictator, Solaris, Smiles of a Summer Night, Fat Girl, Something Wild, Pale Flower

By Brenden ⋅ February 14, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

All right. I’m facing it now. I’m going to be poor by the end of May. Criterion can’t expect me to only choose one or two titles from this crop of Blu-ray discs. They’re clearly going to force me to buy them all. And I’m not going to be able to afford rent or food or anything. I’ll be cold and hungry but at least I’ll be watching some of the best films ever made, newly restored and looking better than ever. This is how I choose to live my life. The life of a Criterion Collection addict. And I’m comfortable with that. …Continued…

Top 5 New Blu-ray releases for the Week of October 12

By Brenden ⋅ October 13, 2010 ⋅ One comment

Hey, didn’t I just write one of these Top 5 lists, like, yesterday or something?! When the floodgates of Blu-ray releases open wide there’s just no stopping them, huh? Nevermind. I’m still up to my armpits in office work so I’ll just blast through this as quickly as I can so as to get this [...]

Criterion announces October Blu-ray titles: Seven Samurai, The Magician, Paths of Glory, House, The Darjeeling Limited

By Brenden ⋅ July 22, 2010 ⋅ 2 comments

I’m going to have to get a second job. There isn’t a single title in Criterion’s October release slate that isn’t a must-own for me. They are all films I love, most from directors I’m quite passionate about (Kurosawa, Anderson, Kubrick, Bergman.) What’s a film nut to do but offer up all of his hard earned cash to the gods of home video? …Continued…