The Criterion Collection

Criterion April Blu-ray titles: Harold and Maude, Late Spring, The Organizer, Alambrista, Hollis Frampton

By Brenden ⋅ January 15, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Wow, this last month has just rocketed by. It feels like I was just posting about Criterion‘s March titles a few days ago and here we are already, talking about this funky line-up of releases for April. I hate to say it, but I’m not that familiar with this batch (see what happens when you don’t go to film school, kids?) but that actually makes me all the more anxious to sink my teeth into them. I love a new discovery! …Continued…

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 22

By Brenden ⋅ November 23, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

This week’s new Blu-ray releases include ‘SUPER 8′, ’12 ANGRY MEN’, ‘RUSHMORE’, ‘COP LAND’, ‘CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND’, ‘THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE’, ‘CONAN THE BARBARIAN’ and many, many more!

Criterion February Blu-ray titles: World on a Wire, Tiny Furniture, Anatomy of a Murder, Vanya on 42nd Street, Three Outlaw Samurai, La Jetée

By Brenden ⋅ November 16, 2011 ⋅ One comment

Well, February looks like another month of killer Blu-ray release from The Criterion Collection, with six titles hitting shops, only one of them an upgrade from DVD (a combo release of Chris Marker‘s exceptional La Jetée and Sans Soleil.) Strangely, there are no commentary tracks to be found on any of these discs – traditionally a signature feature of the Collection. But the titles are out of this world, headlined by a feature-packed Blu-ray edition of Otto Preminger‘s Anatomy of a Murder (wisely sporting original Saul Bass art on the package cover) and Fassbinder‘s long-lost made-for-German-TV sci-fi epic, World on a Wire. Hideo Gosha‘s debut film, the action-packed Three Outlaw Samurai receives a bare-bones release, while up-and-coming auteur Lena Dunham‘s love-it-or-hate-it Tiny Furniture is packaged along with her feature debut, Creative Nonfiction, and four short films. Rounding out the month, Criterion tackles Louis Malle‘s final film Vanya on 42nd Street. …Continued…

Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of November 15

By Brenden ⋅ November 16, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

This week’s new Blu-ray releases include ‘THREE COLORS TRILOGY’, ‘THE RULES OF THE GAME’, ‘LOONEY TUNES PLATINUM COLLECTION: VOLUME ONE’, ‘WEST SIDE STORY’, ‘BEGINNERS’, ‘BELLFLOWER’, ‘EVIL DEAD 2′, ‘INFERNAL AFFAIRS’, ‘FARSCAPE: THE COMPLETE SERIES’, ‘ASSASSINS CREED: LINEAGE’, ‘ANIMATION EXPRESS 2′ and many, many more!

[VIDEO] Three Reasons: Three Colors: Red – The Criterion Collection

By Brenden ⋅ November 15, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

I warned you several days ago that the Blog was going to be crazy with posts about Kieślowski’s Three Colors trilogy and I wasn’t kidding! The Blu-ray set hits shops today and I’m fairly certain it’s going to win a place in my top releases of the year. I’ll talk more about it in the weekly new release post so in the meantime, until I get that finished up and on line, check out this last of Criterion’s Three Reasons videos for the trilogy, focusing on the final chapter, Red. …Continued…

[VIDEO] Three Reasons: Three Colors: White – The Criterion Collection

By Brenden ⋅ November 11, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

It’s been scant few days since I posted the first of Criterion’s Three Colors videos and they’ve already hit us with their second. The studio is clearly ramping up to next week’s release of the three-disc boxed set which, I have a sneaking suspicion, just might be the Blu-ray collection of the year. But I can’t say for sure at this point, as I don’t have it in my grubby, little hands yet. I am, however, camped out at my mailbox as I write this, waiting, with fingers crossed, that it will turn up today, to avoid a weekend of pathetically staring at a blank screen, imagining how great these incredible films might look in 1080p. There’s got to be statement in there about the human condition, right? …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: Three Colors: Blue – The Criterion Collection

By Brenden ⋅ November 7, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

I hope you’re all ready for me to not shut up about this boxed set for at least the next couple of months because I don’t think there’s anything more exciting coming along before the end of the year than the Three Colors box from Criterion. To get you in the mood for the November 15th release, the studio has released a Three Reasons video for the first film in the trilogy, Blue. Expect to see videos for White and Red pop up over the next week. This Blu-ray release is going to be so good! SO GOOD!! …Continued…

[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…