The Criterion Collection

[VIDEO] Three Reasons: La haine – The Criterion Collection

By Brenden ⋅ April 13, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Holy crap. Was Vincent Cassel ever this young? Watching the latest of Criterion’s Three Reasons videos, which pimps their upcoming May 8th release of Mathieu Kassovitz’ 1995 La Haine, reminds me that it’s been around 16 years since I first laid eyes on the film and Cassel. I’m sure I also looked a lot less like a tired but very famous older man married to Monica Bellucci back then but damn, it’s hard to believe this is the same actor I’ve recently watched in A Dangerous Method and Mesrine. I can’t wait to revisit La Haine and angry, young Cassel on Blu in a few weeks’ time. …Continued…

Criterion June Blu-ray titles: Gold Rush, Shallow Grave, The 39 Steps, Samurai Trilogy, Gray’s Anatomy, And Everything Is Going Fine

By Brenden ⋅ March 19, 2012 ⋅ One comment

Are we talking about June titles already?! My god, the summer really is almost upon us, both in home video offerings and local temperatures (it’s 23˚ Celsius/73˚ Fahrenheit here in Montreal already!) Though June title announcements are only just beginning to trickle out of the other studios, Criterion has hit us with a collection of six new Blu-ray releases for the month (two upgrades from DVD) and one holdover from April. …continued…

[VIDEO] Three Reasons: The War Room – The Criterion Collection

By Brenden ⋅ March 15, 2012 ⋅ One comment

How amazing does The War Room look? I mean, look, this film has got two strikes against it for me, right from the get-go – I’m not American and I’m not really into politics. But even I can see from Criterion’s latest Three Reasons trailer, embedded above for your viewing pleasure, that directors D. A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus have got some incredible footage on their hands here. One of my close pals has been urging me to watch this flick for years now and I’ve just never had the opportunity. Thank goodness and the good folks at my favourite boutique home video label that it’s going to be available on Blu-ray next week, March 20th. …continued…

Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 28

By Brenden ⋅ February 29, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

This week’s new Blu-ray releases include ‘HUGO’, ‘VANYA ON 42ND STREET’, ‘JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM’, ‘BABA YAGA’, ‘HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS’ and many, many more!

[VIDEO] Three Reasons: Vanya on 42nd Street – The Criterion Collection

By Brenden ⋅ February 27, 2012 ⋅ 3 comments

I love Louis Malle and I love David Mamet. But I have to admit, I’m just not as excited as I probably should be to watch their 1994 film Vanya on 42nd Street. Perhaps it’s all those years I spent working in the theatre and my general distaste for stage actors (all true!) Perhaps it’s also the lackluster cover art on the new Criterion Blu-ray disc. Either way, this isn’t my most anticipated release this month from my favourite boutique label. But I have faith in their selection of this film and faith in the creative talents behind and in front of the camera. The notion that they’d all deliver something less than stellar is… INCONCEIVABLE! (See what I did there?) …Continued…

Top New Blu-ray releases for the Week of February 21

By Brenden ⋅ February 25, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

This week’s new Blu-ray releases include ‘WORLD ON A WIRE’, ‘ANATOMY OF A MURDER’, ‘MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE’, ‘THE FADES’, ‘FORT APACHE’, ‘J. EDGAR’, ‘THE UNFORGIVEN’ and many, many more!

Criterion May Blu-ray titles: Being John Malkovich, La haine, Certified Copy, Summer Interlude, Summer with Monika

By Brenden ⋅ February 20, 2012 ⋅ 2 comments

Criterion’s lineup of titles to be released in May has been revealed and it’s a doozy! In addition to two more Bergman films making their high-def debut and a long-awaited upgrade of Mathieu Kassovitz’s La haine, the studio has unveiled that it’ll be releasing Spike Jonze’s groundbreaking Being John Malkovich as well as the brilliant Certified Copy, Abbas Kiarostami’s first dramatic feature to be shot outside of his native Iran. …Continued…

The Criterion Collection: Tiny Furniture Blu-ray Disc Review

By Brenden ⋅ February 15, 2012 ⋅ 3 comments

Tiny Furniture is something all together new. It’s so much more than the spawn of new-media and do-it-yourself filmmaking. Or the ‘mumblecore’ scene. It transcends its origins and influences and marks the beginning of something new and powerful – raw, honest, digital filmmaking with an eye toward narrative, design and composition. It’s a remarkable and worthy, yet controversial addition to The Criterion Collection. …Continued…

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

By Brenden ⋅ January 15, 2012 ⋅ One 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…