*** DVD CORNER ***

[brownie]

Don't know if it's available on DVD in the States but there is an early Melville film that is definetely worth seeing: 'Deux Hommes Dans Manhattan' set in New York and filmed partly in NYK and mostly in Paris, at Melville's own film studio. Good jazzy soundtrack by Christian Chevalier and Martial Solal.

Melville is one of the two main actors in that film!

[sal]

Wow, even better than the previous edition? I can understand the Sanjuro and Yojimbo redos, the quality of the source prints on the previous ones weren't that good.

Rumors have been circulating for some time now about a new print they found of Seven Samurai that is supposed to be in pristine conditon. This apparently will be the source material used for the new Criterion release. This combined with the advances made since 1998 should make for a fine release.

[BruceH]

Lots of great Criterions lately. Three all-time favorites of mine: Jane Campion's An Angel at My Table, Mike Leigh's Naked, Jean Pierre Melville's Le Samourai. Not sure how I'll afford them, or any of the other 50 or so Criterions I covet.

Same here. I'd particularly like to get Le Samourai but don't know how I'll pay for it.

[Brad]

Dumb question but I haven't looked at this thread until recently but is there one site better than others that keeps you up to date on new releases and where can you buy these, especially ones not that popular, like the Criterion releases. Would love to get a new Seven Samurai as well as Paths to Glory, one of the best films ever made or that I ever saw.

[Adam]

This is the best site tracking releases of noteworthy DVDs:

http://www.mastersofcinema.org/

[BERIGAN]

Dumb question but I haven't looked at this thread until recently but is there one site better than others that keeps you up to date on new releases and where can you buy these, especially ones not that popular, like the Criterion releases. Would love to get a new Seven Samurai as well as Paths to Glory, one of the best films ever made or that I ever saw.

They always seem to have a sale on them....

http://www.dvdplanet.com/catspotlights/criterion.asp

[BERIGAN]

Seems they will give you a choice on covers this time.....

[Kalo]

Lots of great Criterions lately. Three all-time favorites of mine: Jane Campion's An Angel at My Table, Mike Leigh's Naked, Jean Pierre Melville's Le Samourai. Not sure how I'll afford them, or any of the other 50 or so Criterions I covet.

I just saw Le Samourai recently, beautiful film! Also, some very interesting extras regarding Melville

on the DVD. I also really liked Bob Le Flambeur.

Bob le Flambeur has been one of my top ten films ever since I first saw it at the French Library in Boston in the mid-1980s. I've got the Criterion of that and I love it. Also have the Criterion of Le Cercle Rouge, an excellent Melville that came after Le Samourai and also features Alain Delon.

[Kalo]

Lots of great Criterions lately. Three all-time favorites of mine: Jane Campion's An Angel at My Table, Mike Leigh's Naked, Jean Pierre Melville's Le Samourai. Not sure how I'll afford them, or any of the other 50 or so Criterions I covet.

Same here. I'd particularly like to get Le Samourai but don't know how I'll pay for it.

Anyone want to donate to the BruceH Criterion Fund? Please send all monies to me. I'll buy the discs, make copies, and send the copies to him.

Edited December 7, 2005 by Kalo

[BruceH]

....But what about the liner notes?????

[BruceH]

Bob le Flambeur has been one of my top ten films ever since I first saw it at the French Library in Boston in the mid-1980s.

Hey! That was my line.

[BruceH]

Just learned that the first Budd Boetticher/Randolph Scott western, Seven Men From Now, is finally available on DVD. In a word, hurray! Hope all the others come out too, particularly The Tall T and Ride Lonesome.

[sal]

Just learned that the first Budd Boetticher/Randolph Scott western, Seven Men From Now, is finally available on DVD. In a word, hurray! Hope all the others come out too, particularly The Tall T and Ride Lonesome.

There was something on TV last night about that.

[BERIGAN]

Just learned that the first Budd Boetticher/Randolph Scott western, Seven Men From Now, is finally available on DVD. In a word, hurray! Hope all the others come out too, particularly The Tall T and Ride Lonesome.

Yeah, they ran both the documentary and the film last night...I "divoed" both. Doesn't look like they are running the documentary again this month, but bet it's on the DVD.

8:00 PM Budd Boetticher "A Man Can Do That " (2005)

Documentary that explores the life and career of action/adventure director Budd Boetticher.

C-0 mins, Letterbox Format

9:30 PM Seven Men From Now (1956)

A former sheriff hunts down the seven men who killed his wife.

Cast: Randolph Scott, Gail Russell, Lee Marvin. Dir: Budd Boetticher.

C-78 mins, TV-PG Letterbox Format

http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/schedule/month/

[BERIGAN]

Hmm, good thing I didn't bet money on it!!!

Available Subtitles: English

Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

Commentary by: James Kitses, film historian and author of "Horizons West: Anthony Mann, Budd Boetticher, Sam Peckinpah" (Unknown Format)

Budd Boetticher--An American Original: Americano; Burt Kennedy, Writer; Duke, Randy & Budd: The Beginning of Seven Men from Now; Lovable Villains and Strong Women; Keeping It Simple; The Last Matador; Restoring the Legend

The John Wayne Stock Company: Gail Russell

Lone Pine

Batjac trailer

Original theatrical trailer

Photo gallery

[ejp626]

Finally something good coming to Region 2 -- Mel Brooks set: Twelve Chairs / History Of The World Part 1 / Life Stinks / Silent Movie / To Be Or Not To Be / High Anxiety / Young Frankenstein

£37.49 at amazon.co.uk

It's a bit hit or miss, but Silent Movie and High Anxiety and to a lesser extent Twelve Chairs are all worth seeing, and are currently not available in Region 1. (Frankenstein is the best of the batch, but is available in Region 1.) I have a couple of these already, and the set doesn't include Blazing Saddles, which is essential for a top-notch Mel Brooks set. Thus, I won't order this, but when they start selling this off in singles, I'll snatch up High Anxiety, which is a classic.

By the way, has anyone ordered the Harold Lloyd set? As good as advertised?

[Guest Chaney]

Coming January 10, 2006, the affordable DVD release of Eraserhead. Price? ~ $20

[Kalo]

Coming January 10, 2006, the affordable DVD release of Eraserhead. Price? ~ $20

Used to be one of my favorite movies, though I haven't seen it for years. The reviews I've seen on this DVD are glowing. Apparently it's a top-notch digital transfer with amazing sound. I might have to get this.

I just scored a couple of used Criterions the other day: Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes and Lubitsch's Heaven Can Wait. And I couldn't resist springing for a brand-spanking-new (though discounted) Le Samourai.

[sal]

I can vouch for the Eraserhead DVD, as I have the version that was only availiable on Lynch's website. From what I understand, this is an exact dupliate of that version, with less packaging. The transfer is very nice.

[BruceH]

There was a time in my life when I virtually made a career out of seeing Eraserhead as many times as possible. But now I haven't seen it for a long time and I'm not sure I need a DVD of it. Maybe.

[Geoff]

today I got Jean Renoir's The River (Criterion Collection) for only $9.95 new delivered to Australia.

Amazing!

[Stefan Wood]

Picked up Kurosawa's "The Bad Sleep Well" Criterion at Best Buy yesterday. Isn't this supposed to come out next month????? Anyways, this is an overlooked film by him -- I highly, HIGHLY recommend this one!!!! About the corrpution that corporate power can do -- in this case, early 60's Japan, but it still applies today. Story loosely based on Hamlet. GREAT, GREAT film!

Edited December 30, 2005 by Stefan Wood

[Kalo]

Picked up Kurosawa's "The Bad Sleep Well" Criterion at Best Buy yesterday. Isn't this supposed to come out next month????? Anyways, this is an overlooked film by him -- I highly, HIGHLY recommend this one!!!! About the corrpution that corporate power can do -- in this case, early 60's Japan, but it still applies today. Story loosely based on Hamlet. GREAT, GREAT film!

Looks like I'll have to check this one out, Stefan, as I'm one of the few people I know who prefer Kurosawa's films set in contemporary times to the Samurai films (though, of course, I like those too).

[BruceH]

Looks like I'll have to check this one out, Stefan, as I'm one of the few people I know who prefer Kurosawa's films set in contemporary times to the Samurai films (though, of course, I like those too).

You mean you like High and Low more than The Seven Samurai?

[Kalo]

Looks like I'll have to check this one out, Stefan, as I'm one of the few people I know who prefer Kurosawa's films set in contemporary times to the Samurai films (though, of course, I like those too).

You mean you like High and Low more than The Seven Samurai?

Seven Samurai's great, but on the whole I do like the modern-dress flicks better. I loved High and Low since I first saw it on the big screen in a sparkling, new-minted print. Never seen The Seven Samurai with a better than ok print, and then there's the issue of bathroom breaks...