Category: DVD Pick of the Week

Criterion’s Release of After Hours Is the Pick of the Week

after hours criterion

I first started writing these picks of the week a little over ten years ago. A lot has changed in the home video market in those years. Streaming did exist but it was still early days. Blu-rays had been out for a few years, but DVDs were the most popular option. 4K wasn’t even on the map. Choosing the week’s pick was fairly easy. I mostly voted for the best film. If the release had lots of extras or some cool packaging then all the better, but I mostly picked movies that I liked and were finally getting a release on home video.

These days, things are complicated. Whereas ten years ago almost every film that made it to theaters got a home video release (usually a few months after it left theaters) now many major movies don’t even make it to the theater. Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and other streamers regularly release movies straight to their services, bypassing movie theaters altogether. And since the major streaming services want you to subscribe to them there is no reason for them to release their movies on any other format. Why spend the money on a Blu-ray release when what you really want is for people to subscribe to your service for another month?

At the same time, lots of companies have sprung up over the last decade that specialize in releasing movies on physical media. Criterion, Arrow Video, Synapse, and Kino Lorber to name but just a few, all specialize in physical media. Most of the movies are for what you might call niche markets. Criterion deals with arthouse and classic movies, Arrow and Synapse specialize in the low-budget genre movie market. Etc. They often release their films with cleaned-up audio and video, loads of extras including audio commentaries and behind-the-scenes features, and even include cool booklets with essays on the film, posters, lobby cards, and other collectibles.

Beyond these Boutique Blu-rays labels, everybody is getting into 4K, the super high definition format, not to mention all sorts of special editions and exclusive releases to places like Target and Best Buy.

What I’m saying is that the decision on what to pick each week has gotten complicated. It can no longer be just based on the film itself, but you have to factor in the bit rates, special features, and how many other releases that particular film has received. I will admit that I don’t own a 4K player and my interest in that format is pretty small. Put me in a showroom and I will do the appropriate “oohs” and “ahs” over how incredible a 4K film looks, but at home, I just don’t care that much. I still watch terrible-looking prints of old and obscure movies and I just don’t care that much about super high-quality images. Especially if that means I have to not only buy a new, expensive player, but I have to rebuy many of the films I already own. I’ll mention a 4K release if I think it merits it, but I am not going to do so just because a film receives a 4K release.

Personally, I also tend to not pick the biggest movies coming out on any given week. Anybody who cares already knows that Avatar or the latest Marvel movie is coming out. I’ll give those movies a mention in my articles, but I’m going to rarely pick them. I like to pick something a little more obscure, something that deserves a little attention. But I also try to avoid picking the same type of releases each week. It would be easy just to pick whatever Criterion is putting out each week because I pretty much love everything they do. But that seems boring. Speaking of which I’m nearly a thousand words in so I must be boring everybody by now.

After Hours is a marvelous movie by Martin Scorsese. It came out in 1985 which is smack dab in the middle of what many people consider to be a low period for the famed director. I love pretty much everything he’s ever done and this one is no different. It stars Griffin Dunne as a man with a boring life who ventures to downtown Manhattan to hook up with a beautiful woman and has one crazy adventure after another. Criterion has given it a 4K upgrade and their usual treatment in terms of excellent extras.

Also out this week that looks interesting

Beau is Afraid: With Hereditary and Midsommer director Ari Aster has cemented himself as one of our modern masters of horror. His latest stars Joaquin Phoenix as a mild-mannered man confronting his darkest fear as he embarks on a Kafkaesque adventure home.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.: Based upon the beloved book by Judy Blume this film adaptation got a lot of surprisingly great reviews and more or less bombed at the box office. I never did read the book (it is about a young, teenage girl dealing with young, teenage girl problems so I wasn’t really the target demographic) but I have a lot of friends who loved it when they were growing up. My own daughter is the perfect age for both the book and the movie so I suspect we’ll be watching it soon.

Scream VI: I recently watched all of the Scream films in order so that I could come to this new one pumped and primed. It was both a blessing and a curse to watch them all so close together. It helped me to see all the connections the films make with each other and helped smooth out some of the rougher spots. But it also let me see just how far this series has fallen. The original Scream was so good because it made fun of the slew of generic slasher films that were being churned out through the last 1980s while also being a great example of what the best of those films could be. Scream VI isn’t at all bad, but it feels very much like those generic films the original was making fun of.

The Watermelon Woman: Criterion is releasing this romantic comedy about a black lesbian woman who is trying to make a film about a Black actress known for playing the stereotypical “Mammy” roles in the 1930s. Criterion says it is a pioneering film in queer cinema and I always take their word for it.

Doctor Who: Jon Pertwee Complete Season Three: As I’ve stated many times I’m a big fan of Doctor Who. Over the last few years, they’ve been releasing these really wonderful full seasons of the classic series on Blu-ray chock full of extras and special features. Pertwee is one of my favorite Doctors and while I believe I’ve seen all the stories from this season (Day of the Daleks, The Curse of Peladon, The Sea Devils, The Mutants, and The Time Monster) I couldn’t tell you a thing about them. But I’m already excited to watch them again.

The Burning: Shout Factory is releasing this “classic” 1980s horror film about a camp prank that goes horribly wrong leaving a man disfigured who returns years later to enact his vengeance, with a new 4K scan and lots of extras.

Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XV: (Man Afraid / The Girl in the Kremlin / The Tattered Dress): I love these Kino Lorber releases of obscure film noirs. Sadly, they did not send me a review copy of this set, but I’ll likely buy it sometime anyway.

Johanna Enlists: One of the amazing things about this new resurgence of boutique Blu-ray labels is how they are finding some really old films, cleaning them up, and giving them a proper release. This drama starring Mary Pickford was originally released in 1918. I’m guessing it has been released on home video before, but likely from a terrible print with absolutely no care given to it.

Tintin Double Feature Is the Pick of the Week

tintin

I remembered to write my Pick of the Week column this week for Cinema Sentries and then I totally forgot to link to it here. So, I’m a few days late, but I think you will forgive me.

Since the Fourth of July fell on Tuesday this year (which is when most Blu-rays are released) the powers that be decided that nobody will be buying movies this week and so the release schedule is pretty wimpy. But there is a Tintin double feature out and that’s what I picked. You can read all about it here.

Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams Is The Pick Of The Week

bluray

I was supposed to have written this article for Cinema Sentries and I totally forgot about it. Luckily, my buddy Gordon picked up my slack and you can read all about his picks here. But I thought I’d go ahead and talk about my picks anyway. If nothing else this keeps me in shape for writing about it next week.

But I shall be brief.

Empire Pictures was one of those low-budget studios that seemed to pop up pretty regularly in the 1980s, but this one had the good taste to put out some pretty good films (sort-of). Films like Ghoulies, Re-Animator, Dolls, and my beloved Slave Girls From Beyond Infinity.

The always-great Arrow Video is releasing a terrific-looking boxed set of five films from Empire Pictures which include The Dungeonmaster, Dolls, Cellar Dweller, Arena, and Robot Jox. It is loaded with extras and comes with some spectacular packaging. Consider me there. Call this my pick of the week.

Also coming out this week that looks interesting:

Pasolini 101: The Criterion Collection is releasing this collection of seven films from the controversial Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini. I’m not overly familiar with his work, but I trust Criterion to deliver the goods.

Creepshow: Shout Factory brings us this absolutely brilliant-looking release of a not-all-that-great film. Creepshow is one of those horror anthology films that was so popular back in the day. They are all written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero which is pretty cool. I know I’ve seen this, but I don’t remember much other than I was disappointed by it. But the sweet is really cool. It’s got a 4K transfer, and lots of extras including posters, lobby cards, and pins.

Cold Eyes of Fear: I just watched this Italian Giallo last Friday night. It’s a pretty average little flick about a home invasion by two guys – one who is after money, another who needs some private papers locked away in a safe. It starts out strong, but then pulls the rug out and becomes much safer and less interesting.

The Old Man and the Sea: Warner Archive is releasing this adaptation of the Ernest Hemingway story with Spencer Tracy in the lead.

Angel Face: Another Warner Archive release. Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons star in this film noir about a simple man who falls for a complicated femme fatale. Otto Preminger directs.

Waterworld: Arrow Video gives us a 4K special edition (complete with three different cuts) of this Kevin Costner vehicle that at one time was the most expensive film ever made. I just watched it today and I’ll have a full review soon. Probably.

Evil Dead Rise: I love the original Evil Dead Trilogy. Evil Dead 2 is one of my all-time favorites. I liked what I saw in the Ash Vs Evil Dead TV show. But I wasn’t much for the more recent Evil Dead movie. It was straight-up horror and gore with none of the fun. I hear this one is the same.

The Mr. Wong Collection is the Pick of the Week

mr wong collection

I’ve started writing my Pick of the Week article for Cinema Sentries again. That’s where I look at the new Blu-ray releases and talk about the ones I find interesting. I’m actually rotating the writing duties with someone else – I write it one week then he writes it the next, etc. But I thought it would be fun to go ahead and write my picks out here on my off weeks. The plan is to link over to Cinema Sentries when I write the article there, but I keep forgetting.

In the 1930s there were a number of film series in which white actors played Asian detectives. Warner Oland as Charlie Chan is probably the most famous but Boris Karloff starred as Mr. Wong for a series of five films and Kino Lorber has just released a boxed set of them.

While it is easy to dismiss these films as straight-up racist (and certainly they are not beyond that criticism) these films were actually a step forward for Asian representation in American films. I dip into that a little in my review, but you can find a lot more on the subject with a little digging.

The Chan films aren’t by any means great cinema, but they are charming in their own way. I’m a huge fan of these odd little nooks of cinema history and that’s why the Mr. Wong Collection is my Pick of the week.

Also, out this week that looks interesting:

Avatar: The Way of the Water (2022): When the original Avatar came out I somehow missed seeing it on the big screen. At the time we were living in a small town and it was a bit of a drive to the nearest movie theater. We did drive out one weekend to see it but the 3D showing was sold out and I didn’t want to see it in 2D. At the time I figured we’d catch it another day and that just didn’t happen.

I did borrow my father’s Blu-ray at some point and watched the film, but I found it rather disappointing. It didn’t help that he didn’t have his TV set up correctly and the frame rate was a bit wonky. Had I seen it on the big screen I may have been blown away, but as it is, I’ve not given it much thought since my initial viewing.

All of that is to say that when this sequel came out I wasn’t all that excited about it. Once again I had planned to see it on an IMAX screen but for one reason or another, we just didn’t make it. Now it is out on Blu-ray and I’ll probably give it a watch at some point, but I’m in no hurry.

That being said, it was a huge hit and I’m sure lots of folks are interested in watching it at home. It comes in a variety of packages from a variety of stores so do your research before purchasing.

The Covenant (2023): Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this Guy Ritchie war film about an American soldier who is aided by his local guide when he gets injured in Afghanistan.

The Bridges at Tokyo-Ri (1954): William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March, and Mickey Rooney star in this Korean War film about a group of jet pilots.

Skinamarink (2022): Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing, and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished.

The Servant (1963): Criterion is releasing this drama about a manservant who is so efficient the lines between servant and master get crossed.

The Game Trilogy (The Most Dangerous Game / The Killing Game / The Execution Game): This has been called the Japanese John Wick (though it was made a few decades before Keanu Reevers would make those films). Yusaku Matsuda stars as a cold-as-ice hitman and I’m already sold.

Medicine For Melancholy (2008): Barry Jenkins directed this drama about the tentative relationship between two people navigating the conundrum of being minorities in an increasingly gentrifying city.

Whisper of the Heart (2022): A live-action, sort-of-sequel to the beloved Studio Ghibli animated film.

Red River (1948): My beloved Criterion Collection brings this classic Howard Hawks western starring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift to Blu-ray with their usual aplomb.

Anna May Wong Collection Is the Pick of the Week

anna may wong box set

For several years I wrote a column over at Cinema Sentries where I would peruse all of the new Blu-ray/DVD releases coming out in a given week and then pick one as my…well, pick. Then I’d give a brief mention to all the other releases that sounded interesting to me.

Somewhere in the middle of Covid I got a little overwhelmed and stressed out at my life and I stopped writing it. Someone else picked it up and that someone is now getting a little tired of writing it. So, I decided to start writing it again. As of right now the plan is for me to write one this week and then the other person will write it next week and we’ll rotate back and forth.

I always enjoyed writing the article as it helps me keep up with what’s coming out each week. And now you can, too. Here‘s my article for this week.

Region 1 DVD Releases For 24th May 2005

Before I started doing the Pick of the Weeks my friend Aaron did them for Blogcritics.  He couldn’t do it one week and so he gave me the job.  So this is my first attempt at it. – Mat, October 5, 2023.

The Duke de Mondo is out with the royal conclave again this week. Deciding who will be the next Pope de Mondo takes plenty of time, apparently.

He promises to be back next week. Until then, here is this week’s Region 1 DVD releases.

The big movie release this week is Martin Scorcese’s The Aviator. Though he’ll never hit the creative peaks of his 70’s period, The Aviator is still a beautiful, brilliant film.

Jean Pierre Juenet’s A Very Long Engagement also hits the shelves this week. The follow-up film to the hugely successful Amelie likewise stars Audrey Tautou. For some dumb reason, French theatres do not show their films with English subtitles, so I have yet to see it. But Jeunet’s films are always worth at least one viewing.

It is a good week for Generation X’ers who are feeling a little nostalgic. Two sets of after-school specials are being released. So put down your Trapper Keeper and cozy up to a bunch of melodramatic cheese fests starring the likes of such 80’s heartthrobs as Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Rob Lowe, Robert Reed, and Dana Plato.

If that wasn’t enough to get you reminiscing about the time that punk Stephen stole your lunch money, or that other time you got pantsed in gym class then this week also sees the release of Superfriends – the Second Season, and Airwolf – Season One.

For those of you who are a bit older, and need something in black and white to feel nostalgic, the Andy Griffith – Complete Second Season also hits the shelves. Still need something to keep you saying “They don’t make them like they used to?” The Dick Van Dyke Show has packaged its entire series together.

Other notable TV releases are: News Radio – The Complete Second Season, Law and Order – The Third Year, and MASH – Season 8.

For reasons unknown to me, Richard Pryor has a couple of releases coming out. There is a two-pack of his comedies with Gene Wilder, See No Evil, Hear No Evil, and Stir Crazy. The other release is a collection of his stand-up routines, Here and Now and Live on the Sunset Strip. I’m not that familiar with his stand-up material, but the films are well worth adding to any collection.

Right alongside Richard Pryor on any list of great comedians is Red Skelton. His sketch comedy show gets a 2 disc greatest hits packaging.

Other notable film releases are Drums Along the Mohawk, A Farewell to Arms, and a single disc version of The Godfather Part II.