clint eastwood

Typically, I choose but one film or boxed set as my pick of the week. But every now and again, I simply can’t choose just one film, and I have to go with multiple picks. This week, three Clint Eastwood classics are getting UHD upgrades with nice-looking Steelbook cases, and I want them all.

Clint Eastwood is one of the great actors and directors out there. He’s been consistently making good films for sixty years, and he doesn’t seem to be willing to stop.

The three films – Dirty Harry (1971), Pale Rider (1985), and The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) aren’t necessarily the very best of Clint Eastwood but they are all good films in their way (if I’m being honest I’ve not seen either of them in a long while so I don’t have anything intelligent to say about them at the moment) and they will make a nice addition to anyones collection.

Also out this week that looks interesting:

Anora 4K UHD: This Oscar-winning film from last year is about a sex worker who marries an Oligarch and then faces the consequences when her husband’s family finds out.

Paddington in Peru: I’ve not seen any of the Paddington films but everyone says they are delightful.

Star Trek: Section 31: Michelle Yeoh stars in this Star Trek film about a secret division of Starfleet tasked to protect the United Federation of planets, but she must also learn to deal with some dark secrets. The reviews have been savage.

V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal: Arrow Video presents this collection of straight-to-video films from Japan. You can read my review here.

Murderrock 4K UHD: Vinegar Syndrome presents this ridiculously silly, gory, and surprisingly beautiful Giallo of Lucio Fulci in UHD. You can read my review of the movie here.

juror no 2 bluray

I wonder if when Clint Eastwood finally sheds this mortal coil he’ll be more remembered as an actor or a director. He’s made plenty of great films as one or the other (and more than a few in which he directed himself). I’m not sure I’d be able to choose which one I enjoy the most. He’s had a long storied career, that’s for sure.

Reportedly Juror No. 2 is reportedly the 94-year-old director’s final film. It was well received by critics but sadly got an incredibly small theatrical release before being dumped on Max. It stars Nicolau Hoult as a juror on a high-profile murder case who realizes he has information he could use to sway the rest of the jury in either way he wants.

That’s all I know. That’s all I want to know. As I often say in these things I like going into movies cold, knowing very little about them. The buzz is that this is a very solidly constructed courtroom drama. The kind of thing they don’t make much of anymore. That’s good enough for me to make it this week’s pick.

Wicked: A movie based on a musical based on a book based on a movie. And they say Hollywood is out of ideas. Wicked reimagines the Wizard of Oz from the Wicked Witch of the West’s point of view, delving into her background and discovering why she became so wicked. It was originally a novel that was turned into a Broadway musical, and now it is a movie. I’ve not read the book, or seen the show, but my wife has treated me to some of the music, which is pretty good.

Werewolves: A supermoon turns millions of people into werewolves. Sounds fun.

Punch Drunk Love: Criterion is giving this wonderful PT Anderson film which proved Adam Sandler can actually act, the 4K UHD treatment.

The Sacrifice: Andrei Tarkovsky’s beautiful, meditative film gets the 4K UHD treatment from Kino Lorber. You can read my review of the Blu-ray here.

Oh, Canada: Richard Gere stars in director Paul Schrader’s latest drama about a draft dodger who fled to Canada during the Vietnam War. I’m a big fan of Schrader so I’m excited about this one.

Two Spaghetti Western Classics: Kill Them All and Come Back Alone / The Hellbenders: Kino Lorber brings these two Italian Westerns to the 4K UHD world.

I forgot to link over to Cinema Sentries for last week’s pick, you can read it here if you like.