Monday, July 20, 2015

The Criterion Collection Announces Its October Release Calendar For New DVD And Blu-ray Film Restorations


DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
The Criterion Collection has staked out its release turf for the month of October with street dates for five restored film treasures destined for both Blu-ray and DVD.

Kicking off the month the month is the Oct. 6 Blu-ray debut of writer/director Gus Van Sant’s 1991 film, My Own Private Idaho, starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves as two-bit street hustlers on a road trip of self-discovery.

This new 4K transfer features the vintage 2005 making-of documentary, deleted scenes and other material from the 2005 DVD release.

The following week, Oct. 13, cult filmmaker David Cronenberg gets the Criterion treatment with newly prepared DVD and Blu-ray editions of his 1979 creepy horror classic, The Brood.   Samantha Eggar stars as a woman with a terrifying genetic secret and Oliver Reed plays the role of her estranged husband who tries to protect their daughter and sort out the mysterious killings that seem to follow his wife’s wake.
DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey

Bonus features include a new documentary on the making of the film (and earlier works of the director), a restored presentation of Cronenberg’s ultra-creepy 1970 film, Crimes of the Future, and a pair of video sessions — one featuring Cronenberg with Fangoria editor Chris Alexander (2011) and the second with actors Art Hindle and Cindy Hinds (who played Oliver Reed’s daughter).

Next up, and also streeting on Oct. 13 as both DVD and Blu-ray product offerings, is Italian filmmaker Ettore Scola’s 1977 Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, A Special Day, starring Marcello Mastroianni (nominated for Best Actor that year — losing out Richard Dreyfuss for his performance in The Goodbye Girl) and Sophia Loren.

Bonus features here include a new video session with Sophia Loren (who turned 80 last September) and director Ettore Scola (now 84) and two episodes from The Dick Cavett Show (1977) featuring Loren and Mastroianni.

DVD & Blu-ray Release Report, Ralph Tribbey
Shifting to Oct. 20, the Criterion Collection has a new film restoration ready for Japanese filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi’s 1964 (1965, domestic) Best Foreign Language Oscar-nominee, Kwaidan.

Bonus features here include commentary from film historian, author and Professor of Cinema, Stephen Prince, a vintage interview with filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi (1993) and a newly-prepared video session with assistant director Kiyoshi Ogasawara.

The month of October closes out on the 27th with Blu-ray and DVD (two discs) editions of auteur filmmaker David Lynch’s 2001 neo-noir thriller, Mulholland Drive, teaming Naomi Watts with Laura Harring (of note, David Lynch was nominated Best Director for his work here — his third; Blue Velvet and The Elephant Man were the other two).

This new 4K transfer includes newly-prepared video sessions with Lynch, actors Naomi Watts and Laura Harring, director of photography Peter Deming, composer Angelo Badalamenti and casting director Johanna Ray, plus there is also a vintage session with Lynch, cast members and footage from the film’s set.


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