The Criterion Collection
announced its November release calendar of Blu-ray and DVD product offerings
this past week. Topping the list, and
just in time for a Thanksgiving feast (of viewing pleasure) — with a Nov. 21
street date — is director Terry Gilliam’s 1977 bit of comedy madness, Jabberwocky.
If it is The Pythons;
Monty Python it is comedy gold and Jabberwocky is just that, even
though you only have Michael Palin (Gilliam and Terry Jones have cameos), which
is plenty!!!
Bonus treasures include a
vintage commentary (circa 2001) featuring Pythons Gilliam and Palin, a new
making-of documentary featuring director Terry Gilliam, producer Sandy
Lieberson, and actors Michale Palin and actor Annette Badland (as Griselda
Fishfinger) and a newly-prepared video session with Valerie Charlton (she also
worked on Brazil, The Meaning of Life, Time Bandits and Life
of Brian), the designer of the Jabberwock creature.
A new 4K restoration of
director George Cukor’s 1940 Best Picture nominee, The Philadelphia Story,
will be available as both DVD and Blu-ray editions on Nov. 7.
Not only did Philadelphia
Story receive an Oscar nod for Best Picture, but James Stewart won his
only Oscar in the Best Actor category for his performance here as Macaulay
Connor (he was also nominated for Anatomy of a Murder, Harvey, It’s a
Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington). Both Katharine Hepburn and Ruth Hussey
received Best Actress and Best Support Actress nods (respectively) and George
Cukor pulled down a Best Director nomination, but Gary Grant’s performance as
C.K. Dexter Haven (what a name) was overlooked.
As to bonus features,
there is a vintage commentary track featuring film scholar Jeanine Basinger, a
new documentary titled In Search of Tracy Lord, a newly
prepared introduction by film “documentarians” David Heeley and Joan Kramer,
two full episodes from The Dick Cavett Show featuring
interviews with Hepburn and Cukor and the 1943 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation.
Also heading to the home
entertainment marketplace in November from The Criterion Collection are Desert
Hearts and Le Samourai (both street as either DVD or Blu-ray editions on
Nov. 14).
No comments:
Post a Comment