The Criterion Collection Reveals Its October Of 2018 DVD And Blu-ray Release Calendar

The Criterion Collection announced its October line-up of DVD and Blu-ray releases this past week and there are several films in the mix that will certainly please film buffs, collectors and those looking to upgrade their current library holdings.

October is one of those rare months in which there are five street-date Tuesdays and Criterion has something in the mix for each and every one of them … so let’s get to it.

Kicking off the month on Oct. 2 is Cornel Wilde’s 1965 thrilling “escape” drama, The Naked Prey.   He not only stars in the film — which has precious little dialogue — he also directed and produced the film (Cornel Wilde, in addition to the director/producer credits for The Naked Prey, also produced and directed Beach Red, No Blade of Grass and Sharks’ Treasure).

Filmed on location in the Transvaal and Kruger National Park, which borders on Mozambique and Zimbabwe, we meet up with a hunting safari (circa 1880) that includes Wilde.   One of their members insults the chief of a local tribe and things go down hill quickly from there.   

The safari members are slaughtered in creative ways, with Wilde’s character left for last to “compete” in the “The Lion’s Chance.”   Naked, unarmed and given a head start (think: Rod Steiger in Samuel Fuller’s 1957 film release of Run of the Arrow), he is to be hunted by members of the tribe.   The bulk of the film is built around Wilde’s character overcoming near-impossible challenges to escape death.

Bonus features include a vintage commentary option featuring film scholar Stephen Prince (“Savage Cinema: Sam Peckinpah and the Rise of Ultraviolent Movies,” “The Warrior's Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa,” etc.) and Paul Giamatti reads from Addison Erwin Sheldon’s 1913 novel, “John Colter’s Escape From the Indians,” which was the inspiration for Don Peters and Clint Johnston’s Oscar-nominated screenplay.

Book-ending the month is the Oct. 30 4K film restoration of director Rob Reiner’s 1987 film adaptation of William Goldman’s 1973 novel, The Princess Bride — Goldman also wrote the screenplay.

The film has been released multiple times on DVD and Blu-ray, but with a new 4K presentation, fans could be lining up early to upgrade their library holdings. 

Bonus features include a vintage 1996 commentary track featuring filmmaker Rob Reiner, author William Goldman, producer Andrew Scheinman and actors Billy Crystal and Peter Falk, plus there are two new featurettes featuring Goldman’s screenplay and book and a newly-prepared video session with art director Richard Holland.

There are also vintage behind-the-scene videos (five in all), an on-set film diary narrated by Cary Elwes and archival video sessions with Rob Reiner, William Goldman and actors Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes, Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Fred Savage and Robin Wright.

 

Also getting a new 4K film restoration is auteur filmmaker Brian De Palma’s twisted 1973 horror entry, Sisters, starring Margot Kidder, Jennifer Salt … and Margot Kidder (as both Danielle and Dominique).

Bonus goodies include a newly-prepared video session with Jennifer Salt, vintage video sessions with filmmaker Brian De Palma, producer Edward R. Pressman and actors William Finley and Charles Durning and 1970 appearance by Margot Kidder on The Dick Cavett Show.

Rounding out the October DVD and Blu-ray selection are director Hal Ashby’s Shampoo (Oct. 16) and filmmaker Warner Fassbinder’s 1972 mini-series, Eight Hours Don't Make a Day (Oct. 9).