The Criterion Collection Announces Its September of 2021 Film Restoration Slate

The Criterion Collection announced its September slate of film restorations this past week.  This diverse group will make their way into the home entertainment marketplace during the month as both Blu-ray and DVD product offerings.

Getting a new 2K digital restoration — under the supervision of the director, Neil Jordan, and his director of photography Roger Pratt — is Jordan’s 1986 crime thriller, Mona Lisa, starring Bob Hoskins (he was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, losing out to Paul Newman for The Color of Money), plus Michael Caine and Cathy Tyson in her film debut (The Serpent and the Rainbow, Turbulence).

Betrayal, friendship, betrayal, love and betrayal play out in Jordan’s neo-noir thriller, where we find a “working class” gangster by the name of George (Hoskins) — fresh from a prison jolt — who is given the job, by his boss Denny (Caine), of chauffeuring-around a high-priced call girl by the name of Simone (Tyson).

He begins to fall in love with her, and she is quick to use those feelings to get George to do things for her.   The twist comes when he discovers that he has been used, but ironically Simone’s actions, despite her betrayal of both his love and trust, ultimately give George his freedom and a new start in life.   

Bonus features include a vintage 1997 commentary teaming filmmaker Neil Jordan with actor Bob Hoskins, a newly-prepared video session with Jordan and Tyson, and several vintage interview sessions.

Also from Criterion during the month of September are a new 4K film restoration of writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s 2000 film release of Love and Basketball (Sept. 21), director Johnnie To’s 2004 arthouse import, Throw Down (also on Sept. 21), and a new 2K film restoration of Luchino Visconti 1969 drama, The Damned (Sept. 28, with three language track viewing options).

A Blu-ray only collection titled Melvin Van Peebles: Four Films arrives on Sept. 28 as five-disc set and features Watermelon Man, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, Don't Play Us Cheap and The Story of a Three-Day Pass.