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A child’s sense of wonder is at the heart of Sean Baker’s joyful story of people living on the impoverished fringes of Florida’s tourist traps

The title of this wonderfully humanist film from Tangerine director Sean Baker offers an ironic twist on the name under which Walt Disney first developed his “community of tomorrow” plans for the so-called Sunshine State. For Disney the “Florida project” was the utopian dream that blossomed into the money-spinning Walt Disney World. By contrast, the run-down motels of Baker’s summer-break drama are more like “projects” in the Us welfare-housing sense – home to low-income families living a hand-to-mouth existence, just beyond the boundaries of the upmarket tourist attractions.

Located in Kissimmee, which lies east of Eden on Route 192, these gaudily hued establishments have names like the Magic Castle and Futureland, evoking a dream of fun, fantasy and adventure that is jarringly at odds with harsh economic realities.

Each month, the fine folks at FilmStruck and the Criterion Collection spend countless hours crafting their channels to highlight the many different types of films that they have in their streaming library. This April will feature an exciting assortment of films, as noted below.

To sign up for a free two-week trial here.

Monday, April 3 The Chaos of Cool: A Tribute to Seijun Suzuki

In February, cinema lost an icon of excess, Seijun Suzuki, the Japanese master who took the art of the B movie to sublime new heights with his deliriously inventive approach to narrative and visual style. This series showcases seven of the New Wave renegade’s works from his career breakthrough in the sixties: Take Aim at the Police Van (1960), an off-kilter whodunit; Youth of the Beast (1963), an explosive yakuza thriller; Gate of Flesh (1964), a pulpy social critique; Story of a Prostitute (1965), a tragic romance; Tokyo Drifter...

Above: 1960s French stock poster for Marx Brothers revivals.This weekend New York’s Film Forum begins a week-long series entitled The Marx Brothers & The Golden Age of Vaudeville which is as good an excuse as any to look at the representation of the greatest sibling comedy team in cinema through movie posters. It has long been a tradition in movie poster illustration to render comedy stars as caricatures—often with oversized heads on small bodies—and Groucho, Harpo and Chico were a caricaturist’s dream. (Zeppo, the straight man, less so, but he left the act after Duck Soup in 1933, and re-release posters for the films he appeared in tend to ignore him, as in the Belgian Duck Soup and the Danish Horse Feathers below). With their distinctive props—Groucho’s oversized greasepaint mustache and cigar, Harpo’s curly blonde wig and Chico’s Alpine hat—the threesome could...

It happens very rarely, but when inspired casting and beloved subject matter coincide, something very special is created. Such is the case with the upcoming film project Stan And Ollie, which has just found its two leads in the form of Academy Award nominees Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly. Meeting the legendary pair in their later years, the film will centre on their 1953 tour of the UK, during which the stars each met challenges head-on, and reaffirmed one of the most iconic partnerships in entertainment history.

UK born Stan Laurel and Us born Oliver Hardy were both well-established contract players in their own right when they first collaborated onscreen in the 1927 silent short film, Putting Pants On Philip. They remained in partnership at Hal Roach film studios until 1940, when they began to work together with other production companies. Their final feature length film was titled Atoll K, which was...

Above: Us three-sheet poster for The Private Life of Henry VIII (Alexander Korda, UK, 1933).

The great Charles Laughton may not have been the prettiest of movie stars, but he had a presence that many matinee idols would have killed for (as the current retrospective running at Film Forum will attest). In an era in which glamor was everything, studio marketers may have struggled with how to present Laughton’s unconventional looks and his larger-than-life portrayals of larger-than-life characters (so many monsters, murderers, tyrants, or simply overbearing fathers) to the public. In most of the posters for his most famous film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), he is all but a silhouette, a spoiler alert to his monstrous transformation as Quasimodo. And in some posters for The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), the film for which he won his first Oscar, Henry is made to look more like the Hans Holbein...

Talk about a calm before the storm. This is one of those rare weekends where there are no new wide releases hitting multiplexes, but that means there are a lot of specialty films taking advantage of that fact and sneaking into area theaters. You can see all of this week's new releases below, but first we'll take a look at some of the unique repertory screenings booked around town over the next week. 

The Austin Film Society is starting a three-week series turning the spotlight on comedian Jerry Lewis. It begins tonight at the Marchesa with one of his biggest hits, 1963's The Nutty Professor. Screening from a Dcp (digital print), it also plays again on Sunday evening. On Wednesday, they'll feature Rodrigo Reyes' Purgatorio for Doc Nights. The Afs website describes it as a "lyrical meditation on the border between the Us and Mexico." Thursday night brings another...

Odd List Ryan Lambie 26 Nov 2013 - 06:44

From reissued, obscure first films to misleading marketing, here are 12 film covers that exaggerate the role their famous actors play...

Filmmaker William Castle was famous for his movie gimmicks, from vibrating chairs to plastic skeletons soaring over the heads of audiences in cinemas. The marketers of 1958's The Fly, meanwhile, promised to pay $100 to the first person who could prove that its matter-transportation plot "couldn't happen". 

Selling movies to cynical punters is tough at the best of times, and using tricks and white lies to get people to part with their hard-earned cash is nothing new. And one of the simplest tricks in a film marketer's tool bag is to exaggerate an actor's role in whatever it is they're trying to sell. So if uncredited bit player number two suddenly becomes an A-list star three years after a movie's shot, you can be...

David Fincher's remake of the classic, which Brad Pitt left in February, has reportedly now been shelved

A high-profile remake of the classic Jules Verne adaptation 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea has reportedly been shelved by studio Disney after Brad Pitt quit the lead role.

David Fincher's movie was due to begin shooting in Sydney next month, with the support of a £15m grant from the Australian government. Pitt had been earmarked for the role of cocky master harpooner Ned Land, made famous by Kirk Douglas, but there were reports in February that he had left the project.

The news that Australia had wooed Disney with a multimillion dollar package had been hailed as a sign that the two countries were set to renew their connection after a troubled period in which the strong Australian dollar made the country less attractive to Us studios as a filmmaking location. Prime...

Oncinema.com’s Ioncinephile of the Month feature focuses on an emerging filmmaker from the world of cinema. This November, we feature Sean Baker, an independent filmmaker whose fourth film, Starlet premiered at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, then continued onwards to Locarno, BFI London and most recently AFI Film Fest before being released theatrically via Music Box Films on Friday November 9th. Below is our follow-up interview where we learn more about Baker’s process and about the films that have influenced the filmmaker. Here’s Sean Baker’s personal Top Ten films of all time.

Eric Lavallee: During your childhood…what films were important to you?

Sean Baker: When I was in first grade, my mother brought me to the local library where they were screening selected scenes from the Universal monster films on 16mm. I remember watching the burning windmill sequence from James Whale’s...

Soviet leader sees red as Us hosts cite safety concerns for denying him trip to famous theme park

No details of Mr Khruschev's arrival had gone unplanned.

He came in at an obscure corner of the airport and the mayor of Los Angeles greeted him in the cryptic, cool manner that has become almost a mark of patriotism among the American officials who have the misfortune to be cast as his hosts.

He was shown what any other distinguished tourist would have been allowed to see. He saw the dancing girls of "Can Can." He was actually seated at the same table as Gary Cooper, Eddie Fisher, Marilyn Monroe and James Mason. The supreme accolade was reserved for his wife: she was seated next to Frank Sinatra. American hospitality can go no further.

"And yet, and yet..." as the old silent movie captions used to say, and yet the production...

News.

Above: Cinetract 2: Revolution Is in the Eye of the Beholder, a video essay by David Phelps. The video is part of a new issue of one of our very favorite—and one of the best—film magazines in the world, La Furia Umana, which is now out. Each issue is focused on dossiers on particular directors, and this issue includes essential articles on Leo McCarey, Paul Vecchiali, Jean-Claude Rousseau and José Luis Guerín. In the McCarey dossier are pieces by our very own Daniel Kasman—on the Cary Grant & Ginger Rogers vs. the Nazis film, Once Upon a Honeymoon—and Ted Fendt on McCarey's Charley Chase comedy shorts. But don't ignore the depth and variety of articles outside this center, which include searing video pieces by Notebook regulars David Phelps—on Lang, Vertov and protest—and Gina Telaroli on Joan Bennett, Max Ophüls, The Reckless Moment and the reflections of American presidents.

The great movie pioneer D.W. Griffiths once said “we do not want now and we shall never want the human voice with our films.” Shame he failed to realise that film-making is a technical medium that will always develop. In the last 100 years we have had the introduction of colour, trick photography, 3D and CGI, among other numerous innovations such as CinemaScope - and even Smellovision. But none of these compare to the most revolutionary of cinematic changes: sound.

The silent era of the twenties holds little more than curiosity-value for many modern film fans. Other than a few notable exceptions such as Nosferatu (1922) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925), it’s become a long-forgotten part of cinema history. But back then we had the Brad Pitts and Angelina Jolies of their day! Big stars and talented actors who sadly failed to survive the test of time.

The coming of sound was controversial,...

Going My Way (1944) Direction: Leo McCarey Cast: Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, Risë Stevens, Frank McHugh, Gene Lockhart, James Brown, Jean Heather, Porter Hall, Fortunio Bonanova Screenplay: Frank Butler and Frank Cavett; from a story by Leo McCarey Oscar Movies Barry Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Going My Way Director Leo McCarey and screenwriters Frank Butler and Frank Cavett poured a whole bottle of syrup into their sentimental comedy-drama Going My Way. The fact that this "inspirational" tale with religious overtones became the year's biggest blockbuster and the winner of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, proves that McCarey, Butler, Cavett, and Paramount Pictures knew exactly what audiences wanted in 1944: the same sort of gooey star vehicle that continues to lure millions of moviegoers, e.g., Tom Hanks' Forrest Gump, Will Smith's The Pursuit of Happyness, Sandra Bullock's The Blind Side. In Going My Way, the goo is provided...

If the Costa Concordia, which ran aground off the west coast of Italy last night, looks familiar to you, it's likely that it's because it's the cruise ship that's the setting for the first movement of Jean-Luc Godard's Film socialisme ("It's less a tourist cruise than an international summit of bastards," wrote David Phelps in June). The accident, which cost the lives of three people and injured many more (and around 40 of the 4000 passengers are still missing), occurred on the same evening that a rogue vigilante group going by the name of Standard and Poor's downgraded the credit ratings of nine eurozone countries.

Which brings us to our first set of DVDs. A Forum topic on Artificial Eye's release of its Theo Angelopoulos Collection has been rumbling along for half a year now and, with the third volume coming out next month, David Jenkins has a good long...

Perhaps nearly any classy English actor could have played Sherlock Holmes – if not elementary, it's fundamental to a certain type of career

I'm typing this in Baskerville; it's the only way to go with the astonishing parade of Baker Street irregulars, the actors who have played the great detective in one medium or another. We are about to receive the second picture in the latest manifestation, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The wonders of film number one (just plain Sherlock Holmes) in what may end up a wearying franchise included a gross Us income of over $200m, a real part for Jude Law (Watson), and the realisation Robert Downey Jr had found the vehicle for his languid-depraved attitude (the thinking man's Johnny Depp) and his urge to get away with whatever came into his head – plus, it seemed to resurrect the career of director Guy Ritchie whose insecure grasp...

Langford's Picks And Pans

Maryada

I can’t help but be amused by Vidya’s determination to reunite Gaurav and Karan. After all, who better to play Cupid than the woman you dumped to be with your fella? Only in soaps. But given that Vidya nearly killed herself and then took a bullet for her ex, I guess I can understand why Gaurav would feel so guilty that he'd be willing to reject the man he loves.

I hope though with everybody and their grandmother pushing these boys to get back together that Gaurav gets over himself and works things out with Karan soon. It’s wonderful that this show is telling this groundbreaking story, but I think it would do even more good if Indian viewers could see these two men dealing with the drama of an ongoing relationship.

*Thanks To Chrollianne For Theclips!

Plus Belle La Vie

This...

(Sam Peckinpah, 1977, 18, Optimum)

In this Anglo-German film of Willi Heinrich's 1956 novel, life is very noisy on the Eastern Front in 1943 as ex-Us Marine Sam Peckinpah turns a savage but compassionate eye upon a demoralised German unit fighting a rearguard action against the Russians by the Black Sea. In particular, he examines the conflict between an ambitious, cowardly Prussian aristocrat, Captain Stransky (Maximilian Schell), and the undemonstratively courageous Sergeant Steiner (James Coburn). James Mason as the commanding officer and David Warner as his adjutant are both first rate, as are Coburn and Schell. This was Peckinpah's last important work and his only war movie. Robert Aldrich, whose war movies include Attack and The Dirty Dozen, was greatly admired by Peckinpah. Aldrich had wanted to film Heinrich's novel ever since it was published and except for Peckinpah's characteristic use of slow motion, this classic movie (only available on Blu-ray) is...

A reluctant Hollywood child star, he returned to the spotlight in the Superman movies

Jackie Cooper, who has died aged 88, was the first child star of the talkies, paving the way for Freddie Bartholomew, Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney. While they could turn on the waterworks when called for, Cooper beat them all easily at the crying game. Little Jackie, from the age of eight until his early teens, blubbed his way effectively through a number of tearjerkers. Sometimes he would try to suppress his tears, pouting and saying, "Ah, shucks! Ah, shucks!" As a critic wrote in 1934: "Jackie Cooper's tear ducts, having been more or less in abeyance for the past few months, have been opened up to provide an autumn freshet in Peck's Bad Boy."

Cooper had started off in the movies billed as "the little tough guy" in eight of Hal Roach's Our Gang comedy shorts.

Hopefully there won't be a chorus of voices proclaiming that I've discovered a new room in the house of 'wrong'. The same personal history that attracts us to certain faces (or quirks - or even defects) applies to how we respond to any particular human voice, so a list of 'best voices' is going to be pretty far from any kind of actuarial table on the matter. That said, there seems to be a pretty broad consensus of 'voice appeal' in a lot of my choices.

I note that I only came up with five female voices out of twenty. I don't know if that's some kind of unconscious sexism, or if it in any way ratifies the (itself probably pretty sexist) opinion I once heard that female voices have less scope than male ones. In any case that bias, if such it is, is in pretty broad opposition to...

One of our favorite mantras around the AfterElton offices is “because visibility matters.” Indeed, the idea that gay and bisexual men need to be visible, both to ourselves and to the wider culture, is one of the principle reasons AfterElton.com even exists. After all, it is only by being visible to family, friends and the world that we’ve been able to overcome the stereotypes and bigotry used to justify discrimination against the Glbt community.

That quest for visibility explains why we have done so many polls including the AfterElton Hot 100, the Fifty Greatest Gay Movies, the Top 50 Gay TV Characters, and the 50 Best Gay Books. After all, it’s not as if Entertainment Weekly is going to ask gay and bisexual men which guys we think are the hottest, which movies mean the most to us or, in the case of our latest poll, which celebrities we most admire.

Rochester, NY - Ever wonder why schools today stink compared to decades ago? Every think tank moron has their dubious reasonings that appeases their corporate masters. But the truth is extraordinarily simple: Schools dumped their education films.

Do you remember those days when the gym teacher had to pad out health class by wheeling in the 16mm projector from the Av department? They’d thread up classic tales about your body, narcotics, driving safety and manners. Things which kids nowadays can’t seem to handle.

When the Vcr arrived in schools, the 16mm projector was quickly dumped as teaching tool.

Where did these classic films go? Many arrived at the city dump. However a few lucky tens of thousands found themselves on the racks of the Av Geeks Archive. This repository of cinematic education is overseen by Skip Elsheimer. He started collecting the films after I moved out of the infamous PineHaus.

British actors sound clearly different at Us award ceremonies but these days you'd never know it on film

You probably won't remember Bonar Colleano (or unmemorable films starring him, like Good-time Girl). He was thin and, well, bony, with slicked-back hair, and just 34 when his car crashed 53 years ago. But he made a good living in British movies for a decade before that because he came from New York City, and was thus available to play GIs and mobsters on demand in a natural American accent Britain's homegrown B-movie actors couldn't mimic for love or for money. But now see how the world has changed.

Here's Christian Bale from Haverfordwest at the Oscars tonight after doing raw Massachusetts to the manner born. And, turning on the television, there's Hugh Laurie from Oxford still playing in House. That drunken McNulty cop in The Wire? Dominic West from Eton. (He could have been David Cameron's fag.

Criterion's December release announcement is brief, but sweet. David Cronenberg's Videodrome is coming to Blu-Ray while Guillermo Del Toro's Cronos will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray. 

 

The Videodrome Blu-Ray seems to be sourced from same master as the 2004 Criterion DVD.  Extras are largely same. Cronos is newly restored and packed with extras, including a previously unreleased short film called Geometria. Check the links in the calendar for full specifications.

Finally, as mentioned in the last Criterion Column, the DVD release of the America Lost and Found: The Bbs Story comes out on December 14th. The Blu-Ray will be released on November 23rd.

 

The Criterion Collection 2010 Release Calendar (January through December 2010, up-to-date as of September 16, 2010)

 

December 2010

 

David Cronenberg, Videodrome, Bd, 12/7/2010, Us & Canada

Guillermo del Toro, Cronos, 2-disc DVD & Bd, 12/7/2010, Us & Canada

 

November 2010

 

Charlie Chaplin, Modern Times, 2-dsc DVD & Bd, 11/16/10, Us & Canada

Charles Laughton, Night Of The Hunter, 2-disc DVD & 2-disc Bd,...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

Normal 0 false false false En-Us X-none X-none MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

A Thief Catcher (Keystone, 1914), featuring a previously unknown performance by silent comedy star Charlie Chaplin, will have its west coast re-premiere during the 46th annual Cinecon Classic Film Festival at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood California over Labor Day Weekend, September 2-6, 2010

Chaplin is officially credited with appearing in thirty-five films during his year at Keystone in 1914, but he claimed in various interviews that he had also played bit roles as a cop and a barber while at the studio--but he did not name the films, and although there has been some speculation about the possibility of additional Chaplin-Keystone appearances, none has turned up until now. Film collector Paul Gierucki found a 16mm film print in a trunk at a Taylor, Michigan, antique store last year. "I could tell it was a Keystone comedy,...

In November, The Criterion Collection is set to release an eclectic mix of American classics with a bit of European transgression thrown in. A newly restored version of Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times is planned for DVD and Blu-Ray. Charles Laughton's stunning black-and-white noir/horror tale Night of the Hunter (1955) is also on the schedule for DVD and Blu-Ray. Lars Von Trier's Antichrist will invade home video players everywhere.

Those are great releases, but highlight of the November list is the America Lost and Found: The Bbs Story box set, which features 6 films from Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider's production company Bbs during the 60s-70s.  Titles include: Head, Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, Drive He Said, The Last Picture Show, and The King Of Marvin Gardens. Think about the scope of this release for a second. This is six films by Dennis Hopper, Henry Jaglom, Jack Nicholson Bob Rafelson,...

The October 2010 batch of Criterion titles brings a few surprises. Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory is hitting DVD and Blu-Ray as is Ingmar Bergman's film The Magician. Criterion continues its relationship with Wes Anderson by releasing The Darjeeling Limited on Blu-Ray and DVD. Ok.

Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai is headed for Blu-Ray with a new restored high-def transfer. If the quality of Criterion's other Kurosawa Blu-Ray discs (e.g. Kagemusha, Sanjuro and Yojimbo) are any indication, it is time to ditch the DVDs. This one should look spectacular.

Finally, Nobuhiko Obayashi's House is making its way to Blu-Ray and DVD just in time for Halloween. There are a few things to note here. First, the fact that Criterion is releasing this on Blu-Ray with a restored transfer and uncompressed mono sound is kind of a surprise. This is a very good thing. The other curious thing is the extras.

The September releases of Breathless on Blu-Ray and The Thin Red Line on Blu-Ray and DVD aren't so much of a surprise. A high-def Breathless release was inevitable and the Malick title leaked out a while ago. Also, Charade is the sort of classic Hollywood auterist fare that Criterion often deals in. No, the big surprise here is Oshima's Happy Birthday Mr. Lawrence. Both this release and the recent Oshima DVD box indicate that Criterion is seriously intent to digging deeper into the director's filmography. Finally, it would be a mistake not to mention the Eclipse box set of Allan King films. The Canadian director's documentaries have never been readily available in the U.S. so this box should expose his work to an entirely new audience (including this writer). 

The Criterion Collection 2010 Release Calendar (Covers January through September 2010, up-to-date as of July 7, 2010)

September 2010

Jean-Luc Godard, Breathless, DVD & Bd, 9/14/10, Us...

Fall 2010 brings very interesting news and rumors about releases from The Criterion Collection. First, the label has issued the official list of films for August release. These include two essential documentaries by Terry Zwigoff, Black Orpheus, a box of Josef von Sternberg silent films, and 4 early Akira Kurosawa films that originally appeared in the Ak 100 25 disc box set.

Lots of unofficial information has also begun to surface about future releases. In late April, The New York Times confirmed rumors that Criterion will release Nobuhiko Obayashi's Hausu will in September. Additionally, pre-order pages for Criterion Blu-Rays of Antichrist, The Darjeeling Limited, The Seven Samurai, The Thin Red Line, and Videodrome have popped up on Amazon. Look for official updates in the next Criterion Column. 

The Criterion Collection 2010 Release Calendar (Covers January through August 2010, up-to-date as of May 23, 2010)

August 2010

Akira Kurosawa, Eclipse Series 23: The First Films Of Akira Kurosawa 

(Sanshiro Sugata...

Director David Fincher ("Fight Club") will take on Disney's prequel remake of the feature "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea", based on the novel by French author Jules Verne.

Producer Wal Disney's original 1954 production, directed by Richard Fleischer, noted as the first science fiction film from Walt Disney Pictures, starred Kirk Douglas as 'Ned Land', James Mason as 'Captain Nemo', Paul Lukas as 'Professor Pierre Aronnax' and Peter Lorre as 'Conseil'.

The new film, titled "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo" will serve as an origin story for central character 'Captain Nemo', as he builds his warship, the 'Nautilus'.

Author Verne's novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" ("Vingt mille lieues sous les mers"), published in 1869, follows the story of 'Captain Nemo' and his submarine 'Nautilus' as seen from the perspective of 'Professor Pierre Aronnax'.

The story opens in the year 1866, with everyone talking about a mysterious creature that has been sinking ships.

Another month brings another set of titles from The Criterion Collection. July 2010 releases include two early films by Yasujrio Ozu, Secrets of the Grain, a Sacha Guitry box set, and long awaited digitally-restored versions of The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

An earlier column mentioned the availability of 6 Zaitoichi films for free streaming on Hulu. Within the past few days, Criterion added 12 more Zaitoichi titles as well Roman Polanski's Knife in the Water to Hulu. The link to all of the free Criterion Hulu titles is featured in the "Related Links" section of this post.

The Criterion Collection 2010 Release Calendar (Covers January through July 2010, up-to-date as of 4/19/2010)

July 2010

Yasujiro Ozu, The Only Son/There Was A Father: Two Films By Yasujiro Ozu, 2 DVD Box, 7/13/2010, Us & English speaking Canada

Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, Black Narcissus, DVD & Bd, 7/20/10, Us & Canada

Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, The Red Shoes,...

Five titles from The Criterion Collection has been announced for release in June 2010. The list includes: Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train, Michelangelo Antonioni's Red Desert, Abbas Kiarostami's Close-Up, Luchino Visconti's The Leopard, Carol Reed's Night Train to Munich, and Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments. All of these titles except for Night Train to Munich will be released on both DVD and Blu-Ray. Specific details have been added to the bottom of the release calendar.

In other news, Criterion continues to make moves in to video on demand. As previously reported, dozens of Criterion titles are now available for streaming on Netflix. Now, Criterion has established a channel on Hulu through which six films in the classic Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman series can be accessed. Check the "Related Links" for more info.

The Criterion Collection 2010 Release Calendar (Covers January through June, up-to-date as of 3/20/2010)

January 2010

Federico Fellini,...

The Criterion Collection is bringing out the big guns in May 2010. No, Hausu has not been announced yet, but another big Japanese release is forthcoming. Specifically, Criterion is releasing a 5 DVD box set of Nagisa Oshima films from the 1960s. Oshima's earlier works are very difficult to find in legitimate form so this announcement is very exciting.

The good news doesn't stop with Oshima. The second volume in the Stan Brakhage anthology will finally see the light of day, and both volumes will be collected on a 3 disc Blu-Ray set. Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout makes an appearance for the first time on DVD and Blu-Ray. Fritz Lang's M will receive the Blu-Ray treatment. Finally, John Ford fans (there are a few) can look forward to Stagecoach on DVD and Blu-Ray. As usual, full details on the new titles have been added to the 2010 release calendar at the bottom of this post.

The Criterion Collection has announced five new titles for April 2010. The list is the usual mix of vintage and recent films, including Jean-Luc Godard's Vivre Sa Vie, Ang Lee's Ride with the Devil, Sidney Lumet's The Fugitive Kind, and Olivier Assayas' Summer Hours. The full list has been added to the 2010 release calendar, which is featured at the bottom of this post.

In other news, Netflix has added dozens of Criterion titles to their "Watch Instantly" streaming service (United States only). The Criterion Cast site has compiled a list of over 35 titles currently available for streaming on Netflix. In some instances, the streaming titles track or even precede the home video release (Che was streaming before the DVD or Blu-Ray was available) On the downside, these releases don't include the extras that come with the DVDs and Blu-Rays. Also, the highest available resolution for streaming is 720p...

You don't have to like or admire Mel Gibson – but surrounded by Hollywood's characterless stars, he is a fascinating and courageous loner

He is only 54, but his ­movies have earned over $2bn in the Us alone. He is of Australian and Irish descent, and he is as fond of Irishness as he is hostile to the English. Thus, he was the winner of the outstanding contribution to world cinema gong at the Irish Film and Television awards. He opposes embryonic stem-cell research; he holds extremist traditional Roman Catholic beliefs, but behind the scenes, he has done a great deal to help other actors with drug problems – notably Robert Downey Jr and Courtney Love. He has been charged with ultraconservatism, an ­obsession with cruelty, homophobia, antisemitism and drunkenness – and he has admitted to the latter. He has won the Oscar for best director and best ­picture. He is an old-fashioned movie star,...

2010 is quickly approaching, and the timing seems right to begin a new endeavor: The Criterion Column. At least once a month, this column will provide information about upcoming releases from The Criterion Collection and highlight titles that may be of interest to Twitch readers. This column will also be complimented by timely reviews of upcoming Criterion and Eclipse releases as well as discussions of gems in the company's back catalog.

This first volume of this column is dedicated to a list of all announced releases for January, February and March of 2010. The data fields are in the following order: Director, Title, Format(s), Street Date, and Regional Availability. Each title is linked to the relevant entry at The Criterion Collection website. This list will be updated as new titles are announced.

January 2010

Federico Fellini, 8 ½, Bd, 1/12/10, Us & Canada

Steven Soderbergh, Che, DVD & Bd, 1/19/10, Us only

Wim Wenders, Paris, Texas, DVD &  Bd,...

At last count, there are close to 80 movies slated for release in the next four months, not including the off studio independents, heralded foreign imports, and frequent film festival surprises. As the transition from summer's popcorn pleasantries to fall's forced import begins, it's often hard to get a handle on what, exactly, deserves your dollars - and more significantly, your precious entertainment attention span. The push towards Awards season consequence is always complicated. Release dates shuffle, perspectives shift, and what seemed like a sure thing only a few weeks ago can fade into oblivion faster than a Will Farrell take on a classic Saturday morning kid's show from the '70s. With that in mind, Se&L has been sizing up the offerings on tap for the next 17 weeks, and we've complied our very own Top 10 Must-See titles. Now, this is not an attempt to gauge the best films of the year,...

There is something insanely romantic about a movie on a city rooftop. And I’m not just talking taking a hold of your girl’s hand. It’s the night air, the hint nostalgia for drive-in movies, and hopefully stars in the sky as well as the screen.

Here is Portland’s schedule thanks to the Northwest Film Center …

The Northwest Film Center presents: Top Down: Rooftop Films July 16-August 27 This summer the Northwest Film Center’s Top Down rooftop cinema event is back for a fifth season. Warm starry nights in downtown Portland are filled with entertaining films, culinary treats, live music and spectacular city views, all atop the panoramic parking rooftop at the Hotel deLuxe (Sw 15th at Yamhill). The evenings begin at 8pm with local music and refreshments. Gracie’s Restaurant will offer easy-to-juggle meals, snacks and cocktails, and additional beverages will be available from Tazo and BridgePort Brewing.