“Don’t forget, a great impression of simplicity can only be achieved by great agony of body and spirit.”
Michael Powell’s The Red Shoes (1948) will be available as part of the The Criterion Collection on 2-Disc 4K and Blu-ray November 9th
The Red Shoes, the singular fantasia from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, is cinema’s quintessential backstage drama, as well as one of the most glorious Technicolor feasts ever concocted for the screen. Moira Shearer is a rising star ballerina torn between an idealistic composer and a ruthless impresario intent on perfection. Featuring outstanding performances, blazingly beautiful cinematography by Jack Cardiff, Oscar-winning sets and music, and an unforgettable, hallucinatory central dance sequence, this beloved classic, dazzlingly restored, stands as an enthralling tribute to the life of the artist.
4K Uhd + Blu-ray Special Edition Features
• 4K digital transfer from the 2009 restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• One...
Michael Powell’s The Red Shoes (1948) will be available as part of the The Criterion Collection on 2-Disc 4K and Blu-ray November 9th
The Red Shoes, the singular fantasia from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, is cinema’s quintessential backstage drama, as well as one of the most glorious Technicolor feasts ever concocted for the screen. Moira Shearer is a rising star ballerina torn between an idealistic composer and a ruthless impresario intent on perfection. Featuring outstanding performances, blazingly beautiful cinematography by Jack Cardiff, Oscar-winning sets and music, and an unforgettable, hallucinatory central dance sequence, this beloved classic, dazzlingly restored, stands as an enthralling tribute to the life of the artist.
4K Uhd + Blu-ray Special Edition Features
• 4K digital transfer from the 2009 restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• One...
- 9/20/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Some show had to be the first — back in 1935, this was the first movie to be produced entirely in full 3 strip Technicolor. Just like any revolutionary filmic development, it came from outside the studio system, which says something about how Hollywood works — studios will spend millions of dollars to take advantage of a striking innovation, but let somebody else do the painful R&D. Pioneer Pictures’ project began filming started with one director but then restarted with Rouben Mamoulian, who a little earlier had already shown the town a thing or two about the possibilities of sound. A stage play of the classic novel becomes almost a pageant of color, led by the reliable Miriam Hopkins. Is the movie any good? That’s debatable. But it needs to be seen, to fully appreciate the movie miracle created by chemists, not artists.
Becky Sharp
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1935 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 84 min.
Becky Sharp
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1935 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 84 min.
- 4/2/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Bogart And Bacall: The Complete Collection (1944,1946,1947,1948) – Is available now!
This sizzling four-film collection celebrates two of Hollywood’s greatest: the on- and off-camera team of tough guy Humphrey Bogart and cool gal Lauren Bacall. Their love of their craft, as well as each other, and the gift of their timeless talent are showcased in this glorious 4-disc set, full of action, laughs, suspense, danger and, above all, a romance that forever sparks a flame in the hearts of all movie fans.
To Have And Have Not (1944)
During World War II, American expatriate Harry Morgan helps transport a French Resistance leader and his beautiful wife to Martinique while romancing a sensuous lounge singer.
BD50 New 2016 1080p HD Master 1.37:1 DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 – English Mono; Subtitles: English Sdh, Francais & Espanol 100 Min Special Features: Vintage Merrie Melodies Short “Bacall to Arms” (Remastered in HD); “A Love Story: the Story of To Have and...
This sizzling four-film collection celebrates two of Hollywood’s greatest: the on- and off-camera team of tough guy Humphrey Bogart and cool gal Lauren Bacall. Their love of their craft, as well as each other, and the gift of their timeless talent are showcased in this glorious 4-disc set, full of action, laughs, suspense, danger and, above all, a romance that forever sparks a flame in the hearts of all movie fans.
To Have And Have Not (1944)
During World War II, American expatriate Harry Morgan helps transport a French Resistance leader and his beautiful wife to Martinique while romancing a sensuous lounge singer.
BD50 New 2016 1080p HD Master 1.37:1 DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 – English Mono; Subtitles: English Sdh, Francais & Espanol 100 Min Special Features: Vintage Merrie Melodies Short “Bacall to Arms” (Remastered in HD); “A Love Story: the Story of To Have and...
- 11/27/2018
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
It’s a wonder movie from the 1930s, a political fantasy that imagines a Utopia of peace and kindness hidden away in a distant mountain range — or in our daydreams. Sony’s new restoration is indeed impressive. Ronald Colman is seduced by a vision of a non-sectarian Heaven on Earth, while Savant indulges his anti-Frank Capra grumblings in his admiring but hesitant review essay.
Lost Horizon (1937)
80th Anniversary Blu-ray + HD Digital
Sony
1937 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 133 min. / Street Date October 3, 2017 / 19.99
Starring: Ronald Colman, Jane Wyatt, Edward Everett Horton, John Howard, Thomas Mitchell, Margo, Isabel Jewell, H.B. Warner, Sam Jaffe, Noble Johnson, Richard Loo.
Cinematography: Joseph Walker
Film Editors: Gene Havelick, Gene Milford
Art Direction: Stephen Goosson
Musical director: Max Steiner
Original Music: Dimitri Tiomkin
Written by Robert Riskin from the novel by James Hilton
Produced and Directed by Frank Capra
Frank Capra had a way with actors and comedy...
Lost Horizon (1937)
80th Anniversary Blu-ray + HD Digital
Sony
1937 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 133 min. / Street Date October 3, 2017 / 19.99
Starring: Ronald Colman, Jane Wyatt, Edward Everett Horton, John Howard, Thomas Mitchell, Margo, Isabel Jewell, H.B. Warner, Sam Jaffe, Noble Johnson, Richard Loo.
Cinematography: Joseph Walker
Film Editors: Gene Havelick, Gene Milford
Art Direction: Stephen Goosson
Musical director: Max Steiner
Original Music: Dimitri Tiomkin
Written by Robert Riskin from the novel by James Hilton
Produced and Directed by Frank Capra
Frank Capra had a way with actors and comedy...
- 10/10/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Roy Rogers, Singing Cowboy of 1940s and 1950s Hollywood. Known for his affable characterizations and, both on and off screen, “traditional values” stance, the King of the Cowboys – step aside, John Wayne & Gene Autry – toplined the “subversive” 1938 musical Western Under Western Stars. Sound bites: Remembering Roy Rogers & 'subversive' singing cowboy movie 'Under Western Stars' It is a typically hot day in Palm Springs on May 5, 2001, as I sit outside the Palm Springs Museum at the invitation of Roy Rogers' oldest daughter, Cheryl, while a star in his remembrance is placed on the sidewalk in front of the building. I am seated next to Ruth Terry, a lady with whom I am totally unfamiliar, but who, it transpires, was a leading lady to both Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. As we talk, it is obvious that she is also a very sensible and charming lady. I express my vote for Roy Rogers over Gene Autry, and...
- 7/15/2017
- by Anthony Slide
- Alt Film Guide
Another 3-D breakthrough, this time for a Paramount musical rescued from oblivion and remastered by the 3-D Archive. Rhonda Fleming and Gene Barry star in a blend of songs and Alaskan adventure filmed in downtown Hollywood. The depth effects are great, but the big surprise is Teresa Brewer, the radio star turned one-shot movie musical wonder. Her voice resurrects memories of pop vocals just prior to the arrival of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Those Redheads from Seattle
3-D Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1953 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 90 min. / Street Date May 23, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 34.95
Starring: Rhonda Fleming, Gene Barry, Agnes Moorehead, Teresa Brewer, The Bell Sisters, Guy Mitchell, Jean Parker, Roscoe Ates, John Kellogg, Sheila James Kuehl, Dub Taylor, Max Wagner.
Cinematography: Lionel Lindon
Film Editor: Archie Marshek
Original Music: Sidney Cutner, Leo Shuken
Written by Lewis R. Foster, Geoffrey Holmes (Daniel Mainwearing) and George Worthing Yates
Produced by William H. Pine,...
Those Redheads from Seattle
3-D Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1953 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 90 min. / Street Date May 23, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 34.95
Starring: Rhonda Fleming, Gene Barry, Agnes Moorehead, Teresa Brewer, The Bell Sisters, Guy Mitchell, Jean Parker, Roscoe Ates, John Kellogg, Sheila James Kuehl, Dub Taylor, Max Wagner.
Cinematography: Lionel Lindon
Film Editor: Archie Marshek
Original Music: Sidney Cutner, Leo Shuken
Written by Lewis R. Foster, Geoffrey Holmes (Daniel Mainwearing) and George Worthing Yates
Produced by William H. Pine,...
- 5/20/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
We've waited long enough: Bogart's take on Raymond Chandler's tough guy Philip Marlowe is finally on Blu-ray, with Lauren Bacall hyped as his provocative leading lady. The fascinating 1945 pre-release version is also present, with an uncut copy of Bob Gitt's versions comparison docu. Somebody tell Elisha Cook Jr. not to drink that stuff. The Big Sleep Blu-ray Warner Archive Collection 1946 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 114 min. / Street Date February 23, 2016 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Ridgely, Martha Vickers, Dorothy Malone, Peggy Knudsen, Regis Toomey, Charles Waldron, Charles D. Brown, Bob Steele, Elisha Cook Jr., Louis Jean Heydt, Sonja Darrin, Tommy Rafferty, Theodore von Eltz. Cinematography Sidney Hickox Film Editor Christian Nyby Original Music Max Steiner Written by Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman, William Faulkner from the novel by Raymond Chandler Directed by Howard Hawks
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Howard Hawks' The Big Sleep became...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Howard Hawks' The Big Sleep became...
- 2/13/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Hal Roach looks on as technicians install Vitaphone equipment in his studio screening room, ca. 1928. (Click on the image to enlarge it.) 'A Century of Sound': Q&A with former UCLA Preservation Officer Robert Gitt about the evolution of film sound technology Long before multi-track Dolby stereo and digital sound technology, there were the Kinetophone and the Vitaphone systems – not to mention organ and piano players at movie houses. Much of that is discussed in A Century of Sound, which chronicles the evolution of film sound from the late 19th century to the mid-1970s. A Century of Sound has been split into two parts, with a third installment currently in the planning stages. They are: Vol. 1, “The Beginning, 1876-1932,” which came out on DVD in 2007. Vol. 2, “The Sound of Movies: 1933-1975,” which came out on Blu-ray in 2015. The third installment will bring the presentation into the 21st century.
- 1/26/2016
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
For a subject that’s integral to the success of motion pictures, precious little has been written about sound. I’m not referring to the dawn of the talkie era but later developments that came in conjunction with widescreen, Cinerama, and 3-D in the early 1950s, in a feverish attempt to lure people away from their new television sets and back into movie theaters. (And let’s not forget the pioneering efforts of Walt Disney with his introduction of Fantasound in 1940 for the roadshow engagements of Fantasia.) Longtime UCLA Film and Television Archive preservationist Bob Gitt has made a great study...
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[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]...
- 11/23/2015
- by Leonard Maltin
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy
We've already got a fine domestic disc with both versions of John Ford's fine Henry Fonda western. This Region B UK release duplicates that arrangement with different extras, and throws in a fine HD transfer of an earlier Allan Dwan version of the same story -- with strong similarities -- called Frontier Marshal. It stars Randolph Scott, Nancy Kelly, Cesar Romero and Binnie Barnes and it's very good. My Darling Clementine + Frontier Marshal Region B Blu-ray Arrow Academy (UK) 1946 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 97 + 103 min. (two versions) / Street Date August 17, 2015, 2014 / Amazon UK / £19.99 Starring Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Victor Mature, Cathy Downs, Walter Brennan, Tim Holt, Ward Bond, Alan Mowbray, John Ireland, Roy Roberts, Jane Darwell, Grant Withers, J. Farrell MacDonald, Russell Simpson. Cinematography Joe MacDonald Art Direction James Basevi, Lyle Wheeler Film Editor Dorothy Spencer Original Music Cyril Mockridge Written by Samuel G. Engel, Sam Hellman, Winston Miller Produced by Samuel G. Engel,...
- 10/27/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
My Darling Clementine
Directed by John Ford
Written by Samuel G. Engel and Winston Miller
USA, 1946
In John Ford’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), it is remarked that, “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” This seems especially apt when it comes to the treatment of the Arizona city Tombstone and the historic western yarn of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, the renowned confrontation between the Clantons on one side and the Earps with John “Doc” Holliday on the other. This famous battle, lasting all of about 30 seconds, took place the afternoon of Oct. 26, 1881, and in recalling this skirmish, multiple variations and interpretations have resulted in a cinematic legend in the making, with repeated appearances of its setting, characters, and actions. When the dust settles, one of the greatest depictions of the event, its decisive individuals, and the surrounding area and occurrences (true or false...
Directed by John Ford
Written by Samuel G. Engel and Winston Miller
USA, 1946
In John Ford’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), it is remarked that, “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” This seems especially apt when it comes to the treatment of the Arizona city Tombstone and the historic western yarn of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, the renowned confrontation between the Clantons on one side and the Earps with John “Doc” Holliday on the other. This famous battle, lasting all of about 30 seconds, took place the afternoon of Oct. 26, 1881, and in recalling this skirmish, multiple variations and interpretations have resulted in a cinematic legend in the making, with repeated appearances of its setting, characters, and actions. When the dust settles, one of the greatest depictions of the event, its decisive individuals, and the surrounding area and occurrences (true or false...
- 10/20/2014
- by Jeremy Carr
- SoundOnSight
John Ford’s My Darling Clementine is a prime example of the Great American Western, embodying all that is good and right and just about this once dominant cinematic genre. Now available in a beautiful new hi-def burn by Criterion, this 70 year old horse opera gleams with new life and luster, preserving in minute detail the sweep and grandeur of Ford’s bedrock moralist visions. My Darling Clementine stands as a testament to Ford’s unique ability to balance the mundane with the monumental in perfectly proportioned tension; his laconic cowpokes equally imperiled by a parched, unforgiving wilderness and the dark designs of its human intruders.
While most scripts strive for reduction, My Darling Clementine is a case study in art of narrative inflation. The film takes a relatively minor incident in American history – a violent misunderstanding between two shady factions popularly known as The Shoot Out at Ok Corral...
While most scripts strive for reduction, My Darling Clementine is a case study in art of narrative inflation. The film takes a relatively minor incident in American history – a violent misunderstanding between two shady factions popularly known as The Shoot Out at Ok Corral...
- 10/14/2014
- by David Anderson
- IONCINEMA.com
“Ghosts Of Monument Valley”
By Raymond Benson
The great John Ford made many outstanding westerns, and My Darling Clementine (1946) is certainly one of them. I would argue that not since Stagecoach (1939) had there been as good a picture in the genre, and it didn’t even star John Wayne.
Purportedly the story of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, the Clanton Gang, and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, the film is hogwash as far as the truth is concerned. But as pure entertainment, it’s right up there with the best of the classic westerns that have given us stylistic and physical imagery that is today considered cliché. And in order to become cliché, whatever it is has to have been great to begin with. It must be a trend setter, a groundbreaker, an artistic decision that resulted in an iconic piece of celluloid. Much of what John Ford did accomplished just that.
By Raymond Benson
The great John Ford made many outstanding westerns, and My Darling Clementine (1946) is certainly one of them. I would argue that not since Stagecoach (1939) had there been as good a picture in the genre, and it didn’t even star John Wayne.
Purportedly the story of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, the Clanton Gang, and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, the film is hogwash as far as the truth is concerned. But as pure entertainment, it’s right up there with the best of the classic westerns that have given us stylistic and physical imagery that is today considered cliché. And in order to become cliché, whatever it is has to have been great to begin with. It must be a trend setter, a groundbreaker, an artistic decision that resulted in an iconic piece of celluloid. Much of what John Ford did accomplished just that.
- 10/10/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Oct. 14, 2014
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Henry Ford and Cathy Downs in My Darling Clementine
John Ford (Stagecoach) takes on the legend of the O.K. Corral shoot-out in 1946’s My Darling Clementine, a multi-layered, exceptionally well-constructed western and one of the director’s very best films.
Henry Fonda (Once Upon a Time in the West) cuts an iconic figure as Wyatt Earp, the sturdy lawman who sets about the task of shaping up the disorderly Arizona town of Tombstone, and Victor Mature (Violent Saturday) gives the performance of his career as the boozy, tubercular gambler and gunman Doc Holliday. Though initially at cross-purposes, the pair ultimately team up to confront the violent Clanton gang.
Affecting and stunningly photographed, My Darling Clementine is a story of the triumph of civilization over the Wild West from American cinema’s consummate mythmaker.
Criterion’s Blu-ray and DVD editions...
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Henry Ford and Cathy Downs in My Darling Clementine
John Ford (Stagecoach) takes on the legend of the O.K. Corral shoot-out in 1946’s My Darling Clementine, a multi-layered, exceptionally well-constructed western and one of the director’s very best films.
Henry Fonda (Once Upon a Time in the West) cuts an iconic figure as Wyatt Earp, the sturdy lawman who sets about the task of shaping up the disorderly Arizona town of Tombstone, and Victor Mature (Violent Saturday) gives the performance of his career as the boozy, tubercular gambler and gunman Doc Holliday. Though initially at cross-purposes, the pair ultimately team up to confront the violent Clanton gang.
Affecting and stunningly photographed, My Darling Clementine is a story of the triumph of civilization over the Wild West from American cinema’s consummate mythmaker.
Criterion’s Blu-ray and DVD editions...
- 7/29/2014
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Director Charles Laughton’s and screenwriter James Agee’s adaptation of the novel The Night of the Hunter has become a reverently admired and extremely influential film in the 60 years since the ‘failure’ of its initial release. The film has placed very highly in many international critical polls, including Cahier du Cinema’s 2007 listing of the ‘100 Most Beautiful Films’, where it sits at #2. Many filmmakers have cited it as a key inspiration, and Steven Spielberg showed it to the crew of E.T. in order to help them understand the child’s perspective from which he wanted the film to be told. It was even re-made as a virtually unwatchable 1991 TV movie with Richard Chamberlain as Harry Powell, and a musical stage version was created in the late ‘90s for which a soundtrack CD is available.
Perhaps the most important indication of the esteem in which the film is now held...
Perhaps the most important indication of the esteem in which the film is now held...
- 11/1/2013
- by Ian Gilchrist
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Peter Kimpton tops up our writers' favourite film series with an ode to Charles Laughton's 1955 thriller, a tale as dark and disquieting as a half-forgotten dream
Want to write your own review of the film? Do so here – or brave the cut-throat comments section below
Motionless for 90 minutes, I could not even remove my coat. I sweated and shivered. I felt in shock. Was the film recreating scenes from my sleep? I had never seen, as far as I can recall, The Night of the Hunter. That is until a cold, wintry night in the 1990s when, working in Glasgow, I went to the city's Gft cinema to catch a new 35mm print of Charles Laughton's 1955 masterpiece. It was his only film as a director. Critics panned it on its release, consequently killing off the actor's career behind the camera, and perhaps robbing history of further works of greatness.
Want to write your own review of the film? Do so here – or brave the cut-throat comments section below
Motionless for 90 minutes, I could not even remove my coat. I sweated and shivered. I felt in shock. Was the film recreating scenes from my sleep? I had never seen, as far as I can recall, The Night of the Hunter. That is until a cold, wintry night in the 1990s when, working in Glasgow, I went to the city's Gft cinema to catch a new 35mm print of Charles Laughton's 1955 masterpiece. It was his only film as a director. Critics panned it on its release, consequently killing off the actor's career behind the camera, and perhaps robbing history of further works of greatness.
- 12/8/2011
- by Peter Kimpton
- The Guardian - Film News
He's been all but forgotten, but the Lff's restrospective should spur new interest in the singing cowboy and his palomino, Trigger
It's as if Roy Rogers never existed. The "singing cowboy" has almost entirely disappeared from our screens. The only time you're likely to catch a glimpse of him is when Bob Hope movie Son of Paleface turns up on television – it features Rogers gently sending himself up, as well as his beautiful palomino Trigger, surely the most good-looking horse in the history of westerns, performing a dance.
Rogers (whose real name was Leonard Slye) made more than 80 films. Early in his career, he was one of the original Sons of the Pioneers, the cowboy singing group whose songs included Tumbling Tumbleweeds (featured in The Big Lebowski) and Cool Water. He had his own radio show, his own TV show and there was even a restaurant chain bearing his name.
It's as if Roy Rogers never existed. The "singing cowboy" has almost entirely disappeared from our screens. The only time you're likely to catch a glimpse of him is when Bob Hope movie Son of Paleface turns up on television – it features Rogers gently sending himself up, as well as his beautiful palomino Trigger, surely the most good-looking horse in the history of westerns, performing a dance.
Rogers (whose real name was Leonard Slye) made more than 80 films. Early in his career, he was one of the original Sons of the Pioneers, the cowboy singing group whose songs included Tumbling Tumbleweeds (featured in The Big Lebowski) and Cool Water. He had his own radio show, his own TV show and there was even a restaurant chain bearing his name.
- 10/14/2011
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- The Guardian - Film News
The Rick Chace Foundation Film preservationist extraordinaire Robert Gitt of the UCLA Film and Television Archive hosts a fascinating lecture on the history of sound in motion pictures. After offering this presentation for years at archival and museum gatherings Bob was persuaded to transform it into a DVD so a wider audience could enjoy it. No one knows more about this subject, and Bob has gathered an impressive array of illustrations and film excerpts. Thanks to the Rick Chace Foundation, it is available for educational purposes for a nominal $10 handling fee at this website.
- 7/6/2011
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy
By Todd Garbarini
I first saw The Red Shoes on a PBS viewing 35 years ago on a Zenith black and white television. My younger sister, who was taking dancing lessons at a nearby studio, seemed transfixed by Moira Shearer’s effortless moves. While the Hans Christian Andersen tale of a ballerina who is danced to death went over my head, the images, even then, remained burned in my subconscious. Such is the power of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1948 film, quite simply one of the most sumptuous color films ever photographed. Shot in the original three-strip Technicolor dye transfer process, The Red Shoes was released by the Criterion Collection on laserdisc in 1995 and on DVD in 1999. While those versions were a real eye-opener to those of us who were used to seeing the film on television, on 16mm, or on videocassette, the new 2010 Criterion Collection Blu-Ray and standard DVD...
I first saw The Red Shoes on a PBS viewing 35 years ago on a Zenith black and white television. My younger sister, who was taking dancing lessons at a nearby studio, seemed transfixed by Moira Shearer’s effortless moves. While the Hans Christian Andersen tale of a ballerina who is danced to death went over my head, the images, even then, remained burned in my subconscious. Such is the power of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1948 film, quite simply one of the most sumptuous color films ever photographed. Shot in the original three-strip Technicolor dye transfer process, The Red Shoes was released by the Criterion Collection on laserdisc in 1995 and on DVD in 1999. While those versions were a real eye-opener to those of us who were used to seeing the film on television, on 16mm, or on videocassette, the new 2010 Criterion Collection Blu-Ray and standard DVD...
- 1/2/2011
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
DVD Playhouse December 2010
By
Allen Gardner
America Lost And Found: The Bbs Story (Criterion) Perhaps the best DVD box set released this year, this ultimate cinefile stocking stuffer offered up by Criterion, the Rolls-Royce of home video labels, features seven seminal works from the late ‘60s-early ‘70s that were brought to life by cutting edge producers Bert Schneider, Steve Blauner and director/producer Bob Rafelson, the principals of Bbs Productions. In chronological order: Head (1968) star the Monkees, the manufactured (by Rafelson, et al), American answer to the Beatles who, like it or not, did make an impact on popular culture, particularly in this utterly surreal piece of cinematic anarchy (co-written by Jack Nicholson, who has a cameo), which was largely dismissed upon its initial release, but is now regarded as a counterculture classic. Easy Rider (1969) is arguably regarded as the seminal ‘60s picture, about two hippie drug dealers (director Dennis Hopper...
By
Allen Gardner
America Lost And Found: The Bbs Story (Criterion) Perhaps the best DVD box set released this year, this ultimate cinefile stocking stuffer offered up by Criterion, the Rolls-Royce of home video labels, features seven seminal works from the late ‘60s-early ‘70s that were brought to life by cutting edge producers Bert Schneider, Steve Blauner and director/producer Bob Rafelson, the principals of Bbs Productions. In chronological order: Head (1968) star the Monkees, the manufactured (by Rafelson, et al), American answer to the Beatles who, like it or not, did make an impact on popular culture, particularly in this utterly surreal piece of cinematic anarchy (co-written by Jack Nicholson, who has a cameo), which was largely dismissed upon its initial release, but is now regarded as a counterculture classic. Easy Rider (1969) is arguably regarded as the seminal ‘60s picture, about two hippie drug dealers (director Dennis Hopper...
- 12/20/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
If you're a regular reader of this site you're familiar with my weekly What I Watched columns, where I detail the films outside of my regular work schedule that I've watched each week. The primary reasons I started the feature, outside of giving readers a place to discuss and recommend films they've watched, was to begin watching older films I had not seen and creating a starting point with each one. Films are never same the second, third and fourth time you watch them and one thing necessary to gain a better perspective on film's history is to have a greater understanding, and a first-hand understanding, of the film's that came before rather than always relying on what others have said.
As bad luck would have it, I didn't write up my thoughts on Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter when I watched it for the first time a couple of years ago.
As bad luck would have it, I didn't write up my thoughts on Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter when I watched it for the first time a couple of years ago.
- 12/8/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Chicago – Charles Laughton directed one movie in his entire career, the terrifying and brilliant “The Night of the Hunter,” a modern Grimm’s fairy tale in which the evil witch in the forest has come to life and taken the form of one of society’s most trusted figures. Laughton’s masterpiece was a critical and commercial failure on its release but history has wisely recognized the lyrical power and sheer terror of one of the best domestic horror movies ever made.
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0
The Criterion Collection has had a spectacular year in the world of Blu-ray and their two-disc set for “The Night of the Hunter” stands as one of the best. With hours of fascinating special features, a perfect video transfer, and quite simply one of the best movies of its kind ever made, this is a must-own. The fact that “The Night of the Hunter” was widely-dismissed...
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0
The Criterion Collection has had a spectacular year in the world of Blu-ray and their two-disc set for “The Night of the Hunter” stands as one of the best. With hours of fascinating special features, a perfect video transfer, and quite simply one of the best movies of its kind ever made, this is a must-own. The fact that “The Night of the Hunter” was widely-dismissed...
- 11/26/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The Film:
Love. Hate. Two of the most polar opposite emotions a human has, yet ones that can be interestingly intertwined into a gray area, like how “Preacher” Harry Powell intends to use for evil. Night of the Hunter might be one of the most misunderstood American classics; a critical and box office failure at its time of release, only to find its (and how thematically fitting) resurrection to its masterpiece status. It’s a simple picture, yet its mixture of genres – ranging from horror to black comedy to its Christmas ending – makes for a rich, complex experience, worthy of the time down the river.
With its Southern Gothic style, Night of the Hunter is a horror film with a Recession as its backdrop (well, here it’s the Great Depression), which makes for its horrors to come vividly to life. The “Preacher” uses His word for no good, a clever Father of Lies,...
Love. Hate. Two of the most polar opposite emotions a human has, yet ones that can be interestingly intertwined into a gray area, like how “Preacher” Harry Powell intends to use for evil. Night of the Hunter might be one of the most misunderstood American classics; a critical and box office failure at its time of release, only to find its (and how thematically fitting) resurrection to its masterpiece status. It’s a simple picture, yet its mixture of genres – ranging from horror to black comedy to its Christmas ending – makes for a rich, complex experience, worthy of the time down the river.
With its Southern Gothic style, Night of the Hunter is a horror film with a Recession as its backdrop (well, here it’s the Great Depression), which makes for its horrors to come vividly to life. The “Preacher” uses His word for no good, a clever Father of Lies,...
- 11/23/2010
- by Jon Peters
- Killer Films
Charles Laughton cemented his place in film history with performances in Mutiny in the Bounty (1935) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939). His sole directorial effort Night of the Hunter (1955) wasn't met with quite the same enthusiam as his acting. However, critical opinion has swung favorably in his direction and this powerful expressionistic black-and-white thriller is now considered to be a classic. MGM released the film on DVD and VHS way back in 2000, but The Criterion Collection has swooped in with a hot new restoration on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Night of the Hunter takes place in West Virginia in the 1930s. Ben Harper (Peter Graves) is on the run from the cops. He knows he is doomed so he quickly heads home to his family. He tells his son John (Billy Chapin) a secret and makes him promise to never reveal it. While on death row, Ben crosses paths with Harry...
Night of the Hunter takes place in West Virginia in the 1930s. Ben Harper (Peter Graves) is on the run from the cops. He knows he is doomed so he quickly heads home to his family. He tells his son John (Billy Chapin) a secret and makes him promise to never reveal it. While on death row, Ben crosses paths with Harry...
- 11/18/2010
- Screen Anarchy
The Night of the Hunter: Criterion Collection [Blu-Ray]
The Film
While researching the aspect ratio of Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter (1955) on DVDBeaver.com, I noticed something rather telling in the review. In each DVDBeaver review, there are links to books related to the film. For instance, if you look at the review of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), you'll find links to books on Kubrick. For the review of Night of the Hunter, DVDBeaver supplied a list of film noir book titles including Alain Silver's appropriately titled Film Noir, which features Hunter's antagonist Rev. Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) on the cover. Re-watching the film, I couldn't help but wonder what classified it as noir (for my classical noir retrospective, click here).
Sure, I can see on the surface where one might brand the film a noir. The film owes its aesthetic to German Expressionism, is shot in black and white,...
The Film
While researching the aspect ratio of Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter (1955) on DVDBeaver.com, I noticed something rather telling in the review. In each DVDBeaver review, there are links to books related to the film. For instance, if you look at the review of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), you'll find links to books on Kubrick. For the review of Night of the Hunter, DVDBeaver supplied a list of film noir book titles including Alain Silver's appropriately titled Film Noir, which features Hunter's antagonist Rev. Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) on the cover. Re-watching the film, I couldn't help but wonder what classified it as noir (for my classical noir retrospective, click here).
Sure, I can see on the surface where one might brand the film a noir. The film owes its aesthetic to German Expressionism, is shot in black and white,...
- 11/17/2010
- by Drew Morton
There is a trend these days amongst some film goers, in which they actively avoid trailers, as well as any kind of plot spoilers regarding upcoming films. I won’t go so far as to say that this is a recent trend, but it has certainly appeared on my radar a lot over the past few years. People want to keep that magic of the surprise, when it comes to upcoming media. At the same time, there is an abundance of information about everything media related thanks to the internet.
One aspect of the Criterion Collection that we all have come to accept, and learn to love in a holiday package opening sense, is their secrecy regarding upcoming releases. We have joked about how they are almost at Apple-like levels of secrecy, and when something gets out, Criterion fans jump on it.
I think we all want to know what...
One aspect of the Criterion Collection that we all have come to accept, and learn to love in a holiday package opening sense, is their secrecy regarding upcoming releases. We have joked about how they are almost at Apple-like levels of secrecy, and when something gets out, Criterion fans jump on it.
I think we all want to know what...
- 8/16/2010
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
Chicago – Can an old movie look too good on Blu-ray? This has been the subject of much debate, most notably in the over-removal of natural film grain by some production studios and the purists who think sometimes HD damages the original look of the film by coating it with too much polish. Watching the six-decades-old “The Red Shoes” from the incredibly influential Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, I was reminded once again of this controversy by a video transfer that’s simply jaw-dropping in its crystal clear quality.
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0
Part of the reason “The Red Shoes” makes such a striking statement on Blu-ray is that the film’s bright, vibrant Technicolor has always been an essential ingredient in the dramatic proceedings. The film was released in an era where color filmmaking was still new enough that seeing these bright reds, yellows, and blues was as revolutionary as “Avatar” is today.
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0
Part of the reason “The Red Shoes” makes such a striking statement on Blu-ray is that the film’s bright, vibrant Technicolor has always been an essential ingredient in the dramatic proceedings. The film was released in an era where color filmmaking was still new enough that seeing these bright reds, yellows, and blues was as revolutionary as “Avatar” is today.
- 7/21/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Following last weekend’s general release of Christopher Nolan’s Inception, those of us who’ve seen it (and perhaps many who haven’t yet) are contemplating cinema’s ability to capture and partially emulate the dream state, as well as that film’s commentary on the structures of consciousness and our inherently subjective experience of reality. This week’s new Criterion releases may not be the first films that come to mind when we think of works that influenced or remind us of Inception, but they both have plenty to say about disoriented psyches functioning as best they can under mind-bending pressure, using vivid color and evocative compositional schemes to masterful effect in the process.
Yes, I’m talking about Powell & Pressburger’s signature works from the late 1940s, The Red Shoes (read James’ review of the Blu-ray) and Black Narcissus. Both films have been available on Criterion Laserdisc...
Yes, I’m talking about Powell & Pressburger’s signature works from the late 1940s, The Red Shoes (read James’ review of the Blu-ray) and Black Narcissus. Both films have been available on Criterion Laserdisc...
- 7/20/2010
- by David Blakeslee
- CriterionCast
“Sorrow will pass, believe me.
Life is so unimportant.
And from now onwards, you will dance like nobody ever before.”
When sitting down to watch a film that you not only love to death but call one of your top 10 films of all time is a hard one to review. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1948 film ‘The Red Shoes‘ is a much beloved film by countless critics and filmmakers, the most prominent one being Martin Scorsese, who helped with the restoration process for this film. So how does one give this film the credit it so rightly deserves?
[Warning: This review contains spoilers for The Red Shoes.]
The film is loosely based on the Hans Christian Andersen story of the same name and follows the rise of dancer Vicky Page (Moira Shearer) who just wants to dance and be the best in the world. She meets Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook), who is the charismatic and ruthless Svengali-esque head of the Ballet Lermontov,...
Life is so unimportant.
And from now onwards, you will dance like nobody ever before.”
When sitting down to watch a film that you not only love to death but call one of your top 10 films of all time is a hard one to review. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1948 film ‘The Red Shoes‘ is a much beloved film by countless critics and filmmakers, the most prominent one being Martin Scorsese, who helped with the restoration process for this film. So how does one give this film the credit it so rightly deserves?
[Warning: This review contains spoilers for The Red Shoes.]
The film is loosely based on the Hans Christian Andersen story of the same name and follows the rise of dancer Vicky Page (Moira Shearer) who just wants to dance and be the best in the world. She meets Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook), who is the charismatic and ruthless Svengali-esque head of the Ballet Lermontov,...
- 7/13/2010
- by James McCormick
- CriterionCast
Filmmaker Curtis Harrington: 1926-2007.
Our Friend Curtis Harrington
by Jon Zelazny
Curtis Harrington was born in Los Angeles in 1926. He made short films as a teenager, graduated from USC, and began his Hollywood career in the 1950’s. By the end of the decade, he was directing: independent films, studio pictures, made-for-tv movies, and episodic TV. He completed his last short film in 2002, and died in 2007 at the age of 80.
I knew Curtis well in his final years, as did writer-producer Dennis Bartok, the former head programmer of L.A.’s famed American Cinematheque.
Dennis Bartok: I think the most interesting aspect of Curtis’s career is that he was really the only filmmaker to successfully transition from the avant-garde scene of the late 1940’s to directing Hollywood feature films. And when you see how distinctive his movies are, you wish he could’ve made more… but when you...
Our Friend Curtis Harrington
by Jon Zelazny
Curtis Harrington was born in Los Angeles in 1926. He made short films as a teenager, graduated from USC, and began his Hollywood career in the 1950’s. By the end of the decade, he was directing: independent films, studio pictures, made-for-tv movies, and episodic TV. He completed his last short film in 2002, and died in 2007 at the age of 80.
I knew Curtis well in his final years, as did writer-producer Dennis Bartok, the former head programmer of L.A.’s famed American Cinematheque.
Dennis Bartok: I think the most interesting aspect of Curtis’s career is that he was really the only filmmaker to successfully transition from the avant-garde scene of the late 1940’s to directing Hollywood feature films. And when you see how distinctive his movies are, you wish he could’ve made more… but when you...
- 4/1/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
The newly restored "The Red Shoes," from directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, will have its U.S. premiere July 29 at the Directors Guild of America. The restoration was primarily funded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., aided by the Film Foundation and the Louis B. Mayer Foundation.
Hfpa president Philip Berk will be joined by UCLA archivist Robert Gitt and director Curtis Hansen to introduce the film, which underwent an extensive two-year, 4K digital restoration by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and the Film Foundation, in association with the British Film Institute, ITV Global Entertainment and Janus Films.
"Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger created a vision in 'The Red Shoes,' one that has never really been matched," said Martin Scorsese, founder and chair of the Film Foundation. "There's no question that it's one of the most beautiful color films ever made, and one of the truest to the experience of the artist,...
Hfpa president Philip Berk will be joined by UCLA archivist Robert Gitt and director Curtis Hansen to introduce the film, which underwent an extensive two-year, 4K digital restoration by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and the Film Foundation, in association with the British Film Institute, ITV Global Entertainment and Janus Films.
"Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger created a vision in 'The Red Shoes,' one that has never really been matched," said Martin Scorsese, founder and chair of the Film Foundation. "There's no question that it's one of the most beautiful color films ever made, and one of the truest to the experience of the artist,...
- 7/19/2009
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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