There are a lot of films getting ready to hit the streets in over the course of the next month or so and a good chunk of them you may not have heard of. As such, I have decided to put together a little list of some of the films that are definitely worth checking out. Below is a diverse list of six upcoming home entertainment releases that I think you’ll all enjoy.
First is The Clowns, one of Federico Fellini’s final masterpieces and the first Blu-ray to be released in the US by RaroVideo:
RaroVideo Launching First-Ever U.S. Blu-Ray Release with
One of Federico Fellini’s Final Masterpieces Dedicated
to his Lifelong Fascination with The Circus – The Clowns“The Clowns is an affectionate memoir, a lyrical documentary in which Fellini himself, often on-screen as movie ringmaster eulogizes his lost fantasy world.”
-Vincent Canby, The New York TimesLOS ANGELES (September 21, 2011) – Hailed by cinephiles for expertly restoring rare films by influential filmmakers and publishing them with compelling extras, Italian DVD label RaroVideo announces the company’s first-ever U.S. BLU-RAY release will be Federico Fellini’s THE CLOWNS. RaroVideo US’s restored version of Fellini’s THE CLOWNS, one of the director’s final masterpieces, will arrive on BLU-RAY for the first time ever in the U.S. on October 17, 2011. The DVD extras contain a rare and exclusive short film by Fellini, a video essay on the genesis of the film and a 50 page booklet with exclusive Fellini drawings. Hard-to-find, this 1970 film melds memoir and documentary into a circus of fiction and reality where Fellini delights in the role of ringmaster. The carnival-sounding score composed by Nino Rota, and an appearance by Anita Ekberg (star of Fellini’s 1960’s masterpiece La Dolce Vita), enhances the Fellini-esque experience.
Antonioni’s The Vanquished, Adua and Her Friends, The Perfume of the Lady in Black, The Secret of Dorian Gray, The Anger, Live Like A Cop Die Like A Man, To Be Twenty and The Fernando Di Leo Crime Collection are all available now on DVD from RaroVideo U.S.
Up next is a film that I have been dying to see since the trailer came out. It’s called The Stool Pigeon, a crime thriller that stars Nicholas Tse and Nick Cheung with Dante Lam in the director’s chair. You can get the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack or DVD on September 27th when Well Go USA drops it on the store shelves. Details on the home release are below:
PLANO, TEXAS. (August 1, 2011)
– Director Dante Lam reunites Nicholas Tse (Shaolin, Bodyguards and Assassins) and Nick
Cheung (Triad Election, Exiled) from the 2008 hit Beast Stalker in the action thriller The Stool Pigeon, debuting on Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack and DVD September 27 from Well Go USA. Tse plays an ex-convict nicknamed Ghost, who unwillingly works as an informant for police detective Don Lee (Cheung) in order to clear debts left by his late father and to rescue his only sister out of
prostitution. The film was nominated for eight awards at the 2011 Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Film, Best Director (Dante Lam), Best Screenplay (Wu Wei Lun), Best Actor (Nick Cheung), and Best Supporting Actor (Liu Kai Chi), with Nicholas Tse taking home the trophy for Best Actor. The bonus features include a Behind the Scenes featurette and deleted scenes. The Stool Pigeon will be available in a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack for $29.98 SRP and on DVD for $24.98 SRP.Synopsis:
Don Lee (Nick Cheung) is a police detective in Kowloon whose reliance on informants leaves him struggling with a guilty conscience. Lee’s previous stool pigeon had his cover blown and it left him paranoid and driven from his wife and home. Although he is beginning to doubt his own methods, Lee recruits a street racer named Ghost (Nicholas Tse) as his latest stool pigeon and assigns him to infiltrate a gang led by the notorious armed robber Barbarian (Lu Yi). Ghost accepts Lee’s offer so he can rescue his sister from a life of prostitution, as well as help his father’s one-million dollar
debt. Ghost joins an illegal street race to gain acceptance into Barbarian’s gang. Lee also has personal problems of his own, as wife Cher (Miao Pu) whom he is separated from tried to commit suicide a few months previously and has since had amnesia. Lee begins to realize how wrong he was to exploit his informants and desperately tries to right his wrong before Ghost is in serious trouble.Bonus Features Include:
- Director and Actor Interviews
- Behind the Scenes Featurette
- Deleted Scenes
- Photo Gallery
- Optional English Dub
The Stool Pigeon has a runtime of approximately 113 minutes and is not rated.
Up third is a John Woo produced remake of A Better Tomorrow and one that I hear that keeps pace with the original while also making its own mark on the world. All the info and specs for the release are below:
PLANO,TEXAS. (September 20, 2011) – The accent is on action when Jin-mo Ju (A FrozenFlower, The Warrior) and Seung-heon Song (So Close, Ghost) star in the remake of John Woo’s 1986 cult classicA Better Tomorrow, debuting on Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack and DVD November 8 from Well Go USA. Double-dealing among rival Thai and Korean mob syndicates provide the fuel for this fast-paced crime thriller that also stars Kang-woo Kim (Marine Boy) and Han Sun Jo. Bonus materials include deleted scenes, a photo gallery, behind-the-scenes interviews with director Hae-sung Song and the film’s actors, and a 30-minute interview with executive producer John Woo.A Better Tomorrow will be available in a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack for $29.98 SRP and on DVD for $24.98 SRP.
Synopsis:
Kim Hyuk (Joo Jin-Mo) lives the fast life as a high ranking mobster in the port city of Busan, South Korea. His closet friend is fellow mobster Lee Young-Choon (Song Seung-Heon). Even though Kim Hyuk seems to be on top of the world, he is haunted by the memory of leaving behind his younger brother Kim Chul (Kim Kang-Woo) and mother as they attempted to flee into South Korea from North Korea. Kim Hyuk’s mother was beaten to death and Kim Chul imprisoned after they were caught by North Korean authorities.
Kim Hyuk then travels to Thailand with new gang recruit Jung Tae-Min (Jo Han-Seon) for a meeting with Thai gangsters. The meeting turns out to be a set-up, planned in part by Jung Tae-Min. Kim Hyuk is able to shoot his way out the meeting, but he is later caught by the Thai police and imprisoned. When good friend Lee Young-Choon hears of what happened to Kim Hyuk in Thailand, he goes to the Thai gang’s holdout in Pusan to kill their boss. During the shootout Jung Tae-Min is shot in the leg.
Three years later, Kim Hyuk is finally released from prison and travels back to Busan. He finds his close friend Lee Young-Choon washing cars now and has a limp leg. Jung Tae-Min, the man that betrayed him, has climbed up the mob ranks and is now a feared crime boss. Furthermore, Kim Hyuk’s younger brother Kim Chul has arrived in Busan and works for the Busan Police Department. Meanwhile, Kim Chul keeps close tabs on Jung Tae-Min as he attempts to take down their gang.
Bonus Features Include:
§ 30 minute interview with John Woo
§ Deleted Scenes
§ Actor and Director interviews
§ Theatrical Trailer
§ Photo Gallery
A Better Tomorrow Has a runtime of approximately 124 minutes and is not rated.
The next release I’d like to share with you is Mr. Nice, the true story of the good natured international drug dealer Howard Marks played by the eccentric Rhys Ifans. I’ve seen the film already and thought it was pretty entertaining. You can read my review of it here.
Arriving on DVD From MPI on October 11, 2011
He was just an anonymous kid from Wales, but before long he was dealing with Hollywood hotshots, Arab millionaires and IRA honchos – and earning a fortune in the process. The story of Howard Marks – a cult figure who has inspired books and songs – comes to the screen in MR. NICE, fresh off of it’s successful theatrical run, debuts on Blu-ray and DVD from MPI on October 11, 2011, with SRPs of, respectively, $34.98 and $27.98.
From middle-class Welsh boy and Oxford scholar to living the high life as one of Britain’s biggest marijuana smugglers, Howard Marks (aka Mr. Nice) has led an existence of rollicking, improbable adventures, and it’s all recounted in this sexy and stylish biopic from director Bernard Rose (Immortal Beloved).
The hippest playgrounds of the ’70s and ’80s set the stage for a tour-de-force performance by Rhys Ifans’ (Notting Hill, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man) as the notorious drug dealer, whose legacy as an international hashish trader was elevated by stints as a spy for the British government, his involvement with an unhinged IRA operative (David Thewlis, Naked), and his eventual 25-year prison sentence.
Chloe Sevigny (Big Love, Zodiac) and Crispin Glover (Back to the Future, Alice in Wonderland) co-star in this globetrotting caper that takes us along on Marks’ wild and curiously wonderful trip, set to the classic music of John Lennon and Deep Purple.
SRP: $34.98 (Blu-ray), $27.98 (DVD)
Running time: 121
Up Fifth is an excellent documentary about the most famous newspaper in the world, The New York Times. Page One: The Inside Story of the New York Times is a film made for the readers, news junkies and adults of the world. If you’ve ever picked up the paper then this is a film you probably should see. It is being released by Magnolia Home Entertainment under the Magnet label on October 18th.
“Somethingakin to The Social Network for thenews business” (Reuters), Page One: The Inside Story Of The New York Times hitsstands on Blu-ray and DVD on October 18 from Magnolia Home Entertainment underthe Magnet Label. The “riveting film,” (Slate) gives viewers an inside look atone of the country’s most well-known newspapers in a time where print media isdying and the Internet news business is booming. Through interviews withnotable journalists such as Brian Stelter, Tim Arango, Bill Keller, BruceHeadlam and David Carr, the film “effectively brings us allaround the campfire” (Los Angeles Times) to reveal the inner-workings ofThe New York Times newsroom.
From Andrew Rossi, the director of HBO’s Le Cirque: A Table In Heaven, PageOne:The Inside Story Of The New York Times followsthe reporters for The New York Times Media Desk as they work through atumultuous time in journalism and face new players and platforms such asWikiLeaks, Twitter, tablet computers and more. Editor David Carr “steals theshow” (The Village Voice), while offering unprecedented access to theinner workings of the newspaper as well as his personal life. New-mediawunderkind Brian Stelter plays the “stolid Sancho Panza to Carr’s Don Quixote”(Slate) and shows the importance of having the ability to straddle the worldsof both old and new media, while colleagues Bruce Headlam, Bill Keller and TimArango fight to hold onto the solid reputation of The New York Times.
Page One: The Inside Story Of The New York Times Blu-ray Disc and DVD offers even more insightfulcommentary and extended interviews and will be available for the suggestedretail price of $29.98 and $26.98, respectively.
Synopsis
Page One: The Inside Story Of The New York Times deftlygains unprecedented access to The New York Times newsroom and the innerworkings of the Media Desk. With the Internet surpassing print as our main newssource and newspapers all over the country going bankrupt, Page One: The Inside Story Of The New YorkTimes chronicles the transformation of the media industry at its timeof greatest turmoil. Writers such as Brian Stelter, Tim Arango and, and thesalty but brilliant David Carr track print journalism’s metamorphosis even astheir own paper struggles to stay vital and solvent. Meanwhile, their editorsand publishers grapple with existential challenges from players like WikiLeaks,new platforms ranging from Twitter to tablet computers, and readers’expectations that news online should be free.BonusFeatures
Extended Interviews
Commentary
Up last is Kevin Smith’s independent horror film, Red State, starring Melissa Leo, John Goodman and Kevin Pollack. The film is already on demand and opened to mix reviews but, if you’re a fan of Smith, chances are you could care less what the reviews say because you’re going to watch it anyway. The film is hitting the home entertainment shelves on October 18th, details are in the release below:
Blu-ray Disc SRP: $29.99
DVD SRP: $27.98
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
One of the most talked about films of the year premieres for home audiences as Lionsgate releases Kevin Smith’sRed State. The film will be available on Blu-ray Disc, DVD and Digital Download on October 18th following its September 1st On Demand debut. A departure from his classic comedies, Smith (Clerks) takes on his first thriller project as writer and director. Centering on a fundamentalist group with a sinister agenda, the film features Academy Award® winner Melissa Leo* and Golden Globe winner® John Goodman**, alongside Michael Parks (Kill Bill: Vol 1and 2), Kyle Gallner (The Haunting in Connecticut) and Kevin Pollak (The Usual Suspects). The film debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival to much notoriety when Smith ended studio bidding by buying his own film for $20 and declaring he would be self-distributing the film theatrically. Smith has since toured the film around the country to enthusiastic audiences, grossing close to $1 million to date at the US box office from only 15 single show engagements. SModcast spent less than $500 in paid advertising to support the tour which kicked off at Radio City Music Hall on March 5th and grossed $162,000 during one show. It quietly topped the per screen average charts for three weekends, becoming the 10th best per screen average film of all time. The film opens in theaters the week of September 23 from Smodcast Pictures. The Blu-ray Disc and DVD release ofRed State will contain extensive special features including a documentary, audio commentary with Kevin Smith, a conversation with actor Michael Parks, deleted scenes including an extended ending sequence, the Sundance Film Festival speech and a poster gallery.
Three teenage boys are lured to the town of Cooper’s Dell with the promise of a party. But instead of enjoying the night of their dreams, the teens are plunged into the nightmarish world of Pastor Abin Cooper and the Five Points Trinity, a fundamentalist group with a stockpile of weaponry and a deadly moral agenda. When word of the teens’ disappearance reaches the authorities, a military task force is mobilized. With Cooper’s Dell teetering between salvation and damnation, the ATF braces for furious gun battle with Cooper and his heavily armed followers in this fever-pitched action thriller from writer-director Kevin Smith.
*Best Performanceby an Actress in a Supporting Role, The Fighter, 2010
**Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical, TV’s “Roseanne,” 1993
BLU-RAY DISC/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES*
• “The Making of Red State” documentary
• Audio commentary with Kevin Smith
• Sundance speech with introduction by Kevin Smith
• Sundance ending
• Deleted scenes with introduction by Kevin Smith
• Poster Gallery with introduction by Kevin Smith
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