Film Features/Articles
New Music On DVDs
“Classic” is a relative term in music, but for the purposes of this round-up, it’s a perfect fit, because maost of these new releases are either “classical” or “classic rock.” In the niche classical world, it’s heartening that several 20th century works–even avant-garde ones–are available; the pop market knows that baby boomers still spend the most money, hence the plethora of releases by hitmakers of the 60s, 70s, 80s and early 90s. (Still, the hottest artist right now is a teenager who is as well known by her TV character’s...
August TV on DVD
With the Olympics over, there’s literally nothing on television worth watching until the new fall season begins in September. Until then, there are always the DVD releases of several seasons’ worth of many sitcoms and dramas, both vintage and current...
Criterion Roundup
The Criterion Collection is the most dependable alternative, cranking out stellar versions of various classic and contemporary foreign and independent films...
New Films on DVD
May is another eclectic DVD month: along with films that remained under the radar during last year’s awards season (Starting Out in the Evening, Cassandra’s Dream, Bella, Youth without Youth), there’s also an outstanding array of documentary titles, many of which touch on the current Iraq debacle or on our complicated post-September 11 world. Rounding out this month’s slate are a couple of big-budget Hollywood blockbusters, one successful (National Treasure 2), the other not (Golden Compass)...
Classics on DVD
Those dying to see iconoclast director Werner Herzog’s operatic vision finally have their prayers answered this month with his staging of Lohengrin at the Wagner shrine, Bayreuth. Otherwise, May’s vintage releases include the usual suspects: other opera and classical music discs, historical mini-series, classic and not-so-classic foreign films and television series–including the return of a favorite action hero. Oh, and there’s Indiana Jones too...
April "Classics" DVD Roundup
Those with already large DVD libraries will be expanding them this month, thanks to the belated but welcome release of many classic titles that have never been on DVD before, including the original historic mini-series The Adams Chronicles; the classic family tale The Red Balloon; and two unsung films from Italy’s Taviani brothers, who were making films collaboratively long before the Coen brothers: The Night of the Shooting Stars and the masterly Kaos...
April "New" DVD Roundup
This month’s lineup of new DVD releases includes Hollywood hits and misses, two documentaries about global warming, a couple of opulent opera productions, a French horror movie, a filmed Shakespeare play, and even a Vatican concert for Pope Benedict XVI...
Nicolas Philibert Goes Back to Normandy
Nicolas Philibert travels north for his new film, Back to Normandy. Ostensibly, he returns to the Normandy region to catch up with members of the local farming community -- many of whom had parts in I, Pierre Rivère, Having Butchered My Mother, My Sister, and My Brother, a 1976 film by Rene Allio on which Philbert served as an assistant. Both films are being shown at Anthology Film Archives this week...
Keeping Watch
Whenever brave filmmakers show audiences the stories of even braver individuals willing to fight against injustice in all its forms, the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival -- now in its 19th year at the Walter Reade Theater -- is the place to be enlightened by their vital work...
March “Classics" DVD Roundup
It’s remarkable that, more than a decade into the format, there are still many older releases that are making their first appearances on DVD. Whether forgettable potboilers, obscure operas, or truly classic films, these brand-new March titles, along with a few previously released but now upgraded and repackaged with extras, demonstrate that the demise of standard DVD and the ascendency of high-def Blu-Ray is still a long way off...
That's Italian!
Each June, the Film Society of Lincoln Center premieres a batch of new entries from Italy as part of its Open Roads series. Although there are several intriguing items in this year's lineup, they’re overshadowed by another Italian film that's being screened at the Museum of Modern Art: Marco Bellochio's The Wedding Director...
March "New" DVD Roundup
Now that everything from Best Picture winner No Country for Old Men to triple Best Song nominee Enchanted is available on DVD, there's no more excuse for missing out. Here are capsue reviews of two dozen new titles...
February “Classics" DVD Roundup
This month brings an embarrassment of riches among what DVD companies call their “catalog titles,” along with re-releases of older films that are stellar upgrades over what was previously available...
February “New� DVD Roundup
In this batch of new releases are an Oscar contender (Michael Clayton) and other films that were unfairly snubbed (Assassination of Jesse James, Gone Baby Gone); a clutch of excellent documentaries; and several movies that were in and out of theaters in the blink of an eye...
January Classic DVDs Roundup
The best of the classics for this January of 2008 from Alex Haley’s Queen to Spkie Lee's She's Gotta Have It...
January DVD Roundup
The new year is upon us, and so are a roundup of “new” releases that includes discs released both before and after the holidays...
November Classic DVD Roundup
Silent films and classics step into the spotlight in this month's DVD Roundup with focus on excellent restoration and exciting extras...
November New DVDs Roundup
This November several DVD's are on the lineup to keep you entertained with believable performances by favorites like Jordana Brewster, Jennifer Lopez and Meg Ryan...
It’s a Free World...
It's a Free World tackles another hard-hitting, timely subject that's typical of Loach, showing how unscrupulous people use the swelling Eastern European immigrant population ...
October TV on Dvd Roundup
This month's DVD Roundup is a typically eclectic mix, from series that were cancelled too soon and others that should have already been cancelled to those hitting their stride and plain old vintage TV classics...
October Documentary Roundup
Documentaries continue to march up the pop-culture ladder; this year, they made up a significant portion of the films featured at various festivals, The New York Film Festival being one. Take a look at this year's round up...
October New DVDs Roundup
Great acting in mostly mediocre movies is the theme of this month’s roundup, as actresses from Julie Christie and Sigourney Weaver to Angelina Jolie and Ashley Judd repeatedly outshine their materials...
The Start of This Season's Channel Surfing
Fall TV line up proves promising when looking for the same recycled plots, and recycled characters. A list of old faces, old shows with new twists, and mild expectations ...
September Classic DVD Roundup
Check out this inside look at classic films recently re-released for DVDs in September, includes reviews and info on bonus material....
September Foreign DVD Roundup
In this global cinematic marketplace, labeling something a “foreign film” is no longer so cut-and-dry. Among this month’s releases are a film made in France by an American, two British films and a movie about a would-be terrorist by a Brooklyn-based director...
TV On DVD Roundup 2
It’s not just new and classic TV series this time around–among this month’s releases are recent and old mini-series, vintage HBO comedy specials and a lengthy documentary presentation about war (no, it’s not the current Ken Burns series)...
TV On DVD Roundup
As we await the beginning of a new fall TV season with some trepidation, here’s a roundup of what’s recently become available of both current and classic shows...
More Classics on DVD: From Shakespeare to Showgirls
For this column about new and recent releases of older—sometimes even truly classic—films on disc, the true standout is Warner Home Video’s massive Shakespeare Collection...
August DVD Roundup
Now that the summer blockbusters have come and gone, it’s time to catch up on the movies that slipped through the cracks–aside from the smash hit “300"–now that they’re finally on DVD...
A Tribute to the Old Masters On DVD
In the many obituaries and appreciations following the recent deaths of Ingmar Bergman and Michelangelo Antonioni, only Fellini and Buñuel were mentioned in the same breath. But this month's batch of DVD reissues sees living legends Carlos Saura and Alain Resnais added to that list of masters...
New DVDs for July: Mainstream Films
In these days of $50 million weekend grosses, movies that don’t even make that much during their entire theatrical lives are not considered “hits.” Of course, when they get to DVD a scant few months later, the playing field is once again leveled and–whether it’s an Israeli film or a Disney kids’ movie–the movies have new chances to find their audiences...
New DVDs for July: Classics, Foreign Films, and Docs
This grab bag of current DVD releases includes classic foreign films, far-from-classic TV series and several documentaries that range from the sublime (German singer Dietrich Fische-Dieskau) to the sadly ridiculous (suicide leapers off the Golden Gate Bridge)...
Criterion Collection DVD Roundup
Already far and away the leading DVD company, the Criterion Collection has further cemented its status with a new DVD label, Eclipse, in which several films which won’t otherwise receive the full Criterion treatment are released in thematic or director’s set...
"Open Roads" Opens Up Italian Cinema at Lincoln Center
New Italian film boasts an undeniable attraction for film buffs, but limited options of where to find it. Lincoln Center's "Open Roads: New Italian Cinema" fest provides a perfect opportunity to get aqquainted, and indulge in more...
June's DVD Roundup
Ecletic fare for all tastes as the DVD format fills in the gaps. From masterworks by Renoir and Hitchcock to laugh-em-ups from Chevy Chase and John Cleese, June's releases will keep home audiences happy...
Clint's War on DVD
Clint Eastwood’s two films about the pivotal WWII battle of Iwo Jima–“Flags of Our Fathers” and “Letters from Iwo Jima”–look, on paper, to be the ultimate bookends about experiencing war, “Flags” from the American point of view, and “Letters” from the Japanese side...
May DVD Releases
Current DVD releases showcase our biggest stars and award-winning performers. Check out Denis Leary in "Rescue Me," Diane Keaton in "Because I Said So," and George Clooney in "The Good German"...
New Foreign Films on DVD
As a rule, foreign films explore territory that’s often anathema to their American counterparts, which may be why Mel Gibson decided to make his last two movies in languages other than English. These new releases tackle subjects like corporate corruption, Napoleon’s exile and the war in Iraq ...
"Barry Lyndon" Gets Second Chance at Walter Reade Theater
Stanley Kubrick, the notoriously divisive filmmaker, coaxed a coolly beautiful satire of 18th century excess in his own Oscar-nominated "Barry Lyndon." Missed by audiences the first time in the '70s, the carefully restored masterpiece returns to the big screen at the Walter Reade Theater May 27-29...
Frank Miller's "Spirit" Finally Rises
The film adaptation of Will Eisner's "The Spirit", in development for years and with Frank Miller attached to direct, recieves backing from Lionsgate...