I hate weeks like this. There's a multitude of interesting releases and only 24 hours in my day. Plus, the only advance screener I received was for another site and is only available on DVD. (I'll plug it anyway: Carancho is a terrific, nerve-eating noir thriller, and should be seen.) But what about the pretty, pretty Blu-rays? I hope you are not knee-jerk opponents of American Westerns, my friends. If you are, stick to the top two picks.
1. The Stunt Man (U.S., Region A)
Our own J. Hurtado will be posting his review in the morning, so check back for full details. As far as the movie itself goes, it's a gem from 1980 (actually, probably 1978, since it was long delayed before release), featuring Peter O'Toole in one of his patented, over the top (and all the better for it) performances as Eli Cross, a mad movie director on location, with Steve Railsback as a fugitive from justice and Barbara Hershey as a gloriously beautiful actress. This is truly a movie who people who love movies.
2. The Man Who Would Be King (U.S., Region A)
I can't wait to upgrade my laserdisc! (Don't hate me because I'm old.) Yup, I invested in a big 12-inch disc years ago because I loved the movie so much. I watched it multiple times on laserdisc, was satisfied every time, and still own it, even though I no longer have a working player. This is an old-school adventure yarn, directed by John Huston, and it's shot and performed -- with great juicy abandon by Sean Connery and Michael Caine -- and paced like a glorious Technical masterpiece from the 40s. Only it was made in 1975.
3. The Long Riders (U.S., Region A)
Real-life brothers playing real-life brothers: what a great concept! It's the story of the James Brothers, played by James and Stacy Keach, and the Younger Brothers, played by David, Keith, and Robert Carradine, with the Miller Brothers (Dennis and Randy Quaid) and the Ford Brothers (Christopher and Nicholas Guest) thrown in for good measure. What could have been a novelty remains, frankly, pretty much a novelty, but ultimately it doesn't matter, because Walter Hill is a damn good director, and The Long Riders delivers an incredibly strong punch. Released theatrically in 1980.
4. The Outlaw Josey Wales (U.S., Region A)
Clint Eastwood's second Western as a director (High Plains Drifter was the first) expanded his range, away from the purely mythological West and closer to his own brand of realistically-grounded, yet still sardonic legends. He's aided and abetted by a fine supporting cast, including Bill McKinney, John Vernon, Sam Bottoms, and Chief Dan George. (You just have to grin and bear Sondra Locke.)
5. True Grit (U.S., Region A)
If you missed it in theaters, it's time to catch up. I love how the Coen Brothers remained faithful to the ragged charm of the novel by Charles Portis. The real find is Hailee Steinfeld, but it's only a pleasure to watch Matt Damon sink his teeth and disappear into a supporting role, and Jeff Bridges is fun to watch as a gnarly, hybrid John Wayne / post-Lebowski character.
Additional Selected Titles of Interest
(Apologies for the lack of details, but here, at least, are the titles due out this week.)
Asia (Region A)
Chase Our Love
City Without Baseball
Men Suddenly in Love (delayed from last week)
Running Out of Time 2
This is such a pallid sequel that it's hard to believe the talent involved.
U.K. (Region B, except where noted)
127 Hours
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Danny Boyle Collection: 127 Hours, Sunshine, Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later
Fire in Babylon
Gnomeo & Juliet
Henry's Crime
It's Kind of a Funny Story
The Mechanic
Orcs!
StreetDance
Taxi Driver
U.S. (Region A)
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
American: The Bill Hicks Story
Another Year
I quite enjoyed the performances, so if you're an acting hound, and a a fan of Mike Leigh, it's worth checking out.
Apt Pupil
An early film by Bryan Singer. I remember enjoying it thoroughly at the time, but not sure how it holds up.
Breaking Bad: The Complete Third Season
I've only seen the first season, which is very good, and need to catch up with the rest. Have only heard good things.
The Bridge on the River Kwai
I can respect the filmmaking technique of David Lean here, and enjoy Alec Guiness and William Holden and the rest, but it's more about admiration than enjoyment for me.
The Company Men
The movie makes a plea that rich people need sympathy when they lose jobs, too, but I am too resolutely lower middle class to get behind that sentiment, which prevented me from enjoying their plight. Kevin Costner is his usual best as a blue collar worker; he's better when he's pretending to common instead of simply smug.
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights
Hair
John Savage deserves much greater recognition than he currently enjoys. He may not be a *star* but he's a great character actor, and he gives some grounding to the high-flying choreography and the outdated scenario. With Treat Williams, chewing the scenery.
Jackie Chan Kung Fu Master
I have no idea. I really should do research before I write these notes.
New York New York
Probably deserves re-appraisal, but I've never enjoyed slogging through this one. Still think it's a total misfire by Scorsese and company.
Rome: The Complete First Season / Rome: The Complete Second Season
Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson are magnetic; story is only so-so.
Sanctum
Underwater in caves; 3D from producer James Cameron that no one went to see. With good reason?
Shadows and Lies
Superman: The Motion Picture Anthology
Vera Cruz
Robert Aldrich! Must check it out, for that reason only.