Blu-ray World Weekly: BLOW OUT, CONFESSIONS, Jodorowsky, Clouzot, and More
An avalanche of releases are due out in the next couple of days. My personal picks, in order:
1. Blow Out (Region A)
This may be my favorite Brian De Palma film, so I'm thrilled that the Criterion Collection has reportedly done a bang-up job on the transfer and the extras. (See, for example, a review by Moisés Chiullan at Badass Digest.) John Travolta is terrific as a movie sound engineer who gets caught up in a conspiracy; the picture features great, sleazy turns by Dennis Franz and John Lithgow, plus several truly epic and lurid De Palma-ian sequences. (Due out: 4/26)
2. Confessions (Region B)
We've been writing nothing but good things about the movie (though, to be fair, some of our readers are not so enthused), and now our own J. Hurtado assures us that the Region B Blu-ray from Third Window Films is "an absolute unqualified winner." My only *sigh* is that I don't have a region-free machine. (Due out: 4/25)
3. El Topo / The Holy Mountain (Region A)
Alejandro Jodorowsky classics from Anchor Bay (sold separately). DVD Beaver says El Topo is "quite strong" but not particularly "impressive" for the format, while DVD Talk says that The Holy Mountain is a "noticeable improvement." Is it worth the upgrade from DVD? For Jodo-heads, it sounds like the answer is yes. (Due out: 4/26)
4. Les diaboliques (Region All)
Clouzot's * great mystery/thriller is due out soon from the Criterion Collection, but Mr. Hurtado feels the Arrow all-region edition should compare favorably to that one. In either case, I'm eager to revisit this one, which has a wonderful charged atmosphere and pitch-perfect performances. (Due out: 4/25)
5. Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno * (Region A)
Speaking of Clouzot,* I've heard very good things about this documentary, which examines Clouzot's unfinished 1964 production, mixing interviews with some of the surviving footage, "rediscovered storyboards, photographs and production records." This sounds like essential viewing. (Due out: 4/26)
More selected titles of interest:
UK Labels
Sources: DVD Beaver, Amazon UK
(All due out 4/25 and all Region B)
The Grim Reaper DVD only *
In Our Name
Joanna (1968)
Mamma Roma DVD only *
The New York Ripper Delayed until June *
Romeo and Juliet (1954)
Woochi: The Demon Slayer
US Labels
Source: Amazon
(All due out 4/26 and all Region A)
Betty Blue
Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back
Chawz
Daylight
Dementia 13
Dinoshark
The Dorm That Dripped Blood
The Enforcer (AKA My Father is a Hero) Delayed *
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Criterion Collection)
The Girl Who Leaped Through Time
Jolene
The Legend of Drunken Master
Machine Girl
Poor Pretty Eddie
The Scent of Green Papaya
Somtum (AKA Muay Thai Giant) *
The Terror
Asian Labels
Sources: AsianBluRayGuide, YesAsia
(Expected release: 4/28)
The Killer
The Personals
Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (Taiwan edition)
The Terrorizers
Tropical Fish
Vive L'Amour
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Please feel free to add updates, corrections, reliable sources, and suggestions in the comments section, or send to me via Twitter: @peteramartin.
* Updated with corrected spelling of Clouzot (thanks to commenter andrzej.banas) and to reflect information provided by my colleague J. Hurtado in the comments section (thanks!).
