By Preston Wilder
HERE’S our regular look at some of the more interesting titles recently released on DVD in the US and UK (most are also available on VHS). Some of these may be available in local video clubs, or of course you can order via the Internet; dozens of suppliers, but http://www.amazon.com (for US) and http://www.blackstar.co.uk (for UK) are among the most reliable, if not necessarily the cheapest. Expect to pay around C£15/disc in both cases, including shipping.
NEW FILMS
The Pianist: Surprise winner at this year’s Oscars comes to DVD; includes archival war footage and ‘Story of Survival’, a featurette on the making of the film. [US]
Die Another Day: Mediocre Bond film in deluxe two-disc package, including (but not limited to) two documentaries, commentary by Pierce Brosnan and director Lee Tamahori, “Storyboard to final-shot comparison of 4 key scenes”, “Multi-angle exploration of 4 action sequences” and “MI6 DataStream on-screen trivia track with integration to 19 behind-the-scenes featurettes”. Gosh. [UK]
Monday Morning: Shaggy, delightful French comedy from the too-little-known Otar Iosseliani. [UK]
Irreversible: Also French, not quite so delightful; controversial drama (in uncut version) remains a must-see for those who can take it. Includes alternate scenes and making-of documentary. [UK]
The Way Home: Sickly-sounding (yet acclaimed) Korean drama about bratty kid bonding with rural grandmother, a massive hit in its native country. [US]
OLD FILMS
Miller’s Crossing (1990) and Barton Fink (1991): Two from the Coen Brothers: rich, super-stylish semi-comedies with 40s settings, out for the first time on DVD. Unmissable. [US]
Le Boucher (1969): Rural murders in sharp, compassionate mystery directed by Claude Chabrol. Also available as part of a Chabrol box-set, including La Femme Infidele (1968), Nada (1974) and La Rupture (1970). [US]
The Swimmer (1968): Burt Lancaster as rich suburbanite swimming from pool to pool in unusual, surprisingly profound adaptation of John Cheever story. [US]
Persona (1966): Ingmar Bergman’s near-experimental masterpiece in excellent new version. [UK]
Kiss Me Kate (1953): High spirits, brilliant Cole Porter score (including ‘From This Moment On’ and ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’) plus a teensy bit of domestic violence in musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Also available as part of a Cole Porter box-set, including High Society (1956) and Les Girls (1957). [US]
Wrong Men & Notorious Women: Five Hitchcock Thrillers 1935-1946: And speaking of box-sets … The Criterion Collection, noted for deluxe DVDs, present five Hitchcock classics – including Rebecca, Notorious and The Lady Vanishes – in staggeringly fine package with extras too numerous to mention (ranging from a radio piece on the theremin used in Spellbound to footage of hair and makeup tests for Rebecca). A steal at $108 plus shipping. [US]
Destry Rides Again (1939): Classic comedy Western, among the best ever made, starring James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich. [US]
Futurama – Season 3: Clever cartoon comedy, from the creator of The Simpsons. [UK]
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
