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June 3
The Birdcage
(1996) Dir.: Mike Nichols; Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, Christine Baranski. (Fox).
The Birds
(1963) Dir.: Alfred Hitchcock; Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor. Extras: Deleted scene, the original ending, "The Birds: Hitchcock's Monster Movie," "All About The Birds," storyboard sequence, Tippi Hedren's screen test, Hitchcock/Truffaut interview excerpts, "The Birds Is Coming" (Universal International Newsreel), "Suspense Story: National Press Club Hears Hitchcock" (Universal International Newsreel), production photographs, Theatrical Trailer, "100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics," "100 Years of Universal: The Lot." (Universal).
The Break-Up
(2006) Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston. Extras: Deleted scenes, extended scenes, outtakes, alternate ending, improv with Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau, "In Perfect Harmony: The Tone Rangers," "The Making of The Break-Up," "Three Brothers: A Tour of Chicago," commentary with Vaughn and Aniston, commentary with director Peyton Reed. (Universal).
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
(2004) Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant. Extras: "Mark & Bridget: Forever?" "Bridget Jones Interviews Colin Firth," "Lonely London," "The Big Fight," commentary with director Beeban Kidron, deleted scenes. (Universal).
Three-disc set with "A Fistful of Dollars," "For a Few Dollars More," a newly remastered "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," and five hours of bonus feature; $39.99. (Fox).
The Nutty Professor 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition
(1963) Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens, Del Moore, Howard Morris, Kathleen Freeman. Jerry Lewis directed, stared in, and co-wrote (with Bill Richmond) this parody of the classic "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" tale that was selected for the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2004. The four-disc set includes film Blu-ray and DVD versions of the film along with DVDs of two other well-known Lewis comedies, "Cinderfella" and "The Errand Boy." The set was created with personal input from Lewis, who helped compile entertaining extra content. Highlights include a new featurette, "Jerry Lewis: No Apologies," an intimate look at "The King of Comedy"; a 48-page book of the film's original story boards; a 44-page book of excerpts from Lewis' cutting script with personal notes; a recreated "Being a Person" book, made up of drawings and quotes inspired/written by Lewis and drawn by his personal illustrator. (250 copies of this book were originally made and distributed to members of the cast and crew of "The Nutty Professor" after Lewis heard of general conflicts among them); a "Directors Letter" specially written by Lewis to present the new collection; and a CD collection, "Phoney Phone Calls, 1959-1972," with private prank calls secretly recorded by Lewis during those years (years before the Jerky Boys were harassing unwitting shop clerks, housewives and businessmen, Lewis perfected the art, as these recordings show. Released in 2001 on the Sin-Drome label). Other extras: Commentary by Lewis and Steve Lawrence; "The Nutty Professor: Perfecting The Formula" behind-the-scenes footage; "Jerry Lewis at Work"; "Jerry at Movieland Wax Museum," with commentary by son Chris Lewis; deleted scenes; Jerry and Stella promos; bloopers; screen tests; outtakes; original mono track; trailers. $54.99. (Warner).
Psycho
(1960) Dir.: Alfred Hitchcock; Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam. Extras: "The Making of Psycho," "Psycho Sound," "In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy," Hitchcock/Truffaut interview excerpts, newsreel footage: "The Release of Psycho," "The Shower Scene: With and Without Music," "The Shower Scene: Storyboards by Saul Bass," "The Psycho Archives," posters and "Psycho" ads, lobby cards, behind-the-scenes photographs, production photographs, theatrical trailer, re-release trailers, commentary with Stephen Rebello (author of "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho"). (Universal).
Ravenous
(1999) Dir.: Antonia Bird; Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, Jeremy Davies, Jeffrey Jones, John Spencer, Stephen Spinella, Neal McDonough, David Arquette. It's a recipe for nonstop action and excitement when the inhabitants of an isolated military outpost in the 19th century in the Sierra Nevada mountains go up against a marauding band of cannibals in a deadly struggle for survival. Extras: Commentary with director Antonia Bird and composer Damon Albarn, commentary with screenwriter Ted Griffin and actor Jeffrey Jones, commentary with actor Robert Carlyle, deleted scenes, new interview with actor Jeffrey Jones, theatrical trailer, TV spot, two still galleries: costume design and production design. (Scream factory/Shout! Factory).
Rear Window
(1954) Dir.: Alfred Hitchcock; James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr. Extras: "Rear Window Ethics: An Original Documentary," "A Conversation With Screenwriter John Michael Hayes," "Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of the Master," Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock," Hitchcock/Truffaut interview excerpts, "Masters of Cinema," commentary with John Fawell, author of "Hitchcock's Rear Window: The Well-Made Film," production photographs, theatrical trailer, re-release trailer narrated by James Stewart. (Universal).
The Ringer
(2005) Johnny Knoxville, Brian Cox, Katherine Heigl. Extras: Commentary by director Barry W. Blaustein, screenwriter Ricky Blitt, producer Peter Farrelly, and actors Johnny Knoxville, Edward Barbanell and John Taylor; deleted scenes; "Let The Games Begin: A Look at The Ringer"; theatrical trailer. (Fox).
You, Me and Dupree
(2006) Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson, Matt Dillon. Extras: "Dupree's Memoirs," spoof trailer, commentary with directors Anthony & Joe Russo, commentary with writer Michael LeSieur and producer Scott Stuber, alternate ending, deleted scenes, outtakes. (Universal).
Vertigo
(1958) Dir.: Alfred Hitchcock; James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes. Extras: "Obsessed With Vertigo: New Life for Hitchcock's Masterpiece," "Partners in Crime: Hitchcock's Collaborators," Hitchcock/Truffaut, foreign censorship ending, "The Vertigo Archives," restoration theatrical trailer, feature commentary with director William Friedkin, theatrical trailer, "100 Years of Universal: The Lew Wasserman Era." (Universal).
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June 10
All That Heaven Allows
(1955) This heartbreakingly beautiful indictment of 1950s American mores by Douglas Sirk follows the blossoming love between a well-off suburban widow (Jane Wyman) and her handsome and earthy younger gardener (Rock Hudson). After their romance prompts the scorn of her selfish children and snooty country club friends, she must decide whether to pursue her own happiness or carry on a lonely, hemmed-in existence for the sake of the approval of others. With the help of ace cinematographer Russell Metty, Sirk imbued nearly every shot with a vivid and distinct emotional tenor. A profoundly felt film about class and conformity in small-town America, "All That Heaven Allows" is a pinnacle of expressionistic Hollywood melodrama. New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack.
Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Dual Format Edition. Extras: Commentary featuring John Mercer, co-author of "Melodrama: Genre, Style, Sensibility," and film scholar Tamar Jeffers-McDonald; "Rock Hudson's Home Movies" (1992), a groundbreaking essay film about the actor by Mark Rappaport; French television interview with Sirk from 1982; excerpts from "Behind the Mirror: A Profile of Douglas Sirk," a 1979 BBC documentary featuring rare interview footage with the director; "Contract Kid: William Reynolds on Douglas Sirk," a 2007 interview with the actor, who co-starred in three Sirk films, including "All That Heaven Allows"; trailer; a booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Laura Mulvey and an excerpt from a 1971 essay by filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder on Sirk. (The Criterion Collection).
L'eclisse
(1962) The concluding chapter of Michelangelo Antonioni's informal trilogy on contemporary malaise (following "L'avventura" and "La notte"), "L'eclisse" (The Eclipse) tells the story of a young woman (Monica Vitti) who leaves one lover (Francisco Rabal) and drifts into a relationship with another (Alain Delon). Using the architecture of Rome as a backdrop for the doomed affair, Antonioni achieves the apotheosis of his style in this return to the theme that preoccupied him the most: the difficulty of connection in an alienating modern world. New, restored high-definition digital film transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack.
Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Dual Format Edition. Extras: Commentary by film scholar Richard Pena, former program director of New York's Film Society of Lincoln Center; "Michelangelo Antonioni: The Eye That Changed Cinema" (2001), a 56-minute documentary exploring the director's life and career; "Elements of Landscape," a 22-minute piece from 2005 about Antonioni and "L'eclisse," featuring Italian film critic Adriano Apra and longtime Antonioni friend Carlo di Carlo; a booklet featuring essays by film critics Jonathan Rosenbaum and Gilberto Perez, as well as excerpts from Antonioni's writing about his work. (The Criterion Collection).
June 17
Hearts and Minds
(1974) A startling and courageous film, Peter Davis's landmark 1974 documentary unflinchingly confronted the United States' involvement in Vietnam at the height of the foment that surrounded it. Using a wealth of sources -- from interviews to newsreels to footage of the conflict and the upheaval it occasioned on the home front -- Davis constructs a powerfully affecting picture of the disastrous effects of war. Explosive, persuasive, and wrenching, "Hearts and Minds" is an overwhelming emotional experience and the most important nonfiction film ever made about this devastating period in history. High-definition digital restoration, supervised by director Peter Davis and cinematographer Richard Pearce, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack.
Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Dual Format Edition. Extras: Commentary featuring Davis; a collection of over two hours of never-before-seen outtakes from the film, including interviews with presidential adviser George Ball, broadcast journalist David Brinkley, French journalist and historian Philippe Devillers, political activist Tony Russo, and General William Westmoreland; a booklet featuring essays by Davis, film critic Judith Crist, and historians Robert K. Brigham, George C. Herring, and Ngo Vinh Long. (The Criterion Collection).
Judex
(1963) This effortlessly cool crime caper, directed by Georges Franju ("Eyes Without a Face"), is a marvel of dexterous plotting and visual invention. Conceived as an homage to Louis Feuillade's 1916 cult silent serial of the same name, "Judex" kicks off with the mysterious kidnapping of a corrupt banker by a shadowy crime fighter (American magician Channing Pollock) and spins out into a thrillingly complex web of deceptions. Combining stylish sixties modernism with silent-cinema touches and even a few unexpected sci-fi accents, "Judex" is a delightful bit of pulp fiction and a testament to the art of illusion. New 2K digital film restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack.
Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Dual Format Edition. Extras: Interview from 2007 with the film's co-writer Jacques Champreux, the grandson of Louis Feuillade, co-creator of the silent serial "Judex"; interview from 2012 with actor Francine Berge; "Franju le visionnaire," a 50-minute program from 1998 on the director's career and imagination; a booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Geoffrey O'Brien, along with reprinted writings by and excerpted interviews with Franju. (The Criterion Collection).
Picnic at Hanging Rock
(1975) This sensual and striking chronicle of a disappearance and its aftermath put director Peter Weir on the map and helped usher in a new era of Australian cinema. Set at the turn of the 20th century, "Picnic at Hanging Rock" concerns a small group of students from an all-female college and a chaperone, who vanish while on a St. Valentine's Day outing. Less a mystery than a journey into the mystic, as well as an inquiry into issues of class and sexual repression in Australian society, Weir's gorgeous, disquieting film is a work of poetic horror whose secrets haunt viewers to this day. Remastered high-definition digital film transfer, supervised and approved by director Peter Weir, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.
Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Dual Format Edition. Extras: Extended interview with Weir; new piece on the making of the film, featuring interviews from 2003 with executive producer Patricia Lovell, producers Hal McElroy and Jim McElroy, and cast members; new introduction by film scholar David Thomson; "A Recollection ... Hanging Rock 1900" (1975), an on-set documentary hosted by Lovell and featuring interviews with Weir, actor Rachel Roberts, and source novel author Joan Lindsay; "Homesdale" (1971), an award-winning black comedy by Weir; trailer; a booklet featuring an essay by author Megan Abbott and an excerpt from film critic Marek Haltof's 1996 book "Peter Weir: When Cultures Collide"; a new paperback edition of Lindsay's original novel, previously out of print in the U.S. (The Criterion Collection).
June 24
A Hard Day's Night
(1964) Meet the Beatles! Just one month after they exploded onto the U.S. scene with their Ed Sullivan Show appearance, John, Paul, George, and Ringo began working on a project that would bring their revolutionary talent to the big screen. "A Hard Day's Night," in which the bandmates play slapstick versions of themselves, captured the astonishing moment when they officially became the singular, irreverent idols of their generation and changed music forever. Directed with raucous, anything-goes verve by Richard Lester and featuring a slew of iconic pop anthems, including the title track, "Can’t Buy Me Love," "I Should Have Known Better" and "If I Fell," "A Hard Day's Night," which reconceived the movie musical and exerted an incalculable influence on the music video, is one of the most deliriously entertaining movies of all time. New 4K digital film restoration, approved by director Richard Lester, with two audio options -- a monaural soundtrack and a new 5.1 surround soundtrack made by Apple Records -- presented in uncompressed monaural and DTS-HD Master Audio.
Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Dual Format Edition. Extras: Commentary featuring various members of the film's cast and crew; "In Their Own Voices," a new piece combining interviews with the Beatles from 1964 with behind-the-scenes footage and photos; "You Can’t Do That: The Making of A Hard Day’s Night," a 1994 documentary program by producer Walter Shenson; "Things They Said Today," a 2002 documentary about the film featuring Lester, music producer George Martin, writer Alun Owen, cinematographer Gilbert Taylor, and others; new piece about Lester's early work, featuring a new audio interview with the director; "The Running Jumping and Standing Still Film" (1959), Lester's Oscar-nominated short featuring Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan; "Anatomy of a Style," a new piece on Lester's approach to editing; new interview with Mark Lewisohn, author of "Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years -- Volume One"; deleted scene; trailers; a booklet featuring an essay by critic Howard Hampton; more! (The Criterion Collection).
This Month's BR
