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November 4
The Sopranos: The Complete Series
(1999-2007) Twenty-eight discs packaged in an elegant box set featuring iconic artwork from the series, 279.98. Includes Digital HD copy of all 86 episodes. Extras: New and exclusive feature exploring how "The Sopranos" came to be and how it transformed the television landscape. "Defining a Television Landmark" features all-new interviews with cast, crew, celebrities, filmmakers and academics -- including series creator David Chase, star James Gandolfini, director Steven Soderbergh, Jeff Daniels and Steve Buscemi -- discussing the impact and influence of the groundbreaking series, with brand new archival footage. Additional bonus material includes lost scenes, two round table dinners with cast and crew, 25 audio commentaries and much more. (HBO).
Style Wars
(1983) This legendary hip-hop documentary and timeless film classic is the indispensable record of a golden age of youthful creativity and exploding hip hop subculture. When director Tony Silver and co-producer Henry Chalfant delivered the broadcast version of their prize-winning film to PBS in 1983, the world received its first full immersion in the phenomenon that had taken over New York City. The urban landscape was physically transformed by graffitti artists who invented a new visual language to express both their individuality, and the voice of their community. As New York's ramshackle subway system became a public playground, battleground, and spectacular artistic canvas, MC's, DJ's and B-boys rocked the city with new sounds and new moves, we see street corner breakdance battles turn into performance art. The soundtrack features classics performed by The Sugar Hill Gang, The Treacherous Three, The Fearless Four, Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five, Trouble Funk, Rammellzee/K-Rob and Dion. Extras: "The Outtakes," a new 40 min film culled from 30 hours of left over materials; "B-Boy Showcase" montage of the fast paced phenomenally acrobatic Rocksteady Crew at their tour launch party, in the studio, on the streets, and battling it out against Dynamic Rockers at the United Skates of America in Queens; "Style Wars in the Cutting Room." (Public Art/MVD Entertainment).
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November 11
The Avengers: Season 5
(1967) Three-disc set with 25 episodes, $29.99. This classic series follows the escapades of the eccentrically suave John Steed and the strong and sexy Emma Peel, two secret agents whose mission is to face the most mysterious and dangerous -- although slightly peculiar -- situations. Steed (Patrick MacNee) works for British Intelligence, and the cases he finds are always a bit odd, just on the edge of science fiction. Steed is the ultimate in culture and grace as he saves the world each week, along with his female partner Emma Peel (Diana Rigg). Faced with solving problems such as cyborg killers, a city built under a disused coal mine, a gang put together for adrenalin junkies and a killer who uses a concentrated cold virus to kill his victims by having them sneeze to death, there is never a dull moment at work for this delightful duo. First season in color, and considered the best amongst "Avengers" fans. (Lionsgate)
Batman The Complete TV Series Limited Edition
(1966-68) Thirteen-disc set with aLL 120 original broadcast episodes, remastered, $269.97. Formats: Blu-ray Disc. Extras: "Hanging with Batman": A true slice of life in the words of Adam West; "Holy Memorabilia Batman!": A journey into the most sought after collectibles through the eyes of three extraordinary collectors; " Batmania Born! - Building the World of Batman": Explore the art and design behind the fiction; "Bats of the Round Table": A candid conversation with Adam West and his celebrity friends, chatting all things Bat (1966); "Inventing Batman in the words of Adam West (episode 1 & 2): A rare treat for the fans as Adam discusses his script notes on bringing Batman to life in the first and second episodes ; "Na Na Na Batman!: Hollywood favorites stars and producers recount their favorite Batman memories; 32-page complete episode guide. Plus these highly collectible premiums: Hot Wheels replica Batmobile, "The Adam West Scrapbook," 44 vintage trading cards. Includes UltraViolet digital copy. (Warner).
The Shooting/Ride in the Whirlwind
In the mid-sixties, the maverick American director Monte Hellman ("Two-Lane Blacktop") conceived of two Westerns at the same time. Dreamlike and gritty by turns, the two films would prove their maker's adeptness at brilliantly deconstructing genre. As shot back-to-back for famed producer Roger Corman, they feature overlapping casts and crews, including Jack Nicholson in two of his meatiest early roles. The films -- "The Shooting" (1966) about a motley assortment of loners following a mysterious wanted man through a desolate frontier, and "Ride in the Whirlwind" (1966), about a group of cowhands pursued by vigilantes for crimes they did not commit -- are rigorous, artful, and wholly unconventional journeys into the American West. New 4K digital restorations of both films, supervised by director Monte Hellman, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Audio commentaries on both films, featuring Hellman and film historians Bill Krohn and Blake Lucas; new interviews with actors John Hackett, B. J. Merholz, Millie Perkins, and Harry Dean Stanton, assistant director Gary Kurtz, and chief wrangler Calvin Johnson, all in conversation with Hellman; new conversation between actor Will Hutchins and film programmer Jake Perlin; new video essay on actor Warren Oates by critics Kim Morgan; an essay by critic Michael Atkinson. (The Criterion Collection).
November 18
The Dark Half
(1993) Timothy Hutton, Amy Madigan, Michael Rooker, Julie Harris. A writer's fictional alter-ego wants to take over his life ... at any price. From the Stephen King novel. Extras: New audio commentary with writer-director George A. Romero, new retrospective featurette "The Sparrows Are Flying Again!: The Making of The Dark Half," deleted scenes, animated storyboards for the original ending, special effects and on-the-set behind-the-scenes footage, vintage "Making of The Dark Half" plus additional interview clips, theatrical trailer, TV spot, still gallery. (Scream Factory.Shout! Factory).
It Happened One Night
(1934) Opposites attract with magnetic force in this romantic road-trip delight from Frank Capra, about a spoiled runaway socialite (Claudette Colbert) and a roguish man-of-the-people reporter (Clark Gable) who is determined to get the scoop on her scandalous disappearance. The first film to accomplish the very rare feat of sweeping all five major Oscar categories (best picture, best actor, best actress, best director, and best screenplay), "It Happened One Night" is among the most gracefully constructed and edited films of the early sound era, packed with clever situations and gags that have entered the Hollywood comedy pantheon. Featuring two actors at the top of their game, sparking with a chemistry that has never been bettered, this is the birth of the American screwball comedy. New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: New conversation between critics Molly Haskell and Phillip Lopate; "Frank Capra's American Dream," a 1997 feature-length documentary; new 2K digital transfer of Capra's first film, the 1922 silent short "The Ballad of Fisher's Boarding House"; American Film Institute tribute to Capra from 19882; trailer; essay by critic Farran Smith Nehme. (The Criterion Collection).
Kiki's Delivery Service
(1989) Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's classic animated fantasy adventure. The film is presented in Japanese and English, with an English dub voice cast that includes Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman, Janeane Garofalo, Matthew Lawrence, Debbie Reynolds. Available in a Blu-ray/DVD combo. (Disney/Studio Ghibli).
Monkey Shines
(1988) Jason Beghe, Janine Turner, John Pankow, Stanley Tucci, Kate McNeil, Joyce Van Patten. A quadriplegic man has a trained monkey help him with his paralysis, until the little monkey begins to develop feelings, and rage, against its new master. Extras: New audio commentary with writer-director George A. Romero, new retrospective featurette "An Experiment In Fear -- The Making of Monkey Shines," alternate ending,
deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage, vintage "Making of Monkey Shines" plus additional interview clips, theatrical trailers, TV spot, still gallery. (Scream Factory.Shout! Factory).
Princess Mononoke
(1997) Director: Hayao Miyazaki. Available in a Blu-ray/DVD combo. (Disney/Studio Ghibli).
November 25
L'avventura
(1960) Michelangelo Antonioni invented a new film grammar with this masterwork. An iconic piece of challenging 1960s cinema and a gripping narrative in its own right, "L'Avventura" concerns the enigmatic disappearance of a young woman during a yachting trip off the coast of Sicily, and the search taken up by her disaffected lover (Gabriele Ferzetti) and best friend (Monica Vitti). Antonioni's controversial international sensation is a gorgeously shot tale of modern ennui and spiritual isolation. New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Audio commentary featuring film historian Gene Youngblood; selected-scene commentary by filmmaker Olivier Assayas; "Antonioni: Documents and Testimonials," a 58-minute 1966 documentary by Gianfranco Mingozzi; writings by Antonioni, read by Jack Nicholson, plus Nicholson's personal recollections of the director; trailer; an essay by critic Geoffrey Nowell-Smith, along with the statement Antonioni made about the film and the letter that circulated in support of it after its 1960 Cannes premiere. (The Criterion Collection).
Les Blank: Always for Pleasure
(1968-1995) An uncompromisingly independent filmmaker, Les Blank ("Burden of Dreams") made documentaries for nearly 50 years, elegantly disappearing with his camera into cultural spots rarely seen on-screen -- mostly on the peripheries of the United States, but also occasionally abroad. Seemingly off-the-cuff yet poetically constructed, these films are humane, sometimes wry, always engaging tributes to musicians, food, and all sorts of regionally specific delights. This collector's set provides a diverse survey of Blank's vast output, including the warmly funny The Blues Accordin'; to Lightnin' Hopkins," about the legendary Texas musician; "Always for Pleasure," which captures the vivacious spirit of New Orleans; "Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers," a hilarious celebration of the pungent, flavorful "stinking rose" of the title; and 11 other unexpected features, plus eight of Blank's short films. Films Include: "The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins" (1968); "God Respects Us When We Work, but Loves Us When We Dance" (1968); "Spend It All" (1971); "A Well Spent Life" (1971); "Dry Wood" (1973); "Hot Pepper" (1973); "Always for Pleasure" (1978); "Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers" (1980); "Sprout Wings and Fly" (1983); "In Heaven There Is No Beer?" (1984); "Gap-Toothed Women" (1987); "Yum, Yum, Yum" (1990); "The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists" (1994); "Sworn to the Drum" (1995). New 2K digital restorations of all 14 films, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks.
Formats: Five DVDs, three Blu-ray Discs. Extras: Excerpt from "Les Blank: A Quiet Revelation," an upcoming documentary by Gina Leibrecht; new interviews with Blank's sons, Harrod and Beau, Blank documentary subject Gerald Gaxiola (a.k.a. the Maestro), filmmakers Skip Gerson, Maureen Gosling, Taylor Hackford, Tom Luddy, and Chris Simon, and chef and author Alice Waters; Blank's short films "Lightnin' Les" (1968), Mr. Charlie, Your Rollin' Mill Is Burnin' Down (1968), The Sun's Gonna Shine (1968), "More Fess" (1978), "Julie: Old Time Tales of the Blue Ridge" (1991), "My Old Fiddle: A Visit with Tommy Jarrell in the Blue Ridge" (1995) and "The Maestro Rides Again" (2005); an essay by film scholar Andrew Horton. (The Criterion Collection).
Tootsie
(1982) In "Tootsie," the character Michael Dorsey lands the role of a lifetime -- as does the actor playing him, Dustin Hoffman. This multilayered comedy from director Sydney Pollack follows the increasingly elaborate deception of a down-on-his-luck New York actor who disguises himself as a woman to get a coveted soap opera gig; while his female persona skyrockets to fame, he finds himself learning to be a better man. Hoffman's ball-busting yet disarmingly sweet Dorothy Michaels is a sensational comic creation, given support by a stellar cast including Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, Teri Garr, George Gaynes, Bill Murray, and, in her first Oscar-winning role, Jessica Lange. Imbued with poignant drama, "Tootsie" is a funny and cutting film from an American moment defined by shifting social and sexual identities. New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Audio commentary featuring director Sydney Pollack, taken from Criterion's 1991 laserdisc edition of the film; new interview with comedy writer Phill Rosenthal; interview with Dorothy Michaels by film critic Gene Shalit, from the film's production; "Making of Tootsie," a 1982 documentary directed by Rocky Lang; "A Better Man: The Making of Tootsie," a 2007 documentary directed by Charles Kiselyak and featuring interviews with Pollack, actors Dabney Coleman, Teri Garr, Hoffman, and Jessica Lange, and writers Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal; screen and wardrobe test footage of Hoffman; deleted scenes; trailers; an essay by critic Michael Sragow. (The Criterion Collection).
This Month's BR
