Every week we dive into the cream of the crop when it comes to home releases, including Blu-ray and DVDs, as well as recommended deals of the week. If we were provided screener copies, we’ll have our own write-up, but if that’s not the case, one can find official descriptions from the distributors. Check out our rundown below and return every Tuesday for the best films one can take home. Note that if you’re looking to support the site, every purchase you make through the links below helps us and is greatly appreciated.
F for Fake (Orson Welles)
Getting a Blu-ray upgrade this week on The Criterion Collection is Orson Welles‘ landmark F for Fake, a work that blends all lines of reality to deliver the kind of work that could only come from its creator. Packed full of extras, the notable inclusions are commentary from Oja Kodar and Gary Graver, as well as an extensive interview with Welles and a documentary on his many unfinished projects. There’s also a documentary on Elmyr de Hory, who is heavily featured in the film. Perhaps moreso than any other films from the director, it’s the one you’ll want to immediately rewatch after a first view.
La Dolce Vita (Federico Fellini)
Also on The Criterion Collection his week is, finally, Federico Fellini‘s Palme d’Or-winning drama La Dolce Vita. One of the Italian filmmaker’s most successful and accomplished films, the nearly three-hour masterpiece follows his frequent collaborator Marcello Mastroianni as a journalist who spends a week assessing his craft and desires in Rome. Featuring interviews with both Fellini and Mastroianni, the must-own release also includes a look at production assets from the film, a video essay, and much more.
Los Angeles Plays Itself (Thom Andersen)
Once thought to never see a release due to rights issues, the fine folks at Cinema Guild picked up Thom Andersen‘s 2003 documentary Los Angeles Plays Itself for a release and it’s now available for the first time on home release, on Blu-ray no less. Tracking the history of Los Angeles entirely through films, the nearly three-hour documentary has been an underground gem in the last decade, but will hopefully rise in stature in the coming years due to the release. The release includes Andersen’s recent short The Tony Longo Trilogy as well as essays about the film.
Snowpiercer (Bong Joon-ho)
In a sea of vapid summer blockbusters, Snowpiercer was one of the more acutely engineered thrillers of the season. Stock full of intriguing ideas and a host of memorable characters, it’s one we imagine we’ll be revisiting many times and today the Blu-ray arrives. The release features a handful of worthwhile behind-the-scenes videos (notably an hour-long look at the source material), but the most interesting of features is an insightful critics audio commentary hosted by Scott Weinberg, James Rocchi, William Goss, Drew McWeeny, Jennifer Yamato, and Peter S. Hall. While the audio quality is up-and-down, as Weinberg talks with each guest about different aspects, it’s a compelling experiment I’d welcome in future releases.
Recommended Deals of the Week
(Note: new additions are in red)
The American (Blu-ray) – $5.80
Amelie (Blu-ray) – $6.94
An Education (Blu-ray) -$7.57
Animal Kingdom (Blu-ray) – $7.08
Beginners (Blu-ray) – $6.89
Beyond the Black Rainbow (Blu-ray) – $9.99
The Cabin in the Woods (Blu-ray) – $7.92
Casino (Blu-ray) – $9.68
Gangs of New York (Blu-ray) – $7.88
Goodfellas (Blu-ray) – $8.56
Gone Baby Gone (Blu-ray) – $6.00
The Grey (Blu-ray) – $6.96
Hanna (Blu-ray) – $7.88
Headhunters (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Heat (Blu-ray) – $8.48
High Plains Drifter (Blu-ray) – $9.96
Hot Fuzz (Blu-ray) – $9.96
Hugo (Blu-ray) – $8.99
Inglorious Basterds (Blu-ray) – $9.99
I Saw the Devil (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Jackie Brown (Blu-ray) – $8.99
Knocked Up (Blu-ray) – $9.23
Lost In Translation (Blu-ray) – $9.63
MacGruber (Blu-ray) – $8.64
Melancholia (Blu-ray) – $10.49
Never Let Me Go (Blu-ray) – $7.57
No Country For Old Men (Blu-ray) – $4.50
Observe & Report (Blu-ray) – $6.74
Office Space (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Pain & Gain (Blu-ray) – $9.27
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Persepolis (Blu-ray) – $7.93
Public Enemies (Blu-ray) – $9.10
Reality Bites (Blu-ray) – $9.96
The Secret In Their Eyes (Blu-ray) – $7.98
Seven (Blu-ray) – $7.50
sex, lies, and videotape (Blu-ray) – $7.25
Shutter Island (Blu-ray) – $7.99
A Single Man (Blu-ray) – $7.41
Skyfall (Blu-ray) – $9.96
The Spectacular Now (Blu-ray) – $12.74
Spring Breakers (Blu-ray) – $9.96
Source Code (Blu-ray) – $5.00
Synecdoche, New York (Blu-ray) – $7.99
There Will Be Blood (Blu-ray) – $8.98
Vanilla Sky (Blu-ray pre-order) – $8.62
Volver (Blu-ray) – $7.99
Waltz With Bashir (Blu-ray) – $7.07
The Wrestler (Blu-ray) – $7.34
Zodiac (Blu-ray) – $6.99
What are you picking up this week?