9 Can't-Miss Films for Your Watch Lists | Coming Attractions

Forthcoming DVDs and BluRays include William Holden as a war-weary World War II vet, Toni Collette as an accidental Mafia Mamma, and a steamy art-house classic. 

The Bridges at Toko-Ri. 102 min. Mark Robson, Kino Lorber. 1954. Blu-ray UPC 738329263119. $24.95. DRAMA

William Holden stars as war-weary World War II veteran Harry Brubaker who is called up to serve in the Korean War. Grace Kelly, Mickey Rooney, and Frederic March round out the cast in this Oscar winner based on James Michener’s best-selling novel.


The Draughtsman’s Contract. 104 min. Peter Greenaway, Zeitgeist Films. 1982. Blu-ray UPC 738329262662. $29.99. MYSTERY

The wife (Janet Suzman) of a 17th-century English aristocrat commissions a young draughtsman (Anthony Higgins) to sketch her husband’s estate for a fee, room and board, and a series of sexual favors in this hi-def restoration of an art-house classic.


Film, the Living Record of Our Memory. 124 min. Inés Toharia, Kino Lorber. 2023. DVD UPC 738329262853. $19.95. DOCUMENTARY

Archivists, curators, technicians, and filmmakers address the challenges of film preservation in the digital age, including cultural and political barriers, the need for resources, and the risks of relying on nonphysical storage in place of celluloid.


Mafia Mamma. 97 min. Catherine Hardwicke, Decal-Bleeker. 2022. DVD UPC 843501040805. $18.99; Blu-ray UPC 843501040812. $20.99. Rated: R. COMEDY

Toni Collette stars as the American inheritor of an Italian mafioso empire; aided by a consigliere (Monica Bellucci), she takes to her new role like a duck to water. Expect plenty of Godfather references in this high-concept comedic riff.


Medicine for Melancholy. 88 min. Barry Jenkins, Criterion Collection. 2008. Blu-ray UPC 715515284813. $39.95. DRAMEDY

Booze and hormones bring Black San Francisco residents Joanne (Tracey Heggins) and Micah (Wyatt Cenac) together for a one-night stand; then the mismatched duo get to know one another in this auspicious debut from the director of Moonlight.


Millennium Mambo. 120 min. In Mandarin w/English subtitles. Hou Hsiao-hsien, Kino Lorber. 2001. Blu-ray UPC 738329262952. $29.95. Rated: R. DRAMA

A nightclub hostess (Shu Qi) drops her deadbeat boyfriend (Chun-hao Tuan) for a debonair gangster (Jack Kao) in a neon-drenched, techno pop–scored Taipei. Told in voiceover and shifting back and forth in time, the narrative offers style to burn.


Pasolini 101. 9 discs. b/w & color. 951 min. In Italian w/English subtitles. Pier Paolo Pasolini, Criterion Collection. 1961–69. Blu-ray UPC 715515284417. $249.99. DRAMA

Nine features—AccattoneMamma RomaLove MeetingsThe Gospel According to MatthewThe Hawks and the SparrowsOedipus RexTeoremaPorcile, and Medea—from the provocative, often scandalous Pasolini (1922–75) exemplify his iconoclastic spirit. Also included in the box set are documentaries, interviews with filmmakers and scholars, a 100-page booklet of essays and notes, and more.


Rodeo. 107 min. In French w/English subtitles. Lola Quivoron, Music Box Films. 2022. DVD UPC 751778951864. $29.99; Blu-ray UPC 751778951871. $34.99. DRAMA

Motorbiker Julia (Julie Ledru) is a young rebel without a cause trying to fit in a male subculture devoted to “urban rodeos”—illegal gatherings where dirt riders flaunt their gear and perform stunts. It proves to be a risky business for a woman.


Skinamarink. 100 min. Kyle Edward Ball, IFC Films. 2023. UPC 014381000672. $18.99; Blu-ray UPC 014381001075. $21.99. HORROR

Two children wake up in the night to discover that their dad is gone and the windows and doors of their house have disappeared. In a genre often criticized for revealing too much (violence, gore, etc.), this atypical entry leaves more to the imagination.


 

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