2018 School Spending Survey Report
Top Film Picks on DVD/Blu-Ray: An Early Bong Joon-ho Police Procedural; Julie Christie & Donald Sutherland in a Foreboding Wintry Venice
LJ’s film columnist picks the month’s top indie, foreign, and classic films, now available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Don’t Look Now. 110+ min. Paramount. 1973. Blu-ray UPC 032429354150. $20.99. Rated: R.Venice in winter is a foreboding presence in Nicolas Roeg’s (The Man Who Fell to Earth) haunting drama about a couple trying to get over their daughter’s accidental drowning. Laura (Julie Christie) takes comfort from a blind psychic, even as John (Donald Sutherland) denies his own premonitions, in a meticulous mosaic of past, present, and future. VERDICT Libraries that don’t own the out-of-print Criterion edition should add this modern classic with a devoted following. The British masterwork has only gained in critical reputation since its release.
Irma Vep. 99+ min. In English & French w/English subtitles. Criterion. 1996. DVD ISBN 715515258210. $29.99; Blu-ray UPC 715515258111. $39.99.Not unlike other films about moviemaking (8 ½; Day for Night), writer-director Olivier Assayas’s acerbic satire necessarily deglamorizes the process. An inept director (Jean-Pierre Léaud) leads a splintered cast and crew on a chaotic set, as Hong Kong movie star Maggie Cheung plays herself in a remake of the classic silent film Les Vampires. (“Irma Vep” is a sly anagram for “vampire.”) VERDICT Remastered in HD, this upgraded edition boasts supplements that will enhance its appeal for cinephiles who appreciate the art of meta moviemaking.
Memories of Murder. 131+ min. In Korean w/English subtitles. Criterion. 2003. DVD UPC 715515257817. $29.99; Blu-ray UPC 715515257718. $39.99.Before winning an Oscar last year for Parasite, Bong Joon-ho had amassed a well-regarded body of work, including The Host, Mother, Snowpiercer, and Okja. But Memories of Murder, his second feature film, put him on the map. A police procedural based on the real case of South Korea’s first serial killer, the film follows the bumbling and unethical tactics of police (including Parasite star Song Kang-ho) to capture an elusive rapist-murderer. VERDICT Harrowing yet comical, this restored version of the director’s sophomore effort will be of interest to his fans.
The Nest. 107+ min. Shout Factory. 2020. DVD UPC 826663217537. $19.99; Blu-ray UPC 826663217544. $22.99. Rated: R.An ambitious commodities trader (Jude Law) leaves New York for a job and a posh estate in his native England, and takes along his reluctant wife (Carrie Coon), her prized horse, and the couple’s teen daughter and younger son. Financial woes follow when pending deals fall through, deepening rifts in the steadily disaffected family. Writer-director Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene) observantly examines the angst caused by greed and social climbing. VERDICT Effective performances and direction make an untidy resolution more audience-friendly.
Promising Young Woman. 113+ min. Universal. 2020. DVD UPC 191329134115. $23.99; Blu-ray UPC 191329134108. $24.99. Rated: R.A med school dropout (Carey Mulligan) works days at a coffee shop, and by night feigns drunkenness to turn the tables on predatory bar patrons. Her scheme turns into an elaborate plan to avenge the rape and subsequent death of a former classmate and close friend. Actress-cum-writer Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve) makes her impressive feature directorial debut with this cheekily humorous yet heroically tragic dramedy, offering a refreshing revisionist take on the clichéd revenge-flick genre. VERDICT This awards-season favorite earns its place in most popular collections.
Added To Cart
RELATED
RECOMMENDED
TECHNOLOGY
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
Thank you for visiting.
We’ve noticed you are using a private browser. To continue, please log in or create an account.
Add Comment :-
Comment Policy:
Comment should not be empty !!!