Pick of the Week
The Sacrifice (Kino) — Andrei Tarkovsky was always dealing with the fragile nature of human life and our connection to our own history; The Sacrifice lands squarely within the poetic realm of his deepest concerns. Read Tom Hall’s HTN review of both the film and this new Blu-ray release, then buy the 2-Disc Remastered Edition on DVD or Blu-ray.
Recommended
13 Assassins (Magnet/Magnolia) — Takashi Miike excels at making genre films that aren’t. In a trend that first gained international notice in 1999′s Audition and is on full display in 13 Assassins, the Japanese auteur exhibits an innate knack for imbuing familiar set-pieces with embellishments that are all his own. Read Michael Nordine’s HTN review, then buy it on DVD or Blu-ray.
Of Gods And Men (Sony Classics) — Ambiguity surrounds the collective fate of seven of the nine real-life monks portrayed in Of Gods and Men. Conventional wisdom suggests that any film about them is likely to be an imagined chronicle of their last days if not a shoring up of Christian-Muslim tensions; not so. Rather, director Xavier Beauvois matches the discipline of his subjects, imbuing their tale with a stoicism that at first seems poised to feel like cold sermonizing but gradually takes on the air of a collective chant—modest but compelling. Read Michael Nordine’s HTN review, then buy it on Blu-ray or in a 2-Disc DVD/Blu-ray Combo Pack.
Das Boot (Sony) — Buy the 2-Blu-ray Collector’s Set.
New/Old To Blu-ray
Honeymoon In Vegas (MGM) — No, I’m not kidding, I really love this movie. Buy it on Blu-ray.
Overboard (MGM) — I rode on a low-rent Greyhound from Baltimore to NYC just a few years ago, and this movie united the passengers in a truly special way. So, no, I’m not kidding about this one either. Buy it on Blu-ray.
Have Not Seen But Really/Kinda/Sorta/Maybe Wanna
Hobo With A Shotgun (Magnet/Magnolia) — Buy the DVD, 2-DVD Collector’s Edition + Digital Copy, or Blu-ray Collector’s Edition + Digital Copy.
Illegal (Film Movement) — Buy it on DVD.
Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (Kino) — Buy it on DVD.