DVD RELEASES 2010/9/21

Today is big, folks. Like, really, really big. Not only is one monumental nonfiction DVD boxed set being released; two are. For anyone who’s caught the briefest snippets of these masterworks, the importance of having these titles commercially available—as opposed to having to go on pricey bootleg searches, which is how things used to be—cannot be overstated. If you care about movies, you should be down on your knees thanking the world right now.

***VERY HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION***

Middletown (Icarus Films) — I have only seen two of the films in Peter Davis’s six-part made-for-PBS series that explores life in the community of Muncie, Indiana, in the mid-1980s, but based on those alone—Seventeen and Second Time Around—this collection is absolutely mandatory viewing. I cannot wait for my own package to arrive so that I can make a weekend out of this very special achievement. Other titles include: The Campaign, The Big Game, Community of Praise, and Family Business. Buy the 4-DVD Set.

The Actuality Films of Allan King (Criterion) — Eclipse Series 24 is one of their most exciting yet. This is another case when I’ve only seen two titles in the collection—Warrendale and A Married Couple—but that’s enough to make me deem this a must-have. Other titles include: Come on Children, Dying at Grace, Memory for Max, and Claire, Ida and Company. Buy the 5-DVD Set.

Highly Recommended

Trash Humpers (Drag City) — Read my review of Harmony Korine’s American trashterpiece, then buy it on DVD.

Recommended

Calvin Marshall (Passion River) — Read my review, then buy it on DVD and Blu-ray.

Eccentricities of a Blonde-Hair Girl (Cinema Guild) — Buy it on DVD.

Have Not Seen But Should

Charade (Criterion) — This one also doubles as a “New To Blu-ray Pick Of The Week,” but I am shamed to say that I have not seen it.

Modern Family: The Complete First Season (20th Century Fox) — I hear it’s good? Buy the 4-Disc DVD or 3-Disc Blu-ray Sets.

Bored To Death: The Complete First Season (HBO Home Video) — I hear it’s funny? Buy it on DVD or Blu-ray.

Ondine (Magnolia Pictures) — Buy it on DVD or Blu-ray.

The Secret in Their Eyes (Sony Classics) — Buy it on DVD or Blu-ray.

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