Anyone complaining of Criterion pulling a “populist” shift of late will be quieted by their selection of titles for March, which mainline selections that have long been unavailable on DVD, some long-awaited favorites.
First up is “Bigger Than Life,” Nicholas Ray’s cautionary melodrama that tells the story of a schoolteacher who gets hopelessly addicted to painkillers. Ray’s Cinemascope film is a vicious takedown of the American family, a theme the director had just visited a year earlier with “Rebel Without A Cause.” Also arriving on BluRay, the extras will include an appreciation by author Jonathan Lethem, a half-hour TV interview with Ray and a commentary by film critic Geoff Andrews. This is the first time it will be on DVD and we’re thrilled it is finally getting a proper release. We can only hope that releases like this one will pave the way for “In a Lonely Place” to get the Criterion treatment (or hell, even “Johnny Guitar”).
Next up, celebrated director Pedro Costa’s early “Letters From Fontainhas” trilogy arrives in a four-disc boxset, marking the first time the films have been made available in North America (they’re all incredibly hard to find and see, even on import). The films, “Ossos,” “In Vanda’s Room” and “Colossal Youth” (probably the best known for the bunch and celebrated by one Playlister who is always singing its praises) all noted for their methodical pacing and beautiful lensing in portraying the immigrant experience on the edges of Lisbon. The set comes packed with an extraordinary amount of extras, including two Costa short films “Tarrafal” and “The Rabbit Hunters”; commentary on “Ossos” and “Colossal Youth” and even a video installation piece from the director, “Little Boy Male, Little Girl Female.” This is a very impressive set especially for a director that, outside of the arthouse, is virtually unknown.
Lastly, cult Italian auteur Marco Ferreri’s aburdist crime drama “Dillinger Is Dead” arrives (once again) for the first time on DVD. A gas mask designer, his pill popping wife and a gun that may have belonged to the titular gangster all spin around in Ferreri’s film about social malaise. The disc is a bit thin on extras, though that can be forgiven for a film that’s already on the margins. But if we do have one complaint, its that Criterion didn’t go with the awesome Janus one sheet for the cover art.
On the BluRay front, Criterion delivers three very nice treats for hi-def film lovers.
Following up their massive 25-film, AK 100 box set celebrating the works of Akira Kurosawa, Criterion will issue the samurai classics “Yojimbo” and “Sanjuro” on BluRay. Featuring the same extras as their DVD counterparts, the films will be available separately or in a box set together.
Finally, Terrence Malick fans will be emptying their piggy banks as the director’s seminal, gorgeous masterwork “Days Of Heaven” makes its debut on BluRay. Nestor Almendros’ painterly cinematography gets the hi-def treatment while the disc will contain the same extras Criterion’s excellent DVD edition.