August marks the fading days of summer, the last gasp of heat-soaked freedom before vacations are over and everyday responsibilities start taking over. But if you’ve got a few bucks left over from that summer job, or some money you didn’t spend on holiday, Criterion’s August lineup has some compelling reasons to part with it.
Kicking things off, Brian De Palma‘s sizzler "Dressed To Kill" arrives on the label. It will boast a new high def transfer, all kinds of new interviews (actress Nancy Allen, producer George Litto, composer Pino Donaggio, shower-scene body double Victoria Lynn Johnson, and poster and photographic art director Stephen Sayadian), featurettes about the different versions of the movie that were cut to avoid an X rating, and much more. This looks like a treat for De Palma devotees (but let’s hope they change that kinda dreadful cover art).
As expected, the Dardennes’ acclaimed "Two Days, One Night" is getting the wacky C. The real highlight of the bonus material is the brothers’ 1979 documentary, "When Léon M.’s Boat Went Down the Meuse for the First Time." That’s a pretty nifty and unexpected extra in this set that will also include some new interviews.
READ MORE: Review The Dardenne Brothers’ ‘Two Days, One Night’ Starring Marion Cotillard
We can only imagine that someone at Criterion got a kick out of also scheduling Francois Truffaut‘s "Day For Night" for August. The filmmaker’s classic meta movie is fully restored and will have a ton of interviews and archival material. The same goes for Karel Reisz‘s "The French’s Lieutenant’s Woman."
Lastly, Agnes Varda fans will want to shell out for the five-film Eclipse set, "Agnès Varda In California," which should be self-explanatory.