Early November Awards
I just saw Parkland at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it already got a small theatrical release and I’ve got the Blu-ray early. Well, I was against the shakycam handheld style of “docu” or “cinema verite,” but it sure holds up on Blu-ray. It may be shaky, but that footage is so clear, you are there in Parkland Hospital or at Dealey Plaza.
I praised two Red-shot films above. This one was Alexa and I dare say it is a smidge superior. (Available November 5.)
Now, D.W. Griffith’s three-hour epic Intolerance certainly deserves full attention, but for now an initial look shows a beautiful sepia-tinted restoration. You will see the film grain dancing around the breathtaking sets of ancient Babylon or the French royal court, and it is a clean print like you rarely see with old silents, even the most popular and well preserved. In the bonus features, the two feature films pulled from the composite of Intolerance look more like you’d expect a silent film from 1916 to look. They’re still very strong high definition presentations, mind you, but spotty with dirt and scratches, which are also authentic. (Available November 5.)
John Carpenter Presents Body Bags premiered on Showtime so this Blu-ray release is a bit of a revelation.
Just having a decent transfer in HD makes it look like a real movie again. It has the film look, because that’s what they used back in the ‘90s, but I’ve only ever seen it on standard definition cable. (Available November 12.)
I’m so grateful for Well Go. When I discovered Hong Kong cinema in the ‘90s, I had to rely on imported VHS tapes. Now there are primo distributors like Well Go bringing me the latest Hong Kong movies in high definition.
Ip Man: The Final Fight, the latest of the Ip Man movies (not connected to Donnie Yen’s films or Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster) looks perfect on Blu-ray. ‘60s Hong Kong comes to life in a sharp, colorful frame. (Available November 12.)
I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but a slew of Shout! Factory and Scream Factory releases for November arrived early and they’re all solid.
Assault on Precinct 13, Night of the Comet and Eve of Destruction all look like sharp, clear, clean film prints you might see at a top-notch revival house. (Available November 19.)
I saw Violet & Daisy at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival and it only just got released by Cinedigm this year. Now over two years after my initial viewing, I can own the whimsical tale of teenage hitwomen from screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher, making his directorial debut.
It’s a solid Blu-ray, with sharp, cold shots of the city and slow motion bullet ballets. (Available November 19.)
The summer sex comedy The To Do List will come home just before the Thanksgiving weekend, so you can relive your naughty poolside hijinx with Aubrey Plaza in high definition.
The To Do List is a very pretty movie, with astounding clarity and bright summer colors. (Available November 19.)
I should probably wait until November to review this, but I have it now so I’m doing it. George Romero’s little known, little seen two and a half hour epic about motorcycle knight culture at Renaissance Faires is a cool movie about subculture and honorable values. The Shout! Factory release does it justice. The picture is perfect, giving us a 1981 era Ed Harris and Tom Savini that look like they could shoot the sequel tomorrow. I mean, even better than the solid November 18 releases, Knightriders clearly got a wealth of attention and resources, and it deserves them. (Available November 26.)
Fred Topel is a staff writer at CraveOnline and the man behind Best Episode Ever and Shelf Space Weekly. Follow him on Twitter at @FredTopel.
