Share your One
Tweet
Movie Review
by John Holliday
by George Taylor
by Christian Fannin
COMING SOON!
[Our editor, Emily Bloom, brings you the best new releases in her "DVD / Blu Review" article. No filler, no hype, only movies and TV shows we personally buy.]
What could possibly receive the Pick of the Week if not for a Rod Serling scripted movie? Could it somehow be the other boat movie out this week from Criterion? Close, but no. How about the Jean-Claude Van Damme and Roger Moore starring Blu-ray? No, I don't think so. We'll get back to that in a minute, but first, a disclaimer about our suggestions. The reputation of this site is on the line every week and we never sell out. We always link to Amazon but you don't have to buy through us. Our only motive is to inform you of the fun and genuinely good new releases rather than the hip choices.
In celebration of the Casablanca "70th Anniversary Edition" Blu-ray (w/ DVD), TCM presented a special one night only screening in theaters across the country last week. I was fortunate enough to experience the event with my family and it will go down in history as one of my most memorable movie moments. Now, you can pick up this perfect Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman romantic drama that's been treated with Warner Bros.' signature care and extravagance. You'll not find a manlier movie no matter how many explosions or 80's action heroes you add, a shocking statement for a love story, but this is a rare production that everyone will enjoy. Casablanca has stood the test of time and prevails as one of CineWeekly's flawless top ten movies.
There's hardly a studio that tops Warner Bros. when it comes to bonus material, especially for their classic catalog. You don't get any more classic than Casablanca so prepare for the best. Before film critic Roger Ebert lost the ability to speak, he recorded a passionate audio commentary which is included. One of my top three directors, Michael Curtiz, is featured in a mini-doc oddly enough called, "The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of" and is much appreciated by a fan like myself. In total, there's more than twelve hours of extras to dig through, most of which are new to this edition.
Oh yeah, did you forget Rod Serling's Assault on a Queen which sees Frank Sinatra lead a caper on the Queen Mary? The Criterion release of A Night to Remember is obviously timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the maiden voyage and sinking of the Titanic but this wasn't a rushed release. It's the Criterion Collection which rivals Warner Bros. in the quality department. But don't ignore the titles further down the line like the celebration of Roger Corman and the latest season of one of the funniest shows (cartoons) on air.
Did your pal Emily miss your favorite new release title? Are you sure you aren't the only one that likes it? Let her know at: emily@cineweekly.com
