>> Direct Cinema from Crierion | Big Boss Platinum Edition | Unborn but Not Forgotten and Cello | New Eureka and Masters of Cinema web sites | The Complete Buster Keaton Short Films

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Direct Cinema from Criterion in December
5 October 2006

If you know documentary then you should certainly know the work of Albert and David Maysles, whose 1969 Salesman remains one of the great films of the Direct Cinema or Cinéma Vérité movement. And if you know Direct Cinema then the name William Greaves should also be familiar, largely for his enigmatically titled 1968 documentary-fiction hybrid Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, Take One.

In December Criterion are re-release the Maysles brothers' 1976 Grey Gardens, which will be packaged with their 2006 follow-up feature The Beales of Grey Gardens. Grey gardens focusses on elderly Edie Beale and her daughter (known as Big and Little Edie), high society dropouts who live together happily in a disorderly, decaying mansion in East Hampton and are observed by the filmmakers in typically intimate fashion. The resulting film garnered a cult following, establishing Little Edie as a fashion icon and philosopher queen. The follow-up film, The Beales of Grey Gardens, was assembled from the hours of footage shot by the filmmakers for the original but never used. This new, 2-disc release features the following:

The exact release date has yet to be confirmed, but the SRP will be $49.95. The Beales of Grey Gardens will be available seperately with the above listed features for $19.95.

Also in December, Criterion will release William Greaves' Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, Take One as a 2-disc DVD, together with his 2005 follow-up, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, Take 2 1/2. A freewheeling cinematic experiment which deconstructs the process of filmmaking an a manner that would now be instantly labeled postmodernist, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, Take One is still regarded as one of the great films about the process of filmmaking and as a 60s counterculture cinematic landmark. Criterion's 2-disc release will have the following:

Also set for a December release (date to be confirmed) at the SRP of $39.95.

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The Big Boss Platinum Edition in October
30 September

The first major film role for the greatest martial arts star of them all is about to get a DVD update when Hong Kong Legends release The Big Boss as a 2-disc Platinum Edition in October. The term 'high definition transfer' is turning up a lot at the moment in relation to non-HD DVDs, and exactly what it means is anybody's guess, but we're set to get one here - at the very least, it should mean that the film looks damned good. There's no Bey Logan commentary, of course, but all of you kung-fu fans will already have the special edition that does have one. What we do have on board this time is:

Release date is set for 23rd October 2006 at the RRP of £19.99.

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Unborn but Not Forgotten and Cello in November
27 September

The latest releases on Tartan's Asia Extreme label hop across the water from Japan to Korea for Chang-Jae Lim's Unborn but Not Forgotten (Hayanbang) and Woo-cheol Lee's Cello (Chello hongmijoo ilga salinsagan).

Borrowing just a few ideas from Japanese horror successes such as Ringu and even FearDotCom, Unborn but Not Forgotten kicks off when a TV producer investigating a series of mysterious murders by chance films a woman as she collapses and dies in a nightclub. On examining his footage he sees what looks like something entering the woman's body, and links between this and te previous deaths start to become apparent. Depite its borrowing, the film still scores on atmosphere and chills, and carries a warning about a new danger lurking in internet chatrooms.

Cello centres around talented cellist Mi-ju, who after surviving a horrific car crash seeks a quiet life as a music teacher, but finds herself haunted both my memories of the crash and a vengeful supernatural force. Once of a series of ghost stories to emerge from Korean cinema in 2005 (The Wig, The Red Shoes and Whispering Corridors 4 among them), Cello is generally regarded as the most chillingly effective.

Both films feature anamorphic widescreen transfers and optional Dolby 2.0, 5.1 surround and DTS soundtracks. While Unborn but Not Forgotten is a little light on extras (at present - awaiting confirmation on this), Cello features a director's commentary and a behind-the-scenes featurette. Both films are slated for a November 13th 2006 release at the RRP of £19.99 each.

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Eureka and Masters of Cinema web sites get a makeover
24 September

Not the usual upcoming DVD release news item, but one that should be of real interest to anyone who admires Eureka's Masters of Cinema series. Eureka has recently revamped their entire site, and the Masters of Cinema section now contains over 30 high quality QuickTime trailers, one for each of the MoC releases, plus detailed online essays on each of the films. This is a great way to preview films that you may not know before forking out your dosh, but be warned, there's some very seductive material in here. there is even a link to some intriguing classic cinema goods - I'm particularly fascinated by the Luis Buñuel continental string thong!

You can find Eureka's web site at: http://eurekavideo.co.uk/

and the Masters of Cinema site at: http://eurekavideo.co.uk/moc

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The Complete Buster Keaton Short Films 1917-1923 in October
21 September 2006

The silent cinema of Charlie Chaplin may have gone in and out of favour over the years, but the appreciation of the genius of Buster Keaton has never wavered. A brilliant physical comedian whose emotionless expression landed him the nickname The Great Stone Face, many of his priceless short films are too rarely seen, but Keaton fans can get ready to rejoice, thanks to Eureka's Masters of Cinema label. In what must rate as their most ambitious project to date, MoC are to release The Complete Buster Keaton Short Films 1917-1923 as a four-disc box set containing 32 films with a total running time of 740 minutes.

The films are:

Six of the films - The "High SIgn", One Week, Convict 13, The Playhouse, The Boat and Cops - feature a commentary by Joseph McBride, and the accompanying booklet runs for a staggering 180 pages.

It's yours to enjoy on 23rd October 2006 at the RRP 0f £49.99.

UPDATE: The release date of this set appears to have slipped slightly and now looks likely for 11th November 2006.

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