manicsounds

492 "A Christmas Tale" (2008) dir - Arnaud Desplechin


New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by director Arnaud Desplechin
L’aimée, Desplechin’s 2007 documentary about the selling of his family home
New documentary featuring interviews with Desplechin and actors Mathieu Amalric and Catherine Deneuve
Original theatrical trailers
New and improved English subtitle translation
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Philip Lopate

493 "Gomorrah" (2008) dir - Matteo Garrone


New high-definition transfer, supervised and approved by director Matteo Garrone (with uncompressed stereo soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
Five Stories, a 60-minute documentary on the making of Gomorrah
New video interviews with Garrone and actor Toni Servillo
Interviews with writer Roberto Saviano and actors Gianfelice Imparato
and Salvatore Cantalupo
Deleted scenes
Theatrical trailer
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Chuck Stephens

494 "The Downhill Racer" (1969) dir - Michael Ritchie


New, restored high-definition digital transfer
New video interviews with screenwriter James Salter; film editor Richard Harris; production manager Walter Coblenz; and former downhill skier Joe Jay Jalbert, who served as technical adviser, a ski double, and a cameraman
Audio excerpts from a 1979 American Film Institute seminar with director Michael Ritchie
Theatrical trailer
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Todd McCarthy

495 "The Golden Age Of Television" (various)


The live kinescope broadcasts of Marty (1953), Patterns (1955), No Time for Sergeants (1955), A Wind from the South (1955), Requiem for a Heavyweight (1956), Bang the Drum Slowly (1956), The Comedian (1957), and Days of Wine and Roses (1958)
Commentaries by directors John Frankenheimer, Delbert Mann, Ralph Nelson, and Daniel Petrie
Interviews with key cast and crew, including Frankenheimer, Andy Griffith, Julie Harris, Kim Hunter, Richard Kiley, Piper Laurie, Nancy Marchand, Jack Palance, Cliff Robertson, Mickey Rooney, Carol Serling, Rod Steiger, and Mel Torme
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by curator Ron Simon and his extensive liner notes on each program

NoirFan

I'm in for Downhill Racer, the others are all rentals. The Golden Age of Television looks like a potential treasure trove, but I'm not sure what the re-watch value would be.

i86time

Too bad no 'The Time Element' for Golden Age, but it'll still be a must get. 'The Comedian' is brutal.

Geofferson

Wow, didn't expect to see Downhill Racer get the CC treatment. Watched it not too long ago...it's held up quite well over the years.

pjflyer

Christmas Tale is really good, wish it was getting a Blu release. That television one looks amazing!

ReduxGuy

No wonder IFC has been so stingy with the releases as of late.

And a Criterion Gomorrah... HELL YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MTRodaba2468

I'm in for Gomorrah and Downhill Racer for sure...

animatedude

Gomorrah!!

Jaymole

I'm definitely buying the first 3 and probably the Golden Age of Television too as I'm interested in comparing the original broadcasts to the films that were eventually made.

I've been waiting for Downhill Racer to come out on DVD for years...great film!

manicsounds

See, it's nice that they are releasing Gomorrah, but I have no desire to upgrade from the 2-disc Optimum. Pretty much the same extras, with a new interview here and there, but 2 major things, where is Martin Scorsese and where is Massive Attack?

Was hoping for some input from them, with Scorsese attaching his name to the film and Massive Attack for the theme. And no commentary? No vintage documentary or news footage about the Cammora?

Also, for once, the Criterion cover is not as good. Some people will think it's an Italian Godzilla movie. Big Man Italia?

riotinmyskull

i think the cover art is brilliant.

mikelowry

Oh shit! I just got the R2 2 disc release. I didn't see this coming. Not impressed with cover art though.

marty888

Definitely will grab GOMORRAH and GOLDEN AGE OF TELEVISION.

alfonsosoriano

Gomorrah?!?!?! YES!!!!!

jjcool

A couple there that look intriguing.

Cosmic Bus

The IFC-licensed titles (Christmas Tale and Gomorrah) have been available for rental at Blockbuster for months now if anyone is interested in seeing them before considering a purchase.

Kerborus

What is the 'Golden Age of Television'? From the description it's movies that were played on TV?

Also, I have to say that I'm really starting to get itchy for some of the more well known movies (at least to me) to come out ahead of these - more Kurosawa, Bergman, Apu Trilogy (man that would be great), Ambersons etc. These films need to come out sooner rather than later. And more Max Ophuls as well.

Maxflier

Count me in for the Gomorrah Blu-Ray.
And I agree with this:

AGameWithStones

All rentals; though I would have bought the Television set and soiled my shorts over it a few years back. Pretty ho hum month.

Sean O'Hara

They're made-for-TV movies from the days when guys like Lumet, Frankenheimer, and Chayefsky were working on TV. Patterns and Requiem for a Heavyweight are notable as the films that established Rod Serling's reputation as a writer. Many of these telefilms were eventually turned into theatrical movies, though with mixed results -- Marty may've been improved on the big screen, but the original Patterns was so tightly written that expanding it to feature length required a lot of padding.

mikelowry

Criterion is just a few spines away to reaching a milestone spine #500. What movie could that be?

ezln94

i had no idea Gomorrah was coming to criterion. i'll definately pick it up...

dino88

I'm very surprised that the people that own the current release of Gomorrah are saying they don't like Criterion's cover art. Can you honestly say that the current artwork is better than Criterions? The current cover is horrible and just littered with reviews and ratings. I think you're just looking to justify not buying the Criterion.
Count me in as one of the people looking forward to it's release.

When was Che again, Oct. or Dec.?

cracksky

They were live plays broadcast on tv. They did it all the time back then. It was brought back in 2000 when Fail Safe was remade as a live B&W feature length film (the 1st in 39 years). Also, an episode of ER (Ambush - S4E1) was shot live twice in 1997 for both coasts.

manicsounds

I liked the collage are on the region 2 Gomorrah with the pink letters, as it is on the film itself. Ya, Criterion usually doesnt use the ratings or quotes on the DVD covers, which I like, but having 1 giant boy in his underwear walking over Naples is not a very good representation of the film, and nowhere near the iconic image it should be.

I know it happens to be one of the posters for the release, but it just wasnt near a favorite.

But on the other titles, I seriously think this month's release have pretty bland art for criterion. Downhill Racer looks more like Loops of Fury