Port of Shadows (Le Quai des brumes) (Blu-ray) <small>by Stuart Galbraith IV</small><hr /> Kino Lorber's embarrassment of Canal-Plus riches continues with their Blu-ray release of Marcel Carn 's Port of Shadows (Le Quai des brumes, 1938), one of the all-time great French films. A masterpiece of poetic realism and a precursor of sorts to film noir, really, at its core, is one of the screen's most unforgettable, pure romances. Carn 's masterpiece is generally considered to be Children of Paradise (1945), a work this reviewer admires but unaccountably leaves me cold. Port of Shadows is far more accessible and immediately rewarding. The picture even made an impact in the U.S. when it was released in 1939; American critics and audiences were bowled over by stars Jean Gabin and Mich le Morgan, both of whom were eventually lured to Hollywood, making a few films there during the war. In France the picture won the Prix Louis-Delluc, the industry's highest honor, though ...Read the entire review »

Avengers: Endgame (Blu-ray) <small>by William Harrison</small><hr /> THE FILM: The first decade of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, all 23 of them, is an impressive cinematic achievement. With far more highs (Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War, etc.) than lows (Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man 2), there have been few extended franchises in ...Read the entire review »