Malcolm X (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray) by William Harrison THE FILM:In celebration of the film's 30th birthday, the Criterion Collection releases Spike Lee's seminal biographical drama Malcolm X in a definitive edition that collectors will certainly appreciate adding to their film libraries. With a screenplay written by Lee and Arnold Perl that is based on Malcolm X's 1965 autobiography, the film offers a career-best performance from Denzel Washington and a powerful exploration of the American activist's life and beliefs. Lee's epic tracks its subject's life from childhood through his assassination in 1965, diving deep into the events that formed Malcolm X and depicting these civil rights-era conflicts with grace and attention to detail. At 201 minutes, Malcolm X is a lengthy sit, but Lee and company created a film that not only offers important discourse but is consistently, dramatically entertaining.Washington ...Read the entire review »

Pulp Fiction (4K Ultra HD) (Steelbook) (Blu-ray) by William Harrison THE FILM:No way does Pulp Fiction need more glowing admiration. As I mentioned in my review of Jason Bailey's book on the subject, what other violent, profane, R-rated film has had such an impact on popular culture? Quentin Tarantino's second film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1994, earned a host of Oscar nominations, and sits high up on many "best of" lists. It is not my favorite film from the director - that would be Jackie Brown - but it is certainly a livewire good time. I watch this film every couple of years and always find something new to like; from character nuances to soundtrack beats to sly humor that lands just right. That Pulp Fiction is fast approaching its thirtieth anniversary seems unreal, and Paramount has given the...Read the entire review »

The Power of the Dog (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray) by William Harrison THE FILM:New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion's latest, The Power of the Dog, earned a host of rave reviews upon its Netflix premiere in late 2021. It is certainly the kind of slow, pretentious, perfunctorily showy film critics wank over, but audiences were much less impressed, dogging it in online reviews. I land somewhere in the middle. Based on Thomas Savage's 1967 novel of the same name, The Power of the Dog stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons as wealthy ranch-owning brothers Phil and George Burbank in 1920s Montana. Phil is cold and cruel to everyone except his men; while George is kind and friendly, earning the affections of Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst), who runs a restaurant with her son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Shot on location in New Zealand and sporting gorgeous cinematography by Ari Wegner, the film is certainly handsome. The acting and prod...Read the entire review »