Top 15 Releases of 2021

First, foremost, and as always, no, I have not watched every new release from 2021, nor do I want to. I’m sure they are neat, but frankly I could hardly care less about the fifth re-issue of the INDIANA JONES series. Do I love the movie? Sure. Is it worth a side-grade? Nope. 

This has been another strange year for the boutique labels and what they have released. It includes one of the most exceptional collections I have ever seen to date, and it isn’t even number one. I decided to do things a little different this year. If you scroll down you will see the entire list, if you click on any of the titles you will find some statistics, images, descriptions, special feature and some, at times, long winded chunks of opinion. I would love to have you read it all.

Thank you very much for coming here and reading any of this. While some of the titles might be obvious there may be some that you aren’t familiar with, or some that you may be on the fence about. As of 12/20/2021 they are all in print.

[expand title=”15: SIEGE from Severin Films”]

Director: Paul Donovan and Maura O’Connell

Screenplay: Paul Donovan

Minutes: 84 

Year: 1983 

Release: Severin Films

Okay, I get it, really I do. I feel like I should move this down the list a little just so you don’t immediately click away. If you think there is no reason for a canuxploitation action flick to be on a best of list, then we will have to disagree. Please don’t leave.

From SeverinFilms.com: 

From co-directors Paul Donovan and Maura O’Connell (DEFCON-4) comes one of the most disturbing – and rarely-seen – Canadian shockers of the ‘80s, inspired by the actual 42-day Halifax police strike: When a local group of right-wing vigilantes massacres the patrons of a gay bar, the sole survivor seeks refuge in a nearby apartment building whose residents must now defend themselves in a night of hate, terror and bloodshed. Doug Lennox (BREAKING POINT), Tom Nardini (CAT BALLOU), Jack Blum (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME) and Keith Knight (MY BLOODY VALENTINE) star in this “dark and intense thriller, still uncomfortably relevant 35 years after it was made” (Blog Of Horror) – released in the U.S. as SELF DEFENSE – scanned in 2K from the original negative recently discovered in a Nova Scotia archive.

When I originally spun this disc up I had zero expectations. The trailer looked neat, but those are designed to be deceptive. Mix it with the fact that some movies were made in Canada specifically for the tax incentives. I grant you that my knowledge of Canuxploitation flicks is limited and this could be a lesser entry. But if that is the case then there must be some incredible action films out there.

Sometimes I will put on a movie in the background as a test. If I keep doing other tasks the movie may be enjoyable, but it doesn’t glue my eyes. But, if I stop what I am doing then I know that what I am watching is exceptional. This is a silly test, but SIEGE aced it. The tension is palpable and whenever I needed to adjust my attention I had to pause because I did not want to skip a beat.

The inciting incident drips with homophobia so be warned, and the hope that the hooligans would get their comeuppance quickly hooked me. When I go in with no exceptions and end up feeling a literal need for the next scene, then I am very confident that I can recommend a movie to anyone. There are a few caveats, the film shows its age and its budget. The effects are acceptable and some of the beats are awfully predictable. But overall this is a hidden gem of a film that deserves to received a new, gorgeous release. 

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary with Co-Director Paul Donovan and Filmmaker Jason Eisener
• Two Cuts of the movie – Theatrical: 84 mins / Extended: 93 mins
• Trailer
• Limited Edition Slipcover
• Reversible Artwork
  [/expand]

[expand title=”14. THE DUNGEON OF ANDY MILLIGAN COLLECTION from Severin Films”]

Director: Andy Milligan 

Screenplay: Various

Minutes: 1310 

Year: Various 

Release: Severin Films

Believe it or not this is not a list of the best Severin Films releases of the year, there will be other companies, but holy mackerel if they didn’t knock my socks clean off this year. 

From SeverinFilms.com: 

He’s been described as “The Fassbinder of 42nd Street” (Artforum), “a celebration of hate” (Bleeding Skull) and “an unmatched voice from the underbelly of low-budget cinema” (Rue Morgue). More than a quarter century after his death, he remains perhaps the most divisive name in genre history. Severin Films now presents the cranium-cleaving collection devoted to writer/actor/director Andy Milligan – “a gay sadist who pioneered New York’s avant-garde theater world and made astonishingly unique exploitation movies” (Diabolique Magazine) – on 8 Blu-rays featuring 14 surviving films from his NYC and London years, 10+ hours of trailers, outtakes, interviews & audio commentaries, a bonus CD and an all-new 128-page book by Stephen Thrower that explores the profane madness behind it all. From his provocative underground work through his international scuzz-horror classics, experience the venomous legacy of the filmmaker Time Magazine calls “depraved, degenerate, desperate, damned” like never before.  

If you are unfamiliar with Andy Milligan then you would be in a class of just about every person on this planet. This wouldn’t surprise me unless they have mainlined super low budget 42nd street staples. I was hardly familiar with the director when I saw this announcement. 

I was aware of THE GHASTLY ONES, mostly from an internet search of an old surf rock band by the same name and FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET, for reasons I don’t intend on writing.

The films of Andy Milligan reek of do-it-yourself, autodidact, filmmaking. I consider this akin to the idea of getting together with your friends over a weekend to quickly, and cheaply, make a movie. The truth of working with Milligan sounds bleak after reading a short biography. 

It is easy to compare this set to the Al Adamson set from last year. But this set is slightly better, even though it doesn’t have a perfect documentary to lead it off. This release is definitely one for the books and Severin has certainly risen to the occasion this year. 

Special Features:

• Too many to list, check SeverinFilms.com
  [/expand]

[expand title=”13. THE AGFA HORROR TRAILER SHOW from AGFA”]

Director: Various  

Screenplay: Various

Minutes: 80 

Year: 2020 

Release: AGFA

Six of the releases from AGFA made the original nominations list. Each having their own special place in my collection. But as I added more and more nominations I realized that, while I love their curated collection it would probably be boring if I passed on other releases. I don’t expect you to agree, but CITIZEN KANE might be a little better than BOARDINGHOUSE. When everything shook out I opted to include this incredible compilation of horror film trailers. 

From AmericanGenreFilm.com: 

Unleashed from the dungeon of the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA), THE AGFA HORROR TRAILER SHOW is a senses-shattering compilation of the most spine-ripping, slime-slinging, soul-shredding horror trailers that you’ve never seen. Meticulously constructed by the mad scientists at AGFA to resemble an otherworldly night at the drive-in, this mixtape features rare trailers, commercials, and ephemera from the vaults — most of which has never been seen since its original release. And it’s all presented via a 2K scan from a newly struck 35mm theatrical film print of the show! Plus: The journey continues with THE AGFA HORROR TRAILER SHOW: VIDEORAGE, a full-length mixtape created exclusively for this release.

The idea that I would gladly recommend a compilation of trailers is strange to me. Especially considering the other releases by AGFA but I am head over heels in love with this release.

Is it everything that you might hope, maybe not, but I have watched this several times this year and haven’t regretted it once. The magic of a trailer’s compilation isn’t something that you might consider spectacular but this is absolute magic. Whoever compiled this release is someone with whom I want to be friends. 

What is magical of their compilation mixtapes, which can be found here, is that they were delightful releases to help me through the first year of the pandemic. They craft a full theatrical experience with classic “let’s all go to the movies” style pre-feature and intermission clips. 

If I was going to also post a book list this year, the book Kier-la Janisse edited, “Warped and Faded: Weird Wednesday and the Birth of the American Genre Film Archive,” would be high on that list. You can buy it here. 

After watching this main feature on this disc you should definitely dip your toes in the second feature which is a compilation of shot-on-video trailer.

Special Features:

• Newly scanned & restored in 2k from a newly struck 35mm theatrical print
• Commentary with the AGFA team
• Short: SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR BRAIN, a found footage horror experiment
• Bonus Movie: THE AGFA HORROR TRAILER SHOW: VIDEORAGE,a full-length mixtape celebrating the wildest shot-on-video and direct-to-video trailers from AGFA’s video dungeon.
• Reversible cover artwork
• English SDH subtitles
  [/expand]

[expand title=”12. LABYRINTH OF CINEMA from Crescendo House”]

Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi 

Screenplay: Nobuhiko Obayashi, Kazuya Konaka, and Tadashi Naitô

Minutes: 179 

Year: 2019 

Release: Crescendo House 

With Crescendo House’s inaugural release they crushed it with LABYRINTH OF CINEMA, the final film by Nobuhiko Obayashi. If you recognize that name it is because he is  everybody’s favorite director of the magnificent film HAUSU. 

From Crescend.house:

Filming in his hometown of Onomichi for the first time in 20 years, director Nobuhiko Ôbayashi’s new film invites us into an intoxicating cinematic world. Against a backdrop that traces the history of Japan’s wars, LABYRINTH OF CINEMA shapeshifts between styles and genres, drawing influences from silent films, talkies, action flicks, musicals, and more – and creates something triumphantly unique in the process.

Ôbayashi, with a boundless optimism, showcases the raw energy within the medium and the power for cinema to enact real change, as three youths are transported through time into the projected world, fated to cross paths with three heroines through disparate timelines and settings within the silver screen. 

Film writers love it when they have a chance to call a film a love letter to something else, and I am not above this cliche trope. This film is a love letter to different eras of Japanese cinema. While it does drag a few times it is an absolute joy to watch. 

If you are inexperienced with Obayashi this is quite unexpected when considered next to HAUSU. This narrative film marries the idea of cinephiles, like me, next to critics and other fans as they travel through history. 

Obayashi uses various visual queues that harken back to the history of Japanese cinema so long time fans will recognize set pieces, without being overly obvious or trying to act like a gatekeeper. When necessary there is plenty of context for viewers that aren’t also historians. 

Visually the film is stunning. There are digital artifacts, but it is clear that Obayashi employs them to double down on the separation of reality and imagination. This style seems like a signature of the director, based on my experience.

I am interested to see where Crescendo House goes from here. Their sparse site lists three films, but LABYRINTH OF CINEMA is the only one with an available physical release. (On a sad side note I wish to report that typing the word labyrinth over and over is embarrassingly difficult for me. But that is a horse of a different color.) 

Special Features:

• HD digital transfer, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.
• Notes from the Labyrinth, a 60-minute documentary featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Ôbayashi and the cast during the making of the film.
• Video Interview with wife and long-time producer Kyôko Ôbayashi, moderated by independent film programmer Aiko Masubuchi.
• Short Video Introduction by Kyôko and daughter Chigumi Ôbayashi.
• “Dreaming Together in a Cinematic Labyrinth,” Exclusive Essay by award-winning author Eiko Ikegami.
• Eight poems by Chuya Nakahara from the film, with new English translations.
• US & Japanese Trailers.
• Four special lobby cards.
• Plastic o-card slipcover.
• Exclusive New Cover Art by Jess Fang.
  [/expand]

[expand title=”11. SPEED from Disney”]

Director: Jan de Bont  

Screenplay: 

Minutes: 116 

Year: 1994 

Release: Disney

For the uninitiated, Speed tells the story of Officer Jack Traven, played by a young Keanu Reeves. He is a member of the Los Angeles S.W.A.T. team and finds himself in a vendetta scenario with ex-cop Howard Payne, played by Dennis Hopper. After Traven foils a cash grab, Payne plants a bomb on a bus that Jack has to manage, a bomb that will detonate if the bus travels under 50 miles per hour. 

As action films go, SPEED stands a little taller than the rest (pun definitely intended). I probably look at SPEED differently purely because it was released while I was in high school. I am certain that any reviewer would be willing to overlook probable flaws in the same scenario when it comes to a seminal film from their formidable years. 

SPEED is a film that transports this viewer back in time to a moment in which entertainment was more important than the bottom dollar, or, at least, so it seemed. It is one of the two new Jan de Bont releases that I considered including inclusion on this list. But, it turns out that I hold SPEED in higher regard than I do THE HAUNTING. Both films saw re-release this year, both made the short list and this sentence is merely a ruse to mention THE HAUNTING which may be the third best rendition of Shirley Jackson’s novel “The Haunting of Hill House,” but I have a soft spot in my heart for it. But SPEED is better. 

The picture and sound quality on this release a terrific and they included a lot of older special features, even if the website I got the list from calls them all new. However, I would prefer something over nothing.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary: Jan De Bont.
• Audio Commentary: Graham Yost and Mark Gordon.
• NEW! Action Sequences: Bus Jump (480i, 9:38): An in-depth look at making one of the film’s most memorable action shots.
• NEW! Action Sequences: Metrorail Crash (480i, 6:18): As with the above supplement, this piece explores the intricate and delicate processes involved in making the film’s climactic action shot.
• NEW! Inside Speed: On Location (480i, 7:21): Looking at the functions of many of the dozen buses used to make the film.
• NEW! Inside Speed: Stunts (480i, 12:09): Building some of the most intense scenes that usually blend together human and automotive elements.
• NEW! Inside Speed: Visual Effects (480i, 9:14): Making key effects shots ranging from the opening title shots to the climactic finale.
• NEW! Inside Speed: HBO First Look: The Making of Speed (480i, 24:13): An all-encompassing feature that explores story, characters, action, technical details behind the shoot, and more.
• NEW! Extended Scenes (480i, 12:07 total runtime): Included are Jack Shoots Payne in the Neck, Payne Lives/Cops Party, Annie’s Job, After Helen’s Death, Ray’s Crime, and Cargo Jet Explosion: The Airline Version.
• NEW! Trailers and TV Spots (1080p/480i, various runtimes): Included are Theatrical Trailer, Pop Quiz, Game, Get Ready, Go Faster, This Weekend, Ultimate Rush, Review, Movie of the Year, Critics, and Rescue Me Review Alt.
• Speed Music Video by Billy Idol (480i, 4:35).
  [/expand]

[expand Title=”10. RUNAWAY TRAIN from Kino Lorber”]

Director: Andrei Konchalovsky 

Screenplay: Djordje Milicevic, Paul Zindel, and Edward Bunker 

Minutes: 110 

Year: 1985 

Release: Kino Lorber 

This was originally supposed to be an Akira Kurasawa film. Let that sink in for a moment. I originally learned of this film on the Screen Drafts list of releases in the Cannon Films catalog and it is one of my favorite discoveries of the year. 

From KinoLorber.com: 

Tearing up the tracks at 100 miles-per-hour, Runaway Train features hair-raising footage and spectacular Oscar-nominated performances by Jon Voight (COMING HOME, DELIVERANCE) and Eric Roberts (STAR 80, RAGGEDY MAN). Manny (Voight) is the toughest convict in a remote Alaskan prison who, along with fellow inmate Buck (Roberts), makes a daring breakout. Hopping on a freight train, they head full-steam for freedom, but when the engineer dies of a heart attack, they find themselves trapped, alone and speeding towards a certain disaster. Until they discover a third passenger, beautiful railroad worker Sara (Rebecca De Mornay, RISKY BUSINESS, THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL), who’s just as desperate and just as determined to survive as they are. Beautifully shot by Alan Hume (FOR YOUR EYES ONLY), with top-notch direction by Andrei Konchalovsky (SIBERIADE, TANGO & CASH) and based on a screenplay by the legendary Akira Kurosawa (THE SEVEN SAMURAI). Co-starring John P. Ryan (COPS AND ROBBERS, AVENGING FORCE) and Kenneth McMillan (TRUE CONFESSIONS, RAGTIME). Nominated for three Oscars, including Best Actor in a Leading Role (Voight), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Roberts) and Best Film Editing (Henry Richardson).

The short elevator pitch for this film is a prison break flick mixed with Buster Keaton’s masterpiece THE GENERAL. Jon Voight and Eric Roberts both deserved their Academy Award nominations for their performances and they should have taken home their respective statues. 

This is a Cannon Group film, so keep that in mind if you watch it. Just about every frame of this film is tinted with a sheen of grime and the performances are over the top. But this is the sort of film that needs to be witnessed with as little information as possible. 

For the first time since I started compiling a best of the year list that I can make terrific double feature, back to back. I would watch this first, the budget is a clear demarcation point. This film would be better served in that top spot. And you could pretend that Dennis Hopper’s Howard Payne, in SPEED, is one of the maligned police in RUNAWAY TRAIN, for a hoot.

The only possible issue that I can nitpick, for the sake of honesty, is that some of the wide shots appear a little wonky. Not the restoration, mind you, but if you consider this next to SPEED then RUNAWAY TRAIN may seem a little boring because some of the wide tracking shots are fairly static. Then again, other shots are as frenetic as you might imagine from a story of this title.

Special Features:

• Audio Commentary with Co-Star Eric Roberts, and Film Historians David Del Valle and C. Courtney Joyner
• TRAILERS FROM HELL with Rod Lurie
  [/expand]

[expand Title=”9. CITIZEN KANE from the Criterion Collection”]

Director: Orson Welles 

Screenplay: Orson Welles

Minutes: 119 

Year: 1941

Release: The Criterion Collection

CITIZEN KANE is one of the original Criterion Collection laserdiscs that is the perfect entry to Criterion’s brand new 4k lineup. A petty reviewer may drop this release from their list because Criterion really crapped the bed with a major flaw in the authoring of disc two. They might also dislike the packaging so much that they would not nominate the release to begin with. While I am petty enough to mention this I can’t imagine this monumental release being absent from my best of the year list. 

From Criterion.com: 

In the most dazzling debut feature in cinema history, twenty-five-year-old writer-producer-director-star Orson Welles synthesized the possibilities of sound-era filmmaking into what could be called the first truly modern movie. In telling the story of the meteoric rise and precipitous fall of a William Randolph Hearst–like newspaper magnate named Charles Foster Kane, Welles not only created the definitive portrait of American megalomania, he also unleashed a torrent of stylistic innovations—from the jigsaw-puzzle narrative structure to the stunning deep-focus camera work of Gregg Toland—that have ensured that Citizen Kane remains fresh and galvanizing for every new generation of moviegoers to encounter it.

I’ve written extensively about CITIZEN KANE and I was fortunate enough to be able to recently see the film in the theater. Unfortunately, TMC did not use the new Criterion master for their Fathom Event. While it looked okay on the big screen, the 4k presentation on my television took the film to a new level. 

As this is CITIZEN KANE there is nothing that I can say that will tip your wallet in one way or another. However, there are three things to note. The first is that this edition has enough special features to choke a duck. Criterion has put together a true “Criterion Special Edition” (something that has been a little sparse of late) giving a cinephile just about everything they will ever need to supplement this master work. 

If you are planning on picking this up then do yourself a favor and wait until after January 2022. There is an issue with the included Blu-ray (disc two), they are fixing it. When your brand new flagship 4k starts out flawed it is an unfortunate stumble. They can use a little embarrassment though, but they will be fine. 

I also have a gripe with the packaging; while Charles Foster Kane was a larger than life media mogul you do not have to make the Blu-ray package larger than the standard. Standards exist for a reason, the form factor stands out a little too much. Also, and this might just be mine, the glue holding the 4k disc in the packaging popped the second I put any pressure packaging to extradite a disc. 

Minor gripes aside, this release is the definitive edition that cinephiles will have to dust for years to come. It is just shameful that Criterion has to deal with a make-good on their flagship 4k disc. 

Special Features:

• New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• In the 4K UHD edition: One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and three Blu-rays with the film and special features
• Three audio commentaries: from 2021 featuring Orson Welles scholars James Naremore and Jonathan Rosenbaum; from 2002 featuring filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich; and from 2002 featuring film critic Roger Ebert
• The Complete “Citizen Kane,” (1991), a rarely seen feature-length BBC documentary
• New interviews with critic Farran Smith Nehme and film scholar Racquel J. Gates
• New video essay by Orson Welles scholar Robert Carringer
• New program on the film’s special effects by film scholars and effects experts Craig Barron and Ben Burtt
• Interviews from 1990 with editor Robert Wise; actor Ruth Warrick; optical-effects designer Linwood Dunn; Bogdanovich; filmmakers Martin Scorsese, Henry Jaglom, Martin Ritt, and Frank Marshall; and cinematographers Allen Daviau, Gary Graver, and Vilmos Zsigmond
• New documentary featuring archival interviews with Welles
• Interviews with actor Joseph Cotten from 1966 and 1975
• The Hearts of Age, a brief silent film made by Welles as a student in 1934
• Television programs from 1979 and 1988 featuring appearances by Welles and Mercury Theatre producer John Houseman
• Program featuring a 1996 interview with actor William Alland on his collaborations with Welles
• Selection of The Mercury Theatre on the Air radio plays featuring many of the actors from Citizen Kane
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: Deluxe packaging, including a book with an essay by film critic Bilge Ebiri
  [/expand]

[expand Title=” 8. SÁTÁNTANGÓ from Abelos Films”]

Director: Bela Tarr

Screenplay: Béla Tarr and László Krasznahorkai

Minutes: 440 

Year: 1994  

Release: Abelos Films

SÁTÁNTANGÓ is one of the hardest art house films to sell. The seven and a half hour runtime of watching people slog through the mud, while speaking Hungarian, sounds like torture. But it is somehow one of the most magical experiences that a film lover will ever find. 

From AbelosFilms.com:

One of the greatest achievements in recent art house cinema and a seminal work of “slow cinema,” SÁTÁNTANGÓ, based on the book by László Krasznahorkai, follows members of a small, defunct agricultural collective living in a post-apocalyptic landscape after the fall of Communism who, on the heels of a large financial windfall, set out to leave their village. As a few of the villagers secretly conspire to take off with all of the earnings for themselves, a mysterious character, long thought dead, returns to the village, altering the course of everyone’s lives forever.

Shot in stunning black-and-white by Gábor Medvigy and filled with exquisitely composed and lyrical long takes, SÁTÁNTANGÓ unfolds in twelve distinct movements, alternating forwards and backwards in time, echoing the structure of a tango dance. Tarr’s vision, aided by longtime partner and collaborator Ágnes Hranitzky, is enthralling and his portrayal of a rural Hungary beset by boozy dance parties, treachery, and near-perpetual rainfall is both transfixing and uncompromising. SÁTÁNTANGÓ has been justly lauded by critics and audiences as a masterpiece and inspired none other than Susan Sontag to proclaim that she would be “glad to see it every year for the rest of [her] life”.

SÁTÁNTANGÓ has been restored in 4K from the original 35mm camera negative by Arbelos in collaboration with The Hungarian Filmlab.

I have written an essay about SÁTÁNTANGÓ from my first viewing which you can read here, so I will try to be brief. After that first screening I could not shake the memorable imagery of it. Whether it was various characters walking down various muddy roads, the young girl with the cat, or the dance in the tavern. Different real world moments would snap me back to Tarr’s black and white photography and I knew that one day I would revisit it. 

Over the last 6 years I hoped for a release that was better than the cruddy Korean DVD I imported. I had no expectations since this is a niche of a niche film. Who in their right mind would want to restore a seven and a half hour movie. Well, that wrong-minded person’s name is Craig and it was one of his goals when he co-founded Arbelos films. Craig cleaned and graded all 600,000~ frames of the film. (*) It is my understanding that Craig can still see and was not driven absolutely mad by the process.

You can argue that being able to recognize the tiny raindrop splashes in puddles is unnecessary, but when you are dedicating a day to watch a movie, a movie, mind you, with an average shot time of around two and a half minutes, watching the raindrops becomes an essential part of you current existence. Bela Tarr is able to affect you on a spiritual level by allowing you the time you need to truly merge with the images. This is a landmark film as well as a landmark release. If you give it the time it will give something back.

Special Features:

• New 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative
• New video interview A Sense of Rhythm with composer and actor Mihály Víg
• New video essay Orders of Time in Motion by Kevin B. Lee
• 2007 archival interview with director Béla Tarr
• U.S. Theatrical Trailer
• New English subtitle translation
• New essay How to Watch Sátántangó by Janice Lee and Jared Woodland
  [/expand]

[expand Title=”7. THE WORLD OF WONG KAR WAI from The Criterion Collection”]

Director: Wong Kar Wai

Screenplay: Wong Kar Wai

Minutes: 716  

Year: Various

Release: The Criterion Collection

While the packaging seems like a weird cardboard prison for these films, they are among the most elegant and beautiful films you will ever see. Not a year goes by that I don’t melt into a puddle while revisiting CHUNGKING EXPRESS. 

From Criterion.com:

With his lush and sensual visuals, pitch-perfect soundtracks, and soulful romanticism, Wong Kar Wai has established himself as one of the defining auteurs of contemporary cinema. Joined by such key collaborators as cinematographer Christopher Doyle; editor and production and costume designer William Chang Suk Ping; and actors Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Maggie Cheung Man Yuk, Wong (or WKW, as he is often known) has written and directed films that have enraptured audiences and critics worldwide and inspired countless other filmmakers with their poetic moods and music, narrative and stylistic daring, and potent themes of alienation and memory. Whether tragically romantic, soaked in blood, or quirkily comedic, the seven films collected here are an invitation into the unique and wistful world of a deeply influential artist.

I am not entirely sure what to say about this. To start with grievances, I don’t care for the packaging or the book format. It does mesh well with the spirit of the collection, but it is a little too flimsy for my clumsiness. 

When it comes to dramatic films Wong Kar Wai is one of my favorite directors. When this set was announced my mouth started watering over the new restoration of CHUNGKING EXPRESS. I was not let down. 

I haven’t watched everything in the set yet, nor have I watched all of the films. These films affect me on a deep level and if I am not in the right frame of mind, then they may not speak to me the way I know they should. These are experiences that I want to cherish, and that is why this set is essential. Someday I will need FALLEN ANGELS, and I can not just trust that the film you need will be streaming when the time is right. 

Special Features:

• New 4K digital restorations of Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, and 2046, approved by director Wong Kar Wai, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks
• New 4K digital restorations of As Tears Go By and Days of Being Wild, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks
• New program in which Wong answers questions submitted by authors André Aciman and Jonathan Lethem; filmmakers Sofia Coppola, Rian Johnson, Lisa Joy, and Chloé Zhao; cinematographers Philippe Le Sourd and Bradford Young; and filmmakers and founders/creative directors of Rodarte Kate and Laura Mulleavy
• Alternate version of Days of Being Wild, on home video for the first time
• Extended version of The Hand, a 2004 short film by Wong, available in the U.S. for the first time
• Hua yang de nian hua, a 2000 short film by Wong
• Interview and “cinema lesson” with Wong from 2001
• Several programs featuring interviews with Wong; actors Maggie Cheung Man Yuk, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Chang Chen, Faye Wong, and Ziyi Zhang; and others
• Program from 2012 on In the Mood for Love’s soundtrack
• Deleted scenes, alternate endings, behind-the-scenes footage, a promo reel, music videos, and trailers
• PLUS: Deluxe packaging, including a perfect-bound, French-fold book featuring lavish photography, an essay by critic John Powers, a director’s note, and six collectible art prints
• New cover by Nessim Higson
  [/expand]

[expand Title=”6. MELVIN VAN PEEBLES: ESSENTIAL FILMS from the Criterion Collection”]

Director: Melvin Van Peebles

Screenplay: Melvin Van Peebles and Herman Raucher (Watermelon Man)

Minutes: 386 (features)  

Year: Various 

Release: The Criterion Collection

Back in 2018 (here) the Vinegar Syndrome release of SWEET SWEETBACK’S BAADASSSSS SONG came in at number 2. Last year, if I permitted Region B releases,  WATERMELON MAN would have been very high on that list. This is to say that I am a unabashed fan of Melvin Van Peebles

From Criterion.com:

Director, writer, composer, actor, and one-man creative revolutionary Melvin Van Peebles jolted American independent cinema to new life with his explosive stylistic energy and unfiltered expression of Black consciousness. Though he undeniably altered the course of film history with the anarchic SWEET SWEETBACK’S BAADASSSSS SONG, that pop-culture bombshell is just one piece of a remarkably varied career that has also encompassed forays into European art cinema (THE STORY OF A THREE DAY PASS), mainstream Hollywood comedy (WATERMELON MAN), and Broadway musicals (DON’T PLAY US CHEAP). Each facet of Van Peebles’s renegade genius is on display in this collection of four films, a tribute to a transformative artist whose caustic social observation, radical formal innovation, and uncompromising vision established a new cinematic model for Black creative independence. Also included in the set is Baadasssss!, a chronicle of the production of Sweet Sweetback made by Van Peebles’s son Mario Van Peebles—and starring the younger Van Peebles as Melvin.

I have already written about SWEETBACK SWEETBACK’S BAADASSSSS SONG so I won’t say much here. What I want to focus on for a moment is WATERMELON MAN. This film tells the story of Jeff Gerber, a painfully average white man played by Godfrey Cambridge, a black comedian. Gerber lives his life as blandly white as possible until one day he wakes up and his skin pigment has changed. Gerber tries various techniques to either wash the black off, or bleach his skin white. After his wife convinces him that he needs to accept it and go about his life, he quickly learns what it means to be black. 

When I first described this film to a friend they were mortified that the Jeff Gerber character was played by a white actor in black face. This is valid fear (see SOUL MAN). I explained how Van Peebles crafted the story by casting a black actor in white face and how it hammers the story home. It is especially telling after Godfrey’s attempt to go about his life as it had been. I would recommend WATERMELON MAN right alongside Sweet Sweetback. 

This release also includes two more of Melvin Van Peebles features, THE STORY OF A THREE DAY PASS and DON’T PLAY US CHEAP. It also includes hours of other special features including BAADASSSSS, a biopic directed by and starring his son, Mario.

Special Features:

• New 4K digital restorations of all four films, approved by filmmaker Mario Van Peebles, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks for The Story of a Three Day Pass, Watermelon Man, and Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song and 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack for Don’t Play Us Cheap
• Baadasssss!, a 2003 fictional feature film based on director Melvin Van Peebles’s diaries from the making of Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, directed by and starring his son Mario Van Peebles, with commentary by father and son
• New conversations between Mario Van Peebles and film critic Elvis Mitchell; producer Warrington Hudlin and critic and filmmaker Nelson George; and scholars Amy Abugo Ongiri, Gerald R. Butters Jr., and Novotny Lawrence
• Audio commentary by Melvin Van Peebles from 1997 on Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song
• Three short films by Melvin Van Peebles: Sunlight (1957), Three Pickup Men for Herrick (1957), and Les cinq cent balles (1961)
• How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It), a 2005 documentary on Van Peebles’s life and career
• The Story Behind “Baadasssss!”: The Birth of Black Cinema, a 2004 featurette
• Melvin Van Peebles: The Real Deal, a 2002 interview with the director on the making of Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song
• Episodes of Black Journal from 1968, 1971, and 1972, on The Story of a Three Day Pass, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, and Don’t Play Us Cheap
• Interview from 1971 with Van Peebles on Detroit Tubeworks
• French television interview from 1968 with Van Peebles and actors Harry Baird and Nicole Berger on the set of The Story of a Three Day Pass
• Excerpts from a 2004 interview with Van Peebles for the Directors Guild of America Visual History Program
• Introductions to all four films by Van Peebles
• Trailers
• New English subtitle translation for The Story of a Three Day Pass
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: A book featuring essays by film scholars Racquel J. Gates, Allyson Nadia Field, Michael B. Gillespie, and Lisa B. Thompson
• New cover illustration by Emory Douglas, with design by Slang Inc.
  [/expand]

[expand Title=”5. HOME GROWN HORRORS: VOLUME ONE from Vinegar Syndrome”]

TItles: BEYOND DREAMS DOOR, WINTERBEAST, FATAL EXAM 

Director: Jay Woelfel, Christopher Thies, Jack Snyder 

Screenplay: various

Minutes:  272

Year: Various  

Release: Vinegar Syndrome

I rarely know what to expect when I peel the cellophane back on a Vinegar Syndrome release. We have a “trust but verify” sort of relationship. When I flipped through the screenshots on their website I knew that I was in for something special.

From VinegarSyndrome.com:

Throughout the 1980s and 90s, independent and first time filmmakers across the United States saw new opportunities to create work in the horror genre. Often integrating the flavor and color of their inner-America locales into their work, they created films that, while inspired by mainstream trends, are about as far from Hollywood as one can get. Collected here are three diverse films, all produced in the late 1980s, providing a fascinating and entertaining glimpse into the forgotten world of Home Grown Horror.

The idea that I would have the temerity to place this set at number three, above CITIZEN KANE, above WONG KAR WAI, should, I hope, prove to you how magical these three discs are. 

When presented with a regional film, I know that I will need to put aside preconceived notions and be prepared for a wild ride. WINTERBEAST, alone, could sit comfortably in this spot. Its mixture of proto-Harryhausen animation, mixed with mall-store quality masks delivers one of my new favorite low-budget, home made, horror films.  The director, Christopher Thies, and cinematographers, Bob Goodness and Craig B. Mathieson, somehow managed to have a bizarre shellac of Hollywood level grime. It is a mystery. 

BEYOND DREAMS DOOR and FATAL EXAM could just be cherries on top if they weren’t also, someone, really enjoyable. They don’t have the same re-watchability, but I don’t regret a second of them. 

BEYOND DREAMS DOORS

• Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 16mm original camera negative (with tape inserts)
• “Where Horror Lies” – a brand new extended making-of documentary featuring interviews with the cast and crew
• Brand new group commentary track with: director Jay Woelfel, cinematographer Scott Spears, actor Nick Baldasare & actor Rick Kesler
• Brand new commentary track with: actor Nick Baldasare, moderated by Dave Parker
• Group commentary track
• Commentary track with the director
• “Behind Dream’s Door” – making-of documentary
• “Getting Monstered” – fx featurette
• Montage of unused and alternate takes
• Unused and alternate fx footage
• Bloopers and behind-the-scenes footage
• Local news coverage
• Multiple deleted scenes
• Multiple trailers
• Multiple short films with commentary tracks
• Reversible cover artwork
• English SDH subtitles

WINTERBEAST

• Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its original 16mm and Super 8mm film elements
• Brand new commentary track with producer Mark Frizzell
• Archival commentary track with director Christopher Thies, producer Mark Frizzell and cinematographer Craig Mathieson
• “It Came from Lone Peak” – an unfinished early workprint version of Winterbeast
• “Sweat & Persistence” – a new interview with producer Mark Frizzell
• “I Saw it in a Dream” – a new interview with actor Charles Majka
• “My First Career” – a new interview with actor David Majka
• “So Bad, It’s Good” – a new interview with actress Dori May Kelly
• “He Wears Sunglasses at Night” – a new interview with actor Mike Magri
• “A Movie For Filmmakers” – a new interview with filmmaker Simon Barrett
• “Oh, Dear, What can the Matter Be?” – an archival making-of documentary
• Archival deleted scenes
• Archival audio interview with composer Michael Perilstein
• Archival ‘soap opera’ footage
• Reversible cover artwork
• English SDH subtitles

FATAL EXAM

• Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 16mm original camera negative
• Group commentary track with: Jack Snyder (director), Terry Comer (actor), Carl Leta (composer), William Crawford (sfx), Mike Coleman (actor), Dave Mayer (actor)
• “Fatal Examination” – a brand new extended making-of documentary featuring interviews with the cast and crew
• Reversible cover artwork
• English SDH subtitles
  [/expand]

[expand Title=”4. SHAWSCOPE VOLUME ONE from Arrow Video”]

Director: Various

Screenplay: Various

Minutes: 1272 

Year: Various 

Release: Arrow Films

Frankly I am surprised that this ended up shipping this year. It has delayed this post because I was damn near finished and ready to hit publish when the shipping notice was emailed. 

From Arrowvideo.com:

After an undisputed reign at the peak of Hong Kong’s film industry in the 1960s, Shaw Brothers (the studio founded by real-life brothers Run Run and Runme Shaw) found their dominance challenged by up-and-coming rivals in the early 1970s. They swiftly responded by producing hundreds of the most iconic action films ever made, revolutionising the genre through the backbreaking work of top-shelf talent on both sides of the camera as well as unbeatable widescreen production value, much of it shot at ‘Movietown’, their huge, privately-owned studio on the outskirts of Hong Kong.

This inaugural collection by Arrow Video presents twelve jewels from the Shaw crown, all released within the 1970s, kicking off in 1972 with Korean director Chung Chang-wha’s King Boxer, the film that established kung fu cinema as an international box office powerhouse when it hit Stateside cinemas under the title Five Fingers of Death. From there we see Chang Cheh (arguably Shaw’s most prolific director) helm the blood-soaked brutality of The Boxer from Shantung and two self-produced films in his ‘Shaolin Cycle’ series, Five Shaolin Masters and its prequel Shaolin Temple, before taking a detour into Ho Meng-hua’s King Kong-inspired Mighty Peking Man, one of the most unmissably insane giant monster films ever made. Chang’s action choreographer Lau Kar-leung then becomes a director in his own right, propelling his adoptive brother Gordon Liu to stardom in Challenge of the Masters and Executioners from Shaolin. Not to be outdone, Chang introduces some of Shaw’s most famous faces to the screen, including Alexander Fu Sheng fighting on the streets of San Francisco in Chinatown Kid and, of course, the mighty Venom Mob in The Five Venoms and Crippled Avengers. Finally, Lau and Liu successfully meld high kicks with humour in two of their masterworks, Heroes of the East and Dirty Ho, also featuring such fan favourites as Wong Yue, Hsiao Hao and Kara Hui.

From kickass kung fu killers to crazy kaiju knockoffs to culture clash comedies, this carefully curated and gorgeously presented selection of all-time Shaw Brothers classics merely represents the tip of the iceberg of the studio’s rich output, making it both an ideal starting point for newcomers and a treat for hardcore fans alike.

There are few tidbits of good news that have come out of this pandemic. One of them is my current amorous feelings toward Shaw Brothers films. I have spent a bit of time sitting in various curbside pickup visits watching Shaw Brother kung fu films on my while. 

I had heard a rumor of a Shaw Brothers USB device because I longed for a curated (or complete) collection of their films. You can imagine my excitement over the summer when Arrow Video announced volume one of a huge Shaw Brothers project. Labelling this as Volume One fills me with joy and expectation. 

As to this inaugural release I must sadly write this while still expecting delivery. As I mentioned I have been leary of posting this because I knew that if Arrow hit their secord, or third, release date I was sure that it would make the list. 

As of this writing it is scheduled to arrive midweek, so I am basing this off of other reviews, as well as my expectation. This may discount your opinion, but my experience with Arrow tells me that they will bring something beyond their A+ game when it comes to a genre defining release. 

I tend to respect reviews from DVDBeaver and I would recommend you do the same. Since they were able to access this information earlier than yours truly you can see their review HERE. I won’t go on record as a blind agreement, but of their various reviews I can assure you that my new found fandom pales in comparison to their expertise. 

As a recent convert I gladly place this release at number 4. I could have tried to force the availability of scans, but there are smarter reviewers than myself when it comes to the technical specifics.

What I can say is that the second that Arrow posted the announcement for this set my pre-order was placed. This could have easily been the number one release if it weren’t for the original delay, and the presumption that this would be held over, not to mention the magnetic releases ahead of it.

Either way you shake it I expect that the SHAW BROTHERS VOLUME ONE should be one you list to order before push comes to shove and this is out of print and you will wish you took my advice.

Of all of the releases on this list the SHAW BROTHER VOLUME ONE, has the greatest return on investment.  

Special Features:

• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all twelve films, including seven new 2K restorations by Arrow Films
• Illustrated 60-page collectors’ book featuring new writing by David Desser, Terrence J. Brady and James Flower, plus cast and crew listings and notes on each film by Simon Abrams
• New artwork by Sam Gilbey, Matthew Griffin, Chris Malbon, Jacob Phillips, Ilan Sheady, Tony Stella, Darren Wheeling and Jolyon Yates
• Hours of never-before-seen bonus features, including several cast and crew interviews from the Frédéric Ambroisine Video Archive
• Two CDs of music from the De Wolfe Music library as heard in six of the films, exclusive to this collection

Disc One – King Boxer

• Brand new 2K restoration by Arrow Films from a 4K scan of the original negative
• Newly restored uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Mandarin audio, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
• Brand new commentary by David Desser, co-editor of The Journal of Japanese and Korean Cinema and The Cinema of Hong Kong
• Newly filmed appreciation by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
• Interview with director Chung Chang-wha, filmed in 2003 and 2004 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Interview with star Wang Ping, filmed in 2007 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Interview with Korean cinema expert Cho Young-jung, author of Chung Chang-wha: Man of Action, filmed in 2005 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu, the first in a three-part documentary on Shaw Brothers’ place within the martial arts genre produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003, featuring interviews with Jackie Chan, Jet Li, John Woo, Sammo Hung, Gordon Liu, Lau Kar-leung, Cheng Pei-pei, David Chiang and many others
• Alternate opening credits from the American version titled Five Fingers of Death
• Hong Kong, US and German theatrical trailers, plus US TV and radio spots
• Image gallery

Disc Two – The Boxer From Shantung

• Brand new 2K restoration by Arrow Films from a 4K scan of the original negative
• Newly restored uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Mandarin audio, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
• Interview with star Chen Kuan-tai, filmed in 2007 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Interview with assistant director John Woo, filmed in 2004 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Interview with star David Chiang, filmed in 2003 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Conversation between stars Chen Kuan-tai and Ku Feng, filmed at a Shaw Brothers reunion in 2007 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Hong Kong and German theatrical trailers, plus US TV spot
• Image gallery

Disc Three – Five Shaolin Masters / Shaolin Temple

• Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films
• Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
• Newly filmed appreciation of Chang Cheh by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
• Interview with star Kong Do, filmed in 2003 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Elegant Trails: David Chiang and Elegant Trails: Ti Lung, two featurettes on the actors produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003
• Alternate standard-definition version of Shaolin Temple
• Alternate opening credits from Five Masters of Death, the US version of Five Shaolin Masters
• Alternate opening credits sequences for Shaolin Temple
• US and German trailers for Five Shaolin Masters
• Hong Kong and German trailers for Shaolin Temple
• Image galleries for both films

Disc Four – Mighty Peking Man

• Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Mandarin audio, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
• Brand new commentary by Travis Crawford
• Brand new interview with suit designer Keizo Murase, filmed in 2021 by Daisuke Sato and Yoshikazu Ishii
• Interview with director Ho Meng-hua, filmed in 2003 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Interview with star Ku Feng, filmed in 2004 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Behind-the-scenes Super 8 footage from the archives of Keizo Murase
• ‘Unrestored’ standard-definition version
• Alternate opening credits from Goliathon, the US version of Mighty Peking Man
• Hong Kong, US, German and Dutch theatrical trailers, plus US TV spot
• Image gallery

Disc Five – Challenge Of The Masters / Executioners From Shaolin

• Brand new 2K restoration of Challenge of the Masters from the original negative by Arrow Films
• Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films, plus Cantonese mono for Challenge of the Masters
• Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs
• Newly filmed appreciation of Lau Kar-leung by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
• Interview with star Gordon Liu, filmed in 2002 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Interview with star Chen Kuan-tai, filmed in 2007 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Textless opening credits for Challenge of the Masters
• Alternate English credits for Executioners from Shaolin
• Hong Kong theatrical trailers for Challenge of the Masters
• Hong Kong and US theatrical trailers for Executioners from Shaolin
• Image galleries for both films

Disc Six – Chinatown Kid:

• Brand new 2K restoration of the 115-minute International Version from original film elements
• 90-minute Alternate Version
• Uncompressed original Cantonese audio for the International Version, with newly translated English subtitles
• Uncompressed original English audio for the International Version, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles
• Uncompressed original Mandarin audio for the Alternate Version, with newly translated English subtitles
• Select scene video commentary by co-star Susan Shaw from 2021
• Elegant Trails: Fu Sheng, a featurette on the actor produced by Celestial Pictures in 2005
• Hong Kong, US and German theatrical trailers, plus US TV spot
• Image gallery

Disc Seven – The Five Venoms/Crippled Avengers

• Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films
• Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films plus Cantonese mono for The Five Venoms
• Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs
• Brand new commentary on The Five Venoms by critic Simon Abrams
• Interview with star Lo Meng, filmed in 2003 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Chang Cheh: The Master, a featurette about the director produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003
• Hong Kong and US theatrical trailers for The Five Venoms
• Hong Kong theatrical trailer for Crippled Avengers
• Image galleries for both films

Disc Eight:

• Brand new 2K restoration of Dirty Ho from the original negative by Arrow Films
• Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films
• Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs
• Brand new commentary on Heroes of the East by Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of the Martial Arts
• Newly filmed appreciation of both films by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
• Interview with Heroes of the East star Yasuaki Kurata, filmed in 2003 by Frédéric Ambroisine
• Alternate opening credits for Shaolin Challenges Ninja, the international version of Heroes of the East
• Alternate English credits for Dirty Ho
• Hong Kong theatrical trailer for Heroes of the East, plus US TV spot
• Hong Kong theatrical trailer for Dirty Ho
• Image galleries for both films

Disc Nine – MUSIC FROM SHAOLIN TEMPLE, MIGHTY PEKING MAN AND CHINATOWN KID (CD)

•  MUSIC FROM THE FIVE VENOMS, CRIPPLED AVENGERS AND DIRTY HO (CD)
  [/expand]

[expand Title=”3. ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS: A COMPENDIUM OF FOLK HORROR from Severin Films”]

Director: various 

Screenplay: various

Minutes: A lot 

Year: Various 

Release: Severin Films

The few folk horror films that I have seen have always made me interested in diving deep into the subgenre, but it is rare to find an affordable (when you do that math) collection from around the world with an accompanying giga-documentary. 

From SeverinFilms.com:

The most comprehensive collection of its kind begins with the definitive genre documentary of our time, Kier-La Janisse’s award-winning WOODLANDS DARK & DAYS BEWITCHED. From there, experience 19 of the best-known, least-known, rarely-seen and thought-lost classics of folk horror from around the world, all restored from the best available vault elements with Special Features that include short films, audio commentaries and exclusive featurettes. The ultimate genre exploration continues with the original WOODLANDS soundtrack by Jim Williams and a reading of the classic short story ‘The White People’ by actress Linda Hayden, as well as a 126-page illustrated book curated by Janisse and designed by Luke Insect featuring all-new writings by renowned film scholars, authors and historians.

I love Severin Films and I am often very impressed with their work. Sometimes, though, they miss a deadline. This doesn’t bother me, I would prefer them to get it right then have to backtrack and fix releases later. As I was prepping and writing this I wasn’t sure that I would have it in hand before the year was out. They pulled it off and I had to delete this original paragraph saying that I hoped to receive it. 

First off the set includes the following feature films. I’m using the numbered list purely to make a point. 

1. WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED
2. EYES OF FIRE
3. LEPTIRICA
4. WITCHHAMMER
5. VIY
6. LAKE OF THE DEAD
7. TILBURY
8. THE DREAMING
9. KADAICHA
10. CELIA
11. ALISON’S BIRTHDAY
12. WILCZYCA
13. LOKIS: A MANUSCRIPT OF PROFESSOR WITTENBACH
14. CLEARCUT
15. IL DEMONIO
16. DARK WATERS
17. A FIELD IN ENGLAND
18. ANCHORESS
19. PENDRA’S FEN
20. ROBIN REDBREAST

I listened to several conversations with the director of the documentary WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED, and editor of this set, Kier-La Janisse. The way she dotes on the set it is clear that she is beyond reproach when it comes to her authority on the genre and on this set.

She says that the set came out of a special feature she was asked to produce for Severin’s 2019 release of THE BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW. She pitched a short documentary on the history of folk horror. Her short featurette quickly ballooned into its own feature length film, long enough to make David Lean sweat a little. 

I have seen a handful of films from this set and I know how much effort went into making this a worthy addition to all collections. On top of the 20 features I have decided to compile the entire list of special features, rather than cop out like I did for Andy Milligan. This includes interviews, commentaries, video essays, and 18 short films.

Special Features:

Disc 1

• Video Introduction By Writer/Director/Producer Kier-La Janisse (9 mins)
• Animating Folk Horror — A Conversation with Ashley Thorpe (12 mins)
• Outtake: What is Folk Horror? (2 mins)
• Outtake: Harvest Hymns — The Sounds and Signals of Folk Horror (22 mins)
• Outtake: Terra Assombrada — Expressions of Folk Horror in Brazil (7 mins)
• Folk Poetry (5 mins)
• Trailer

Disc 2

• Audio Commentary With Colin Dickey, Author of “Ghostland: An American History In Haunted Places”
• The Secret Is In The Trees — “Nightmare USA” Author Stephen Thrower Interviews Avery Crounse (29 mins)
• Crying Blue Sky
• Plus Bonus Short Films:
• The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow (Sam Weiss, USA 1972) (13 mins)
• Transformations (Barbara Hirschfeld, USA 1972) (8.5 mins)
• Backwoods (Ryan Mackfall, UK 2018) (15 mins)

Disc 3

• Radical Fairy Tales — Interview With Director Djordje Kadijevic 
• Štićenik (Djordje Kadijevic,1973) (45 mins)
• Diary Of An Inmate (10 mins)
• Devičanska Svirka (Djordje Kadijevic,1973) (60 mins)
• Prisoner Of Song

Disc 4

• Audio Commentary With Czech Film Historian And Curator Irena Kovarova
• The Womb Of Woman Is The Gateway To Hell (22.5 mins)
• The Projection Booth Podcast (62 mins)
• From The Woods To The Cosmos — John Leman Riley On The History Of Soviet Fantasy And Sci-Fi Film (34 mins)
• Plus Bonus Silent Short Films: Satan Exultant (1917, 20 mins), The Queen of Spades (1916, 16 mins) and The Portrait (1915, 8 mins)

Disc 5

• Audio Commentary With Film Historians Jonathan Rigby And Kevin Lyons
• Audio Commentary With Director Viðar Víkingsson And Screenwriter Þórarinn Eldjárn, Moderated By Film Scholar Gudrun D. Whitehead
• With Enough Tilbury Butter, Anything Is Good — Interview With Karl Ágúst Úlfsson 
• A Boy From The Country — Interview With Kristján Franklin Magnúss 
• White Spot In The Back Of The Head (Viðar Víkingsson, 1979) (33 mins)
• “The Moon Fades, Death Rides”
• Viðar Víkingsson discusses the folkloric origins of White Spot In The Back Of The Head

Disc 6

• Audio Commentary With Director Mario Andreacchio, Moderated By Film Historian Jarret Gahan
• Audio Commentary With Director James Bogle, Moderated By Veteran Film Journalist Michael Helms (Fatal Visions)
• The Final Girl Of KADAICHA (13 mins)
• Composing KADAICHA (17.5 mins)
• Behind The Scenes Of KADAICHA (7 mins)
• Trailer

Disc 7

• CELIA And Me (40 mins)
• From Crawfords To CELIA (17 mins)
• The Rabbit In Australia (24 mins)
• Extended Interviews From NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD With Producer David Hannay And Cast Members Joanne Samuel And Belinda Giblin
• The Devil Down Under — Satanic Panic In Australia From Rosaleen Norton To ALISON’S BIRTHDAY

Disc 8

• Unleashing The She-Wolf — An Interview With Director Marek Piestrak 
• Wild Country Of The Were-Bear — An Interview With Director Janusz Majewski

Disc 9

• Archival Video Introduction By Director Ryszard Bugajski
• Audio Commentary With Scholar And Anthropologist Shaawano Chad Uran (White Earth Anishinaabe)
• The Ballad Of Crowfoot (Willie Dunn, 1968) (10 mins)
• Audio Commentary For The Ballad of Crowfoot With Kevin Howes And Lawrence Dunn, Co-Producers Of Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology
• You Are On Indian Land (Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell, 1969) (32 mins)
• Consume (Mike Peterson, 2017) (20 mins)

Disc 10

• Audio Commentary By Film Historian Kat Ellinger
• “The Kid From A Kibbutz” — Daliah Lavi And The Road To IL DEMONIO (27.5 mins)
• Once Upon A Time In Basilicata
• Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Mariano Baino 
• Deep Into The DARK WATERS (50 mins)

Disc 11

• Audio Commentary With Director Ben Wheatley, Producer Andy Starke And Sound Editor Martin Pavey
• Letterboxd Magic Hour Episode One: Kier-La Janisse X Ben Wheatley (45 mins)
• Please Hear Me — The Music of A FIELD IN ENGLAND (6 mins)
• Ben Wheatley In Conversation With Pete Tombs (23 mins)
• Camera Tests (10.5 mins)
• Trailer
• Lockdown 1329 (13.5 mins)
• A new video essay by ANCHORESS director Chris Newby that explores parallels between COVID lockdown in the UK and Christine Carpenter’s experience as an anchoress, featuring outtakes from the film.
• A Short Trip To Shere (2.5 mins)

Disc 12

• Audio Commentary by James Machin and Matthew Hale, Editors of the book “Of Mud & Flame: The Penda’s Fen Sourcebook”
• The Landscape of Feelings: The Road to Penda’s Fen (16 mins)                                                                                                                                                     Plus Bonus Short Film:
• The Pledge (Digby Rumsey, 1982) (22 mins)                                                                                                                                                                                      Interview With John Bowen (12 mins)
• The Sermon (Dean Puckett, 2018) (12 mins) In an isolated church community in the English countryside, a powerful hate preacher prepares to deliver a sermon to his flock, but his daughter has a secret that could destroy them all.

BONUS CDs:

• WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED
• ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
• Composed by Jim Williams 
• THE WHITE PEOPLE

ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS — 126 page book.
[/expand]

[expand Title=”1. (tie) THE SIGNIFYIN WORKS OF MARLON RIGGS from The Criterion Collection”]

Director: Marlon Riggs

Screenplay: Marlon Riggs

Minutes: 339

Year: Various  

Score:  

Release: The Criterion Collection

As soon as I finished watching ETHNIC NOTIONS, Riggs’s first professionally produced documentary, I knew that this release would definitely be in this list. I never questioned that. And at the tie I wasn’t even thinking about the national firestorm that was raging over the very questions Riggs was asking. 

From Criterion.com: 

There has never been a filmmaker like Marlon Riggs: an unapologetic gay Black man who defied a culture of silence and shame to speak his truth with resounding joy and conviction. An early adopter of video technology, Riggs employed a bold mix of documentary, performance, poetry, and music in order to confront the devastating legacy of racist stereotypes, the impact of AIDS on his community, and the very definition of what it means to be Black. Bringing together Riggs’s complete films—including his controversy-inciting queer landmark Tongues Untied and Black Is . . . Black Ain’t, the deeply personal swan song that was completed after his death at the age of thirty-seven—The Signifyin’ Works of Marlon Riggs traces the artistic and political evolution of a transformative filmmaker whose work is both an electrifying call for liberation and an invaluable historical document.

This collection is essential. Twenty-seven years after Marlon Riggs died we continue to battle over racism and homophobia while some of us actively try to limit how these topics are taught. I wish my teachers were more insistent on providing me with an open dialogue and lessons so I could have been a better person from the start. Having a resource like this will open some eyes, and it might even save a few lives.

If you are on the fence then I’d wager that this will be that little extra nudge you need. Since the paper trail of the production for TONGUES UNITED led back to the National Endowment for the Arts the film was targeted by, “several right-wing United States government policymakers and many conservative groups were against using taxpayer money to fund what they believed were repulsive artistic works.” (wikipedia) Anything that riles politicians up will always sit a little taller in my estimation. 

We cannot have enough collections like this available. One of the downsides to this being a release from the Criterion Collection is that it has a slightly prohibitive price point for the person who needs to see these films. They are streaming on the Criterion Channel and I imagine they are available on Kanopy which can be accessed via public libraries in some areas. 

This collection needs to be championed, and shared.

Special Features:

• New high-definition digital masters of all seven films, with uncompressed monaural or stereo soundtracks on the Blu-rays
• Four new programs featuring filmmaker and editor Christiane Badgley; performers Brian Freeman, Reginald T. Jackson, and Bill T. Jones; filmmakers Cheryl Dunye and Rodney Evans; poet Jericho Brown; film and media scholar Racquel Gates; and sociologist Herman Gray
• Excerpts from a 1992 interview with director Marlon Riggs
• Brief introductions by Riggs to Tongues Untied and Color Adjustment
• Long Train Running: The Story of the Oakland Blues (1981), Riggs’s University of California, Berkeley, graduate thesis film
• Introduction to Riggs from 2020 featuring filmmakers Vivian Kleiman and Shikeith, and Ashley Clark, curatorial director of the Criterion Collection
• I Shall Not Be Removed: The Life of Marlon Riggs (1996), a documentary by Karen Everett that features interviews with Riggs; Kleiman; filmmaker Isaac Julien; African American studies scholar Barbara Christian; several of Riggs’s longtime friends and collaborators; and members of his family
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by film critic K. Austin Collins
• New cover design by Hassan Rahim/12:01 with Eric Skillman
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[expand Title=”1. (tie) THE STRAIGHT STORY from Imprint Films”]

Director: David Lynch 

Screenplay: Mary Sweeney and John Roach

Minutes: 112  

Year: 1999 

Release: Imprint Films

THE STRAIGHT STORY is an Australian release from Imprint Films. While I typically try and keep lists like this narrowed down to US releases, this is region free so you can play it anywhere, and that is my only real rule. Also, it is a damned shame that Disney won’t produce a US release, so if it must be imported then it must. 

From Viavision.com.uk: Buy from DiabolikDVD.com

Richard Farnsworth (MISERY, THE NATURAL) stars as Alvin Straight — a no-nonsense man who has never been one to lean on others. Now at an age when his eyesight denies him the ability to drive and walking is accomplished only with the help of two canes, Alvin lives a quiet life with his daughter Rose (Sissy Spacek). But when the call comes that Alvin’s estranged brother Lyle  has suffered a debilitating stroke, Alvin embarks on a dangerous and emotional journey to make amends.

Directed by David Lynch (Blue Velvet) and based on a true story that captured the hearts of America.

There is an old song and dance about this film. About how it is a major departure for David Lynch. About how it barely fits in his oeuvre. While this is visually true, there is a clear connection in performance and direction that is a very distinct product of David Lynch.

THE STRAIGHT STORY was my first experience with David Lynch so when I watched it I was oblivious to the value. A few years back I watched the film again via VOD, which was the only option. My hat was blown clear off my head, just like Alvin’s was after the semi-truck flew past the his John Deere; Lynch’s intention ran me over.

This is a film about an aging man who needed to see his sick brother. His only option was to build a trailer to attach to a small John Deere tractor and drive 240 miles from Iowa to Wisconsin. Lynch crafted an unexpected travelogue of the midwest. Something that you don’t think you need to see until you do. 

Placing this as a tie number one is the best way for me to say that the Imprint Films release of THE STRAIGHT STORY is an essential release. It is the best way to add this priceless David Lynch film to your collection, filling that last hole. I suppose there is a chance there will be a US release eventually, but Disney does not make a habit of releasing discs that won’t bring in Scrooge McDuck style money bags.

Special Features:

• 1080P High definition presentation from the restored 4k master
• New Audio Commentary by Film Critic Peter Tonguette (2021)
• New producer/editor featurette (2021)
• New featurette on the score (2021)
• New production design featurette (2021)
• New Visual Essay by filmmaker, writer and programmer Ian Mantgani (2021)
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround / 5.1
• Trailer
• English subtitles
• Limited Edition slipcase on the first 2000 copies with unique artwork.
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