I am currently abroad, and by this point I should have a decent palate for the bananas of the Philippines. (I may also have dysentery and ringworm.) I could share a photo of these exotic ‘naners and describe the rich flavors I’ve experienced, but instead, here’s some some odd Japanese banana art by Keisuke Yamada in the header. To view more of his creations, go here.
As for new releases this week, there’s the ho-hum Taken 2, the apparently poo poo About Cherry, and the so-so Woody Allen comedy To Rome with Love. (Allen fans can also pick up Blu-ray debuts for Sleeper and Hannah and Her Sisters this week. Still no word on Crimes and Misdemeanors on Blu-ray.) Other new things: the documentary I Am Bruce Lee, the when-did-this-come-out Branded, and the cumbersomely-titled kitchen sink spoof 30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil.
On the re-release front, there’s Drafthouse Films’s release of the rediscovered Aussie gem Wake in Fright. Criterion is putting out Volker Schlöndorff’s The Tin Drum (haven’t seen it since high school, haven’t yet read the Günter Grass novel it’s based on) as well as Alfred Hitchcock’s 1934 version of The Man Who Knew Too Much. Call me crazy, but I don’t think the 1956 version with Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day will see a Criterion release. Que sera, sera.
After the cut is the new stuff on DVD and Blu-ray, as well as your daily dose of exotic ‘naners.
New Releases
30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil (DVD, Blu-ray)
About Cherry (DVD, Blu-ray)
Branded (DVD, Blu-ray)
Farewell My Queen (DVD, Blu-ray)
I Am Bruce Lee (DVD, Blu-ray)
Jesus Christ Superstar: Live Arena Tour 2012 (Blu-ray)
Love Me (DVD, Blu-ray)
Michael Schenker – Temple Of Rock: Live In Europe (DVD, Blu-ray)
The Possession (DVD, Blu-ray)
Rammstein – Videos 1995-2012 (DVD, Blu-ray)
To Rome with Love (DVD, Blu-ray)
Taken 2 (DVD, Blu-ray)
Won’t Back Down (DVD, Blu-ray)
Re-releases
Gentleman’s Agreement (Blu-ray)
Hannah and Her Sisters (Blu-ray)
How Green Was My Valley (Blu-ray)
Jackie Chan Double Feature: Crime Story / The Protector (DVD, Blu-ray)
Lightning Bug (Blu-ray)
The Man Who Knew Too Much [Criterion Collection] (DVD, Blu-ray)
The Notebook: Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray)
Sleeper (Blu-ray)
The Tin Drum [Criterion Collection] (DVD, Blu-ray)
Wake in Fright (DVD, Blu-ray)
Wild River (DVD, Blu-ray)