Apr 24, 2012

DVD Releases We Dig This Week (04.24.12)

Boy oh boy, are there ever a bunch of great releases this week. We'll start with the one that we've been excited about all year since the news hit our desk.  

Criterion is releasing A Hollis Frampton Odyssey, a set devoted to the works of the late, great avant-garde filmmaker Hollis Frampton. It is rare that experimental films get released at all on DVD, even more so when a company like Criterion is behind the action. If their handling of the two Stan Brakhage sets is any indication, then this one should be amazing. 24 films in all are featured: including his feature Zorns Lemma, and such medium-length classics as (nostalgia) and Critical Mass






This same week Criterion is also releasing Mario Monicelli's classic The Organizer, featuring Marcello Mastroianni.


Olive Films continues its streak of resurrecting some fine gems from Paramount's vaults. Not least of their considerable string of releases this week is the 3-DVD set of Bernardo Bertolucci's 1900. (I'm assuming this is the full five-hour version.)



And for those in the audience who (like myself) can't get enough of 1970s crime flicks, this week sees the debut of Badge 373 (featuring Robert Duvall as a no-nonsense cop), and the terrific caper Hit! with Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor and (one of my faves) Gwen Welles in a plot to nab a drug kingpin.



Want more? Okay. Olive is also putting out The Jayhawkers, a western with Jeff Chandler and Fess Parker. I saw this one on the late late show years ago and am looking forward to a fresh viewing.


And there's still more. Kino (via Redemption) is releasing the cult classic Girl on a Motorcycle with Marianne Faithful and Alain Delon. 


Whew! See you next week.

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