Fast Times at Ridgemont High comes to Blu-ray for a second time, now getting the Criterion Collection treatment with an upgrade video transfer and a new interview feature; between the two worth the price, along with a really funny movie.
From time to time there are movies that I get to watch that I normally probably wouldn’t have heard of or passed by, and Irma Vep came as a pleasant surprise with a wholly engaging character-centric story.
The Parallax View is an entertaining if not a bit far-fetched conspiracy theory political thriller born out of the Kennedy assassination. Warren Beatty delivers a solid performance, even if some shots seem to be for a GQ photo shoot.
Three Films by Luis Bunuel is a collection of films from the prolific director and includes The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972), The Phantom of Liberty (1974) and That Obscure Object of Desire (1977).
The Irishman was a little disappointing if only for the amount of praise the film received from both the professional and regular everyday movie-watchers, however it was great to see three veteran actors together.
The Naked City is a well done crime-drama that certainly was done in an interesting style with a documentary-like narration and filming on location in New York City.
Marriage Story is a bittersweet drama featuring two incredible, award-worthy, performances (not to take away from Laura Dern who was great in her own right) by both Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver.
1938’s Holiday is a charming enough romance-drama featuring a few great performances, primarily Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Doris Nolan.
I wish I could recommend this Criterion Collection release of All About Eve but even though the video and audio transfers and features were great, the cheap packaging and shoddy work holding discs using rubber hubs makes this a no-go in my book.
Magnificent Obsession is a wonderful romantic drama featuring two great performances by Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman (who was nominated for an Academy Award), beautifully shot by director Douglas Sirk.
In the Heat of the Night is a wonderful and culturally important film from the 1960s and while I don’t think it’s among Sidney Poitier’s best, with To Sir, With Love being my favorite of his, but it still is a great performance alongside Rod Steiger.
Shampoo is a tour-de-force of a movie more with the acting from Warren Beatty, Goldie Hawn, Julie Christie and Lee Grant, who took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, than the screenplay, written by Robert Towne and Beatty (Oscar nominated).
Cold Water (L’eau froide) is a well acted and quite realistic drama about adolescent youth with Assayas’s screenplay holding no punches and avoids some of the pratfalls of similarly themed movies from the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape is a strong feature film debut for Steven Soderbergh and features some great performances, primarily Andie MacDowell and James Spader. This is well worth watching for anyone who appreciates a well written character drama.
Midnight Cowboy for me wasn’t entirely the classic in my eyes, yet still is understandable for its cultural impact and propelled by two incredible performances by Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, both equally deserving of their Best Actor Academy Award nominations.