To Create is Beautiful

Kicking off today's news is The Criterion Collection's first two announcements for the new year, and they are big ones. Set for a January 20th release is a two-disc set of Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru, which gets a newly-restored 1.37:1 full screen transfer and Japanese Dolby Digital 1.0 mono track with an improved English subtitle translation. Extras include an audio commentary with Kurosawa biographer Stephen Prince, the "A Message from Akira Kurosawa" 90-minute documentary, another 41-minute documentary from the "Akira Kurosawa: To Create is Beautiful" series, plus the theatrical trailer. Retail is set at $39.95.
 
Also due on the 20th is Jean Renoir's masterpiece The Rules of the Game, considered by many to be one of the greatest films of all time. This two-disc set also gets a remastered 1.37:1 full screen transfer and French Dolby Digital mono mix with a new English subtitle translation. Extras on this one include an introduction by Renoir; an audio commentary written by film scholar Alexander Sesonske as read by Peter Bogdanovich, additional selected scene commentary by Renoir historian Christopher Faulkner, the 1966 French TV program "Jean Renoir le Patron: La Règle et L’Exception," a video essay on the film's production and eventual reconstruction, an interview with Jean Gaborit and Jacques Durand about the reconstruction, additional new interviews with assistant cameraman Alain Renoir and set designer Max Douy, written tributes by Francois Truffaut, Paul Schrader, Bertrand Tavernier and Wim Wenders, and the trailer. Retail is also set at $39.95.
 
And get 'em while you can...four previous Criterion classics are going out of print at the end of the year: Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious, Rebecca and Spellbound and Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs. No word on any future re-release, but stay tuned...

With One Eye He Cries - 10:58am

Just in from MGM Home Entertainment are the full specs for their early 2004 catalog and TV on DVD releases. MGM will debut special editions of five Ingmar Bergman classics on February 10th: Persona, Shame, The Passion of Anna, Hour of the Wolf and The Serpent's Egg. Each includes a new audio commentary by Bergman biographer Marc Gervais, a still gallery and trailers, and in respective order, one featurette per release: "A Poem in Images, "The Search for Humanity," "Disintegration of Passion," "The Search for Sanity" and "Away from Home." The Serpent's Egg also includes an additional featurette, "German Expressionism." Retail is $24.95 each, and MGM will also release The Ingmar Bergman Collection box set, which includes all five films plus a bonus sixth disc with additional extras: the "Sven Nykvist: With One Eye He Cries" and "Faro Island Mystique" featurettes, the "intermezzo 2002" Swedish TV special, a 1970 interview with Bergman, the "Film-Making in Sweden" article gallery, a still gallery including never-before-seen, intimate photos from Bergman's personal archives, and a poster montage. Retail for the box set is $112.95.

Also new to the studio's World Films collection are four additional new titles streeting on February 10th: La Chamade, the Gerard Depardieu interpretation of Cyrano de Bergerac, The Mystery of Rampo and Together. The first two are presented in non-anamorphic widescreen only, the latter two in full anamorphic glory. All feature their original language soundtracks in Dolby 2.0 surround, except La Charmade, which is in mono only. There are no extras, and retail is $19.95 a pop. Also on tap for the 10th is the sports classic That Championship Season, which boasts an all-star cast including Robert Mitchum, martin Sheen, Stacey Keach and bruce Dern. Featuring anamorphic widescreen and full screen transfers and a Dolby 2.0 surround track, extras include a trailer. Retail is set at $14.95.

One of Hollywood's most celebrated actors, MGM will honor Sidney Poitier with his own box set, The Sidney Poitier Collection. This five-disc set includes the previously-released Lilies of the Field and In the Heat of the Night special editions, plus three other classics making their DVD debuts: They Call Me Mr. Tibbs, The Organization and For Love of Ivy. The first two are in non-anamorphic widescreen, the latter anamorphic; each includes a trailer and will list for $14.95 each. The box set will run $62.95. More Soul Cinema classics also due on January 20th include Blacula, Scream Blacula Scream, Hammer and The Monkey Hustle. The Blacula flicks get anamorphic widescreen transfers while the other two are full screen-only, and all are in mono and include no extras. Retail is $14.95 a pop. MGM will also release The Best of Soul Cinema DVD Collection, featuring none of the above but Foxy Brown, Coffy, Cooley High, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and Hell Up in Harlem. Also included in this set of previously-released discs is a bonus CD sampler of song highlights from the five films. Retail is $62.95.

Last but not least are two new TV on DVD releases. Arriving on January 20th is Jeremiah: The Complete First Season. This six-disc set includes 19 episodes including the 90-minute pilot, each presented in 4:3 full screen and Dolby 2.0 surround, plus audio commentary on the pilot by Luke Perry and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 10 deleted scenes, a featurette and two still galleries. Retail is $79.95. Stargate SG-1: Season Five also debuts on the 20th and features 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround tracks, audio commentaries by cast and crew on every episode, two "SG-1 Video Diaries," the "Inside the Tomb" and "Dr. Daniel Jackson - A Tribute" featurettes and multiple still galleries. Retail will set you back $69.95.