Blu-Ray News #398: Directed By Walter Hill (1975-2006).

Imprint has announced a set of six films directed by Walter Hill: Hard Times (1975), The Driver (1978), The Long Riders (1981), Extreme Prejudice (1987), Johnny Handsome (1989) and Broken Trail (2006).

This is good news, first, because I absolutely love The Driver and The Long Riders— and because among the many extras to be including in this thing, I get to do a commentary for The Long Riders.

The folks at Imprint do extraordinary work, always, and I’m overjoyed to be a tiny part of this one. Highly recommended.

Screening: What’s Up, Doc? (1972).

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich
Starring Barbra Streisand, Ryan O’Neal, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Austin Pendleton, Michael Murphy

Sorry for the short notice, but tomorrow (February 1), as part of a tribute to director Peter Bogdanovich, The New Beverly Cinema in LA is running a 35mm IB Technicolor print of his What’s Up, Doc? (1972). It’s surely one of the funniest movies of the last 50 years.

What a wonderful movie. And what a splendid way to see it. If you can be there, please be there. My family sure would if we could.

Better Every Time.

Some movies get better every time you see them.

You discover something new. A performance suddenly knocks you out. You notice how the music impacts the film as a whole. Or maybe, after seeing it five times, you finally really get it.

One that really hits me in a different way ever time I see it is Walter Hill’s The Driver (1978).

I’m curious, what movies do that to you?

Blu-Ray News #140: Barry Lyndon (1976).

Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Starring Ryan O’Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Gay Hamilton, Hardy Krüger, Leonard Rossiter

The Criterion Collection has announced Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon (1976) for an October release.

I didn’t know what to make of this when I first saw it, but like a lot of people, now think it’s absolutely mesmerizing. The Blu-Ray from Warner Bros. was gorgeous, and I’m eager to see how much better Criterion will have it looking. There’s a new 4K transfer and 5.1 surround mix. Of course, you can bet their extras — documentaries, interviews (new and old), etc. — will be terrific. Highly, highly recommended.