"The Samurai Trilogy" Blu-ray Cover
June has come and gone. But we’re still standing! And there’s plenty of Asian cinema to explore this week. So without any more stalling, here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 6/26/12:
ASIAN CINEMA
The Samurai Trilogy (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection presents three classic 1950’s samurai films from director Hiroshi Inagaki and starring the indomitable Toshiro Mifune
Sector 7 (Blu-ray/DVD) – this big-budget 2011 Korean creature feature comes to North America courtesy of the good folks at Shout! Factory
The Last Samurai (DVD) – a 1974 Japanese samurai tale from director Kenji Misumi (“Zatoichi, the Blind Blind Swordsman,” “Lone Wolf and Cub”)
Zebraman (DVD) – Tokyo Shock re-releases director Takashi Miike’s 2004 cult superhero flick as a Tokyo Shock Classic
FOREIGN CINEMA
Bullhead (Blu-ray/DVD) – this gritty 2011 Belgian crime thriller has won rave reviews for its tale of a cattle farmer caught in a battle with the mob over his new growth hormone
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2012 Turkish film is a 150-minute crime/mystery tale that many have called a meditative, existential masterpiece
The Hedgehog (Blu-ray/DVD) – a 2009 French existential comedy about a young girl ready to commit suicide and an older woman learning how to live again
Numero Deux (DVD) – a 1975 experimental film from French iconoclast Jean Luc Godard (“Breathless”)
Sound of Noise (DVD) – a 2012 Swedish comedy about a group of bank robbers who use live music to aid their heists
Ici et Ailleurs (DVD) – Jean Luc Godard continued his late 70’s experimental streak with this 1976 mixture of tape of film
Toxic Lullaby (DVD) – a 2010 German-language film about a woman who wakes up in a post-apocalyptic landscape after a bad drug trip
The Walerian Borowczyk Collection (Immoral Women / Private Collections / Art of Love) (DVD) – a collection of films, ranging from the late 70’s to early 80’s, from the controversial Polish director who was always pushing the limits of the erotic in cinema
Mimi (La bouche de Jean-Pierre) (DVD) – a 1996 French short film (52 minutes) presented by “Irreversible” director Gasper Noe
MAINSTREAM
21 Jump Street (Blu-ray/DVD) – the surprise hit comedy of 2012 comes to home formats with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in tow
Wrath of the Titans (Blu-ray/DVD) – somehow a dismal remake warranted an even worse sequel with this 2012 Greek mythology flick
The Artist (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Weinstein’s 2011 Oscar-winning ode to silent cinema hits home formats
Mirror Mirror (Blu-ray/DVD) – “The Fall” and “The Cell” director Tarsem Singh tried his hand at a children’s movie with this 2012 fairy tale and, perhaps unsurprisingly, he failed miserably
RE-RELEASES
Christopher Nolan Director’s Collection (Blu-ray) – in one box set you receive “Memento,” “Insomnia,” “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” and “Inception.” Okay, cool, but where’s “The Prestige”?
4 Film Favorites: Harrison Ford Collection (DVD) – an oddball selection of Harrison Ford films in this DVD set: “The Mosquito Coast,” “Presumed Innocent,” “The Fugitive,” and “Firewall”
CULT
Ator the Fighting Eagle (DVD) – a low-budget 1982 swords and sandals flick from notorious Italian sleazemeister Joe D’Amato
Nina: Crazy Suicide Girl (DVD) – a 2012 neo-giallo/grindhouse-style flick from Italy
The Night of the Grizzly (Blu-ray/DVD) – Clint Walker tries to fend off a giant grizzly bear in this 1966 Western adventure
CLASSICS
The 39 Steps (Blu-ray/DVD) – Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 romantic thriller arrives in hi-def, courtesy of the Criterion Collection
Deliverance (Blu-ray) – director John Boorman’s 1972 survivalist classic comes to hi-def
The Hangman (Blu-ray) – a 1959 Western starring Robert Taylor, now on Blu-ray
HORROR
Tales That Witness Madness (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 1973 horror anthology features a host of stars including Donald Pleasance and Kim Novak
The Spirit is Willing (Blu-ray/DVD) – a spooky 1967 horror-comedy courtesy of legendary producer/director William Castle
Father’s Day (Blu-ray/DVD) – the 2011 horror flick from your friends at Troma Entertainment
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