The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion
The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion |
| My favourite Blu-ray and DVD releases of 2012 Posted: 28 Dec 2012 03:57 PM PST DEC 29 ― This has been a crazy year for new Blu-ray and DVD releases, so crazy that even an addict like me found it hard to keep up with it all. So far I haven't been able to afford the year's two outstanding boxsets, both released by Universal ― their Universal Classic Monsters collection (which includes classic Universal horror titles like Frankenstein and Dracula, all on Blu-ray for the first time ever) and their Alfred Hitchcock boxset, which collects classics like Vertigo, Rear Window and The Birds... all also released on Blu-ray for the first time. I can even make a whole list just of titles released by The Criterion Collection, with their David Lean Directs Noel Coward boxset, Anatomy Of A Murder, Harold And Maude, Rosemary's Baby, Jean Luc-Godard's Weekend, La Promesse, Rosetta, Certified Copy, The Gold Rush and Vanya On 42nd Street all released in beautiful Blu-ray editions this year. My other favourite DVD label, Cinema Guild, also had an outstanding year with Blu-rays of Once Upon A Time In Anatolia and The Turin Horse, and Masters Of Cinema came out with Ruggles Of Red Gap, The Passion Of Joan Of Arc, The Gospel According To Matthew and lots more. So with all the riches that came this year, it's really hard trying to narrow them down to ones that I really love, but finally here they are! Heaven's Gate (Blu-ray) A notorious box-office and artistic flop in 1980, this film was cut down from the 219 minutes that played for one week in New York to the 149 minutes that people finally got to see because the reviews were absolutely vicious. I've never seen the 149 minutes that passed for this film exactly because of that. And what a miracle this Blu-ray release by The Criterion Collection is, as the director Michael Cimino finally gets to let the world see his original vision in a wonderfully restored 216-minute director's cut, and it's really one of the most glorious and beautifully melancholic Westerns that I've ever seen. It's right up there with the best of John Ford, Howard Hawks and Raoul Walsh. Watching it feels nothing less than a revelation. Man Of The Story (Kathapurushan) (DVD) DVD releases (at least English-friendly ones) of films by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, my second favourite Indian director after Satyajit Ray, are really few and far between. And this release by UK label Second Run is truly a gift as not only is the film a stunner, an epic yet intimate chronicle of the idealistic and political awakening of a young boy from India's higher castes, but the high-definition transfer itself is gorgeous in its colours and sharpness. And the interview with Adoor included as a bonus feature is really one to treasure as well, especially when he cracks up reminiscing about his mother and when he makes the point that it's idealism that brings man forward, and is what differentiates us from other animals. Margaret (Blu-ray & DVD combo) Films rarely get second chances, especially so soon after their release. But Margaret has definitely won big time after being buried by its studio with limited screenings in only two cities last year. Word of mouth and an active online campaign from film critics have meant that when released on home video, not only do we get the compromised 150-minute theatrical version but also the director's 180-minute extended cut of the film, which is much closer to the screenplay that was published online and is quite simply magnificent. Park Row (DVD) I think I can safely say that I'm a borderline obsessive fan of Samuel Fuller, and for years the unavailability of this film on home video was one painfully big hole that was partly filled by a bare-bones DVD-R release by MGM last year. The film finally gets the treatment it deserves on this DVD only release by Masters Of Cinema, as we also get English subtitles for the hearing impaired in addition to the same print that MGM used on their DVD-R, and a host of bonus features and a 56-page booklet. Lonesome (Blu-ray) This Blu-ray release is practically a box set of films made by almost forgotten director Paul Fejos at Universal, as not only do we get the already mythical silent-talkie hybrid Lonesome from 1928, but we also get his two other films at Universal, the 1929 silent film The Last Performance and a reconstructed sound version of Broadway, his 1929 musical. That's three films for the price of one, all in beautiful high-definition (with some print damage of course, these are after all almost forgotten old films from the 1920s). Mundane History (DVD) Second Run gives us another gift, this time in the form of female Thai director Anocha Suwichakompong's 2010 Rotterdam Tiger Award winner Mundane History. Passed on for theatrical release despite the many awards it won and its many travels on the international festival circuit, the film's simple plot about a paralysed young man and his caretaker, is made special because of the film's unannounced and unflashy non-linear narrative strategy. Two sequences elevate the movie a truly outstanding debut ― a sequence showing the death and birth of the universe (that predates the famous sequence in The Tree Of Life) and very graphic footage of a Caesarean section that somehow will make you feel that you've just witnessed a miracle. And the song "Hush, The Dead Are Dreaming" by Malaysian band Furniture that's used in the movie's centrepiece is just perfect. Husbands (DVD) I'm also a John Cassavetes addict, and Husbands is my favourite Cassavetes film. So even though I already own the full-length original version released on DVD in the USA in 2009, you know I will not pass on the opportunity to buy a 3-disc release of Husbands, albeit on a French label called Wild Side Video, which not only includes the long version but also the shorter theatrical version and two hours of new bonus features. It's a good time to be alive for Cassavetes fans now. Moses And Aaron (DVD) Films by Jean-Marie Straub and Daniel Huillet are never easy to watch, but they're also always fascinating; living and reverberating in your mind long after your viewing's over. And just to have their uncompromising adaptation of Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone opera on DVD is already a cause for celebration. When it's packaged with this much care, including a short film by the directors and a 40-page booklet containing the libretto in German and English as well as essays about the film and the opera, then you know that you have a winner on your hands. The Day He Arrives (DVD) A lovely and playful film by Korean arthouse darling Hong Sang Soo. I got a friend to purchase the DVD from Korea earlier this year. And just a few weeks back Cinema Guild released a DVD in the USA, which includes a 70-minute interview with Hong at the British Film Institute amongst its other bonus features. Shot in striking black and white, even the Korean DVD is a beauty in terms of picture quality, and when you couple that image quality with the bonus features offered by Cinema Guild, then this is one sweet package that is hard to top. Come to think of it, there is a way to top it, the people at Cinema Guild should've put out a Blu-ray as well! * This is the personal opinion of the columnist |
| Villa, Isco on Spanish shopping list Posted: 28 Dec 2012 03:54 PM PST DEC 29 ― Considering the soaring success of players such as Santi Cazorla at Arsenal and Michu at Swansea, it's inevitable that English Premier League clubs will be heading to Spain in search of some January sale bargains when the transfer window opens on Tuesday. A wide range of excellent players are available at relatively cheap prices in Spain, where the dire financial situation of many top flight clubs makes them vulnerable to the advances of more lavishly backed English clubs. Top-quality players rarely move within Spain because Barcelona and Real Madrid are the only two clubs who can afford to pay for them, and they generally prefer to go shopping overseas. Jordi Alba's summer move from Valencia to Barcelona was a recent exception, but neither Barca nor Madrid are likely to make any moves in next month's market so the path is clear for raids from the Premier League. Top of the list for the seriously wealthy is Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao, whose goalscoring exploits over the last two years have been well documented. The Colombian striker has a buy-out clause of €60 million (RM243 million) but that's unlikely to deter Chelsea or Manchester City, who recognise that Falcao possesses every characteristic required in a world-class centre forward. Falcao is in no hurry to leave in-form Atletico, though, and could well be persuaded to stay with Diego Simeone's team until the summer to help ensure qualification for next season's Champions League. Much to the Premier League's disappointment, a January move looks unlikely. The same could be said for another in-demand player, Spain's all-time leading goalscorer David Villa. The 31-year-old has been unable to re-establish himself in Barcelona's starting line-up since recovering from a broken leg and has been growing increasingly disenchanted with his role of super-sub in the last few weeks. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have all been heavily linked with Villa, who would offer good value for money with just 18 months left on his contract. However, Barca do not want the striker to leave ― they regard him as an important squad player, if not starter, and would prefer to keep him until they've clinched the signing of Brazilian prodigy Neymar from Santos. And Villa is unlikely to force a move just yet, mainly because his wife is due to give birth in the next few weeks, so the striker could become a more realistic target in the summer. One striker who is definitely available is Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Llorente, who played a key role in his side's progress to the Europa League and Spanish Cup finals last season and earned a call-up into Spain's triumphant Euro 2012 squad. Llorente has been frozen out at Bilbao for the last few months after turning down a new contract and stating that he would like to leave when his contract expires in June. Bilbao continue to insist that they will reject all offers and force Llorente to see out the remainder of his contract, even though they're not playing him, but there has to be a good chance they will be tempted to cash in on offers of €7 or 8 million rather than losing him for nothing five months later. A fee in that region would represent excellent value for a powerful goalscorer in the prime of his career, and Llorente would be a perfect signing for a club in need of attacking reinforcements like Tottenham or Liverpool ― although they might have to first fight off the attentions of Italian league leaders Juventus. Premier League clubs in search of a glamorous, box-office purchase need look no further than Real Madrid's Kaka, 2007's World Player of the Year. The Brazilian international moved to Madrid three years ago but has struggled to reach the phenomenally high standards he set during his trophy-laden spell with AC Milan, and he has rarely featured in Jose Mourinho's team this season. But Kaka would still command hefty wages despite approaching his 31st birthday, and his languid playing style is far from suited to the helter-skelter of the Premier League, so he's perhaps more likely to become a marquee, marketing-driven signing for the American MLS ― which needs a global superstar to replace the recently departed David Beckham ― or a club in his native Brazil. The players mentioned so far ― Villa, Llorente and Kaka ― are already well-known to followers of global football due to their successes on the international stage. But that's not yet the case with the player who would perhaps be the best signing of all: Malaga's rising star Isco. The attacking midfielder is only 20 years old, has not yet featured in the Spanish national side and has only been a regular in Malaga's first team for just over a year, but his outstanding level of play has already attracted the interest of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham. No doubt about it, Isco is a phenomenal prospect. An energetic and dynamic dribbler with a good range of passing and excellent crossing ability, he also possesses a goalscoring instinct that was on full display when he netted the opener in the 3-2 victory over Real Madrid last weekend. Comparisons have already been drawn with Andres Iniesta, and that's no exaggeration ― he really is that good. Potential suitors could benefit from Malaga's financial crisis which has seen them thrown out of next season's Champions League for failing to clear their debts. Although he's happy at Malaga, a player of Isco's quality needs to be playing at the highest level and if Malaga can't give him Champions League football, he must be tempted to join a club that can. The buy-out clause in Isco's existing contract with Malaga is just €21million, which would make him an absolute steal. The Andalusian club have been unable to get their star player's signature on a new contract despite attempting to do so for a few months, and they are certainly vulnerable to a January move. Other players who could well be making the move from Spain to England in the next few weeks include veteran Real Madrid defender Ricardo Carvalho, Atletico Madrid midfielders Arda Turan and Adrian, and Espanyol playmaker Joan Verdu. And no doubt there will be a few surprises in store as well as the Premier League searches for the next Michu. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist |
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