Undoubtedly the biggest release of the week is Oscar’s most recent Best Picture winner, Slumdog Millionaire, but rather than reigniting the debate over whether Slumdog skeptics are a hateful, soulless breed or whether the movie is a one-note, corny bore, let’s talk up a couple of 2008’s more interesting arthouse hits, namely the Spanish time-travel mindbender Timecrimes and the French missing-persons thriller Tell No One. Both are more about plot twists and mood than about anything particularly profound, but they’re very entertaining, and well worth a rental.
What’s worth buying? How about three classic musicals now available on Blu-ray from Warner Brothers: An American In Paris, Gigi and South Pacific. Or even better: Criterion’s stellar new edition of Andrzej Wajda’s 1983 historical drama Danton, which brings the philosophical conflicts of the French revolution to vivid life. Danton is dramatic, creepy and artful (and better than any of last year’s Best Picture nominees).
3 Films By Alexander Sokurov: Oriental Elegy/Dolce/Humble Life
Euroarts, $24.99
An American In Paris
Warner Blu-ray, $28.99
Autopsy
After Dark/Lionsgate, $19.98
The Broken
After Dark/Lionsgate, $19.98
The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations
After Dark/Lionsgate, $19.98
California Dreams: Seasons 1 & 2
Shout! Factory, $44.99
Cat In The Brain
Grindhouse/Ryko, $24.95
The Cremator
Dark Sky, $19.98
Cthulu
Liberation, $24.95
Danton
Criterion, $39.95
Dennis Miller: The HBO Comedy Specials
SRO, $29.99
Dying Breed
After Dark/Lionsgate, $19.98
Exposed
Synapse, $24.95
Fallen Angels
Kino, $29.95
From Within
After Dark/Lionsgate, $19.98
Ghosts Of Mars
Sony Blu-ray, $28.95
Gigi
Warner Blu-ray, $28.99
Hannah Montana: Keeping It Real
Walt Disney, $19.99
Happy Together
Kino, $29.95
Hercules Collection
Image, $19.98
Hope & Faith: Season One
Lionsgate, $29.98
Ichi The Killer
Tokyo Shock Blu-ray, $29.99
Il Generale Della Rovere
Criterion, $29.95
In Plain Sight: Season One
Universal, $59.98
The IT Crowd: The Complete First Season
MOI, $24.98
Jerome Robbins: Something To Dance About
Kultur, $29.99
Jim Gaffigan; King Baby
Comedy Central, $16.99
Killer At Large: Why Obesity Is America’s Biggest Threat
Disinformation, $19.95
Leonard Cohen: Live In London
Sony, $21.98
Marley & Me
20th Century Fox, $29.98/$34.98; Blu-ray, $39.99
Martial Club
Tokyo Shock, $19.99
The Matrix
Warner Blu-ray, $34.99
No Regret
Liberation, $24.95
The One
Sony Blu-ray, $28.95
Perkins’ 14
After Dark/Lionsgate, $19.98
Pitch Black/Chronicles Of Riddick
Universal Blu-ray, $59.98
The Raven
Liberation, $24.95
The Real Ghostbusters: Volume One
Time-Life, $39.98
Ricky Gervais: Out Of England
HBO, $19.98
Same Old Song
New Yorker, $29.95
Schoolhouse Rock: Earth
Walt Disney, $19.99
The Seduction Of Dr. Fugazzi
Troma, $14.95
Seven Pounds
Sony, $28.96; Blu-ray, $39.95
Shakespeare’s An Age Of Kings: Richard II/Henry IV/Henry V/Henry VI/Richard III
BBC Warner, $49.98
Shigurui – Death Frenzy: The Complete Series
Funimation, $59.98; Blu-ray, $69.98
The Sinful Dwarf
Severin, $29.95
Slaughter
After Dark/Lionsgate, $19.98
Slumdog Millionaire
20th Century Fox, $29.98; Blu-ray, $39.99
South Pacific
20th Century Fox Blu-ray, $34.98
Special
Magnolia, $26.98
Spectacular!
Sony, $19.95
Tehilim
Kino, $29.95
Tell No One
Music Box, $27.98; Blu-ray, $34.98
Timecrimes
Magnolia, $26.98
Tokyo Zombie
Anchor Bay, $26.97
Two Evil Eyes
Blue Underground Blu-ray, $34.95
Urban Legends: The Complete Season One
A&E, $29.95
Voices
After Dark/Lionsgate, $19.98
William Eggleston: Photographer
Microcinema, $19.99