Garv’s Pick of the Week: Essential Fellini (Criterion)
For the release week of November 24th:
Garv’s Pick of the Week: Essential Fellini [Blu-ray / Criterion]: ‘Tis the season for mammoth Blu-ray box sets. The Criterion Collection is leading the way with this 14-film, 15 Blu-ray box set covering some of the most famous features from the career of Federico Fellini. Whether you are a fan of the director’s neo-realist or surrealist films, there’s plenty here for you. The set includes Variety Lights (1950), The White Sheik (1952), I vitelloni (1953), La Strada (1954), Il Bidone (1955), Nights of Cabiria (1957), La Dolce Vita (1960), 8 1/2 (1963), Juliet of the Spirits (1965), Fellini Satyricon (1969), Roma (1972), Amarcord (1973), And the Ship Sails On (1983), and Intervista (1987), along with short subjects and copious extras. Art house cinema has rarely been so much fun.
Additional Titles of Interest —
The Ealing Studios Comedy Collection [Blu-ray / Film Movement]: Four classic comedies from Great Britain’s legendary Ealing Studios — Whisky Galore! (1949) The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953), Passport to Pimlico (1949), and The Maggie (1954) — are collected in this Blu-ray set. These films were previously released individually, but you can save some money and shelf space, if you don’t have them already.
Libeled Lady [Blu-ray / Warner Archive]: This classic screwball comedy, starring William Powell, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy and Spencer Tracy gets a new 4K restoration (which is said to be stunning). The disc also includes the short subject Keystone Hotel (1935), which features comedy stars of the silent era.
Wonder Boys [Blu-ray / Paramount]: Speaking of screwball, Curtis Hanson’s comedy from 2000 plays like a screwball comedy in slow motion. That’s not a bad thing. In fact, this is one of the best movies of the 2000s.
The Lost Weekend [Blu-ray / Kino Lorber]: Billy Wilder’s alcoholism drama somehow manages to be both honest and extremely entertaining.
We’re No Angels [Blu-ray / Paramount]: Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, and Peter Ustinov portray prison escapees that play guardian angels to a family in this slight but fun Christmas comedy.
Mad Max [4K UHD / Kino Lorber]: Toecutter 4K!
Zenobia [Blu-ray / ClassicFlix]: When Stan Laurel was unavailable due to a contract dispute, producer Hal Roach tried to create a new comedy team of Oliver Hardy and Harry Langdon. Happily, Laurel reunited with Hardy soon after,
Monty Python’s Flying Circus: The Complete Series 1-4 [Blu-ray / Universal]: Last but far from least is this box set that collects the complete run of the British comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus. It’s worth the purchase for the “Scott of the Antarctic” episode alone.
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