Garv’s Pick of the Week: Three Fantastic Journeys by Karel Zeman (Criterion)
For the release week of February 25th:
Garv’s Pick of the Week: Three Fantastic Journeys by Karel Zeman [Blu-ray / Criterion]: This package is a visual feast. Czech director Karel Zeman’s celebrated fantasy films combine live-action, paper-cutouts, and stop-motion animation for a unique experience that influenced numerous future directors, most notably Terry Gilliam. Criterion’s 3-disc set includes Journey to the Beginning of Time (1955), Invention for Destruction (1958), and The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962). I recommend checking out the embedded video above for a taste of Zeman’s visual style.
Additional Titles of Interest —
Knives Out [4K UHD / Lionsgate]: Rian Johnson’s take on an Agatha Christie-esqe manor house mystery was the most entertaining film of 2019 and a well-deserved box office hit. I don’t usually look forward to sequels, but I can’t wait to see more cases of Benoit Blanc.
Perfect Friday [Blu-ray / Kino Lorber]: A veddy British heist film with Stanley Baker, David Warner, and the not so British Ursula Andress.
Max and the Junkmen [Blu-ray / Kino Lorber]: I love French crime films of the 1970s, and Kino Lorber has a trio available this week. This one has the best title of the bunch.
The Deadly Trap [Blu-ray / Kino Lorber]: This René Clément-directed French thriller stars Faye Dunaway and Frank Langella.
And Hope to Die [Blu-ray / Kino Lorber]: René Clément also directed this adaptation of David Goodis’ novel, Black Friday, which stars the intriguing pairing of Jean-Louis Trintignant and Robert Ryan.
The Phantom Rider [Blu-ray / VCI]: Cowboy star Buck Jones stars in the 15-episode cliffhanger from 1936.
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