Monday, December 4, 2006

On DVD this Tuesday...

I love the holiday gift giving season. All kinds of new things make it to DVD and most of them are on sale. You can view a comprehensive list of all December 5th releases at DVD Aficionado. Among the highlights...

Kino releases four silent films by Ernst Lubitch (not available as a set): Anna Boleyn (1920); Die Austernprinzessin (1919) with Ich möchte kein Mann sein (1920); Sumurun (1920); and Die Bergkatze (1921).

Sony Pictures releases The Premiere Frank Capra Collection: American Madness (1932); It Happened One Night (1934); Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936); You Can't Take it with You (1938); Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939); and Kenneth Bowser's 1997 documentary, Frank Capra's American Dream.

From the Turner Classic Movies Archives: Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 1: Two versions of Baby Face (1933, Alfred E. Green): the original pre-release director's cut and the less coherent, censored theatrical version. Baby Face, with Barbara Stanwyck in the title role, was so risque, it was censored before the 1934 Production Code went into effect. Red-Headed Woman (1932, Jack Conway) marked a turning point in Jean Harlow's career. Waterloo Bridge (1931, James Whale) stars Mae Clarke (Cagney shoved a grapefruit in her face in The Public Enemy) and features an early Bette Davis performance.

Criterion's re-issue of Grey Gardens, includs the Maysles Brothers' brand new follow-up, The Beales of Grey Gardens. Criterion has also kindly (and wisely) chosen to release The Beales of Grey Gardens separately, so anyone who already has Grey Gardens will not be forced to buy it again.

The Katharine Hepburn/Cary Grant classic Holiday (1938, George Cukor) was previously only available as a part of Columbia's excellent Cary Grant Collection. It is now being released separately and just in time for New Year's Eve!

Anchor Bay celebrates the famed German director with The Wim Wenders Collection: Chambre 666 (1982); Tokyo-Ga (1985); Falsche Bewegung (1975); Lightning Over Water (1980); Der Scharlachrote Buchstabe (1973); Die Gebrüder Skladanowsky (1995) Der Amerikanische Freund (1977); and Aufzeichnungen zu Kleidern und Städten (1989)

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