What is this? An update less than three days later. That's crazy.

So today was the big release day. Got my hands on Elevator to the Gallows and The Passenger already. Matter of fact, didn't pay anything for them. Exchanged them for some unopened dvds I had (they started to pile up because I was to lazy to return gifts I got doubles of...saved them for the perfect time...just like this). I tossed them in for a few minutes. Elevator to the Gallows transfer looks beautiful, while The Passenger commentary by Nicholson (yes, it made it on the disc...score!!) is just so damn enjoyable. I had to listen to him talk about the last 8 minute shot (in my opinion, the most amazing one shot in film history...followed by Boogie Nights opening shot). Great stuff. I managed to pick up The Emilio Miraglia Killer Queen Box set from eBay for 30 bucks (also free of charge because I have a paypal gift certificate). Working on the Fists in the Pocket and Scorpion: Grudge Song discs as we speak. Most likely I should be able to obtain these also for little or no money, depending on where I get them (right now a possible eBay purchase or Borders exchange is on the horizon. People may make fun of me for having films I have yet to open but it pays off sometimes when other films come along that you want even more. Hell, I even at one time returned a movie three years later (that I never opened) back to Borders before. What a wonderful place!

So one of the best damn theatrical distribution companies out there right now is Rialto Pictures. Just over the last few years they have released some amazing films from around the world. From French cinema (Masculin Feminin, Woman is a Woman, Classe Tous Risques, Le Cercle Rouge, Band of Outsiders, and most recently Elevator to the Gallows) to Italian classics (Nights of Cabiria) to rarely seen films from Britain (the amazing Peeping Tom).


Opening this week in New York and on May 12 in LA is a Jean-Pierre Melville film that has, until now, never been released here in the States. Army of Shadows is know by many critics as one of Melvillle absolute masterpieces. If you really aren't familiar with Melville's work, you really should be. He is the trend setter for the classic stylish gangster film. From Martin Scorsese to Quentin Tarantino to John Woo, the man and his films (especially his all around perfect film Le Samourai has inspired many of the great films makers of contemporary cinema). Please, please, please do yourself a favor and check out some of his work. I would definitely recommend Le Samourai, Le Cercle Rouge, and Bob le Flambeur to name his greats. So all you LA and New York friends, please go and catch this unreleased film in the theaters ( where everyone should see it) so that you can rub it in my face and tell me how brilliant it is so I can sulk in my tears until the day it gets released here (probably at least three months down the line at the Cleveland Cinematheque) . Check out the trailer here and see what all my ranting and raving is all about.