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Blu-ray Buzz – The Road to Blu-ray

The Road is a grim gem

The week is another light week, but features a quad of great releases. A great new literary adaptation makes its journey to home entertainment. Two must-see classics are arriving on Blu-ray. Additionally, Blu-ray sees a new Criterion anthology of shorts from one of the most influential experimental filmmakers in history.

Pick of the Week
The Road
John Hillcoat's adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's modern classic novel is a harrowing tale about the fears and hopes of parents. In a post-apocalyptic America, where cannibals roam the landscape, a father, played brilliantly and tenderly by Viggo Mortensen, travels toward warmer weather with his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee). The father knows the hardships of the world while his son remains innocent. While the film doesn't quite capture the scope of the novel (few two hour films can), the film version still retains the emotional weight of its main characters. Great supporting work also comes from Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall and Michael K. Williams. A challenging, harsh drama, but one of the best films of last year.

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Queue Qualified
Spartacus
Stanley Kubrick's gladiator classic is a Hollywood epic that paved the way for films like BRAVEHEART and GLADIATOR. Kirk Douglas firmly established himself as a screen legend. This inspirational tale follows a slave uprising while telling a tender love story. The classic cast shines with Laurence Olivier, Charles Loughton, Peter Ustinov, Jean Simmons, and Tony Curtis. The "I am Spartacus" scene is one the great scenes in film history.

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Stagecoach
If we're speaking of screen legends, John Wayne marked his first claim to the title in this John Ford classic. The multiple-character Western holds many of the great conventions of the genre. Wayne plays the just outlaw Ringo Kid. Claire Trevor as the prostitute with the golden heart. Thomas Mitchell as the alcoholic good doctor. Louise Platt as the snobby officer's wife. John Carradine as the snooty Southern gambler. Berton Churchill as the pompous and crooked banker. The story is a classic battle of class warfare. Ford also advanced filmmaking techniques that would influence Orson Welles' CITIZEN KANE. The introduction of the Ringo Kid where the camera dollies up to him into a close-up is one of the great screen entrances of all time.

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Buzzed About
By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volumes One and Two
Stan Brakhage was a prolific filmmaker who used revolutionary techniques to make his avant-garde films. Handheld camerawork, painting on celluloid, fast cutting, in-camera editing, scratching on film and the use of multiple exposures were all experimental techniques he pioneered. His DOG MAN STAR was named to the book, 1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE. His films dealt with grand themes like birth, mortality, sexuality and innocence. His personal films dived into the conscious and unconscious mind. I look forward to delving into his work for the first time.

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Rick DeMott
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