I don't believe, for instance, that the utterly sublime The Happiest Days of Your Life is out on DVD yet in any region.

2nd March 2009

Incendiary - Details here.

The Federico Fellini Collection & The Jean-Pierre Melville Collection - Details here.

Gran Casino - £17.99 – This film by Luis Buñuel makes its UK DVD debut. Presented in 1.33:1 with Spanish DD2.0 Mono audio and English subtitles, the only extra is an introduction to Buñuel (Mexican period) by Luc Lagier (4mins).

My Dinner with Andre - £12.99 – Louis Malle’s film about a two friends who, reunited after many years, decide to share their lives over dinner. Presented in 1.33:1 with English DD2.0 Mono audio, the only extra is the original trailer.

16th March 2009

After - £17.99 RRP – Grief-stricken over the death of their young son, Nate (Daniel Caltagirone) jets off with his wife Adrian (Flora Montgomery) and her brother Jay (Nicholas Aaron) to Moscow where they immerse themselves in urban exploration – the investigation of areas not designed for public use. Presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with English DD2.0 and DD5.1 Surround audio. The only extra is the original trailer.

The Antichrist - £15.99 – Carla Gravina, Mel Ferrer and Alida Valli star in this 1974 horror from Italian director Alberto De Martino that boasts a score by Ennio Morricone. A barebones release, the film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with English DD2.0 Mono audio.

Lady in White (Director’s Cut) - The director’s cut version of this thriller written and directed by Frank LaLoggia comes to DVD with 5.1 sound, audio commentary, director’s introduction to the film, deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes (both with director’s intro) and the original trailer.

Thérèse Raquin and L’Air de Paris - £17.99 each – Directed by Marcel Carné, both titles are fully remastered and making their UK DVD debuts. The only extras are the original trailers, and both titles are presented in 1.33:1 with French DD2.0 Mono audio and English subtitles.

The Oblong Box - £15.99 – Based on a gothic horror tale from Edgar Allen Poe, this film directed by Gordon Hessler and starring Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies and Uta Levka, comes to barebones DVD presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with English DD2.0 Mono audio.

Smother - £15.99 - Diane Keaton, Dax Shepherd and Liv Tyler star in this comedy which is given a barebones release. The film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with English DD2.0 Stereo and DD5.1 Surround audio.

Woman Times Seven - £17.99 – Shirley MacLaine stars in seven satirical vignettes telling seven different stories about seven different women. Directed by Vittorio De Sica, the film is presented in 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen with English DD2.0 Mono audio. The only extra is the original trailer.

Yangtse Incident - £15.99 – Michael Anderson directs this retelling of the true story of HMS Amethyst, a British frigate ‘captured’ by communist forces during the Chinese revolution. A barebones release, the film is presented in 1.33:1 With English DD2.0 Mono audio.

30th March 2009

Not Quite Hollywood - £17.99 – This detailed examination and celebration of Australian genre cinema of the 70s and 80s comes to DVD with the following features:

* 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
* English DD5.1 Surround
* Commentary with writer/director Mark Hartley and Oxploitation auteurs
* Ozploitation panel at MIFF
* Quentin Tarantino speaks with Brian Trenchard-Smith
* UK Exclusive Interview with Mark Hartley
* Theatrical trailer
* Original ozploitation trailers

Rivals - £19.99 – Written and directed by Jacques Maillot, Rivals is the story of two rival brothers, one a pimp and the other a cop, and how the former manages to be the family favourite. The film is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with French DD5.1 Surround audio and English subtitles. The only extra is the original trailer.

From the Cultmovies forum, Optimum in May and June:

Rider On the Rain (Rene Clement, 1970)

Several etailers are showing that June Backlash release as the '56 John Sturges western. Hopefully that's correct.

Adapted for the screen by Terence Rattigan (The Prince and The Showgirl, The Sound Barrier) from his own play, The Winslow Boy is the story of a father’s fight to clear his son’s name. Cedric Hardwicke (The Ten Commandments, The Ghoul) gives a towering performance as Arthur Winslow, whose young son Ronnie, a cadet at the Royal Naval College, is accused of theft. Convinced of Ronnie’s innocence, Arthur and his daughter Catherine (Margaret Leighton) investigate. The family employ the country’s top barrister, Sir Robert Morton (played by the great Robert Donat of The 39 Steps and Goodbye Mr. Chips fame), and so begins their struggle against institutional opposition and the might of the British Establishment itself. Earning a BAFTA Nomination, at the heart of this moving drama is the refusal to back down in the face of injustice, despite the great sacrifices that entails.

This is the original 1948 film version of Rattigan's celebrated play, directed by Anthony Asquith (Fanny by Gaslight, The Importance of Being Earnest, Carrington V.C.), which is getting its UK DVD premiere. The play was subsequently remade in 1958 and 1990 for television, and for the cinema in 1999 by David Mamet.

The Winslow Boy will be released on UK DVD by Optimum Home Entertainment on 6th April 2009 at the RRP of £15.99. No extra features have been listed.

Hardware (Special Edition) - Makings its UK DVD and Blu-ray premiere, Richard Stanley’s cult classic debuts as a Special Edition though features are currently TBC.

Uncut Version
Brand new Director & Producer’s Commentary
Voices of the Moon Documentary
Original Market Promo for Hardware
Booklet Featuring Shok! (Comic Strip Source Material)
Notes by Kim Newman
Original Storyboard Artwork
More TBC

Apologies for starting a hare on Death in the Garden - DVD Reviewer's news item included it in the boxset contents, wrongly it seems. As a London resident, I console myself with the news that it can be seen at the NFT Bunuel season in January 2007.

I'd love to hear anyone's take on the quality of Optimum blu-rays.

I think these will be the first Optimum Blu-Rays, so we can't tell yet.

Great news about "Contempt".