Archive for the 'Eureka! Masters of Cinema' Category
February 25th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, Kwaidan features four nightmarish tales adapted from Lafcadio Hearn’s classic Japanese ghost stories about mortals caught up in forces beyond their comprehension when the supernatural world intervenes in their lives: “The Black Hair”, “The Woman of the Snow”, “Hoichi the Earless”, and “In a Cup of Tea”. Breathtakingly photographed entirely on hand-painted sets, the film is an abstract wash of luminescent colours from another world. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the complete 183-minute original Japanese cut of Masaki Kobayashi s masterpiece on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK. Continue reading ‘‘Kwaidan’ [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] on Blu-ray April 27, 2020!’
February 24th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
Struggling through a seemingly endless creative rut, hard-partying and Los-Angeles-based artist Dezzy Donahue (Dora Madison, Friday Night Lights) can’t stop the resulting bad streak of problems, including unpaid rent and professional stagnation. In an effort to combat her tough luck, Dezzy throws caution to the wind, indulges in heavy drugs and rages her nights away. Her kinda/sorta boyfriend, Clive, is concerned while her debauchery-minded friend Courtney and her enigmatic hubby Ronnie keep feeding Dezzy s darkest urges. Gradually, though, the party starts to end, and in its place, Dezzy finds herself thirsting for blood and suffering from terrifying visions. Having never been one for moderation or self-control, she’s unable to resist her newfound dangerous impulses. And that’s very bad news for everyone in her life, all of whom are filled with the red liquid she now so desperately craves. Continue reading ‘Bliss [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] (Blu-ray Review)’
February 24th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
Set in a remote Buddhist monastery in 16th Century China, Raining in the Mountain deals with a power struggle that ensues when the Abbot of the Three Treasures Temple announces his imminent retirement. The ageing Abbot invites three outsiders to advise him on the critical choice of appointing his successor: Esquire Wen, a wealthy patron of the monastery, General Wang, commander-in-chief of the local military, and Wu Wai, a respected lay Buddhist master. Within the monastery, several disciples aspiring to the position begin to collude individually with Esquire Wen and General Wang. But these two invited advisers have come with seditious intent, scheming to obtain the priceless scroll housed in the monastery: the scriptural text of “The Mahayana Sutra, ” hand-copied by Tripitaka. Meanwhile, convicted criminal Chiu Ming has arrived at the monastery to atone as a monk. He is assigned to safeguard the scroll at the house of scriptures, and encounters thieving rivals White Fox who poses as Esquire Wen s concubine and General Wang s fearsome Lieutenant Chang, who originally framed Chiu Ming for the crime he did not commit. Selected as one of the Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures by the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2005, The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present King Hu’s Raining in the Mountain on Blu-ray and DVD for the first time in the UK, from a new 2K restoration completed in 2018 by the Taiwan Film Institute. Continue reading ‘Raining In The Mountain [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] (Blu-ray Review)’
February 11th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
Perhaps one of the most underrated of the collaborations between director John Ford and star John Wayne, Rio Grande manages to be both a conclusion and a new beginning for this most iconic of actor-filmmaker collaborators. The film is the final entry in Ford and Wayne’s “Cavalry Trilogy, ” following their hits Fort Apache (1948) and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949). Yet it also marks the first of five appearances Wayne made with actress Maureen O’Hara, three of which were directed by Ford. Wayne is Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke, attached to the Texas frontier in 1879 to protect settlers from attacks by Apaches. When Yorke’s son a West Point flunkee turned Army private is assigned to his father’s regiment, tensions flare upon the arrival of Yorke’s estranged wife Kathleen (O’Hara), who wants their teenaged son out of Yorke’s unit. After Apaches attack, the stakes of Yorke’s mission escalate, and he must journey to Mexico where the Apaches are hiding out. With his son and two old recruits (Ford/Wayne regulars Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jr.) as accompaniment, Yorke faces his toughest battle. Continue reading ‘‘Rio Grande’ [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] on Blu-ray & DVD April 6, 2020!’
January 29th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
Adapted directly from the play by Eugene O Neill (considered the Nobel laureate s magnum opus), Long Day’s Journey into Night is a four-act study of addiction and recrimination that the playwright claimed was written “in tears and blood”. Taking place over a single, fateful day in the summer of 1912, the Tyrone family (modelled after O’Neill’s own) confront their bitter failings and long-held resentments. Patriarch James (Ralph Richardson) is a renowned stage actor who s never forgotten his squalid Irish childhood, and has forsaken artistic ambition for commercial success. His wife Mary (Katharine Hepburn) has developed a morphine addiction, his eldest son Jamie (Jason Robards, Jr. ) is a violent alcoholic and failed actor, and his youngest (and clearly favoured) son Edmund (Dean Stockwell) is a nervous young man in poor health. All of them have something painful to say, and their silence is even worse. Continue reading ‘‘Long Day’s Journey into Night’ [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] on Blu-ray & DVD March 16, 2020!’
January 22nd, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
A jazz trumpeter tries to woo a fellow musician in mourning for her dead lover, and sets up a band in an attempt to bring them closer together. Covering a quarter-century of American “syncopated” music (ragtime, jazz, swing, blues, and boogie boogie), Syncopation features music from the turn of the 20th century through prohibition, the Great Depression, and the outbreak of WWII. Featuring jazz greats Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, Gene Krupa, Harry James, and more. Presented from a stunning 2K restoration and available for the first time in the UK on home video, Eureka Classics presents William Dieterle s Syncopation in a special Dual-Format edition. Continue reading ‘‘Syncopation’ [Eureka Classics] on Blu-ray & DVD March 16, 2020!’
January 17th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
Eureka Entertainment to release BUSTER KEATON: 3 FILMS (Volume 2), a further collection of essential films from the true genius of silent comedy available for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK from 4K restorations. Presented as part of The Masters of Cinema Series from 30 March 2020, with a Limited Edition 60-page Perfect Bound Collector’s Book and Limited Edition Hardbound Slipcase [3000 copies ONLY]. Between 1920 and 1929, Buster Keaton created a peerless run of feature films that established him as “arguably the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies”. Collected here are three further films from that era; The Navigator, Seven Chances and Battling Butler. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present all three films from stunning 4K restorations in their UK debuts on Blu-ray. Continue reading ‘Buster Keaton: 3 Films (Volume 2) [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] (The Navigator, Seven Chances, Battling Butler) on Blu-ray March 30, 2020!’
January 9th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
Denmark 2025. One year after a major bomb attack in Copenhagen radicalisation around the country has intensified and ethnic tensions are running high. The next parliamentary election is near, and the extremely nationalist political leader Martin Nordahl is set for a landslide victory. 19-year-old Zakaria gets involved in a radical organisation, where he forms a bond with Ali. The two men cannot agree with the current state of the country, which is turning on its own citizens because of their migration background, and decide to act. However, they are both just tools in the hands of people with power. As the men try to make their mark, their brotherhood will be tested and their actions will have grave consequences on their lives. Continue reading ‘‘Sons of Denmark’ [Montage Pictures] on Blu-ray & DVD February 17, 2020!’
January 6th, 2020 by Gerard Iribe
Set in a remote Buddhist monastery in 16th Century China, Raining in the Mountain deals with a power struggle that ensues when the Abbot of the Three Treasures Temple announces his imminent retirement. The ageing Abbot invites three outsiders to advise him on the critical choice of appointing his successor: Esquire Wen, a wealthy patron of the monastery, General Wang, commander-in-chief of the local military, and Wu Wai, a respected lay Buddhist master. Within the monastery, several disciples aspiring to the position begin to collude individually with Esquire Wen and General Wang. But these two invited advisers have come with seditious intent, scheming to obtain the priceless scroll housed in the monastery: the scriptural text of “The Mahayana Sutra, ” hand-copied by Tripitaka. Meanwhile, convicted criminal Chiu Ming has arrived at the monastery to atone as a monk. He is assigned to safeguard the scroll at the house of scriptures, and encounters thieving rivals White Fox who poses as Esquire Wen s concubine and General Wang s fearsome Lieutenant Chang, who originally framed Chiu Ming for the crime he did not commit. Continue reading ‘‘Raining in the Mountain’ [Masters of Cinema] on Blu-ray & DVD February 24, 2020!’
December 13th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
In this visually intoxicating sequel to Valentino’s career-defining film The Sheik, the silent screen’s greatest lover portrays a cultured yet untamed young man who is lured into a thieves trap by a beautiful dancer, Yasmin (Vilma Banky). After escaping, he kidnaps the damsel and holds her captive in his desert lair, dressing her in Arabian finery and threatening to unleash his violent passion upon her. Exotic romance saturates every frame of this Orientalist epic; its sadomasochistic fantasies are acted out against the lavish set design of William Cameron Menzies (The Thief of Bagdad) and lushly photographed by George Barnes (Sadie Thompson). From a new restoration available for the first time on home video, and featuring a magnificent score by maestro Carl Davis, The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present George Fitzmaurice s The Son of the Sheik on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK in a Special Dual Format edition. Continue reading ‘‘The Son of the Sheik’ [Masters of Cinema] on Blu-ray & DVD February 17, 2020!’
November 29th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
Struggling through a seemingly endless creative rut, hard-partying and Los-Angeles-based artist Dezzy Donahue (Dora Madison, Friday Night Lights) can’t stop the resulting bad streak of problems, including unpaid rent and professional stagnation. In an effort to combat her tough luck, Dezzy throws caution to the wind, indulges in heavy drugs and rages her nights away. Her kinda/sorta boyfriend, Clive, is concerned while her debauchery-minded friend Courtney and her enigmatic hubby Ronnie keep feeding Dezzy s darkest urges. Gradually, though, the party starts to end, and in its place, Dezzy finds herself thirsting for blood and suffering from terrifying visions. Having never been one for moderation or self-control, she’s unable to resist her newfound dangerous impulses. And that’s very bad news for everyone in her life, all of whom are filled with the red liquid she now so desperately craves. Continue reading ‘‘Bliss’ [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] on Blu-ray February 10, 2020!’
November 14th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
Nuclear physicist Alvah Jesper (Cooper) is recruited by the U.S. Office of Strategic Services to become a reluctant undercover agent, traveling to Switzerland to meet with a fellow scientist regarding information on Germany’s plans to construct an atomic bomb. After this colleague is assassinated, Jesper must sneak into Italy via the underground resistance, to contact another scientist. While there, Jesper falls in love with resistance fighter Gina (Lilli Palmer, in her first Hollywood role), and the two must battle shootouts, double crosses, and narrow escapes to smuggle the scientist out of Italy. A more perfectly titled film would be difficult to imagine, as Cloak and Dagger is a consummate wartime espionage suspense picture, and an intriguing mixture of genres for Lang: part spy thriller, part romantic melodrama, and part patriotic war movie, Cloak and Dagger is another triumph among Lang’s U.S. features, and an expert exercise in genre fusion that’s ripe for rediscovery. Continue reading ‘‘Cloak and Dagger’ [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] on Blu-ray & DVD January 27, 2020!’
November 14th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
It’s tough being the cat’s meow! A zany blend of slapstick gags and madcap comedy, What s New Pussycat?, starring Peter Sellers, Peter O’Toole and Woody Allen in his acting and screenwriting debut, is the wildest, wackiest film to emerge from the swinging ’60s. Michael (O’Toole) is a mademoiselle magnet. His demented psychiatrist (Sellers) and sex-starved friend (Allen) would kill for this problem, but his would-be fiancé (Romy Schneider) might just kill him. Undergoing therapy, Michael tries to reform, but it won’t be easy with sex kittens like Ursula Andress, Paula Prentiss and Capucine on his tail! Wonderfully directed by Clive Donner (The Caretaker) and featuring the hit title song written by Burt Bacharach and performed by Tom Jones, Eureka Classics presents What s New Pussycat? on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK. Continue reading ‘‘What’s New Pussycat?’ [Eureka Classics] on Blu-ray December 2, 2019!’
November 6th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by William Kennedy and directed by the late Argentinian director Héctor Babenco (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Ironweed features Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep (both Academy Award nominated for their roles) as two lost souls who come together during the Great Depression. In Depression-era Albany, N.Y., Francis Phelan (Jack Nicholson) has become an alcoholic vagabond after guilt over accidentally killing his infant son led him to desert his family. Over the course of several days, he ambles from gritty job to dirty bar to makeshift sleeping quarters. By chance, he encounters fellow itinerant drinker and his sometime lover, Helen Archer (Meryl Streep). Together, they wax nostalgic about their haunted pasts. Eureka Classics is proud to present one of the most acclaimed dramas of the 1980s in its UK debut on Blu-ray and DVD. Continue reading ‘‘Ironweed’ [Eureka Classics] on Blu-ray & DVD December 2, 2019!’
November 6th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke are remarkable in The Miracle Worker, the Academy Award-winning story of Helen Keller. Ennobling and uplifting, this inspirational story of courage and hope is one of the finest works of art in the history of motion pictures. Locked in a frightening, lonely world of silence and darkness since infancy, 7-year old Helen Keller (Duke) has never seen the sky, heard her mother s voice or expressed her innermost feelings. Then Anne Sullivan (Bancroft), a 20-year old teacher from Boston arrives. Having just recently regained her own sight, the no-nonsense Anne reaches out to Helen through the power of touch the only tool they have in common and leads her bold pupil on a miraculous journey from fear and isolation to happiness and light. Eureka Classics is proud to present Arthur Penn s The Miracle Worker in its UK debut on Blu-ray. Continue reading ‘‘The Miracle Worker’ [Eureka Classics] on Blu-ray January 27, 2020!’
July 4th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
Eureka Entertainment to release THREE FILMS WITH SAMMO HUNG: THE IRON-FISTED MONK / THE MAGNIFICENT BUTCHER / EASTERN CONDORS, a trio of spectacular martial-arts films from one of Hong Kong cinema’s most iconic figures. Presented FULLY UNCUT (for the first time ever in the UK) from brand new 2K restorations (WORLDWIDE DEBUT) in a 3-Disc Blu-ray edition as part of the Eureka Classics range on 23 September 2019. Available with a Limited Edition booklet [2000 copies only]. One of the most prolific figures in the history of Hong Kong action cinema, Sammo Hung (Hung Kam-bo, or more affectionately, “Da Goh Da” [Big, Big Brother]) has worked as a stuntman, actor, choreographer, producer and director in a career spanning almost 60 years (his first film appearance was in 1961). Presented here are three highlights from his incredible career, showcasing his incredible skill and artistry both in front of, and behind the camera. Continue reading ‘‘Three Films with Sammo Hung’ [Eureka Classics] on Blu-ray & DVD September 23, 2019!’
June 20th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
One of the most treasured Hollywood classics, and one of the most influential and iconic Westerns ever made, High Noon remains a powerful study of heroism, and the tension between the individual and the society around him. One of the best films by director Fred Zinnemann (From Here to Eternity) — and produced by Stanley Kramer — High Noon is riveting entertainment and an acknowledged American masterpiece, yet one with surprisingly tumultuous roots. In his Oscar-winning performance, Gary Cooper stars as small town Marshal Will Kane, preparing to retire and leave town with his young bride Amy (Grace Kelly). However, plans are derailed with the impending arrival of outlaw Frank and his brutal gang. Unfolding in real time, High Noon follows Will as he futilely tries to assemble a posse with the reluctant townspeople, who want Will to forget about a conflict — as does Amy, a Quaker pacifist who just wants to avoid violence. But as high noon approaches, Will realizes he must do the moral thing…with or without help. Continue reading ‘‘High Noon’ [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] Limited Edition on Blu-ray September 16, 2019!’
June 13th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
A winner of the Spike Lee Production Fund, and inspired by the history of director Ash Mayfair s family, The Third Wife is a coming-of-age story; a tale of love and self-discovery in a time when women were rarely given a voice. In the late 19th century in rural Vietnam, fourteen-year-old May is given away in an arranged marriage and becomes the third wife to her older husband. May learns that she can gain status and security if she gives birth to a male child. This becomes a real possibility when she gets pregnant. However, her path is fraught with danger when May starts to develop an attraction for Xuan, the second wife. As May observes the unfolding tragedy of forbidden love and its devastating consequences, she must make a choice, to either carry on in silence and safety, or forge a way towards personal freedom. Continue reading ‘‘The Third Wife’ [Montage Pictures] on Blu-ray & DVD August 19, 2019!’
