Archive for the 'Eureka! Masters of Cinema' Category
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!’
June 12th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
A riveting urban tension thriller, and a fantastic snapshot of 1967 New York City in all its seedy, black-and-white glory, The Incident also features an iconic 60s cast that must be seen to be believed. Martin Sheen makes his feature film debut as one of two small-time hoods the other is Tony Musante (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage) in one of his earliest roles terrorizing a subway car full of trapped passengers, portrayed by an ensemble cast including Thelma Ritter (Rear Window), Beau Bridges (The Fabulous Baker Boys), Ed McMahon, Donna Mills (Play Misty for Me), Jack Gilford (Save the Tiger), Brock Peters (To Kill a Mockingbird), Ruby Dee (A Raisin in the Sun), and a host of other instantly recognizable faces from NYC films and television of the era. Continue reading ‘‘The Incident’ [Eureka Classics] on Blu-ray & DVD August 12, 2019!’
June 10th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
One of the most important films in all of Australian cinema, and perhaps the key critical work of that country’s internationally acclaimed film movement of the 1970s, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is nothing short of a masterpiece a bracing and emotionally wrenching study of the effects of institutionalized racism and colonialism on a land’s indigenous peoples, and an unflinching look at the repercussions of violence for both aggressors and victims. Based on the early 20th-century exploits of Jimmy Governor, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith follows its title character, a half-Aboriginal, half-white young man attempting to make his way as a farmhand, but facing only prejudice and deception from society. When the parentage of his child is called into question and he is further robbed by his white employers, Jimmie’s barely suppressed rage explodes, triggering a wave of violence that would shock a nation. Continue reading ‘‘The Chant Of Jimmie Blacksmith’ [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] on Blu-ray & DVD August 19, 2019!’
June 8th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
A hilarious cult favourite from director Robert Zemeckis (The Back to the Future Trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit), Used Cars is a high-octane comic salute to the super salesmen whose persuasive pitches transformed rattling wrecks into your dream car. Kurt Russell (Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China) is Rudy Russo, the top salesmen at the New Deal used car lot run by Luke Fuchs (Jack Warden). Caught up in a crazy feud between Luke and his brother Roy (also played by Warden) who runs the rival car lot across the street, Rudy must put his grifting skills into overdrive as the battle for sales supremacy escalates into all-out war! Under-appreciated on release, Used Cars is now recognized as one of the funniest comedies of the 1980s. Eureka Classics is delighted to present Used Cars in its UK debut on Blu-ray. Continue reading ‘‘Used Cars’ [Eureka Classics] on Blu-ray & DVD August 12, 2019!’
June 2nd, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean is one of the wonderful highlights of an under-appreciated chapter of director Robert Altman’s career. Between the box office disappointment of Popeye (1980) and the explosive comeback of The Player (1992), Altman returned to lower-budgeted, independent filmmaking, often boldly experimenting with how theatre work could be inventively adapted for cinema and television. This period of Altman’s oeuvre also includes such masterworks as Streamers (1983), Secret Honor (1984), and Tanner ’88 (1988), but was initiated by Come Back, and this funny, touching film of the play by Ed Graczyk (who adapted it for the screen) is a triumph. Continue reading ‘‘Come Back To The 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean’ [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] on Blu-ray & DVD July 22, 2019!’
June 2nd, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
Director Elia Kazan’s first film, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn shows that the filmmaker’s great empathy for his characters was already quite evident at this early juncture, and this endures as one of the most moving Hollywood dramas of the 1940s. Based on Betty Smith’s novel a bestseller in the U.S. but also one of the most popular books among American soldiers overseas in WWII Kazan’s debut is a sensitive, masterful adaptation. Set among Brooklyn tenements circa 1912, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a portrait of the Nolans, an Irish-American family living in financially challenging circumstances, often made worse by father Johnny’s drinking and employment problems. But matriarch Katie keeps the family together during all of the obstacles, caring for son Neeley and daughter Francie, as well as Katie’s outspoken, oft-married sister Sissy. But just as Francie’s gift for writing opens up new avenues, more tragic developments test the family’s resolve. Continue reading ‘‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’ [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] on Blu-ray & DVD July 22, 2019!’
May 10th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
When Marine Captain Bob Hyde (Bruce Dern) leaves for Vietnam, his wife Sally (Fonda) volunteers at a local hospital. There she meets Luke Martin (Voight), a former sergeant whose war injury has left him a paraplegic. Embittered with rage and filled with frustration, Luke finds new hope and confidence through his growing intimacy with Sally. The relationship transforms Sally s feelings about life, love and the horrors of war. And when, wounded and disillusioned, Sally s husband returns home, all three must grapple with the full impact of a brutal, distant war that has changed their lives forever. One of director Hal Ashby’s biggest hits (second only to Shampoo), The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Coming Home for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK. Continue reading ‘‘Coming Home’ [Eureka Masters of Cinema] on Blu-ray & DVD July 15, 2019!’
May 10th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
At the height of the Second World War, a battalion of German ships are safely docked at the “unassailable” port of Bordeaux. Newly promoted Major Stringer (José Ferrer, also behind the camera as director) has a unique idea send a team of commandos out in collapsible canoes, have them paddle seventy miles upriver in arduous conditions and blow up the German ships with limpet mines. Also starring Trevor Howard and Christopher Lee, The Cockleshell Heroes is the true story of one of the most daring raids in British military history, and Eureka Classics is proud to present the film in its worldwide debut on Blu-ray. Continue reading ‘‘The Cockleshell Heroes’ [Eureka Classics] on Blu-ray & DVD July 15, 2019!’
May 10th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
In the Donbass, a region of Eastern Ukraine, a hybrid war takes place, involving an open armed conflict alongside killings and robberies on a mass scale perpetrated by separatist gangs. A journey through the Donbass unfolds as a chain of curious adventures, where the grotesque and drama are as intertwined as life and death. This is not a tale of one region, one country or one political system. It is about a world, lost in post-truth and fake identities. It is about each and every one of us. Continue reading ‘‘Donbass’ [Montage Pictures] on Blu-ray & DVD June 24, 2019!’
April 21st, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
German filmmaker Arnold Fanck made this beautifully photographed Bergfilm, or mountain film , in 1926. Written in three days and nights especially for Leni Riefenstahl The Holy Mountain took over a year to film in the Alps with an entourage of expert skiers and climbers. Ostensibly a love triangle romance between Riefenstahl s young dancer and the two explorers she encounters Fanck relishes the glorious Alpine landscape by filming death-defying climbing, avalanche dodging, and frenetic downhill ski racing. Continue reading ‘‘The Holy Mountain’ [Masters of Cinema] on Blu-ray & DVD June 17, 2019!’
March 24th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
One of legendary director Fritz Lang’s first noir films, The Woman in the Window is also rightfully considered one of the most important examples of the genre, a landmark movie that became one of the initial representations of noir first singled out by French critics after WWII. A triumph for Lang, legendary writer/producer Nunnally Johnson (The Grapes of Wrath), and leading man Edward G. Robinson (shedding his earlier gangster roles to portray a love-struck obsessive), the film remains a classic American nail-biter. Robinson is Richard Wanley, a successful psychiatrist biding his time while his wife and children are on vacation when he encounters beautiful Alice (a radiant Joan Bennett), who bears an uncanny resemblance to the subject of a portrait he had just admired. When Richard and Alice retire to her home, her wealthy, jealous boyfriend intrudes, and is killed after a struggle. Alice convinces Richard to cover up the crime, but as Richard’s district attorney friend (Raymond Massey) investigates and the boyfriend’s bodyguard (Dan Duryea) begins to apply pressure to Richard, the walls begin to close in… Continue reading ‘‘The Woman In The Window’ [Eureka! Masters of Cinema] on Blu-ray & DVD May 20, 2019!’
March 11th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
One of the most inventive, magical, and also exceedingly funny films of recent international cinema, November evokes influences as varied as Guy Maddin and The Brothers Grimm, Bela Tarr and Jan vankmajer, while also remaining wholly and deliriously original. It’s unlike anything else you’ve ever seen and that’s even if you’ve seen a bunch of black-and-white Estonian fairy tale films. Young Lina and Hans are preparing to marry in their village in the woods, when Hans becomes entranced by the arrival of a visiting baroness. Love spells are conjured so that each receives their intended mate, but there are more sinister things afoot. Death can visit in the form of a farm animal…but it’s fine because one can hide by wearing trousers on the head. And, besides, the dead can come back to the village and chat anyway…although when the devil arrives, don’t try to cheat him. And then there are the “kratts” supernatural servants made from discarded bones, tree branches, and trash…just make sure to give them work to do, or else. Continue reading ‘‘November’ [Montage Pictures] on Blu-ray & DVD May 13, 2019!’
February 18th, 2019 by Gerard Iribe
Evil bites when a monstrous canine terrorises a helpless family in this legendary cult classic. Based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel, Cujo gives horror a new name. While Donna (Dee Wallace, The Howling, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) and Vic Trenton struggle to save their rocky marriage, their son Tad befriends the loveable St. Bernard who belongs to their mechanic. But what they don t realise is that a bat bite has transformed Cujo from a docile pup to a vicious killer. With Vic away on business, Donna and Tad’s car trouble pushes them into a living nightmare trapped by the demonic, relentless dog from hell. This critically acclaimed thriller promises to have you glued to your seat and foaming at the mouth! Making its UK debut on Blu-ray, with over 7 hours of extra content, Eureka Classics is proud to present Lewis Teague’s Cujo in this special Limited Two-Disc Blu-ray Edition. Continue reading ‘‘Cujo’ [Eureka Classics] on Blu-ray & DVD April 29, 2019!’
