News

Hundreds of war movies exist, designed to thrill audiences, sometimes at the behest of the summer movie season -- we're looking at you "Pearl Harbor." Too often, Hollywood neglects to tell the whole story, resulting in cookie-cutter pictures like John Wayne's "The Green Berets" or generic action extravaganzas like John Woo's "Windtalkers." Sure, they may contain state-of-the-art special effects, A-list stars, and rousing battle scenes, but they too often rely on genre cliches or wrap their historical backdrops around sappy romantic subplots.

What's missing? Well, all great war movies contain a pivotal ingredient: realism. Far too many pictures nix this key element and wind up as shallow cash grabs that exploit history for their own benefit. Luckily, plenty of directors also went to great lengths to achieve optimal realism, ensuring audiences walked away from their pictures with a greater understanding of the strength and sacrifices of those who died on the battlefield.

Want a nine-hour dose of the truth of existence so harrowing that it will make you feel grateful no matter how humble your situation? Masaki Kobayshi's epic of the real cost of war boggles the mind with its creeping revelations of cosmic bleakness. Yet all the way through you know you're experiencing a truth far beyond slogans and sentiments. The Human Condition Region B Blu-ray Arrow Academy (UK) 1959-61 / B&W / 2:35 anamorphic widescreen / 574 min. / Ningen no jôken / Street Date September 19, 2016 / Available from Amazon UK £ 39.99 Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Chikage Awashima, Ineko Arima, Keiji Sada, So Yamamura, Kunie Tanaka, Kei Sato, Chishu Ryu, Taketoshi Naito. Cinematography Yoshio Miyajima Art Direction Kazue Hirataka <Film Editor Keiichi Uraoka Original Music Chuji Kinoshita Written by Zenzo Matsuyama, Masaki Kobayashi from the novel by Jumpei Gomikawa Produced by Shigeru Wakatsuki Directed by Masaki Kobayashi

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

The first Blu-ray of perhaps...

Oldest person in movies? (Photo: Manoel de Oliveira) Following the recent passing of 1931 Dracula actress Carla Laemmle at age 104, there is one less movie centenarian still around. So, in mid-June 2014, who is the oldest person in movies? Manoel de Oliveira Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira will turn 106 next December 11; he’s surely the oldest person — at least the oldest well-known person — in movies today. De Oliveira’s film credits include the autobiographical docudrama Memories and Confessions / Visita ou Memórias e Confissões (1982), with de Oliveira as himself, and reportedly to be screened publicly only after his death; The Cannibals / Os Canibais (1988); The Convent / O Convento (1995); Porto of My Childhood / Porto da Minha Infância (2001); The Fifth Empire / O Quinto Império - Ontem Como Hoje (2004); and, currently in production, O Velho do Restelo ("The Old Man of Restelo"). Among the international stars who have been directed by de Oliveira are Catherine Deneuve, Pilar López de Ayala,...

Tokyo Story

Written by Yasujiro Ozu and Kogo Noda

Directed by Yasujiro Ozu

Japan, 1953

December 12 marks 110 years since the birth of the great Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu (and 50 years to the date since his death). So what better way to commemorate the occasion than to revisit what is widely seen as his masterpiece among masterpieces, Tokyo Story, out now on a 3-disc dual format Blu-ray/DVD from The Criterion Collection? There have been few filmmakers treated as well by Criterion as Ozu, with more than a dozen titles available either as standalone discs or as part of a set. This latest edition of Tokyo Story, an update on their DVD release from 2003, is no exception.

The film looks spectacular in its new digital restoration, the sharpness making even more clear the attention to detail Ozu devoted to his compositions; sides, foregrounds, and backgrounds are all layered with authentic texture and...

Yasujirô Ozu’s Tokyo Story from 1953, now available in a superbly packaged Blu-ray edition from Criterion, is a film that subtly captures the dynamics of family life in ways that feel stunningly real. There are moments here of such immediacy and personal truth that it seems impossible for Tokyo Story to be a relic of a bygone age and culture. Yet, due to Ozu’s masterful – one could say otherworldly – powers of observation, this sixty year old glimpse into the everyday lives of the Hirayama family presents the human condition with a universality that still rings true in 2013.

Tokyo Story is the final installment of what film scholars call The Noriko Trilogy; three films Ozu made shortly after WWII that feature a female character named Noriko, played by the charismatic Setsuko Hara. However, the films are not narratively continuous and, in fact, Noriko is a different woman, with different circumstances and conflicts,...

Article by Dan Clark of Movie Revolt

Well it’s that time again, time for another installment of Streaming for Your Pleasure. With Memorial Day weekend upon us America is about to officially start the summer. Barbeques, beers, and beaches will surely take up much of our time this weekend, however let us not forget the purpose behind this day as we celebrate the glory that is a three day weekend. In all seriousness it is a time to honor our Veterans and current soldiers for the remarkable sacrifices they make. No matter what political stance you may take I feel that is one thing we can all get behind. With that in mind I dedicated this installment to all things military as I look at military centric films currently available on Netflix Streaming.

The Longest Day

Directed By: Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki, and Darryl F. Zanuck

Written...

Blu-ray Review

Tora! Tora! Tora!

Directed by: Richard Fleischer, Kinji Fukasaku and Toshio Masuda

Cast: Jason Robards, Martin Balsam, Sô Yamamura, Takahiro Tamura

Running Time: 2 hr 25 min

Rating: G

Due Out: December 6, 2011

Plot: The story of the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor is told from the point of view of both sides of the conflict.

Who’S It For? War buffs, your Dad, but also any American who wants to know a little more about their country’s history.

Movie:

Though not a financial success at the time of its release, Tora! Tora! Tora! has aged well thanks to the accuracy of the filmmakers. Unlike Pearl Harbor, the filmmakers focus on the actual story of the attack and the events that led up to it, rather than trying to force in a love story or anything else that may detract from what happened. Also, to tell the story from both sides,...

Hitting movie theaters this weekend:

New Year’s Eve - Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher

The Sitter - Jonah Hill, Ari Graynor, Sam Rockwell

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (limited) - Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy

Movie of the Week

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

The Stars: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy

The Plot: In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley (Oldman) is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6′s echelons.

The Buzz: Great title, great cast, great premise. Sold, sold and sold. Gary Oldman is too cool for school. I can’t wait to see this one. On top of the awesomeness that is Oldman, the film also boasts a bevy of heavy hitters in Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, and Mark Strong. I enjoy all of these actors a great deal, so regarding the cast, this film looks super solid.

Criterion tried playing a fast one this week by releasing all the new films while we were recording our super two year anniversary special. Sneaky Criterion, how could you do such a thing? But lo and behold they gave us another 11 titles, which again just goes to show that Criterion/Janus have multiple tricks up their sleeves. Especially this week, they gave us a couple of catalog titles and the rest are new and exciting, especially one that is the original edit of a particular film that was put on the page last week. Once again, if you want to join what a million other people are enjoying right now, please sign up here. It will help the series of articles and you’ll get to experience the best bang for the buck.

First up is the original version of a film that was put up last week, which is...