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Noteworthy DVDs released 6/23/09
PICK OF THE WEEK
“My Dinner with Andr´” and “Last Year at Marienbad” (Criterion): Two archetypes of arthouse cinema get the Criterion treatment this week: the first, a hyper-brainy slice of urban narcissism consisting solely of two people talking; the latter, an inscrutable French puzzle-film full of ambiguous symbols, impossibly crisp visuals, and characters with names like “X” and “A.”
OTHER TOP PICKS
“Waltz With Bashir” (Sony): One of last year’s most praised films uses animation to enliven a documentary account of filmmaker Ari Folman’s experience as a soldier in Lebanon during the early ’80s.
“High Hopes” (BFS): Critics’ darling Mike Leigh made the jump from British TV productions to big screen renown with this partially improvised 1988 ensemble piece.
“Jesus’ Son” (Lions Gate): Billy Crudup stars in this 1999 adaptation of Denis Johnson’s celebrated book.
“At the Death House Door” (Facets): The latest doc from the makers of “Hoop Dreams” profiles a chaplain at the Huntsville prison who, after overseeing nearly 100 executions, became an opponent of capital punishment.
NEW ON BLU-RAY
“American Gangster,” “Casino,” “Eastern Promises” (Universal)
FRESH FROM THE MULTIPLEX
“The Code” (First Look); “Confessions of a Shopaholic” (Walt Disney); “Inkheart” (New Line); “Mr. Troop Mom” (Warner Bros.); “Phoebe In Wonderland” (Image); “The Pink Panther 2” (MGM)
ARTHOUSE/FOREIGN
“Diary of a Suicide” (Facets)
FROM THE VAULTS
“The Don Is Dead,” 1973, starring Anthony Quinn (Universal)
DOCUMENTARIES
“Fema City” (Vanguard); “Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress and the Tangerine” (Zeitgeist); “Our City Dreams” (First Run Pictures); “Pick Up The Mic” (Chicago Independent)
CULT CORNER
“Monster Squad,” the goofy ’70s TV show (Virgil Films)
KIDS’ STUFF
“Tom and Jerry: The Chuck Jones Collection” (Warner Bros.)
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