Collector’s Corner kicked off with a collection update back in July, but I haven’t shared my recent pick-ups since then, so I’m giving you the list today! Here’s everything I’ve added to my DVD/Blu collection in the past couple of months.

The Criterion sale coincided with my birthday. Naturally, with a bit of birthday money burning a hole in my pocket and everything listed at 50% off, I had to pick up a few things.

  • The Complete Lady Snowblood (Spine #: 790/791), DVD
    I have been desperate to add this to my collection since discovering Lady Snowblood through FilmStruck last year! The Criterion edition includes digital restorations of both Lady Snowblood (1973) and Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance (1974), plus interviews with manga writer Kazuo Koike and screenwriter Norio Osada, and an essay by critic Howard Hampton (on the back of a stunning illustrated poster).
  • Ernest Hemingway’s The Killers (Spine #: 176), DVD
    This two-film set includes Robert Siodmak’s 1946 version of Hemingway’s story, a noir classic, and Don Siegel’s 1964 version. Siodmak’s version is a film I’ve seen and enjoyed, but am really looking forward to seeing again (and again, and again). I’ve never seen Siegel’s, so that’ll be interesting, too! I plan on doing a double feature of them along with a re-read of the story. Special features include Andrei Tarkovsky’s short film adaptation of the story, an interview with Stuart M. Kaminsky, a reading of Hemingway’s story by Stacey Keach, a Screen Directors’ Playhouse radio adaptation, an interview with Clu Gulager, an audio excerpt from Don Siegel’s autobiography, and two essays.
  • I Married a Witch (1942) (Spine #: 676), DVD
    An old favorite, finally added to my collection! This edition includes a digital restoration of the film, an interview with director Rene Clair, an original trailer, and an essay by Guy Maddin.
  • A Night to Remember (1958) (Spine #: 7), DVD
    Now I have the whole Titanic trio: the Leo/Kate version, the Stanwyck version, and A Night to Remember! This two-disc special edition includes a digitally restored version of the film, audio commentary by Don Lynch and Ken Marschall, a “making of” featurette, an archival interview with Titanic survivor Eva Hart, a Swedish documentary about Titanic survivors, and a BBC documentary about the tragedy. It is also accompanied by a booklet essay from film critic Michael Sragow.
  • They Live By Night (1948) (Spine #: 880), DVD
    I adore this film and have an extra soft spot for it because I discovered it during my very first month of blogging. This edition includes a digital restoration, audio commentary from Eddie Muller and Farley Granger, an interview with critic Imogen Sara Smith, an illustrated audio interview with producer John Houseman, and an essay by film scholar Bernard Eisenschitz. (Also, can we talk about how beautiful the Criterion cover is for this one?!)

I also picked up a few other DVDs. Impulse purchases, gifts & blog projects!

  • Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016), DVD
    Birthday gift from my mom in July. Now I have the whole trilogy! Bonus features include an alternate ending, deleted scenes, a gag real, and a “making of” featurette with the stars of the film.
  • The File on Thelma Jordon (1950), DVD
    This one’s from Olive Films, with no extras but a very nice cover design. After this, I only have one more Stanwyck film to watch from the ’50s!
  • Frequency (2000), DVD
    My sister and I heard Garth Brooks’ “When You Come Back to Me” in the car one July day. It drove me nuts because I remembered the song from a movie, but neither of us could remember the movie. Putting my Googlin’ skills to the test, I found that the movie was Frequency, which I haven’t seen in a good 20 years or so. (I’m pretty sure we used to own it on VHS!) A few weeks later, I happened upon a bare-bones copy at Barnes when I went to get Lady Snowblood, and I couldn’t pass it up for such a low price.
  • A Message to Garcia (1936), DVD
    A bare-bones DVD from the 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives. This was the last Stanwyck film I needed to watch from the ’30s! Review coming soon.
  • Series: The Snoop Sisters (1972-4), DVD
    Another birthday gift from mom! I’d never heard of this series until it popped up as a recommendation on Amazon, but it’s packed with classic film stars. Helen Hayes and Mildred Natwick lead the charge as a pair of crime-solving elderly sisters, accompanied by guest performances from such talents as Vincent Price, Joan Blondell, and Paulette Goddard! I plan to review the series for the blog, since so much classic talent was involved in it.

In the next Collector’s Corner, the collection will continue with a look at the books and magazines I’ve picked up in the past couple of months. Stay tuned!

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