I’d fallen somewhat behind on my review duties after an extended bout with the flu and some general “real world” intrusions. I’m also in production on a short film, which is getting in the way of sitting and watching other people’s films. Pfft! Anyway, here are some capsule reviews of Criterion titles which have recently been released.

 

Richard Linklater’s sophomore effort, Dazed and Confused, opens with an orange GTO humming through a high school parking lot to the sound of Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion.” This groove-perfect shot slips us back to 1976 with the ease of a Delorean with new shocks. The film, with its deliberately meandering structure, is a sort of 70s answer to American Graffiti. But more than just a candid nostalgia, Linklater’s film is a tapestry of emotional accuracies. I first saw Dazed and Confused when I was 14. The era depicted, as well as its corresponding soundtrack, were not my own, but I recognized the rhythms.

Universal recently released their own Blu-ray edition, but, after comparing some online captures, it doesn’t appear to match Criterion’s effort (which was supervised by Linklater and cinematographer Lee Daniel). Colors are accurate and detail is excellent, with fine shadow delineation (the Moon Tower scenes look great). The film’s grain structure has been left marvelously intact, with the result being a gorgeous, filmic image. The provided English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix presents dialogue without a hitch and reproduces the film’s soundtrack perfectly. Surround activity envelopes nicely, with good imaging and clean ambience. Another reason to choose Criterion’s edition over Universal’s is the sheer wealth of extras that have been gathered for this release. Features include: a commentary by Linklater; a 50-minute documentary by Kahane Corn; on-set interviews; footage from the ten-year anniversary celebration; audition footage; deleted Scenes; the original theatrical trailer; and a huge booklet featuring essays, memories of the film from the cast and crew, character profiles, and mini version of the original film poster by Frank Kozik.

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Lasse Hallström’s My Life as a Dog is a brilliant coming-of-age story built upon carefully observed notions of identity. It tells the story of Ingemar (Anton Glanzelius), a young boy whose grief for his ailing mother is distracted by the eccentric inhabits of his uncle’s small village. Hallström’s film is a bold and infinitely charming view of childhood and is carried by the extraordinary performances of its young actors.

The Hallström-supervised transfer suffers from some minor damage and inconsistency, but looks worlds better than Criterion’s already competent DVD release from 2003. Colors are more accurate and black levels are stronger across the board. The uncompressed Swedish monaural track (accompanied by improved English subtitles) presents the film cleanly and accurately. All of the previous DVD’s features have been ported over for this Blu-ray release. They include Hallström’s 1973 film “Shall We Go to Your or My Place or Each Go Home Alone?”; interviews with Hallström; the theatrical trailer; and a booklet with essays Michael Atkinson and Kurt Vonnegut.

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Several fine actors have tackled the derangements of H. G. Wells’ Dr. Moreau, and while none have quite achieved the perverted heights of Marlon Brando’s bucket-headed performance in the ill-received 1996 adaptation, Charles Laughton comes damn close. With its vision of genetically dubious grotesqueries and bikini-clad cat ladies, Island of Lost Souls was a groundbreaking and disturbing film when it was unleashed in 1932. Several horror masters and makeup gurus credit its influence. The film remains an impressive feat, but in the post Stan Winston and Rick Baker landscape, the thrills herein feel rather antiquated. However, and I mean no offense to its creators, Island of Lost Souls makes for a hilarious midnight movie, especially with Laughton, who minces around the furniture before devouring it.

The charmingly rough transfer, I believe, represents an impressive resurrection of materials. The black and white 35mm imagery looks very good despite the remaining damage. Whites might be a tad blown out, as the prevalent white suits throughout the film tend to glow. The uncompressed monaural track is balanced and as clean as can be expected. The plentiful features package includes: an audio commentary by Gregory Mank; a new conversation with John Landis, Rick Baker and Bob Burns; new interviews David J. Skal, Stanley, Gerald Casale, and Mark Mothersbaugh; a 1976 short film by Devo; stills gallery’; the theatrical trailer; and a booklet featuring an essay by Christine Smallwood.

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Gloomy superstitions and Dickensian moralizing and progressive flashback structuring, oh my! The Phantom Carriage may not thrill as it once did, but its importance to cinema cannot be denied. Director Victor Sjöström—an integral figure in Swedish cinema and inspiration to Ingmar Bergman (Sjöström starred in Wild Strawberries)—used innovative special effects and narrative techniques to adapt Selma Lagerlöf’s theosophical ghost story.

Criterion has put together a wonderful package for this important release. The transfer preserves the film as well as could be expected. The amber-, blue- and red-tinted source elements were collected from various Swedish and English prints, but this amalgamation stuns nonetheless. The Swedish intertitles are accompanied by English subtitles. The disc also comes with two unique scores, one by composer Matti Bye and one from experimental duo KTL. Features include and audio commentary by Casper Tybjerg; an interview with Ingmar Bergman; a visual essay by Ingmar Bergman scholar Peter; footage from the construction of the Räsunda studio; and a booklet featuring an essay by Paul Mayersberg.

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