Criterion Announces Impressive September Slate

Somewhere, Roger Ebert is smiling.

The Criterion Collection, which treats film more seriously than any other label, has announced their line-up for September, and it's even more impressive than usual, including Japanese legends, stylish mysteries and a pair of psychedelic comedies.

But the most important release is definitely Dekalog. This is Krzysztof Kieślowski's 10-hour series of films based on the Ten Commandments. It's never been on DVD or Blu-ray in America and it's often considered one of the most important pieces of art of the 20th Century.

September also sees the Blu-ray upgrades of two of my all-time favorites: Jacques Turner's Cat People and the Coen Brothers' debut Blood Simple. Both films are tight, stylish thrillers that made the most of their limited budgets and created iconic masterpieces. Carol Reed's Night Train to Munich also makes its Blu-ray debut.

Fans of Japanese cinema will be over the moon at the releases of The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum, which takes place backstage at a kabuki theater, and the upgraded box set of Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman, which contains 25(!) films featuring Shintaro Katsu as the samurai.

Finally, two of the craziest movies to ever get made will debut in the Criterion Collection. Valley of the Dolls was one of 1967's surprise hits, as audiences couldn't get enough of the over-the-top acting, drugs and sex as the story followed the rise and fall of three actresses. Things got even more out-of-control when they brought in Russ Meyer – then best known for his soft-core adult films – and Roger Ebert to write the script for a follow-up. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, like its predecessor, would be a contender for one of the worst films ever made, were it not so aware of its own ridiculousness. The booklets of both films feature essays by Glenn Kenny, whose work as the chief film critic at the late movie magazine Premiere was a major inspiration for me.

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About Kip Mooney

Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.

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