Vexille Fumihiko Sori, director/Momentum There was a time when it was possible to be amazed at the astonishing technical leaps in the field of digital animation, but now a series of jawdropping films appear in such profusion that they ve become the norm.
Vexille
Fumihiko Sori, director/Momentum
There was a time when it was possible to be amazed at the astonishing technical leaps in the field of digital animation, but now a series of jawdropping films appear in such profusion that they've become the norm. Here is another stunning example: the futuristic visions crammed into Vexille constantly take the breath away (perhaps hardly surprising given that the creative team here was also behind the innovative CG feature Appleseed). The surround sound mix here is equally impressive, and makes for a remarkable fantasy adventure experience.
Two Minute Warning
Larry Peerce, director/Nouveaux Pictures
This taut and effective thriller has acquired an admirable reputation over the years, and its initial neglect now seems curious. An impressive cast (including Charlton Heston, John Cassavetes, Beau Bridges and Walter Pidgeon) acquit themselves well in a disturbing tale that both delivers the requisite tension (tracking down a sniper at a championship American football game in Los Angeles) while managing to freight in some intelligent commentary on the nature of violence.
Boulting Bros Collection: Seven Days to Noon/Suspect
Roy Boulting, director/Optimum
While such British film makers as Alfred Hitchcock and Michael Powell are routinely acclaimed, some talents further down the totem pole are yet to achieve the recognition they deserve. In terms of the range of their ambition, the Boulting Brothers had an astonishing level of success in a variety of genres. These two smartly turned and highly efficient thrillers are a testament to their skills.
Puccini in Verona
Various directors/Warner Music
A boxed set of three the Italian master's most beloved operas, Tosca, Turandot and Madama Butterfly, recorded in the spectacular surrounding of the Roman amphitheatre in Verona. Performances are more than serviceable.
La Vie de Jesus
Bruno Dumont, director/Eureka
Don't be misled by the title; this is an unsparing picture of racism and ruined lives in a small French village. Dumont's film is both sexually explicit and brutally honest, never striving for easy sympathy for its damaged, violent protagonists.
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