Blu-ray Wish List

I must admit, I go on this rant from time to time, stewing over films that have yet to be released on Blu-ray. I always keep a running list of titles and also keep my fingers crossed. I’m not including any film noir titles, however, since more and more of those seem to be coming out on a fairly regular basis (mainly thanks to Olive Films; keep up the good work, ladies and gentlemen!).

So here are a few of the films on my Blu-ray wish list. (Please feel free to share yours!)

Day of the Jackal (1973) Fred Zinnemann

One of my favorite thrillers and one of Zinnemann’s best films, the original Day of the Jackal is sadly absent from the Blu-ray world. Yet I keep waiting…

(Streaming in various places starting at $2.99)

Two Women (1960) Vittorio De Sica

Sophia Loren won a Best Actress Oscar for this film – the first ever given for a non-English-speaking performance, so I don’t understand why it’s never been released on Blu-ray. Good luck even finding a decent copy on DVD. I rented one years ago that had the worst transfer I’ve ever seen in my life. This performance and this film deserve better treatment.

(There is an Italian Blu-ray available, but with no subtitles of any kind. Sorry, my Italian’s not that good…)

Sleuth (1972) Joseph L. Mankiewicz

One of the best cat-and-mouse films ever, containing what might just be Michael Caine’s best performance ever. Of course he’s playing opposite Sir Laurence Olivier, so no pressure, mind you… You can find copies on DVD, but it certainly deserves a Blu-ray release.

Passion Fish (1992) John Sayles

Another film readily available on DVD, but this woefully neglected gem from John Sayles features stunning performances from Mary McDonnell as a disabled former soap opera star and Alfre Woodard as the nurse hired to care for her.

Stalker (1979) Andrei Tarkovsky

Stalker is a stunner of a film by Russian master Tarkovsky (Aren’t all his films stunners?) about three men trying to navigate a mysterious forbidden zone in the Russian wilderness. How do you say “Blu-ray, please,” in Russian?

Update 3/11/16: Artificial Eye will be releasing a Blu-ray of Stalker – summer 2016

Hard Eight (1996) Paul Thomas Anderson

Anderson’s first feature film is a winner about losers, focusing on casinos and con artists with great performances by John C. Reilly, Phillip Baker Hall, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson.

Streaming on Amazon and other venues for $2.99

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) John Sturges

As soon as Spencer Tracy gets off the train and sets foot in a small desert town, trouble starts and lots of it. Only we have no idea why… I wish more people could see this movie and a Blu-ray release would certainly help.

Streaming on Amazon for $2.99

Memories of Murder (2003)

It’s been called the Korean Zodiac, but this powerful police-procedural/thriller stands on its own just fine. Directed by the amazingly talented Bong Joon-ho, who also directed Snowpiercer.

(Japanese and Korean Blu-ray editions are available. The Korean has English subtitles; the Japanese does not.)

Any Marx Brothers films

I’d take any of ‘em, but first on my wish list would be A Night at the Opera, followed closely by Duck Soup. Duck Soup is the better film, but all I want is to see the stateroom scene from A Night at the Opera in high definition. That’s all I want. And two hardboiled eggs…

The Iron Giant (1999) Brad Bird

What a wonderful, beautiful, terribly neglected film. You can still find it on DVD for under five bucks. Finding it on Blu-ray would be even better.

Streaming from $2.99 in various places including Amazon

Update 3/11/16: a Spanish edition is up for pre-order for a September 7 release. You have to think that a domestic Blu-ray must be in the works.

The Keep (1983) Michael Mann

Yes, that’s the VHS cover you’re looking at! I’m not even sure this was ever released on DVD, much less Blu-ray. Someone on Amazon is selling an all-region DVD, but I have my doubts. You can stream it on Amazon and iTunes for $2.99. Okay, this is the only film in this list that I’ve never seen and I’m not even sure it’s any good, but I’d still like to see it, preferably in Blu-ray.

Let me know what you’re waiting for on Blu-ray…

(Photos: MoviePilot,TalkLeft, Fleein’ the Interview, Dominick Evans, Rope of Silicon, Flick Minute, Journeys in Classic Film, Jeff Arnold’s West, Justine’s Movie Blog, The Dissolve, Timeout, Horror News)