TEN FILMS STILL NOT ON DVD

New viewing technology allows audiences to see a film with astounding visual clarity and a pitch perfect soundtrack. The problem, however, with HD-DVD’s, BluRay’s and DVD’s in general, is that it’s hard to go back and “update” the millions of films that have been released in the past one hundred years.

This list is incredibly small and in no way represents the “best” films not available on DVD. But here are ten films that are important entries in cinematic history and deserve restoration for a new generation of viewers.

BLOOD AND ROSES dir: Roger Vadim, 1960.
One of Roger Vadim’s first films is this erotically charged adaptation of the first vampire tale ever written: Sheridan la Fanu’s Carmilla. The film features a surreal dream sequence that is cut down or completely out of most available prints.

LA LUNA dir: Bernardo Bertolucci, 1979.
This highly controversial entry from Bertoluci stars Jill Clayburg as an American opera star whose son is falling into trouble and in love with her. Vittorio Storaro’s cinematography is dreamy and Ennio Morricone’s score is haunting.

JOHNNY GUITAR dir: Nicholas Ray, 1954.
Nicholas Ray’s feminist western has, unfortunately, not received the respect it deserves. The film boasts an amazing cast including Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge and Ernest Borgnine. Often described as a “Shakespearean Western.” Great use of Technicolor to boot.

HEARTS OF DARKNESS: A FILMMAKER’S APOCALYPSE dir: Eleanor Coppola, 1991.
A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at filming Apocalypse Now. Watch Francis Ford Coppola slowly come apart as his film goes over budget and out of control. Some of the best footage ever compiled concerning the filmmaking process. It’s a shame this wasn’t included in any of the recent DVDs.

YELLOW EARTH dir: Chen Kaige, 1984.
Before he made Hero and The Curse of the Golden Flower, Zhang Yimou served as a cinematographer on Chen Kaige’s fifth-generation masterpiece. The film is an exquisite tale of struggles in recent Chinese history and an examination of the natural conflict that exists between culture and government.

PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES dir: Mario Bava, 1965.
There are a lot of films that take credit for inspiring Alien, but this is probably the least well-known. Mario Bava’s tale of a planet that inhabits souls of a lost race has also inspired thousands of prime-time rip-offs. Innovative use of color and production design, espicailly for its low budget!

ZABRISKIE POINT dir: Michelangelo Antonioni, 1970.
Antonioni’s hippie film is still just as frustratingly beautiful as the day it was released. A great soundtrack by Pink Floyd, Jerry Garcia, The Youngbloods, and Patti Page complements a young couple’s attempt to find love in a plastic society. A dreamlike desert orgy and an apocalyptic ending make this essential counterculture viewing.

KINGS OF THE ROAD dir: Wim Wenders, 1976.
One of Wim Wender’s first contributions to New German Cinema is still not available on DVD. Great black and white cinematography by Robby Müller captures the desolation of the East German countryside. A clear influence on Jim Jarmusch.

HAMLET dir: Kenneth Branagh, 1996.
The last feature-length film to be shot on 70mm and it’s still not available on DVD or widescreen VHS. The film uses the complete text of Shakespeare’s play and updates the setting to the late 19th century. The film is a lush, visual feast and deserves a quality transfer.

BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1980.
Fassbinder’s magnum opus is a fifteen hour mini-series that has rarely been seen since its inception, although it has strong cult following. A critical look at working-class Germany, many consider this Fassbinder’s best work. A Criterion Collection DVD has been in talks for years.