Armchair Vacation: Five DVDs And Blu-rays To Buy This August

Each month, films make their way to store shelves, ranging from big budget blockbusters to legendary classics to unsung forgotten gems. However, with so many films hitting retail during any given month, how could one possibly know what to nab up and what releases to avoid like a cinematic plague. Well, that’s where we hopefully come into play. Here are five films to pick up this August, that should make for one hell of a month.

5. Robin Hood (August 6)

Of all great and truly legendary pictures to have come out of Disney animation throughout its history, a few out and out classics have seemed to have fallen into the realm of the forgotten masterpieces. However, few Disney films have become as beloved by their cult-like supporters quite like Robin Hood. A beautifully crafted take on the legendary story that may very well be the definitive big screen adaptation (Errol Flynn be damned) Disney’s film, directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, is everything an animation fan could dream of. Featuring breathtaking animation and a voice cast including the likes of Peter Ustinov and Andy Devine, the film has become one of the most beloved of all of Disney’s 70s pictures. Fitting alongside the likes of The Rescuers and The Great Mouse Detective as seemingly forgotten Disney masterpieces, the film is set to bow on Blu-ray this August, and is a must own release. The film itself is a stunningly crafted bit of cinematic animation with equal parts charming musical numbers and genuinely effective voice work, but the real reason to grab this Blu-ray is also due to the release’s cavalcade of supplements. Spearheaded by a collection of various deleted sequences and an alternate ending, the film also includes deleted musical numbers, a classic Mickey Mouse cartoon entitled “Ye Olden Days,” a special storybook style telling of the story, and a collection of trailers. It’s a superb collection of supplements that truly does this masterpiece the justice that it so rightly deserves.

2. A Band Called Death (August 13)

The tagline says it all. Before there was punk, there was a band called Death. One of Drafthouse Films’ most popular releases, this entrancing documentary about a seemingly forgotten Detroit punk rock outfit is now finally set to make its way to home video on August 13, and is easily one of this month’s most interesting home video releases. Coming out of Detroit in the middle of the Motown generation, Death was sadly never allowed to become the generation defining punk band that they truly were, due to their rather bombastic sound. However, with this film the band has become newly revived, garnering not only a brand new audience of music hounds, but garnering the status as pioneering punk rockers that they so richly deserve. The release here is stacked, with two audio commentaries with the directors Mark Covino and Jeff Howlett as well as the central family, the Hackneys. Joining the commentary duo is a live performance from this year’s SXSW, some deleted sequences, a music video, a Q/A and some trailers.  All in all, music fans and film nerds alike will find more than enough to make this a must-own home video release this August.

3.  I Killed My Mother (August 13)

Arriving the same day as the aforementioned punk rock documentary, Kino Lorber will be releasing their long awaited DVD (sadly, no Blu-ray)of director Xavier Dolan’s debut feature film, I Killed My Mother. A stunning and truly auspicious debut for the now beloved Quebecois filmmaker, this is an utterly superb motion picture debut for a voice of a generation. Startlingly crafted and, given the filmmakers later work, a true auteur picture, the film is from a director far beyond his years. Affecting both emotionally and aesthetically, the film is a gem of a visual experiment that may be a tad more superficial than Dolan’s recent work, but is as true an example of a filmmaker coming of age as we have ever seen. Far more than a simple curio for indie enthusiasts, this is a truly resonant drama from one of today’s most interesting young voices.

4. Amour (August 20)

It is about damn time. After debuting over eight months ago in theaters, Michael Haneke’s devastating masterpiece, Amour, is finally set to bow on home video. Getting a DVD and Blu-ray release from Sony Pictures Classics, the film features a trio of performances from its stars Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva and Isabelle Huppert, that are the performances that define careers. Winner of last year’s Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Amour is as devastating a meditation on love and loss as one could expect from the man behind films like The Piano Teacher and The White Ribbon. A beautifully crafted picture that is as focused on its stunning performances as it is its true aesthetic, the film is just another superb motion picture from one of today’s foremost poets, Michael Haneke. The release is light on features, only including a making of documentary and a Q/A with Haneke, but the film stands on its own with more than enough strength to turn this into possibly the most important home video release in all of August.

5. Penny Serenade (August 27)

Rounding out August is one of Cary Grant’s most underrated performances. Olive Films, in their imminent wisdom, will be bringing Grant’s beloved film, Penny Serenade to DVD. From director George Stevens, the film is the third piece co-starring Grant and Irene Dunne, who became a beloved on screen duo in Leo McCarey’s masterpiece The Awful Truth, the film also has the honor of being the first film to garner Grant an Oscar nomination, and rightfully so. A top notch comedy that is both affecting and hilarious, the film is a superb and truly touching comedy about love and family. Momentarily quite heavy, the film is an underrated gem in a collection of masterpieces led by the incomparable Cary Grant.