Five Films To Buy On DVD And Blu-ray This July

5. The House I Live In (July 2)

Among all of the truly great documentaries that arrived in theaters last year, one of the least talked about happened to be one of the very best. The newest film from Eugene Jarecki, The House I Live In shines its bright hot light on America’s War On Drugs, and just how big of a failure that idea has truly been. Accounting for over 45 million arrests, drug offenses have become this nation’s largest reason for imprisonment, and has made the leader of the free world, the US, the world’s largest jailer. A breathtakingly scathing look at a nation hell bent on sending itself to the slammer, the film doesn’t shy away from positing that drug abuse is an issue, instead stating that it is an issue that needs rehabilitation instead of imprisonment. One of the more affecting and discussion-starting documentaries in quite some time, this underrated gem of a non-fiction film deserves to be on the shelves of any and all documentary fan.

4. Boy (July 9)

I think I speak for everyone when I say, it’s about damn time that this film hits store shelves. The much talked about film from director Taika Waititi that originally debuted in 2010, this coming of age tale is finally hitting shelves via Kino, and it’s a rather glorious Blu-ray. The film itself is a fantastic meditation on childhood, which holds within it as much charm thanks to Waititi’s wondrous direction as it does emotion thanks to top notch performances from the cast, across the board, and the transfer here is bewilderingly good. The release also comes with the Oscar nominated short film, Two Cars, One Night, so fans of Waititi and those eagerly waiting to check this film out since its festival run a few years ago, this is one of July’s most intriguing and superb releases.

3. Heavy Traffic (July 16)

Very few filmmakers can compare to a director like Ralph Bakshi. And even fewer comparable auteurs are those with a background in animation. Best known for films like Fritz The Cat, Shout Factory will release a new Blu-ray of Bakshi’s breathtakingly gritty New York drama Heavy Traffic. An admittedly bare bones release, the film may seem like not much more than a curio for animation hounds, but it is arguably one of the more interesting looks at New York that you’ll see. A portrait of a grimy New York that is no longer in existence, this is as interesting a piece of cinema as it is an interesting anthropological study. Full of nudity, violence and vulgar language, the film not only holds within it a kinetic energy, but also a powerful sense of place, so much so that Heavy Traffic may stand as one of the more definitive New York pictures of its day. The transfer Shout Factory has given this film is absolutely astonishing, and makes this month’s most worthwhile animation release.

2. Kiss Of the Damned (July 23)

I’ve talked about this new horror film almost daily since I became entranced by it at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, and with a killer pedigree thanks to second generation filmmaker Xan Cassavetes (yes, the daughter of that Cassavetes), this vampire film is one of the better and more interesting horror pictures of this year. Not so much a horror film as it truly is an erotic thriller, this icy cold chiller follows the story of Djuna, who after falling for the human Paolo, sees both of their worlds turned upside down. Defiantly inspired by films by the likes of Jean Rollin, this time capsule of an era of horror filmmaking gone by is a thrilling experiment in style and erotic substance, attracting the viewer with a gorgeous sense of style instead of turning them away with the standard, modern day reliance on gore for its horror. Hyper sexy, beautifully made and shockingly well acted, this is a truly underrated gem of a motion picture that most will likely skip over imagining it as nothing more than a Twilight rip-off. Hopefully you won’t be one of those people.

1. That Touch Of Mink (July 30)

Olive Films has made 2013 its crowning year, finding the company releasing, month after month, the most interesting home video releases this side of The Criterion Collection. And July is no different. The gem of July’s Olive Films slate has to be (at least in this writer’s eyes), the Delbert Mann film That Touch Of Mink. A teaming of Cary Grant and Doris Day, this comedy is something of a wonder. A gorgeously made comedy that is as beautiful as it is absolutely charming, this film finds everyone involved at the very height of their talents. Grant and Day have great chemistry, and with Delbert Mann’s superb direction, it stands as a truly underrated work in the canons of every person involved here. With a few cameos from various iconic baseball stars (including Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra) this film may sound like nothing more than a cultural curio for film buffs with a penchant for breezy comedies, but it truly holds up as a superb marital comedy. And you can’t go wrong with the likes of Grant and Day, in HD no less.