Euzhan Palcy is a filmmaker that many cinephiles probably aren’t familiar with. Despite a string of accolades, which include multiple awards from the Venice and Cannes Film Festivals, respectively, and a Cesar Award, the director never had the massive hit that would secure her place among the best of her era. However, Palcy is now getting some much-deserved recognition as her Oscar-nominated film “A Dry White Season” is joining the Criterion Collection in December.
Palcy, who already was the first Black director to win a Cesar Award, became the first Black director to have a film earn an Oscar nomination for an actor, when Marlon Brando was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in “A Dry White Season.” And for those that aren’t familiar with the film, the December Criterion release looks like an amazing way to get acquainted. The release features a new 4K restoration, a new interview with Palcy, a new program featuring the director, as well as a variety of features from when the film was originally released in 1989.
But “A Dry Season” isn’t the only notable December release.
Ingmar Bergman has yet another film join the prestigious Collection with “Sawdust and Tinsel.” One of the filmmakers most interesting early works, from 1953, hits the Criterion Collection with a new 2K restoration, as well as a commentary from noted Bergman scholar Peter Cowie and an introduction to the film from Bergman that was filmed in 2003.
The last two releases of 2018 include “Panique,” the 1946 film directed by famed French filmmaker Julien Duvivier, hits Criterion with the standard new restoration, a new documentary, a new interview, as well as brand-new English subtitles. And last, but not least, is the film “Forty Guns,” featuring the legendary Barbara Stanwyck. The Samuel Fuller film includes new interviews as well as a feature-length doc about the filmmaker.
As always, it’s time for film fans to break out their wallets. Enjoy!
