Coming this December: The Red Balloon and Other Stories, a collection of wide-eyed fantasies for the whole family, directed by Albert Lamorisse; and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, the classic fable reinvented through boundary-pushing stop-motion animation. Plus: Blast of Silence, Allen Baron’s blackhearted noir set in Manhattan at Christmastime—now on Blu-ray.
Blast of Silence (#428) out Dec 5
Swift, brutal, and blackhearted, Allen Baron’s New York City noir Blast of Silence is a sensational surprise. This low-budget, carefully crafted portrait of a hit man on assignment in Manhattan during Christmastime follows its stripped-down narrative with mechanical precision, yet also with an eye and ear for the oddball details of urban living and the imposing beauty of the city. At once visually ragged and artfully composed, and featuring rough, poetic narration performed by Lionel Stander and written by Waldo Salt (both uncredited), Blast of Silence is a stylish triumph. The Director-Approved Special Edition Features are:
- New 4K digital restoration presented in two aspect ratios, 1.85:1 (widescreen) and 1.33:1 (full-screen), with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
- Requiem for a Killer: The Making of “Blast of Silence”
- Rare on-set Polaroids
- Photos of locations from the film in 2008
- Trailer
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: An essay by film critic Terrence Rafferty and a graphic-novel adaptation of the film by acclaimed artist Sean Phillips (Criminal, Reckless, Fatale)
The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse (#1200) out Dec 12
Everyday life becomes an adventure in the wide-eyed fables and fantasies of Albert Lamorisse. Balancing imaginative whimsy with documentary-like authenticity, his beloved short films Bim, the Little Donkey; White Mane; and the Academy Award–winning The Red Balloon find unforgettable emotional, spiritual, and moral resonance in the realms of children and animals, while his captivating but now rarely seen features Stowaway in the Sky and Circus Angel exult in the glories of two of his greatest loves: nature and flight. With their astonishing cinematography and purity of spirit, these five enchanting works invite viewers of all ages to experience the wonder, mystery, and poignancy of the world anew. The Special Edition Features are:
- New 4K digital restorations of The Red Balloon and White Mane and new 2K digital restorations of Bim, the Little Donkey; Stowaway in the Sky; and Circus Angel, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on the Blu-rays
- U.S. English-language version of Bim, the Little Donkey
- New interview with actor Pascal Lamorisse, director Albert Lamorisse’s son
- My Father Was a Red Balloon, a 2008 documentary featuring Pascal Lamorisse and his daughter Lysa French television interviews with Albert Lamorisse from 1957 and 1959
- English narrations for White Mane, by Peter Strauss, and Stowaway in the Sky, by Jack Lemmon
- English-dubbed track for Circus Angel
- New English subtitle translation and English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: An essay by critic David Cairns
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (#1201) out Dec 12
A classic tale is reborn through the inspired imagination of cinematic dream-weaver Guillermo del Toro, directing alongside Mark Gustafson. Realized through boundary-pushing, breathtakingly intricate stop-motion animation, this dark rendering of the fable of the puppet boy and his maker—which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature—daringly transfers the story to Fascist Italy, where the irrepressible Pinocchio gradually learns what it means to be human through his experiences of war, death, and sacrifice. Featuring the voices of Ewan McGregor, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, and Christoph Waltz, this Pinocchio imbues the oft-told tale with a bold new resonance about living with courage and compassion. The Director-Approved Special Edition Features are:
- 4K digital master, supervised by directors Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson, with Dolby Atmos
- One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
- Handcarved Cinema, a new documentary featuring del Toro, Gustafson, and cast and crew, including the film’s puppet creators, production designers, and animation supervisor
- Directing Stop-Motion, a new program featuring del Toro and Gustafson
- New conversation between del Toro and film critic Farran Smith Nehme
- New interview with curator Ron Magliozzi on The Museum of Modern Art’s 2022 exhibition devoted to the film
- New program on the eight rules of animation that informed the film’s production
- Panel discussion featuring del Toro, Gustafson, production designer Guy Davis, composer Alexandre Desplat, and sound designer Scott Martin Gershin, moderated by filmmaker James Cameron
- Conversation among del Toro, Gustafson, and author Neil Gaiman
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing and English descriptive audio
- PLUS: Essays by film critic Matt Zoller Seitz and author Cornelia Funke
