Being that this is still Pride month, I think John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) makes sense as my Pick of the Week. Although I have only seen the first half of the film, I know that it definitely compares to Rocky Horror as the new Midnight Movie, but with more emotional and oddly realistic poignancy. It also captures the spirit of rock and roll and how it connects within the soul of people who really desire their own voice. In terms of today’s unholy and misguided transphobia, I think the film stomps the usual stereotypes to the ground and tells a much deeper story of acceptance and discovering your truth. You don’t have to be a member of the LGBTQ community to enjoy it; you just have to be willing to have an open mind.
You don’t have to take my word for it, but I think Criterion’s new release will help people and film collectors realize the honest and humorous gem underneath the glam with deleted scenes, new programs on the film’s look and legacy, audio commentary with its director and cinematographer, and a documentary about its development, among other supplements. Judging by the artwork above, I think it should be a fun and insightful addition to any collection. Read Darcy Staniforth’s review.
Buy Hedwig and the Angry Inch (The Criterion Collection) Blu-rayOther great releases include:
War and Peace (Criterion Collection): Sergei Bondarchuk’s massive seven-hour epic about the fates of three people: good-hearted Pierre, the heroic Andrei, and the radiant Natasha, intertwining during the Napoleonic Wars.
Night of the Creeps: Collector’s Edition (Shout/Scream Factory): A 1986 cult gem about two college freshmen’s prank gone very bad, which unleashes a swarm of slugs that wreak havoc on their campus. Also will come in a deluxe limited edition with action figure. Read Mat Brewster’s review.
The New York Ripper: 3 Disc Limited Edition (Blue Underground): Lucio Fulci’s notorious thriller centering on a blade-wielding psychopath loose in New York City and the detectives hot on his trail.
Lost Highway (Kino Lorber): David Lynch’s hypnotic thriller about a jazz saxophonist on a descent into madness after being framed for the murder of his wife, where he suddenly morphs into a mechanic and starts a new life.
Gaslight (Warner Archive Collection): Ingrid Bergman in her first Oscar-winning role as a beautiful woman being purposely driven mad by duplicitous husband Charles Boyer.
