Happy New Year Jane! :) Cassandra Cat is such a joy. The whole Czech New Wave occasionally produced films that were equal parts child like and hard hitting political commentary - and rarely boring. One of the best I've seen in years. I hope 2024 is equally kind to you !
Wow! Some incredible stuff on here Chris. You said a while back that we are syncing up on our tastes and a lot of discs appear on both of our lists. I have your number 1 pick on the shelf and will be in the player early in the new year based on your high praise. Cheers pal 👍
Happy new year Sam! As I've been making my way through other people's lists and choices, there are some common themes and releases coming through, but we all have our own personal favourites as well. Great to see :)
Great video! Enys Men has been sitting on my shelf for a couple of months now and following your video just ascended the watch pile. I absolutely loved Bait and Mark Jenkins handmade approach to filmmaking. Can't wait to see what he does next.
Thanks. Mark Jenkins approach is so unique that his films will always have me in the queue to check them out! There is so much more to the UK than the major cities and seeing Cornwall showcased in two different forms was as enchanting as it was fascinating and confusing :) Feel free to check back in after you've watched Enys Men - wonderful to have a comment from yourself. Happy new year!
@@chrismohan happy new year! Totally agreed. I hope he can continue to get funding because Enys Men didn't quite get the traction we were all hoping for. I am due to watch it tonight so I'll come back to you with some thoughts. Either way, off the back of Bait, he deserves to keep making films his way.
Incredible list, pal. I couldn't agree more with a lot of these. Several that I still need to check out 😅 2023 was a strong physical media, cheers pal 🤘
Great range of stuff, Chris! Glad to see Enter the Video Store made it into your list too. I'm beginning to wonder if Arrow knew how much of a hit they actually had in their hands with that one. As usual, I've copped for a shopping list to catch up on, #Enabler 🤣
Cheers mate. It’s evidence that Arriw can still do the business when they decide on the right type of film. Just doesn’t happen often enough these days. Always hope for the future 😀
Happy new year Chris glad you enjoyed Drylongso, its been a quieter year for Second Run that Enter the video store box set is getting a lot of mentions love your top choice, I can see Enys Men came close though.
Happy new year Steve! As we've discussed previously, the lesser seen find from the collection resonate more than most. Another wonderful year of cinema awaits :)
Fantastic picks here Chris! A few that have been on my radar and a few that I seem to have missed completely like your number 1, Long Arm of the Law which I haven't even heard of before, but absolutely one I'll be looking to pick up now! Glad to see you talk about StudioCanal which are a company that I rate so highly, personally being so fond of their boxsets, but while I vaguely remember Brotherhood of the Wolf coming out, again it's not one I was familiar with, but it sounds fantastic. Also seeing Cosa Nostra on your list as well as Sam's, I think it's time I dive into it as it's been sat on my shelf unappreciated for long enough!
Happy New Year! I plan to do a follow up video on StudioCanal as Brotherhood of the Wolf only scratched the surface for me in terms of things I really enjoyed from them this year. Cosa Nostra is one of the easiest recommends of all time. Entertaining stories, told and portrayed by some of the people best in their craft. A real celebration of cinema. Thanks for your continued support and wonderful content this year.
Great list, Chris. There are several titles I had never heard of and most I have not seen. I was especially interested in your description of The Long Arm of the Law. That’s one I need to pick up. I was happy to hear your fondness for Chilly Scenes of Winter. I saw that multiple times when it was first released as Head Over Heels and then a year or two later in its current title. The endings are different and strangely enough I liked the first one which I believe was true to the novel. But I have come around to the revised ending as being truer to the tone of the adaptation. Happy New Year!
Thanks Roger and a Happy New Year to you too. Chilly Scenes of Winter is a wonderful slice into life at a certain time and in how the more relationships and life changes, the more that they stay the same. I appreciated seeing both endings and I'm glad that we can pick our favourite now that both are available. Thanks for the comment and support. Your channel continues to be an inspiration and a must watch. Keep up the great work!
I have 7/15 that I have and watched and loved, 2 that I have but haven't watched it and 4 more I would like to pick up. That's not bad is it? haha. I wasn't going to spend as much this year but you have already 'forced' me haha. Excellent video and a consumate celebration of boutique blurays and why we love them as releases can add so much to a film rather than just streaming. Brilliant work as always sir.
That's a more than respectable ratio. I'm going to take a back seat this year and live a life of frugality. We're three days in and I'm doing great. Let's see how long it lasts! Thanks for your support and 'encouragement' - (see previous forced comment for clarity) . Happy new year ! :)
Happy New Year, Chris. An interesting selection of movies, many of which I’ll have to keep an eye out for as I haven’t seen. When it comes to Jean Rollin, my only experience is Fascination and Lips Of Blood, neither of which I cared for. But indicator’s packaging makes his films appeal nonetheless. I always remember the very cool poster for RobotJox from when I was young but I still haven’t actually seen the movie. I will rectify that. All the best
Hi Neil. I'm sure that if I had watched the Rollin films in isolation I'd have been left as confused as to their appeal but within these packages and how they are pairing them together, there is something weird fascinating about the whole ouevre of his films. The Empire Video films were hard not to fall in love with. Thanks for watching and I hope you and family have a wonderful new year!
Hey Chris, great video breaking down the thoughts on the films as well as the releases. Really pleased to see a bit of love for Second Run, I'm planning on picking up The Cassandra Cat when it's on sale! Interesting to hear your thoughts on Enys Men too - unfortunately, the film really didn't work for me at all, I enjoyed Jenkin's Bait, but felt the montage-like nature of Enys Men felt a little too much like a student film. The constant thought I had whilst watching it was "find the film in the edit" and there were far, far too many repeat shots. Admittedly, I think he was going for the spiralling nature of memory/time distortion, but it just didn't work for me. I'm yet to delve into the Rollin films from Indicator, for me they've been a little too expensive to take a gamble on, hoping that they will get a standard release in the future, as I'd like to explore his work a little! ... now it looks like I may need the Cosa Nostra set from Radiance... Shameless plug here too, I've recently uploaded my favourite 10 releases this year on my channel if you fancy taking a look :)
Hey Sam, I think your take on Enys Men is completely valid. I think it makes a conscious decision to eschew narrative for style and form and I can honestly see why it would not hit for some. It walked a fine line for a lot of it for me and while I would have loved more answers, I am delighted to have so many possibilities teased out to me. Rollin needs the context that the releases give but they should hit the Indicator sale this year which should give you an opportunity to take a chance on one or two to see how you fare. For your first foray, probably skip Two Orphan Vampires as it's the least of the ones I've watched so far. Loved your recent vid Sam and eager to see you do more, even though I can see how much effort and love goes into making them. A labour of love. Saving that, if you're ever up for sharing your time to come on the podcast, I'd be delighted to host you. Thanks for your comments and support :)
Good. I have quite a few of these on my to watch list, such as The arrow video 80's set and the Nero boxset. My copy of the iron prefect arrives tomorrow so am looking forward to that.
Happy new year Peter. Glad that I could encourage you in similar ways that you inspire me, my friend. Looking forward to seeing Iron Prefect celebrated/ripped to shreds (delete as appropriate). Take care :)
Duel by Spielberg was a great release in 4k. Looks incredible, one of my favorite movies in general. The Last of Us 4k set is great as well, looks much better than on Max. Aesthetically, The Wicker Man got a great looking steelbook. Probably the one I keep hearing the most about is the Mexico Macabre boxset. Definitely some good releases overall, but I need to try Chilly Scenes. Winter movies are the best.
Hey Josh! Happy new year to you :) I havent gotten around to Duel yet but its on the rental list for when they are inspired to send out to me. I enjoyed the Last of Us a lot when I watched it earlier in the year, even if I cant help feeling that Pedro and Bella arent MY Joel and Ellie. We are very lucky to have as good a depiction created for us. I've got Mexico Macabre to check out but didnt get around to it. Thanks for your comments and prompting of more releases to try.
Happy New Year David :) Hope you're doing well and had a wonderful year of film watching. As always, its the film you never see coming that catch you the most !
The Cassandra Cat sounds so interesting! Great list. Happy New Year, hope 2024 brings more great films to you!
Happy New Year Jane! :) Cassandra Cat is such a joy. The whole Czech New Wave occasionally produced films that were equal parts child like and hard hitting political commentary - and rarely boring. One of the best I've seen in years. I hope 2024 is equally kind to you !
Wow! Some incredible stuff on here Chris. You said a while back that we are syncing up on our tastes and a lot of discs appear on both of our lists. I have your number 1 pick on the shelf and will be in the player early in the new year based on your high praise. Cheers pal 👍
Happy new year Sam! As I've been making my way through other people's lists and choices, there are some common themes and releases coming through, but we all have our own personal favourites as well. Great to see :)
Great video! Enys Men has been sitting on my shelf for a couple of months now and following your video just ascended the watch pile. I absolutely loved Bait and Mark Jenkins handmade approach to filmmaking. Can't wait to see what he does next.
Thanks. Mark Jenkins approach is so unique that his films will always have me in the queue to check them out! There is so much more to the UK than the major cities and seeing Cornwall showcased in two different forms was as enchanting as it was fascinating and confusing :) Feel free to check back in after you've watched Enys Men - wonderful to have a comment from yourself. Happy new year!
@@chrismohan happy new year! Totally agreed. I hope he can continue to get funding because Enys Men didn't quite get the traction we were all hoping for. I am due to watch it tonight so I'll come back to you with some thoughts. Either way, off the back of Bait, he deserves to keep making films his way.
Incredible list, pal. I couldn't agree more with a lot of these. Several that I still need to check out 😅 2023 was a strong physical media, cheers pal 🤘
Cheers mate. Anothwr wonderful year of physical media passes with the promise of even more excitement in the coming year! :)
Great range of stuff, Chris! Glad to see Enter the Video Store made it into your list too. I'm beginning to wonder if Arrow knew how much of a hit they actually had in their hands with that one. As usual, I've copped for a shopping list to catch up on, #Enabler 🤣
Cheers mate. It’s evidence that Arriw can still do the business when they decide on the right type of film. Just doesn’t happen often enough these days. Always hope for the future 😀
Happy new year Chris glad you enjoyed Drylongso, its been a quieter year for Second Run that Enter the video store box set is getting a lot of mentions love your top choice, I can see Enys Men came close though.
Happy new year Steve! As we've discussed previously, the lesser seen find from the collection resonate more than most. Another wonderful year of cinema awaits :)
Fantastic picks here Chris! A few that have been on my radar and a few that I seem to have missed completely like your number 1, Long Arm of the Law which I haven't even heard of before, but absolutely one I'll be looking to pick up now! Glad to see you talk about StudioCanal which are a company that I rate so highly, personally being so fond of their boxsets, but while I vaguely remember Brotherhood of the Wolf coming out, again it's not one I was familiar with, but it sounds fantastic. Also seeing Cosa Nostra on your list as well as Sam's, I think it's time I dive into it as it's been sat on my shelf unappreciated for long enough!
Happy New Year! I plan to do a follow up video on StudioCanal as Brotherhood of the Wolf only scratched the surface for me in terms of things I really enjoyed from them this year. Cosa Nostra is one of the easiest recommends of all time. Entertaining stories, told and portrayed by some of the people best in their craft. A real celebration of cinema. Thanks for your continued support and wonderful content this year.
Great list, Chris. There are several titles I had never heard of and most I have not seen. I was especially interested in your description of The Long Arm of the Law. That’s one I need to pick up. I was happy to hear your fondness for Chilly Scenes of Winter. I saw that multiple times when it was first released as Head Over Heels and then a year or two later in its current title. The endings are different and strangely enough I liked the first one which I believe was true to the novel. But I have come around to the revised ending as being truer to the tone of the adaptation. Happy New Year!
Thanks Roger and a Happy New Year to you too. Chilly Scenes of Winter is a wonderful slice into life at a certain time and in how the more relationships and life changes, the more that they stay the same.
I appreciated seeing both endings and I'm glad that we can pick our favourite now that both are available.
Thanks for the comment and support. Your channel continues to be an inspiration and a must watch. Keep up the great work!
I have 7/15 that I have and watched and loved, 2 that I have but haven't watched it and 4 more I would like to pick up. That's not bad is it? haha. I wasn't going to spend as much this year but you have already 'forced' me haha. Excellent video and a consumate celebration of boutique blurays and why we love them as releases can add so much to a film rather than just streaming. Brilliant work as always sir.
That's a more than respectable ratio. I'm going to take a back seat this year and live a life of frugality. We're three days in and I'm doing great. Let's see how long it lasts! Thanks for your support and 'encouragement' - (see previous forced comment for clarity) . Happy new year ! :)
Happy New Year, Chris. An interesting selection of movies, many of which I’ll have to keep an eye out for as I haven’t seen. When it comes to Jean Rollin, my only experience is Fascination and Lips Of Blood, neither of which I cared for. But indicator’s packaging makes his films appeal nonetheless. I always remember the very cool poster for RobotJox from when I was young but I still haven’t actually seen the movie. I will rectify that. All the best
Hi Neil. I'm sure that if I had watched the Rollin films in isolation I'd have been left as confused as to their appeal but within these packages and how they are pairing them together, there is something weird fascinating about the whole ouevre of his films. The Empire Video films were hard not to fall in love with. Thanks for watching and I hope you and family have a wonderful new year!
Hey Chris, great video breaking down the thoughts on the films as well as the releases. Really pleased to see a bit of love for Second Run, I'm planning on picking up The Cassandra Cat when it's on sale!
Interesting to hear your thoughts on Enys Men too - unfortunately, the film really didn't work for me at all, I enjoyed Jenkin's Bait, but felt the montage-like nature of Enys Men felt a little too much like a student film. The constant thought I had whilst watching it was "find the film in the edit" and there were far, far too many repeat shots. Admittedly, I think he was going for the spiralling nature of memory/time distortion, but it just didn't work for me.
I'm yet to delve into the Rollin films from Indicator, for me they've been a little too expensive to take a gamble on, hoping that they will get a standard release in the future, as I'd like to explore his work a little!
... now it looks like I may need the Cosa Nostra set from Radiance...
Shameless plug here too, I've recently uploaded my favourite 10 releases this year on my channel if you fancy taking a look :)
Hey Sam, I think your take on Enys Men is completely valid. I think it makes a conscious decision to eschew narrative for style and form and I can honestly see why it would not hit for some. It walked a fine line for a lot of it for me and while I would have loved more answers, I am delighted to have so many possibilities teased out to me.
Rollin needs the context that the releases give but they should hit the Indicator sale this year which should give you an opportunity to take a chance on one or two to see how you fare. For your first foray, probably skip Two Orphan Vampires as it's the least of the ones I've watched so far.
Loved your recent vid Sam and eager to see you do more, even though I can see how much effort and love goes into making them. A labour of love.
Saving that, if you're ever up for sharing your time to come on the podcast, I'd be delighted to host you. Thanks for your comments and support :)
Good. I have quite a few of these on my to watch list, such as The arrow video 80's set and the Nero boxset. My copy of the iron prefect arrives tomorrow so am looking forward to that.
Happy new year Peter. Glad that I could encourage you in similar ways that you inspire me, my friend. Looking forward to seeing Iron Prefect celebrated/ripped to shreds (delete as appropriate). Take care :)
@@chrismohan I actually bought it before I saw the video. Sorry but there you go. Christmas post delayed it.
Duel by Spielberg was a great release in 4k. Looks incredible, one of my favorite movies in general. The Last of Us 4k set is great as well, looks much better than on Max. Aesthetically, The Wicker Man got a great looking steelbook. Probably the one I keep hearing the most about is the Mexico Macabre boxset. Definitely some good releases overall, but I need to try Chilly Scenes. Winter movies are the best.
Hey Josh! Happy new year to you :) I havent gotten around to Duel yet but its on the rental list for when they are inspired to send out to me. I enjoyed the Last of Us a lot when I watched it earlier in the year, even if I cant help feeling that Pedro and Bella arent MY Joel and Ellie. We are very lucky to have as good a depiction created for us. I've got Mexico Macabre to check out but didnt get around to it. Thanks for your comments and prompting of more releases to try.
Quite a few for me to check out here - I think I might bite on long arm of the law 👍
Happy New Year David :) Hope you're doing well and had a wonderful year of film watching. As always, its the film you never see coming that catch you the most !