Top 5 Foreign Films you Must See on Blu Ray including Monseuir Hulot!

Below you'll find my 5 recommended Foreign Films that you must simply watch. All of these are currently on Blu-Ray. You'll definitely want these in your Film collection!

Summer Wars

From the visionary directory of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2007 Japanese Academy Award winner, Best Animated Feature) comes the story of an ordinary family going to extraordinary lengths to avert the impending cyber apocalypse!

Kenji is your typical teenage misfit. He's good at math, bad with girls, and spends most of his time hanging out in the all-powerful, online community known as OZ. His second life is the only life he has until the girl of his dreams, Natsuki, hijacks him for a starring role as a fake fiancé at her family reunion. Things only get stranger from there. A late-night email containing a cryptic mathematic riddle leads to the unleashing of a rogue AI intent on using the virtual word of OZ to destroy the real world, literally.

Buy Summer Wars (Blu-ray + DVD) NOW

As Armageddon looms on the horizon, Kenji and his new family set aside their differences and band together to save the worlds they inhabit in this near-perfect blend of social satire and science fiction. (AnimeNewsNetwork.com) First Press includes collectible art cards.

 

 

The Raid 2

Following immediately after the events of THE RAID, Rama (Iko Uwais) is forced to reinvent himself as an undercover cop in order to provide protection for his wife and child. Working for the anti-corruption taskforce led by the one person he can trust, Bunawar, he is given a mission to engage himself as an enforcer for a local mob boss, Bangun. 

Finding a way in through Bangun's son Uco, Rama must hunt for information linking Bangun with police force corruption. All the while, he harbors a dangerous and personal vendetta for revenge and justice that threatens to consume him - and bring both this mission and the organized crime syndicates crashing down.

 

Buy The Raid 2 [Blu-ray] Now

 

 

The Complete Jacques Tati

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION COLLECTOR’S SET FEATURES 

The Complete Jacques Tati [Blu-ray]

New digital restorations of all six feature films, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on Jour de fête, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Mon oncle, Trafic, and Parade and uncompressed stereo soundtrack on PlayTime

New digital restorations of all seven short films

Two alternate versions of Jour de fête, a partly colorized 1964 version and the full-color 1994 rerelease version

Original 1953 theatrical release version of Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday

My Uncle, the version of Mon oncle that director Jacques Tati created for English-language audiences

Introductions by actor and comedian Terry Jones to Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Mon oncle, and PlayTime 

Archival interviews with Tati

In the Footsteps of Monsieur Hulot, a 1989 documentary about Tati’s beloved alter ego

Five visual essays by Tati expert Stéphane Goudet

New interview with film scholar Michel Chion on the sound design of Tati’s films

“Jour de fête”: In Search of the Lost Color, a 1988 documentary on the process of realizing Tati’s original color vision for that film

Once Upon a Time . . . “Mon oncle,” a 2008 documentary about the making of that film

Everything Is Beautiful, a 2005 piece on the fashion, furniture, and architecture of Mon oncle

Selected-scene commentaries on PlayTime by Goudet, theater director Jérôme Deschamps, and critic Philip Kemp

Tativille, a documentary shot on the set of PlayTime

Beyond “PlayTime,” a short 2002 documentary featuring on-set footage

An Homage to Jacques Tati, a 1982 French TV program featuring Tati friend and set designer Jacques Lagrange

Audio interview with Tati from the U.S. premiere of PlayTime at the 1972 San Francisco International Film Festival

Interview with PlayTime script supervisor Sylvette Baudrot from 2006

Tati Story, a short biographical film from 2002

Professor Goudet’s Lessons, a 2013 classroom lecture by Goudet on Tati’s films

Alternate English-language soundtracks for Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday and PlayTime

New English subtitle translations

PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by critics David Cairns, James Quandt, Jonathan Rosenbaum, and Kristin Ross.

Buy The Complete Jacques Tati [Blu-ray] Now

The Raid Redemption 

Deep in the heart of Jakarta's worst to survive their mission. 

 

Buy The Raid: Redemption [Blu-ray] Now 

The Grave of the Fireflies

As the Empire of the Sun crumbles upon itself and a rain of firebombs falls upon Japan, the final death march of a nation is echoed in millions of smaller tragedies.

This is the story of Seita and his younger sister Setsuko, two children born at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and now cast adrift in a world that lacks not the care to shelter them, but simply the resources.

Forced to fend for themselves in the aftermath of fires that swept entire cities from the face of the earth, their doomed struggle is both a tribute to the human spirit and the stuff of nightmares.

Beautiful, yet at times brutal and horrifying.

Buy Grave of the Fireflies [Blu-ray] Now

Summer Wars - Japanese Anime Mike McFarland Director

Summer Wars (Blu-ray + DVD)

You'll love this fantastic Japanese Anime style movie!

From the visionary directory of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2007 Japanese Academy Award winner, Best Animated Feature) comes the story of an ordinary family going to extraordinary lengths to avert the impending cyber apocalypse!

Kenji is your typical teenage misfit. He's good at math, bad with girls, and spends most of his time hanging out in the all-powerful, online community known as OZ. His second life is the only life he has until the girl of his dreams, Natsuki, hijacks him for a starring role as a fake fiance at her family reunion.

Things only get stranger from there. A late-night email containing a cryptic mathematic riddle leads to the unleashing of a rogue AI intent on using the virtual word of OZ to destroy the real world, literarily. As Armageddon looms on the horizon, Kenji and his new family set aside their differences and band together to save the worlds they inhabit in this near-perfect blend of social satire and science fiction . (AnimeNewsNetwork.com) First Press includes collectible art cards.

BUY Summer Wars (Blu-ray + DVD) NOW 

Seven Samurai Blu-ray Director Akira Kurosawa

Incorrectly referred to as 7 Samurai (Seven Samurai (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]) this legendary piece of Japanese cinema remains a firm favorite for any true film fan. Wonderfully shot with both humor and absolute seriousness, the images of samurais are striking. Humbleness as well as pride shines in this illustrious Japanese film. Legendary director Akira Kurosawa adds so much flair to the editing on shot composition.

The final battle scenes, shot in pouring rain are pure film genius. Each samurai has his own character that grows as the film develops. Wonderful music and comedy also make this a Blu-ray to own and treasure the seven samurai for all it’s worth.

Buy Seven Samurai (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] NOW

Gone Girl Pre-Order is Open 13/01/2015 Director David Fincher

Looking forward to this great David Fincher movie - Gone Girl

The reviews have been extremely positive, and whilst I'm not a big fan of Affleck, I'm sure Fincher would mould him. An interesting thought though that as we're watching a supposedly normal guy change or at least keep us guessing Affleck would be a perfect actor for this type of role.

I'm also looking forward to the Rosmund Pike performance, as she has qualities and charms that liken her to a Hitchcock starlet.

Release Date 13th of January 2015.

Buy the Pre-Order for Gone Girl on DVD or Gone Girl on Blu-ray Now!

Game of Thrones: Season 4 is up for Pre-Order!

Game of Thrones: Season 4 is now up for pre-order!

This incredible popular TV show now has a new treat for fans – Season 5 on Blu-ray!

I’ve jumped into television, purely as a way of tapping into trends amongst the audiences as it will undoubtedly lead to film ideas and concepts.

We can expect to relive the bloody scenes and glorious betrayal in full detail with the Blu-ray version of perhaps what is considered the greatest TV show on Earth. I kid you not!

Title release 17^th of February 2015

Buy the pre-order Today

Why some People Hate Horror Films

Horror by its very nature is designed to shock and illicit a response from the audience. Session 9 is a perfect example of an intense Psychological Horror film. Chemical changes in the body as a person adapts to fear are part of the attraction for many horror fans. For those uncomfortable with these feelings, horror comes to symbolise an unattractive experience and something to avoid.

Most people have inbuilt fears, whether it is through conditioning as children or the fact that within the unconsciousness the fear exists. However this fear is often silent and undisturbed. Darkness, certain creatures like spiders, and loneliness figure strongly in the genetic make-up of every individual. Horror works by tapping into this fear.

When watching horror films the ideas of pure terror is explored. Film works by creating identification between the audience and the characters on the screen. This main protagonist is then subject to the actions of the violent or fearful antagonist within the narrative. It is the protagonist the audience is led to identify with. They are a filmic representation of the audience. In horror the antagonist is the monster that the main character must survive an encounter with. The idea that this horror is being carried out on the audience through the protagonist is the main attraction of horror.

The horror experience heightens emotional intensity. Many people experience fear and then project this onto other individuals. Every individual is unique, but the emotions are often inter-linked within a group experience and psychology. The effect this has is that a horror audience often acts as an amplifier for these emotions. Many people are in an anticipated state when watching horror and this feeling projects onto other members of the audience.

Buy Session 9 Today!

Feelings associated with the horror genre are fear, anxiety, revulsion, and repulsion. These are strong emotions to feel and may not be comforting or enjoyable to all viewers. People may not enjoy being put into this emotional rollercoaster in the name of entertainment.

Many people fear operations and the sight of blood. With fantastic gore on display in many films the imagery evokes this fear. Advances in technology and special-effects have allowed a full creative flow to emerge into contemporary horror films.

Cinematic convention in the horror film creates suspense to promote emotional impact. It is how horror works. Suspense, attack, and death remain as solid generic conventions of the horror genre. However some people may find the formulaic convention uninspiring and not at all suspenseful. It is with this understanding that a greater reliance pushes many viewers towards Psychological Horror as this genre explores in greater detail the “feeling” of horror rather than focusing on visceral scenes.

It is understandable that some people may hate horror films. Personal preference has always been applicable in how individuals seek pleasure and entertainment. There are many elements of horror that people may find unsettling such as blood or fear and the connected emotional responses. This is not to say horror is a poor genre. It is often very dynamic and original. Horror simply may not suit everybody at the same time.

Check out the reviews and Buy Session 9 - it's just as interesting as Jacob's Ladder!