Masters of Cinema

In Review: Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) on Blu-ray

by Andrew Latimer 12 November 2013

Slowly lurching towards its centenary, F.W. Murnau’s recently restored spectral vampire picture has been re-released by Masters of Cinema on Blu-ray.

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In Review: Red River (1948) on Blu-ray

by Rob Keeling 22 October 2013

Howard Hawks’ classic Western, Red River, focuses on world-weary cowboy Tom Dunson (John Wayne) and his young adopted son Matt Garth (Montgomery Clift). After 14 hard years, Dunson has built up a considerable cattle empire in southern Texas. However, with the impoverished post-Civil War South not proving a suitable market for his beef, he is […]

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In Review: Van Gogh (1991) on Blu-ray

by Ben Nicholson 23 September 2013

Imagine, if you will, a leisurely stroll through a picturesque landscape in the French countryside; the vista is a vision, the ambience tranquil. This is largely how one feels when in the company of Maurice Pialat’s ruminative biopic the famous Dutch painter, Van Gogh (1991), which has been exceptionally restored for its Blu-ray release as […]

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In Review: Simon Killer on Blu-ray

by Ben Nicholson 26 August 2013

For his sophomore feature, director Antonio Campos has once again found his camera lingering on a disconnected and troubled young man.

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In Review: Le Pont du Nord (1981) on Blu-ray

by Sam Inglis 31 July 2013

Marie and Baptiste (Bulle and Pascale Ogier) are drifting through Paris but keep running into each other. The third time they cross paths in the same day Baptiste announces their meeting was fated and they continue to move around together. At first the film is just about them getting to know each other (somewhat), but […]

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In Review: Kuroneko (1968) on Blu-ray

by Sam Inglis 23 June 2013

Kaneto Shindo’s ghost story, Kuroneko, is an unusual and individual piece of cinema. In the opening scene, a young woman (Kiwako Taichi) and her mother-in-law (Nobuko Otowa) are raped and murdered by a band of samurai. They make a deal with ‘the evil gods’, allowing them to return as vengeful spirits to kill samurai warriors. […]

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In Review: The Naked Island (1960) on Blu-ray

by Sam Inglis 23 June 2013

The Naked Island begins, after a credit sequence showing us the island itself, with a gorgeous shot of a man and a woman silhouetted against the dawn light, rowing across from an island to the mainland. They collect water and then row back. On their arrival they climb up steep sides, buckets hung from rods […]

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In Review: Tabu (1931) on Blu-ray

by Martyn Conterio 20 June 2013

F.W. Murnau’s last film received an absolutely gorgeous 75th anniversary restoration and is now released as a Blu-ray upgrade. It possibly hasn’t looked this good since its debut in 1931. This Masters of Cinema rerelease not only provides the restored film itself, we also get served Murnau’s approved cut before the likes of Paramount Pictures […]

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In Review: The Complete (Existing) Films of Sadao Yamanaka on DVD

by Sam Inglis 30 May 2013

Sadao Yamanaka made more than 20 films, three of which survive intact. Masters of Cinema have expanded on their previous release of his Humanity and Paper Balloons with a two disc set also including Yamanaka’s other surviving works.

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In Review: The Blue Angel on Blu-ray

by J P Wooding 6 February 2013

Probably better known today for the fact that it was Marlene Dietrich’s first “talkie”, The Blue Angel is certainly more than just that. Based on Heinrich Mann’s novel “Professor Unrat”, adapted for the sceeen by Carl Zuckmayer, Josef von Sternberg directed an effective tale of one man’s decline.

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