Three from Criterion

Three new titles are coming to The Criterion Collection this October; the 1970 crime drama Le Cercle Rouge, Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story and Steven Soderbergh’s bizarre 1996 comedy Schizopolis.

“Le Cercle Rouge” (The Red Circle) follow an ex-con led back to the world of crime through his encounters with a notorious escapee and an alcoholic ex-cop. The trio plots a heist against impossible odds, constantly pursued by a relentless inspector.

The two-disc set features a newly restored, complete and uncut version of the film, a collection of interviews with the actors, Melville and various other production personnel, French television documentaries on Melville and his acclaimed career, trailers, behind-the-scenes photos, poster galleries and more.

“Tokyo Story” follows an aging couple as they journey from their rural village to visit their two married children in bustling, postwar Tokyo. Too busy to entertain them, the children send the couple off to a health spa. After one of them becomes ill, they return home and the children rush to be with them.

Criterion’s two-disc set features a new high-definition digital transfer, an audio commentary by Ozu film scholar David Desser, the two-hour documentary I Lived… but, about the life and career of Ozu; another 30-minute tribute to Ozu conducted through reflections from other filmmakers including Stanley Kwan, Claire Denis, Lindsay Anderson, Paul Schrader, Wim Wenders and others, an essay and trailers.

Starring Steven Soderbergh, Schizopolis is a unique mixture of confused identity, doublespeak and white-knuckled corporate intrigue that confirms the director’s status as one of America’s most daring and unpredictable filmmakers.

Criterion’s disc features a new transfer approved by the director; two audio commentaries, one featuring behind-the-scenes personnel and actors, the other featuring Soderbergh interviewing himself. Also included are deleted scenes.

All three titles will hit shelves on October 14th and carry a suggested retail price of $39.95.

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