Doctor Zhivago, African Queen, Bergman in Spain: DVD Update 12 January

New DVDs. Another African Queen date change (but... cover art has surfaced, so things are looking more and more official). Scarcely few Blu-ray announcements. However, good news for Bergman fans: the Spanish studio Cameo has announced a Blu-ray release of Fanny & Alexander the mini-series (the UK BR from Palisades Tartan is only the theatrical version), as well as a Collector's Edition DVD of its sequel The Best Intentions [Den goda viljan], which is still MIA on DVD in the US, for 23 February. Written by Bergman, directed by Bille August, winner of the Palme d'Or in 1992, the Collector's Edition will contain both the theatrical version and the little-seen (outside of Sweden) 323-minute television version. This is, as far as I'm aware, the first release of the television version of Fanny & Alexander on Blu-ray, as well as the television version of The Best Intentions on DVD. Sadly, the discs only come with Spanish subtitles, but again, perhaps this is a good sign for an upcoming release in the US. The DVD and Blu-ray announcements below are in descending order of release, and the italicized ones are for date changes.

- The Box, 2009, d. Richard Kelly, also on Blu-ray, Warner, 23 February
- Easier with Practice, 2009, d. Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Breaking Glass Pictures, 2 March
- Where the Wild Things Are, 2009, d. Spike Jonze, also on Blu-ray, Warner, 2 March
- Pirate Radio [The Boat That Rocked], 2009, d. Richard Curtis, also on Blu-ray, Focus Features, 9 March
- Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, 2009, d. Lee Daniels, also on Blu-ray, Lionsgate, 9 March
- The African Queen, 1951, d. John Huston, also on Blu-ray, Paramount, 23 March
- Son of Man, 2006, d. Mark Dornford-May, Lorber Films/Kino, 23 March
- Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield, 2003, d. Lee Jun-ik, CJ Entertainment/Virgil Films, 30 March
- Separation, 1968, d. Jack Bond, Microcinema, 30 March
- Voice of a Murderer, 2007, d. Park Jin-pyo, CJ Entertainment/Virgil Films, 30 March
- Fighter in the Wind [Baramui Fighter], 2004, d. Yang Yun-ho, Cinema Epoch, 6 April
- Strictly Ballroom, 1992, d. Baz Luhrmann, Special Edition, Buena Vista, 6 April
- The Missing Person, 2009, d. Noah Buschel, Strand Releasing, 13 April
- The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela, 2008, d. Olaf de Fleur Johannsesson, Here! Films, 20 April
- Big Heart City, 2008, d. Ben Rodkin, Vanguard, 20 April, w. Seymour Cassel, Shawn Andrews
- The Blue Tooth Virgin, 2008, d. Russell Brown, Here! Films, 20 April
- Crime of Passion [Delitto passionale], 1994, d. Flavio Mogherini, MYA, 27 April
- Dogora [Dogora: Ouvrons les yeux], 2004, d. Patrice Leconte, also on Blu-ray, Severin, 27 April
- Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight, 2009, d. Wendy Keys, New Video, 27 April
- Oresama, 2004, d. Marumo, Eastern Star, 27 April
- Pornô!, 1981, d. David Cardoso, Luiz Castellini, John Doo, Impulse Pictures, 27 April
- Sweet Teen [Frittata all'italiana], 1976, d. Alfonso Brescia, MYA, 27 April
- Without Trace [...a tutte le auto della polizia], 1975, d. Mario Caiano, MYA, 27 April
- Chelsea on the Rocks, 2008, d. Abel Ferrara, Empire/Hannover House, 4 May
- College Boys Live, 2009, d. George O'Donnell, Water Bearer, 4 May
- Doctor Zhivago, 1965, d. David Lean, 45th Anniversary Edition, also on Blu-ray, Warner, 4 May
- No Orchids for Miss Blandish, 1948, d. St. John Legh Clowes, VCI, 1 June

Blu-ray

- Versus, 2000, d. Ryuhei Kitamura, Tokyo Shock, 30 March
- A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984, d. Wes Craven, New Line/Warner, 6 April
- Class of Nuke 'Em High, 1986, d. Richard W. Haines, Lloyd Kaufman, Michael Herz, Troma, 27 April

It's Official; Inset Bad Pun About Finding a Home

I had heard a while back that Lorber Films were looking to, or had already, acquired Ursula Meier's Home, which stars Isabelle Huppert and Olivier Gourmet as bohemian parents of three children whose happy existence is threatened by the opening of a new highway about twenty feet in front of their once secluded abode. Home was selected as Switzerland's official submission for next year's foreign language Academy Award, and according to Variety, Lorber Films will release it in New York on 27 November. I'll be writing about the film soon. Think of a warmer The Seventh Continent. Or... maybe not.

Altman's Streamers on DVD, Acquisitions, Foreign Oscar Submission Updates

Music Box Films acquired the first installment of the Millennium trilogy, based on the posthumously released novels of Stieg Larsson, entitled The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [Män som hatar kvinnor] directed by Niels Arden Oplev (Worlds Apart). Part 2, The Girl Who Played with Fire [Flickan som lekte med elden], was released in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway on 18 September, and Part 3, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest [Luftslottet som sprängdes], is scheduled for 27 November in Scandinavia. The second and third installments are directed by Daniel Alfredson.

Film Movement picked up the Erik Poppe's Norwegian thriller Troubled Water for a 2010 release. Film Movement previously released Poppe's Hawaii, Oslo a couple years ago. Lorber Films have added two new documentaries to their slate in Niko von Glasow's Nobody's Perfect, about individuals with birth defects as a result of the drug Thalidomide, and N.C. Heikin's Kimjongilia, which interviews North Korean refugees about their experiences. Strand has also picked up Florian Gallenberger's biopic John Rabe, which stars Ulrich Tukur in the title role as well as Daniel Brühl, Steve Buscemi and Anne Consigny. The film premiered at Berlin earlier this year.

Two more titles have been added to the Foreign Oscar race. Columbia chose Ciro Guerra's Los viajes del viento [The Wind Journeys], and Havana Marking's documentary Afghan Star will represent the UK.

Shout! Factory announced a 19 January street date for Robert Altman's Streamers, which stars Matthew Modine, Michael Wright, Mitchell Lichtenstein and David Alan Grier and is based on the play by David Rabe. It's pretty minor Altman, in my opinion, but a noteworthy release nonetheless. Fox will release (500) Days of Summer on DVD and Blu-ray on 22 December. Gini Reticker's doc Pray the Devil Back to Hell will be released by Passion River on 10 November. And finally, Warner has announced Blu-ray released of Clint Eastwood's Mystic River and Morton DaCosta's The Music Man for 2 February 2010.

And some more date changes: Kino has pushed Loren Cass to 5 January. Paramount moved the first season of The United States of Tara to 29 December.