Produced and Abandoned #10

Ten more movies that deserve a mainstream region 1 DVD release:


1. City of Hope (1991)- Thank God John Sayles is working again and with a new movie coming out later this year, it got me thinking about this early 90's "mosaic" film which charts numerous subplots in a story of urban politics. I've only seen it twice on VHS years ago and wonder how it holds up today. With a majority of Sayles' fine work available on DVD, this one is a head scratcher.
2. United Red Army (2007)- Japanese director Koji Wakamatsu's three hour epic about the violent internal and external clashes of a terrorist group has screened all over the world at festivals and garnered a French DVD release, but that's all. I've read the final hour of this film- as police attack the Red Army compound- is tremendous. Wakamatsu has led a lengthy and varied career so I suppose the delay on "United Red Army" is no real surprise.
3. The Beaver Trilogy (2000)- Ok, first off I have no idea how good or interesting this experimental project actually is, but the thought of Crispin Glover and Sean Penn playacting the very strange existence of one man named Groovin Gary sounds alluring. I've stumbled across it at various bootleg sites, but never pulled the trigger and paid for it. Thoughts?
4. The Jerusalem File (1972)- Director John Flynn (whose made this list with great, under seen films like "The Outfit" and "Rolling Thunder") adapted this short novel into a 1972 film starring Bruce Davison as an idealistic college student caught up in international politics and violence. With Flynn's track record, I think this could be something great.
5. The Black Windmill (1974)- Starring Michael Caine, directed by Don Siegel... spies and international intrigue. What's not to like.. and I see its available to watch on YouTube!
6. Vanya on 42nd Street (1994)- One of the several Louis Malle films not available on DVD, this was a mainstay on IFC back in the day, starring a young Julianne Moore as an actress rehearsing a play in their studio. The complete lack of costumes and artifice was especially riveting and Malle's gentle touch was evident. A great little film.
7. And God Said To Cain (1970)-Supposedly tough little spaghetti revenge western starring Klaus Kinski. All of the reviews I've read for this film- which apparently stem from a now OOP poor transfer DVD- sound intriguing, with the big standoff happening within the first act, allowing the film to break usual narrative constraints.
8. Knock On Any Door (1947)- So little of Nicholas Ray's films are readily available on DVD, and this his debut, is one of them. It does air on TCM later this month, though.
9. The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1978)- Alan Alda as a senator involved with Supreme Court objections and his increasingly strained home life. Also starring Meryl Streep, "The Seduction of Joe Tynan" sounds like a promising and intelligent political drama. Too bad MGM, one of the studios awfully inept at home video releases, has never really put any faith behind this film. Update: looks like the film was just added to Netflix streaming today, May 3rd!
10. Go Now(1995)- One of Michael Winterbottom's first films about the relationship between a soccer player (Robert Carlyle) whose body begins to betray him. Another indie stalwart that made the rounds on IFC back in the late 90's. Winterbottom, one of my favorite directors, makes this film work despite the mawkish storyline and Carlyle is terrific. It deserves a wide release on DVD.