Michael Curtiz’s 1945 Mildred Pierce—a noir-tinged melodrama in which Joan Crawford portrays Mildred, a single mother hell-bent on freeing her children from the stigma of economic hardship—is a classic whose reputation hasn’t faded over the years. Its iconic performance by Crawford solidified the actress’ career comeback, winning Crawford her only Oscar.
As Mildred pulls herself up by the bootstraps, first as an unflappable waitress and eventually as the well-heeled owner of a successful restaurant chain, the ingratitude of her materialistic firstborn (a diabolical performance by Ann Blyth) becomes a venomous serpent’s tooth, setting in motion an endless cycle of desperate overtures and heartless recriminations.
Recasting James M. Cain’s rich psychological novel as a murder mystery, this bitter cocktail of blind parental love and all-American ambition is both unremittingly hard-boiled and sumptuously emotional.
A rare photo of Crawford during a “Mildred Pierce” audition
Ahead of its recent Criterion release, the decades-old frames of the film required a painstaking rehabilitation process. After a number of archival film elements were scanned at 4K resolution at Warner Bros.’ in-house Motion Picture Imaging lab in Burbank, the original camera negative of the film came to light, providing the basis for the majority of the restoration—that is, until the negative’s inferior final reel necessitated dipping into another archive altogether. The resulting presentation of Mildred Pierce, now available on Blu-ray and DVD, beautifully reflects the silken texture of that original nitrate stock, the luminosity of the black-and-white images accentuating the film’s stark themes of social ambition and familial loyalty.
For the full story behind the restoration—as well as an opportunity to get acquainted with the technical experts and state-of-the-art equipment at both Warner Bros. and Criterion—watch the video below, made by Criterion videographer Tara Young.
And the bonus tracks are Heaven sent!
New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
New conversation with critics Molly Haskell and Robert Polito
Excerpt from a 1970 episode of The David Frost Show featuring actor Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star, a 2002 feature-length documentary
Q&A with actor Ann Blyth from 2006, presented by Marc Huestis and conducted by film historian Eddie Muller at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco
Segment from a 1969 episode of the Today show featuring Mildred Pierce novelist James M. Cain
Petula Clark made it very clear: Don’t sleep in the subways, darling.
But learning about the underground travel system is a whole different trip. In the late 19th century, as America’s teeming cities grew increasingly congested, the time had come to replace the nostalgic horse-drawn trolleys with a faster, cleaner, safer, and more efficient form of transportation. Ultimately, it was Boston—a city of so many firsts—that overcame a litany of engineering challenges, the greed-driven interests of businessmen, and the great fears of its citizenry to construct America’s first subway. Based in part on Doug Most’s acclaimed non-fiction book of the same name, The Race Underground tells the dramatic story of an invention that changed the lives of millions.
PBS Distribution releases American Experience: The Race Underground on DVD on February 28. The program will also be available for digital download.
In the late 1800s, Boston reigned as America’s most crowded city, with nearly 400,000 people packed into a downtown of less than one square mile. With more than 8,000 horses pulling the trolleys, the city was filthy and noisy, reeking of manure and packed with humanity.
In 1890, Edison General Electric Company, which manufactured much of Sprague’s equipment, purchased and absorbed the Sprague Electric Railway & Motor Company
But a young American inventor named Frank Sprague had a revolutionary idea. Inspired by his visits to the London Underground, Sprague envisioned a subway system that would trade London’s soot-spewing coal-powered steam engine with a motor run on the latest technology—electricity. After an early job with his idol Thomas Edison, Sprague launched his own venture, the Sprague Electric Railway & Motor Company.
Sprague
Seeking investors, he first struck out with financier Jay Gould after almost setting the mogul on fire during a demonstration. He soon found backing with the wealthy capitalist Henry Whitney, who owned a fortune in suburban Boston real estate and quickly saw the financial upside of connecting his desirable residential neighborhoods with the city’s economic center. Whitney also proposed the consolidation of Boston’s seven existing streetcar companies—all under his control. When the Massachusetts General Court granted Whitney the monopoly, he announced an unprecedented plan: To build the nation’s first subway. Powered by Sprague’s technology and enthusiastically supported by Boston Mayor Nathan Matthews, the project threw the city into a voluble debate.
“The Boston subway was not a foregone conclusion, not by a long shot. There was a petition at one point where 12,000 businessmen opposed the subway,” says historian Stephen Puleo. “There were going to be streets torn up, sewer systems affected, water lines affected, electrical lines affected. Secondly, folks felt like traveling underground was very close to the netherworld, that you were getting closer to the devil, that you were taking this great risk in God’s eyes by traveling on a subway.”
The debate raged on, but the Mayor finally convinced the city that the new subway would provide much-needed jobs and not infringe on the city’s beloved Boston Common. After two years of construction, Boston’s new subway made its first trip on September 1, 1897. Despite lingering fears, more than 250,000 Bostonians rode the underground rails on its first day. In its first year of operation, 50 million passengers would ride the Boston system, and within ten years, New York and Philadelphia opened subways, with more American cities to follow.
It’s taken a while, but it’s back. After its premiere 32 years ago, Film Threat is back. The rogue brand that introduced film lovers to some of the great filmmakers of our time has been, maintaining its original goal to support and promote emerging filmmakers looking to make their mark . . . as well as remind people that it’s not about the sequel. Filmthreat.com will house reviews, features, interviews with emerging filmmakers and nifty stuff, all without taking itself too seriously.
Coos Chris Gore, Film Threat‘s founder and principal Chris Gore. “It’s hard to believe that Film Threat is back and I’m so excited. “Our number one reason for restarting Film Threat is the fans. Over the years, they’ve asked me about Film Threat and without even realizing it, they’ve kept the brand alive. So after a few challenges–nothing a true indie filmmaker hasn’t experienced–we got it together and I’m thrilled to announce our launch. We also have a few fun projects planned and we hope you’ll follow our journey, share your stories and laugh with us along the way.”
Film Threat began as a photocopies fanzine started by Chris Gore and Andre Seewood. Only 500 copies of the first issue were printed and then distributed on the campus of Wayne State University on February 6, 1985. It was on that campus that Gore and Seewood earned a reputation as disruptors by playing pranks on the film department . . . even going so far as to fake Gore’s death to promote a film screening. Seewood left after a year and Gore continued to grow the magazine beyond its photocopied roots into a magazine.
Its history is the stuff of Hollywood scripts. Gore moved the magazine to Los Angeles in 1989 and opened an office at the Cherokee Building on Hollywood Boulevard. In 1991, Larry Flynt acquired Film Threat which then split into two magazines: Film Threat was owned by Larry Flynt Publications, and Gore continued to champion underground filmmakers in the pages of the newsprint sister publication, Film Threat Video Guide (edited by David E. Williams).
Gore briefly left the magazine in 1995 and Film Threat was then headed up by Paul Zimmerman. After Flynt chose to end the magazine in 1996, the rights reverted back to Gore. During the paper crisis of the late ’90s, Film Threat printed its final issue in 1997.
The Film Threat website launched just before the print magazine’s demise in 1996. Only two issues of this new incarnation were published; a third issue was completed but never made it to the printer. Gore expanded the Film Threat website offering an email newsletter that contained reviews and news. The site grew with extensive coverage of independent films and film festivals.
Gore sold the website to Mark Bell in 2010. Bell headed up the site for the next five years with the rights reverting back to Gore in 2015. After an unsuccessful crowd funding bid in 2015, Gore chose to shut down the site for good. Amid overwhelming public outcry over the site’s absence, Gore launched a new Kickstarter campaign in 2016, resulting in the site’s return. 1,073 backers pledged $56,199 to help bring this project to life. Maybe this photo helped?
Patty, Maxene and LaVerne promised that bongo, bongo, bongo, I don’t want to leave the Congo, oh no no no no no/Bingo, bangle, bungle, I’m so happy in the jungle, I refuse to go.
Spelling aside, we can’t wait to spend 12 chapters with Panther Girl of the Kongo that, at a cost of $179,341, was the most expensive Republic serial of 1955.
When we say this is cheesy and cheap and oh-so-cultable, we mean it. The series was the penultimate ( 65 of 66) Republic serial, and was filmed in about two weeks. In order to make it possible to use significant stock footage from the earlier serial Jungle Girl, and cheaply pad out Panther Girl of the Kongo, a duplicate costume was used; as a result, Republic’s last female lead wore the same costume as its first!
The plot was a meld of serial fodder. Dr. Morgan is a mad scientist who is trying to nab sole access to secret African diamond mines (by way of the Republic backlot). In order to accomplish this he breeds giant “claw monsters to scare away any other inhabitants. Jean Evans, the Panther Girl, and her friend Larry Sanders encounter this plot while on a photo safari in the region.The star was Phyllis Coates, who played Lois Lane in the first season of the television series Adventures of Superman. Dr. Morgan was played by Arthur Space, best known as veterinarian Doc Weaver in 39 episodes of the TV series Lassie.
Olive Films releases release Panther Girl of the Kongoto Blu-ray and DVD. Even audiences unfamiliar with serials can find plenty to enjoy. You may just not want to leave the Congo . . .
What if D-Day had failed and the Third Reich continued to roll across Europe? Following in the alternate history footsteps of The Man in the High Castle and Fatherland,Resistanceshines a light on the little-known British Resistance Organization (BRO), Winston
Churchill’s top-secret and highly trained civilian army designed to wreak havoc on occupying enemy forces. This BAFTA Award-winning revisionist drama will be available on DVD and Digital on March 7 from Omnibus Entertainment, the specialty label of award-winning independent and foreign film distributor Film Movement.
Starring Michael Sheen, Andrea Riseborough, Iwan Rheon and Tom Wlaschiha, Resistance, based on the acclaimed novel by Owen Sheers is set in Nazi-occupied Britain. D-Day has failed, and, as Panzer divisions and Nazi troops sweep westward across the dispirited countryside, Sarah Lewis (Riseborough), a young Welsh farmer’s wife, awakens to find that her husband, along with all the other men are gone, presumably having fled the village to join the top-secret BRO.
Shortly thereafter, a small Wehrmacht platoon arrives in the pastoral countryside and sets up an outpost in the valley to root out the resistance. And when the severe winter forces them to cooperate with the locals, Sarah befriends the commanding officer, Albrecht (Wlaschiha), and the lines between collaboration, duty, occupation and survival are put to the test. Called “a beautiful, elliptical war film with the haunting qualities of a ghost story” by Empire Magazine, Resistance was nominated for the prestigious Cinevision Award at the Berlin Film Festival and a BAFTA Cymru Winner for Best Actress (Sharon Morgan).
Who continues to churn out great shows on must-have Blu-rays and DVDs? BBC America does, offering just what the doctor offers. Catch up on Doctor Who’s latest adventure with Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio, working its way onto Blu-ray and DVD on February 21. And, yes, there’s some nifty bonus content.
In Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio, join the Time Lord, played by Peter Capaldi, as he teams up with an investigative journalist, played by, and a superhero to save New York from a deadly alien threat. Written by Steven Moffat, the special stars Justin Chatwin as Grant, along with Matt Lucas, Charity Wakefield, Adetomiwa Edun, Aleksandar Jovanovic and Logan Hoffman.
The bonus content? There’s A New Kind of Superhero, in which we ask what it is about the Doctor that makes him so heroic; a special Christmas Doctor Who Extra (which stars Peter Capaldi and Matt Lucas); and many other extra features giving fans a special inside look at the making of The Return of Doctor Mysterio.
Mercy me! PBS Distribution is leading fans of great TV to Mercy Street: Season 2, available on Blu-ray and DVD (and as a valentine) on February 14. The program will also be available for digital download.
What a small-screen saga! The critically-acclaimed Civil War-era drama takes place in the occupied city of Alexandria, Virginia, where allegiances blur, loyalties shift and the drama intensifies as the scope of the war pushes beyond Mansion House, the former hotel commandeered by northern troops to serve as a Union hospital.
The series follows the doctors, nurses and soldiers, as well as free, enslaved and contraband African Americans and other residents of the war-torn city, as they navigate the new world emerging from the most cataclysmic event in our country’s history.
Just how hot is the series? The first season of Mercy Street, that premiered in January 2016, reached a total audience of 14 million people. It is the second highest rated drama for the year to date on PBS, after Downton Abbey.
The second season picks up directly from the dramatic events at the end of the first season finale, continuing to explore life in the chaotic city of Alexandria, the complicated interpersonal dynamics of Dr. Foster, Nurse Mary and the Mansion House staff, the increasingly precarious position of the Green family and the changing world of the burgeoning black population. The second season will introduce a number of new elements, taking the viewer closer to the war and into the halls of Confederate power, all set against the intensifying war, starting with the Seven Days’ Battle and culminating with Antietam.
The new season also delves deeper into the lives of newly freed African Americans, exploring–among other areas–life in a contraband camp, where formerly enslaved African Americans are forced to confront horrific living conditions and disease, but also get a glimpse of freedom.
New actors and guest stars introduced in Mercy Street: Season 2 include:
· Patina Miller as Charlotte Jenkins, an educated contraband abolitionist activist who arrives in the first episode. A former slave who escaped to freedom years before through the Underground Railroad, Charlotte (a composite of numerous historical figures, most prominently Harriet Jacobs) offers education to other former slaves and helps with the sick who have contracted smallpox, which was epidemic during the Civil War.
· Brian F. O’Byrne as Allan Pinkerton, head of the Union Intelligence Service. The character is based on the real Allan Pinkerton, a Scottish emigrant and abolitionist who founded America’s first detective agency and successfully brought down some of the country’s most ruthless criminals.
·Bryce Pinkham as Major Clayton McBurney III, the new hospital chief.
· Lyne Renee as Lisette Beaufort, a stylish and bold Parisian who has a past with Dr. Foster and creates a stir in the hospital when she accepts a commission with the Union Army in medical visual documentation.
·Chris Wood as Captain Lance Van Der Berg, a handsome young Union captain lodging at the Green home when he strikes up a budding romance with Alice Green, who has ulterior motives for the courtship.
· William Mark McCullough as Larkin, a Confederate sympathizer in league with Jimmy Green, who helps formulate a plan to provide rebel fighters with munitions.
· Nyambi Nyambi as Caleb, a contraband who arrives at Mansion House Hospital searching for a particular woman.
It’s been called a “sobering early autopsy of a dying business”, this powerful and riveting documentary from filmmakers Mari-Lynn Evans and Jordan Freeman. Blood on the Mountain, available on DVD on February 21 from Virgil Films, helps explain some of the psychology behind its region’s economically embattled actors, whether they are beaten-down miners, unregulated companies or compromised state politicians.
Using interviews, archival clips and a timeline of headlines and news footage, this shocking in-depth investigation of the coal mining industry sheds light on the economic and environmental injustices that have resulted from industrial control in West Virginia. The film examines the harsh conditions of the coal industry and the haunting effects on the American workers. It is a documentary the American public needs to see.
Over the course of many years, the coal industry has transformed and impacted the development of coal. The need and appetite for coal and labor has placed a massive burden on many people including the workers and the land of Appalachia. Blood on the Mountain delivers a striking portrait of a fractured population, exploited and besieged by corporate interests, and abandoned by the powers elected to represent them. This documentary details the struggles of a hard-working, misunderstood people, who have historically faced limited choices and have never benefited fairly from the rich, natural resources of their land.
The film showcases the haunting and long term devastating impacts of coal mining that it will have its citizen and the planet. The film will inspire audiences to take action towards the many issues presented in the documentary.
Tale as old as time/True as it can be/Barely even friends/Then somebody bends/Unexpectedly . . .
Harper Design never does anything unexpectedly, but the publisher has bent itself in a most lavish way. They have just releasedThe Beauty and the Beast($29.99), the third book in a series of illustrated classics, that gets reimagined in a most deluxe gift edition. What a glorious journey . . . the tome features stunning new artwork and nine interactive features from the award-winning design studio behind the graphics for the Harry Potter film franchise, MinaLima. Timed to coincide with Walt Disney Pictures’ film adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, this book engages those interested in seeing the musical starring Emma Watson, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Kline and Ian McKellen.
To add elements of visual intrigue, MinaLima includes:
· A trifold map of the rich French city where the Merchant (Beauty’s father) and his family reside
· A fold out that reveals the interior of the Beast’s enchanted palace
· A series of windows that open to reveal different entertainments to Beauty while in the Beast’s palace
· A dial of the ring Beauty turns on her finger to return to the Beast’s palace after visiting her family
This collectible edition is filled with stunning illustrations of stories that continue to be cherished by readers of all ages. Forget the flowers, chuck the chocolates. The Beauty and the Beast is a scrumptious wonder.
Public Media Distribution continues dishing out tasty dishes. And DVDs. Now available: Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking: Season 4.
Nominated for an Emmy and James Beard Award, and winner of both Telly and TASTE Awards, the setis hosted by Pete Evans, Australia’s top celebrity chef. Follow Pete on a culinary journey across America as he teams up with the country’s most innovative chefs to source the finest regional ingredients and create a multi-course feast for friends.
In the two-disc Season 4, learn cooking tips and techniques from talented chefs, including Curtis Stone, Sean Brock, Andrea Reusing and Brian MaLarkay, and how you can interpret their flavorful dishes in your own kitchen. Watch as diners sit down to enjoy these spectacular meals hosted in unique places, from a majestic redwood grove and river oyster farm to a stunning ranch in the foothills of Montana and the deck of the USS Midway. You’ll want a seat at the table!
The episode descriptions are below:
Los Angeles, California–Curtis Stone & Francis Derby Chefs Curtis Stone of Maude restaurant and Francis Derby of The Cannibal restaurant join host Pete Evans to explore the culinary mecca of Los Angeles. From browsing the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market to Logan’s Gardens, the three collect their ingredients to prepare for an extravagant pig roast. Curtis makes a fresh peach mustard for his fennel-rubbed pig, which is paired with Francis’ spread of mixed charcuterie, raw vegetables and duck rillettes. It’s a picture perfect feast for a beautiful location in Silverlake, California.
Bozeman, Montana–Melissa Harrison & Eduardo Garcia Big Sky meets lamb in Bozeman, where chefs Melissa Harrison and Eduardo Garcia create dishes with rustic flair. Our host Pete Evans joins the chefs in the beautiful Montana terrain for trout fly-fishing and the three channel their wild side as they forage for natural and fresh ingredients. This Moveable Feast takes Chef Evans to the spectacular Willow Spring Farm in Montana, where Chefs Harrison and Garcia serve a mouthwatering whole roasted lamb on a spit.
Charleston, South Carolina–Mike Lata and Jason Stanhope Explore the culinary wonders of Charleston as you head toward the shore. Chefs Mike Lata and Jason Stanhope join the team as they venture into the water for shrimp and other seafood delicacies that make for a mouth-watering dinner. With oysters as an appetizer and Lata’s fish stew served with Stanhope’s rice and vegetables dishes, this meal will be one for the books.
San Francisco–David Barzelay and Brandon Jew Host Pete Evans takes us to Golden Gate Park with fellow chefs David Barzelay of San Francisco’s Lazy Bear and Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu’s. Our team will forage today, first for seaweed off Bodega Bay, then redwood bark for our cocktail. For their meal, they prepare steamed halibut and bone marrow and aged cheddar cheese with crudite. Their cross-cultural meal meets a rustic setting as they eat a beautiful dinner inside a Redwood grove.
Baltimore, Maryland–Duff Goldman & Bryan Voltaggio Pete takes on blue crab country when he joins chefs Goldman and Voltaggio. After gathering crabs from JM Clayton Seafood Company, the oldest crab-picking house in the U.S., the group visits the small specialty store of Hex Ferments to purchase the best sauerkraut in the area. Pete starts the feast with Thai-style deviled eggs with crab mayo and kraut, while Brian serves a true Maryland blue crab feast and the Ace of Cakes aces it with the classic Smith Island Cake for dessert. Get ready for the crab and cake feast of your dreams.
San Diego, California–Brian MaLarkey & Javier Plascencia Explore the culinary style of San Diego, where chefs MaLarkey and Plascencia create dishes with Mexican-Cali flair. Our host chef Pete Evans joins the chefs for visits to a Californian coffee roaster and the shores of San Diego to find perfect ingredients. We also embark on a trip to Catalina Offshore, one of the region’s premier seafood purveyors. Chef MaLarkey prepares a fantastic salad with grilled local sardines while Chef Plascencia impresses diners with a fantastic mole.
Davidson, North Carolina–Joe & Katy Kindred Pete heads to North Carolina to meet with the owners of the famous Kindred restaurant, chef Kindred and his wife Katy. The three visit the award-winning Noda Brewing Company–home of the Hop, Drop ‘n Roll IPA–and the family-run Newtown Farm for organic vegetables. Together, they make a beautiful lakeside feast, featuring classics like a crispy North Carolina oyster and shrimp roll, as well as pasta and clams. And, of course, no southern meal would be complete without a sweet dish like Katy’s strawberry shortcake spin.
Charleston, South Carolina – Sean Brock & Benjamin Dennis The program returns to Charleston, where chefs Brock and Dennis create some classic local dishes with all the Southern charm. Our host Pete Evans joins the chefs for visits to a South Carolina plantation, which produces some of the finest vegetables and rye in the area. We also embark on a trip to an innovative farm looking to feed and train the people of tomorrow and teach them to grow sustainable foods. Chef Dennis prepares a fantastic short rib and conch stew with classic southern grits, while Chef Brock roasts a pig with heritage greens and vegetables.
Topping, Virginia – Ryan & Travis Vroxton & Chef Dylan Fultineer Pete welcomes us to Virginia, where we meet skilled oystermen Ryan and Travi, as well as Fultineer. Dylan brings Pete to Sub Rosa, a bakery specializing in traditional breadmaking. Later, Ryan and Travis have the chance to show Pete the secrets to their trade as they head onto the water and harvest one of the tastiest oysters in the world. Together, they design a meal that combines southern barbeque with the sea in the Croxtons’ BBQ Oyster Fest, and Dylan cooks up a special lamb and oyster stew.
Outstanding in the Field–Chef Oliver Ridgeway Join our host Chef Pete Evans for Moveable Feast’s biggest feast of the season–an outstanding meal in the beautiful fields outside Sacramento, California. Our host visits Outstanding in the Field, a visiting chef-based, farm-to-table dinner experience, with Chef Ridgeway, who works with local farmers to create a delicious, fresh Moveable Feast.
Greenough, Montana–Chef Ben Jones & Rory Schepisi The program goes to a chuck wagon dinner in Greenough, Montana. Our host chef Pete Evans joins chef Jones, of Paws Up, and grilling master Schepisi, to experience a classic Montana barbecue. Chefs Jones and Schepisi take Evans on a tour of local farms to harvest honey and see how real Montana angus beef is raised. The chefs prepare a delicious meal featuring Montana beef in this quintessential Chuck Wagon dinner. This Moveable Feast even has our host on the move… on horseback!
Durham, North Carolina–Andrea & Brendan Reusing From rooftop to rain in North Carolina, host Pete Evans is joined by the Lantern restaurant co-founders and siblings Andrea and Brendan to create an amazing local feast. Our team visits the small Chapel Hill Creamery, known for its award-winning cheeses, and the sustainability-driven EcoFarm for its fresh, organic produce. With the ingredients they’ve gathered, they prepare grilled country pork ribs with a rhubarb relish; a warm kale salad with radishes, eggs, and a bacon dressing; and an appetizer of grilled Bibb lettuce with mozzarella and preserved lemon and spring onion dressing.
Washington, D.C.–Mike Isabella & Jennifer Carroll Go Greek in the U.S. capital with chefs Mike Isabella and Jennifer Carroll. Our host Chef Pete Evans joins the chefs in Washington, D.C. for a seafood extravaganza and to taste and learn about different varieties of smoked fish. We hit the original fish wholesaler to find high-quality seafood that is not only tasty, but good for the ecosystem! Chef Isabella wows with a simple and smoked mixed fish platter while Chef Carroll combines smoked salmon and blue catfish with marinated spring vegetables. It’s a feast fit for Zeus in Washington, D.C.
This BAFTA Award-winning revisionist drama will be available on DVD and Digital on