The Zombies & Demons of Criterion's October

It's not just my birthday today, although you'd be forgiven for thinking so -- it's also Criterion Announcement Day! As happens every 15th of the month -- it's almost like Longlegs, only with blu-rays instead of murder -- we've gotten word of the new batch of the physical media label's releases for an upcoming month, this time around being for October of this year. (And can I just say that just saying "the new batch" there had me imagining the masterpiece that is Gremlins 2: The New Batch being released on Criterion, and god I wish!) Anyway they usually save their spooky titles for October and it's half spooky this year, starting off with a pair of classic gothic tales from that midcentury master of goth, Val Lewton -- a double-feature of his 1943 films I Walked With a Zombie and The Seventh Victim! Zombie was directed by the master Jacques Tourneur, while Victim is from Mark Robson -- and they are both exquisitely perfect 40s spookies. The 1940s wasn't he best decade for horror but the Lewton films are the decade's absolute peak in the genre and these two are perhaps the finest of all. Oh and I didn't even mention -- these are remastered in 4K! They are stunningly gorgeous on top of everything so I cannot wait to sink into the inky blacks of them.

The other horror film that Criterion is dropping in October is one that's been on my To Watch List for ages -- Masahiro Shinoda's 1979 shocker Demon Pond, which every image I have ever seen from makes it look visually bonkers in the best of ways. THis is also remastered for 4K and if you click the link you can watch a clip which should make your jaw drop -- cannot wait to immerse myself in this supernatural kabuki remix!

Moving on to the next october title -- I suppose a case could be made for Harmony Korine's 1997 flick Gummo being horror, the way it wades it filth, degradation and suburban surrealism -- I would call that a stretch. But having only seen it in the past couple of years I very much now consider myself a fan -- it wasn't quite as disguting as I'd built it up to be. I actually thought it was kind oif sweet! But the 4K restoration of this does have me nervous -- how crisp do we need all of that dirty bathwater to be, anyway?

And the fourth (technically fifth) and final title for October is G.W. Pabst's 1929 silent masterpiece Pandora's Box, a still perfect movie which turned the actress Louise Brooks into a forever icon -- I am deeply shocked to realize this wasn't already in the Criterion collection, honestly. Maybe it'd gotten a DVD release before and they're just finally upgrading that? I'm surprised this isn't hitting 4K but it's not -- just a 2K restoration. But when it comes to films this old I'm not sure what 4K would do to them anyway. Perhaps 2K is plenty. Anyway a fine batch of movies this month -- not a stinker in the bunch. What are you planning on picking up? And don't forget that Barnes and Noble has the Criterion Collection on sale untilt he end of July! Not these movies mentioned above -- pre-orders don't count. But there's another sale in November so you know maybe just bide your time...