A good mix of mainstream and indie/foreign releases this week, though a little short on the classics. It is, however, a good week for Blu-ray, with Criterion’s Beauty and the Beast getting a Blu-ray upgrade, as well as a bunch of Miramax titles. British cult TV fans will be happy with releases of both Torchwood and Doctor Who. Not too much coming on Instant, but a couple of high profile ones like The Fighter are in there. A lot more on the expiring front, as our two-week lead time knocks us into the August 1st expirations. But first, persue the list of Criterions expiring on the 22nd.

New Release Picks of the Week

Cracks
I’ve been wanting to see this ever since last year’s TIFF, when I heard some really good, if subdued, buzz about it – Eva Green plays an unorthodox boarding school teacher with a problematically close relationship with a new student. Also, it’s the feature debut of Ridley Scott’s daughter. I’m intrigued.
2009 UK. Director: Jordan Scott. Starring: Eva Green, Maria Valverde.
Amazon DVD | Netflix

Limitless
This sounds like a pretty awesome idea on paper – Cooper is a writer who finds a pill that allows him to use all of his brain’s potential instead of the small percentage of potential the human brain usually uses. The trailer looks like it just goes mainstream actiony, though – still might be worth a look.
2011 USA. Director: Neil Burger. Starring: Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro, Anna Friel.
Amazon DVD | Amazon Blu-ray | Netflix (8/16)

Potiche
Catherine Deneuve is always worth watching, and while this Ozon film looks pretty flimsy (about a “trophy wife” forced to take control of her husband’s business when his health fails), it’s probably breezy good fun.
2010 France. Director: François Ozon. Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu.
Amazon DVD | Amazon Blu-ray | Netflix

OTHER NEW RELEASES
The Reef (2010 USA, dir Andrew Traucki, stars Damian Walshe-Howling; Blu-ray/Netflix)
Small Town Murder Songs (2010 Canada, dir Ed Gass-Donnelly, stars Peter Stormare; Netflix)
Take Me Home Tonight (2011 USA, dir Michael Dowse, stars Topher Grace; Blu-ray/Netflix)
Desert Flower (2011 USA, dir Sherry Hormann, stars Liya Kebede, Sally Hawkins; Blu-ray/Netflix)
Hey, Boo: Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird (2010 USA, dir Mary Murphy; Netflix)
House of the Rising Sun (2011 USA, dir Brian Miller, stars Amy Smart; Blu-ray/Netflix)
Peep World (2010 USA, dir Barry W. Blaustein, stars Lewis Black; Blu-ray/Netflix)
Tekken (2010 USA, dir Dwight H. Little, stars Kelly Overton, Gary Daniels; Blu-ray/Netflix)
The Way of the West (2011 USA, dir Wyeth Clarkson, stars Andrew W. Walker; Netflix)

Classic Picks of the Week

The Music Room Criterion
Yes, I default to putting Criterion releases in here even if I know nothing about them. I trust them. I haven’t even seen Satyajit Ray’s famous Apu trilogy, but I definitely want to, and this should probably go on my list, too.
1958 India. Director: Satyajit Ray. Starring: Chhabi Biswas.
Amazon DVD | Amazon Blu-ray

OTHER CLASSIC/OLDER RELEASES
Dark of the Sun (1968 USA, dir Jack Cardiff, stars Rod Taylor, Jim Brown)
Ferry to Hong Kong (1959 USA, dir Lewis Gilbert, stars Curt Jurgens, Orson Welles)
Hearts of the West (1975 USA, dir Howard Zieff, stars Jeff Bridges, Andy Griffith)
Skidoo (1968 USA, dir Otto Preminger, stars Jackie Gleason, Carol Channing; Netflix)

Blu-ray Picks of the Week

Beauty and the Beast Criterion
One of my all-time favorite films gets a Blu-ray upgrade; a dreamily beautiful and lightly surreal take on the famous fairy tale, with some iconic visuals and interesting casting choices.
1946 France. Director: Jean Cocteau. Starring: Jean Marais, Josette Day.
Amazon Blu-ray | Amazon DVD | Netflix

Amélie
It’s hard to think of a film more simply delightful than Amélie, and now its bright color palette and whismical visuals will look better than ever in Blu-ray.
2001 France. Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Starring: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz.
Amazon Blu-ray | Amazon DVD | Netflix

OTHER BLU-RAY RELEASES
Belly of the Beast (2003 USA,d dir Siu-tung Ching, stars Steven Seagal, Byron Mann; DVD/Netflix)
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008 UK/USA, dir Mark Herman, stars Asa Butterfield; DVD/Netflix)
Boyz N the Hood (1991 USA, dir John Singleton, stars Cuba Gooding Jr; DVD/Netflix)
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001 USA, dir Sharon Maguire, stars Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth; Netflix)
Chocolat (2000 USA, dir Lasse Hallström, stars Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp; DVD/Netflix)
Nowhere to Run (1993 USA, dir Robert Harmon, stars Jean-Claude Van Damme; DVD/Netflix)

Television Picks of the Week

Torchwood: Complete UK Series
If you pressed me, I might say that this Doctor Who spinoff is even better than Doctor Who itself. It certainly has a darker, more adult tone, which I really like, and with series 4 airing on Starz right now, it’s the perfect time to catch up with the UK seasons.
2006-2009 UK. Creator: Russell T. Davies. Starring: John Barrowman, Kai Owen.
Amazon DVD | Amazon Blu-ray | Netflix

Doctor Who: Season 6, Part 1
So far I haven’t been overly impressed with Season 6, but it’s still enjoyable TV, and probably my expectations are just blown out of proportion by how good Season 5 was. In any case, the second half of the season starts airing this fall, I believe, so it’s a good time to catch up or revisit the first half.
2010 UK. Showrunner: Steven Moffat. Starring: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan.
Amazon DVD | Amazon Blu-ray | Netflix

Hey Dude: Season 1
This was pretty much my favorite show when I was ten years old. I’m a bit afraid to go back and revisit it now – my nostalgia for it is probably better than the show actually is, but I did get a little jolt of glee at seeing it on the release list.
1989 USA. Writers: David A Litteral, Stephan Land. Starring: Christine Taylor, Kelly Brown, David Lascher.
Amazon DVD

OTHER TELEVISION
Melrose Place: Season 6 (1997 USA, creator Darren Star, stars Thomas Calabro; Netflix)

Instant Watch Picks of the Week

The Fighter
I’ve got little interest in boxing films, but all reports say this is much more than that, and with the strong cast it has, I’m more than willing to give it a chance on Instant.
2010 USA. Director: David O. Russell. Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale.

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
Who knew a film about obsession and kidnapping would also be sweetly romantic? Well, it is, and this early Almodóvar film also has a farcical quality that his more recent films have eschewed.
1990 Spain. Director: Pedro Almodóvar. Starring: Antonio Banderas, Victoria Abril.

Monsoon Wedding
A great intro to Bollywood-style filmmaking, even if it is more westernized than it immediately appears, focusing on an upcoming wedding that brings dispersed Indians back to New Delhi with an awful lot of emotional baggage. Vibrantly colorful with a lot of depth.
2001 India/USA. Director: Mira Nair. Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Vasundhara Das.

Skyline
Anticipated as a low-budget sci-fi invasion flick that might outdo Battle: Los Angeles, Skyline turned out to be pretty disappointing from what I’ve gathered, but I’m kind of curious anyway.
2010 USA. Director: Colin Strause. Starring: Eric Balfour, Donald Faison, Brittany Daniel.

Four for Texas [7/22]
I’ll admit to not having heard of this before, but it’s Rat Packers and two gorgeous blondes in a western directed by Robert Aldrich, and Charles Bronson and the Three Stooges are along for the ride. How is that not gonna be fun?
1963 USA. Director: Robert Aldrich. Starring: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Anita Ekburg, Ursula Andress, Charles Bronson.

OTHER INSTANT WATCHES
B Monkey (1999 USA, dir Michael Radford, stars Rupert Everett, Asia Argento)
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (2004 Japan, dir Mahiro Maeda, stars Jun Fukuyama)
Into the West (1992 USA, dir Mike Newell, stars Gabriel Bryne, Ellen Barkin)
Johnny Be Good (1988 USA, dir Bud S. Smith, stars Anthony Michael Hall, Robert Downey Jr)
The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002 USA, dir Nanette Burstein, Brett Morgen, stars Robert Evans)
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010 USA, dir Wai-keung Lau, stars Donnie Yen)
A Map of the Human Heart (1993 USA, dir Vincent Ward, stars Jason Scott Lee, Anne Parillaud)
Memphis (2010 USA, dir Don Roy King, stars Chad Kimball, Montego Glover)
Sarafina! (1992 USA, dir Darrel James Roodt, stars Whoopi Goldberg, Leleti Khumalo)
Shall We Dance? (1996 Japan, dir Masayuki Suo, stars Koji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari)
Welcome to Sarajevo (1997 UK/USA, dir Michael Winterbottom, stars Woody Harrelson)

See all new and upcoming titles.

Instant Watch Expiring Picks

Surrogates (2009 USA, dir Jonathan Mostow, stars Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell) [7/20]
Circle of Iron (1978 USA, dir Richard Moore, stars David Carradine, Jeff Cooper) [7/22]
Purple Rain (1984 USA, dir Albert Magnoli, stars Prince, Apollonia Kotero) [7/22]
The Battle of Algiers (1966 Italy/Algeria, dir Gillo Pontecorvo, stars Brahim Haggiag) [7/22]
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985 USA, dir Paul Schrader) [7/22]
Pandora’s Box (1929 Germany, dir G.W. Pabst, stars Louise Brooks, Fritz Kortner) [7/22]
Richard III (1955 UK, dir Laurence Olivier, stars Laurence Olivier, Cedric Hardwicke) [7/22]
Samurai Rebellion (1967 Japan, dir Masaki Kobayashi, stars Toshirô Mifune, Yôko Tsukasa) [7/22]
Tout va bien (1972 France, dir Jean-Luc Godard, stars Yves Montand, Jane Fonda) [7/22]
Ugetsu (1953 Japan, dir Kenji Mizoguchi, stars Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyô) [7/22]
Umberto D (1952 Italy, dir Vittorio De Sica, stars Carlo Battisti, Maria-Pia Casilio) [7/22]
The Beguiled (1971 USA, dir Don Siegel, stars Clint Eastwood, Geraldine Page) [7/26]
Midnight Run (1988 USA, dir Martin Brest, stars Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin) [7/26]
Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927 USA, dir Ernest B. Schoedsack, Merian C. Cooper) [7/28]
Crooklyn (1994 USA, dir Spike Lee, stars Delroy Lindo, Alfre Woodard) [7/28]
Grass: A Nation’s Battle for Life (1925 USA, dir Ernest B. Schoedsack, Merian C. Cooper) [7/28]
I am Cuba (1964 USSR, dir Mikhail Kalatozov, stars Sergio Corrieri, Salvador Wood) [7/28]
The Sorrow and the Pity (1972 France, dir Marcel Ophüls) [7/28]
I’m No Angel (1933 USA, dir Wesley Ruggles, stars Mae West, Cary Grant) [7/30]
Stand and Deliver (1988 USA, dir Edward James Olmos, Lou Diamond Phillips) [7/30]
Brigham Young (1940 USA, dir Henry Hathaway, stars Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell) [7/31]
Clay Pigeons (1998 USA, dir David Dobkin, stars Vince Vaughn, Janeane Garofalo) [7/31]
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008 USA, dir David Fincher, stars Brad Pitt) [7/31]
Edward II (1992 UK, dir Derek Jarman, star Steven Washington, Tilda Swinton) [7/31]
From the Terrace (1960 USA, dir Mark Robson, stars Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward) [7/31]
Gray Lady Down (1978 USA, dir David Greene, stars Charlton Heston, Stacy Keach) [7/31]
Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955 USA, dir Henry King, stars Jennifer Jones) [7/31]
The Mack (1973 USA, dir Michael Campus, stars Richad Pryor) [7/31]
A Man Called Peter (1955 USA, dir Henry Koster, stars Richard Todd, Jean Peters) [7/31]
Niagara (1953 USA, dir Henry Hathaway, stars Marilyn Monroe, Joseph Cotten) [7/31]
No Way Out (1950 USA, dir Joseph L. Mankiewicz, stars Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier) [7/31]
Trust (1990 USA, dir Hal Hartley, stars Adrienne Shelly, Martin Donovan) [7/31]
The Turning Point (1977 USA, dir Herbert Ross, stars Shirley MacLaine, Leslie Browne) [7/31]
Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991 UK, dir Charles Sturridge, stars Helen Mirren) [7/31]
About a Boy (2002 UK, Chris & Paul Weitz, stars Hugh Grant, Toni Collette) [8/1]
After Sex (2007 USA, dir Eric Amadio, stars Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana) [8/1]
Battle in Seattle (2007 USA, dir Stuart Townsend, stars Ray Liotta, Charlize Theron) [8/1]
Big (1988 USA, dir Penny Marshall, stars Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins) [8/1]
Body Heat (1981 USA, dir Lawrence Kasdan, stars William Hurt, Kathleen Turner) [8/1]
The Bourne Identity (2002 USA, dir Doug Liman, stars Matt Damon, Franka Potente) [8/1]
Boys Don’t Cry (1999 USA, dir Kimberly Peirce, stars Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny) [8/1]
Chalk (2006 USA, dir Mike Akel, stars Chris Mas, Troy Schremmer) [8/1]
City of Angels (1988 USA, dir Brad Silberling, stars Meg Ryan, Nicolas Cage) [8/1]
Croupier (1998 UK, dir Mike Hodges, stars Clive Owen, Alex Kingston) [8/1]
Dallas (1950 USA, dir Stuart Heisler, stars Gary Cooper, Ruth Roman) [8/1]
Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005 Italy, dir Dario Argento, stars Chiara Conti, Elio Germano) [8/1]
Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000 USA, dir Danny Leiner, stars Ashton Kutcher) [8/1]
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994 Taiwan, dir Ang Lee, stars Sihung Lung, Yu-Wen Wang) [8/1]
The Evil Dead (1981 USA, dir Sam Raimi, stars Bruce Campbell, Betsy Baker) [8/1]
Fear (1996 USA, dir James Foley, stars Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon) [8/1]
Fear and Trembling (1993 France, dir Alain Corneau, stars Sylvie Testud, Kaori Tsuji) [8/1]
Flawless (1999 USA, dir Joel Schumacher, stars Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman) [8/1]
The Fountain (2006 USA, dir Darren Aronofsky, stars Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz) [8/1]
Get Shorty (1995 USA, dir Barry Sonnenfeld, stars John Travolta, Gene Hackman) [8/1]
Ghost in the Shell (1995 Japan, dir Mamoru Oshii, stars Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Ôtsuka) [8/1]
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2004 Japan, dir Kenji Kamiyama, stars Atsuko Tanaka) [8/1]
Gunfight at Comanche Creek (1963 USA, dir Frank McDonald, stars Audie Murphy) [8/1]
The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977 USA, dir Don Taylor, stars Michael York, Burt Lancaster) [8/1]
King Lear (2009 UK, dir Trevor Nunn, Chris Hunt, stars Ian McKellan, Romola Garai) [8/1]
La Dolce Vita (1960 Italy, dir Federico Fellini, stars Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg) [8/1]
Original Sin (2001 USA, dir Michael Cristofer, stars Antonio Banderas, Angelina Jolie) [8/1]
Quills (2000 USA, dir Philip Kaufman, stars Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet) [8/1]
Raising Victor Vargas (2002 USA, dir Peter Sollett, stars Victor Rasuk, Judy Marte) [8/1]
She Done Him Wrong (1933 USA, dir Lowell Sherman, stars Mae West, Cary Grant) [8/1]
Sid & Nancy (1986 UK, dir Alex Cox, stars Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb) [8/1]
Steal This Movie! (2000 USA, dir Robert Greenwald, stars Vincent D’Onofrio) [8/1]
Swingers (1996 USA, dir Doug Liman, stars Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn) [8/1]
Thelma & Louise (1991 USA, dir Ridley Scott, stars Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis) [8/1]
Throw Momma from the Train (1987 USA, dir Danny DeVito, stars Billy Crystal) [8/1]
Ulzana’s Raid (1972 USA, dir Robert Aldrich, stars Burt Lancaster, Bruce Davison) [8/1]
Undercover Brother (2002 USA, dir Malcolm D. Lee, stars Eddie Griffin, Chris Kattan) [8/1]
Wall Street (1987 USA, dir Oliver Stone, stars Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen) [8/1]
Where the Heart Is (2000 USA, dir Matt Williams, stars Natalie Portman, Ashley Judd) [8/1]
Witness for the Prosecution (1957 USA, dir Billy Wilder, stars Marlene Dietrich) [8/1]
Wonder Boys (2000 USA, dir Curtis Hanson, stars Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire) [8/1]
Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars (2009 UK, creator Russell T. Davies, stars David Tennant) [8/1]

See all expiring titles.

Disclaimers

• Amazon links use my affiliate account, and will kick a small percentage of your purchase back to me. You pay the same price you would anyway.
• Not all new releases are available on Netflix immediately. Some studio films have a 30-day release window before Netflix can rent them, and some smaller releases are not picked up by Netflix immediately. Add them to your “saved” queue if you’re interested; that tells Netflix there is demand for the disc.
• Not all new Blu-ray releases are available on Netflix – Netflix usually buys both DVD and Blu-ray editions of new releases, but if a DVD has already been released, they don’t always get the Blu-ray when it comes out later.
• Instant Watch releases are not always 100% accurate – often the data from the API is not fully accurate until the actual day of release. I always check on release day to make sure things actually do hit Instant Watch, but for things that come out later than Tuesday when I publish this post, I won’t be able to tell.
• Instant Watch expirations are not always 100% accurate – sometimes they don’t expire after all, sometimes things expire with little advance warning. I always check to make sure the data is accurate to the best of my knowledge when I publish the post, but things could still change, especially since I’m giving expiration warnings up to two weeks in advance.
• I rely on Box Office Mojo and InstantWatcher for the majority of the data for these posts, so thank you to them for the work they do.