Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This biweekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.

READ MORE: ‘Melvin Van Peebles: The Essential Films’ Showcases The Brilliance Of The Iconic Cinema Trailblazer

This week brings a quartet of all-timers to 4K Blu-ray, along with a handful of ‘90s faves, some classic comedies, and a new Criterion box for a recently departed indie innovator. 

PICK OF THE WEEK:

“Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films”: The passing last week of this Black cinema icon makes what was already one of the year’s best box sets feel even more valuable.

Continue reading The Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘A Clockwork Orange,’ ‘Unbreakable,’ Melvin Van Peebles Collection & More at The Playlist.

It is too easy to throw superlatives around when talking about filmmakers. Many directors with a decent enough filmography, who have been around long enough to be forgotten about can attain such a status. The recently passed Melvin Van Peebles, however, is one of the only American filmmakers who truly deserves every beautiful descriptive that is laid upon him. He was a bona fide renaissance man. Actor, filmmaker, playwright, novelist, and composer – amongst other things, the man was a true artist.

Continue reading ‘Melvin Van Peebles: The Essential Films’ Showcases The Brilliance Of The Iconic Cinema Trailblazer at The Playlist.

As you probably already know, it was announced yesterday that the influential filmmaker, Melvin Van Peebles, passed away. And as with the passing of any sort of filmmaking royalty, folks from the industry went to social media to share kind words. (In a sadly timely release, one of this month’s Criterion releases is a new box set of Van Peebles’ early films, including “The Story of A Three-Day Pass,” “Watermelon Man,” “Don’t Play Us Cheap,” and “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song.”)

READ MORE: Criterion To Release ‘Melvin Van Peebles: Four Films’ Blu-Ray Collection This September

Ava DuVernay shared a quote by Van Peebles, a filmmaker she called “iconic.” The quote read, “You have to not let yourself believe you can’t.

Continue reading R.I.P. Melvin Van Peebles: Mario Van Peebles, Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins & More Remember The Iconic Filmmaker at The Playlist.

Melvin Van Peebles is a legendary filmmaker, there’s no question about that. In the ’60s, when the American filmmaker realized that studios in the U.S. weren’t going to give a Black director a chance to create cinema, Van Peebles went wherever he could to make it happen, including France where he created his first feature. Decades later, Van Peebles is one of the most revered filmmakers of his era and a trailblazer for Black artists.

Continue reading Win A Copy Of The Criterion Collection’s New ‘Melvin Van Peebles: 4 Films’ Box Set [Contest] at The Playlist.

The Criterion Collection prides itself on curating fantastic classic cinephile-friendly films that may have gone under-the-radar in the home release market and their upcoming Blu-Ray release won’t be any different. Criterion has announced that they’ll be putting together an essential collection of Melvin Van Peebles movies with their latest offering, “Melvin Van Peebles: Four Films” set to be released on September 28. 

READ MORE: Criterion Adds ‘Bringing Up Baby,’ Tarkovsky’s Mirror,’ ‘La Piscine’ & More For July

A one-man creative maverick and revolutionary, who wrote, directed, starred in, and composed the music for many of his works, Melvin Van Peebles was a shock to the system of American Independent cinema.

Continue reading Criterion To Release ‘Melvin Van Peebles: Four Films’ Blu-Ray Collection This September at The Playlist.

Melvin Van Peebles is someone that revolutionized Black cinema. But when people think of his early work, many people just talk about “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song.” That’s understandable, as that film is one of the most famous of the early ‘70s. However, thanks to Janus Films, people are going to be reintroduced to the feature directorial debut from Van Peebles, “The Story of a Three-Day Pass.”

READ MORE: ‘New Order’ Trailer: Michel Franco’s Near-Future Dystopian Thriller Arrives In Theaters This May

With a new 4K restoration of “The Story of a Three-Day Pass” coming to theaters (both virtual and physical) next month, we’re happy to give our readers an exclusive look at the new trailer for Mario Van Peebles oft-forgotten debut film.

Continue reading ‘The Story Of A Three-Day Pass’ Trailer: Melvin Van Peebles Underseen Debut Gets The Restoration Treatment [Exclusive] at The Playlist.