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After 40 years and countless copycat music festivals, the legend of Woodstock still stubbornly lives on. Michael Wadleigh’s film of the event, Woodstock, has undergone some renovations over the years, with the addition of concert footage removed from the original theatrical cut, but the latest DVD/Blu-Ray release of the movie, the “Ultimate Collector’s Edition,” should probably remain the most definitive, if not exhaustive. You can tell it’s the real deal from the packaging alone—the big box comes in some sort of DVD poncho with faux-suede fringes, which I guess is cool if you like your home entertainment library to get all dressed up in period style. The festive set comes with tons of extras: the four-hour director’s cut of the movie, some background featurettes, a reprint of LIFE magazine’s Woodstock issue, a patch you can sew on your denim jacket and some assorted ephemera. But the really interesting thing, at least if you’re into the music of the time, is the two or so hours of “lost” concert footage that never made it into the doc. A couple of other releases worth noting this week. Terence Davies’ lovely, florid ode to Liverpool, Of Time and the City—a perfect companion to the recent The Memories of Angels or My Winnipeg—comes out on DVD, with some bonus interviews with Davies and a featurette set in the editing room, where the film was truly authored. Local distro Evokative Films’ Korean fantasy thriller Hansel & Gretel, directed by Pil-Sung Yim, also hits stores in the company’s distinctively environmentally friendly packaging. An imaginative and interesting treat for genre fans. -MARK SLUTSKY |
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