French label Carlotta Films has revealed that it plans to add a number of titles to its Blu-ray catalog in 2014. Amongst them are Joe Dante's
The 'Burbs (1989), Todd Haynes'
Velvet Goldmine (1998), Max Ophüls'
Letter From an Unknown Woman (1948), Alejandro Amenábar's
Tesis (1996), and Fritz Lang's
Secret Beyond the Door (1947).
Fedora
This 1978 film directed by Billy Wilder and starring William Holden and based on a story called Crowned Heads by Thomas Tryon follows the problems of an aging Hollywood filmmaker who tries to lure Fedora, a reclusive aging film star, back into the limelight. Henry Fonda appears in a small role. Coming in February.
Secret Beyond the Door
Joan Bennett (
Scarlet Street) stars as rich, bored heiress who recklessly marries an elusive and mysterious architect (Michael Redgrave,
The Browning Version) in this moody and atmospheric film noir. Seemingly trapped within the spare yet surreal and terrifying confines of her husband's mansion, she begins to fear for her life when his sublimated hatred for women starts to bubble over and his strange obsession for violent deaths leads her to believe that she may be next. With a rousing score by Miklós Rózsa (
The Asphalt Jungle) and beautiful stark cinematography by Stanley Cortez (
The Night of the Hunter). Director and producer Fritz Lang (
Ministry of Fear) adds a psychoanalytic Freudian twist that is a distinct throwback to his German Expressionist roots. Coming in March.
Letter from an Unknown Woman
From Max Ophüls, the legendary director of
The Earrings of Madame de… comes this deeply moving, timeless tale of love and obsession. In early 20th century Vienna, Stefan Brand (Louis Jourdan) is in the process of fleeing Vienna on the eve of a duel he wants no part of, however before he can do so, he receives an anonymous Letter From an Unknown Woman. Stefan is deeply moved by what he reads and starts to realize that the letter's author is Lisa Berndl (Joan Fontaine), a young woman he's known, but disregarded for most of his life. Screenplay by Howard Koch (
Casablanca) and produced by John Houseman (
Sorry, Wrong Number). Coming in March.
The King of Comedy
Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, and Sandra Bernhard light up the screen in this unforgettable film by Martin Scorsese. A funny thing happens to talk show host Jerry Langford (Lewis) on his way to the studio.... kidnapped by stand up comedian Rupert Pupkin (De Niro) and his wacky sidekick (Bernhard), Langford is forced to give Pupkin a shot at the big time by allowing the struggling comic to perform his routine on Langford's show. What unfolds is an incredibly funny and poignant story about the darker side of comedy. Coming in April.
Velvet Goldmine
In 1984, twentysomething journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) is sent by his paper to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of glam rock star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Myers) a decade previously. The rise and fall of the singer, Arthur's pop idol as a teenager, is related in flashback as the reporter looks for an angle on the story. Director Todd Haynes examines the allure of glam and the insecurities of those who chose the eyeliner and sequins route to stardom, with Ewan McGregor as Iggy Pop-a-like rocker Curt Wild. Coming in May.
The 'Burbs
Tom Hanks portrays suburbanite Ray Peterson, whose plans for a peaceful vacation are disturbed by a creepy new family on the block, in this outrageous suspense-comedy. To the disappointment of his wife Carol, Ray decides to spend a relaxing week at home, and soon gets into trouble with his neighbors-a hefty busybody, a freaked-out ex-soldier, and a spacey teenager - as they observe the strange happenings next door at the Klopek's bizarre residence. When the neighborhood grouch suddenly disappears, the men are convinced the ramshackle house hides some hideous clues. Armed with assault rifles, high-powered binoculars and a shovel, they decide to see for themselves exactly what is going on in the Kloped place. Set in an average neighborhood that is anything but average,
The 'Burbs blends slapstick comedy and spine-thrilling mystery with the type of witty humor that has made Tom Hanks one of today's most popular stars. Coming in June.
Tesis
Tense thriller from Alejandro Amenabar, director of
The Others and
Open Your Eyes. When doctoral student Angela (Ana Torrent) begins researching film and television violence, she finds herself getting much closer to her subject than she ever expected. Her tutor Figueroa (Miguel Picazo) helps out by searching through the University archives, where he discovers some truly shocking material. But when Figueroa is found dead in the projection room, and the footage he was viewing turns out to be a snuff movie featuring a former student at the University, Angela has no choice but to investigate. Coming in June.