DVD Reviews published by The Lumière Reader, covering primarily Region 4 releases, with occasional offshore imports reviewed. For additional reviews, see our ongoing Film and Festival Columns + our theatrical and festival Film Reviews.

Region 4 (NZ+AUS)

Our selective coverage of the most current local DVD releases.

» After Hours
Scorsese/USA/1985; Warner Bros | By John Spry
» All The President's Men (2-disc SE)
Pakula/USA/1976; Warner Bros | By Jacob Powell
» Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Scorsese/USA/1974; Warner Bros | By Tim Wong
» Angels in America (2-disc)
Nichols/USA/2003; Warner Bros | By John Spry
» The Aviator (2-disc WE)
Scorsese/USA/2004; Warner Bros | By John Spry
» Bad Education
Almodóvar/Spain/2004; Roadshow | By Alexander Bisley
» Before Sunrise; Before Sunset
Linklater/USA/1995+04; Warner Bros | By Kim Lesch
» Behaviours of the Backpacker
Lau/NZ/2003; Siren Visual | By Tim Wong
» The Big Red One: The Reconstruction (2-disc SE)
Fuller/USA/1980; Warner Bros | By John Spry
» The Browning Version
Figgis/UK/1994; Roadshow/PM | By Brannavan Gnanalingam
» Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2-disc SE)
Burton/USA/2005; Warner Bros | By John Spry
» Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Third Season (2-disc) (TV)
David/USA/2002; Warner Bros | By Alexander Bisley
» Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Fifth Season (2-disc) (TV)
David/USA/2005; Warner Bros | By Brannavan Gnanalingam
» Dog Day Afternoon (2-disc SE)
Lumet/USA/1975; Warner Bros | By Jacob Powell
» Empire Falls (2-disc)
Schepisi/USA/2005; Warner Bros | By Simon Sweetman
» Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Gibney/USA/2005; Magna Pacific | By Ewan Kingston
» Entourage: The Complete First and Season (2/3-disc) (TV)
Ellin/USA/2004-2005; Warner Bros | By Tim Wong
» Everything is Illuminated
Schreiber/USA/2005; Warner Bros | By Caleb Starrenburg
» Father and Son
Sokurov/Russia/Germany/2003; Warner Bros | By Mubarak Ali
» Finding Neverland
Forster/USA/2004; Roadshow | By Alexander Bisley
» The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: The Complete First Season (4-disc) (TV)
Borowitz/USA/1990; Warner Bros | By Kim Lesch
» Good Night, and Good Luck
Clooney/USA/2005; Magna Pacific | By Shahir Daud
» Grand Prix (2-disc SE)
Frankenheimer/USA/1966; Warner Bros | By Tim Wong
» Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Dante/USA/1990; Warner Bros | By John Spry
» Hard Candy
Slade/USA/2005; Warner Bros | By Mythily Meher
» Heavenly Creatures
Jackson/NZ/1994; Roadshow | By Alexander Bisley
» Inside Deep Throat
Bailey, Barbato/USA/2005; Magna Pacific | By Simon Sweetman
» The Island
Bay/USA/2005; Warner Bros | By John Spry
» The IT Crowd: Version 1.0 (TV)
Linehan/UK/2006; R4; Roadshow | By Brannavan Gnanalingam
» Kaikohe Demolition
Habitcht/NZ/2004; Magna Pacific | By John Spry
» The Libertine
Dunmore/UK/2004; Roadshow | By Brannavan Gnanalingam
» Little Britain Live (Ltd Ed) (TV)
Lucas, Walliams/UK/2006; Roadshow | By Brannavan Gnanalingam
» Mad Hot Ballroom
Agrelo/USA/2005; Warner Bros | By Caleb Starrenburg
» Melinda and Melinda
Allen/USA/2004; Fox (Roadshow) | By Alexander Bisley
» My Architect
Khan/USA/2003; Roadshow | By Alexander Bisley
» North Country
Caro/USA/2005; Warner Bros | By Jenny Macintyre
» The O.C: The Complete First Season (7-disc) (TV)
Schwartz/USA/2003 | By Tim Wong
» 1Nite
Singh/NZ/2004; Indipact | By John Spry
» The Order: from Cremaster 3
Barney/USA/2002; Accent/Palm Pictures | By Tim Wong
» Police Story (SE)
Chan/Hong Kong/1985; HK Legends (Universal) | By Tim Wong
» The Return
Zyagintsev/Russia/2003; Roadshow | By Alexander Bisley
» The Searchers (50th Anni. SE)
Ford/USA/1956; Warner Bros | By Shahir Daud
» The Shawshank Redemption (2-disc SE)
Darabont/USA/1995; Warner Bros | By John Spry
» The Singing Detective
Gordon/USA/2002; Warner Bros | By John Spry
» Six Feet Under: The Complete Fourth Season (5-disc) (TV)
Ball/USA/2005; Warner Bros | By Tim Wong
» The Story of Marie and Julien
Rivette/France/2003; Accent/Roadshow | By Brannavan Gnanalingam
» A Streetcar Named Desire (2-disc SE)
Kazan/USA/1951; Warner Bros | By David Levinson
» Struggle No More
Botes/NZ/2006 | By Brannavan Gnanalingam
» The Complete Superman Collection (4-disc boxset)
Donner, Lester, Furie/USA/1978-87; Warner Bros | By Shahir Daud
» Syriana
Gaghan/USA/2005; Warner Bros | By John Spry
» Team America: World Police
Parker, Stone/USA/2004; Roadshow | By Alexander Bisley
» Twentynine Palms
Dumont/France/2003 | By Brannavan Gnanalingam
» The Unbearable Lightness of Being (2-disc SE)
Kaufman/USA/1988; Warner Bros | By Brannavan Gnanalingam
» V for Vendetta
McTeigue/USA/2005; Warner Bros | By Simon Sweetman
» The Wire: The Complete First Season (5-disc) (TV)
Simon/USA/2002; Warner Bros | By Tim Wong
» Who's That Knocking at My Door
Scorsese/USA/1967; Warner Bros | By Tim Wong
» The Wild Bunch (2-disc SE)
Peckinpah/USA/1969; Warner Bros | By Brannavan Gnanalingam
» The Wizard of Oz (2-disc SE)
Fleming/USA/1939; Warner Bros | By John Spry
» Wondrous Oblivion
World Eleven | By Tim Wong
» Woodenhead
Habicht/NZ/2003; Pictures for Anna | By John Spry


Region 4 (Short Reviews)

New and recapped* short DVD Reviews, filed monthly under the “Dailies” Film + DVD column.

» 9 Songs* | By Aaron Yap
» Ballets Russes* | By Catherine Bisley
» Banana in a Nutshell* | By Tze Ming Mok
» The Beat My Heart Skipped | By Alexander Bisley
» Bonnie and Clyde | By Alexander Bisley
» Borat | By Alexander Bisley
» Breakfast at Tiffany's (Anniversary Ed. | By Tim Wong
» Brokeback Mountain | By Alexander Bisley
» Broken Flowers | By Alexander Bisley
» Carnivale: The Complete Second Season (TV) | By Tim Wong
» Corpse Bride | By David Levinson
» Crash* | By David Levinson
» Curb Your Enthusiam: The Complete Fifth Season (TV) | By Alexander Bisley
» The Departed | By Alexander Bisley
» Dave Chappelle's Block Party | By Alexander Bisley
» Election* | By Tim Wong
» Entourage: The Complete Third Season (TV) | By Tim Wong
» Essential Hopescotch Documentaries Vol 1 (3-disc) | By Alexander Bisley
» Family Guy: Season Five (TV) | By Alexander Bisley
» Gilmore Girls: The Complete First + Second Seasons (TV) | By Tim Wong
» The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | By Alexander Bisley
» I Heart Huckabees | By Alexander Bisley
» Keane* | By Tim Gray
» Keeping Mum | By Simon Sweetman
» Kingdom of Heaven (2-disc SE) | By Alexander Bisley
» Kiss Kiss Bang Bang | By David Levinson
» The Life Aquatic | By Alexander Bisley
» Little Britain: The Complete Third Series (TV) | By Alexander Bisley
» Match Point | By David Levinson
» Match Point (2nd take) | By Alexander Bisley
» Maria Full of Grace | By Alexander Bisley
» Miami Vice | By Tim Wong
» Million Dollar Baby (2-disc DE) | By Alexander Bisley
» No. 2* | By Jacob Powell
» No Direction Home (2-disc) | By Alexander Bisley
» Oliver Twist | By Brannavan Gnanalingam
» Renaissance | By Tim Wong
» River Queen | By Tim Wong
» The Sea Inside | By Alexander Bisley
» Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants | By Tim Wong
» Sympathy For Lady Vengeance* | By Tim Wong
» Troy | By Alexander Bisley
» Tsotsi | By Brannavan Gnanalingam
» Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind | By Alexander Bisley
» The Woody Allen Collection (7-disc) | By Alexander Bisley
» Yes Prime Minister, Series 1 & 2 (TV) | By Alexander Bisley


Region 1/2/3 (Rest of World)

Selected reviews of DVD imports and notable offshore releases not readily available in New Zealand.

» Double Suicide
Shinoda/Japan/1969; Criterion | By Mubarak Ali
» Hoop Dreams
James, Marx, Gilbert/USA/1994; Criterion | By John Spry
» The Pornographers
Imamura/Japan/1966; Criterion | By Tim Wong
» Short Cuts (2-disc)
Altman/USA/1993; Criterion | By John Spry
» Vive L'Amour
Tsai/Taiwan/1994; Fox Lorber | By Tim Wong