Review by Kathie Smith: Two recognized films came out on DVD in November: “Up” and “Wings of Desire.” They're two films that could be described as polar opposites—one a classic of modern international arthouse cinema, receiving a special treatment from the best DVD distributor in the biz, and the other a reverie of the digital age, finding its way on to DVD for the first time. The two represent the wonderful range of cinema available to us in the golden age of DVD, and the same could be said about other November offerings, from the 50th anniversary edition of “North by Northwest,” to last year's “A Christmas Tale” and this year's niche anime redux “Evangelion 1.0”—something old, something new and something renewed. And that's just a few of the diverse releases the month of November had to offer; dig a little deeper, and you'll find even more variety where that came from.

There's been quite a bit of debate regarding the quality of contemporary television. God knows, we have never had so many choices, ranging from the low-cost high-revenue of reality shows to top-notch dramas that truly give even theatrical features a run for their money. But Criterion proves that there might be something to learn from the time of television's infancy. Collecting eight “live American television plays” that originally aired in the 50s (and later presented on PBS in the early 80s), "The Golden Age of Television" is peppered with nostalgia, yet still feels innovative today. Each episode is stocked with actors who were then up-and-coming but who are now icons of both the big-screen and small-screen. Rod Steiger, Paul Newman, Elizabeth Montgomery, Andy Griffith, Jack Palance, Mickey Rooney, Julie Harris, and Piper Laurie are just a few of the very familiar faces to be found here. Spanning three discs, ‘Golden Age’ also includes director commentaries on six of the eight episodes, as well as interviews with the some of the actors, amounting in over eight hours of content.

“The Exiles” is no “Killer of Sheep” (both products of Milestone Film’s restoration), but it is an artful document of a time and place, and it received a long overdue theatrical release last year. Set in the Bunker Hill neighborhood of Los Angeles, shortly before it was razed, “The Exiles” is a gritty and realistic portrait of modern Native American life. Director Kent Mackenzie shot the film in collaboration with his nonprofessional actors, which resulted in an immediate, street-wise feel. This night-in-the-life captures the aimlessness, celebration and sadness of the moment and never collapses into melodrama, restored to perfection with the velvety shadows and sparkling lights of 1960 LA coming to life. Milestone spared no detail in the release of this two-disc set, collecting all relevant artifacts in one package. The DVD is more of a resource than a rental, filled with short films, interviews, a commentary and even downloadable PDF files.

Jim Jarmusch’s latest offering may be more style than substance, but it's a style worth celebrating. “The Limits of Control” is brilliantly surreal within the very rational boundaries of cinematic iconography: an action film with no action; a mystery with no answer; a means with no ends. Isaach De Bankolé, a nameless man for hire, does not so much play a character in the film as he's utilized as a vessel—for ideas and curiosities of the world, but more importantly for cinematic ideals, including the nature of creativity and imagination. Ultimately, the eclectic cast (Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Gael García Bernal, John Hurt, and Alex Descas) light up what would otherwise seem esoteric and rudimentary. ‘Limits’ may not be one of the best films of the year, but it's certainly one of the more interesting ones. The DVD includes a 50-minute documentary shot while filming “The Limits of Control,” titled “Behind Jim Jarmusch,” full of tidbits like: “When you work with Chris Doyle, you carry a gun, and you feel like using it every other shot.” It includes many off-the-cuff remarks from Jarmusch, random comments from the cast and many scenes characterizing the mundane moments of making movie magic. There's also a mesmerizing montage of clips not used in the film called “Untitled Landscapes.” REVIEW.

Park Chan-wook, no stranger to controversy, has once again divided audiences. But this time he does so not with violence or divisive content—even though that is very much present here—but with chaos. To one person, "Thirst" is a convoluted mess, while to another it's brilliant disarray. I’m unwilling to commit to either one, but I will say that the structure here is very unique. It spirals like the wire binding in your notebook. Minor plot motifs loop around with some resolution only to engage in another minor storyline. Themes and analogies are left dangling as the film moves at a swift and disorienting pace. “Thirst” is a vampire movie, but its central vampire is a priest, and his ‘vampirism’ is contracted in Africa from a blood transfusion. Park’s biggest failure is giving us too much to chew on and far too much to digest in one sitting. If you're a fan of the film, it might be best to wait for the Korean import. Focus puts zero effort into their “Thirst” DVD, which is too bad since they probably could have recouped some of their investment with a smartly packaged release. Proving just how schizophrenic US studios are, Park’s films have garnered elaborate 3-disc sets (“Oldboy”) to no release at all (“I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Okay”) to the bare bones treatment we find here. REVIEW.

Usually it's pretty easy to distinguish a narrative film from a non-narrative film, but there are those rare exceptions that fall somewhere between the predictable and the experimental. “Gomorrah” is a perfect example, unreeling violent action with little or no context. Attempting to find continuity with regard to these characters is a dead end because their motives are random and incomprehensible and each is more than likely to end up dead in the next five minutes. Such is life in Naples crime syndicate "the Camorra." Unlike most films adapted from books, “Gomorrah” takes a completely different approach to the material presented in Roberto Saviano’s bestseller of the same name. Saviano’s shocking personal account of the Camorra is a mind-boggling whirlwind of facts and details; Matteo Garrone takes those facts and creates very loose reenactments, suggesting that the literal facts really don’t matter. Criterion’s release doesn’t have the Garrone/Saviano commentary I'd hoped for, but it does include interviews with them and actor Tony Servillo. REVIEW.

One of the big-buzz films of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, “Ballast” was unable to maintain its lauded high and eventually faded from the collective memory, ultimately unable to find an audience. Lance Hammer's powerful, character driven drama is about life on the margins, and enacted by a cast of non-professional actors. Lawrence is a middle-aged man internally struggling with the recent suicide of his brother. As life goes on, almost against Lawrence’s will, he's jarred from his depression by his 12-year-old nephew, who's teetering on the edge of a life of violence. Set in the Mississippi Delta, “Ballast” is a subtle film focusing on the quiet details of human nature that never feels forced or contrived. It's unfortunate that “Ballast” didn't find a larger following since it's easily one of the best films of 2008.

Hardly a week passes without hearing how a people's idealistic notion of their own power has been quashed by the tyranny of their government (even in this country), but “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” restores some faith. After years of civil unrest in Liberia, ordinary women from all walks of life bravely stood up to the type of forces that could have totally wiped them out. Committed to peace, these women challenged reigning warlord Charles Taylor (and his child army) to eventually change the course of history, leading to Taylor’s exile and election of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Clearly aware of the extraordinary nature of the story, director Gini Reticker takes the most conventional approach possible to this documentary, allowing the interviewees and archive footage speak for themselves. Reticker thankfully sees no need to embellish or dramatize that which is already unbelievably inspiring.

"Three Monkeys" is Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s sixth film and his third to have a relatively wide international release. It proves the Turkish filmmaker is something of a chameleon, even working within his own aesthetic. Far from the laconic poetry of “Distance” and the formal emoting of “Climates,” “Three Monkeys” explores more conventional tropes and brilliantly skirts the margins of genre filmmaking. An accidental death sets in motion the upheaval of an already troubled family; and although Ceylan’s allusion to the Three Wise Monkeys clearly refers to the three members of the family, it's open to a more ironic interpretation. A certain amount of doom is felt in the foreboding but picturesque lighting, where the grays seem to hang as heavy as the clouds. Taut and incredibly suspenseful, “Three Monkeys” vibrates from the energy of the performances, cinematography and Ceylan’s own incredible sense of timing. The DVD is nothing to get worked up about if you saw the film on the big screen: extras include an interview with Ceylan in the liner notes and trailers for “Three Monkeys” and “Climates.” REVIEW.

And check out...

• Feature: Home Movies: October

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• Feature: Home Movies: August

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• Feature: Home Movies: May