The Booklet Critique & Discussion Thread

[navydavey]

I used to like some of the Arrow Academy booklets, especially for the snippets from old reviews at the time, The Naked City and Night of the Hunter stick out in my mind

The book included in Arrow's big Bruce Lee boxset was decent too, quite in depth and full of essays, not just wasted pages full of movie stills like some of their other booklets.

I've enjoyed many of the 88 Films booklets included with their Chan releases, I second the Armour of God booklet for having interesting content that didn't retread the on-disc extras.

The 88 Films Chan releases usually have some interesting essays/interviews and plenty of behind the scenes/memorabilia photos (again, instead of meaningless screen grabs from the movie).

[JackyJacquard]

Originally Posted by navydavey

I used to like some of the Arrow Academy booklets, especially for the snippets from old reviews at the time, The Naked City and Night of the Hunter stick out in my mind

I came too late to the game to get many of them, at least in print form, but I remember feeling like a dumbass a few days ago reading the contemporary reviews in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (loved the film) as it seemed so much more…florid,I want to say? - used a lot of fancy words I didn’t know and wouldn’t see in a modern review. Also interesting to see Elliot Gould being considered ’new’, as I’ve kinda seen him age backwards over the years first knowing him from the Ocean’s movies, then Friends, Escape to Athena (always on the BBC lol), and now thanks to Arrow both this title and The Long Goodbye. BFI’s Akira Kurosawa Samurai Collection set had old reviews too which were interesting. Unsure if they carried over to the new sets. Come to think of it BFI’s The Last Metro, if not actually having reviews from the time, certainly had interesting info within the booklet about how it - and Truffaut - was perceived at the time. Indicator have them in most of their titles that I’ve watched too.

Regret not getting that Bruce Lee set. I was trying to show restraint, figured I should actually watch some of his other movies first. Now I know and like them I wish I got it! (Although at least the manufacturing/packaging error with TWOTD means I think I’m only missing 1 disc compared to the LE)

Now you’ve got me thinking I should really open my Tales from the Urban Jungle set and check out The Naked City, its still got the HMV online sticker on showing me I ordered it in July 2023!