Late Spring (Criterion Collection) - BLU-RAY

Henri-Georges Clouzot's spellbinding tale tracks a dangerous South American oil well fire and the team of four down-on-their-luck European men hired to extinguish it. In order to do so, they must drive two trucks of volatile nitroglycerine across 300 miles of mountainous terrain, defying death at every turn. Yves Montand, Charles Vanel, Folco Lulli, and Peter Van Eyck star in this French gem of cinematic suspense and adventure, based on a 1950 novel by Georges Arnaud. 148 min. Standard; Soundtrack French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles English; interviews; documentary; featurette. In French with English subtitles.

The original silent drama from Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu, "A Story of Floating Weeds," follows a travelling theatre troupe's visit to a seaside town and the group's leader's emotional reunion with a love from his past and the son he never knew, stars Tomio Aoki, Choko Iida, and Hideo Mitsui. Then, Ozu's postwar remake, "Floating Weeds," benefits from lush color cinematography and a more lyrical tone than it's predecessor. Ganjiro Nakamura, Haruko Sugimura, and Hiroshi Kawaguchi star. 3 1/2 hrs. Total. Standard; Soundtracks Japanese Dolby Digital mono, Dolby Digital 5.0; Subtitles English; audio commentary; theatrical trailer. In Japanese with English subtitles. Two-disc set.

Two-disc set includes The Valachi Papers (1972)Based on the Peter Maas bestseller, this controversial crime drama stars Charles Bronson as real-life mob soldier Joseph Valachi. While detailing his illicit activities from 1929 to 1961 to an FBI agent, Valachi becomes the first wiseguy to violate the Mafia's code of silence, and betrays his associates and "Capo of Capos" Vito Genovese. With Lino Ventura, Jill Ireland, Walter Chiari. 125 min. C/Rtg PG The Stone Killer (1973)Charles Bronson is a cop on the trail of crime kingpin Martin Balsam and his vicious assassination bureau. Think Harry Callahan plays dirty? Wait until you see how Bronson (just one year away from "Death Wish") gets the job done, racing against time to uncover a mob plot involving Vietnam veterans. It's cross-country mayhem and nonstop action! Jack Colvin, Norman Fell, and Stuart Margolin co-star. 115 min. C/Rtg R Hard Times (1975)A drifter (Charles Bronson) blows into Depression-era New Orleans, and impresses a sleazy promoter (James Coburn) into backing him in the underground bare-knuckle fight circuit. He demolishes the local competition, but can he deal with the big money's imported talent? Gritty and bruising directorial bow for Walter Hill co-stars Jill Ireland, Strother Martin. 94 min. C/Rtg PG Breakout (1975)Charles Bronson is at his daring best in this lighthearted actioner, portraying Nick Colton, a reckless Texas bush pilot hired by a woman (Jill Ireland) to land a chopper in a South American prison complex to rescue her wrongfully imprisoned husband (Robert Duvall). Loosely based on an actual 1971 incident, the film co-stars John Huston, Randy Quaid, Sheree North, Alejandro Rey; directed by Tom Gries ("Helter Skelter"). 97 min. C/Rtg PG Widescreen; Soundtrack English.