Cinema Gotham

Cop Land and other recent DVDs

We've reviewed a few notable Gotham DVDs lately. First off, James Mangold's Cop Land finally gets a director's cut release, reversing the compromised theatrical version and giving audiences a new chance to appreciate the work of one of film history's strongest ensemble casts. Plus, the inexpensive disc has one of the best commentary tracks around. Next, Ang Lee's The Wedding Banquet is a wonderfully rewarding indie classic that melds a culture clash storyline with queer cinema to create something subtle and emotionally complex. It's funny, touching and utterly real all at the same time. And finally, the art-scene oddity Downtown 81 was made over two decades ago but was only completed in the last few. This excellent film features a charming performance from the late artist Jean Michel Basquiat as well as tons of other downtown luminaries. (The DVD has actually been out for a while but, fittingly, we only got ahold of it recently.)

Read the Cop Land review
Read the The Wedding Banquet review
Read the Downtown 81 review
Read more Cinema Gotham DVD reviews