The Hobbit

With 2009's “Public Enemies” a distant misstep now, and only the pilot for the cancelled HBO series “Luck” completed since, director Michael Mann is nonetheless slowly approaching another resurgence, this time with two projects: the untitled cyber thriller with Viola Davis and Chris Hemsworth (now shooting), and the recently rewritten historical drama, “Agincourt.” But while we wait for the next effort from the helmer, why not take a look back at the curious journey of arguably his most famous and accomplished film: the 1995 cops-and-robbers drama, “Heat.” The 17-minute BBC documentary, “Mann Made: From LA Takedown To Heat,” consists of an extended interview with Mann, where he recounts the stripped-down version of his 180-page screenplay for “Heat,” in a 1989 made-for-TV quickie called “LA Takedown,” as well as his unhurried workflow. “The amount of time I take between projects is not a method; it's an irritant,” he says. “I...

It’s that time of year again, where weekend after weekend brings more cities being destroyed in louder and louder fashion on the big screen. But fret not, Criterion has just the sustenance you need to survive. The famed distribution label has released their schedule for September and it includes some new additions and a few reissues. On the new front is a set of three films by Italian neorealist Roberto Rossellini that all star Ingrid Bergman. Included in the set are “Stromboli,” “Europe ‘51” and “Journey To Italy.” All three films of course will feature extensive bonus features including a short film Rossellini completed with Bergman between “Stromboli” and “Europe ‘51” called “The Chicken.” Also new to the Criterion Collection is the 1978 French comedy, “La Cage Aux Folles.” It’s perhaps most famous at this point for spawning both a Broadway musical and the Mike Nichols-helmed 1996 remake “The Birdcage.” Don’t let that scare you away though, the...