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'Army of Shadows' and 'Robinson Crusoe on Mars' Announced for Blu-ray

Two great films by Jean-Pierre Melville and Byron Haskin are coming to Blu-ray in January.

Criterion has revealed Jean-Pierre Melville's 1956 film 'Army of Shadows' starring Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, and Simone Signoret for Blu-ray on January 11.

The Blu-ray will use a high-definition digital transfer from the 2004 restoration (supervised by director of photography Pierre Lhomme), an uncompressed monaural soundtrack, and supplements include: Audio commentary featuring film historian Ginette Vincendeau; Interviews with Pierre Lhomme and editor Françoise Bonnot; On-set footage and excerpts from archival interviews with director Jean-Pierre Melville, cast members, writer Joseph Kessel, and real-life Resistance fighters; Jean-Pierre Melville et 'L'armée des ombres' (2002): a short program on the director and his film; Le journal de la Résistance (1944): a rare short documentary shot on the front lines during the final days of German-occupied France; Film restoration demonstration by Lhomme; Theatrical trailers; and a booklet featuring essays by critic Amy Taubin and historian Robert O. Paxton, as well as excerpts from Rui Nogueira's Melville on Melville.

Criterion will also be bringing Byron Haskin's sci-fi classic 'Robinson Crusoe on Mars' starring Paul Mantee on the same date.

The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed monaural soundtrack, and supplements will include: Audio commentary featuring screenwriter Ib Melchior, actors Paul Mantee and Victor Lundin, production designer Al Nozaki, Oscar-winning special effects designer and Robinson Crusoe on Mars historian Robert Skotak, and excerpts from a 1979 audio interview with director Byron Haskin; Destination Mars, a video featurette by filmmaker and space historian Michael Lennick detailing the science behind the film; Music video: Victor Lundin, "Robinson Crusoe on Mars"; Stills gallery; Theatrical trailer; and a booklet featuring an essay by Lennick as well as Melchior's "Brief Yargorian Vocabulary" (a glossary of original alien dialect) and a list of facts about Mars, both from his original screenplay.

Suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $39.95.

You can find the latest specs for 'Army of Shadows' and 'Robinson Crusoe on Mars' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under January 11.

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Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)

Army of Shadows (Blu-ray)

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (Blu-ray)

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