Rouge: Criterion Collection (Blu-ray) by Justin Remer The Movie: Originally released in 1987, Rouge is the third film from Hong Kong filmmaker Stanley Kwan (Center Stage). It's a love story that is swooningly romantic at first blush but Rouge leaves a decidedly unsentimental aftertaste. Anita Mui stars as Fleur, a 1930's courtesan with a quiet grace and elegance that catches the eye of middle-class playboy Chan Chen-Peng (Leslie Cheung). Their romance is sensually wrought in teasing close-ups and fluid tracking shots. Chen-Peng (often referred to as "Twelfth Master" due to his family rank) is bold with Fleur but her experience gives her the subtle upper hand. This dynamic is perfectly captured in a moment where Twelfth Master br...Read the entire review »

Monday Morning (Special Edition) (Blu-ray) by Ian Jane The Movie:Written, produced and directed by Don Murphy and released in 1991, Monday Morning stars Noah Blake as Bobby Parker. High school age, Bobby has grown up poor and spent most of his life living in rougher, tougher neighborhoods. His home life with father, Frank (Paul Henry Itkin) and mother, Marion (Annie O'Donnell), isn't great on the best of days. He winds up as the new kid at Oceana High School and, along with fellow newbie, Bill (Karl Widergott), has immediate trouble fitting in with the rest of the student populace.James Hedges (Brandon Hooper) is the big man on campus and he and his crew, primarily Chip (Jason Lively) and Mark (Brian Cole), don't take kindly to Bobby and Bill's presence in the school. It upsets the order of things and it's clear that James wants to remain on top. It's also clear that the pair isn't going to get along with James. When ...Read the entire review »