News From the Lake for May 6th, 2015

News in a nutshell: Get ready for what getTV has in store for June, TCM prepares to turn the summer dark, and what’s new on DVD.

May is just beginning, but getTV prepares for June with a few amazing upcoming themes. First off, fans of Rosalind Russell will be excited to hear about an 11-film tribute to the actress, every Thursday in June, that’ll include a screening of her iconic 1940 comedy His Girl Friday. Every Tuesday in June is being dubbed “The Year Was,” as each day will see a return to a different year with films from that era, including the legendary year of 1939. You can see the full list of films with showtimes at getTV’s website.

Back in 1999 TCM introduced Summer of Darkness, a themed month a la Summer Under the Stars, devoted to all things film noir. It was recently announced this week that the month would be returning, with every Friday throughout June and July having a 24-hour block of noir titles hosted by “The Czar of Noir,” Eddie Muller. The full website isn’t up yet, but TCM has announced a few of the films being shown including Nora Prentiss (1947), Born to Kill (1947), The Third Man (1949), and L.A. Confidential (1997). I’m still contemplating whether Biopic Theatre will take a break in favor of covering Summer of Darkness…if you have a preference, leave a note in the comments.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

Warner Archive: It’s been pretty slow in the classic film DVD/Blu market of late. Warner Archive announced the release of three new titles – Viva Villa! (1934), a double feature of films featuring the character John J. Malone, and Sol Madrid (1968). These can be purchased on-demand through Warner Archive.