Jacques Demy's "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" is one of the most touching love stories ever brought to the silver screen. The classic film has been digitally remastered for its 40th anniversary. Also out this week, more epic love stories set in 14th century Norway and modern Portugal, plus Peter Sellers in the uproarious Pink Panther Collection.
1. The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg
Jacques Demy's candy-colored love story is sung all the way through, but don't let that turn you off. Catherine Deneuve is so young, beautiful, and innocent, it's enough to make the toughest musical hater's heart melt. A romance for the ages, now digitally remastered.
2. The Pink Panther Film Collection
Five films, six disks, all of them featuring hilarious performances by the legendary Peter Sellers as detective Clouseau. The box set includes "The Pink Panther" (1963), "A Shot in the Dark," (1964), "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" (1976), "Revenge of the Pink Panther" (1978), and finally "Trail of the Pink Panther" (1982) which was shot after Sellers death, patched together from outtakes and deleted scenes. The a bonus disk loaded with special features.
3. Passionada
Sofia Milos is a widowed mother, still in mourning for her lost-at-sea fisherman husband 7 years after his death. "A romantic comedy with humorous, fanciful plotting, shaded with passion. A charming love story for adults," writes Kevin Thomas, of The Los Angeles Times.4. Kristin Lavransdatter
Liv Ullmann (Faithless) adapted Sigrid Undset's 1928 Nobel Prize Winning novel to bring this epic love story to the screen. Set in 14th-century Norway, "Kristin Lavransdatter" follows one woman's decision to break with tradition to marry the man she loves - instead of the man her father chose for her.5. Feast of July
Embeth Davidtz stars in this adaptation of the H.E. Bates novel, about a young beauty searching for the lover that deserted her and three brothers (Tom Bell, James Purefoy, and Ben Chaplin) who take her in and vie for her affections. Directed by Christopher Menaul.