Tag Archives: The Criterion Collection

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai on Blu-ray

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The 1999 film “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai“ is getting a Blu-ray Disc release on November 17th via The Criterion Collection. The film was written & directed by Jim Jarmusch, featured an original soundtrack by RZA (of the Wu-Tang Clan), and starred Forest Whitaker. The film’s cast also included John Tormey, Cliff Gorman, Richard Portnow, Tricia Vessey, Henry Silva, John Tormey, Victor Argo, Camille Winbush, and Damon Whitaker.

Tech specs for the Criterion Blu-ray include a 1080p HD presentation in the (OAR) original aspect ratio 1.85:1, from a new 4K restored transfer, supervised & approved by Jim Jarmusch, with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound. You can find the Criterion Blu-ray available for preorder now over at Amazon as well as directly via Criterion. The info regarding this upcoming release and a list of bonus materials set to be included are listed below.

  • New, restored 4K digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Jim Jarmusch, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • Alternate isolated stereo music track
  • New Q&A with Jarmusch, in which he responds to questions sent in by fans
  • New conversation between actors Forest Whitaker and Isaach De Bankolé, moderated by film scholar Michael B. Gillespie
  • New interview with casting director Ellen Lewis
  • New interview with Shifu Shi Yan Ming, founder of the USA Shaolin Temple
  • New video essay on RZA’s original score for the film
  • The Odyssey: A Journey into the Life of a Samurai, a 2000 program on the making of the film
  • Deleted scenes and outtakes
  • Archival interviews
  • Trailer
  • More!
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Greg Tate and quotations from Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai, by the early-eighteenth-century monk Yamamoto Tsunetomo
  • New cover by Eric Skillman

1987 film Moonstruck gets Criterion Blu-ray

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The 1987 film “Moonstruck“ is getting a Blu-ray Disc release on November 17th via The Criterion Collection. The film, directed by Norman Jewison & winner of 3 Academy Awards (“Oscars”), starred Cher, Nicolas Cage, Vincent Gardenia, Olympia Dukakis, Danny Aiello, Julie Bovasso, John Mahoney, Louis Guss, Feodor Chaliapin Jr., and Anita Gillette.

Tech specs for the Criterion Blu-ray include a 1080p HD presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, from a new 4K restoration, with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound. You can find the Criterion Blu-ray available for preorder over at Amazon and directly via Criterion. Below you can find info regarding this upcoming release of the film and a list of bonus materials set to be included.

  • New 4K digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • New interview with screenwriter John Patrick Shanley
  • New interview with scholar Stefano Albertini about the use of opera in the film
  • Introduction from 2013 featuring Cher
  • Interviews from 1987 with director Norman Jewison and actors Cher, Nicolas Cage, Vincent Gardenia, and Olympia Dukakis
  • Interview from 2002 with actor Danny Aiello
  • Audio interview from 1989 with Shanley about screenwriting and the development of Moonstruck
  • At the Heart of an Italian Family, a 2006 program about the making of the film
  • The Music of “Moonstruck,” a 2006 program featuring interviews with Jewison and composer Dick Hyman
  • Audio commentary from 1998 with Cher, Jewison, and Shanley
  • Trailer
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Emily VanDerWerff

2019 Scorsese film The Irishman on Blu-ray November

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The 2019 “The Irishman“ film directed by Martin Scorsese is officially coming to Blu-ray Disc on November 24th via The Criterion Collection. The movie originally debuted both in theaters and streaming on Netflix, and it was nominated for 10 Academy Awards (“Oscars”). The Irishman starred Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, as well as co-starred Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, and Stephen Graham. The Criterion Blu-ray will feature a “new 4K digital master, approved by director Martin Scorsese” in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio (presented in 1080p HD) with Dolby Atmos sound. Right now, you cannot yet find the Blu-ray available for preorder over at Amazon but stay tuned for an update on that. You can now however find the Blu-ray available for preorder directly from The Criterion Collection website. Details about the release and the bonus materials can be found listed below.

  • New 4K digital master, approved by director Martin Scorsese, with Dolby Atmos soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • Newly edited roundtable conversation among Scorsese and actors Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci, originally recorded in 2019
  • New documentary about the making of the film featuring Scorsese; the lead actors; producers Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Jane Rosenthal, and Irwin Winkler; director of photography Rodrigo Prieto; and others from the cast and crew
  • New video essay written and narrated by film critic Farran Smith Nehme about The Irishman’s synthesis of Scorsese’s singular formal style
  • The Evolution of Digital De-aging, a 2019 program on the visual effects created for the film
  • Archival interview excerpts with Frank “the Irishman” Sheeran and International Brotherhood of Teamsters trade union leader Jimmy Hoffa
  • Trailer and teaser
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien
  • New cover by Gregory Manchess

EDITORIAL NOTE: First off, yes, I know the movie itself actually aired in 4K Ultra HD with HDR (high dynamic range) on Netflix but we’re not receiving a 4K physical release here for yet another title from Criterion. That’s pretty much a sign that Criterion really has no plans for releasing to the 4K UHD Blu-ray format, at least anytime soon. I hate that, but it is still great to see this film getting a physical release, and from the folks at The Criterion Collection, nonetheless — even if it is only in 1080p, as it is. It is what it is. Yes, I just went there. I’ll end this by stating the obvious: it’s 2020 and I think that it’s about time that maybe Criterion got with the whole 4K UHD Blu-ray game.

David Lynch’s “The Elephant Man” on Blu-ray

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The 1980 film “The Elephant Man“ directed by David Lynch is finally coming to Blu-ray Disc, via The Criterion Collection, on September 29th. The film starred Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, and Anne Bancroft. The release comes from a director-approved new 4K restoration of the film, which is presented in Black & white in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio with an uncompressed (PCM) 2.0 Stereo sound mix. The Blu-ray is now available for preorder over at Amazon. The details about the release and a list of bonus materials set to be included can be found listed below.

  • New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed stereo soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • Director David Lynch and critic Kristine McKenna reading from Room to Dream, a 2018 book they coauthored
  • Archival interviews with Lynch, actor John Hurt, producers Mel Brooks and Jonathan Sanger, director of photography Freddie Francis, stills photographer Frank Connor, and makeup artist Christopher Tucker
  • Audio recording from 1981 of an interview and Q&A with Lynch at the American Film Institute
  • The Terrible Elephant Man Revealed, a 2001 documentary about the film
  • Trailer and radio spots
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • More!
  • PLUS: A booklet featuring excerpts from an interview with Lynch from the 2005 edition of filmmaker and writer Chris Rodley’s book Lynch on Lynch, and an 1886 letter to the editor of the London Times concerning Joseph Merrick, the “elephant man,” by Francis Culling Carr Gomm, chairman of the London Hospital at the time
  • New cover by Sister Hyde

2018 film “Wildlife” gets Criterion Blu-ray May

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The 2018 film “Wildlife“ starring Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal is officially coming to Blu-ray Disc via The Criterion Collection on May 19th. The film, the directorial debut of actor Paul Dano (also co-writer of the screenplay), co-starred Ed Oxenbould, Bill Camp, Zoe Margaret Colletti, and Darryl Cox. The film was extremely well-received by the critics, and in fact, at the time of writing, this still carries a “Certified Fresh” rating over at Rotten Tomatoes. Tech specs for the Criterion Blu-ray include a new 2K digital master video presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound. Spine #1031, the Criterion Blu-ray, is now available for preorder over at Amazon and directly via Criterion. Details about this release and bonus materials set to be included are listed below.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • New 2K digital master, with 5.1 surround DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • New interviews with director Paul Dano, screenwriter Zoe Kazan, actors Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal, cinematographer Diego García, production designer Akin McKenzie, and costume designer Amanda Ford
  • New conversation on the film’s postproduction with Dano, editor Matthew Hannam, and composer David Lang
  • Film at Lincoln Center conversation from 2018 between Dano and novelist Richard Ford about the film’s source material
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Mark Harris
  • New cover by Duncan Hannah

“The Great Escape” gets Criterion Blu-ray in May

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The 1963 film “The Great Escape“ is officially getting a new Blu-ray Disc release from The Criterion Collection on May 12th. The film, directed by John Sturges, starred Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, and James Coburn. This film is considered a classic, in fact, it’s currently (at the time of writing) rated #135 on the IMDb Top 250 movies. The upcoming Criterion Blu-ray will include a brand new 4K digital restoration in the original aspect ratio (OAR) of 2.35:1 with audio choices of the original uncompressed Mono and an Alternate DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. You can find The Criterion Collection Blu-ray now listed for preorder over at Amazon as well as directly via Criterion. Details about the release and a list of the bonus materials set to be included on the release are listed below.

  • 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • Alternate 5.1 surround soundtrack, presented in DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray
  • Two audio commentaries, one from 1991, featuring director John Sturges and composer Elmer Bernstein; the other, from 2004, featuring actors James Coburn, James Garner, and Donald Pleasence
  • New interview with critic Michael Sragow
  • “The Great Escape”: Heroes Underground, a four-part 2001 documentary about the real-life escape from the Stalag Luft III prisoner-of-war camp during World War II, including interviews with POWs held there
  • The Real Virgil Hilts: A Man Called Jones, a 2001 program on the United States Army Air Forces pilot David Jones, the inspiration for Steve McQueen’s character in the film
  • Return to “The Great Escape,” a 1993 program featuring interviews with Coburn, Garner, actors David McCallum and Jud Taylor, stuntman Bud Ekins, and McQueen’s son, Chad McQueen
  • Trailer
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Sheila O’Malley
  • New cover by Sean Phillips

Me and You and Everyone We Know on Blu-ray

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The 2005 film “Me and You and Everyone We Know“ written & directed by Miranda July will finally get a Blu-ray Disc release from The Criterion Collection on April 28th. The film, previously only available on DVD, starred John Hawkes, Miranda July, Miles Thompson, Brandon Ratcliff, Carlie Westerman, Hector Elias, and Brad William Henke.  The tech specs for the release include a high definition (HD) transfer, approved by director Miranda July, in 1080p in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound. The Blu-ray is now available for preorder over at Amazon and directly from the Criterion website. Bonus materials set to be included on the release are listed below.

  • New documentary about July’s artistic beginnings and the development of her debut feature
  • Open to the World, a new documentary by July about the 2017 interfaith charity shop and participatory artwork she created in collaboration with Artangel
  • July Interviews July: Deauville, 2005, a discovery from July’s archives, newly edited
  • Six scenes from the 2003 Sundance Directors Lab, where July workshopped the film, with commentary by July
  • The Amateurist (1998) and Nest of Tens (2000), short films by July
  • Several films from July’s Joanie 4 Jackie project, and a documentary about the program
  • Trailer
  • PLUS: Essays by artist and scholar Sara Magenheimer and novelist Lauren Groff

The Grand Budapest Hotel gets Criterion Blu-ray

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The 2014 Wes Anderson directed-film “The Grand Budapest Hotel“ will be getting a Blu-ray Disc release from The Criterion Collection on April 28th. The film, previously released on Blu-ray from Universal back in 2014, featured a cast of Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Bill Murray. The tech specs for the new Criterion Blu-ray include a 2K digital transfer, supervised by Wes Anderson, presented in 1080p HD video in a variety of aspect ratios (1.37:1, 1.85:1, and 2.40:1) with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound. The Criterion Collection Blu-ray of the film is now available for preorder over at Amazon and directly via the Criterion website. Bonus materials set to be included on the release are listed below.

  • New audio commentary featuring Anderson, filmmaker Roman Coppola, and actor Jeff Goldblum
  • Selected-scene storyboard animatics
  • The Making of “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” a new documentary about the film
  • New interviews with the cast and crew
  • Video essays from 2015 and 2020 by critic Matt Zoller Seitz and film scholar David Bordwell
  • Behind-the-scenes, special-effects, and test footage
  • Trailer
  • PLUS: Two pieces by critic Richard Brody and (with the Blu-ray) a double-sided poster and other ephemera
  • New cover by Emma Wesley

1957 film “A Face in the Crowd” with Andy Griffith comes to Blu-ray in April

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1957 film “A Face in the Crowd“ starring Andy Griffith is coming to Blu-ray Disc on April 23rd, via The Criterion Collection. The film, directed by Elia Kazan, co-starred Patricia Neal, Anthony Franciosa, Walter Matthau, Lee Remick, Percy Waram, and Paul McGrath. The technical specs for the release include 1080p Black & White video in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio that comes from a new 4K scan with Mono uncompressed sound. The release is available for pre-order now over at Amazon and directly through Criterion. Bonus materials and information regarding this release can be found below.

  • New, restored 4K digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • New interview with Ron Briley, author of The Ambivalent Legacy of Elia Kazan
  • New interview with Andy Griffith biographer Evan Dalton Smith
  • Facing the Past, a 2005 documentary featuring actors Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, and Anthony Franciosa; screenwriter Budd Schulberg; and film scholars Leo Braudy and Jeff Young
  • Trailer
  • PLUS: An essay by critic April Wolfe and a 1957 New York Times Magazine profile of Andy Griffith
  • New cover by Marc Aspinall
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