Mike Nichols on Blu-ray

[James Luckard]

US releases




Only on BD overseas


Superior overseas BDs with more extras


Only available on DVD


Documentary

[James Luckard]

I've been doing director deep dives since the pandemic started, watching every film of theirs that I hadn't already seen. I began by finishing up Ridley Scott, then did Billy Wilder, then Douglas Sirk, and am just finishing Stanley Donen.

I decided to do Mike Nichols next, since this book just came out, and it's apparently the definitive biography of him. I bought a copy and will be going through it along with the movies.


https://www.amazon.com/Mike-Nichols-.../dp/0399562249

[James Luckard]

Another user posted that the Spanish BD of Carnal Knowledge has forced Spanish subs.

Does anyone own the Japanese BD? I've never heard of a Japanese BD with forced subs, but I wanted to make sure it doesn't have the same huge flaw.

I'm grateful I saw the review here, I was about to buy the Spanish disc at Amazon.

[Smegma]

A great film like Catch 22 should be on blu-ray by now. Someone respectable like Criterion should have released it.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Smegma

A great film like Catch 22 should be on blu-ray by now. Someone respectable like Criterion should have released it.

Hopefully now that Paramount is in the business of releasing catalog titles, they'll release it with the Nichols/Soderbergh commentary from the DVD.

I just ordered the DVD, so that will likely ensure the BD is announced the day after my DVD arrvies.

[James Luckard]

My Regarding Henry BD arrived today from Amazon.

I hadn't seen it since it came out, and it remains a charming, underrated little film, with great performances from Ford, Bening, and the little girl. It's also astounding that JJ Abrams wrote such a nuanced script about complicated adult human interactions at the age of just 22.

The transfer looks decent, it's a dated HD transfer, but perfectly acceptable.

The extras are a trailer, and then a commentary.

Sadly, the commentary is similar to Imprint's for Black Sunday. I'm grateful they went to the effort to record them, but they're not conventional commentaries. They remind me of the very first Criterion commentaries. (In fairness, I only listened to about 15 minutes of this one, while I listened to the entire Black Sunday commentary, but I got a good sense of this one before I gave up.) It seems to be by someone who doesn't know much about the actual production history of the film. Instead, he analyzes the photography of the film while watching it, bringing film theory opinions up about what the various shots mean. He also analyzes the narrative structure, but again from the POV of a viewer with no apparent behind-the-scenes knowledge. For anyone who wants to know about the film's actual conception and production, you're better off with Mark Harris's book above, or by Googling period articles about the film. As with Black Sunday, I suspect this film is just so obscure that it was impossible to find someone with detailed knowledge of it, especially during the pandemic.

Still, kudos to Imprint for bringing this to BD at all, I'm glad to have it.

[CinemaScope]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Hopefully now that Paramount is in the business of releasing catalog titles, they'll release it with the Nichols/Soderbergh commentary from the DVD.

I just ordered the DVD, so that will likely ensure the BD is announced the day after my DVD arrvies.

Yeah, that commentary is one of the greats, & the film is in my top ten of favourite films. I keep reading about Criterion releasing it, but then I read about so many films that Criterion are supposed to be releasing. Paramount Presents or Criterion or anyone, please.

Anyway, thanks for taking the hit & ordering the DVD, maybe we'll hear something very soon.

[Acer2010]

This movie directed by Mike Nichols could sure use a new 2K or 4K remaster, restoration, or scan:

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by CinemaScope

Yeah, that commentary is one of the greats, & the film is in my top ten of favourite films. I keep reading about Criterion releasing it, but then I read about so many films that Criterion are supposed to be releasing. Paramount Presents or Criterion or anyone, please.

Anyway, thanks for taking the hit & ordering the DVD, maybe we'll hear something very soon.

We might also get it through Imprint, from Australia. They're digging deep into the Paramount catalog, and their disc of Regarding Henry, which I watched last night, looks good, even though it's a dated master.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Acer2010

This movie directed by Mike Nichols could sure use a new 2K or 4K remaster, restoration, or scan:

The back cover says it's from ABC Motion Pictures, so that's Disney. Strange that it didn't have a nice new scan when KL released it, Other ABC films they've done (granted they were ABC television films) like The Day After and The Jericho Mile did.

[rocknblues81]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

My Regarding Henry BD arrived today from Amazon.

I hadn't seen it since it came out, and it remains a charming, underrated little film, with great performances from Ford, Bening, and the little girl. It's also astounding that JJ Abrams wrote such a nuanced script about complicated adult human interactions at the age of just 22.

The transfer looks decent, it's a dated HD transfer, but perfectly acceptable.

The extras are a trailer, and then a commentary.

Sadly, the commentary is similar to Imprint's for Black Sunday. I'm grateful they went to the effort to record them, but they're not conventional commentaries. They remind me of the very first Criterion commentaries. (In fairness, I only listened to about 15 minutes of this one, while I listened to the entire Black Sunday commentary, but I got a good sense of this one before I gave up.) It seems to be by someone who doesn't know much about the actual production history of the film. Instead, he analyzes the photography of the film while watching it, bringing film theory opinions up about what the various shots mean. He also analyzes the narrative structure, but again from the POV of a viewer with no apparent behind-the-scenes knowledge. For anyone who wants to know about the film's actual conception and production, you're better off with Mark Harris's book above, or by Googling period articles about the film. As with Black Sunday, I suspect this film is just so obscure that it was impossible to find someone with detailed knowledge of it, especially during the pandemic.

Still, kudos to Imprint for bringing this to BD at all, I'm glad to have it.

Will Regarding Henry play region A?

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

The back cover says it's from ABC Motion Pictures, so that's Disney. Strange that it didn't have a nice new scan when KL released it, Other ABC films they've done (granted they were ABC television films) like The Day After and The Jericho Mile did.

“The Day After” and “The Jericho Mile” were new masters commissioned/funded by Kino themselves.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by rocknblues81

Will Regarding Henry play region A?

Yep.

[lesco]

CATCH-22 is Nichols' most audaciously visual film (I saw it twice in a cinema). Can't believe it's not on Blu. It's on my top 5 Most Wanted.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by lesco

CATCH-22 is Nichols' most audaciously visual film (I saw it twice in a cinema). Can't believe it's not on Blu. It's on my top 5 Most Wanted.

That opening shot is magnificent!

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by lesco

CATCH-22 is Nichols' most audaciously visual film (I saw it twice in a cinema). Can't believe it's not on Blu. It's on my top 5 Most Wanted.

I'm watching it now, with the commentary, and Soderbergh actually describes numerous times how he carefully oversaw the video transfer for the 2001 DVD, for which the commentary was recorded.

At worst, I hope someone like Imprint in Australia releases a BD with that transfer, but at best I hope either Paramount or Criterion does a brand new transfer, overseen by Soderbergh too.

[Nick Michalak]

WOLF might not be anywhere near his best, but it desperately needs a new scan and transfer. I just don't think Sony care enough to do so, and they apparently don't let other studios do it for them. I have the Powerhouse Films release, and it's the same cruddy looking thing from the early DVD age. I still haven't compared it to my Laserdisc, but it can hardly look any more underwhelming.

[Dailyan]

Indicator will be releasing "Carnal Knowledge" as confirmed by an Indicator-sale postcard.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

Indicator will be releasing "Carnal Knowledge" as confirmed by an Indicator-sale postcard.

Of course. Just imported the French release. But will happily rebuy!

[CinemaScope]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I'm watching it now, with the commentary, and Soderbergh actually describes numerous times how he carefully oversaw the video transfer for the 2001 DVD, for which the commentary was recorded.

It's a great commentary.

Ooo, I really want Catch-22 on Blu-ray.