Criterion sets five titles for a (now) December release

[PowellPressburger]

Bottle Rocket

Wes Anderson first illustrated his lovingly detailed, slightly surreal cinematic vision in this witty and warm portrait of three young middle-class misfits. Fresh out of a mental hospital, gentle Anthony (Luke Wilson) finds himself once again embroiled in the machinations of his best friend, elaborate schemer Dignan (Owen Wilson). With the aid of getaway driver Bob (Robert Musgrave), they develop a needlessly complex, mildly successful plan to rob a small bookstore—then go “on the lam.” Also featuring Lumi Cavazos as Inez, the South American housekeeper Anthony falls in love with, and James Caan as local thief extraordinaire Mr. Henry, Bottle Rocket is a charming, hilarious, affectionate look at the folly of dreamers. Shot against radiant southwestern backdrops, it’s the film that put Anderson and the Wilson brothers on the map.


Special Features
- DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY EDITION FEATURES:
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer supervised and approved by director Wes Anderson and director of photography Robert Yeoman
- Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack
- Commentary by director/co-writer Anderson and co-writer/star Owen Wilson
- The Making of “Bottle Rocket”: an original documentary by filmmaker Barry Braverman featuring Anderson, James L. Brooks, James Caan, Temple Nash Jr., Kumar Pallana, Polly Platt, Mark Mothersbaugh, Robert Musgrave, Richard Sakai, David and Sandy Wasco, Andrew and Luke and Owen Wilson, and Robert Yeoman
- The original thirteen-minute black-and-white Bottle Rocket short film from 1992
- Eleven deleted scenes
- Anamorphic screen test, storyboards, location photos, and behind-the-scenes photographs by Laura Wilson
- Murita Cycles, a 1978 short film by Braverman
- The Shafrazi Lectures, no. 1: Bottle Rocket
- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by executive producer James L. Brooks, an appreciation by Martin Scorsese, and original artwork by Ian Dingman
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Film Info
1996
91 minutes
Color
1.85:1
Dolby Digital 5.1
Anamorphic
English

Chungking Express

The whiplash, double-pronged Chungking Express is one of the defining works of nineties cinema and the film that made Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai an instant icon. Two heartsick Hong Kong cops (Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung), both jilted by ex-lovers, cross paths at the Midnight Express take-out restaurant stand, where the ethereal pixie waitress Faye (Faye Wong) works. Anything goes in Wong’s gloriously shot and utterly unexpected charmer, which cemented the sex appeal of its gorgeous stars and forever turned canned pineapple and the Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreamin’” into tokens of romantic longing.

Special Features
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack supervised by director Wong Kar-wai
- Audio commentary by noted Asian cinema critic Tony Rayns
- Episode excerpt from the British television series Moving Pictures featuring Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle
- U.S. theatrical trailer
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by critic Amy Taubin and excerpts from a 1996 Sight and Sound interview with Wong by Rayns
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Film Info
1994
102 minutes
Color
1.66:1
Dolby Digital 5.1
Anamorphic
Cantonese


Release Dates & Specs for First Wave of Criterion Blu-ray Discs Blu-ray News item

[Beta Man]

AWESOME!!!! Great news to hear before I leave work!!!!

made my day, thanks OP!

[horseflesh]

Dolby Digital 5.1???
Does this mean Criterion are going down the lossy road??

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by horseflesh

Dolby Digital 5.1???
Does this mean Criterion are going down the lossy road??

The soundtrack was probably the best re-creation they wanted to do in keeping with the orginal audio of the film theatrically. Criterion doesn't embelish it's presentations much. I am sure we will see loss less audio in the future.

[Groo The Perverted]

NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!

Now maybe this will start the flow of his other movies to Blu Ray. And Kicking and Screaming as well which was a film by Noah Baumbach who I believe was a co-writer on some of Anderson's films.

note: and No I don't mean the crappy Will Ferrell movie of the same name.

[CAB]

Let the *****ing begin about lack of lossless.

(sigh)

[TheForce8686]

Originally Posted by Dreaming in Blu

NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!

Now maybe this will start the flow of his other movies to Blu Ray. And Kicking and Screaming as well which was a film by Noah Baumbach who I believe was a co-writer on some of Anderson's films.

note: and No I don't mean the crappy Will Ferrell movie of the same name.

That Movie was very funny, and I do mean the Will Ferrel one. I wish we could get that on Blu.

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by CAB

Let the *****ing begin about lack of lossless.

(sigh)

There shouldn't be any gripping about the lossless audio since WES ANDERSON approved the release and was very much involved in the overall presentation. In fact this film probably had a stereo track to begin with, so DD 5.1 isn't bad for this low budget film at the time.

[Banjo]

Hmm, I guess I'll have to contact them to see if it will be subtitled in English or not. Hopefully all of the special features.

[J6P]

Originally Posted by Powell&Pressburger

There shouldn't be any gripping about the lossless audio since WES ANDERSON approved the release and was very much involved in the overall presentation. In fact this film probably had a stereo track to begin with, so DD 5.1 isn't bad for this low budget film at the time.

If the original track was stereo the BD should be presented in lossless stereo.

I think this is a bad sign, as I recall Criterion had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the anamorphic wide screen era long after lesser studios saw the light. As much as I love Criterion, and I do, they have a track record of being a bit contrarian technologically.

[jj5206]

day one pick up for sure....Wes Anderson is my favorite director...

[Brad1963]

http://www.criterion.com/asp/browse_bluray.asp.

Also coming on BD from Criterion is The Last Emperor on Nov, 25.

[Roland1919]

[Clark Kent]

I will hold my tongue on the audio tracks until we get better information. Now just waiting for Rushmore on Blu-ray...

[J6P]

The two titles just added above (The Man Who Fell To Earth and The Third Man) are sporting lossless, so that's a very promising sign!

[Darth Lavender]

The Third Man, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Last Emperor, Chungking Express and Bottle Rocket coming to Blu-Ray in November

Great early line-up and best of all...

SENSIBLY PRICED

Criterion is using the same prices as the Standard DVDs. (Although 'The Man Who Fell To Earth' omits the paperback novel, all the extras will be identical, too)


This, btw, is one of two reasons I got into Blu-Ray in the first place (that, and when I decided to buy a back-up HDDVD drive, it made more sense to just buy a combo)

It's ironic that Criterion was long criticised for producing the most expensive DVDs, and now (taking everything into account; extras, transfers, etc.) they will be producing by far the best value blu-rays.
Best of all, we can be darn confident there won't be DNR or edge-enhancement or any of the other nonsense. Also, on the lossless front, Criterion seems to be giving every release Lossless Audio of some type or other (PCM or DTS-MA, depending on the movie)

http://www.criterion.com/asp/browse_bluray.asp

[Blu Titan]

Buying: The Third Man, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Last Emperor...great news.

[reginaroadie]

THE THIRD MAN is an absolute must for me. I saw it in film school, and it's just one of the greatest films ever, as well as a real showcase for Orson Welles. Him and Joseph Cotton on the ferris wheel and in the sewers are some of the greatest moment in cinema.

The others I'll maybe rent. Not as big a fan of them.

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by Powell&Pressburger

The soundtrack was probably the best re-creation they wanted to do in keeping with the orginal audio of the film theatrically. Criterion doesn't embelish it's presentations much. I am sure we will see loss less audio in the future.

Unless Criterion is saying they can't find the stem tracks for the film to include a lossless track, that's doing a half-assed job. For BD, the video represents film and audio represents the original audio masters.


fuad

[Darth Lavender]

I'm guessing that's just a misprint and they've listed the (simultaneously released) SD specs by mistake.

All their other Blu-Ray releases are getting PCM (useless on older titles, but if the space is there; might as well use it) or DTS-MA (in the case of The Last Emperor)

Also, I don't think Blu-Ray even supports "Dolby Digital," just "Dolby Digital Plus"