Wayne Wang's Smoke (1995) Blu-ray (Kino Studio Classics)
Kino have just announced plans to release Wayne Wang's Smoke (1995), as well as Blue in the Face (1995) on Blu-ray on August 26th, 2025.. There will be individual releases, as well as a 2-pack. Smoke is a really great film, with an impressive ensemble cast. I watched it for the first time a few years back, and have been hoping for a domestic Blu-ray release since (it's been out internationally for over a decade). Both releases are sourced from a new HD masters that have been supervised and approved by Wayne Wang as well.
Where there's Smoke...there's laughter! New Yorkers' lives change forever when a Brooklyn cigar store manager, Auggie (Harvey Keitel), befriends them. Among them is a writer…who can’t write (William Hurt), a reluctant father…hiding from his past (Forest Whitaker), a streetwise teen…with an unusual identity crisis (Harold Perrineau), and Auggie’s long-lost ex-girlfriend (Stockard Channing)…who returns with some surprising news! Full of offbeat humor, unexpected wit, and a star-studded cast also featuring Giancarlo Esposito and Ashley Judd, Smoke was directed by trailblazing filmmaker Wayne Wang (Chan Is Missing, Blue in the Face), and won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay by acclaimed novelist Paul Auster (Lulu on the Bridge). 2K Film Restoration by ZAP Zoetrope Aubry Productions - San Francisco. Special thanks to Leo Hallal, Kim Aubry, and Ashley Pagan for their restoration work.
Extras
Interview with Director Wayne Wang moderated by Kate MacKay, Associate Film Curator at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
Interview with Writer Paul Auster (excerpt from Running Away to the Circus: Paul Auster On Film)
Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
Berlin Film Festival Press Conference (1995)
Blue in the Face
Brand New HD Master by Paramount Pictures - From a 4K Film Restoration by ZAP Zoetrope Aubry Productions - San Francisco! In the uproarious follow-up to the hit comedy Smoke, Harvey Keitel returns with a red-hot cast and nonstop laughs when a wacky group of locals visits the neighborhood cigar shop, looking for good times…and finding plenty of hilarious fun! But when the greedy owner threatens to close the shop for good—and turn it into a trendy vegetarian restaurant—the neighborhood proves they’ll do just about anything to save their favorite hangout! Don’t miss this highly original and entertaining New York comedy from the filmmaking team of Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club) and Paul Auster (The Inner Life of Martin Frost), with a killer ensemble cast including Giancarlo Esposito, Roseanne Barr, Michael J. Fox, Lily Tomlin, Victor Argo, Mira Sorvino, Lou Reed, Keith David, Jim Jarmusch, Jared Harris, RuPaul, and Madonna!
Extras
Interview with Director Wayne Wang moderated by Kate MacKay, Associate Film Curator at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
Interview with Writer Paul Auster (excerpt from Running Away to the Circus: Paul Auster On Film)
I wonder if Blue in the Face is also in the works.
Announced yesterday by Kino ..I've updated the first post to mention both titles now.
Quote:
Coming Soon on Blu-ray!
Brand New HD Master – Supervised and Approved by Director Wayne Wang
Blue in the Face (1995) Starring Harvey Keitel, Michael J. Fox, Lou Reed, Jim Jarmusch, Lily Tomlin, Mira Sorvino, Roseanne Barr, Madonna, Keith David, Giancarlo Esposito, Malik Yoba, Mel Gorham, José Zúñiga & Victor Argo – Shot by Adam Holendar (Fresh) – Co-Written by Paul Auster (The Music of Chance) & Wayne Wang – Directed by Wayne Wang (The Center of the World), Paul Auster & Harvey Wang (The Last New Yorker).
Pre-order now up for all three releases with an August 26th release date. There will be Smoke and Blue in the Face solo releases, as well as a double-feature with both.
Where there's Smoke...there's laughter! New Yorkers' lives change forever when a Brooklyn cigar store manager, Auggie (Harvey Keitel), befriends them. Among them is a writer…who can’t write (William Hurt), a reluctant father…hiding from his past (Forest Whitaker), a streetwise teen…with an unusual identity crisis (Harold Perrineau), and Auggie’s long-lost ex-girlfriend (Stockard Channing)…who returns with some surprising news! Full of offbeat humor, unexpected wit, and a star-studded cast also featuring Giancarlo Esposito and Ashley Judd, Smoke was directed by trailblazing filmmaker Wayne Wang (Chan Is Missing, Blue in the Face), and won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay by acclaimed novelist Paul Auster (Lulu on the Bridge). 2K Film Restoration by ZAP Zoetrope Aubry Productions - San Francisco. Special thanks to Leo Hallal, Kim Aubry, and Ashley Pagan for their restoration work.
Extras
Interview with Director Wayne Wang moderated by Kate MacKay, Associate Film Curator at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
Interview with Writer Paul Auster (excerpt from Running Away to the Circus: Paul Auster On Film)
Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
Berlin Film Festival Press Conference (1995)
Blue in the Face
Brand New HD Master by Paramount Pictures - From a 4K Film Restoration by ZAP Zoetrope Aubry Productions - San Francisco! In the uproarious follow-up to the hit comedy Smoke, Harvey Keitel returns with a red-hot cast and nonstop laughs when a wacky group of locals visits the neighborhood cigar shop, looking for good times…and finding plenty of hilarious fun! But when the greedy owner threatens to close the shop for good—and turn it into a trendy vegetarian restaurant—the neighborhood proves they’ll do just about anything to save their favorite hangout! Don’t miss this highly original and entertaining New York comedy from the filmmaking team of Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club) and Paul Auster (The Inner Life of Martin Frost), with a killer ensemble cast including Giancarlo Esposito, Roseanne Barr, Michael J. Fox, Lily Tomlin, Victor Argo, Mira Sorvino, Lou Reed, Keith David, Jim Jarmusch, Jared Harris, RuPaul, and Madonna!
Extras
Interview with Director Wayne Wang moderated by Kate MacKay, Associate Film Curator at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
Interview with Writer Paul Auster (excerpt from Running Away to the Circus: Paul Auster On Film)
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Wayne Wang's Smoke (1995) Blu-ray (Kino Studio Classics)
..I've updated the first post to mention both titles now.
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