Alphaville 4K UHD (1965) (Kino Studio Classics)

[MifuneFan]

Kino will be releasing Jean-Luc Godard's Alphaville (1965) on 4K on August 13th! It'll feature a new Dolby Vision/HDR master.

Originally Posted by Kino Lorber Insider

Coming August 13th on 4KUHD!
https://kinolorber.com/product/alphaville-4kuhd

ALPHAVILLE (1965)
• 2023 HDR/Dolby Vision Master by StudioCanal – From 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative
• Audio Commentary by Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas
• Anna Karina Interview (4:31)
• Colin McCabe Introduction (5:26)
• Includes Both Original French and English Audio with Optional English Subtitles
• Theatrical Trailer
• Limited Edition Reversible Art and O-Card Slipcase
• Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc
• Optional English Subtitles

B&W 99 Minutes 1.37:1 Not Rated
From Jean-Luc Godard, the influential filmmaker behind the French New Wave classics, Breathless, Contempt, Band of Outsiders and Pierrot Le Fou, comes this futuristic noir masterpiece. American secret agent Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine, Attack of the Robots) is sent to the distant space city of Alphaville where he must find a missing person and kill the inventor of fascist computer Alpha 60. Anna Karina (The Nun) and Akim Tamiroff (Touch of Evil) co-star in this cockeyed fusion of science-fiction with pulp characters and surrealist poetry. Godard’s irreverent journey to the mysterious Alphaville remains one of the least conventional films of all time. Beautifully shot in glorious black-and-white by Raoul Coutard (Jules and Jim, First Name: Carmen).

Also Available on Standalone Blu-ray & DVD

[brainofj72]

This format continues to pleasantly surprise me.

[waxHead]

Now I'll be on the lookout for an FiM-encoded UK release.

[MifuneFan]

I am a little surprised to see a US 4K release of a SC title before SC themselves have put it out. That doesn't happen too often, if ever.

[waxHead]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I am a little surprised to see a US 4K release of a SC title before SC themselves have put it out. That doesn't happen too often, if ever.

Same here. While I'm thrilled this is coming out in UHD, I'm not excited about the encoding with Kino's releases. I've re-bought enough of them to be skeptical about immediately pulling the trigger on this one.

[Grinningcat_o3]

This is awesome

[nicwood]

Originally Posted by waxHead

Same here. While I'm thrilled this is coming out in UHD, I'm not excited about the encoding with Kino's releases. I've re-bought enough of them to be skeptical about immediately pulling the trigger on this one.

If SC’s previous Godard UHDs are any indication, we probably won’t get optimal encoding from them either. I’ve long suspected that SC instruct the parties that do their restorations to take care of the encoding as well. As such, Silver Salt is often, if not always, paired with FiM and their French titles suffer from improper color grading and bad encoding due to the terrible labs they hire.

It’s a shame that SC is so inconsistent and unpredictable but I haven’t given up the hope that they’ve somehow grasped the very positive feedback their Peeping Tom and One from the Heart UHDs received and learned to continue hiring the right people to do the job properly.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I am a little surprised to see a US 4K release of a SC title before SC themselves have put it out. That doesn't happen too often, if ever.

Same. Does this mean we might finally get titles like The Graduate? Omg.

[waxHead]

Originally Posted by nicwood

If SC’s previous Godard UHDs are any indication, we probably won’t get optimal encoding from them either. I’ve long suspected that SC instruct the parties that do their restorations to take care of the encoding as well. As such, Silver Salt is often, if not always, paired with FiM and their French titles suffer from improper color grading and bad encoding due to the terrible labs they hire.

It’s a shame that SC is so inconsistent and unpredictable but I haven’t given up the hope that they’ve somehow grasped the very positive feedback their Peeping Tom and One from the Heart UHDs received and learned to continue hiring the right people to do the job properly.

Thank you for pointing that out re: Godard's UHDs. I also hope SC treat Alphaville with the respect it deserves and let the right parties do the restoration/grading/encoding.

I typically wait to see user reviews/responses here before picking up new releases. I'll be doing the same with this one.

[Member-222782]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I am a little surprised to see a US 4K release of a SC title before SC themselves have put it out. That doesn't happen too often, if ever.

This is what gives me hope for Near Dark

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

Same. Does this mean we might finally get titles like The Graduate? Omg.

The Graduate is MGM in the US and Criterion reportedly nabbed 4k for that one.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by SpaceBlackKnight

The Graduate is MGM in the US and Criterion reportedly nabbed 4k for that one.

I'm gonna need a source on that one, chief.

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

I'm gonna need a source on that one, chief.

KLInsider mentioned it in the Kino thread some time back.

[mande2013]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I am a little surprised to see a US 4K release of a SC title before SC themselves have put it out. That doesn't happen too often, if ever.

The Kino doesn’t have a street date, and they said it’ll be released in late 2024, so I imagine StudioCanal has a release planned themselves at around the same time but just haven’t officially announced it yet. That’s probably the most likely explanation.

Either way, I'd prefer to not have to buy a North American 4K disc of this film if possible.

[amputd]

Studio Canal has done some nice B&W encodes. Their 4k of The Servant is absolutely top notch. Alphaville desrves the very best.

[Beckstreaker]

Release Date: August 13th, 2024

Per Kino Insider thread

[Beckstreaker]

Pre-order is up on Kino's site.

https://kinolorber.com/product/alphaville-4kuhd

[MifuneFan]

Full details for Alphaville have been announced.

Originally Posted by Kino Lorber Insider

Coming August 13th on 4KUHD!
https://kinolorber.com/product/alphaville-4kuhd

ALPHAVILLE (1965)
• 2023 HDR/Dolby Vision Master by StudioCanal – From 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative
• Audio Commentary by Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas
• Anna Karina Interview (4:31)
• Colin McCabe Introduction (5:26)
• Includes Both Original French and English Audio with Optional English Subtitles
• Theatrical Trailer
• Limited Edition Reversible Art and O-Card Slipcase
• Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc
• Optional English Subtitles

B&W 99 Minutes 1.37:1 Not Rated
From Jean-Luc Godard, the influential filmmaker behind the French New Wave classics, Breathless, Contempt, Band of Outsiders and Pierrot Le Fou, comes this futuristic noir masterpiece. American secret agent Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine, Attack of the Robots) is sent to the distant space city of Alphaville where he must find a missing person and kill the inventor of fascist computer Alpha 60. Anna Karina (The Nun) and Akim Tamiroff (Touch of Evil) co-star in this cockeyed fusion of science-fiction with pulp characters and surrealist poetry. Godard’s irreverent journey to the mysterious Alphaville remains one of the least conventional films of all time. Beautifully shot in glorious black-and-white by Raoul Coutard (Jules and Jim, First Name: Carmen).

Also Available on Standalone Blu-ray & DVD

[tama]

The only info I could find for the previous Kino blu was it was a 4K master. Nothing about source.

This is advertised as a new 2023 4k from the Negative. Wonder if it's an entirely new scan.

[SpookyDollhouse]

Originally Posted by tama

The only info I could find for the previous Kino blu was it was a 4K master. Nothing about source.

This is advertised as a new 2023 4k from the Negative. Wonder if it's an entirely new scan.

Looks to be brand new. Hard to imagine they put that in the listing and it's wrong but stranger things have happened.

EDIT - the new UHD is also listed to be in the original 1.37 framing, while the 2019 Blu-ray was incorrectly 1.33 so that's probably the tell