Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

[Akijama]

Restored 4K digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
Alternate 5.1 surround soundtrack
New interviews with Stanley Kubrick scholars Mick Broderick and Rodney Hill; archivist Richard Daniels; cinematographer and camera innovator Joe Dunton; camera operator Kelvin Pike; and David George, son of Peter George, on whose novel Red Alert the film is based
Excerpts from a 1965 audio interview with Kubrick, conducted by Jeremy Bernstein
Four short documentaries from 2000, about the making of the film, the sociopolitical climate of the period, the work of actor Peter Sellers, and the artistry of Kubrick
Interviews from 1963 with Sellers and actor George C. Scott
Excerpt from a 1980 interview with Sellers from NBC’s Today show
Trailer
PLUS: An essay by scholar David Bromwich and a 1962 article by screenwriter Terry Southern on the making of the film

Stanley Kubrick’s painfully funny take on Cold War anxiety is without a doubt one of the fiercest satires of human folly ever to come out of Hollywood. The matchless shape-shifter Peter Sellers plays three wildly different roles: Air Force Captain Lionel Mandrake, timidly trying to stop a nuclear attack on the USSR ordered by an unbalanced general (Sterling Hayden); the ineffectual and perpetually dumbfounded President Merkin Muffley, who must deliver the very bad news to the Soviet premier; and the titular Strangelove himself, a wheelchair-bound presidential adviser with a Nazi past. Finding improbable hilarity in nearly every unimaginable scenario, Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is a genuinely subversive masterpiece that officially announced Kubrick as an unparalleled stylist and pitch-black ironist.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) (HD Trailer) - YouTube

Source:

[Show spoiler] Just confirmed by Criterion's technical director, Lee Kline during the Wexner Center chat.

[Jar Jar Stinks]

I'm not sure what Criterion can offer. It's already a 4K restoration. Perhaps they'll eff around with the aspect ratio or add a documentary.

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

I'm not sure what Criterion can offer. It's already a 4K restoration. Perhaps they'll eff around with the aspect ratio or add a documentary.

Impossible improve on the WB in the PQ department.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Impossible improve on the WB in the PQ department.

WB? If you mean Warners, this is a Sony joint.

[Doctor Jack]

Maybe they have unearthed the pie fight sequence. Instant buy if the case.

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

WB? If you mean Warners, this is a Sony joint.

My mistake...on the Sony release whose PQ is 10/10.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

My mistake...on the Sony release whose PQ is 10/10.

It is indeed, it's gorgeous.

Those pining for another 4K restoration would do well to bear in mind that the original negative can't be found so the best elements they have are two fine grain masters (positives minted from the negative) which is what the current resto was based upon. Even though scanning and dynamic range and blah blah have come on in the last 8 years, given the lack of the neg I'm not sure it's worth running it through that whole process again.

Still, Sony have got a proper hard-on for HDR so if there isn't enough dynamic range in the current master (it'll be 10-bit at the minimum) then they'll have to transfer it to 12 or 16-bit 4K.

[applemac]

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

I'm not sure what Criterion can offer. It's already a 4K restoration. Perhaps they'll eff around with the aspect ratio or add a documentary.

Probably one of the projects that criterion can use to help fund more intense restorations

[ThatOneGuy]

Originally Posted by applemac

Probably one of the projects that criterion can use to help fund more intense restorations

It also coincides with their mission statement as well.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by applemac

Probably one of the projects that criterion can use to help fund more intense restorations

I wonder about that. Our excitement notwithstanding, I wonder if re-releases like The Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Manchurian Candidate are big money-makers for them.

I mean, I'm sure this'll turn a profit but it doesn't strike me as an obvious cash cow.

But who knows.

[ThatOneGuy]

Originally Posted by octagon

I wonder about that. Our excitement notwithstanding, I wonder if re-releases like The Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Manchurian Candidate are big money-makers for them.

I mean, I'm sure they'll turn a profit but it doesn't strike me as an obvious cash cow.

But who knows.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a Wes Anderson film and they are adding his entire filmograph to their collection from the looks of it, so that is probably the main reason why they re-released it. I'm actually surprised they haven't announce Grand Budapest yet.

[stevezissou]

Originally Posted by John Klein

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a Wes Anderson film and they are adding his entire filmograph to their collection from the looks of it, so that is probably the main reason why they re-released it. I'm actually surprised they haven't announce Grand Budapest yet.

[McCrutchy]

Aren't there exclusive Criterion extras from their LD for this film, and did they not present the two versions of the film using 1.66:1 and 1.33:1 aspect ratios?. Between that, and any new extras, it seems like there could be a few reasons to get this, despite the Sony BD.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

Aren't there exclusive Criterion extras from their LD for this film, and did they not present the two versions of the film using 1.66:1 and 1.33:1 aspect ratios?. Between that, and any new extras, it seems like there could be a few reasons to get this, despite the Sony BD.

Two versions? The Criterion LD used an open matte transfer which alternated between the hard-matted 1.66 shots and the 1.33. If you have the older Sony DVD then it does the same thing. The much vaunted Criterion LD extras only amount to some Cold War ephemera and little on the making of the movie. One of the few things that related to the film was an excerpt of the script featuring the legendary 'pie fight' ending, but Kubrick nixed that extra from later pressings of the disc.

Unless Criterion come up with something like the actual pie fight ending then this is an easy, easy pass for me.

[teb1013]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

Aren't there exclusive Criterion extras from their LD for this film, and did they not present the two versions of the film using 1.66:1 and 1.33:1 aspect ratios?. Between that, and any new extras, it seems like there could be a few reasons to get this, despite the Sony BD.

Yes, I had the LD and it did switch between 1:33 and 1:66 although I don't really know why. I assume some shots were hard matted at 1.66:1, it wasn't some kind of artistic choice by Kubrick, in the theaters it would have been 1.78-1 in the UK (where I saw it as a kid) and 1.85-1 in the US.



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[AlexIlDottore]

Yeah, as the current disc is from a 4K master and is damn good, Criterion must have some great extras in the works.

[Scottie]

I'll just be happy with better cover art and a non-DigiBook/SteelBook release.

[MifuneFan]

I'd love a commentary track personally.

[ChiefSequatchie]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I'd love a commentary track personally.

From who? Almost everyone associated with it has passed on.

[ThatOneGuy]

Originally Posted by ChiefSequatchie

From who? Almost everyone associated with it has passed on.

Bring out the ouija board!