Real Life (1979) / Mother (1996) 4K UHD

[StLouisRibs]

Two comedy masterpieces both coming from Criterion via Paramount this August, both straight from DVD up to 4K!

Real Life

Decades before reality television reigned supreme, there was Albert Brooks’s debut feature, Real Life, a brilliantly deadpan, stylistically innovative satire about the perils and pitfalls of trying to capture the truth on film. The writer-director plays “Albert Brooks,” a narcissistic Hollywood filmmaker who plans to spend the year in Phoenix embedded with Warren and Jeanette Yeager (Charles Grodin and Frances Lee McCain) and their two children, deploying an arsenal of cutting-edge equipment (including the over-the-head Ettinaur 226XL camera) to capture an American family’s ordinary day-to-day. Chronicling the project’s disastrous fallout, as the meddlesome Albert can’t help getting too close to his subjects, this pioneering mockumentary is more relevant than ever amid today’s media landscape.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Albert Brooks, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• In the 4K UHD edition: One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• New interview with Brooks
• New interview with actor Frances Lee McCain
• 3D trailer directed by Brooks
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Mother

Reeling after his second divorce and struggling with writer’s block, sci-fi novelist John Henderson (Albert Brooks) resolves to figure out where his life went wrong, and hits on an unorthodox solution: moving back in with his relentlessly disapproving, cheerfully passive-aggressive mother (Debbie Reynolds), whose favorite son has always been John’s younger brother, Jeff (Rob Morrow). It’s an experiment that, however harebrained, delivers surprising results. Brooks’s film perfectly blends the writer-director-star’s biting wit with insight and inviting warmth, while giving him a formidable foil in the delightful Reynolds, triumphant in a comeback role that’s equal parts caustic and charming.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Albert Brooks, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• In the 4K UHD edition: One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• New interview with Brooks
• New interview with actor Rob Morrow
• Teaser directed by Brooks
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by critic Carrie Rickey

[MifuneFan]

Criterion will be releasing Albert Brooks' Real Life on 4K in August!

Real Life 4K UHD

https://www.criterion.com/films/30974-real-life

DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Albert Brooks, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• New interview with Brooks
• New interview with actor Frances Lee McCain
• 3D trailer directed by Brooks
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

New cover based on an original theatrical poster

[PowellPressburger]

Instant buys and on 4K UHD!

I still have my Mother LaserDisc

[Adam_ME]

Excellent! Always good to have Albert Brooks in 4K

[captainjoe]

"Tastes like an orange foot!"

Mother is one of my favourites I'm so glad Criterion is doing a 4K of it!

[Gacivory]

Finally!!!!!!!!! And on 4K too! That was unexpected!!!

[notops]

This will definitely have a place on Jonas Salk’s coffee table

[sfmarine]

Originally Posted by PowellPressburger

Instant buys and on 4K UHD!

I still have my Mother LaserDisc

Same here! Time to retire it. Very surprising that it’s getting a release and in 4K! First time ever in HD. Most impressive.

[PowellPressburger]

I really like The Muse from what I recall, would be nice to see that one again of someone releases it.

Now I want 4K upgrades for Lost in America and Defending Your Life

[lilboyblu]

Originally Posted by PowellPressburger

I really like The Muse from what I recall, would be nice to see that one again of someone releases it.

Now I want 4K upgrades for Lost in America and Defending Your Life

Universal gave it a (pressed) Blu-ray through their MOD line.

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by lilboyblu

Universal gave it a (pressed) Blu-ray through their MOD line.

How did I miss that!

[videopat]

Watched both of these for the first time this year and really enjoyed them. The outdated streaming transfers left a lot to be desired, so having these remastered in 4K is a nice surprise. IMO Brooks (as director) doesn't have a bad movie in his entire filmography.

[videopat]

Originally Posted by lilboyblu

Universal gave it a (pressed) Blu-ray through their MOD line.

I have this disc and the transfer unfortunately is not great. Underrated movie, would love to see it get a remaster.

[mulscul]

Wonder why Mother wont include the theatrical trailer but a teaser...I dont recall that movie having a teaser trailer

The teaser for The Muse is pretty funny though as that wasnt released in theaters but put on the dvd release

[slothmoney]

this is awesome, in for both. here's hoping Defending Your Life and Lost in America get 4K upgrades in the near future as well.

[MikeZ.]

Mother is free on Pluto right now

Real Life is $3.79 on Amazon Prime

should anyone desire a preview or first look.

[bradnoyes]

Originally Posted by slothmoney

this is awesome, in for both. here's hoping Defending Your Life and Lost in America get 4K upgrades in the near future as well.

Had the same thought. I'd have preferred those two, but I'm more than happy to pick these up for now. Feels like the other two will come eventually.

[ronboster]

LOVE this news. I can finally get rid of my DVD's.

[Rayjg]

Originally Posted by videopat

I have this disc and the transfer unfortunately is not great. Underrated movie, would love to see it get a remaster.

It's a good sign Criterion is releasing his titles on UHD now. Bodes well for an upgrade. I wonder if they'll tackle his last film, the only one I've seen on release, Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World. Crazy he hasn't directed anything since. But then Lynch, Carpenter, Waters and so many others seemed to go dormant around the early aughts.

[THF90]

Originally Posted by StLouisRibs

Two comedy masterpieces both coming from Criterion via Paramount this August, both straight from DVD up to 4K!

Real Life



Mother

In for Mother!

Debbie is hilarious in this.