Menace II Society 4K UHD (1993)

[cheez avenger]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

I remember Menace when it first came out, never saw it. I was like 10. But I do remember it was a huge deal when it came out. I knew Cuba Gooding Jr was in it. Totally forgot about Ice Cube. If I remembered that ice cube was in it, would have checked out earlier.

Went out and rented from library, excited to finally see it.

Cuba was in Boyz not Menace.

[bigdaddyhorse]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

I remember Menace when it first came out, never saw it. I was like 10. But I do remember it was a huge deal when it came out. I knew Cuba Gooding Jr was in it. Totally forgot about Ice Cube. If I remembered that ice cube was in it, would have checked out earlier.

Went out and rented from library, excited to finally see it.

That was Boyz N the Hood with Cuba and Cube. That one had much more theater advertising power. I knew of that when in theaters, but missed Menace until it came out on cable and VHS. I did know of it from the soundtrack though, but don't recall ever seeing TV spots for it and am not sure if it even played around me.

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by cheez avenger

Cuba was in Boyz not Menace.

Oh whoops, it’s been a while. Still interested. That movie poster still sticks out in my memory. Charles S Dutton, Too Short, etc. in it also.

[Midway30]

Originally Posted by greendemoncustoms

This gives me hope for Dead Presidents 4k

Disney title so forget about it.

[tylergfoster]

On top of the fact that Disney controls Dead Presidents, there's also the fact that this whole release might be a bit of an apology. When Criterion's diversity issues were covered in NYT in August 2020, there was this passage:

Originally Posted by The New York Times

The Criterion Collection wasn’t always quite as white as it is now. In the early 1990s, it put out several acclaimed films by Black directors on laser disc, including Melvin Van Peebles's Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, John Singleton's Boyz N the Hood, Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It, and the Hughes brothers films Menace II Society and Dead Presidents. But none of those titles survived the transition, in 1998, to DVD.

Becker said they had initially been lost because of rights issues. "In the beginnings of a marketplace, things are less available," he said. But a significant majority of Criterion's laser discs did migrate to the newer formats eventually, and Becker acknowledged that he could have done more over the years to reintroduce those by Black filmmakers.

"I know where those rights are, and I can go seek out those rights, and I will," he said. "We've done second Blu-ray editions of other things; we should go do second Blu-ray editions of those, too."

For the Hughes brothers, who said that they had been honored to be included in the collection in the 1990s, the damage has already been done. "How dare that be an oversight?" Albert Hughes said. "You should know better."

After reading this quote, I kinda thought, "Well, doesn't seem like there are going to be any more Hughes movies in the collection." I guess making their movie one of their flagship titles for 4K UHD helped mend any rifts!

[Retroj23]

Originally Posted by bigdaddyhorse

Now listen to me you little *****.
You know you done ****ed up don't you?

My band used the little b sample, Spice 1 took the other even further by making the other one a whole song:
You Done ****ed Up By Spice 1 - YouTube







Sorry tone and retro, yous are incorrect. There is no extra dialogue unless there's a throwaway line when Wax pays for the gas. Proof is here.
I've seen this movie countless times since taping it off cable way back then, and it's almost impossible to tell which cut I'm watching until the slight extensions play or don't. Friday is ruined by the DC, this one is fine either way.

I stand corrected bigdaddy. It's been a while since I've seen the DC, I just remember the extra dialogue in the "petro" scene standing out like a sore thumb. That being the case I still hope Criterion can include the TC.

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

On top of the fact that Disney controls Dead Presidents, there's also the fact that this whole release might be a bit of an apology. When Criterion's diversity issues were covered in NYT in August 2020, there was this passage:

After reading this quote, I kinda thought, "Well, doesn't seem like there are going to be any more Hughes movies in the collection." I guess making their movie one of their flagship titles for 4K UHD helped mend any rifts!

Laserdisc was always better

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by Agent Kay

Laserdisc was always better

It wouldn't be if a analog movie is viewed on a 4K UHD. Most people nowadays doesn't have a laserdisc player and movies. Some people don't even have a Blu-ray Player lest a laserdisc.

[Blu Cider]

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by slimdude

It wouldn't be if a analog movie is viewed on a 4K UHD. Most people nowadays doesn't have a laserdisc player and movies. Some people don't even have a Blu-ray Player lest a laserdisc.

I could not get anything resembling sense from that

[KubrickKurasawa]

Originally Posted by Blu Cider

I prefer the term...

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by Agent Kay

I could not get anything resembling sense from that

It's not rocket science, it's very simple that even a 5 year old could understand.

[Retroj23]

Originally Posted by slimdude

It's not rocket science, it's very simple that even a 5 year old could understand.

[Vixen of the Night]

Alright. So I did some research and only added violence was on the unrated Criterion laserdisc.

Laserdisc
https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=645

The unrated blu-ray contained the uncut violence, but also two extended character scenes.

Blu-ray

https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=5135096


The added character scenes don't seem like they detract too much from the pace of the movie, unlike the Friday director's cut which totally destroys the movie.

So while the original theatrical version and unrated DC being available on the release would be great for purists/historical perspective. I have no issues with only the DC being available since the difference is not too drastic in terms of pacing(the DC has more impact in those violent moments, but the cut version wasn't terrible either).

[Bostonyte]

Originally Posted by slimdude

It's not rocket science, it's very simple that even a 5 year old could understand.

You just love teeing them up, don't you!

[Nailwraps]

Details!:

https://www.criterion.com/films/31502-menace-ii-society

"New 4K digital restoration of the directors’ cut of the film, supervised by cinematographer Lisa Rinzler and codirector Albert Hughes, with 7.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack

In the 4K UHD edition: One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
Original 2.0 surround soundtrack, presented in DTS-HD Master Audio

Two audio commentaries from 1993 featuring directors Albert and Allen Hughes

Gangsta Vision, a 2009 featurette on the making of the film

New conversation among Albert Hughes, screenwriter Tyger Williams, and film critic Elvis Mitchell

New conversation among Allen Hughes, actor and filmmaker Bill Duke, and Mitchell

Interview from 1993 with the directors

Deleted scenes

Film-to-storyboard comparison

Trailer

English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

PLUS: An essay by film critic Craig D. Lindsey"



In short, time to ditch your old Blu-rays.

[cheez avenger]

Originally Posted by Vixen of the Night

Alright. So I did some research and only added violence was on the unrated Criterion laserdisc.

Laserdisc
https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=645

The unrated blu-ray contained the uncut violence, but also two extended character scenes.

Blu-ray

https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=5135096


The added character scenes don't seem like they detract too much from the pace of the movie, unlike the Friday director's cut which totally destroys the movie.

So while the original theatrical version and unrated DC being available on the release would be great for purists/historical perspective. I have no issues with only the DC being available since the difference is not too drastic in terms of pacing(the DC has more impact in those violent moments, but the cut version wasn't terrible either).

It was always about the violence in the unrated that elevated it even more.

[cheez avenger]

Originally Posted by Nailwraps

Details!:

https://www.criterion.com/films/31502-menace-ii-society

"New 4K digital restoration of the directors’ cut of the film, supervised by cinematographer Lisa Rinzler and codirector Albert Hughes, with 7.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack

In the 4K UHD edition: One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
Original 2.0 surround soundtrack, presented in DTS-HD Master Audio

Two audio commentaries from 1993 featuring directors Albert and Allen Hughes

Gangsta Vision, a 2009 featurette on the making of the film

New conversation among Albert Hughes, screenwriter Tyger Williams, and film critic Elvis Mitchell

New conversation among Allen Hughes, actor and filmmaker Bill Duke, and Mitchell

Interview from 1993 with the directors

Deleted scenes

Film-to-storyboard comparison

Trailer

English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

PLUS: An essay by film critic Craig D. Lindsey"



In short, time to ditch your old Blu-rays.

G'yeah!

[PowellPressburger]

Interesting that the new audio mix is 7.1... you'd almost think they would have just worked up to an ATMOS mix. Nice to also see the original 2.0 Stereo included.

[Gacivory]

It looks like this is a digibook. Sister Hyde posted some mock ups on her instagram. The II are cut outs.