The Last Wave (1977) Re-mastered release date 2 September 2020

[Aunt Peg]

Finally The Last Wave is coming to Blu Ray via Umbrella:

http://www.ezydvd.com.au/blu-ray/The...red/dp/6222308

[Count Yorga]

I'm willing to testify in court that yours was the first thread about this.

[scribe1964]

This is great news. I've been waiting for Criterion to release a Blu-ray (since they did the DVD).

[moviemaker]

I should have posted this here instead I posted it on The Last Wave US thread last month.

The Last Wave REMASTERED is now listed on the Sanity Australia website and available for pre-order. $29.99 Blu-ray, $24.99 DVD.

Title: Last Wave | Remastered, The

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 02 Sep 2020

Actor(s): Richard Chamberlain, Olivia Hamnett, David Gulpilil, Frederick Parslow, Nandjiwarra Amagula, Vivean Gray, Walter Amagula, Roy Bara, Cedrick Lalara, Morris Lalara, Peter Carroll, Athol Compton, Hedley Cullen, Michael Duffield, Wallas Eaton

Sku: 2531316

Catalogue No: DAVID4174

Category: Fantasy

Disc Count: 1

Aspect Ratio: 16:9

OFLC Rating: TBA

Run Time: 106

Transfer Format: 16:9 Enhanced, Widescreen, 1080P HD

Video Format: PAL

Primary Audio: Dolby Digital

Language: English, Dolby Digital

Region Code: B

OFLC Advice: To Be Confirmed

Dubbed Languages: English, Dolby Digital

Director(s): Peter Weir

Genre: Drama, Australian, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller

[moviemaker]

BTW The Criterion Channel is featuring films from the Australian New Wave for the entire month Of August. I just rewatched The Last Wave and it was a dated print with a year 2000 copyright. Seen the film at least 50 times and this was the first time I noticed Brian Trenchard-Smith credited as a promotional consultant for the film.

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Criterion/Janus Films (who owns this title in the US) had reportedly completed a 4k restoration that was going to be screened before COVID. I imagine the upcoming Blu will feature this Criterion restoration and a US announcement will follow.

[tucker_cleveland]

Here's the artwork and new sub-label.

https://www.umbrellaent.com.au/movie...NP0mHlO9EJzDYM

[shireguy]

Originally Posted by tucker_cleveland

Here's the artwork and new redundant sub-label.

https://www.umbrellaent.com.au/movie...NP0mHlO9EJzDYM

Umbrella Entertainment is excited to announce the launch of its new sub-label, SUNBURNT SCREENS, focusing on landmark Australian cinema, with the September release of Peter Weir’s 1977 follow-up to the ethereal ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’, THE LAST WAVE.

I note the previous thread now closed.... THIS is a new sub label ... SUNBURNT SCREENS

Let’s see what comes out of Umbrella on this

Stay tuned for further announcements regarding upcoming releases in the Sunburnt Screens label, along with some other exciting news for 2021...

[Futurhythm]

I wonder if any of the special features are new.

I have the privilege of knowing the producer as an acquaintance. Great guy. For some reason I've never really spoken to him about his films though.

[moviemaker]

I'm so disappointed Criterion didn't take advantage of their month of featuring The Australian New Wave on their channel and coincide it with the physical release of "The Last Wave' on blu-ray.

After not releasing The Elephant Man on 4K (I bought the region free blue & 4K from Sanity and had it shipped to LA) I'm going to buy this from Sanity as well. Criterion is too busy with bs releases like Parasite (which I love) that has already been released on blu and 4K.

Peter Weir is a living legend and such an underrated director.

I love the cover art:

[Show spoiler]

Available from Sanity here: https://www.sanity.com.au/products/2...Remastered-The

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by moviemaker

I'm so disappointed Criterion didn't take advantage of their month of featuring The Australian New Wave on their channel and coincide it with the physical release of "The Last Wave' on blu-ray.

After not releasing The Elephant Man on 4K (I bought the region free blue & 4K from Sanity and had it shipped to LA) I'm going to buy this from Sanity as well. Criterion is too busy with bs releases like Parasite (which I love) that has already been released on blu and 4K.

Look a few messages up.

Criterion/Janus Films (who owns this title in the US) had reportedly completed a 4k restoration that was going to be screened before COVID. I imagine the upcoming Blu will feature this Criterion restoration and a US announcement will follow.

[moviemaker]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Look a few messages up.

Thank you for this! I can't believe I missed it. Geat news indeed! I can stop crying in my beer.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by moviemaker

BTW The Criterion Channel is featuring films from the Australian New Wave for the entire month Of August. I just rewatched The Last Wave and it was a dated print with a year 2000 copyright. Seen the film at least 50 times and this was the first time I noticed Brian Trenchard-Smith credited as a promotional consultant for the film.

In the German 4-film Peter Weir Collection blu-ray set, three of the films have this sort of copyright notice in the end credits:

The Cars That Ate Paris says "©Salt-Pan Films Pty Ltd 1974/2001".
The Last Wave says "©Last Wave Productions Pty Ltd 1977/2000"
The Plumber says "©1978/2001 Salt Pan Films Pty Ltd"

The other weird thing about the German set, is that the back of the slipcase claims all four films are in 1.85. However, Cars is in 2.35 (as it should be), and the other three are in 1.78 -- which is what Weir wants for Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave; The Plumber should be 1.66.

[albabe]

Originally Posted by SpaceBlackKnight

Criterion/Janus Films (who owns this title in the US) had reportedly completed a 4k restoration that was going to be screened before COVID. I imagine the upcoming Blu will feature this Criterion restoration and a US announcement will follow.

So, does that mean Criterion will eventually release it on Blu?

[kuzronk]

Most likely, An Angel at my Table was an Umbrella Blu-ray a few months before their release.

[Futurhythm]

Got my copy today!

The special features are pretty good. The interviews with Richard Chamberlain, the producer Jim McElroy, and director of photography Russell Boyd are brand new. They're not short either. The clip from the '80s BBC documentary Walkabout to Hollywood is in HD (720 at least) and has a preface saying that Umbrella will be releasing it in full in 2021. The image galleries aren't stills and consist of actual production material.

Picture-wise, it's got a healthy amount of film grain and is richer and more detailed than the German Blu-ray. I'm not sure on some of the colours though. There's some scenes where the contrast looks overblown to me. Prior to the German Blu-ray, I'd only ever seen the movie on DVD so I can't say I know exactly how the colours should look.

Here's some screens from both the Umbrella and the Koch discs with the Umbrella ones first. Heads-up, they're lossless PNGs so they're big:

[Show spoiler]

[SpaceBlackKnight]

This is probably the new 4k master Criterion created and were going to screen before COVID closed things down. It looks quite nice and an improvement to the German Blu, which uses the older Criterion HD master (riddled with EE and magenta tinge) seen on their DVD.

Does this presentation open with Criterion and Janus Films logos?

[hdgfs]

Originally Posted by SpaceBlackKnight

This is probably the new 4k master Criterion created and were going to screen before COVID closed things down. It looks quite nice and an improvement to the German Blu, which uses the older Criterion HD master (riddled with EE and magenta tinge) seen on their DVD.

Does this presentation open with Criterion and Janus Films logos?

No logos at the start or after the film finishes.

[Futurhythm]

Originally Posted by SpaceBlackKnight

This is probably the new 4k master Criterion created and were going to screen before COVID closed things down. It looks quite nice and an improvement to the German Blu, which uses the older Criterion HD master (riddled with EE and magenta tinge) seen on their DVD.

Does this presentation open with Criterion and Janus Films logos?

There's no information on the disc or on the packaging about the restoration. The only thing I can find on it online is an article from FilmInk: 'Newly restored and remastered from a 4K scan by Umbrella, THE LAST WAVE has never looked better.' FilmInk are reliable, but I'm not sure how accurate that is.

Considering the producer himself still owns the rights to the movie in Australia and the disc is produced by Umbrella, it makes sense that there's no Criterion or Janus logos even if they did do the restoration.

[jayembee]

Out of curiosity...

At the end of the German Blu-ray edition's closing credits, the copyright statement, obviously an updated one, reads "©Last Wave Productions Pty Ltd 1977/2000". Is that what appears on this edition, or is there an even more updated one? (It just occurred to me to check Criterion's DVD, to see whether that has the updated statement or not.)

Two of the other films in the German Weir collection set also have updated copyright statements. The Cars That Ate Paris says "©Salt-Pan Films Pty Ltd 1974/2001" and The Plumber says "©1978/2001 Salt Pan Films Pty Ltd". Picnic at Hanging Rock is the only one without an updated statement.

I found these interesting, as it was the first time I noticed updated copyright statements for movies that didn't specifically state that it was for a restoration.