Picnic at Hanging Rock - 8/2/14 - both cuts

[James Luckard]

http://www.amazon.co.jp/%C3%A3%C6%92...t+hanging+rock

This BD includes BOTH cuts, according to the Amazon.co.jp product description, via Google Translate:

DISC-1: this story DISC (Blu-ray)
· (4:3 standard size / about 116 minutes) the original version this story # 1
· (16:9 Vista Size / about 111 minutes) the original version this story # 2
Original trailer

DISC-2: Benefits DISC (DVD)
· "A Dream Within A Dream" (Making of video)
· "1900: Memories of Hanging Rock" (interview documentary)
· Joan Lindsay (original author) Interview
· Karen Robsun telephone interview
· "Then and Now" (landscape shooting location location)
· "St. Valentine's Day" (short film of the original work's first novel was produced in 1969)
· Scenes that were deleted from the Director's Cut version
· Photo Gallery

It appears to EXACTLY duplicate the UK 3-disc DVD, including BOTH cuts of the film and the exact same mix of bonus features, almost all of which were left off the Criterion BD. In fact, most of the bonus features on the American Criterion appear to be edited down from the features on this set, except for the short film Homesdale, which is available on an Aussie DVD of Weir short films. http://www.amazon.com/Short-Films-Pe.../dp/B000GWHI9I

The long original version of the film appears to be an SD extra on the BD, as it's 4:3 (The UK set had the original cut anamorphic, but it was from a very old source they found and was presumably PAL, this one is presumably 4:3 letterboxed in NTSC).

I know Criterion always tries to present the films exactly as the directors wish. However, as with their release of The Last Emperor, this film is now going to be available in a better, less altered version from Japan.