Impressive!!
That’s the word for the Criterion Collection’s September line-up of new film restorations.
There will be a new 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack edition heading home on each of the four street-date Tuesday during the month … so let’s get to it.
Sept. 5 kicks off the proceedings with a new 4K digital restoration of director Rob Reiner’s post-Labor Day of 1987 romantic comedy-adventure gem, The Princess Bride, starring Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Andre the Giant and Wallace Shawn, with Chris Sarandon and Christopher Guest (and, of course, some surprise guests alone the way).
William Goldman completed his novel, “The Princess Bride,” sometime in 1973 and it was already optioned for a film adaptation, but nothing came of it. A decade later the rights were back in his hands, he adapted his own novel, Reiner was brought on board to direct and the rest is, as they say, history. It only took 14 years to move this classic from the page to the screen!!
Bonus goodies include commentary featuring Reiner and Goldman, who are joined by producer Andrew Scheinman and cast members Billy Crystal and Peter Falk, various video sessions with Reiner, Goldman, and Crystal, plus Cary Elwes, Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Fred Savage and Robin Wright.
There is also an on-set video diary narrated by Cary Elwes, five behind-the-scene videos with narration by Reiner, Scheinman and Crystal, plus several featurettes and more.
The next street-date Tuesday, Sept. 12, marks the 4K Ultra HD debut of auteur filmmaker Nicolas Roeg’s 1971 outback adventure, Walkabout, starring Jenny Agutter (Logan’s Run, The Eagle has Landed, An American Werewolf in London … and as Sister Julienne in the long-running Call the Midwife dramatic series), David Gulpilil and Luc Roeg.
Bonus features included with the 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack presentation of Walkabout begin with commentary by Nicolas Roeg and Jenny Agutter, video sessions with Agutter and Luc Roeg and documentary filmmaker Darlene Johnson’s 2002 film titled Gulpilil: One Red Blood.
That’s two. Criterion could call it quits right there for the month and it would still be impressive, but there are two more street-date Tuesdays still to go!
Arriving on Sept. 19 is filmmaker Orson Welles’ 1962 film adaptation of Franz Kafka’s 1925 novel, The Trial, starring Anthony Perkins (as Josef K), Jeanne Moreau, Romy Schneider and Orson Welles.
Film historian Joseph McBride (“Orson Welles,” “Frank Capra: The Catastrophe of Success,” “Billy Wilder: Dancing on the Edge” … and more) provides a newly-minted commentary, plus there are archival video sessins with Welles, Jeanne Moreau and the director of photography Edmond Richard, plus Orson Welles’ 1981 feature-length documentary titled Filming The Trial.
Criterion’s 4K Ultra HD hit parade for the month of September concludes on Sept. 26 with writer/director/producer Brett Morgen’s 2022 theatrical biopic/documentary tribute to David Bowie, Moonage Daydream.
This new 4K film restoration includes commentary from Brett Morgen (Oscar nominated for his On the Ropes documentary, plus the Emmy-winning Jane … plus films as Cobain: Montage of Heck, Chicago 10 and The Kid Stays in the Picture), a Q&A session and a video session with rerecording mixers David Giammarco and Paul Massey.
And, last but certainly not least, is the Sept. 26 Blu-ray release of director Luis Valdez’s 1987 biopic, La Bamba.
This is a new 4K digital restoration. Bonus features include commentary, video session, audition footage and a making-of featurette.
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