Thursday, June 17, 2010

“Criterion's Backdated Blus”

“Criterion's Backdated Blus”


Criterion's Backdated Blus

Posted: 16 Jun 2010 06:27 PM PDT

It must be the Twilight Zone at the Criterion Collection. No, no, they're not releasing the Twilight Zone, but something is definitely different.

The Criterion Collection looks to be going all-in on the Blu-ray format, as they're now just beginning to catch up in high-definition with several back-catalogue titles coming in September. Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless will be the first title to hit Blu-ray on September 14, 2010, with Charade bringing up the caboose on September 21, 2010.

The Criterion Collection, who usually strongly supports their DVD format, where their catalogue is as vast as the green hills of Sweden (they have hills there, right?), is practically a ghost town in the month of September. Over the past few months, we've seen Criterion go from releasing one Blu-ray title per month (usually the likes of a new DVD release, launching both formats at once) with tons of singular DVD support, to going in halfway with two DVD-only releases and two titles on both formats, to what we see this month: two titles on both formats and two that are Blu-ray-only.

The next logical step, it seems, is to release brand new Criterion titles on Blu-ray-only, as the two announced this month were already part of the DVD collection. Don't worry, folks, we're predicting that won't happen any time soon, if at all. Criterion is listing both Blu-ray titles at $39.95 on their website. We're guessing this pricing point will be a standard with Criterion HD titles.

The Breathless Blu-ray will feature the following bonus materials:

-- Restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director of photography Raoul Coutard
-- Archival interviews with director Jean-Luc Godard, and actors Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, and Jean-Pierre Melville
-- New video interviews with Coutard, assistant director Pierre Rissient, and filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker
-- New video essays: filmmaker and critic Mark Rappaport's "Jean Seberg" and critic Jonathan Rosenbaum's "Breathless as Film Criticism"
-- Chambre 12, Hotel de suede, an eighty-minute French documentary about the making of Breathless, with members of the cast and crew
-- Charlotte et son Jules, a 1959 short film by Godard, starring Belmondo
-- French theatrical trailer
-- New and improved English subtitle translation
-- A booklet featuring writings from Godard, film historian Dudley Andrew, Fran?ois Truffaut's original film treatment, and Godard's scenario

The Charade Blu-ray will feature the following bonus materials:

-- New high-definition digital transfer, with restored image and sound and enhanced fro widescreen telelvisions
-- Audio commentary: A conversation with Stanley Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone
-- The Films of Stanley Donen: A selected filmography, with an introduction by Donen biographer Stephen M. Silverman
-- Peter Stone's career highlights
-- Original theatrical trailer
-- English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired

Check out the box art below:


Stay tuned to IGN Blu-ray for more information about this and other upcoming releases!

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