Criterion’s February 2011 Assault on Your Wallet

FEBRUARY 1

The Double Life of Veronique (1991)

Irène Jacob plays the dual role of Weronika, a Polish choir soprano, and Véronique, a French music teacher. The movie is a meta-symphony of two women who are at once different and the same. Kieslowski is best-known for his Red, White, and Blue trilogy, but this is his best film as far as I’m concerned. Previously available as a DVD (which I bought earlier this year…dammit), this one is getting a Blu-ray upgrade with all the same supplements. The cinematography will be shown off all the better.

Supplements include:

• Restored high-definition digital transfer (with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on Blu-ray edition)
• Audio commentary by Annette Insdorf, author of Double Lives, Second Chances: The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieślowski
• Three short documentary films by Kieślowski: Factory (1970), Hospital (1976), and Railway Station(1980)
• The Musicians (1958), a short film by Kieślowski’s teacher Kazimierz Karabasz
• Kieślowski’s Dialogue (1991), a documentary featuring a candid interview with Kieślowski and rare behind-the-scenes footage from the set of The Double Life of Véronique
• 1966-1988: Kieślowski, Polish Filmmaker, a 2005 documentary tracing the filmmaker’s work in Poland, from his days as a student through The Double Life of Véronique
• A 2005 interview with actress Irène Jacob
• New video interviews with cinematographer Slawomir Idziak and composer Zbigniew Preisner
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by Jonathan Romney, Slavoj Zizek, and Peter Cowie, and a selection from Kieślowski on Kieślowski (Note: Blu-ray booklet includes only Romney essay and Kieślowski on Kieślowski reprint)

FEBRUARY 8

Amarcord (1973)

One of the greatest of the great classics in the collection, Fellini’s satire set in the Fascist period (that of his own youth) has had a Blu-ray upgrade in the offing for some time. Like Veronique, this one retains the same extras and adds upgraded video & audio.

Supplements include:

• All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer
• Audio commentary by film scholars Peter Brunette and Frank Burke
• American release trailer
• Deleted scene
• Optional English-dubbed soundtrack
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• New 45-minute documentary, Fellini’s Homecoming, on the complicated relationship between the celebrated director, his hometown, and his past
• Video interview with star Magali Noël
• Fellini’s drawings of characters in the film
• “Felliniana,” a presentation of ephemera devoted to Amarcord from the collection of Don Young
• Audio interviews with Fellini, his friends, and family by Gideon Bachmann
• New restoration demonstration
• PLUS: A book featuring a new essay by scholar Sam Rohdie, author of Fellini Lexicon, and the full text of Fellini’s 1967 essay, “My Rimini”

Audio commentary by film scholars Peter Brunette and Frank BurkeAmerican release trailerDeleted sceneOptional English-dubbed soundtrackNew and improved English subtitle translationNew 45-minute documentary, Fellini’s Homecoming, on the complicated relationship between the celebrated director, his hometown, and his pastVideo interview with star Magali NoëlFellini’s drawings of characters in the film“Felliniana,” a presentation of ephemera devoted to Amarcord from the collection of Don YoungAudio interviews with Fellini, his friends, and family by Gideon BachmannNew restoration demonstrationPLUS: A book featuring a new essay by scholar Sam Rohdie, author of Fellini Lexicon, and the full text of Fellini’s 1967 essay, “My Rimini”

Still Walking (2008)

It’s poetic that Fellini’s memoir of his youth is being paired with this film from Kore-Eda Hirokazu, a family drama recalling the director’s childhood. It’s a quiet domestic drama that could easily be likened to films like Ozu’s Tokyo Story or his late career dramas. It’s worth experiencing completely blind, so avoid reading synopses that are out there, since most of them spoil the whole movie. February isn’t that far off. I really dig the subtle note of what’s in the booklet aside from an essay.

Supplements include:

• New high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Hirokazu Kore-eda and director of photography Yutaka Yamazaki (with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
• New video interviews with Kore-eda and Yamazaki
• Making “Still Walking”
• Trailer
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Dennis Lim and recipes for the food prepared in the film

FEBRUARY 22

Senso (1954)

Luchino Visconti’s romantic tragedy was shot in Technicolor, and that’s reason one among many to anticipate this one. The story involves historical drama, sword duels, and lovers putting their lives on the line in truly operatic fashion. The set is stacked up high with extras, and on paper looks like one of the standout catalog releases of the first quarter of next year. The cover art (at top) is among the most gorgeous I’ve seen from Criterion in some time. I hope they do art prints of it and Sweet Smell of Success.

Supplements include:

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer, created in collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna and Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation, supervised by director of photography Giuseppe Rotunno (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
• The Making of “Senso,” a new documentary featuring Rotunno, assistant director Francesco Rosi, costume designer Piero Tosi, and Caterina D’Amico, daughter of screenwriter Suso Cecchi D’Amico and author of Life and Work of Luchino Visconti
• Viva VERDI, a new documentary on Visconti, Senso, and opera featuring Italian film scholar Peter Brunette, Italian historian Stefano Albertini, and author Wayne Koestenbaum
• The Wanton Countess, the rarely seen English-language version of the film
• Visual essay by film scholar Peter Cowie
• Man of Three Worlds: Luchino Visconti, a 1966 BBC special exploring Visconti’s parallel masteries of cinema, theater, and opera direction
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by filmmaker and author Mark Rappaport and an excerpt from actor Farley Granger’s autobiography, Include Me Out

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

One of my favorites, this is going to be one of the great fruits of the revived Criterion-MGM relationship. A press without ethics, a story full of intrigue, and a pitch black soul behind it all…it reminds me of the current movie blogger world. If you’ve never seen it, don’t make do with some crummy cable version of it. Wait for the inky black shadows of what Criterion is sure to bring.

Supplements include:

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
• New audio commentary by film scholar James Naremore
• Mackendrick: The Man Who Walked Away, a 1986 documentary featuring interviews with director Alexander Mackendrick, actor Burt Lancaster, producer James Hill, and more
• James Wong Howe: Cinematographer, a 1973 documentary about the Oscar-winning director of photography, featuring lighting tutorials with Howe
• New video interview with film critic and historian Neil Gabler (Winchell: Gossip, Power and the Culture of Celebrity) about legendary columnist Walter Winchell, inspiration for the character J. J. Hunsecker
• New video interview with filmmaker James Mangold about Mackendrick, his instructor and mentor
• Original theatrical trailer
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Gary Giddins, two short stories by Ernest Lehman featuring the characters from the film, notes about the film by Lehman, and an excerpt from Mackendrick’s book On Film-making

Fish Tank (2009)

I still haven’t seen this “kitchen sink”-style film from Andrea Arnold. I’ve heard good and bad, with few opinions in between. It features a teenage girl with troubles and her mum’s new boyfriend (Michael Fassbender) in the slums of Essex. The extras include three of the director’s short films. I love that kind of context.

Supplements include:

• New high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Andrea Arnold, director of photography Robbie Ryan, and editor Nicolas Chaudeurge (with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
• All three of Arnold’s short films: Milk (1998), Dog (2001), and the Oscar-winning Wasp (2003)
• New video interview with actor Kierston Wareing
• Interview with actor Michael Fassbender from 2009
• Audition footage
• Stills gallery by on-set photographer Holly Horner
• Original theatrical trailer
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Ian Christie

The only disappointment for me here is that the one week in February that they aren’t releasing something is when my birthday falls. That’s always a great excuse to spend money on luxury goods. What do you guys think of Criterion’s upcoming slate?