This year's restorations and re-releases have included an Orson Welles take on a literary classic, an overlooked gem from the '90s, and a fun time capsule of 1980s Japan.
Honestly, me would rather listen to Yub Nub on six-hour loop than hear that tuneless Muzak Lucas replaced it with in Special Edition. (Same goes with godawful Jabba's Palace music that replaced perfectly good original soundtrack for no reason. Jedi certainly came off worse out of all three Special Editions)
One of favorite film restoration projects of last few years is 4k77 and 4k83 — someone meticulously restored original prints of Star Wars and Return of Jedi, so you get better transfer than we have ever seen of those movies, but without CGI nonsense Lucas added later. (They saved Empire for last because they secured original print of Jedi first). Me usually not download movies from questionable sources, but that was case where me had to make exception.
Everyone focuses on the first STAR WARS changes (still can't call it A NEW HOPE) but JEDI is secretly the worst of the three. I similarly try to remain above the law, but I love my "unrestored" trilogy Blu-rays. In fact, my kid has only ever seen the original cuts.
One of best Christmas presents me have ever got was original VHS copies of trilogy from younger brother, which he "borrowed" when me went off to college, and somehow hung onto through decades, multiple moves, drug issues and sobriety... then returned in time for me to show kids "real Star Wars."
And me absolutely agree about Jedi. Lucas added lot of unneccesary things to Star Wars, but they were largely inoffensive. He actually subtract from Jedi, and nearly everything he add painful to watch.
Me also not can bring self to call it "New Hope." Me was doing Newswire during pre-Force Awakens hype, and made running joke of "Star Wars: Episode IV: It's Just Called Star Wars".
Before they announced title for Force Awakens, me wanted to do site-wide running gag with fake titles like Episode IX: The Lando Before Time, or Episode IX: Put Your Hand in the Hand of the Han, but O'Neal not went for it. Me snuck a few in anyway.
They are pre-bastardized versions, and despite the tape quality taking a dive over the years, will be the only versions I show to my kids.
(And yes, I also agree about Lucas's awful 1997-and-after changes to RotJ, which is especially painful for me since it is my personal favorite of the SW films, "Yub Nub" and all.)
The headline briefly got my hopes up that Soderbergh’s Kafka was finally emerging from its pan-and-scan VHS purgatory, but I’m happy to be adding The Trial to my ever-growing Welles Criterion Collection.
I'm always glad to see more people being able to see The Trial. I think its last US physical media release was the Milestone dvd, which the fact it was a DVD dates the era when it was released.
It's one of my favorites and one those underseen gems I try to show people.
A memory that only makes sense to share here: I’d never seen TOKYO POP before. I can’t even remember seeing it in video stores at the time. But I knew of the movie because, for a few years in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, its soundtrack was the ultimate CD cut-out bin item. You could find it seemingly everywhere and for super cheap. I had a friend who made money buying cheap CDs from one store and selling them at a profit at another and he always had a small stack of TOKYO POP discs to unload on unknowing suckers. Not sure the meager profit was work the effort, though.
I want to echo the recommendation of The Trial. It’s absolutely one of Welles’s best. Catch me in a rowdy mood and I might even say it is his best. The photography is just absolutely gorgeous. Sharp black and white with incredible texture. It’s very funny but it’s also very much a noir. Just one without the inciting crime.
Pairs very well with another recently reissued masterpiece from a major director: Scorsese’s After Hours. In fact After Hours has some homages to The Trial in it.
I’m a huge advocate for The Trial as it’s the earliest example of one of my favorite genres of movie: the anxiety nightmare.
Q: How is the audio in this version of The Trial? I saw a print years and years ago here in Madison (thank you UW Cinematheque!) and while it was visually awesome and clearly suited Welles incredibly well, the audio was often impossible to understand because of print damage. That, coupled with the general-situation in later Welles stuff where he seemingly didn't give a shit about the audio and then 'fixed it in post' (or, didn't) has me wondering.
Honestly, me would rather listen to Yub Nub on six-hour loop than hear that tuneless Muzak Lucas replaced it with in Special Edition. (Same goes with godawful Jabba's Palace music that replaced perfectly good original soundtrack for no reason. Jedi certainly came off worse out of all three Special Editions)
One of favorite film restoration projects of last few years is 4k77 and 4k83 — someone meticulously restored original prints of Star Wars and Return of Jedi, so you get better transfer than we have ever seen of those movies, but without CGI nonsense Lucas added later. (They saved Empire for last because they secured original print of Jedi first). Me usually not download movies from questionable sources, but that was case where me had to make exception.
Everyone focuses on the first STAR WARS changes (still can't call it A NEW HOPE) but JEDI is secretly the worst of the three. I similarly try to remain above the law, but I love my "unrestored" trilogy Blu-rays. In fact, my kid has only ever seen the original cuts.
One of best Christmas presents me have ever got was original VHS copies of trilogy from younger brother, which he "borrowed" when me went off to college, and somehow hung onto through decades, multiple moves, drug issues and sobriety... then returned in time for me to show kids "real Star Wars."
And me absolutely agree about Jedi. Lucas added lot of unneccesary things to Star Wars, but they were largely inoffensive. He actually subtract from Jedi, and nearly everything he add painful to watch.
Me also not can bring self to call it "New Hope." Me was doing Newswire during pre-Force Awakens hype, and made running joke of "Star Wars: Episode IV: It's Just Called Star Wars".
Before they announced title for Force Awakens, me wanted to do site-wide running gag with fake titles like Episode IX: The Lando Before Time, or Episode IX: Put Your Hand in the Hand of the Han, but O'Neal not went for it. Me snuck a few in anyway.
I have held on to the original trilogy VHS box set, released in 1995: https://www.amazon.com/Original-Version-Star-Trilogy-Set-1995/dp/B00BBND56G?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1SSDYHQU1L0OU
They are pre-bastardized versions, and despite the tape quality taking a dive over the years, will be the only versions I show to my kids.
(And yes, I also agree about Lucas's awful 1997-and-after changes to RotJ, which is especially painful for me since it is my personal favorite of the SW films, "Yub Nub" and all.)
The headline briefly got my hopes up that Soderbergh’s Kafka was finally emerging from its pan-and-scan VHS purgatory, but I’m happy to be adding The Trial to my ever-growing Welles Criterion Collection.
> One was even the most successful film ever made for many years
Farewell My Concubine had a good run alright
I'm always glad to see more people being able to see The Trial. I think its last US physical media release was the Milestone dvd, which the fact it was a DVD dates the era when it was released.
It's one of my favorites and one those underseen gems I try to show people.
A memory that only makes sense to share here: I’d never seen TOKYO POP before. I can’t even remember seeing it in video stores at the time. But I knew of the movie because, for a few years in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, its soundtrack was the ultimate CD cut-out bin item. You could find it seemingly everywhere and for super cheap. I had a friend who made money buying cheap CDs from one store and selling them at a profit at another and he always had a small stack of TOKYO POP discs to unload on unknowing suckers. Not sure the meager profit was work the effort, though.
I want to echo the recommendation of The Trial. It’s absolutely one of Welles’s best. Catch me in a rowdy mood and I might even say it is his best. The photography is just absolutely gorgeous. Sharp black and white with incredible texture. It’s very funny but it’s also very much a noir. Just one without the inciting crime.
Pairs very well with another recently reissued masterpiece from a major director: Scorsese’s After Hours. In fact After Hours has some homages to The Trial in it.
I’m a huge advocate for The Trial as it’s the earliest example of one of my favorite genres of movie: the anxiety nightmare.
Q: How is the audio in this version of The Trial? I saw a print years and years ago here in Madison (thank you UW Cinematheque!) and while it was visually awesome and clearly suited Welles incredibly well, the audio was often impossible to understand because of print damage. That, coupled with the general-situation in later Welles stuff where he seemingly didn't give a shit about the audio and then 'fixed it in post' (or, didn't) has me wondering.
It's very audible. I had no trouble with the dialogue.