1152 Lost Highway

[Gigi M.]

Lost Highway



"We've met before, haven't we?" A mesmerizing meditation on the mysterious nature of identity, Lost Highway, David Lynch's seventh feature film, is one of the filmmaker's most potent cinematic dreamscapes. Starring Patricia Arquette and Bill Pullman, the film expands the horizons of the medium, taking its audience on a journey through the unknown and the unknowable. As this postmodern noir detours into the realm of science fiction, it becomes apparent that the only certainty is uncertainty.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director David Lynch, with new 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• Alternate uncompressed stereo soundtrack
• For the 4K UHD edition: One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch, a feature-length 1997 documentary by Toby Keeler featuring Lynch and his collaborators Angelo Badalamenti, Peter Deming, Barry Gifford, Mary Sweeney, and others, along with on-set footage from Lost Highway
• Reading by Lynch and critic Kristine McKenna of excerpts from their 2018 book, Room to Dream
• Archival interviews with Lynch and actors Patricia Arquette, Bill Pullman, and Robert Loggia
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: Excerpts from an interview with Lynch from filmmaker and writer Chris Rodley's book Lynch on Lynch

[Darth Lavender]

From DVDACTIVE:

Universal Home Video has announced a new edition of the 1997 film Lost Highway which stars Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, and Balthazar Getty. This David Lynch directed film will be available to own from the 25th March, and should retail at around $19.98. The film itself will be presented in anamorphic widescreen, along with an English Dolby Digital track. As far as we know, the only extra material on this one will be a 10-Part Multi-Angle Interview with David Lynch. Stay tuned for the official package artwork.

I'm glad I bought the R2 a while ago.

Ditto.

And the multi-angle interview is presumably the same one contained amongst the more extensive R2/R4 extras.

Haven't watched my disk in a while, and when I did it was before I had finished properly calibrating my LCD screen, but I somehow doubt the transfer will be any kind of improvement, either (could be wrong, but wasn't the R2/R4 advertised as taken from a new HD master supervised by Lynch? Presumably the same one will be used on the R1, then)

Similarly, the R2/4 has a half-bitrate DTS track missing from this new R1. But I don't think I ever actually took the time to compare the tracks to see if the DTS was an improvement. (Although, one would certainly think so. Soundscapes are such a big part of this movie. Actually, the only reason I didn't take it with me to University is because I didn't want to watch it with but nothing my computer's 2.0 speakers)

I wonder how this would play on HD?
I did see this in the cinema once (and recall being immensely impressed by the difference between uncompressed audio and VHS dolby-surround (I think that impressed me even more than the difference between VHS image and cinema widescreen) but I think all of Lynch's films tend to be shot fairly soft, although enhanced color-depth could be a big issue on any eventual HD release.

[Hashi]

BTW does any or the past DVD releases include the long silent highway sequence - along glance of Pullman's cigarette light - after the end credits? At least the MK2 release doesn't have this and I was kind of left missing it. I used to have a VHS copy which included it.

[Nothing]

There is no hallway sequence after the end credits.

[eez28]

There is no hallway sequence after the end credits.

ok, that's good to know. So what about a highway sequence then

[miless]

Finally... I've been waiting for this fucking thing forever (5 years now).
I'll just be happy enough to watch this whenever I'm in the mood for it (which I've had to supplement often with Twin Peak: Fire Walk With Me, Mulholland Dr. and Wild At Heart, none of which hold the power Lost Highway does for me)

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

I'm surprised there aren't more hosannas for this finally coming out. I'm glad to finally see it in widescreen now.

[justeleblanc]

Most people probably already own this in R2, but the excitement for me is that I can finally get many of my not-quite-as-obsessed-with-cinema friends to finally see it.

And for those keeping score, the remaining David Lynch projects not on DVD in R1 land (or anywhere) are:

HOTEL ROOM
ON THE AIR
FWWM: FULL CUT
INDUSTRIAL SYMPHONY NO. 1
RABBITS

Which, actually isn't that bad at all.

[Cold Bishop]

I think most fan of the films gave up on a R1 long ago, and went with the gorgeous UK or mk2. Honestly, I still see it as the way to go. I don't see this looking better until HD, and I'm doubting they're going to one-up the extras, since it seems they're using the same interview. I'm also a big fan of the sleek packaging on the release, which is also a plus.

[manicsounds]

according to beaver, absolutely zero extras on the Region 1, the colors were messed around with, and now the UK and France discs are out of print

[Cold Bishop]

Ouch... I hope that one guy in the other thread took our advice and got the R2.

[Cronenfly]

The only decent edition (though perhaps not, if the R1 is indeed more accurate) still in print appears to be the R4 2-Disc, which is (seemingly) a port of the MK2 like the Cinema Club edition. I just picked up a copy on ebay for about $17.

[justeleblanc]

Just by looking at the Beaver shots, I looks like Universal's image is far superior to the others. Everyone else looks way too bright.

[rumz]

Just by looking at the Beaver shots, I looks like Universal's image is far superior to the others. Everyone else looks way too bright.

Agreed. I caught this twice in the theater, and I remember the film looking very, very, very dark.

[dadaistnun]

I also think the new disc looks most accurate. I saw the film four times theatrically and the Universal is definitely the most representative (based on the caps at least). I worked at the theater where I saw it, so I know the projection was up to snuff.

[jsteffe]

After looking at DVD Beaver's screen caps for the new US edition of LOST HIGHWAY, I dashed here to post my own observations, and it was gratifying to see that several of you not only beat me to it, but happened to agree with me!

It's been years since I saw the film in the theaters, but I also recall it being a dark film. But regardless, the new Universal transfer is more textured and has far better fleshtones. The import discs are obviously washed out and way too bright. I find it puzzling that Gary is choosing them over the new US release, since usually he has a good eye.

And maybe there are no extras on the US edition because David Lynch didn't want them? Perhaps he just wanted this dark enigma to speak for itself?

[pro-bassoonist]

And maybe there are no extras on the US edition because David Lynch didn't want them? Perhaps he just wanted this dark enigma to speak for itself?

This may sound rather ironic but these were exactly the same thoughts that ran through my head. Finch has been notorious for not providing substantial amount of extras to his works.

In any event I will likely rent this title first before consider adding another copy of this film to my library.

Ciao,
Pro-B

[Mr Sausage]

And maybe there are no extras on the US edition because David Lynch didn't want them? Perhaps he just wanted this dark enigma to speak for itself?

Well he put extras on his self-released DVDs of Eraserhead and Inland Empire, so it seems unlikely he's holding back here. He has no more reason to do so for Lost Highway than for the other two.

[a.khan]

Ouch... I hope that one guy in the other thread took our advice and got the R2.

Yes, I'm very glad that I did. Thanks.

[Cronenfly]

It makes sense to me that darker=better (as this is the case for most, especially recent, Lynch movies), but I'm a bit confused about the skin tones. The non-R1 releases' are very white, and while the R1 aren't quite red (red skin tones being a sure sign of manipulation, if I'm not mistaken), they do look significantly different (a result of the other transfers being very washed out[?]). Does anyone know if the R1 is Lynch-approved? I believe those of you who say the R1 most approximates the theatrical version, but knowing the R1's Lynch-approved would settle the matter for good. It's bizarre that there's such a discrepancy, given that the MK2 et al. were said to have come from a new HD transfer (presumably Lynch approved[?])...

[Adam]

I only saw it once in the theatres (it's a Lynch film that didn't work so well for me), but I recall that Patricia Arquette's skin tone was an important part of the film, in certain sequences (in the head lights) the porcelain quality going almost white.
And the rest of the film being rather dark.

As for extras, Lynch usually doesn't care for them, and I don't mind. But that's a personal preference thing. Sometimes he'll go gangbusters with them.

[miless]

Does anyone know if the R1 is Lynch-approved? I believe those of you who say the R1 most approximates the theatrical version, but knowing the R1's Lynch-approved would settle the matter for good. It's bizarre that there's such a discrepancy, given that the MK2 et al. were said to have come from a new HD transfer (presumably Lynch approved[?])...

I believe that Lynch has stated in the past that Universal had been sitting on a 'new transfer' that he had supervised, but had chosen not to release (it was done for UA right before they were acquired by Universal)
So I believe this transfer is the one he supervised about 5(?) years ago.
It certainly looks superior, to me.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

I thought there was an interview with Lynch on this DVD.

[Nothing]

My understanding is that the R1 comes from the Lynch-approved master, not the R2. The R2 is ugly, imho.

[Oedipax]

Like many others have said, the R1 looks a lot closer to how I remember the film than anything else (and in the words of Bill Pullman's character, "I like to remember things my own way.") The first section is among the best work Lynch has ever done - incredible lighting and ambience. The rest of the film is kind of a blur to me, but I'll be happy now to revisit it.