Kino Lorber Studio Classics

[ryannichols7]

KLI confirmed on the other forum this was a big seller and made that exact point about the three year gap. plus at the time they initially released Brick, they'd only done Hannibal on UHD - none of their current output had begun. I think its totally fair game, and hopefully no one is complaining too harshly about them trotting this out - its far better they do this than a lot of what's come out.

I feel pretty confident buying KLSC's UHDs now that they got pretty informed about Dolby Vision - they've been pretty spot on ever since. I look forward to what else they got from Paramount and Universal coming up

[therewillbeblus]

Brick is a prime case where lighting is key, so I expect a UHD bump to help elucidate its tonal textures. It’s also one of my all time favorite films, so very happy to see it get an upgrade that I can support financially and benefit from personally

[captveg]

More OOP based on previously being in the "While Supplies Last" sale and now no longer appearing on the website:

Kill, Baby... Kill! (1966) (BD) (DVD still available)

Also, a reminder that many of the Disney licensed titles (Touchstone/Hollywood Pictures/ABC Pictures) in the While Supplies Last sale will be gone for good after Wed 8/31.

[Finch]

Re Brick and possible use of HDR/DV. Have they confirmed it's going to have either (it's not a dealbreaker for me if it has neither because the UHD would still have better defined grain and a small uptick in resolution)? I only ask because the Knives Out UHD has SDR in an HDR container as per Rian Johnson and Steve Yedlin's wishes (The Last Jedi doesn't have HDR either, I think).

[ryannichols7]

Re Brick and possible use of HDR/DV. Have they confirmed it's going to have either (it's not a dealbreaker for me if it has neither because the UHD would still have better defined grain and a small uptick in resolution)? I only ask because the Knives Out UHD has SDR in an HDR container as per Rian Johnson and Steve Yedlin's wishes (The Last Jedi doesn't have HDR either, I think).

it was announced as a Dolby Vision title, I believe Johnson supervised the original transfer. he hasn't tweeted about the new announcement, so I'm curious to see if he's okay with it this time.

these directors and being against HDR, I really have to wonder!

[captveg]

More OOP based on previously being in the "While Supplies Last" sale and now no longer appearing on the website:

Bad Girl (1931) (BD)
Donovan's Brain (1953) (BD) (DVD previously OOP)

[Finch]

3 French noirs coming from KLSC on Nov 28 in 2k restorations. Anyone seen those?

FRENCH NOIR COLLECTION (TWO-DISC SET)
• Trailers for SPEAKING OF MURDER and BACK TO THE WALL
• In French with Optional English Subtitles

SPEAKING OF MURDER (1957) LE ROUGE EST MIS
From acclaimed crime writer Auguste Le Breton (Rififi, Bob Le Flambeur) comes this gripping noir thriller starring cinema icon Jean Gabin (Touches Pas Au Grisbi, The Sicilian Clan). Louis Bertain (Gabin) is the owner of a Paris garage which serves as a front for a gang of thieves. He and his accomplices are careful to keep up a civic veneer by day, indulging in criminal activities only when “the red light is on” at night. This status quo is upset when one of the gang members becomes convinced that Louis’ younger brother is a police informer. Featuring taut direction from Gilles Grangier (Hi-Jack Highway) and excellent supporting turns by Paul Frankeur (Razzia Sur La Chnouf), Marcel Bozzuffi (Illustrious Corpses), Lino Ventura (The Valachi Papers) and Annie Girardot (Maigret Sets a Trap).

BACK TO THE WALL (1958) LE DOS AU MUR
Screen legend Jeanne Moreau (The Train, The Bride Wore Black) stars in this twisty, mood-drenched film noir from acclaimed crime writer Frédéric Dard (Rendezvous). When wealthy industrialist Jacques Decrey (Gérard Oury, They Who Dare) discovers that his wife (Moreau) is having an affair with a young actor, he decides to exact revenge by blackmailing her under an assumed identity. In the film’s bravura introductory sequence, we witness Jacques meticulously disposing of a corpse—just a taste of the pitch-black intrigue to follow in director Édouard Molinaro’s (Arsène Lupin vs. Arsène Lupin) stylish tour de force, featuring dazzling black-and-white cinematography.

WITNESS IN THE CITY (1959) UN TÉMOIN DANS LA VILLE
Based on a novel by the legendary Thomas Narcejac (Diabolique, Vertigo, Eyes Without a Face), this dark tale of vengeance stars the great Lino Ventura (Illustrious Corpses, A Pain in the Ass) in an early leading role. Industrialist Pierre Verdier kills his mistress Jeanne Ancelin by throwing her off a train. Her husband (Ventura) decides to take revenge on his wife’s murderer, who has been acquitted by justice. Directed by Édouard Molinaro (La Cage Aux Folles) and shot by Henri Decaë (Joy House), Witness in the City is a pulse-pounding film noir set on the grim and gritty streets of Paris. Co-starring Fellini favorites Sandra Milo (8½) and Franco Fabrizi (I Vitelloni), with Jacques Berthier (Shoot First… Ask Questions Later), Daniel Ceccaldi (Rififi in Paris) and Françoise Brion (L’Immortelle).

[swo17]

Was pleasantly surprised by Un témoin dans la ville (1959), the best of Molinaro's early pre-comedy noirs this decade, and give it a hearty recommendation. I could see a label like Arrow releasing this and making a nice profit as it's a real hidden gem with would-be wide appeal and great forward momentum. Lino Ventura avenges the death of his wife by faking the suicide of her murderer, only to have his perfect plan unravel after running into a cabbie on his way out the door. You have the give the film a little latitude on how dumb Ventura's delayed reaction is (if he had just given the driver his 400 francs fare the film would be over), but Ventura's fevered and unwavering stalking immediately after he realizes his mistake is terrific and never slows. By the end, the film becomes a variation of M, with a network of taxi drivers instead of criminals all working together against Ventura, who is oddly likeable in a role that becomes by design less defensible. Those who enjoyed the ASMR of all the driving scenes in Hill's the Driver will especially dig all the diagetically-scored interior car shots here, and for me the best thing about the film was seeing all of the great location shooting.

[domino harvey]

Haha, beat me to it! I’ve seen the other Molinaro film in the set too, it’s a good one, which already makes this one of their best Noir sets yet

[therewillbeblus]

I'll throw in my hat for Witness in the City, which is above-all-else stylistically infatuating. I don't think I found the plot mechanics as memorable, but I recall specific shots tracking movement of action being delicious.

[Finch]

2 Days In The Valley Blu-Ray from a 2k master announced.

[domino harvey]

One of the worst of the Tarantino ripoffs, but at least it gave us Charlize Theron’s career

[tenia]

these directors and being against HDR, I really have to wonder!

I trust Yedlin's when it comes to technical choices regarding a movie he shot on digital : https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/20 ... matography
If he chose SDR in a HDR container, I suppose that's because it was a conscious choice to keep BT2020 but having no need for the higher dynamic range. It can make sense.

The Last Jedi's UHD was HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

[EddieLarkin]

Knives Out, The Last Jedi and Looper* are all in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, but none of them have HDR information. This is what SDR in an HDR container means (see also the Criterion release of The Virgin Suicides), which in practice is basically the same as a true SDR UHD (see the upcoming Criterion releases of NotLD and ItMfL). I see no reason why Brick should be any different. They just don't see it as necessary to go beyond SDR.

*this is only the case for the US Sony disc. The International Universal disc is the opposite, very high nit grade, that Johnson and Yedlin sought to reverse for their approved Sony disc

[Finch]

Today's announcement is another Aldrich, Hustle, with Burt Reynolds and Catherine Deneuve, a BD from a 2k restoration.

[domino harvey]

I really hated that one, but as I recall it has its fans here

[beamish14]

Today's announcement is another Aldrich, Hustle, with Burt Reynolds and Catherine Deneuve, a BD from a 2k restoration.

More Aldrich on Blu always makes me happy. Still waiting on Too Late the Hero, which apparently has legal issues

[yoloswegmaster]

Needful Things has been announced as the next title to be released on 4K UHD.

[captveg]

Needful Things has been announced as the next title to be released on 4K UHD.

Was somewhat expected as the remaining 90s MGM licensed UHD to be announced that was already a previous Kino release.

[dwk]

Needful Things has been announced as the next title to be released on 4K UHD.

Just saw the announcement and it will also have a new 2K scan of the television cut.

[therewillbeblus]

It also feels like KLSC has been appropriately selective of their 4K title choices in contrast to their brand of releasing anything and everything randomly on blu-ray

Needful Things has been announced as the next title to be released on 4K UHD.

Well that didn't last long

[cdnchris]

Did they manage to get the TV cut from Warner Bros.? Also, If they're including a 2K scan of it wouldn't they have to redo the edit since it was done on video? Seems like a lot of work, too much, for the film. I have a soft spot for it but let's be honest: it's not very good.

[ryannichols7]

if that is from WB, is this KLSC's first brush with them? naturally no one asked this important question on the other forum, despite being huge KLSC boosters..

these directors and being against HDR, I really have to wonder!

I trust Yedlin's when it comes to technical choices regarding a movie he shot on digital : https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/20 ... matography
If he chose SDR in a HDR container, I suppose that's because it was a conscious choice to keep BT2020 but having no need for the higher dynamic range. It can make sense.

The Last Jedi's UHD was HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

totally fair, I thought these were shot on film (Star Wars aside) - completely makes sense now. great article!

[What A Disgrace]

IIRC, The Last Jedi was shot on a mixture of formats, including film.

[bad future]

Yeah, I remember that whenever I first encountered Yedlin's advocacy of algorithms he developed to simulate the look of 35mm on digital footage, he said that he could have done it for Last Jedi but Johnson was too romantic about film; either in general or maybe just for Star Wars in particular, given that Knives Out was almost entirely digital. I do know there was at least some digital photography on the Star War but I would assume a not insignificant amount was film for him to have made that remark. (I think on Twitter so just going by memory, for whatever that is worth!)

I remember he later had a big online presentation about how a lot of the hype about 4k places unwarranted emphasis on the resolution itself, arguing that well-rendered 2k can look indistinguishable at normal viewing distances. I wonder if that philosophy somehow bleeds over into HDR skepticism?