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sex, lies, and videotape



With his provocative feature debut, twenty-six-year-old Steven Soderbergh trained his focus on the complexities of human intimacy and deception in the modern age. Housewife Ann (Andie MacDowell) feels distant from her lawyer husband, John (Peter Gallagher), who is sleeping with her sister (Laura San Giacomo). When John's old friend Graham (a magnetic, Cannes-award-winning James Spader) comes to town, Ann is drawn to the soft-spoken outsider, eventually uncovering his startling private obsession: videotaping women as they confess their deepest desires. A piercingly intelligent and flawlessly performed chamber piece, in which the video camera becomes a charged metaphor for the characters' isolation, the Palme d'Or–winning sex, lies, and videotape changed the landscape of American film, helping pave the way for the thriving independent scene of the 1990s.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION:

• New, restored 4K digital transfer and new 5.1 surround mix from the original sound elements, supervised by director Steven Soderbergh
• Audio commentary from 1998 featuring Soderbergh in conversation with filmmaker Neil LaBute
• New introduction by Soderbergh
• Interviews with Soderbergh from 1990 and 1992
• New documentary about the making of the film, featuring actors Peter Gallagher, Andie MacDowell, and Laura San Giacomo
• Interview from 1989 with actor James Spader
• New conversation between sound editor/re-recording mixer Larry Blake and composer Cliff Martinez
• Deleted scene with commentary by Soderbergh
• Demonstration of sound restorations through the years
• Trailers
• PLUS: An essay by critic Amy Taubin and (Blu-ray only) excerpts from Soderbergh’s 1990 book about the film

mfunk9786 wrote:Latest e-mail from Criterion that just went out mentions that a 4K restoration of sex, lies, and videotape will be coming to Criterion sometime in 2018.

Sex, Lies, and Videotape confirmed

More specifically, they're asking for your questions to the director, some of which will be answered on the eventual release.

I'm hoping this means I'll finally get to see Winston.

I imagine it will be included. It was on the laserdisc.

Dare I hope this gets paired with his long-promised special remix of Kafka the month it’s released?

Audio commentary from 1998 featuring director Steven Soderbergh in conversation with filmmaker Neil LaBute

Surprised that this made it on the disc, but I guess it's still sort of unclear re: what's been up with LaBute

I would've been more surprised if they announced that it was being pulled for the reasons you're giving. It's just him as an interviewer in an audio commentary from the '90s - should we throw it into a vault and never release it again just because it's him being heard asking questions?

The describing of the Q&A as a "program by Soderbergh" has me looking forward to typical weirdness from him

hearthesilence wrote:I would've been more surprised if they announced that it was being pulled for the reasons you're giving. It's just him as an interviewer in an audio commentary from the '90s - should we throw it into a vault and never release it again just because it's him being heard asking questions?

I don't know how to answer your question because I wouldn't be happy about the reason for the omission but I wouldn't be surprised either

Did anyone get notice that their question was used?

I didn't receive notification for Dead Man until more than a month after it had been officially announced.

Cool, good to know. I hope one of mine gets answered!

Still Soderbergh's best (and Spader's). But where the hell is Spader on the doc?

I was about to ask if him and Soderbergh had some sort of falling out, since they haven't worked together since. I have heard that Spader has a bit of a prickly reputation at times, so it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case but I haven't read or heard anything of that nature.

flyonthewall2983 wrote:I was about to ask if him and Soderbergh had some sort of falling out, since they haven't worked together since. I have heard that Spader has a bit of a prickly reputation at times, so it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case but I haven't read or heard anything of that nature.

Yeah, I've wondered about this for years given my esteem for both of them (and that I think this film collaboration between them brought out the best in them both--seems incomprehensible that they wouldn't have worked together since).

I'm happy to see Andie MacDowell participated in the new doc. I know these days she's more a staple of family-friendly fare like the Hallmark Channel, but I like her even today. It'll be nice to have her present-day take on her experiences in this film.

domino harvey wrote:Did anyone get notice that their question was used?

They asked for some personal details about me, so I hope that's a good indication

I really hope the "More!" is for Soderbergh's 1987 short film Winston

beamish13 wrote:I really hope the "More!" is for Soderbergh's 1987 short film Winston

Will prob show up on Kafka if not

Is anyone here getting a free copy due to the Q&A?

Nope, guess the Criterion intern didn't like my questions

Again, I'd still give them a few more weeks before ruling it out.

domino harvey wrote:Nope, guess the Criterion intern didn't like my questions

"I'm very sorry to disappoint but "Just how dreamy are you Mr Soderbergh?" isn't an actual question that he can answer, no matter how many times it was submitted"

I just thought writing my question as a tastefully erotic sonnet would set me apart