Press Release Criterion Press Release: Lone Star (1996) (4k UHD Combo) (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

I wasn’t aware that any company released a blu-ray of this movie. Who released it?

I have a friend who built a server. He has it tucked away in a closet and pulls music and movies off of it for all the displays across his house.

I mentioned that I had never seen Lone Star, and he invited me to watch it one afternoon. Since he rips a lot of disc content to his server I figured it was from a BD source. If there never was a Blu-ray release, I am now assuming it was sourced from the same digital copy presently available on iTunes.

Apologies for the confusion on this.

 

[Sam Favate]

I have a friend who built a server. He has it tucked away in a closet and pulls music and movies off of it for all the displays across his house.

I think we all have that friend.

 

[dpippel]

This film has never been released on Blu-ray, only DVD.

 

[Jeffrey D]

This film has never been released on Blu-ray, only DVD.

And not a great DVD either. If memory serves, the image is cropped on the sides of the screen.

 

[cda1143]

The DVD was atrocious. The iTunes HD has been available for quite a few years, and is very respectable.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I watched the Criterion Blu of this last night. I had not seen the film in a very long time and got really wrapped up in it. I forgot how unusual the ending is. Excellent film and excellent presentation on the Criterion disc. Slim on extras but the film is the thing. Interesting interview with Sayles in the special features. Hopefully, as I am sure others will say, this opens the door to more Sayles films on Blu. Criterion has done two good ones though.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I watched the Criterion Blu of this last night. I had not seen the film in a very long time and got really wrapped up in it. I forgot how unusual the ending is. Excellent film and excellent presentation on the Criterion disc. Slim on extras but the film is the thing. Interesting interview with Sayles in the special features. Hopefully, as I am sure others will say, this opens the door to more Sayles films on Blu. Criterion has done two good ones though.

Did you watch the BluRay, or UHD? Did you like the video quality?

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Did you watch the BluRay, or UHD? Did you like the video quality?

It was the Blu, I moved a couple years ago and have been taking my sweet time setting up my new home theater, so I have not upgraded everything to UHD. I thought the image the Blu provided on my set-up was great. I think I saw Lone Star one time in a cinema when it came out and once on TV. So, I don't have anything I can really compare this to in my memory, it had been so long since I had seen it. I don't know how much better the film would look via UHD, I am thinking not much if at all because it was a low budget production. Really, Mr. Harris could comment on that. I just don't know how much more UHD would squeeze out of the image. For me, the Blu was great.

Lone Star is a film where the story, in my mind, comes first. I don't think it is attempting to knock you out with visuals, so in my book, a Blu serves this film perfectly and the Criterion is a damn good one.

 

[Jeffrey D]

It was the Blu, I moved a couple years ago and have been taking my sweet time setting up my new home theater, so I have not upgraded everything to UHD. I thought the image the Blu provided on my set-up was great. I think I saw Lone Star one time in a cinema when it came out and once on TV. So, I don't have anything I can really compare this to in my memory, it had been so long since I had seen it. I don't know how much better the film would look via UHD, I am thinking not much if at all because it was a low budget production. Really, Mr. Harris could comment on that. I just don't know how much more UHD would squeeze out of the image. For me, the Blu was great.

Lone Star is a film where the story, in my mind, comes first. I don't think it is attempting to knock you out with visuals, so in my book, a Blu serves this film perfectly and the Criterion is a damn good one.

Thanks for your take. I was hoping to have this and my other Criterions waiting for me in my P.O. box this past weekend, but no luck. I was really in the mood to watch this again. Hopefully it will be in next weekend. Not a total loss- I watched Oppenheimer instead.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Watching Lone Star UHD now. Very nice video. Been forever since I have watched this film. Easily goes on my 25 desert island film list.

 

[Sam Favate]

Finally got to watching this after it’s release earlier this year. It’s a stunning film, maybe Sayles’ best, or at least tied for his best.

I really, really hope Criterion will continue to release Sayles’ films on Blu-ray and 4k. There are so many missing, especially City of Hope (1991). It’s a crime that John Sayles has become one of our most overlooked film makers.

And how is it that this man has only been nominated for an Oscar twice (once for this movie’s screenplay)? More evidence that there’s no justice in the world.

He’s taken to writing books in recent years, some of which I’ve read and are excellent. Yellow Earth comes to mind. In a better world, he’d have all the money he needs to make something like that into a movie.

EDIT: Hold the phone! It seems City of Hope is coming to Blu-ray on April 16!

 

[Jeff Fearnside]

I really, really hope Criterion will continue to release Sayles’ films on Blu-ray and 4k. There are so many missing, especially City of Hope (1991). It’s a crime that John Sayles has become one of our most overlooked film makers.

For sure! I mean, where in the bleeding underworld is The Secret of Roan Inish on Blu? The DVD is ancient--if it were a car, in just one more year we could get historic license plates for it!

 

[jayembee]

One of the most requested titles - John Sayles has been completely AWOL on blu-ray. Dick, among others, will be over the moon. He's been asking for this for years.

Well, not completely. Criterion had previously released Matewan on BD, and Olive released Baby It's You and Eight Men Out. And even Honeydripper was released on BD-R.

But yeah, Sayles has gotten more BD (and UHD) love for the genre films he's written but not directed than for the wonderful indie films he's both written and directed.

The Secret of Roan Inish and Passion Fish are the two most-wanted by me. Given that Sony is releasing City of Hope, maybe they'll release these two, as well as Men with Guns, Limbo, Sunshine State, and Silver City (all of which they released on DVD back in the day).

 

[Jeff Fearnside]

The Secret of Roan Inish and Passion Fish are the two most-wanted by me. Given that Sony is releasing City of Hope, maybe they'll release these two, as well as Men with Guns, Limbo, Sunshine State, and Silver City (all of which they released on DVD back in the day).

Passion Fish is out on Blu-ray from Sony in a Spanish edition that's quite nice, if you're region free.

 

[jayembee]

That's right, it is! I'd forgotten that. I was just about to say that I'm suprised it isn't already region-free since it's from Sony, and low and behold, the disc itself says it's ABC (bottom center of below image).

 

[Jeff Fearnside]

That's right, it is! I'd forgotten that. I was just about to say that I'm suprised it isn't already region-free since it's from Sony, and low and behold, the disc itself says it's ABC (bottom center of below image).

I just knew my copy played for me on my region-free player, but yep, when I checked now, the cover does indeed indicate the disc is region free.

Like you, I'm hoping Sony releasing City of Hope on Blu-ray will mean the other Sayles films they own will be soon following.