Criterion Press Release: Charade (Blu-ray)

It's a fun film, and an homage to Hitch, but not at the same level.  As a Grant and Hepburn fan, I've come to love it, but not on the first viewing.  The previous Criterion DVD was very good, so I'm eagerly awaiting the upgrade to BD.

Doug

I still remember listening to the commentary where I learned that in a scene where Mathau was required to run, he told the director it will be a problem because "I run funny, I can't help it."  And sure enough, when Mathau runs he's behind something and we see him from the waist up.

In spite of the quote marks, I was still paraphrasing Mathau's comments.

This is a terrific movie.  I recorded it in HD off of HDNet, I think, but haven't watched it yet.

I'll be upgrading my CC DVD to BD.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Otte 

It's a fun film, and an homage to Hitch, but not at the same level.

To be fair, I don't think it was supposed to be. It's more of a parody of the Hitchcock oeuvre than an homage. Hitchcock films were thrillers first and, sometimes, farces a distant second. Charade is a farce first and thriller a distant second. An exercise of style over substance in the best meaning of the phrase.

Ok , that cover art with the BLUE Blu ray banding... please tell me that is for advertising purposes only. That is really tacky if they change up to doing a blue top border on their cases

This will be my first Criterion blu... what sort of packaging do they use?

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrettB 

This will be my first Criterion blu... what sort of packaging do they use?

I have 2 Criterion Blu-Rays  now and their packaging is identical to their SD-DVDs.  The only difference is a Blu-Ray sticker on the outer wrap....and a small on the back cover.

I have the first Criterion Charade which is not enhanced so will be upgrading for sure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Peterson 

their packaging is identical to their SD-DVDs.  The only difference is a Blu-Ray sticker on the outer wrap....and a small on the back cover.

Not entirely true, the blu-ray cases are smaller.

They're not standard blue plastic blu-ray cases. They're clear and look pretty much like DVD cases, and the spines are as thick as DVD cases, but they are the height and width of a blu-ray case, if that makes sense.

They're essentially PS3 game case size.

True.  I noticed this last night, but they don't seem as small as most Blu-Ray discs....but then again the artwork on most Blu-Rays does not cover the entire front of the cover (like Criterion), so that may be why they seem bigger.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt 

To be fair, I don't think it was supposed to be. It's more of a parody of the Hitchcock oeuvre than an homage. Hitchcock films were thrillers first and, sometimes, farces a distant second. Charade is a farce first and thriller a distant second. An exercise of style over substance in the best meaning of the phrase.

Well said, and point well taken.  Thanks.

Doug
 

Thanks guys. Height-wise I don't have any extra room due to my funky furniture. PS3 game type case works fine.

Very good news.  I'll be upgrading.

I'd get this on Blu-Ray since it's one of my favorite films and being an Audrey fan, but I'm persuaded not to get, because of lack of features, it's the same features from the original DVD. I'd like to see a documentary or featurette on the making of this film and some interviews of the stars, there must of been interviews or premiere footage somewhere in a studio vault. Another that get's me is why is this coming from Criterion and not the original company Universal? 

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkrock17 

I'd get this on Blu-Ray since it's one of my favorite films and being an Audrey fan, but I'm persuaded not to get, because of lack of features, it's the same features from the original DVD. I'd like to see a documentary or featurette on the making of this film and some interviews of the stars, there must of been interviews or premiere footage somewhere in a studio vault. Another that get's me is why is this coming from Criterion and not the original company Universal? 

Given Universal's recent track record, why would you consider it some kind of "negative" that Criterion is handling this?

I'm not saying that it's negative, but I don't see why films are being released from other studios/companies that aren't the original studios to begin with is all. Are the studios not proud of most of the movies they have produced?

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkrock17 

I'd get this on Blu-Ray since it's one of my favorite films and being an Audrey fan, but I'm persuaded not to get, because of lack of features, it's the same features from the original DVD. I'd like to see a documentary or featurette on the making of this film and some interviews of the stars, there must of been interviews or premiere footage somewhere in a studio vault. Another that get's me is why is this coming from Criterion and not the original company Universal? 

Charade lapsed into the public domain in the USA immediately on its release because the filmmakers forgot to put a proper copyright notice in the film's credits. It failed to include the word "Copyright", the abbreviation "Copr." or even the symbol "©", as was required by pre-1978 U.S.copyright law.

Most major studios are reluctant to release films that are PD, because there is nothing to stop anyone from making a copy and selling it. They did however allow Criterion to license the film from them. This is probably also the reason Universal hasn’t released the 1950s Dragnet on home video in spite of owning the original camera negatives.

Doug

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkrock17 

I'm not saying that it's negative, but I don't see why films are being released from other studios/companies that aren't the original studios to begin with is all. Are the studios not proud of most of the movies they have produced?

It's not a matter of pride, it's a matter of best allocating limited resources. Universal only has the resources to release a finite number of titles every year. The titles that get the highest priority are the titles that are likely to provide the greatest return on investment.

For titles like Charade, the arithmetic just isn't there. Charade would likely be a moneymaker for Universal, but not enough of one to expend resources that could be devoted to another title that would be an even bigger moneymaker. By licensing out titles in this situation, studios at least make a little money from a title that would otherwise be sitting around collecting dust. The Criterion Collection operates with different arithmetic than the home video divisions of the major studios, aimed at a different audience. Instead of relatively low-margin high-volume sales, Criterion survives on higher-margin lower-volume sales of niche titles.

If Universal had gotten around to releasing Charade on its own, I can guarantee that it would have gotten far less attention and care than Criterion devoted to it. This is not a criticism of Universal, just the reality.

Universal did release CHARADE once on dvd, as the flip side of the Mark Walberg/Thandie Newton pseud-remake, THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE.  That release is anamorphic.

Twas the only reason I picked up a used copy of the Truth about Charlie..... Charade is a fantastic film and I'll happily get it on Blu-ray. 

Too bad that bit of film with Grant intoning "Judy, Judy, Judy" never surfaced.  Donen had him do the line, that he never said, on camera when they had a little film left (or so he says in the commentary).  Donen regrets not keeping it.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyDale 

Universal did release CHARADE once on dvd, as the flip side of the Mark Walberg/Thandie Newton pseud-remake, THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE.  That release is anamorphic.

Okay, I just sold my Criterion DVD (second edition) on eBay.  Bring on the blu-ray! 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt 

Hitchcock films were thrillers first and, sometimes, farces a distant second. Charade is a farce first and thriller a distant second. An exercise of style over substance in the best meaning of the phrase.

I think North By Northwest is one of the funniest films ever made. Hitchcock parodies himself constantly in Family Plot.
 

NXNW is definitely a farce, but it's an excellent thriller first, with the farce dripping in at the margins.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt 

 

It's not a matter of pride, it's a matter of best allocating limited resources. Universal only has the resources to release a finite number of titles every year. The titles that get the highest priority are the titles that are likely to provide the greatest return on investment.

 

For titles like Charade, the arithmetic just isn't there. Charade would likely be a moneymaker for Universal, but not enough of one to expend resources that could be devoted to another title that would be an even bigger moneymaker. By licensing out titles in this situation, studios at least make a little money from a title that would otherwise be sitting around collecting dust. The Criterion Collection operates with different arithmetic than the home video divisions of the major studios, aimed at a different audience. Instead of relatively low-margin high-volume sales, Criterion survives on higher-margin lower-volume sales of niche titles.

 

If Universal had gotten around to releasing Charade on its own, I can guarantee that it would have gotten far less attention and care than Criterion devoted to it. This is not a criticism of Universal, just the reality.

Considering the problems with the Spartacus DVD it's probably a blessing in disguise that Criterion has gotten it.

I'm glad I never sprung for the anamorphic DVD remaster. This is sure to be another great Blu-Ray from Criterion, and one I will be proud to have in my collection.

Definitely picking this one up. We have the original non-anamorphic Criterion release. Not only because my wife and I are both Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant fans, but because it reminds us of our trip to Paris for our 10th Anniversary (we also hit up the Greek isles).

I still remember on our first day in town when we walked into the Palais Royale and there was the Colonnade and realized we were standing in the exact same spot where the shootout between Grant and Walter Matthau was shot. We had even come in through the same entrance as Audrey Hepburn when she came from the Metro.

And the next day on our anniversary, we were walking down the Champs Elysees and came to the park. The carousel had changed, but there was the stamp market (they still hold it, but it's on Saturdays and much smaller), and also we came across the little puppet theater where they watched Punch and Judy.

Also, for our anniversary dinner, we did a dinner cruise on the Seine, like in the movie.

Oh yeah, and our hotel was a block and a half off the river near the Cathedral, so very near the spot with the ice cream on the jacket.

So you can see just another reason why we love to watch the movie, besides the fact that it's a fun movie.

I tend to refer to our trip to Paris as the Audrey Hepburn tour, since besides all that stuff from Charade, we also hit up a few other spots that were featured in Funny Face.

Was there more than one Criterion release of Charade on DVD? The version I have is anamorphic.

Doug

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglas Monce 

Was there more than one Criterion release of Charade on DVD? The version I have is anamorphic.

 

Doug

Yes there were two Criterion DVD releases of Charade (#57). The first being non-anamorphic, and the second being the one you own. Same features except for the anamorphic upgrade. Curiously Charade was also released at as a "bonus-feature" on the "The Truth about Charlie" DVD. AFAIK the same anamorphic transfer was used for that release.

Yes there was a non-anamorphic release that went OOP around the time of the remake.  When Criterion re-issued it, it had a new anamorphic transfer.