Arrow Academy Press Release: Cinema Paradiso (4k UHD) (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

Cinema Paradiso - 4K Ultra HD coming from Arrow Academy

Release Date: 28 September 2020

The original award-winning theatrical version of Tornatore’s classic is presented here for the first time on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray. This edition also includes the expanded Director’s Cut, which delves deeper into Salvatore’s backstory [Blu-ray].

Special Edition Contents:

4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the 124 minute theatrical version
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the 174 minute Director’s Cut
Uncompressed original stereo 2.0 Audio and 5.1 surround sound options
Optional English subtitles
Audio commentary with director Giuseppe Tornatore and Italian cinema expert critic Millicent Marcus
A Dream of Sicily – A 52-minute documentary profile of Giuseppe Tornatore featuring interviews with the director and extracts from his early home movies as well as interviews with director Francesco Rosi and painter Peppino Ducato, set to music by the legendary Ennio Morricone
A Bear and a Mouse in Paradise – A 27-minute documentary on the making of Cinema Paradiso and the characters of Toto and Alfredo, featuring interviews the actors who play them, Philippe Noiret and Salvatore Cascio as well as Tornatore
The Kissing Sequence – Giuseppe Tornatore discusses the origins of the kissing scenes with clips identifying each scene
Original Director’s Cut Theatrical Trailer and 25th Anniversary Re-Release Trailer

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[Ronald Epstein]

This is such a great film that touches the hearts of movie enthusiasts. I will import and pick this up on 4k.

 

[JohnRice]

This is such a great film that touches the hearts of movie enthusiasts. I will import and pick this up on 4k.

It sure is. Wonderful movie.

 

[Nick*Z]

Irrefutably, a masterpiece. Odd to release it in 4K now when the remastered Blu-ray just came out a few years ago. One would have thought that was the right opportunity to market it as a 4K/Blu-ray combo. I get a little miffed at distributors, not for the double-dipping. Lord knows, I've done enough of that in this lifetime and own multiple copies of certain movies, always to collect them in 'better' transfers with more 'other' extras.

But seriously, if you're going to do a native 4K release only a few months after everybody's already shelled out for the remastered Blu-ray (which looks damn good, by the way), then you have to realize the numbers just aren't going to be there. Some won't buy because they still lack native 4K set-ups. That's a given. But you're also going to fragment the collector's sect - the audience you ought to be catering to - by having the releases too close to one another.

Some will just look upon this as a snatch-n'-grab, while others will simply be contented with their Blu and forgo this release altogether. The net result is the same. The distributors will look at the figures and erroneously deduce 'there's no market' for 4K and less 4K will come down the pike, when actually what all the number-crunching really means is that you didn't give the public enough time between releases to peak their interests yet again for another visit to the same well.

I sincerely hope Cinema Paradiso in 4K does well, but I have to say, I'll be among the ones who consider this a 'when I have a little money left over', rather than a 'day one' purchase as I am very satisfied with the remastered Blu. Being a film purist, this will of course find its way to my 4K collection eventually. But for distributors, the aim is to reap the rewards immediately. Not 2 years from now, with some extra freed up capital, and when the price point has fallen to bargain basement prices on Amazon, one can buy at their leisure. The point of 'clever' marketing is to create excitement and the need to buy instantly. The timing for this release (and a lot like it) just doesn't do it for me. I don't think it will for a lot of others either.

 

[titch]

Irrefutably, a masterpiece. Odd to release it in 4K now when the remastered Blu-ray just came out a few years ago. One would have thought that was the right opportunity to market it as a 4K/Blu-ray combo. I get a little miffed at distributors, not for the double-dipping. Lord knows, I've done enough of that in this lifetime and own multiple copies of certain movies, always to collect them in 'better' transfers with more 'other' extras.

But seriously, if you're going to do a native 4K release only a few months after everybody's already shelled out for the remastered Blu-ray (which looks damn good, by the way), then you have to realize the numbers just aren't going to be there. Some won't buy because they still lack native 4K set-ups. That's a given. But you're also going to fragment the collector's sect - the audience you ought to be catering to - by having the releases too close to one another.

Some will just look upon this as a snatch-n'-grab, while others will simply be contented with their Blu and forgo this release altogether. The net result is the same. The distributors will look at the figures and erroneously deduce 'there's no market' for 4K and less 4K will come down the pike, when actually what all the number-crunching really means is that you didn't give the public enough time between releases to peak their interests yet again for another visit to the same well.

I sincerely hope Cinema Paradiso in 4K does well, but I have to say, I'll be among the ones who consider this a 'when I have a little money left over', rather than a 'day one' purchase as I am very satisfied with the remastered Blu. Being a film purist, this will of course find its way to my 4K collection eventually. But for distributors, the aim is to reap the rewards immediately. Not 2 years from now, with some extra freed up capital, and when the price point has fallen to bargain basement prices on Amazon, one can buy at their leisure. The point of 'clever' marketing is to create excitement and the need to buy instantly. The timing for this release (and a lot like it) just doesn't do it for me. I don't think it will for a lot of others either.

I agree with what you wrote - this is an art-house title, not Jaws or Spartacus or Lawrence. The people who didn't purchase the excellent blu ray released barely three years ago (seven years ago in the UK) are not probably not going to fork out again for the 4K disc. And the people who DID purchase the blu ray, such as myself, are not interested in the slight improvement in detail seen on a projected screen, with the hassle of the HDR shenanigans. The right strategy is to rescan a title with a shoddy HD master and release both a 4K and blu ray combo. Then they might actually get some sales. Arrow have loads of cult titles that would do well. The next time they have a new Robocop or An American Werewolf In London, they can just pull the trigger. And if people don't believe me, they can just go look at the Synapse 4K of Suspiria. It's still available for sale everywhere, whereas the remastered limited edition blu ray they released sold out all 6000 units very quickly.

 

[DavidJ]

This is such a great film that touches the hearts of movie enthusiasts. I will import and pick this up on 4k.

Agreed. I will be importing this too.

 

[bujaki]

A 4K of the Director's Cut would have been preferable since it's the better film imo.

 

[Nick*Z]

A 4K of the Director's Cut would have been preferable since it's the better film imo.

Better film? Oh gosh, no! The original left the audiences hopeful, but with the tragedy that Toto and Elena never found love as adults, even if their passion, arguably, endured despite going their separate ways. The extended cut added a failed reunion to the plot, defeating the whole point to the final montage of excised clips from the movies Toto had grown up with - namely, to liberate his heart from its purgatory of regrets with a myriad of expressions of love from the movies, denied his viewing for so many decades by Catholic censorship. No one can censor the heart. No one should ever even try.

 

[bujaki]

Better film? Oh gosh, no! The original left the audiences hopeful, but with the tragedy that Toto and Elena never found love as adults, even if their passion, arguably, endured despite going their separate ways. The extended cut added a failed reunion to the plot, defeating the whole point to the final montage of excised clips from the movies Toto had grown up with - namely, to liberate his heart from its purgatory of regrets with a myriad of expressions of love from the movies, denied his viewing for so many decades by Catholic censorship. No one can censor the heart. No one should ever even try.

As I said, in my opinion. I can never go back to the cut version.

 

[cda1143]

Better film? Oh gosh, no! The original left the audiences hopeful, extended cut added a failed reunion to the plot, ...

As I said, in my opinion. I can never go back to the cut version.

I would be interested to hear Jose’s arguments. Nick makes some compelling points. I own, but have never seen the directors cut. I absolutely love the theatrical.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I would be interested to hear Jose’s arguments. Nick makes some compelling points. I own, but have never seen the directors cut. I absolutely love the theatrical.

Since you own it, why don't you watch the director's cut to find out for yourself?

 

[bujaki]

I would be interested to hear Jose’s arguments. Nick makes some compelling points. I own, but have never seen the directors cut. I absolutely love the theatrical.

It was a reaction from when I watched it a long time ago. My wife felt the same way. I really couldn't get into details right now. I used to love the theatrical, I mean LOVE, until I saw the longer cut. That's all I can say right now.

 

[MatthewA]

Why can't they do both versions in the same resolution?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I am also a bit mystified as to why the extended cut couldn't get the same 4k treatment as it is my preffered version.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

 

[cda1143]

I finally watched the 174 minute cut. (Arrow Blu-ray) I'm with Nick*Z on this one. I think the theatrical 124 minute cut is a far superior film. Too many reasons to go into here. This isn't a film comment forum.

For fans of the longer cut, it's difficult to be disappointed with this spectacular looking blu-ray. I'll be buying the 4K, but it's hard to imagine it looking better than this magnificent blu-ray. An enormous improvement over any other versions including the first week theatrical release in the US.

My deepest gratitude to Arrow for the restoration and blu-rays of both of these films.

 

[cda1143]

I'm not sure if we're permitted link to outside sources, but if I may, the prosecution directs your attention to the following exhibits:

https://www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-correspondents/a-film-improved-by-butchering

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cinema-paradiso-the-new-version-2002

https://www.indiewire.com/2014/04/d...ersions-vs-the-filmmakers-final-vision-87520/

...and speaking for the defense:

https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/09/movies/film-a-new-cut-only-deepens-the-nostalgia.html

Chris

 

[Angelo Colombus]

On Sunday i received a email from DeepDiscount about them shipping the 4K disc to me. When i checked the status of it this morning it shows the item still at their warehouse??

 

[Angelo Colombus]

DVD Beaver has a review of the 4K disc and it sounds like good news on the image & sound.