Press Release Criterion Press Release: The Shape of Water (2017) (4k UHD Combo) (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

Cinema’s great modern mythmaker Guillermo del Toro uses the hallmarks of classic horror and fantasy to tell a strange and sublime fable about outsiderhood, connection, and love’s transcendence. An ineffably touching Sally Hawkins plays Elisa, a mute janitor at a top-secret government laboratory who finds herself drawn to the facility’s newest research subject: a humanoid amphibian—for whom she is soon risking everything, amid the stifling conformity of 1960s America. A triumph of visual imagination that combines elements of sci-fi, noir, and the golden-age musical, this swooning cinematic dreamscape—winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director—is a monster movie with a human heart.
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FILM INFO​

• United States, Mexico
• 2017
• 123 minutes
• Color
• 1.85:1
• English
• Spine #1242

DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES​

• 4K digital master, supervised by director Guillermo del Toro, with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• New conversation between del Toro and filmmaker David Lowery
• A Fairy Tale for Troubled Times, a documentary highlighting the film’s production design, performances, special effects, and score
• Anatomy of a Scene: Prologue and Anatomy of a Scene: The Dance, both featuring on-set footage and interviews with del Toro
• Shaping the Waves, an interview with illustrator James Jean
• Masterclass from 2017 on the film’s technical aspects, featuring del Toro, director of photography Dan Laustsen, visual-effects supervisor and co–creature designer Shane Mahan, visual-effects supervisor Dennis Berardi, costume designer Luis Sequeira, and production designer Paul D. Austerberry
• Trailers
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing and English descriptive audio
• PLUS: An essay by film critic Carlos Aguilar
  
  New cover by Greg Ruth
  
  November 26, 2024

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. As an Amazon Associate HTF earns from qualifying purchases. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.

https://www.amazon.com/The-Shape-of...82-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[Mark VH]

Great to see more GDT. Shame it's one of his (IMO) lesser movies. Hopefully this means Nightmare Alley is next.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Great to see more GDT. Shame it's one of his (IMO) lesser movies. Hopefully this means Nightmare Alley is next.

Frankly, I don't see the need for another 4K/UHD release of either film.

 

[battlebeast]

I’ll get this if it’s a better transfer and/or new bonus features…

 

[Mark VH]

Frankly, I don't see the need for another 4K/UHD release of either film.

Nightmare Alley will at least include the Black & White version, which has heretofore been unavailable on physical. I haven't purchased the current 4K yet so would gladly buy a Criterion version.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Nightmare Alley will at least include the Black & White version, which has heretofore been unavailable on physical. I haven't purchased the current 4K yet so would gladly buy a Criterion version.

Will it?

 

[Worth]

I’ll get this if it’s a better transfer and/or new bonus features…

There's nothing to transfer. This was shot and completed digitally and graded by del Toro. I suppose he could decide that he wants to go back and regrade it, but that seems unlikely.

 

[Garysb]

Bill Hunt at the Digital Bits mentions that this is a Fox Searchlight film and confirmed that Criterion can release Fox catalogue films from Disney on a film-by-film basis. Let the 4K speculation begin.

Criterion’s November includes Godzilla, Seven Samurai, Scarface, Funny Girl, Shape of Water & Paper Moon in 4K, plus Friday Night Lights (2004) & more!

Criterion’s November includes Godzilla, Seven Samurai, Scarface, Funny Girl, Shape of Water & Paper Moon in 4K, plus Friday Night Lights (2004) & more!

thedigitalbits.com

 

[battlebeast]

There's nothing to transfer. This was shot and completed digitally and graded by del Toro. I suppose he could decide that he wants to go back and regrade it, but that seems unlikely.

Thanks!

 

[BRAD1963]

Eventually the Fox disc may go OOP and this could be the only physical media edition available.

 

[B-ROLL]

I'll stick with OG ...

 

[Jake Lipson]

It looks like the only new bonus feature created for this release is the conversation between Del Toro and David Lowery. And now the trailers are included. Everything else listed here appears to be ported over from the original Fox release.

I love this movie and I love Criterion. I think this would go nicely with Del Toro's other films that have previously been released in Criterion editions. I even love David Lowery as a filmmaker and think it would be interesting to hear what he and Del Toro have to say. But this is not a particularly strong case for double dipping, especially at Criterion prices.

 

[Mark VH]

Will it?

GDT confirmed as much in a panel discussion last year.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. As an Amazon Associate HTF earns from qualifying purchases. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.

https://www.amazon.com/The-Shape-of...82-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[Jeffrey D]

Love the cover art from Criterion. The film itself- not so much.