On UHD Blu-ray - David Hare digests THEY LIVE (John Carpenter, USA, 1988) and THE ELEPHANT MAN (David Lynch, USA, 1980)

Shot of the screen, They Live, "...the luscious 
Roddy Piper...'

Local purchases of two Euro-wide StudioCanal UHD titles. Universal did the 4K remaster of John Carpenter’s They Live.  It’s still a great parable of contemporary nightmare USA. Made in 1988, the movie still kicks my ass! And so does the luscious Roddy Piper in the lead.

Lynch’s now 40-year old film of The Elephant Man also received a stunning 4K restoration from Canal just recently. 

Until now the only restored B&W movie I’ve watched on a 4K disc was Spielberg’s 1992 Schindler’s List. The 4K DI and UHD disc of this is commanding, like the 4K HDR original format of Cuaron’s Roma. The latter was entirely filmed and made in the digital realm, whereas the Spielberg was film based, shot on Eastman 5231 stock with ultra-fast Arriflex lenses. The super fine grain in that is perfectly rendered on the disc and suits projection to as big a screen as possible. 

Shot of the screen, The Elephant Man

Now the Lynch joins it, filmed with Panavision and Pana Prime lenses again on fast Eastman stock it seems to be one of the last great B&W Scope movies. The disc flawlessly exports Freddie Francis unbelievable photography to 4K.

While Canal controls rights to the Lynch through most of the world, Paramount alas controls it in the USA. And so it is that earlier this week with Criterion’s announcement of a September release of the Lynch stateside, it will, once again be released only on Blu-ray in a 1080 downrez. 

Shot of the screen, The Elephant Man

So, like Roma, Criterion sticks its head in the sand and dodges the premium format release. I cannot escape the sense of sheer superiority and “fuck you-ism” Criterion displays with what they assume is its captive audience.