676 I Married a Witch

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#1 Post by **Jeff** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 4:24 pm

I Married a Witch

Veronica Lake casts a seductive spell as a charmingly vengeful sorceress in this supernatural screwball classic. Many centuries after cursing the male descendants of the Salem puritan who sent her to the stake, this blonde bombshell with a broomstick finds herself drawn to one of them—a prospective governor (Fredric March) about to marry a spoiled socialite (Susan Hayward). This most delightful of the films the innovative French director René Clair made in Hollywood is a comic confection bursting with playful special effects and sparkling witticisms.

Disc Features

- New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
- Audio interview with director René Clair
- Trailer
- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by filmmaker Guy Maddin and a 1970 interview with Clair

#2 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 4:25 pm

And there was jubilation and much rejoicing in the land

knives · #3 Post by **knives** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 4:38 pm

Getting to see Lake's beautiful face in HD is going to be the high point of my year.

knives · #4 Post by **knives** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:45 pm

$40 for an audio interview?

vsski · #5 Post by **vsski** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:48 pm

knives wrote:$40 for an audio interview?

All of the new releases have only very few extras and all are at the higher price point - I guess the trend that started with 3:10 to Yuma is hear to stay.

The Narrator Returns · Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:53 pm

vsski wrote:All of the new releases have only very few extras and all are at the higher price point - I guess the trend that started with 3:10 to Yuma is hear to stay.

Hell, it's been there since Something Wild.

#7 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:54 pm

This is a great movie, even at the higher price point. Please do not stay away from it because of the lack of extras. I will record a fucking commentary track myself if I have to

matrixschmatrix · #8 Post by **matrixschmatrix** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:54 pm

dooooo itttt

knives · #9 Post by **knives** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:56 pm

domino harvey wrote:This is a great movie, even at the higher price point. Please do not stay away from it because of the lack of extras. I will record a fucking commentary track myself if I have to

I'm with you. I'll do anything to make this release a success as it is simply one of the best American films of the studio era. Funny, smart, and exciting in a way most can only dream of. Not to mention Veronica Lake at her absolute best. I wish they had at least included The Ghost Goes West as a supplement.

#10 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:59 pm

The liner notes are even written by Guy Maddin-- are we sure I'm not being personally punk'd by Criterion?

Minkin · #11 Post by **Minkin** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:01 pm

What happened to The Ghost Goes West? I thought that was almost guaranteed to be included!
Lovely and hilarious film, but sheesh, that interview better be like one of those Dardennes interviews (feature length).

Professor Wagstaff · Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:01 pm

Domino, this is being released in time for my birthday, so if you could record a downloadable commentary I think my day will be pretty much perfect.

vsski · #13 Post by **vsski** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:02 pm

domino harvey wrote:This is a great movie, even at the higher price point. Please do not stay away from it because of the lack of extras. I will record a fucking commentary track myself if I have to

Would love to hear that commentary

! And while I don't like the pricing strategy, I have to agree, this one is worth every penny and I will buy it come rain or shine.

The Narrator Returns · Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:03 pm

domino harvey wrote:I will record a fucking commentary track myself if I have to

CRITERION FORUM-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION

•New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
•New audio commentary by Veronica Lake scholar domino harvey
•Visual essay by noted Steven Soderbergh scholar The Narrator Returns about the film's similarities to Soderbergh's work
•Details on the film's restoration by david hare
•Reversible cover by swimminghorses
•A booklet featuring an essay by knives

criterion10 · #15 Post by **criterion10** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:08 pm

The Narrator Returns wrote: CRITERION FORUM-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION

•New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
•New audio commentary by Veronica Lake scholar domino harvey
•Visual essay by noted Steven Soderbergh scholar The Narrator Returns about the film's similarities to Soderbergh's work
•Details on the film's restoration by david hare
•Reversible cover by swimminghorses
•A booklet featuring an essay by knives

Sold! *Writes out check*

Anthony · #16 Post by **Anthony** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:18 pm

The Narrator Returns wrote:
domino harvey wrote:I will record a fucking commentary track myself if I have to
CRITERION FORUM-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION

•New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
•New audio commentary by Veronica Lake scholar domino harvey
•Visual essay by noted Steven Soderbergh scholar The Narrator Returns about the film's similarities to Soderbergh's work
•Details on the film's restoration by david hare
•Reversible cover by swimminghorses
•A booklet featuring an essay by knives

Now that I would gladly pay $40 for!

#17 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 11:08 pm

Well, I was just making an idle threat but now I'm actually going to do it

#18 Post by **Jeff** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 11:40 pm

I guess the special feature is that it hasn't had a home video release in the U.S. in over 20 years, but I agree that it's pretty stupid that they didn't throw The Ghost Goes West on there. It's not too late, Criterion.

Koukol · #19 Post by **Koukol** » Mon Jul 15, 2013 11:48 pm

Time to burn my UK DVD as I can't sell it in good conscience.

Kokomo Blues · #20 Post by **Kokomo Blues** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 4:28 pm

Koukol wrote:Time to burn my UK DVD as I can't sell it in good conscience.

If you do that won't it come back to haunt you?

kingofthejungle · #21 Post by **kingofthejungle** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 6:43 pm

Koukol wrote:Time to burn my UK DVD as I can't sell it in good conscience.

Ain't it the truth.

I'm elated at the prospect of I Married A Witch in HD after settling for that PD-quality VHS dub for all these years. Clair's film is an essential Hollywood comedy, and one that's been criminally overlooked.

jwd5275 · #22 Post by **jwd5275** » Wed Jul 17, 2013 7:13 pm

Jeff wrote:I guess the special feature is that it hasn't had a home video release in the U.S. in over 20 years, but I agree that it's pretty stupid that they didn't throw The Ghost Goes West on there. It's not too late, Criterion.

I think we should all email bomb them with requests for The Ghost Goes West until they capitulate...

vsski · #23 Post by **vsski** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 4:36 pm

Beaver review

chatterjees · #24 Post by **chatterjees** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 3:15 am

Has anyone seen this blu-ray yet? I just finished watching it and I am really underwhelmed by the "2K" restoration. Is this really a 2K restoration? The film is fun to watch, but the picture quality is merely OK in my book (at some points it felt like I was watching some of those Kino Keaton BDs ). I definitely had better expectation for a 2K restoration.

Age of the film could not be a reason. To Be or Not to Be is another film from 1942 recently released by them. I guess there must be a difference between "restored 2K digital film transfer" (for To Be or Not to Be, 1942) and "2K digital restoration" (for I Married a Witch, 1942). These are the descriptions used by Criterion for the respective films. There is definitely a good deal of differences between these two 2K PQs.

jindianajonz · #25 Post by **jindianajonz** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 3:47 am

Although age isn't a factor, condition of the film could be- if the prints for I Married a Witch were stored in worse conditions, it could easily have affected the quality. I haven't seen this blu yet, so this is just speculation.

EDIT: Is there anything in the "About the transfer" section of the booklet that sheds any light on this?

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