110-112, 439, 729-731 The Complete Jacques Tati

[Blip Martindale]

Not at all a fan of most video essays about films, especially youtubers, so many are either nincompoop literalists or pretentious yet miss the point, or simply mimic the style of the film like so many pandering print critics often do, but here's a short and amusing review of Playtime by, of all people, a video game guy. I know nothing about video games or this guy, but I think he does a nice job. He doesn't say anything new, really, but his enthusiam seems entirely genuine, and his delivery and edits are funny, and if he convinced any of his 7 million viewers(!?) to give the film a try, then hey.

He also does a review of The Shining, not quite as interesting or good, sadly, and more recently a "guide to streaming services" which is pretty funny.

[TechnicolorAcid]

Oh yeah I liked that review from Dunkey, it's clear he's passionate about PlayTime and I love the possibility that he just got a bunch of people to watch a film that just so happens to be one of my all time favorites. Been watching his content and amongst the very passionate videos of his, he always carries a good level of sarcastic humor to him. The Gex video and Comedy Night video specifically serve as some of my favorite video game related videos I've ever seen.
Also I like this analysis of PlayTime too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7-Yn62ncIM.

[vanshady]

Adding on top of the great summary by EddieLarkin viewtopic.php?p=495976#p495976

The final verdict seems to be

• Definitely get the Criterion set

• StudioCanal is the same transfer but doesn't include the short films, so not worth it only easier to get. I'm ignoring it in the comparisons below.

• For BFI, still worth it, but see details below.

Playtime - Criterion is the new 4k transfer > BFI

Jour de fete (1949) - Criterion only, HD
Jour de fete (1964) - Criterion only, HD
The Village Fair (1964, English variant) - BFI only, HD
Jour de fete (1994/5) - Criterion SD, BFI HD

Les Vacances de M. Hulot (1953) - Criterion SD, BFI HD
Les Vacances de M. Hulot (1978) - Criterion HD, BFI HD (same transfer)

Mon oncle (1958) - Criterion HD, BFI HD (different transfer, Criterion superior)
My Uncle (1984) - Criterion SD, BFI HD (tbc)

Trafic and Parade only available by Criterion not BFI

Only Criterion, not SC, not BFI, has all seven short films: On demande une brute (1934), Gai dimanche (1935), Soigne ton gauche (1936), L’école des facteurs (1946), Cours du soir (1967), Forza Bastia (1978), and Dégustation maison (1978)

[domino harvey]

Serge Daney: In Praise of Tati

[Finch]

Playtime 4K in February 2026; I've highlighted the new extras in bold.

4K UHD SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

4K digital restoration, with 3.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the special features
Introduction by actor and comedian Terry Jones
Three selected-scene commentaries, by film historian Philip Kemp, theater director Jérôme Deschamps, and Jacques Tati expert Stéphane Goudet
Like Home, a visual essay by Goudet
“Tativille,” a 1967 television program featuring an interview with Tati from the set of PlayTime
Beyond “PlayTime,” a short documentary featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the production
Interview with script supervisor Sylvette Baudrot
Audio interview with Tati from the U.S. debut of PlayTime at the 1972 San Francisco International Film Festival
Tati Story, a short film by Goudet on the life and career of Tati
“Monsieur Hulot’s Work,” a 1976 television program about Tati’s beloved character
Cours du soir (1967), a short film written by and starring Tati
Alternate English-language soundtrack
PLUS: An essay by critic Jonathan Rosenbaum

Cover based on an original poster by René Ferracci

[Tuppence]

So they've essentially matched the original 2006 release (several items of which were dispersed elsewhere on the Tati boxset), plus the new materials added in 2014. Interesting that this is their first non-dual format release on UHD - you don't get a Blu-ray of the feature itself in the 4K package.

[tenia]

Is this the first UHD-only release from Criterion ? It looks like it but I might have missed one.

[Finch]

I wonder if Playtime not being dual format is a contractual obligation.

[andyli]

This bizarre situation probably arises from their need to combine extras from the 2009 and 2014 editions. They'd need to produce a new disc either way.

[ryannichols7]

also maybe this is evidence of their new Fidelity in Motion partnership, since FiM usually always fit extras onto the same disc as the film...

[swo17]

The specs say extras will be on a Blu-ray. Is there any indication that this 4K disc will include extras or that FiM is involved?

[andyli]

also maybe this is evidence of their new Fidelity in Motion partnership, since FiM usually always fit extras onto the same disc as the film...

In that case they would have done so with Eyes Wide Shut.

[dwk]

I wonder if Playtime not being dual format is a contractual obligation.

It is getting a new Blu-ray only release in addition to the UHD. Maybe it is a test to see if they get any pushback for not including a Blu-ray of the movie when they are upgrading it to UHD.

[omegadirective]

I am so excited for this release.
This movie is going to look fantastic in 4K.
I just wish it had been the whole set (like Antoine Doinel) that was upgraded to 4K.

[andyli]

Playtime was the only film restored in 4K at the time of the box set. Since then there might have been movement on the other titles.

[Tuppence]

I wonder if Playtime not being dual format is a contractual obligation.

It's probably Criterion's ongoing shrink-flation. If it's a non-recoupable cost to make the 4K edition a three-disc instead of a two-disc set, why bother? And it doesn't seem to hurt Arrow or Indicator, who have never done dual-format editions. I imagine a lot of 4K titles with a feature-only Blu-ray (Citizen Kane, Sorcerer, Eyes Wide Shut, etc.) would have had this configuration had they come out after PlayTime.

[Finch]

Speaking of shrink-flation, I was grateful that Arrow issued their Apartment 4K in a regular keepcase even if the downside of that is that the text in the book is now harder to read (though not miniscule like Deaf Crocodile's magazine reprint was for their early releases). I don't have their old BD at hand anymore to confirm if they cut any articles though.

[hearthesilence]

Anyone know the actual economic pros and cons of doing a dual format release vs. splitting them into separate releases? Not speculation but findings based on hard data - did they find it was a money-saving tactic before and that's no longer the case?

[Tuppence]

Criterion's abandoned experiment with dual format DVD/Blu-ray editions during 2013 would seem to imply it just doesn't make sense for them financially. The necessity of including Blu-rays along with UHDs in their 4K editions was to carry over the video extras which they've decided they don't want to crowd the UHD disc with (and also possibly to avoid legal issues with relicensing/clearing existing extras for a new format). But where the BD and UHD discs of the feature are identical, as with this upcoming PlayTime reissue, it looks like they've decided to bite the bullet and split the formats definitively into two.

[pistolwink]

If ever there was a film crying out to be seen in the highest-definition format available, it's this one.

[Lowry_Sam]

If ever there was a film crying out to be seen in the highest-definition format available, it's this one.

I agree, but I will wait & see before buying. I haven't heard of any subsequent restorations since Criterion's blu-ray was released (anyone?). I think Criterion has changed the color-timing 2x over the course of their releases of this, so I'd like to see what they do this time before buying again as it's probably the same restoration that is on the blu-ray in the box set. (Has there been a definitive decision on which is correct, emerald green or steel blue, or maybe halfway in between?).

[omegadirective]

Was the previous blu ray out of print?
If so, This is showing that a blu ray is available as well.
Is this a newer/different blu ray version too?

Just out of curiosity. I'll be buying the 4K myself.

[dwk]

Yes the solo Blu went OOP sometime before the box set was released. I assume it will just be the same disc as the one in the box.

[andyli]

No. The new Blu-ray lists as a two-disc special edition, unlike the single disc Playtime takes up in the box set. So I figure it'll mirror the UHD's distribution of contents. And since this necessitates the authoring of a new Blu-ray disc containing only the main feature, it does set a precedent for Criterion to exclude it from their UHD edition.

[Lachino]

I agree, but I will wait & see before buying. I haven't heard of any subsequent restorations since Criterion's blu-ray was released (anyone?). I think Criterion has changed the color-timing 2x over the course of their releases of this, so I'd like to see what they do this time before buying again as it's probably the same restoration that is on the blu-ray in the box set. (Has there been a definitive decision on which is correct, emerald green or steel blue, or maybe halfway in between?).

Seems there's no new restoration, it's just the old one in its native format. No HDR would indicate this, I guess.