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The Killing



Stanley Kubrick’s account of an ambitious racetrack robbery is one of Hollywood’s tautest, twistiest noirs. Aided by a radically time-shuffling narrative, razor-sharp dialogue from pulp novelist Jim Thompson, and a phenomenal cast of character actors, including Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Timothy Carey, and Elisha Cook Jr., The Killing is both a jaunty thriller and a cold-blooded punch to the gut. And with its precise tracking shots and gratifying sense of irony, it’s Kubrick to the core.

SPECIAL EDITION:

- New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
- New video interview with producer James B. Harris
- Excerpts of interviews with actor Sterling Hayden from the French television series Cinéma cinémas
- New video interview with film scholar Robert Polito about writer Jim Thompson and his work on The Killing
- Restored high-definition digital transfer of Stanley Kubrick’s 1955 noir feature Killer’s Kiss
- New video appreciation of Killer’s Kiss with film critic Geoffrey O’Brien
- Theatrical trailers
- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film historian Haden Guest and a reprinted interview with Marie Windsor on The Killing

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Having both The Killing and Killer's Kiss in the same package is an excellent deal, but like other August releases of this year, surprised with the lack of audio commentaries or more extras on this set.

Can we assume Killer's Kiss will also be 1080p?

I don't think so. Criterion rarely pass up the opportunity to type high-definition, even if just talking about the transfer, so my suspicion is that it was left out intentionally.

Jun-Dai wrote:I don't think so. Criterion rarely pass up the opportunity to type high-definition, even if just talking about the transfer, so my suspicion is that it was left out intentionally.

None of the other feature bonus films say anything on their respective pages, despite being in HD (Murder à la Mod, Bucking Broadway, etc)- So, anything is possible.

Since Criterion keeps finding room for Timothy Carey's work collection (this one makes five), it would be nice to give Minnie & Moskowitz or World's Greatest Sinner a whacky C.

Honestly, since this is a one disc release, I would prefer The Killing be given enough room in the 50gigs to breathe in 1080p than have to fight for disc space with a 1080p presentation of Killers Kiss.

aox wrote:Honestly, since this is a one disc release, I would prefer The Killing be given enough room in the 50gigs to breathe in 1080p than have to fight for disc space with a 1080p presentation of Killers Kiss.

The combined running time of both films is 2.5 hours. Breathing room won't be an issue.

Oedipax wrote:Can we assume Killer's Kiss will also be 1080p?

I hope so. Murder a la Mod (extra with the Blow Out blu ray) was in 1080p.

How about a nice digipack, like Sweet Smell of Success or The Night of the Hunter?

Bill Hunt over at The Digital Bits confirms with Criterion that "Killer's Kiss" will be HD...

[Editor's UPDATE: Criterion just got back to me to confirm that Killer's Kiss WILL be in HD on the Blu-ray. GREAT news!]

This is an absolute day-1 buy and a dream fulfilled.

Criterion has updated the specs to read, "restored high-definition digital transfer of Stanley Kubrick’s 1955 noir feature Killer’s Kiss."

Looks good. And the last definite Phoenix Finish title that we are aware of from that article; not a huge file size here but the detail is quite amazing..

Minkin wrote:Beaver

It is possible to praise something to the point that it no longer makes any sense:

Fans shouldn't hesitate for a moment. This is one Blu-ray to keep in your home safe in a Mylar bag...

and.... cue aspect ratio shitstorm.

Why? We've known about the AR since the beginning and to the best of my knowledge that's what it has always been.

Yeah, there shouldn't be any controversy about the aspect ratio. United Artists contractually required almost all non-scope films to be framed for 1.66 (and occasionally 1.75) and presented that way theatrically from 1955 through the mid 60s. You'll find Criterion's releases of UA's Paths of Glory, Night of the Hunter, The Fugitive Kind, Sweet Smell of Success, and Kiss Me Deadly to be in 1.66, as should be their eventual release of 12 Angry Men. The recent MGM Blu-rays of Some Like It Hot and The Misfits are framed at 1.66 as well. Other 1.66 UA titles include The Birdman Of Alcatraz, The Train, I Want To Live!, The Miracle Worker, The Defiant Ones, and Inherit The Wind. The Manchurian Candidate and Judgement at Nuremberg were among those that were 1.75.

All of these will have headroom that you were never intended to see in the 1.33 versions.

Criterion is releasing 12 Angry Men?

:-$

It was Mulvaneyed and discussed a while back. People were pooh-poohing it as the film equivalent of dad rock or something.

Tom Hagen wrote:It was Mulvaneyed and discussed a while back. People were pooh-poohing it as the film equivalent of dad rock or something.

ohhh... is that the stupid old film they still haven't colorized? I thought we were talking about this. Carry on.

This release looks and sounds fantastic, not to mention the fact that the film is a wall-to-wall hoot. It is going to be a very difficult year-end poll for me between this, Blow Out, Sweet Smell of Success, Kes, etc etc.