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The Cremator



Czechoslovak New Wave iconoclast Juraj Herz's terrifying, darkly comic vision of the horrors of totalitarian ideologies stars a supremely chilling Rudolf Hrušínský as the pathologically morbid Karel Kopfrkingl, a crematorium director in 1930s Prague who believes fervently that death offers the only true relief from human suffering. When he is recruited by the Nazis, Kopfrkingl's increasingly deranged worldview drives him to formulate his own shocking final solution. Blending the blackest of gallows humor with disorienting expressionistic flourishes—queasy point-of-view shots, distorting lenses, jarring quick cuts—the controversial, long-banned masterpiece The Cremator is one of cinema's most trenchant and disturbing portraits of the banality of evil.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• High-definition digital transfer of The Junk Shop, director Juraj Herz's 1965 debut short film
• Short documentary from 2011 featuring Herz visiting filming locations and recalling the production of The Cremator
• New interview with film programmer Irena Kovarova about the style of the film
• Documentary from 2017 about composer Zdeněk Liška featuring Herz, filmmakers Jan Švankmajer and the Quay Brothers, and others
• Interview with actor Rudolf Hrušínský from 1993
• Trailer
• New English subtitle translation
• PLUS: An essay by scholar Jonathan Owen

Glad this one didn't get relegated to an Eclipse set. Now if only they'd do right by Daisies--

Really wish they’d stop wasting resources on all these region free Second Run blus— they’re really expanding the market to no one, they even sell the UK releases on US Amazon

I have to agree but at least they included different extras from the Second Run.

They're expanding the market to me. I've never really looked into what second run has released, I have too many items on my too watch list anyway. This was actually something I was going to get to on the channel in the next month or two anyway, but I'll happily buy the bluray.

Does anyone know if the Second Run bluray is sourced from the same 4K restoration? It doesn't specify on their website.

These two descriptions sound pretty different to me:

2017: "Presented from a new HD re-master and transfer from original materials held by the Czech National Film Archive"

2020: "4K restoration made possible by a donation from Mrs. Milada Kučerová and Mr. Eduard Kučera, and realized by Karlovy Vary IFF at the studios of UPP and Soundsquare, in cooperation with the Národní filmový archiv in Prague and the Czech Film Fund"

swo17 wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2020 9:55 pm These two descriptions sound pretty different to me:

2017: "Presented from a new HD re-master and transfer from original materials held by the Czech National Film Archive"

2020: "4K restoration made possible by a donation from Mrs. Milada Kučerová and Mr. Eduard Kučera, and realized by Karlovy Vary IFF at the studios of UPP and Soundsquare, in cooperation with the Národní filmový archiv in Prague and the Czech Film Fund"

Actually you might be onto something. I think SR might have released theirs before the new 4K restoration was done. So this might actually be worth double dipping on.

The Liška doc also sounds tantalizing

swo17 wrote: Wed Jan 15, 2020 9:55 pm These two descriptions sound pretty different to me:

2017: "Presented from a new HD re-master and transfer from original materials held by the Czech National Film Archive"

2020: "4K restoration made possible by a donation from Mrs. Milada Kučerová and Mr. Eduard Kučera, and realized by Karlovy Vary IFF at the studios of UPP and Soundsquare, in cooperation with the Národní filmový archiv in Prague and the Czech Film Fund"

It is indeed a different version. You can see the comparison of Second Run Blu-ray and newly restored Czech BMP Blu-ray, that was released few months ago, on the DVDFreak website.

http://dvdfreak.cz/freak.php?p=spalovac ... hd&dz=0#00

swo17 wrote:The Liška doc also sounds tantalizing

I’m buying it just for that. If the presentation of the film is better, that’s merely the cherry on top.

See also Rosemary’s Baby with its accompanying doc on Krzysztof Komeda that was frankly good enough to release separately.

Hopefully Morgiana is with Criterion as well

There is allegedly a commentary by the director for this film that exists, but if its not on this release maybe it doesn't really...?

black&huge wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 7:56 am Hopefully Morgiana is with Criterion as well

The German release is quite good and it carries English subtitles.

Randall Maysin wrote: Fri Jan 17, 2020 7:47 am There is allegedly a commentary by the director for this film that exists, but if its not on this release maybe it doesn't really...?

There is one by Kat Ellinger on the Second Run blu ray

Unless I'm in for a truly whopping surprise, she didn't direct the film.

I mean, granted, Juraj Herz has the kind of imagination that might lead him to attempt a sex change and master not merely convincing British English but also a very distinctive regional accent, but on balance I'd say it's unlikely. Especially since I've met her more than once.

Whoops I didn’t read that Randall said “by the director” so I meant there is a commentary that exists. This is what happens when I post before coffee

Your response made me laugh though so I’m glad I’m not too tired for that

I've just remembered that Herz was a regional accent coach once upon a time - but this was on The Shop on the High Street where one of his allotted tasks as assistant director was to get Polish actress Ida Kamińska to sound convincingly Slovak.

Really wish this one had a commentary track. There are tons of great folks to ask for it - Kat Ellinger, Jonathan Owen, etc.

The region-free release from Second Run has one from Ellinger, as already mentioned in this thread

Watched it on the Criterion Channel, and found some roughness in the picture and sound -- are they running the new restoration, or the old version?

Roscoe wrote: Sun Jan 19, 2020 12:02 am Watched it on the Criterion Channel, and found some roughness in the picture and sound -- are they running the new restoration, or the old version?

Not only an "old version", but I'm fairly certain what's currently on the Criterion Channel is just upscaled SD.

Understandably, it's quite likely the new "2020 4K restoration" version was not ready when The Cremator was uploaded, but I wonder if this title will eventually be replaced on the Channel with the improved one? I was disappointed when watching Häxan only a couple of weeks ago that the streaming version is an old scan with the heavier tinting, and plenty of scratches and blemishes in the image. Similarly, the primary version of Harold Lloyd's The Kid Brother is an unrestored scan as well the last time I checked (However, the secondary version with the alternate organ score does feature the restored image!).

Randall Maysin wrote: Fri Jan 17, 2020 7:47 am There is allegedly a commentary by the director for this film that exists, but if its not on this release maybe it doesn't really...?

The Bildstörung release has the Herz commentary track (in German)...

Looks like Criterion has a cleaner and brighter transfer that loses grain without losing detail...I kind of like that creamy look on Second Run's transfer though.