Mulholland Drive [Édition Collector-4K Ultra HD + Blu-Ray]

Product Information

The image is fairly grainy. While Criterion is to be commended for preserving the natural film grain without trying to smear it away with Digital Noise Reduction or other artificial tampering, the encoding quality of the Blu-ray leaves something to be desired. The grain often comes across as noisy and sometimes obtrusive. Most of the features from the previous Studiocanal release are retained. Conspicuous by its absence then is a substantial interview with David Lynch and Naomi Watts that was new for the 2017 release. So too it appears the archive material -some behind the scenes b-roll and a deleted scene- have also been dropped from previous releases. Some of Mulholland Drive is funny. Some of it’s scary, but as a whole appears to defy logic and everyone will take something different from it. Lynch’s own modest assessment obfuscates that the construction of the film will stand up to fierce scrutiny.

Booklet– The most substantive content you'll find with this Blu-ray is the enclosed booklet, which contains a lengthy excerpt from the 2005 revised edition of the 'Lynch on Lynch' interview book by Chris Rodley. Although the filmmaker still won't talk about what he intended anything to mean, he does discuss his inspirations and provides more detail about developing the TV show, why the ABC network dropped it, and the process of adapting it to a closed-end feature. Criterion's Blu-ray edition has been a long time coming. The disc has nice picture and sound that should satisfy most fans. While I might wish for more substance from the supplemental features, what we get is reasonably interesting. I'm not sure if this can really be called the definitive edition of 'Mulholland Drive', but it's the closest we've ever seen or likely will see for a long time. To celebrate the 20 th anniversary of David Lynch’s MULHOLLAND DRIVE , STUDIOCANAL and CRITERION are thrilled to present a brand new 4K restoration of the iconic 2001 surrealist mystery-drama, supervised by David Lynch himself.

That all sounds too ordinary for a film with such a reputation. It really doesn’t scratch the surface considering that critics once voted Mulholland Drive the greatest film of this century so far in 2016. Rich in character, confidence and a weirdness that doesn’t feel at all out-of-place in LA, it’s hard to argue, even as you wonder, what on earth is going on? MULHOLLAND DRIVE, which is not only known to be one of director David Lynch’s ( Twin Peaks, Inland Empire) essential films, but also one of the greatest films of the 21 st century, stars Naomi Watts ( 21 Grams, The Impossible) in her breakthrough double-role as Betty / Diane as well as Laura Harring ( Love in the Time of Cholera, The Punisher), Justin Theroux ( American Psycho, The Girl On The Train) and Melissa George ( Hunted, Triangle). MULHOLLAND DRIVE is a dreamlike journey, as well as a captivating commentary on Hollywood, receiving continued acclaim from critics and viewers alike since its initial release. Narrated in French, this is a brilliant dissection of the film, following David Lynch’s own “Ten Clues”, with fascinating demonstrations of where the scenes connect. It’s like a video game walkthrough. Maybe you want to know immediately, or give the film another run and see how much falls into place. Even then, there are intriguing omissions, but the last word is given to Lynch who has a beautiful explanation of where subjectivity ends in the creation of a feeling for the viewer and the role of intellect to appreciate the nuances. David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive initially suggests another of the filmmaker’s thematically binary tales that contrast the innocent blonde with the brunette seductress. The film opens on the titular road, following a limo as it navigates the Hollywood canyons at night, and set to Angelo Badalamenti’s poetically oceanic orchestrations. The vehicle’s lights are glowing, blending with the pulsing street lamps of larger Los Angeles—a city of cinema, one of the world’s ultimate dreamlands. In this limo is a gorgeous brunette (Laura Elena Harring), who’s clearly made up for a night out, donning an elegant gown and makeup that allow her to rival the cinematic iconography of Rita Hayworth, whom she clearly recalls, and whose identity she borrows when the limo crashes into a car of rowdy drunks, killing everyone involved except her.

A blond starlet fresh off the plane with dreams of Hollywood fame. A film director spiraling out of control after his latest picture becomes embroiled with the mob. A mysterious brunette with a bag full of cash, suffering from amnesia following a car crash on Mulholland Drive. In the hands of most directors this would be a solid premise for a piece of good old fashioned film noir. In the hands of David Lynch, it is still that, but so much more.

Minor issues aside, Criterionhas made an impressiveUHD debut, the disc featuring a rich 4K presentation.