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

Product Information

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

But Rita does not know Betty's aunt. In fact, she does not know who she is -- she can't remember her name or where she lives. The only thing Rita seems to remember is that she was involved in a car accident somewhere on Mulholland Drive. Intrigued by Rita's story, Betty decides to help her. David Lynch and Naomi Watts Interview (HD, 27 min.) – Interviewed together, the director and star talk about Los Angeles, the audition and casting process, the "gigantic blessing" it was that the TV pilot died and could be reborn as a feature, and shooting Watts' masturbation and sex scenes. Of the latter, the actress says she's happy she did it. STUDIOCANAL owns one of the most important film libraries in the world, boasting nearly, 6,000 titles from 60 countries. Spanning 100 years of film history, this vast and unique catalogue includes among others the iconic Terminator 2, Rambo, Breathless, Mulholland Drive, The Pianist, The Graduate, The Third Man and Belle de jour.Criterion’s 4K Ultra HD release also comes with a Blu-ray of the film in 1080p. The following extras are included on the Blu-ray only: Detail is out of the world; Lynch uses lots of extreme close-ups and you can see everything in faces, from pores to hair lines, from reflections in eyes to make-up lines and powder. Indeed everything is absolutely gorgeous: the décor of Betty’s apartment, the grime in the diner, the leaves against the sky, overlooking Hollywood – everything is keen, clear and precise – even the intentional lens flares or softness! While Rita is recuperating, Betty has a terrific audition. Shortly after, she has sex with Betty. Then the two attend a strange theater and discover a tiny blue box in Betty's purse. When they open the box all hell breaks loose. What started out as a failed TV pilot has become a beloved noir, gaining in reputation year after year being both inscrutable and accessible in equal measures.

The film is uncompromisingly hypnotic. Even if one does not understand the significance of everything that takes place on the screen, one feels an inexorable need to keep watching, and feeling, and speculating. It is a strange feeling for sure - like being awake in a bizarre dream. Mulholland Drive might make you want to tear your hair out, but throw yourself in anyway and float through it, because there are at least two solutions: one of them is David Lynch’s, and he’s tantalisingly obscured it such that it will be discussed ad infinitum; the other solution is yours. Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, David Lynch's Mulholland Drive arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. (Please note that this release does not have scene selection and chapter stops).What remains so delicious is how it all ties itself together, with seemingly innocuous scenes at the beginning becoming integral to the (eventual) understanding. There are dreamlike qualities, nightmare aspects and a deep-seated menace that underpins the whole Hollywood angle – shining a light on all the seediness years before it came out. For the collector, this is a double-dip rather than an upgrade thanks to the inexplicably dropping of some extras, but an upgrade I still recommend without hesitation. Studiocanal’s presentation overall is phenomenal, with a striking piece of artwork on the cover.

As with the video, the surround mix is remastered from the original negative. The sound design of Mulholland Drive is superb and serves equally the demands the variety of styles in the film make. The core is drama, where characters are centred and clear. But listen in particular to the diner scene early in the film where environmental sounds and Angelo Badalamenti’s subtle, haunting score work together to create a palpable sense of unease. Later, there are opportunities for musical extravagance: a Spanish rendition of Roy Orbison’s Crying or film-within-a-film 60s style pop earworms. Laura Harring, Johanna Ray, Justin Theroux and Naomi Watts Interview (HD, 36 min.) – In separate clips, the three actors and Ms. Ray (the casting director) go into more detail about the casting process, working with Lynch as a director, and the ridiculous notes imposed by the ABC network when the project was still a TV pilot. It's not completely spelled out but you can piece it together. The sad thing is, despite it being a work of fiction, much of it is based on the reality of the movie industry in Hollywood. In comparison to the older import disc, the Criterion transfer has marginally crisper details and slightly warmer colors. The tradeoff to this, unfortunately, is that the image is decidedly noisier. To my eye, grain in the import transfer looks more natural and filmic and less distracting. In all, I'd rate the two discs about equally. In terms of video quality, viewers who live in Region B territories are not missing out on much if they can't acquire this copy. This calamity might be a blessing though, because the men in the limo seemed intent on killing Rita, a name that the woman assumes when she looks out of a shower in the apartment she’s soon hiding in, crippled with amnesia from the crash, gazing upon a poster of Charles Vidor’s Gilda in an image that’s fractured through the glass of the shower stall and the mirror hanging on the wall. It’s a brilliant image, partially for its casualness, for the confidence that Lynch displays in not holding it too long. The filmmaker sustains this mastery throughout this long, amazing film, fashioning portals within portals, refractions within refractions, reinventions within reinventions, and doubles within doubles as people in this dreamland scramble to preserve a grand, diseased illusion that’s eating itself alive.

The precise juncture where the TV pilot ends and the new footage begins is extremely easy to identify, almost hilariously so. It's punctuated, at literally the very moment when the TV-safe footage runs out, by an explicit sex scene that obviously couldn't air on network television. From that point forward, the movie is propelled into decidedly R-rated territory, and the narrative seemingly breaks down into an increasingly surreal series of scenes that radically deconstruct and reinterpret everything that we'd seen earlier. The entire film looks a lot smoother now. However, this isn't the type of smoothness that you would encounter on older, digitally manipulated masters. It is the type of organic smoothness that is introduced by exceptionally strong density and equally impressive fluidity. Indeed, while on the 1080p presentation from the Blu-ray trained eyes can spot some minor density fluctuations, in native 4K the same fluctuations become virtually impossible to identify. Another small but notable improvement can be recognized in the manner in which the 4K presentation handles highlights. The visuals can appear slightly darker now, but there are expanded ranges of highlights. Shadow nuances are expanded as well. How much exactly? Enough to positively affect the perception of depth. I think that the darker footage where neon lighting is present, for instance, can look quite a bit better. Colors look outstanding. The primaries appear lush and very healthy, but the notable improvements are in the expanded supporting nuances. I think that this superior color balance positively impacts the perception of depth as well, especially during indoor and nighttime footage. Image stability is outstanding. Unsurprisingly, the entire film is spotless. Please note that the main menu of the 4K Blu-ray disc does not have chapter stops. Nice behind the scenes piece because David Lynch is so open about his approach. This is far less spoilerific than the first extra feature, but should still only watch after the film. Though it began as a potential pilot for a new series, David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive went well beyond its potential 4x3 confines, becoming one of his most celebrated cinematic works. Much of the credit can be laid at the feet of Naomi Watts, who was mostly unknown at the time she was cast in the film, giving a powerhouse performance that launched her career. Like many of Lynch’s works, it’s a film that gives you all of the details, but at the same time, those details aren’t laid bare. Working out what the film is doing and what it’s trying to say thematically is part of the appeal. Lynch would go even further with this later on in the much-beloved third season of Twin Peaks, but Mulholland Drive explores what working in Hollywood can do to someone and how relationships between people in that environment can affect their minds and their souls. 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.

The screencaptures that are included with our review are taken directly from the 4K Blu-ray disc. However, they are downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, when you view them, you should keep in mind that they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.Badalamenti is a composer that has worked with David Lynch several times. In Mulholland Drive he also has a very memorable cameo. He talks about his process and how he ended up in front of the camera for once. 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.