Jackie Chan finally joins the Criterion Collection in April with two of his most legendary films, and he’s joined by some of the greatest filmmakers of all time, with yet another solid group of films getting the special treatment.
Chan’s famous films “Police Story” and “Police Story 2” are getting the double-bill Criterion treatment. As you might expect, both films are getting brand-new 4K restorations and alternate 5.1 surround soundtracks, but there’s way more on the special-feature side of things that will be sure to excite any fan of Hong Kong cinema. Most notably, the Criterion release will feature the Hong Kong-release version of “Police Story 2,” presented in a high-definition digital transfer for the first time.
Joining Chan in April’s Criterion releases is filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, who has two films getting the nod. Both “Stranger Than Paradise” and “Night on Earth” are getting added to the famed collection, with separate releases in the spring. The “Stranger Than Paradise” release comes with a couple of standout features that is sure to make any cinephile ecstatic. First, the film will feature a new high-definition digital restoration, supervised and approved by the director, with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Also, as part of the special features, the release will come with “Permanent Vacation,” Jarmusch’s first full-length feature, presented in a high-definition digital restoration supervised by the director.
In addition to Jarmusch’s two films and the double-dose of Jackie Chan, April also showcases one of Elia Kazan’s most-celebrated works, “A Face in the Crowd.” The film stars Andy Griffith, Walter Matthau, and Patricia Neal and tells the story of a drifter that is discovered by a local radio station and vaults into fame and fortune on national television. The Criterion release features a new 4K transfer of the film, as well as new interviews with scholars and experts, as well as a 2005 documentary featuring Griffith.
Rounding out the releases in April are Gillian Armstrong’s “My Brilliant Career” and Jan Němec’s “Diamonds of the Night.”