November is still a ways away — who knows what the hell will have happened in our collective Twitter feed by the time good ol’ Nov. comes around? In the event that we’re all still here in three month’s time, here’s what to expect from Criterion in the penultimate month of 2017.
For starters, Criterion is releasing a 4K restoration of “The Philadelphia Story,” the 1940 screwball comedy starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart (Stewart ended up winning an Oscar for his performance — the first and last Academy Award of his career). The special features will include an audio commentary track from 2005 featuring film scholar Jeanine Basinger; two full episodes of “The Dick Cavett Show” featuring rare interviews with Hepburn; and a Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of the film from 1943, featuring an introduction by filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille.
Next up is “Desert Hearts,” about which Criterion writes: “Donna Deitch‘s swooning and sensual first narrative feature, ‘Desert Hearts,’ was groundbreaking upon its 1985 release: a love story about two women, made entirely independently, on a self-financed shoestring budget, by a woman.” The director-approved special features include a restored 4K digital transfer, a commentary track featuring Deitch, and a conversation between Deitch and noted “Glee” actor Jane Lynch.
November will also see the Criterion releases of the stylized French-Italian samurai genre bender “Le Samouraï” (getting a Blu-ray upgrade from its current release) and Terry Gilliam’s debut as a solo director, “Jabberwocky.” Both films will be released with new restorations and a mix of special features including director’s commentary, archival interviews, and making-of documentaries.