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

Product Information

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. Due to the abstract nature of the film there are many ways you can interpret the events and what really happened but the truth is in there.

So yes, some aspects could probably be better but on the whole I was very happy with this; it’s sharp, substantially cleaner with more detailcompared to the Blu-ray, and range is striking. I think it’s a solid first go.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.

This is the exact same disc as the Criterion release in the US; just in case anyone is in any doubt, the Criterion logo boots up before the film starts. Laura Harring, Johanna Ray, Justin Theroux, and Naomi Watts - in this video program, casting director Johanna Ray discusses her professional relationship with David Lynch (which started with Blue Velvet), the casting choices that were made during the pre-production of Mulholland Drive (and how important head shots are for David Lynch), her interactions with Naomi Watts, etc. Justin Theroux and Naomi Watts also explain how they were cast for their respective roles and discuss David Lynch's directing methods. Laura Harring explains how various sequences from Mulholland Drive were shot (including the notorious lovemaking sequence), the film's screening at the Cannes Film Festival, etc. The interviews were conducted exclusively for Criterion. In English, not subtitled. (36 min, 1080p). 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. So, how does Criterion’s first foray into UHD look? In all I’d say it looks quite good, a caveat or two aside. Firstly, it should be pointed out that the presentation found here runs circles around Criterion’s previous Blu-ray edition, looking significantly cleaner and smoother in motion, and those artifacts that became really obvious in the shadows are gone. Grain looks better and cleaner on the whole, though there are a few questionable shots where things get a little bit noisy, like the smoke in the aftermath of the opening car accident or in some of the deep blues in the theater sequence before the film’s climax. I’d say it’s ultimately a minor concern and you’d have to be looking for it, but it’s there. On the whole, I still thought everything was rendered well. Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge.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. 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.

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. This was a film that I had heard a lot about over the years but I never got around to watching it until tonight. Minor issues aside, Criterionhas made an impressiveUHD debut, the disc featuring a rich 4K presentation. The old Universal DVD had some cast & crew bios that I'm sure no one will miss. It also came with a printed insert containing David Lynch's "10 Clues" to look for when watching the movie, which were cryptic and vaguely patronizing. (In the new booklet essay, Lynch says that he was pressured to write them by the distributor.) 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.

Mulholland Drive 4K Extras

Inspired by the possibilities of developing another long-form narrative, the director shot a two-hour pilot (a little over 90 minutes without commercials) about a naïve Hollywood starlet named Betty Elms (Naomi Watts) who meets an amnesiac brunette calling herself Rita (Laura Harring) and stumbles into a bizarre 'Nancy Drew'-meets-'Blue Velvet' psychosexual mystery in the City of Dreams. The story was part classic film noir, part behind-the-scenes showbiz satire, and entirely infused with Lynch's signature style and thematic preoccupations. Like most of his works, the episode had a multi-layered, twisty storyline peppered with quirky characters and surreal touches. It was extremely promising, and could have grown into a fascinating television drama. Laura Harring recalls with affectionate detail her perception of the role. Harring clearly still enjoys talking about the film.

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. 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. 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. And if that is not already exceptional, Dolby Vision adds a depth and vibrancy to the image that simply has to be seen. Colours are rich with intensity, blues especially, but all primaries fare well. Skin tones are perfectly natural, even in the dream state, and watch how the picture grade fades as the film progresses from bright to dark but retaining depth and focus – stunning.

Conclusion

As stunningly beautiful many of the visuals may be, Mulholland Drive would have been a very different film without Angelo Badalamenti's music score -- a striking blend of ambient and electronic tunes that give the film its unique pulse. It's worth noting that the majority of 'Mulholland Drive' was originally shot for television on a limited budget. Its photography has always looked a little cheap and hazy in comparison to some of Lynch's other films. Fortunately, it was composed with 16:9 HD broadcasts in mind, so the framing translates well enough to the 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio that has been preserved on this disc. In the end, all of it worked to Lynch’s advantage as Mulholland Drive was very well-received when it was released, earning him an Oscar nod for best director, but also putting Naomi Watts on the map. Fragmented or otherwise, it’s a great piece of work. 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. 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.