1023 The Cremator
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
- Location: SLC, UT
1023 The Cremator
The Cremator
Czechoslovak New Wave iconoclast Juraj Herz's terrifying, darkly comic vision of the horrors of totalitarian ideologies stars a supremely chilling Rudolf Hrušínský as the pathologically morbid Karel Kopfrkingl, a crematorium director in 1930s Prague who believes fervently that death offers the only true relief from human suffering. When he is recruited by the Nazis, Kopfrkingl's increasingly deranged worldview drives him to formulate his own shocking final solution. Blending the blackest of gallows humor with disorienting expressionistic flourishes—queasy point-of-view shots, distorting lenses, jarring quick cuts—the controversial, long-banned masterpiece The Cremator is one of cinema's most trenchant and disturbing portraits of the banality of evil.
SPECIAL FEATURES
• New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• High-definition digital transfer of The Junk Shop, director Juraj Herz's 1965 debut short film
• Short documentary from 2011 featuring Herz visiting filming locations and recalling the production of The Cremator
• New interview with film programmer Irena Kovarova about the style of the film
• Documentary from 2017 about composer Zdeněk Liška featuring Herz, filmmakers Jan Švankmajer and the Quay Brothers, and others
• Interview with actor Rudolf Hrušínský from 1993
• Trailer
• New English subtitle translation
• PLUS: An essay by scholar Jonathan Owen
Czechoslovak New Wave iconoclast Juraj Herz's terrifying, darkly comic vision of the horrors of totalitarian ideologies stars a supremely chilling Rudolf Hrušínský as the pathologically morbid Karel Kopfrkingl, a crematorium director in 1930s Prague who believes fervently that death offers the only true relief from human suffering. When he is recruited by the Nazis, Kopfrkingl's increasingly deranged worldview drives him to formulate his own shocking final solution. Blending the blackest of gallows humor with disorienting expressionistic flourishes—queasy point-of-view shots, distorting lenses, jarring quick cuts—the controversial, long-banned masterpiece The Cremator is one of cinema's most trenchant and disturbing portraits of the banality of evil.
SPECIAL FEATURES
• New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• High-definition digital transfer of The Junk Shop, director Juraj Herz's 1965 debut short film
• Short documentary from 2011 featuring Herz visiting filming locations and recalling the production of The Cremator
• New interview with film programmer Irena Kovarova about the style of the film
• Documentary from 2017 about composer Zdeněk Liška featuring Herz, filmmakers Jan Švankmajer and the Quay Brothers, and others
• Interview with actor Rudolf Hrušínský from 1993
• Trailer
• New English subtitle translation
• PLUS: An essay by scholar Jonathan Owen
- bainbridgezu
- Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:54 pm
Re: 1023 The Cremator
Glad this one didn't get relegated to an Eclipse set. Now if only they'd do right by Daisies--
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
Re: 1023 The Cremator
Really wish they’d stop wasting resources on all these region free Second Run blus— they’re really expanding the market to no one, they even sell the UK releases on US Amazon
- Jean-Luc Garbo
- Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 1:55 am
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Re: 1023 The Cremator
I have to agree but at least they included different extras from the Second Run.
- movielocke
- Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:44 am
Re: 1023 The Cremator
They're expanding the market to me. I've never really looked into what second run has released, I have too many items on my too watch list anyway. This was actually something I was going to get to on the channel in the next month or two anyway, but I'll happily buy the bluray.
- yoloswegmaster
- Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 3:57 pm
Re: 1023 The Cremator
Does anyone know if the Second Run bluray is sourced from the same 4K restoration? It doesn't specify on their website.
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
- Location: SLC, UT
Re: 1023 The Cremator
These two descriptions sound pretty different to me:
2017: "Presented from a new HD re-master and transfer from original materials held by the Czech National Film Archive"
2020: "4K restoration made possible by a donation from Mrs. Milada Kučerová and Mr. Eduard Kučera, and realized by Karlovy Vary IFF at the studios of UPP and Soundsquare, in cooperation with the Národní filmový archiv in Prague and the Czech Film Fund"
2017: "Presented from a new HD re-master and transfer from original materials held by the Czech National Film Archive"
2020: "4K restoration made possible by a donation from Mrs. Milada Kučerová and Mr. Eduard Kučera, and realized by Karlovy Vary IFF at the studios of UPP and Soundsquare, in cooperation with the Národní filmový archiv in Prague and the Czech Film Fund"
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- Joined: Wed May 01, 2013 1:27 pm
Re: 1023 The Cremator
Actually you might be onto something. I think SR might have released theirs before the new 4K restoration was done. So this might actually be worth double dipping on.swo17 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 15, 2020 5:55 pmThese two descriptions sound pretty different to me:
2017: "Presented from a new HD re-master and transfer from original materials held by the Czech National Film Archive"
2020: "4K restoration made possible by a donation from Mrs. Milada Kučerová and Mr. Eduard Kučera, and realized by Karlovy Vary IFF at the studios of UPP and Soundsquare, in cooperation with the Národní filmový archiv in Prague and the Czech Film Fund"
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
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- Location: SLC, UT
Re: 1023 The Cremator
The Liška doc also sounds tantalizing
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- Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2020 6:23 pm
Re: 1023 The Cremator
It is indeed a different version. You can see the comparison of Second Run Blu-ray and newly restored Czech BMP Blu-ray, that was released few months ago, on the DVDFreak website.swo17 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 15, 2020 5:55 pmThese two descriptions sound pretty different to me:
2017: "Presented from a new HD re-master and transfer from original materials held by the Czech National Film Archive"
2020: "4K restoration made possible by a donation from Mrs. Milada Kučerová and Mr. Eduard Kučera, and realized by Karlovy Vary IFF at the studios of UPP and Soundsquare, in cooperation with the Národní filmový archiv in Prague and the Czech Film Fund"
http://dvdfreak.cz/freak.php?p=spalovac ... hd&dz=0#00
- MichaelB
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1023 The Cremator
I’m buying it just for that. If the presentation of the film is better, that’s merely the cherry on top.swo17 wrote:The Liška doc also sounds tantalizing
See also Rosemary’s Baby with its accompanying doc on Krzysztof Komeda that was frankly good enough to release separately.
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- Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2017 5:35 am
Re: 1023 The Cremator
Hopefully Morgiana is with Criterion as well
- Randall Maysin
- Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2013 12:26 pm
Re: 1023 The Cremator
There is allegedly a commentary by the director for this film that exists, but if its not on this release maybe it doesn't really...?
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- Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2011 4:01 am
Re: 1023 The Cremator
The German release is quite good and it carries English subtitles.
- therewillbeblus
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:40 pm
Re: 1023 The Cremator
There is one by Kat Ellinger on the Second Run blu rayRandall Maysin wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:47 amThere is allegedly a commentary by the director for this film that exists, but if its not on this release maybe it doesn't really...?
- MichaelB
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Re: 1023 The Cremator
Unless I'm in for a truly whopping surprise, she didn't direct the film.
I mean, granted, Juraj Herz has the kind of imagination that might lead him to attempt a sex change and master not merely convincing British English but also a very distinctive regional accent, but on balance I'd say it's unlikely. Especially since I've met her more than once.
I mean, granted, Juraj Herz has the kind of imagination that might lead him to attempt a sex change and master not merely convincing British English but also a very distinctive regional accent, but on balance I'd say it's unlikely. Especially since I've met her more than once.
- therewillbeblus
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:40 pm
Re: 1023 The Cremator
Whoops I didn’t read that Randall said “by the director” so I meant there is a commentary that exists. This is what happens when I post before coffee
Your response made me laugh though so I’m glad I’m not too tired for that
Your response made me laugh though so I’m glad I’m not too tired for that
- MichaelB
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Re: 1023 The Cremator
I've just remembered that Herz was a regional accent coach once upon a time - but this was on The Shop on the High Street where one of his allotted tasks as assistant director was to get Polish actress Ida Kamińska to sound convincingly Slovak.
- impossiblefunky
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Re: 1023 The Cremator
Really wish this one had a commentary track. There are tons of great folks to ask for it - Kat Ellinger, Jonathan Owen, etc.
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
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Re: 1023 The Cremator
The region-free release from Second Run has one from Ellinger, as already mentioned in this thread
- Roscoe
- Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2014 3:40 pm
- Location: NYC
Re: 1023 The Cremator
Watched it on the Criterion Channel, and found some roughness in the picture and sound -- are they running the new restoration, or the old version?
- Roger Ryan
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 12:04 pm
- Location: A Midland town spread and darkened into a city
Re: 1023 The Cremator
Not only an "old version", but I'm fairly certain what's currently on the Criterion Channel is just upscaled SD.
Understandably, it's quite likely the new "2020 4K restoration" version was not ready when The Cremator was uploaded, but I wonder if this title will eventually be replaced on the Channel with the improved one? I was disappointed when watching Häxan only a couple of weeks ago that the streaming version is an old scan with the heavier tinting, and plenty of scratches and blemishes in the image. Similarly, the primary version of Harold Lloyd's The Kid Brother is an unrestored scan as well the last time I checked (However, the secondary version with the alternate organ score does feature the restored image!).
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Re: 1023 The Cremator
The Bildstörung release has the Herz commentary track (in German)...Randall Maysin wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:47 amThere is allegedly a commentary by the director for this film that exists, but if its not on this release maybe it doesn't really...?
- hearthesilence
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
- Location: NYC
Re: 1023 The Cremator
Looks like Criterion has a cleaner and brighter transfer that loses grain without losing detail...I kind of like that creamy look on Second Run's transfer though.