By MICHAEL GINGOLD
The new 4K digital restoration of George A. Romero’s classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD that has been making the special-screening rounds has now been dated and detailed as a Criterion Collection Blu-ray and DVD release, and so has a 4K restoration of Jonathan Demme’s serial-killer smash THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Read on for all the info and the cover art.
Both titles will be released February 13; NIGHT will be issued in 2-Blu-ray and 3-DVD sets, while SILENCE will come in 2-Blu-ray and 2-DVD editions. The upgraded transfer of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD will be presented in the original 1.37:1 aspect ratio with newly restored monaural audio, while SILENCE will be presented in 1.85:1 widescreen with DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Surround Master Audio. Special features on NIGHT include commentaries dating back to the original 1994 Elite Entertainment laserdisc plus a bunch of new supplements, while SILENCE will be a similar mix of old (including a long-out-of-print Criterion commentary) and fresh material. The full lineups:
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
- NIGHT OF ANUBIS, a never-before-presented workprint edit of the film
- New program featuring filmmakers Frank Darabont, Guillermo del Toro and Robert Rodriguez
- Never-before-seen 16mm dailies reel
- New piece featuring scripter John Russo about the commercial and industrial-film production company where key NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD filmmakers got their start
- Two audio commentaries from 1994, featuring Romero, Russo, producer Karl Hardman, actor Judith O’Dea and more
- Archival interviews with Romero and actors Duane Jones and Judith Ridley
- New programs about the editing, the score and directing ghouls
- New interviews with Gary R. Streiner and Russel W. Streiner
- Trailer, radio spots and TV spots
- More!
- PLUS: An essay by critic Stuart Klawans
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
- Audio commentary from 1994 featuring director Jonathan Demme, actors Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, screenwriter Ted Tally and former FBI agent John Douglas
- New interview with critic Maitland McDonagh
- 35 minutes of deleted scenes
- Interview from 2005 with Demme and Foster
- INSIDE THE LABYRINTH, a 2001 documentary
- “Page to Screen,” a 2002 program about the adaptation
- “Scoring THE SILENCE,” a 2004 interview program featuring composer Howard Shore
- “Understanding the Madness,” a 2008 program featuring interviews with retired FBI special agents
- Original behind-the-scenes featurette
- Trailer
- PLUS: An essay by critic Amy Taubin along with, in the Blu-ray edition, a new introduction by Foster; an account of the origins of the Hannibal Lecter character by author Thomas Harris; and a 1991 interview with Demme
Retail prices are $39.95 each for the NIGHT Blu-ray and DVD sets, $39.95 for the SILENCE Blu-ray set and $29.95 for the SILENCE DVD set.
In my opinion, Night of the Living Dead has more than earned itself a spot in the Criterion family. I’m very interested in getting this criterion edition to see how the grainy release benefits from the 4k remaster and restored audio track. Plus the usual Criterion goodies!