Description
With his provocative feature debut, twenty-six-year-old Steven Soderbergh trained his focus on the complexities of human intimacy and deception in the modern age. Housewife Ann (Andie MacDowell) feels distant from her lawyer husband, John (Peter Gallagher), who is sleeping with her sister, Cynthia (Laura San Giacomo). When John’s old friend Graham (a magnetic, Cannes-award-winning James Spader) comes to town, Ann is drawn to the soft-spoken outsider, eventually uncovering his startling private obsession: videotaping women as they confess their deepest desires. A piercingly intelligent and flawlessly performed chamber piece, in which the video camera becomes a charged metaphor for the characters’ isolation, the Palme d’Or–winning sex, lies, and videotape changed the landscape of American film, helping pave the way for the thriving independent scene of the 1990s.
FILM INFO
Steven Soderbergh
United States
1989
100 minutes
Color
1.85:1
English
Spine #938
DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
New, restored 4K digital transfer, with new 5.1 surround mix from the original sound elements, supervised by director Steven Soderbergh
Audio commentary from 1998 featuring Soderbergh in conversation with filmmaker Neil LaBute
New introduction by Soderbergh
Interviews with Soderbergh from 1990 and 1992
New documentary about the making of the film, featuring actors Peter Gallagher, Andie MacDowell, and Laura San Giacomo
Interview from 1989 with actor James Spader
New conversation between sound editor/re-recording mixer Larry Blake and composer Cliff Martinez
Deleted scene with commentary by Soderbergh
Demonstration of sound restorations through the years
Trailers
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by critic Amy Taubin and (Blu-ray only) excerpts from Soderbergh’s 1990 book about the film
Criterion Collection:
Since 1984, the Criterion Collection has been dedicated to publishing important classic and contemporary films from around the world in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. No matter the medium—from laserdisc to DVD and Blu-ray to streaming—Criterion has maintained its pioneering commitment to presenting each film as its maker would want it seen, in state-of-the-art restorations with special features designed to encourage repeated watching and deepen the viewer’s appreciation of the art of film.
ALL PRODUCTS ARE ORDERED FROM THE SUPPLIER ON ORDER CONFIRMATION.
