The Criterion Collection announced a diverse November lineup on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, including restorations of John Hughes’ teen drama “The Breakfast Club,” Reginald Hudlin’s hip-hop comedy “House Party” and Stanley Kubrick’s final film “Eyes Wide Shut.” The slate also features Werner Herzog’s making-of documentary “Burden of Dreams,” Luis Buñuel’s Mexican melodrama “Él,” Howard Hughes’ aviation epic “Hell’s Angels” and a major Eclipse box set dedicated to Abbas Kiarostami’s early work.
Hughes’ “The Breakfast Club” (1985) defined a generation of high school films with its mix of angst, comedy and unlikely camaraderie among five students in Saturday detention. The new edition features a 4K restoration, cast interviews with Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy, commentary from Anthony Michael Hall and Judd Nelson, and nearly an hour of deleted and extended scenes.
Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut,” starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, receives a 4K release of the international version. The edition includes interviews with cinematographer Larry Smith and Kubrick archivist Georgina Orgill, archival material with Christiane Kubrick, and documentaries exploring the director’s unfinished projects and legacy.
Hudlin’s 1990 debut “House Party” makes its Criterion bow, showcasing its place in early-’90s hip-hop culture with a director-approved restoration and new conversations with cast and crew. Extras include Hudlin’s original 1983 student short of the same name, a reunion with Kid ‘n Play and co-stars Tisha Campbell and AJ Johnson, and a video discussion with film scholar Racquel Gates.
Herzog’s obsession with pulling a 320-ton steamship over a mountain in “Fitzcarraldo” is chronicled in Les Blank’s 1982 documentary “Burden of Dreams,” which arrives in a new restoration supervised by filmmaker Harrod Blank. Supplements include Herzog’s short “Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe” and production journals from Blank and collaborator Maureen Gosling.
Buñuel’s “Él,” a 1953 surrealist melodrama about jealousy, paranoia and repression, is presented with a restoration supervised by the son of cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa. Bonus features include an appreciation from Guillermo del Toro and archival interviews with Buñuel.
Hughes’ 1930 aviation drama “Hell’s Angels” returns in a new 4K restoration of the Magnascope road-show version, highlighting its aerial sequences and featuring Jean Harlow’s star-making performance. The release includes interviews, outtakes and critical appreciations.
The Eclipse label expands in November with “Abbas Kiarostami: Early Shorts and Features,” compiling 20 works from 1970 to 1989. The collection traces Kiarostami’s beginnings at Tehran’s Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, including early shorts “Bread and Alley” and “Breaktime” and the features “Experience,” “The Traveler” and “Homework.”
All titles will be released throughout November on 4K UHD and Blu-ray.
