Paramount Home Entertainment’s “Paramount Presents” series showcasing their celebrated classics has become kind of their own version of The Criterion Collection in that the releases are all numbered on the spine. They feature premium cardboard slips with gatefolds that show the original one-sheet artwork, actual pictures on the discs themselves that look much nicer than the laser burned images some other distributors employ on their Blu-ray and DVD releases as well as feature lots of extra value premium content that is exhaustive, but never exhausting. Chinatown is no different as it includes a new 4K Ultra High Definition 2160p widescreen presentation complete with an audio commentary and multiple language and subtitle options to boot. In addition there is an insert containing a limited time only code to add a free digital copy to stream anywhere on any device that offers the Fandango app or website access to the streaming platform. While I prefer i’Tunes over other digital copy sellers, it is still nice to have a free digital copy included within the mix. In addition a bonus Blu-ray Disc containing a 1080p Full HD presentation of the 1990 sequel, The Two Jakes, which was directed by Jack Nicholson in collaboration with Chinatown scribe Robert Towne as was produced by Robert Evan’s, a producer who put auteurs first as can been in miniseries like The Offer, which chronicles the making of The Godfather. In short this is a dynamite combination with two films for the price of one, a brand new 4K presentation of Chinatown and bonus content to boot.
Yes it’s true, Chinatown looks amazing on 4K Blu-ray Disc and can be appreciated when comparing the 1080p High Defintion clips found in the documentaries and featurettes included on the BD. Chinatown also features an immersive English Dolby True HD 5.1 Soundtrack that is complimented by a choice between a restored English Mono Dolby Digital Soundtrack as well as Germain, Spanish, French, Italian Dolby Digital Mono Tracks too. There are even English Subtitles for the feature length audio commentary with Writer Robert Towne and Director David Fincher, who is an admirer of the film. Collectively you have English Captions and Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired along with Dansk, German, Spanish, French, Italian Japanese, Korean, Netherlands, Norwegian, Suomi, and Sevenska subtitles encoded onto the 4K Blu-ray Disc as options.
The documentaries and featurettes include A State Of Mind: Sam Wassen on Chinatown (15:57), The Futility Of Good Intentions, Chinatown Memories (5:43) and The Trilogy That Never Was (2:07). It is interesting to note the elemental nature of what the trilogy would have been about with the first film dealing with water and power, the second focusing on oil and land and the unproduced final installment highlighting the air quality in 1960s’ Los Angeles. Each film following Gittes through the different stages of his life showcased from the 1930s, 50s and 60s. Unfortunately despite the best attempts to get the other films off the ground, Jack Nicholson ultimately had to step in himself to direct The Two Jakes, which was not a commercial success and is rather dull in comparison to Chinatown thus in of itself highlighting by the example “the futility of good intentions.”
Through individual portions or seen as a whole using the “Play All” feature (1:17:45) there is a documentary featuring Robert Towne visiting the places that inspired his screenplay, Chinatown. Filmmakers Steven Soderbergh, James Newton Howards, Kimberly Pierce and Roger Deakins discuss their appreciation of Chinatown in a featurette (26:23) while Roman Polanski Jack Nicholson, Robert Evans and Robert Towne share their retrospective insights in Chinatown: The Beginning of the End (19:26), Chinatown Filming (25:33) and Robert Evans: The Legacy (936). I found it interesting to note that of all the feature films Roman Polanski directed, only Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown were made in the USA. Both films are also Paramount releases on 4K Blu-ray. The theatrical trailer (3:17) wraps up the bonus content on the 4K Blu-ray Disc. The Two Jakes features a DTS HD Audio track with Caption and Subtitle options while both discs feature standard interactive still frame choices that are easy to navigate.
Chinatown: Paramount Presents 2-Disc Set #45 is available now at retailers on and offline and is a worthwhile addition to any Chinatown fans collection.
(C) Copyright 2024 By Mark A. Rivera
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