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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

directed by David Cronenberg
Canada 1991

Exterminate all rational thought.Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs’ hallucinatory, “unfilmable” novel is finally realized on-screen by director David Cronenberg. Part-time exterminator and full-time drug addict Bill Lee (Peter Weller) plunges into the nightmarish netherworld of the Interzone, pursuing a mysterious project that leads him to confront sinister cabals and giant talking bugs. The fruit of an unholy union between two masters of the hilarious and the macabre, Naked Lunch mingles aspects of Burroughs’ novel with incidents from his own life, resulting in a compendium of paranoid fantasies and a searching investigation into the mysteries of the writing process.

Posters

Theatrical Release: December 27th, 1991 - USA (limited)

Reviews                    More Reviews                     DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Optimum - Region 2- PAL vs. Criterion (2 disc) -  Region 0 - NTSC vs. GCTHV (2 disc) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Vincent BOUCHÉ for the GCTHV DVD Screen caps and Henrik Sylow for the Optimum Releasing DVD Captures!!

Box Covers

 

 

    

Coming to 4K UHD from Arrow in the UK in April 2023:

Distribution

Optimum Releasing

Region 2- PAL

Criterion Collection - Spine # 220

Region 0  - NTSC

Gaumont - Columbia Tri-Star Home Video Region 2 - PAL Criterion Collection - Spine # 220  - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:50:24 (4% PAL speedup) 1:55:24  1:50:28 (4% PAL speedup) 1:55:40.350
Video

1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.13 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio 

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 7.56 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 8.87 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 47,177,079,437 bytes

Feature: 32,635,883,520 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 33.40 Mbps

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate:

Optimum

Bitrate:

Criterion

 

Bitrate:

 

GCTHV

 

Bitrate:

 

Blu-ray

 

Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)  English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) 

English DD2.0 Surround and DUB: French DD2.0 Surround

DTS-HD Master Audio English 2072 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2072 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles English, and none English, and none French, and none English, and none
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Optimum Releasing
 

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1



Edition Details:
° Audio commentary by David Cronenberg (port from Criterion, commentary by Peter Weller no present)
° Naked Making Lunch, a London Weekend Television documentary about the making of the film, directed by Chris Rodley (48:51)
Interview with producer Jeremy Thomas (21:25)
° Original theatrical trailer (1:28)
Photo gallery
° Other releases: Trailers for 'American Splendor', 'Elephant' and 'Roger Dodger'

DVD Release Date: July 26th, 2004
Keep case
Chapters 20

Release Information:
Studio: Criterion

Aspect Ratio:
Original aspect Ratio 1.78:1

Edition Details:

  • Audio commentary by Cronenberg and actor Peter Weller 

  • Naked Making Lunch, a London Weekend Television documentary about the making of the film, directed by Chris Rodley 

  • Illustrated essay about the special effects in Naked Lunch by the editor of Cinefex magazine, Jody Duncan, featuring artifacts from Cronenberg's archive 

  • Film stills gallery 

  • A collection of original marketing materials 

  • William S. Burroughs' audio recording of excerpts from Naked Lunch 

  • A collection of archival stills of William S. Burroughs from the Allen Ginsberg Trust 

  • 32-page booklet featuring essays by film critic Janet Maslin, Chris Rodley, Gary Indiana, and a piece by William S. Burroughs 

DVD Release Date: November 11th, 2003
Double Keep Case
Chapters: 23

Release Information:
Studio: GCTHV
 

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1



Edition Details:
• Audio commentary from director David Cronenberg
• Interview with Serge Grünberg (French only)
• The Directors : David Cronenberg documentary
• David Cronenberg filmography
• Interview with David Cronenberg and Howard Shore
• This is a 2-disc set

DVD Release Date: March 18, 2003
Double amaray
Chapters 12

Release Information:
Studio: Criterion

Aspect Ratio:
Original aspect Ratio 1.78:1

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 47,177,079,437 bytes

Feature: 32,635,883,520 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 33.40 Mbps

Edition Details:

  • Audio commentary by Cronenberg and actor Peter Weller 

  • Naked Making Lunch, a London Weekend Television documentary about the making of the film, directed by Chris Rodley (48:55)

  • Special effects gallery, featuring artwork and photos alongside an essay by film writer Jody Duncan
    Collection of original marketing materials

  • Film stills gallery 

  • A collection of original marketing materials (Trailer, B-Roll, Featurette, TV Spots)

  • William S. Burroughs' audio recording of excerpts from Naked Lunch (1:03:05)

  • A collection of archival stills of William S. Burroughs from the Allen Ginsberg Trust 

  • 32-page booklet featuring reprinted pieces by film critic Janet Maslin, critic and novelist Gary Indiana, filmmaker and writer Chris Rodley, and Burroughs 

Blu-ray Release Date: April 8th, 2013
Transparent
Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 23

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion Region 'A' Blu-ray - (March 2013) - I think the 1080P improvement is quite impressive from the Criterion DVD of nearly a decade ago. Colors are tighter, detail rises, contrast is nicely layered. It even show a sense of depth. All good in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio. It still has the 'transfer approved by director David Cronenberg ' endorsement.

Audio comes in a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel stereo at 2072 kbps. It exports the dialogue and effects with some punch. The high-end is noticeably superior to the SD standard Dolby. There are optional English subtitles and the disc is region 'A'-locked.

Supplements duplicate Criterion's older DVD with the commentary, Making of etc.

What I did note was that the effects appear much more 'graphic' in the higher resolution - pretty gross at times. I don't think I appreciated the film's 'weirdness' any more in HD (although it is certainly more 'film-like') but just seeing it again had me reconsidering my opinion of the narrative. Really this is quite a unique viewing expereinece. Recommended!  

***

ON THE DVDs: Okay, apologies for the earlier GCTHV caps being out of ratio - our contributor had his Capture setting software setup incorrect. Big thanks to Henrik for also sending us the Optimum Releasing captures. Now we can see there is not a lot of differences between all three, but lets take a closer look.

Colors are different on the GCTHV and the other 2 editions. The Optimum is hazy and has the same reddish skin tones as the Criterion (I suspect the same D1 Master). The Criterion is cropped slightly in comparison to the other 2. I am going with the Gaumont as the best image as it appears slightly sharper and the colors appear more true to me. I like the softer palette.

 - Gary W. Tooze


Menus

(Optimum Releasing - Region 2- PAL LEFT vs. Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. GCTHV - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)


 

Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 


 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Screen Captures

 

1) Optimum Releasing - Region 2- PAL TOP

2) Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND

3) GCTHV - Region 2 - PAL - THIRD

4) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM


1) Optimum Releasing - Region 2- PAL TOP

2) Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND

3) GCTHV - Region 2 - PAL - THIRD

4) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Optimum Releasing - Region 2- PAL TOP

2) Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND

3) GCTHV - Region 2 - PAL - THIRD

4) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM


1) Optimum Releasing - Region 2- PAL TOP

2) Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND

3) GCTHV - Region 2 - PAL - THIRD

4) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM


1) Optimum Releasing - Region 2- PAL TOP

2) Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND

3) GCTHV - Region 2 - PAL - THIRD

4) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
 

More Blu-ray Captures


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Report Card:

 

Image:

Blu-ray

Sound:

Blu-ray

Extras:

Criterion Blu-ray

 

Box Covers

 

 

    

Coming to 4K UHD from Arrow in the UK in April 2023:

Distribution

Optimum Releasing

Region 2- PAL

Criterion Collection - Spine # 220

Region 0  - NTSC

Gaumont - Columbia Tri-Star Home Video Region 2 - PAL Criterion Collection - Spine # 220  - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gary Tooze

Many Thanks...