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

 

ADDITION: Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray (August 14'): The French DVD was transferred at around 1.62:1 and this Criterion Blu-ray is 1.85:1 showing more information on the side edges but losing some off the top. It improves in every visual area over the SD utilizing a new 2K digital restoration. Colors appear fuller and richer, skin tones look more natural and there is a sense of depth exported not present on the flat DVD. Grain textures are visible and I felt my viewing was like seeing the film for the first time with the improved 1080P resolution.

 

Predictably, Criterion stay authentic using a linear PCM mono track at 1152 kbps. It has a vérité scattering to it present in the original production and the score by Bo Harwood (The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, A Woman Under the Influence and Opening Night) has a depth and richness supporting the film beautifully via the lossless. There are optional English subtitles on the region 'A'-locked Blu-ray disc.

 

Criterion offer a new, 2014, audio commentary featuring writer Michael Ventura, author of Cassavetes Directs. It is filled with interesting facts about the director and Love Streams. There is also an excellent new video essay, produced by Criterion, on actor Gena Rowlands by film critic Sheila O’Malley running almost 25-minutes. It is entitled Watching Gena Rowlands - her acting career spans seven decades of television and film, and she has collaborated with such directors as Woody Allen, Jim Jarmusch, and Mira Nair. But it is her work with her late husband, John Cassavetes, that best showcases her virtuosic dramatic and comedic talents. This essay explores Rowland's performances in Cassavetes films with plenty of clips. A significant addition to the supplements is the 56-minute documentary “I’m Almost Not Crazy . . .”—John Cassavetes: The Man and His Work made in 1984 on the making of Love Streams. During production of Love Streams, writer Michael Ventura was hired by Cannon Films executive Menahem Golan to make a promotional documentary for the company's first John Cassavetes film, featuring interviews with Cassavetes, Golan, actors Rowlands and Seymour Cassel, co-writer ted Allan, composer Bo Harwood and other members of the cast and crew. There are also new, 2014, interviews with executive producer and director of photography Al Ruban, who collaborated with Cassavetes on eight of his films. This interviews runs almost 20-minutes. There is another with actor Diahnne Abbott for over 12-minutes recalling her work with the director on both the original stage production and the film of Love Streams. There is also an 11-minute excerpt from a 2008, Midnight Sun Film Festicval (in Finland) with Seymour Cassel. Lastly we have a trailer, 2 DVDs containing the feature and all the supplements of the Blu-ray plus a liner notes booklet featuring an essay by critic Dennis Lim and a 1984 New York Times piece on the film by Cassavetes.

 

This is one of the top releases of the year - with, some of the most complete extras. This is an easy must-own - for Rowlands performance alone - if not the stellar package. Our highest recommendation!

***

 

ON THE DVD: This can be purchased in the Boxset with Cassavetes "A Child is Waiting" or individually. Both have player generated French subtitles that are not forced on many standard players (my computer DVD player for example) or are easily removed.

This anamorphic image is quite good - sharp for the most part, close to the 1.66 original aspect ratio, bright, a little heavy, nice menus and some extras of note (in English). I wish the beautiful booklet included was also in English.

As this is only a few extra Euros to be purchased as the two-disc set we recommend buying that way as  Cassavetes "A Child is Waiting"  is not sold separately (or presently in Region 1).

Gary W. Tooze