Beyond worth it!
"The 4k looks gorgeous, the special features are excellent. We get commentaries on both cuts along with a BUNCH of special features, all housed in a beautiful mediabook. Highly recommend."
Details
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This special limited edition J-card MediaBook slipcase (designed by Murugiah) is limited to 4,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them. (Note: this Limited Edition includes a 40 page booklet)
Note: this release is available to be purchased on its own, or bundled with a Cinématographe Disco T-Shirt, ranging in sizes from SM - 3XL. This Limited Edition Slipcase + Disco Shirt bundle is limited to 100 units. (Sold Out)
Taking its name from the Lumière Brothers invention of the same name, Cinématographe is a new sub-label from Vinegar Syndrome that seeks to fill gaps in the canon of American cinema. Offering a mix of auteur driven studio films produced during the New Hollywood era of the late 1960s and 70s all the way through the indie boom of the 1980s and 90s, Cinématographe will explore the wide breadth of American moviemaking, spanning numerous genres and scales of production. Curated and produced by Vinegar Syndrome's Justin LaLiberty, each limited edition release will be housed in a specially designed, cloth-bound, media book with embossed foil titles and custom molded disc trays accompanied by a slipcase featuring newly commissioned art and an individually numbered J-card.
New York City, 1979: working class Jersey City teenager Shane (Ryan Phillippe, Cruel Intentions) becomes infatuated with Studio 54, a lavish Manhattan nightclub known for decadence. Shane’s time at 54 introduces him to a cast of characters including real life nightclub owner Steve Rubell (Mike Myers, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery), busboy Greg (Breckin Meyer, Clueless), coat checker Anita (Salma Hayek, Traffic), and actress Julie (Neve Campbell, Scream).
Written and directed by Mark Christopher, 54 was originally heavily re-shot ahead of its theatrical release in 1998 before being re-assembled in a long awaited director’s cut in 2015, with over forty minutes of different footage used. Anchored by an impressive, star-making, performance from Ryan Phillippe along with a bombastic, period appropriate soundtrack, 54 is an essential ode to old New York that’s ripe for re-discovery. Cinématographe is proud to present the definitive release of 54, including a new 4K restoration of the 1998 theatrical version (on both the 4K and blu-ray discs) as well as the 2015 director’s cut (blu-ray disc only), offering an exemplary case study in how drastically different a film can be between two different edits.
directed by: Mark Christopher
starring: Ryan Phillippe, Mike Myers, Salma Hayek, Breckin Meyer, Neve Campbell, Sela Ward
1998 / 93 min/106 min / 1.85:1 / English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Additional info:
- 3-Disc Set: 4K Ultra HD + Region A Blu-ray x 2
- Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative
- 4K UHD presented in Dolby Vision High-Dynamic-Range
- New audio commentaries with writer/director Mark Christopher, moderated by Cinématographe's Justin LaLiberty, on both cuts of the film
- New audio commentary with filmmaker and writer Drew Burnett Gregory on the theatrical cut
- Archival audio commentary with Mark Christopher and director of photography Alexander Gruszynski on the director's cut
- I'm Dead - a new video interview with Mark Christopher
- Nothing Is for Certain - a new video interview with editor Lee Percy
- 54-ness - a new video interview with producer Dolly Hall
- Awesome Party - a new video interview with associate producer Jonathan King
- Let's Do the Work - a new video interview with director's cut editor David Kittredge
- In the Trenches Together - a new video interview with Alexander Gruszynski
- Finding Yourself - a new video essay by film historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
- If You Could Read My Mind...The Making of 54: The Director's Cut - an archival featurette from 2016
- Deleted Scenes - including footage not found in the director's cut
- Never before seen B-roll from the production
- BTS photo gallery
- Photo galleries from festival premieres and the director's cut re-release in France
- BTS footage from the director's cut mixing sessions
- New text essays by writer Sean Abley, author of Queer Horror: A Film Guide; film programmer Alex Gootter and Dan Mecca, editor of The Film Stage
- English SDH subtitles
Overall rating: 4.7777777 / 5 from 63 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
This limited edition release of the film '54' includes a new 4K restoration and the director's cut on Blu-ray. It features a fantastic soundtrack, numerous extras, and interviews with the filmmakers. The slipcase is limited to 4,000 units and includes a 40-page booklet.
Summary topics
- Release Quality (36%): Many customers expressed satisfaction with the release, stating it was brilliant, excellent, and packed with extras.
- Film Quality (25%): Based on a significant number of customers, the movie is highly praised for its great looking and fantastic soundtrack.
Review topics: [looks, packaging, design, release, case, movie, transfer, film, cut, edition, restoration, interviews, story, features, artwork, presentation].
Review highlights
- "Great movie 4k looks good case is great" —
- "Great looking movie with a fantastic soundtrack." —
- "The 4k looks gorgeous, the special features are excellent." —
Reviews
An almost there special edition
"Look, its a lavish limited edition, that just can’t live up to the disc content. The theatrical 4K is fine, but having to work done to incorporate better transfer elements was a majestic waste of time. The Dir cut looks like trash. This release should’ve been skipped and let someone else handle it that could have brought that Dir Cut back to life."
Extras heavy release!
"An absolutely superb release. . . so many extras and analysis of this troubled film. Shame the elements for the superior director's cut preclude it from a 4K release, but this movie has never looked better."
A must for "54" fans
"As is the case with every Vinegar Syndrome release, I've never seen this movie look this good til now. The 4K is outstanding (it's like you now have your own film print) and the addition of standard copies of the director's cut & theatrical cut are hugely appreciated. Special features are plentiful and the shipping speed was unbelievable (considering I'm in New Zealand). Couldn't be happier with this purchase."
54
"The packaging and the overall edition is superb as is always with Cinematographe. It’s really good to have the director’s cut in the pack (be advised that the extra shots are VHS quality but these were the surviving elements). Extras are amazing as is the audio commentary. The film itself is a little messy at times but it is enjoyable and Mike Myers is Oscar worthy in it. Best he’s ever done."
54 Still Sucks, but now in 4K
"This movie has always been problematic. Every time I see it, I wonder if I will at least appreciate it. This couldve been the Goodfellas of seedy club movies, but alas…a man can dream. Film looks great on disc!"
Mike Myers can actually act?
"I am unfamiliar with the theatrical version of this movie because in 1998 I was 13 and this did not interest me then when I started diving deeper into film, I avoided it because it had a bad reputation as a shitty wannabe Boogie Nights. Well, I grabbed the recent Cinématographe release because they haven't steered me wrong to many times and decided to check out the director's cut. Apparently it adds back in all the gay/bi stuff (this movie would've felt like such a chop job with all that removed) and removes narration (hey, Hollywood, stop forcing filmmakers to add narration because you're too stupid to understand what you're swwing). I really enjoyed this. It doesn't have the same heart as Boogie Nights, but Mark Chriatopher is also not Paul Thomas Anderson. The end left some stuff to be desired and some of the script and story definitely could've been more fleshed out (pun intended), but the set design, the characters and many of the performances are pretty great. I wonder why Mike Myers decided to stop attempting actual acting like this and just stuck with being loud and obnoxious?"
Technically an excellent release across
"Technically an excellent release across the board with a stunning 4k transfer of the theatrical cut, four audio commentaries and a huge amount of new extras. Clearly a lot of work went into this except for the directors cut, which is the one cut that matters most. Unfortunately this is still the exact same old master made in 2015 with no new work put into it. They should have used the new 4K transfer whenever possible and filled in the rest from the best surviving tapes. A real shame and missed opportunity for this great film."
Fantastic!
"What a great release. I had not seen this one in years and cinematograph have put together a fantastic release for this one. The only thing I was a tiny bit disappointed with was the artwork."
54
"I've been waiting forever for a boutique release of this film with both versions. Amazing picture and sound quality"