Why So Blu?

Brandon’s Blu-ray Wishlist – May 1, 2014

I’m back!  I took last week off, but to make up for it, I’m coming at you with 2 movies that aren’t on Blu-ray today!  And for the month of May, to kick off summer movie season I’m going to be doing double features each week (I may have another off week as my second child is due at the end of the month).  Summer movies are usually loaded with film franchises and with that comes plenty of sequels sequels sequels.  So, my focus is going to be on film franchises that aren’t complete on Blu-ray.  The ones missing some of their sequels and bugging us OCD collectors looking at our shelves and seeing numbers that just don’t count up right.  If you’re a Why So Blu reader, you probably know exactly what I mean.  Without further adieu, let’s get started with this Special Edition month of Brandon’s Blu-ray Wishlist!

Before Sunrise (1995)

Before Sunset (2004)

Last year we got the conclusion to Richard Linklater’s romantic trilogy starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke about a chance meeting between two people on a train that wound up in the ultimate connection.  I thought for sure with that new film coming out that a Blu-ray set or individual Blu-rays of the first two movies would arrive in time for Before Midnight’s theatrical release.  You gotta brush up before the new one right?  Especially since there’s nine years between each of them.  No?  Okay, then sure when Before Midnight came out on Blu-ray, right?  No again???  Well, time has come and passed and these two both remain on the shelf and now the series has missed the train on its being fresh in public conscience (from a selling point).  These are some rather simplistic, yet incredibly deep and engaging movies and one of the greatest romances every captured on film.

The films center around Jesse and Celine, two strangers who meet on a train in Budapest.  Jesse is on his to Vienna to catch a plane back home to the United States, while Celine is returning to school in Paris.  Jesse convinces Celine to disembark with him in Vienna and just spend every moment they can hanging out until he has to catch his plane.  The whole first film is literally the two walking around Vienna and discussing philosophies on life and love.  Its incredible how well paced and strong the film is when it is really just one big and long conversation.  We’ve given 90s writer/directors Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith so much credit for dialogue driven movies that they’ve made, but I think Richard Linklater deserves a mass amount of credit for this one movie alone.

But he didn’t just do it once, he did it three times really.  The second film takes place nine years after the first film where our “magical moment” of the two’s plan to meet again with no contact had failed and both had moved on with their lives.  They meet when Celine goes to see Jesse who is in Paris as an author whose success have dealt with chronicling their day in the past.  This one plays out in real time as Jesse has a plane to catch in little over an hour.  Both are currently in relationships, Jesse married with a son and Celine has a boyfriend.  Through their conversations they are very revealing as to how they are unsatisfied in their relationships, maybe pining for the “what if” on their previous meeting, but have stayed with their significant others out of excuses and not knowing what else.

These films would look terrific on Blu-ray.  They take place in European cities that I think would just pop and look gorgeous in high definition.  Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy just have a CRAZY amount of chemistry in these movies and play off each other so damn well.  I think they are one of the greatest screen couples of all time, and argument could possible made that they are the best ever.  I’m sure all the parties involved in the films would be happy to participate in interviews, commentaries and retrospective pieces on the films for bonus materials.  These films also were met with much critical praise and I think wouldn’t sell like hotcakes, but would sell decently enough to warrant their release.  These both come from the studio that is the king of holding back on the titles the hardcore Blu-ray fans want, Warner Bros!  Gimme a box set, WB!  How about an upgrade of your double feature Blu-ray?  Warner Bros has just started adding Blu-ray to their press on-demand services called Warner Archive.  If sales concerns are an issue, I think these two films would make for a successful adventure there.  Granted, it would likely sacrifice any chance at new bonus material, but the films themselves are first and foremost important.  And c’mon, you know you feel a little empty staring at your Blu-rays and only seeing Before Midnight planted in there!