Ashes of Time Redux

This news is so old now, it's dusty. But it's a pretty big deal for me, and I realized I didn't mention it here. You can read more details here, but Wong-Kar Wai will be re-releasing his "action" movie from the 90's: Ashes of Time.


This film has been something of a holy grail for me. I fell for In The Mood For Love and 2046, and learned of Ashes of Time while diving into his earlier work. Unfortunately, the DVDs available for Ashes of Time look horrible. Like bad VHS. Like a dub of a bad VHS. But I don't have to worry about that now. The director has gone back and cleaned up the best surviving film elements, added some new music, and trimmed some fat. (The Redux is about 10 minutes shorter) After its debut at this past Cannes festival, Sony Picture Classics has picked it up and it will be released domestically in September. I'm a big fan of Christopher Doyle's (Wong-Kar Wai's long-time DP) work, and I'm honestly giddy about the prospect of seeing this cleaned up on a big screen. That's right: giddy.

Do you think it's possible this release is intended to soften the critical blow he received from his English language debut earlier this year: My Blueberry Nights?