Our Alex Williams has already put out a terrific review of Criterion’s new box set of Richard Linklater’s years-in-the-making trilogy, but it’s such a commanding piece of physical media that I felt it deserved a closer inspection on those terms. Here’s a tour of the full package!
The box set includes three digipaks individually housing the Blu-ray discs. The slip-box is open on the spine side, which is common for Criterion sets but unusual in general terms.
The set’s spine is numbered #856, but each of the individual films is numbered as well — #857–859.
The first film’s digipak is a bit thicker as it also houses the booklet.
The 34-page booklet is printed in full color and includes an essay by Dennis Lim entitled “Time Regained”, as well as technical notes about the masters.
Each film gets a Digipak case with its own cover treatment and artwork.
Feature details provided by Criterion—
DIRECTOR-APPROVED EDITION:
New, restored 2K digital transfers of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset and a 2K digital master of Before Midnight, approved by director Richard Linklater, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Before Sunrise Blu-ray and 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks on the Before Sunset and Before Midnight Blu-rays
New discussion featuring Linklater and actors Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, moderated by critic Kent Jones
Behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from the productions of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset
Audio commentary on Before Midnight by Delpy, Linklater, and Hawke
Richard Linklater: Dream Is Destiny, a feature-length 2016 documentary by Louis Black and Karen Bernstein
After Before, a new documentary by Athina Rachel Tsangari about the making of Before Midnight in Greece
New conversation between scholars Dave Johnson and Rob Stone about Linklater’s work
Episode of the radio program Fresh Air featuring host Terry Gross, Linklater, Delpy, and Hawke
Linklater // On Cinema & Time, a 2016 video essay by filmmaker :: kogonada
PLUS: An essay on the trilogy by critic Dennis Lim