Criterion in April 2025: ANORA, CHUNGKING EXPRESS, UGETSU

The Criterion Collection's recent announcement of its April 2025 slate stirred up controversy across social networks and the internet at large, due entirely to the eye-catching cover of Sean Baker's Anora (2024), a tip of the hat to a pose captured in an image for Jess Franco's Vampyros Lesbos (1971).

Be that as it may, my personal reaction centered entirely around the forthcoming release of Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express (1994), a film that electrified me when I first saw it in the late 90s on videotape, and then again on DVD, and then again on a film print at the Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles a few years later. Featuring a "4K digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, both supervised and approved by director Wong Kar Wai," this is a must-buy in my book, capturing the smoky greatness of Brigitte Lin, the smooth moves of Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Takeshi Kaneshiro, the heartbreaking Valerie Chow, and the pixie greatness of Faye Wong.

As to Anora, yes, that certainly grabbed the deadline, and deservedly so, especially since it will arrive in 4K, yet the April slate also includes director Sean Baker's 2008 effort, Prince of Broadway, packed with extras on its Blu-ray. Sounds like a perfect pairing.

Asian cinema fans can also rejoice with the release of Kenji Mizoguchi's ghost story, Ugetsu (1953), described by Criterion thusly: "Moving between the terrestrial and the otherworldly, Ugetsu reveals essential truths about the ravages of war, the plight of women, and the pride of men." And it's in 4K!

I know our Criterion reviewing team is also excited about the forthcoming release of Billy Wilder's classic Some Like It Hot (1959) in 4K, Julian Schnabel's Basquiat (1996) in 4K, and two fine pastoral films from French director Claude Berri: Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring, available in a 4K combo-pack.

Visit The Criterion Collection to see all the details and make your buying decisions.