Adam Sandler is an actor who many tend to associate with dumb comedy classics from the ’90s, but since then, he’s known for even less mature, repetitive comedies such as Grown Ups, or an unending stream of vaguely thematically different rom-coms like Just Go with It or 50 First Dates. Most of these (often painfully unfunny) movies are produced or written by Sandler himself. However, from time to time, Sandler places himself in the hands of other creatives, which often yields better results (The Meyerowitz Stories, Hustle, Spaceman). The actor won an Independent Spirit Award for his performance in Uncut Gems, but this is arguably not his best movie.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2002 drama Punch-Drunk Love is an incredibly quirky film which stars Sandler as Barry Egan, a socially awkward and chronically nervous businessman. The movie follows Barry through a series of bizarre adventures as he falls in love with his sister’s co-worker Lena (Emily Watson), interspersed with abstract visual art by Jeremy Blake. It’s certainly unlike any of Sandler’s other films, and his performance is extraordinary, earning him a Golden Globe nomination. The Criterion Collection’s new 4K release of this stellar picture will give fans the opportunity to see it in its highest quality yet, with an abundance of behind-the-scenes features.
A Film with Uniquely Stunning Visuals
It has become a tradition for the Criterion’s X page to post a clip from the film every year to mark PTA’s birthday. The scene between Barry and “Mattress Man” Dean (a phenomenal Philip Seymour Hoffman) is one of the most famous parts of the movie. While a lot of attention is directed towards the dialogue of the scene (and the film in general), this sequence is a great example of the carefully plotted lighting and positioning of characters against the background. Punch-Drunk Love is a stunningly shot film, and the new remaster will reveal just how creative the design elements are.
Also, one of the main draws of the 4K, HDR (high dynamic range) remaster of this movie will undoubtedly be for viewers to witness Jeremy Blake’s stunning surrealist imagery with a color depth and quality that has never before been available on home media. PTA’s choice to include these weird, trippy visuals in place of regular cross-fades gives the film a unique identity, always like a fairy tale, separating it from other rom-coms and grounding it in the mind of PTA himself, and the opportunity to witness this artwork in glorious 4K is difficult to resist.
A Whole Host of Special Features
One of the joys of Criterion releases is that they come with a huge range of behind-the-scenes looks and special features. Punch-Drunk Love is no exception. Included with the 4K disc is a regular Blu-ray version of the film (still presenting the new remaster, but in Full HD rather than 4K UHD). Also presented is Blossoms & Blood, a short film by PTA which was compiled of unused takes and alternative versions of scenes from Punch-Drunk Love, starring Sandler and Watson, alongside a range of deleted scenes.
Among the most exciting bonus material, however, is an extended interview with Jon Brion, the composer of the film (who also composed the music for Blossoms & Blood). Brion talks about a huge range of inspiration for both him and PTA, and what led to the rhythmic nature of the music featured within the film. The interview with Brion includes some genuinely hilarious anecdotes about his relationship and conversations with PTA, and goes wonderfully in-depth into the creative process. The disc also includes the film’s original Cannes press conference from 2002, which should be a treat. So if you want to see Sandler at his peak in the most vibrant way possible, pre-order Punch-Drunk Love now.
Release Date October 25, 2002
Tagline You can go to places in the world with pudding.
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