In recognition of the just-announced 5.21 screening of a super-lustrous, digitally restored version of Joseph L. Mankiewicz‘s Cleopatra (’63) under the Cannes Classics program at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, here again is perhaps the greatest (and certainly the funniest) red-carpet interview of all time. Mankiewicz vs. Bert Parks, sardonic fatalism, “guillotine about to drop,” etc.
On 5.22 Cleopatra will open for a limited theatrical engagement in 200-plus theaters around the world, followed by the release of the American-market Bluray on 5.28. Here’s a month-old trailer showing off the new restoration.
Except it’s not new. As I pointed out last March, it’s roughly 15 months old. In early 2012 20th Century Fox’s UK video arm issued the exact same Cleopatra Bluray. The British Bluray was called a 50th anniversary edition when in fact it celebrated the film’s 49th year, as it opened theatrically on 6.12.63.
I said in my 2.5.12 review that “if you can somehow make yourself ignore the elephantine, glacially-paced, dialogue-driven nature and just focus on the lavish Todd-AO splendor and large-format clarity, it’s a nice high-def bath.”