Short Cuts

More than a decade after its theatrical release, Robert Altman's 1993 Short Cuts still retains its potent impact as a rich tapestry of contemporary life. It's also a marvel of literary adaptation, with nine of Raymond Carver's celebrated short stories (and one poem) serving as the basis for an epic yet intimate study of 22 different characters whose lives are curiously interwoven in modern Los Angeles (with the medfly epidemic serving as the film's only dated element). Hailed by critics and audiences alike (including Carver's widow, Tess Gallagher), the film relocates Carver's stories to the big city while retaining their unique voice and flavor, encompassing a wide spectrum of emotions and situations that speak volumes about the human condition, and featuring an incredible cast that includes Tim Robbins, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, Matthew Modine, and Julianne Moore. Criterion's exquisite double-disc DVD release--impeccably presented in a restored high-definition transfer--includes a 162-page book containing the Carver stories adapted in the film, as well as hours of supplemental material, including a feature-length "making of" documentary, an hour-long PBS special about Carver's life and work, a new 2004 conversation between Altman and Robbins, and a BBC-TV segment on the development of the screenplay. Highly recommended. (J. Shannon)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—Nov. 15, 2016—Criterion, 187 min., R, DVD: 2 discs, $29.95; Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1993's Short Cuts sports a great transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include the “Luck, Trust & Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country” making-of documentary (90 min.), the 1993 PBS production “To Write and Keep Kind” on author Raymond Carver (57 min.), a 1983 American Audio Prose Library interview with Carver (53 min.), a 2004 conversation between Altman and star Tim Robbins (29 min.), three music demos by Dr. John (11 min.), deleted scenes (5 min.), a marketing section (with advertisements, TV spots, and trailers), and an essay by film critic Michael Wilmington. Bottom line: an excellent edition of one of Altman's best late-career films.]