Criterion Announces Massive Wong War Wai Box Set

Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai is one of the world's most acclaimed filmmakers. His films don't always have a lot of dialogue, but always include big emotions, gorgeous images and powerful performances. The Criterion Collection has announced a massive box set of seven of his films, from his debut As Tears Go By, to his futuristic 2046.

The seven-disc set will include new 4K restorations of all the films. While this would ordinarily be cause for celebration, it's caused something of an uproar in the cinephile community, as the color timing on some films has been changed. Some scenes now look more realistic, giving some of the lush cinematography a look that's harsher and less dreamlike. An alternate version of Days of Being Wild, which has never been released on home video, is also included.

There will also be a ton of special features, including vintage and new Q&A's with the director, as well as several short films that have never been (legally) available in the U.S. before. An episode of the UK film discussion series Moving Pictures, as well as deleted scenes, documentaries, music videos and a deluxe book are also included.

World of Wong Kar Wai will be available on March 23.

About Kip Mooney

Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.