Fans such as myself never tire of watching Cher's Academy Award-winning performance in Moonstruck and the same can be said of British filmmaker Peter Greenaway's iconic legacy.
He brought performers like Helen Mirren to America's attention thanks to the shocking endeavor The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover. Patrons walked out of a theater in Tennessee clutching their pearls in 1989 when I first watched it.
Before that tasty movie meal there was The Draughtsman's Contract which was released in 1983 and is now remastered in 4K for its 40th anniversary. This murder mystery begins with a haunting contralto voice screeching to wake up the audience backed by a harpsichord.
Composer Michael Nyman provided the music for many of Greenaway's productions and went mainstream for the award-winning film The Piano. His repetitious melodies have haunted listeners for decades and this soundtrack is one of his early compositions.
The Guardian interviewed Nyman and can be seen on the disc as a special feature. Other extras include Greenaway speaking on his inspirations from school drawings to English history.
Longtime fans can explore Greenaway's gifts with this unique behind-the-scenes experience plus four short obscure films that are captured here by Kino Lorber. RuPaul's Drag Race has nothing on the character wigs displayed in this feature film by the way!
A Zed & Two Noughts/The Falls is now offered as a double-feature set from Greenaway, who describes lighting as a major influence on this project.