Heavenly Creatures DVD

Heavenly Creatures still



Heavenly Creatures - 1994



Wingnut Films/Fontana Film Productions - 98-108 min.
DVD UPC # 717951002976; 9398520268033; 065935136866; 743219337092; 8713045206574; 8717249476771
065935839521(Blu-ray); 5060018658032(Blu-ray)

Cast: Melanie Lynsky, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse, Diana Kent, Clive Merrison, Simon O'Connor.
Writers: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh; Production Design: Grant Major; Director of Photography: Alun Bollinger; Editor: Jamie Selkirk; Music: Peter Dasent; Producer: Jim Booth; Director: Peter Jackson.
A presentation of one of New Zealand's most notable murder cases involving two teenage schoolgirls who murdered one of their mothers. The two girls meet at school after one has arrived with her parents from England, and quickly develop a close, and sexual, relationship, which includes a shared fantasy world. When obstacles to their friendship are presented, by the mother, they see eliminating her as the solution. Excellent production values and photography. Additionally, unique special effects by the Peter Jackson crew brought this film to International attention and rave reviews. Highly recommended.

Censor Rating: PG - Review rating: A-

AVAILABILITY OF VHS OR DVD COPIES

New VHS PAL copies are available from the UK for about 6#. New VHS NTSC copies are available from numerous U.S. and Canadian sources from $10 - $15us. Used NTSC copies can be found for under $10us. As of Feb. 2010, Aro Video was selling vhs pal for $10nz.
New R1 NTSC DVD are available for about $8us. R2 copies are about 12Eur. New R4 PAL DVD are available for about $20nz or $15au. Depending upon from which distributor or country the disc originates, the presentation may be either the original 2.35:1 or a 1.85:1 or even a 1.33:1 format. Most soundtracks are 2.0 surround dolby digital, but a couple are 5.1 dolby digital and in one case, a 5.1 DTS. Compare the technical differences at the DVD Compare site linked below.
A Region A Blu-ray offering was released 7 September, 2010, selling for $15-20us single disc and a 2-disc Special Edition for $25-30us. Unfortunately, it is 1080i with 2.0 dolby digital English and French audio options and no subtitles; to add insult to injury, it is presented 1.78:1.
Starting 12 September, 2011, a re-mastered 1080p Blu-ray and a re-mastered dvd was issued from the UK. Although it is the shorter (99 minute) version, it is in the original 2.35:1 format with a dolby digital 2.0 English soundtrack and no subtitles. The Blu-ray contains a 30 minute extra: "Looking Back"; a discussion between Kim Newman, Rosie fletcher and Alan Jones, interspersed with film clips. A similiar Blu-ray release is scheduled in the U.S. starting 13 December, 2011, with details forthcoming.

DealOZ North American price comparison site

Netflix Streaming to a PC, Mac, TV or other device


SOUNDTRACK ON AUDIO CD

Click for Heavenly Creatures Soundtrack CD Details


REVIEWS

Scary Minds Review

Reviews at Flicks.co.nz

L.K. Weston's UK Blu-ray Review

New Zealand Film Archive Info and Reviews

Roger Ebert Review

SusiDee Review

Moria Review

Dominic Corry review at TVNZ

DVD Compare's Review

Lumiere Review

North & South Review

All Movie Guide Review

Movie Review Query - 62 articles

Four Word Film Review

"While there is some morphing and a whole range of special effects in Heavenly Creatures, it's not a special- effects movie. Certainly the other films I've made have been effects films and everybody talks about the effects in them. But I imagine most reviews of Heavenly Creatures won't even mention the effects. They are not that ostentatious or prominent. Most people won't even realise they are effects" - (Peter Jackson in, Cinema Papers, April 1994)

OFFLINE REVIEW SOURCES

Bulletin, v.116no.5955(Jan.24/31 1995)
Cinema papers, no.103(Mar.1995)
Guardian weekly, v.152no.8(Feb.19 1995)
Illusions, no.26(winter 1997)
Listener, v.145no.2844(Oct.15 1994)
New statesman & society, 10 Feb., 1995
New Yorker, Nov.21, 1994
New Zealand herald, Oct.14, 1994
North and south, Oct.1994
Quote, unquote, no.16(Oct.1994)
Rolling stone, issue 694(Nov.3 1994)
Sight and sound, v.5,issue 2(Feb.1995)
Sunday star-times, Oct.9, 1994
Time, 1994no.51(Dec.19)


TRAILER AND OTHER TITLE RELATED LINKS

Official Trailers

'Reflections of the Past' documentary w/Trailer

Information at IMDB

Internet Movie Poster Awards

Laserdisc info at IMDB

King Art Fansite


AWARDS

1994 - Toronto International Film Festival - Metro Media Award
1994 - Venice Film Festival - Silver Lion
1995 - Gerandmer Film Festival - Grand Prize
1995 - New Zealand Film Awards - Best Director; Best Actress: Melenie Lynsky; Best Supporting Actress: Sarah Peirse; Best Foreign Performer: Kate Winslet; Best Screenplay; Best Editing; Best Design; Best Cinematography; Best Soundtrack; Best Film Score.
1996 - London Film Critics Circle - ALES Awards to British Actress of the Year: Kate Winslet and Director of the Year: Peter Jackson.


NZVideos Logo

Alphabetical List * Chronological List * News * Soundtracks * Buy-Sell-Rent * DVD List

What is A New Zealand Feature Film * First Choices * Books * Misc * Links * Directors


Comments, suggestions or questions are welcomed at info@nospamnzvideos.org, but delete the nospam portion before sending