“Phase IV” (Vinegar Syndrome)
A graphic designer best known for the title sequences he designed for filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese, Saul Bass only ever directed one feature himself: the 1974 sci-fi odyssey “Phase IV.” Oddly, its raison d’etre — phase four of its story — was cut out before the film was originally released, and not restored until 2012, but the film has since cultivated admirers leading to a bare-bones release in 2015, and now this deluxe edition in 4K. Vinegar Syndrome pulls out all of the stops for their release, which features newly-restored presentation of both the 84-minute theatrical version and the 89-minute “preview version” now including that fourth phase, a commentary track with film historian Matthew Asprey Gear, a 48-minute documentary by filmmaker Elijah Drenner, a featurette focused on the score and sound design, additional deleted shots and raw footage, and a gallery of promotional materials. (March 26)
