Chantal Akerman Masterpieces (1968–1978) (Criterion Collection)

[MifuneFan]

Criterion will be releasing a Chantal Akerman box set with 9 of her short, and feature films from 1968 to 1978 in January!

Chantal Akerman Masterpieces, 1968–1978

https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/70...ieces-19681978

THREE-BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• New 4K digital restoration of Les rendez-vous d’Anna and 2K digital restorations of Saute ma ville; L’enfant aimé, ou Je joue à être une femme mariée; La chambre; Hotel Monterey; Le 15/8; Je tu il elle; Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles; and News from Home, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks
• Hanging Out Yonkers, an unfinished film from 1973 by Chantal Akerman
• Film-school tests
• New program on Akerman featuring critic B. Ruby Rich
• New visual essay on Akerman featuring archival interviews with the director
• Autour de “Jeanne Dielman,” a documentary made during the filming of Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, shot by actor Sami Frey and edited by Agnès Ravez and Akerman
• Interviews with Akerman, cinematographer Babette Mangolte, actors Aurore Clément and Delphine Seyrig, and Akerman’s mother, Natalia
• Appreciation by filmmaker Ira Sachs
• PLUS: An essay and notes on the films by critic Beatrice Loayza

New cover by Century

In the revolutionary first decade of her filmmaking career, Chantal Akerman devoted herself to nothing less than the total resculpting of cinematic time and space. Journeying between Europe and New York City, Akerman forged a highly personal style that fuses avant-garde influences with deeply human expressions of alienation, desire, and displacement—themes that she would explore in a series of increasingly ambitious shorts, documentaries, and features, including the towering Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. With immersive rhythms that render the most minute details momentous, these landmarks of twentieth-century art continue to reveal new ways of experiencing cinema and framing reality

[Purploros]

I wish it was more than three discs just to afford all the films plenty of space, but this is the most excited I’ve been for an upcoming release in quite some time.

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by Purploros

I wish it was more than three discs just to afford all the films plenty of space, but this is the most excited I’ve been for an upcoming release in quite some time.

For the retail price it should be more discs.

[StLouisRibs]

Originally Posted by Purploros

I wish it was more than three discs just to afford all the films plenty of space, but this is the most excited I’ve been for an upcoming release in quite some time.

It’ll be fine, though it would have been nicer to spread it a little more out. The films before Jeanne Dielman on one disc, Jeanne Dielman, and the two following features. I wouldn’t say this is one of Criterion’s more egregious penny-pinchings.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by StLouisRibs

It’ll be fine, though it would have been nicer to spread it a little more out. The films before Jeanne Dielman on one disc, Jeanne Dielman, and the two following features. I wouldn’t say this is one of Criterion’s more egregious penny-pinchings.

Yeah, many of the films besides Dielman are quite short. The price seems fine to me too considering Dielman itself is sold separately at the standard $40 MSRP. This set will only be $50 during sales, which is perfectly reasonable.

[GenPion]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Yeah, many of the films besides Dielman are quite short. The price seems fine to me too considering Dielman itself is sold separately at the standard $40 MSRP. This set will only be $50 during sales, which is perfectly reasonable.

Agreed. It seems perfectly reasonable given the run-time of the films and on 50 GB discs.

[CelestialAgent]

Also, wouldn’t 1.37:1 films take up less space given the pillarboxing anyway?

I’m assuming the interviews are taken from the Cinéart DVD set.

[MifuneFan]

Criterion added this pic of the packaging. It will be a Digipak.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Yeah, many of the films besides Dielman are quite short.

Yeah. I saw La Chambre at a fest along with Jeanne Dielman and Je Tu Il Elle and it was just 10min, albeit the longest 10min of my life given how very little happens in it (and I'm the guy who thought Jeanne Dielman was terrific). Frankly, it merits listing as an extra than as an individual title.

[Mati29]

I hope this set will not be A locked.

[Axl Rose]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Criterion added this pic of the packaging. It will be a Digipak.

[Show spoiler]

I thought for sure this would end up in a 3 disc scanavo. I know some may disagree but i prefer boxsets come in a digipack.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Mati29

I hope this set will not be A locked.

Unless Criterion is also releasing this in the UK, it will almost certainly be region A locked.

[koberulz]

Even if they are, it will almost certainly be region A locked.

[tonovember]

cannot overstate how excited I am for this set! holding back on getting that eclipse set + Jeanne Dielman throughout the years has absolutely paid off.

[Sommerswerd]

DVDBeaver review: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film12/blu-...es_blu-ray.htm

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Unless Criterion is also releasing this in the UK, it will almost certainly be region A locked.

I believe a distributor other than Criterion have Jeanne Dielman in the UK, BFI have theatrical rights.

[sidetracked1]

So... I ordered this when announced. It was supposed to come today, and Amazon just sent me one of those annoying, vague - 'we don't have this and we don't know if/when we will, do you want to cancel?' emails.

Is that just me? Just Amazon? Are other people actually getting their orders from anywhere, or has Criterion held the release up?

[Dustin Putman]

Originally Posted by sidetracked1

So... I ordered this when announced. It was supposed to come today, and Amazon just sent me one of those annoying, vague - 'we don't have this and we don't know if/when we will, do you want to cancel?' emails.

Is that just me? Just Amazon? Are other people actually getting their orders from anywhere, or has Criterion held the release up?

I ordered it right when the preorder went up and received the same message as well.

[sidetracked1]

Originally Posted by Dustin Putman

I ordered it right when the preorder went up and received the same message as well.

Thanks for the response. If anybody gets one from another vendor, please let us know.

One thought - 'Hotel Monterey' looked (to my eyes) simply awful in the caps in the Beaver review. Now, I've long said I don't trust the caps on Beaver, but the fact the review also questioned how bright and blown out it looks - more intensely than is common for a review there - makes me wonder if there might have been a screw up on the discs, and maybe last minute fixes are coming.

NB: That is complete and utter speculation on my part. Maybe miles from the truth. And who knows, maybe it was supposed to look like that all along, and the release I'm used to is too dark. But...

[FragnitoM]

I also pre-ordered immediately but didn't get the message.

I would get from a different vendor, but I used rewards points on it to get the price down.

How could Amazon just not have this title on release day... I know they suck getting Arrow/Kino in stock by release day, but I can't remember having this issue with a new Criterion before.