The Criterion Collection

[OceanBlue]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Nothing for me, but I'm ok with that, as December is usually a busy month to begin with in terms of my day to day life.

Just I Know Where I'm Going! for me from the December title announcements (glad it's a very light month).

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by gekats

Great to see Man Ray joining the Criterion Collection, though I’m not sure how much of an upgrade these new 4K restorations will be over the earlier Kino versions in the Avant grade set.

Here's one shot that I found from the Kino release that's on Criterion's page. Looks like a noticeable improvement.

Putting it under spoiler tags as it's NSFW

Kino (top) (image source) / Criterion (bottom)

[Show spoiler]

[Juan de Internet]

Originally Posted by queen_kitty

I Know Where I’m Going! is going to be a blind-buy for me, I've never heard of it but it sounds right up my alley! I just bought Pee-wee on bluray, but the art and extras look great and I don't think I can resist buying it again.

I Know Where I’m Going! is one of my favorite blind watches ever. I knew basically nothing about it except the director going in. Having said that, it’s not for everyone. It helps to have some romantic sensibility.

I had to do a double-take when I saw it mentioned on this thread. It’s one of my most anticipated movies - it’s been fifteen years since the DVD, and AFAIK this is its North American Blu-ray debut.

[Juan de Internet]

Originally Posted by sherlockjr

Would be great if I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING is the first of many 4Ks from the Powell/Pressburger/The Archers' filmography. Among my favorite filmmakers and some of the most creative and imaginative filmmakers ever. They seemed to always be trying something new and different.

I guess it's up to the BFI or whoever else holds the film elements and film rights. It seems the Archer's release ownership is shared among several current owners.

If you've ever watched one of those specials/interviews where Scorsese gushes about Powell & Pressburger, you'll know how personally invested he is in these movies. The press release says he supervised the restoration of I Know Where I'm Going!, so unless he doesn't have the time, I'd guess there are more to come.

[NeoNical]

Anyone know of any chances of getting the Johnnie To films in the collection? I've been running through all the To titles on the Channel and none of them that haven't been released yet open up with the Criterion logo it seems. Shame that his films aren't easy to get in the US compared to New Zealand and the UK it seems

[Taylor3978]

Originally Posted by sherlockjr

Would be great if I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING is the first of many 4Ks from the Powell/Pressburger/The Archers' filmography.

49th Parallel and A Canterbury Tale are crying out for BD releases, they don't even have to be 4K.

I'm tempted to get the Imprint box set at this point, we could all be dead before Criterion gets around to it, but Imprint is probably just providing upscaled DVD prints. Would be delighted if this was not correct.

[hawkikwah]

Originally Posted by Juan de Internet

I Know Where I’m Going! is one of my favorite blind watches ever. I knew basically nothing about it except the director going in. Having said that, it’s not for everyone. It helps to have some romantic sensibility.

I had to do a double-take when I saw it mentioned on this thread. It’s one of my most anticipated movies - it’s been fifteen years since the DVD, and AFAIK this is its North American Blu-ray debut.

Still havent seen this one yet, but love how it was spoken about by Scorsese in the P&P doc

[hawkikwah]

Hopefully Criterion will start putting hdr10+ on their discs along w DV.

Most major streamers now have both options. Would be cool to see the boutique ps follow suit

[hawkikwah]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

Batman Returns is getting a Criterion release!?

Haha, yeah idk. I used to ride for Returns but just watched both as a double feature in a dolby house a few weeks ago and it was clear as day and night which was the better Burton Batman

And as far as best Burton goes without a doubt that honor goes to Ed Wood tho i’ll always have a special place in my heart for the scissor buddy

[hawkikwah]

I saw SQÜRL perform the soundtrack live to the Man Ray films while it was being projected behind them. It was incredible.

[Juan de Internet]

Originally Posted by sherlockjr

I love BALL OF FIRE too, but unfortunately it's from Samuel Goldwyn Productions. Pretty much all the Samuel Goldwyn films--he had a terrific batting average over 36 years of independent productions, 1923-1959--remain owned by and controlled by the Goldwyn estate. So it's up to the estate to pay for, or arrange grant funding, for any restorations and re-releases.

There is no publicly known reason why the successor Goldwyns are so reluctant to allow that work. There's dozens of films in that library, many are very good. Six of them are in the National Film Registry, little films like THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, DODSWORTH, and BALL OF FIRE. But for many years they've been languishing in SD transfers. Not sure how many have even received HD upgrades, but certainly no 4Ks. It's a damn shame, but it's not Criterion's fault.

The film elements for Goldwyn have been on deposit at The Academy Film Archive since 1979, so hopefully they're in good shape. But the Goldwyn owners need to agree to access and restorations, and so far they haven't been convinced.

Is this the age-old story of heirs squabbling over the inheritance? I note that Taylor Swift bought the Samuel Goldwyn Estate (the mansion, not the intellectual property) in 2015, apparently because Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. died that year.

Originally Posted by aladdin123

The Best Years Of Our Lives got a new 4K restoration in 2021, so that's one good thing at least, though there's no home video release of the new 4K restoration so far.

https://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.i...-of-our-lives/

The same people (Scorsese and Lucas) were behind that restoration as I Know Where I'm Going! - in the same year, 2021. What's more, Lucas' foundation paid (at least in part) for both restorations.

That gives me hope that they - surely the most powerful individuals in the world of film restoration? - have the ability to move mountains. Or at least Goldwyns and BFIs.

Or does it mean they did a burst of restorations in 2021 during lockdown and little since?

[koberulz]

Originally Posted by hawkikwah

Hopefully Criterion will start putting hdr10+ on their discs along w DV.

They should release HD DVDs, too.

[b00gie]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDnpV7uUR1U

[JasonMichael]

Originally Posted by gekats

Great to see Man Ray joining the Criterion Collection, though I’m not sure how much of an upgrade these new 4K restorations will be over the earlier Kino versions in the Avant grade set.

Are all four Man Ray films on the Kino set?

[koberulz]

The only Ray film on a Kino set I'm aware of is Le retour à la raison.

[queen_kitty]

Originally Posted by Juan de Internet

I Know Where I’m Going! is one of my favorite blind watches ever. I knew basically nothing about it except the director going in. Having said that, it’s not for everyone. It helps to have some romantic sensibility.

I had to do a double-take when I saw it mentioned on this thread. It’s one of my most anticipated movies - it’s been fifteen years since the DVD, and AFAIK this is its North American Blu-ray debut.

Romances set in gorgeous locations are almost always a winner for me! Only bad part is that it will most likely release just after the B&N 50% off sale is over.

[gekats]

Originally Posted by JasonMichael

Are all four Man Ray films on the Kino set?

Originally Posted by koberulz

The only Ray film on a Kino set I'm aware of is Le retour à la raison.

As koberulz correctly noted, Retour a la raison is the only Man Ray film included in the Kino BD. That’s the one ending with the iconic nude image of Kiki de Montparnasse, which Mifunefan compared above.

I have them all jumbled in my head. Between Flicker Alley American Avant-Garde, Image Unseen Cinema DVDs, the Kino blu rays and DVDs, and various other avant-garde short film collections, it’s easy to lose track of what’s where.

That said, all four of Man Ray’s major experimental shorts were collected in Kino’s original Avant-Garde: Experimental Cinema of the 1920s and ’30s DVD set, which explains the mix-up: https://www.amazon.com/Avant-Garde-E.../dp/B0009PW450

While we’re at it, hoping someone gives Kirsanoff’s superlative Menilmontant from that same set an HD upgrade as well.

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by Juan de Internet

If you've ever watched one of those specials/interviews where Scorsese gushes about Powell & Pressburger, you'll know how personally invested he is in these movies. The press release says he supervised the restoration of I Know Where I'm Going!, so unless he doesn't have the time, I'd guess there are more to come.

I’m sure he will make time, especially with Schoonmaker’s involvement as well.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp would almost certainly be up next (notwithstanding a 4k of Black Narcissus or A Matter of Life and Death). It’s too much a keystone title, the first Powell & Pressburger film Criterion ever released on LD (literally just before Narcissus), with the first of the invaluable Powell & Scorsese commentaries.

[javy]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Here's one shot that I found from the Kino release that's on Criterion's page. Looks like a noticeable improvement.

Putting it under spoiler tags as it's NSFW

Kino (top) (image source) / Criterion (bottom)

[Show spoiler]

Criterion is the clear winner.

Looking forward to this set, I Know Where I’m Going, and Salaam Bombay.

[jshaide]

The thing that should be understood about the Man Ray set is that it's not just the four films, it's also a single program musical experience where the four films are linked through SQURLs interpretation of them. So if that's your thing, it's well worth picking up to check it out (I saw the program when they screened it last year).