The Criterion Collection

[wobelix]

Originally Posted by tatterdemalion

2001: A Space Odyssey is my favorite film, but the novel and movie were simultaneous, so it doesn't count.

Are there other examples of a great writer and a great director working together on a script?

Oh boy, imagine being a fly on the wall when those two were slaving away!

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by wobelix

Kubrick worked on it for over a decade, and dragged his feet because he wanted a robot to play the lead, and not a kid playing an android.
When it became clear he had to wait another ten or more years to get that one right, he 'gave' (any more backstory on this part, anyone??!) the rights to Don SS, who turned it into another Pinocchio movie.

Pretty sad, because the film has a good start with that exciting speech by the professor, played by William Hurt.

But alas, there is always room for more Pinocchio, I guess...

I’m not sure what you mean by SS turning it into a Pinocchio movie. Kubrick said that’s exactly what he wanted to make in the first place. He was obsessed with the story. To the point that Kubrick was apparently researching numerous volumes of the fairy tale at the end of his life, because he was considering doing a more straightforward adaptation, according to his assistant at the time.

And the first and third acts of AI are almost *exactly* what Kubrick outlined. (The only difference in the third act is when Monica comes back, David makes her a bloody mary instead of coffee. I mean, it was slavish.)

[lidocaineus]

SACDs are incredibly niche but still being made. DSD as a format is really the focus, and I’d argue that the general audiophile community is far larger than those who are interested in Criterion 4k releases — and those folks are heavily interested in lossless formats as well as high res formats. Let’s not forget that CDs are still a thing and even with its incredibly anemic numbers, that alone is probably a larger community than fits comfortably into the comparison. Therefore even if 99.9% of people didn’t care about lossless or above, it’s still larger than the Criterion 4k group… meaning the comparison is pretty wonky.

[randian]

Originally Posted by lidocaineus

SACDs are incredibly niche but still being made. DSD as a format is really the focus, and I’d argue that the general audiophile community is far larger than those who are interested in Criterion 4k releases — and those folks are heavily interested in lossless formats as well as high res formats.

The music labels never really supported high-res formats like they should have, and what support they were giving is being withdrawn. Unlike the movie studios, which seem to be embracing 4k video, the music labels always hated the idea of selling anything close in quality to the original master tape.

For example, you used to be able to buy the entire Rolling Stones catalog in 24/192 PCM at various sites. Those are all gone (to the misfortune of people like myself who were late to the party) and not only is a fraction of the catalog available, it's only in 24/48 PCM from dynamics-compressed remasters.

[edmoney]

Originally Posted by CRASHLANDING

Agree with those suggestions; here are a couple other all-time great silents in the Collection:

L'Atalante is truly great, but it's not a silent film.

[tatterdemalion]

Originally Posted by wobelix

Could you tell more about that vital part, please?

I haven't read this story by Aldiss, unfortunately.

In the short story Supertoys Last All Summer Long

[Show spoiler]families can only have biological children by being chosen too. So many have artificial children as replacements for their loneliness. The mom in the story can't connect with her "child" but at the end finds out they will be chosen to have a "real" child, so she tells a lie to get rid of the artificial one. The artificial one just wonders why mommy doesn't love him and thinks about her love and warmth so at the end it's quite painful.

In the movie

[Show spoiler]the family has a son but he's sick so the artificial boy is really just a stop-gap replacement. They don't know if he'll get better but they have a son, which for me ruins the poignancy of getting replaced by something that was wanted but never granted. Instead it's more about bitterness.

Originally Posted by wobelix

The original story of Stanislav Lem which is the foundation of Solaris is, IMHO, quite shallow, the Tarkovsky film by far out shadows it.

But then again: it's Tarkovsky!!

Tarkovsky is my favorite director. Two things Lem's novel does very well: portraying the surface life on Solaris and the inability to communicate.

[wobelix]

Originally Posted by DimitriL

He was obsessed with the story. To the point that Kubrick was apparently researching numerous volumes of the fairy tale at the end of his life, because he was considering doing a more straightforward adaptation, according to his assistant at the time.

Can you help me finding that quote of the assistant?
I adore both Kubrick and Pinocchio (even worked on one of the many adaptations, the one with Martin Landau as Gepetto turning into a puppet...) and would love to read more on that.

There is a lovely thesis freely available on the net, by Georgia Panteli:
'From Puppet To Cyborg: Posthuman and Postmodern Retellings of the Pinocchio Myth'.
Of course 'A.I.' has found its place there, too.
Great reading, I can really recommend it!


Kubrick being obsessed sounds quite like Stanley

[wobelix]

Originally Posted by tatterdemalion

In the short story Supertoys Last All Summer Long

[Show spoiler]families can only have biological children by being chosen too. So many have artificial children as replacements for their loneliness. The mom in the story can't connect with her "child" but at the end finds out they will be chosen to have a "real" child, so she tells a lie to get rid of the artificial one. The artificial one just wonders why mommy doesn't love him and thinks about her love and warmth so at the end it's quite painful.

In the movie

[Show spoiler]the family has a son but he's sick so the artificial boy is really just a stop-gap replacement. They don't know if he'll get better but they have a son, which for me ruins the poignancy of getting replaced by something that was wanted but never granted. Instead it's more about bitterness.

Thank you very much!
That indeed is a major difference; I'm going to get me the short story immediately.
Loving this; what a great Forum this is!
(In the beginning I just used this site to check on the Technical Quality of Blu Rays and the Subs... Boy, did I miss a lot!)

Tarkovsky is my favorite director. Two things Lem's novel does very well: portraying the surface life on Solaris and the inability to communicate.

There is this other novel by Lem that Tarkovsky considered, but never got around to making it.
I read it, ages ago, and can't remember the title anymore...

[wobelix]

Originally Posted by wobelix

Can you help me finding that quote of the assistant?
I adore both Kubrick and Pinocchio (even worked on one of the many adaptations, the one with Martin Landau as Gepetto turning into a puppet...) and would love to read more on that.

PS:

Talking about Kubrick and Pinocchio: Sir Stanley touched upon that myth with HAL already, certainly?

[wobelix]

Originally Posted by tatterdemalion

Tarkovsky is my favorite director.

I love the quote in your signature!

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by wobelix

Are there other examples of a great writer and a great director working together on a script?

Kobo Abe and Hiroshi Teshigahara (Woman in the Dunes, Face of Another)
Stephen King and George Romero (Creepshow)

[wobelix]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Kobo Abe and Hiroshi Teshigahara (Woman in the Dunes, Face of Another)

Of course!
I got both those titles on the shelves, and quite some books of Abe, too.
Haven't gone back to them for quite some time...

I know what I'm gonna do this weekend!

Thanks very much!

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by wobelix

Are there other examples of a great writer and a great director working together on a script?

Oh boy, imagine being a fly on the wall when those two were slaving away!

This is a great article written by Clarke about his experience with Kubrick.

https://www.vulture.com/2018/04/arth...y-kubrick.html

[JasonMichael]

Originally Posted by wobelix

Are there other examples of a great writer and a great director working together on a script?

Jim Thompson and Stanley Kubrick.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Egbert Souse

Count me in for an early Spielberg box with the aforementioned early TV work, plus Duel and The Sugarland Express.



I doubt a Welles box is possible since it would require Warner, MGM, Sony, Paramount, and Universal to all contribute - not to mention that Kino Lorber is handling the 4K HDR remasters of Touch of Evil themselves for UHD.

I've felt that we're most likely getting a box set of Welles' unfinished work that includes The Other Side of the Wind, Hopper/Welles, It's All True, etc. plus Citizen Kane, The Trial, and a Blu upgrade of Mr. Arkadin. As much as I absolutely love F for Fake, I can't imagine them justifying a reissue with the new restoration. Though, maybe they can reissue it with the original Reichenbach doc and restored trailer finally.

I don't see Olive Films giving up license rights to The Stranger or Macbeth, there's not really any point in retreading the already excellent Ambersons, Othello, Chimes, and Immortal Story. Only instance of them doing so was allowing Shout! Factory to include The Miracle Worker in their Anne Bancroft set. Yet they didn't allow Face to Face for the Bergman box, nor three Paramount films for Shout's last MST3K box.

I think you might be replying to someone else's post. I think a Welles box set would be possible with the existing movies that have spines plus Kane and The Other Side of the Wind. I didn't mention the other movies.

[dvining]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I think you might be replying to someone else's post. I think a Welles box set would be possible with the existing movies that have spines plus Kane and The Other Side of the Wind. I didn't mention the other movies.

Yeah, these box sets don't need to be complete. They have enough to throw something together that encompasses a large part of his filmography.

Also, The Stranger is in the public domain. Criterion could include it if they wanted.

[punisher]

My Olympic Films arrived from Amazon..double boxed but the inner box was sealed with a delivery sticker and other notices DO NOT DISPLAY UNTIL DEC 5 2017???...I opened the set, it was sealed, and looks perfect. I am wondering was there any recalls or problems with the early sets? If not I will keep it

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by punisher

My Olympic Films arrived from Amazon..double boxed but the inner box was sealed with a delivery sticker and other notices DO NOT DISPLAY UNTIL DEC 5 2017???...I opened the set, it was sealed, and looks perfect. I am wondering was there any recalls or problems with the early sets? If not I will keep it

No recalls, nothing wrong with the set. I'm sure all the sets out there are likely from the first pressing, they likely made a bunch of them since it's a custom packaging and would want to have enough to last a long time.

[AJAX]

Originally Posted by CRASHLANDING

Agree with those suggestions; here are a couple other all-time great silents in the Collection:


Always love encouraging new fans to check out classic silent films.

I wish Pandora’s Box would make it to blu ray

[wobelix]

Originally Posted by AJAX

I wish Pandora’s Box would make it to blu ray

Grand Film indeed!
Day 1 for me if it'll ever show up.