The Criterion Collection

[Watershipdownisgood]

Drugstore Cowboys finally ended up getting a Blu Ray back in 2021 courtesy of imprint jeez that company’s picking up a lot of movies from Criterion. I wouldn’t be surprised if I see more Criterion titles that don’t have a Blu Ray picked up by imprint. It was released in 2021 and is getting a re release this year I think I might pick that up. Along with the Straight Story too which also got a region free Blu Ray courtesy of again Imprint.

[Watershipdownisgood]

Honestly here’s my wish list

A few of them are the same as yours

Stray Dogs
Snow Trail I highly highly doubt Criterion would release this on Blu Ray seems more like an Arrow video release to me
Drugstore Cowboy Imprint is re releasing this on Blu Ray this year but I want to see Criterion give it a Blu Ray haven’t seen the film in years
Straight Story Honestly right now I’m just going to pick up the Imprint Blu Ray as it’s Region Free but if Criterion does release it themselves I’ll buy that version too.
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
Other Kurosawa films that don’t have Blu Rays yet whether Criterion released them on DVD or not

[Shane Rollins]

Originally Posted by ilenewoodsfan99

Aside from That Hamilton Woman and Trouble in Paradise, I'd love to see The King of Kings get an upgrade.

Though the information included in the booklet about the technicolor segments don't inspire hope: "The newly created 35mm internagtive from UCLA's original two strip Technicolor nitrate print is the best surviving material for the color sequences, but despite digital restoration, severe fading and color imbalance remain. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System."

Also want it upgraded because the DVD case is so bulky and takes up a lot of room.

That DVD is 20 years old. Technology may have improved, and better elements may have been found.

Metropolis was restored from two awful 16mm prints, and looks pretty good considering the scenario. Also, there was a time where the negatives for both Gone With The Wind and Lawrence Of Arabia were considered damaged beyond repair and almost junked (both were in the 80s), and the negatives for The Godfather 1 and 2 received the same designations in the 90s, and all four negatives still exist and were used to produce Blu-rays and 4Ks that are stunning whether you consider their circumstances or not.

[Shane Rollins]

Nine days out from announcements, here’s my predictions:

-Two 4K upgrades
-One Blu-ray upgrade
-A second- or third-tier WB catalog title
-The Japanese film drought continues
-At least one of AliasCane’s comments gets deleted from the news article on the homepage
-At least one Ikiru GIF

As for what I hope we get...

-Brazil
-Pat Garrett
-Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
-The Devils (never gonna happen, I know)
-Captain Blood
-King Kong
-Around The World In 80 Days
-Hamlet 48
-Branagh’s Hamlet
-CODA
-As much Kubrick as possible, new and redos
-A redo of Goodfellas (just redo the HDR and DV and it will be fine)
-A 4K of The Third Man
-A 4K of The Magnificent Ambersons with the laserdisc special features
-Grand Illusion
-Kurosawa on 4K
-The Unbearable Lightness Of Being
-The OG versions of John Waters’ movies (suddenly The Devils appears more likely)
-Greed and other Stroheim films
-Something owned by Disney

...but I’m not holding my breath.

[Midway30]

Come on Criterion. 55th Anniversary Midnight Cowboy 4K.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Shane Rollins

-The Japanese film drought continues

I really hope not. The fact that we haven't got a new to HD Japanese release since October of 2022 is pretty nuts to be honest. Insane. I'm hoping we get at least Demon Pond for October this year, but at this point Criterion is becoming the old man of the block with lack of common sense.

Also since they are the only ones who seem to be able to release Toho films, I would love to see them release Portrait of Hell. One of the most haunting Japanese films of all time. Still, it's Toho and even if Criterion got the rights to it, it probably would never see a physical release. I have a pretty obvious love hate relationship with Criterion, but with each passing month, the hate is overshadowing the love more and more.

Either way, here is a good review of Portrait of Hell.

Portrait of Hell (JIGOKUHEN): Painting a perfect picture of hell - YouTube

[Shane Rollins]

Andrei Tarkovsky’s Nostalghia is coming to 4K from Kino.

[DukeTogo84]

Probably been about a year since I last mentioned this, but I think it's time to start writing Criterion asking for some Japanese films or some sort of solution to the lack of their Japanese films. They have about 300 candidates for releases, so it's not for a lack of variety there. It would mean a lot to me and I'm sure to Japanese film fans to write to Criterion about the lack of recent titles. Any help would be truly appreciated. I posted two e-mails, and I've noticed in the past that the mulvaney e-mail will actually respond from time to time.

suggestions@criterion.com

mulvaney@criterion.com

[ilenewoodsfan99]

Originally Posted by Shane Rollins

That DVD is 20 years old. Technology may have improved, and better elements may have been found.

Metropolis was restored from two awful 16mm prints, and looks pretty good considering the scenario. Also, there was a time where the negatives for both Gone With The Wind and Lawrence Of Arabia were considered damaged beyond repair and almost junked (both were in the 80s), and the negatives for The Godfather 1 and 2 received the same designations in the 90s, and all four negatives still exist and were used to produce Blu-rays and 4Ks that are stunning whether you consider their circumstances or not.

That is the silver lining there. And it's easy to forget just how old the DVD is (there is an essay in there that briefly mentions Mel Gibson's "recent, controversial The Passion of the Christ." Oddly enough, according to the site, that movie had its DVD release a few months before The King of Kings). I'm hoping technology has improved enough that it can still be saved (and that material is still in usable condition).

[Rzzzz]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Probably been about a year since I last mentioned this, but I think it's time to start writing Criterion asking for some Japanese films or some sort of solution to the lack of their Japanese films. They have about 300 candidates for releases, so it's not for a lack of variety there. It would mean a lot to me and I'm sure to Japanese film fans to write to Criterion about the lack of recent titles. Any help would be truly appreciated. I posted two e-mails, and I've noticed in the past that the mulvaney e-mail will actually respond from time to time.

suggestions@criterion.com

mulvaney@criterion.com

Just sent a polite email to Mulvaney inquiring about the status of a potential release of War Of The Gargantuas. I'll post the response if I get one.

[dkelly26666]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

I need to keep a running list of all the films I want Criterion to release.

I definitely will echo Carnal Knowledge, Catch-22, The Unbearable Lightness of Being (maybe Henry & June too?), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (Bringing Out the Dead too!) Jean Eustache boxset!

Also throw out wanting Raise the Red Lantern, Edward Yang boxset, Pablo Larraín's El Conde, and more Costa-Gavras!!

I got that fabulous Imprint box set of Yimou and Gong Li films, so just recently got "Raise the Red Lantern". BTW, I'd never seen "Red Sorghum", before. OMG.... Starts out so deceptively simple and easy going, then, BAM, nightmare fuel. Fantastic set.

Also, I never saw anything, but people last year were claiming that Arrow hinted they had "Bringing Out the Dead". Otherwise, add that to my wish list, too!

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by dkelly26666

I got that fabulous Imprint box set of Yimou and Gong Li films, so just recently got "Raise the Red Lantern". BTW, I'd never seen "Red Sorghum", before. OMG.... Starts out so deceptively simple and easy going, then, BAM, nightmare fuel. Fantastic set.

Also, I never saw anything, but people last year were claiming that Arrow hinted they had "Bringing Out the Dead". Otherwise, add that to my wish list, too!

I missed the limited edition and dragging my feet on getting the standard set. I don’t believe hints and they won’t stop me from asking for the release from anyone and everyone all of the time!

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Rzzzz

Just sent a polite email to Mulvaney inquiring about the status of a potential release of War Of The Gargantuas. I'll post the response if I get one.

Thank you! I would love to see that one get a release, especially in an Ishiro Honda boxset with all the other films Criterion has. That would easily be a major seller for them. Either way, thank you once again.

[dkelly26666]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

I do hope that this is our Best Actor Oscar winner for this year. He was superb in "The Holdovers".

[Watershipdownisgood]

I just messaged both Criterion and Mr. Mulvaney about more Japanese films on Blu Ray and I hope they have some big plans in the works and we start seeing more Japanese films finally get Blu Rays.

[Watershipdownisgood]

Gosh I really need to watch Kwaidan and pick it up during the next Criterion sale along with Harakiri and a couple of other films. Brazil being one of them

[deadheadbill]

Originally Posted by Watershipdownisgood

Gosh I really need to watch Kwaidan and pick it up during the next Criterion sale along with Harakiri and a couple of other films. Brazil being one of them

Unless your not interested in 4K, I might hold off on Brazil. They have been making their way thru Terry Gilliam's catalogue with new 4K releases in the last year and I'm betting Brazil is getting close.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Watershipdownisgood

I just messaged both Criterion and Mr. Mulvaney about more Japanese films on Blu Ray and I hope they have some big plans in the works and we start seeing more Japanese films finally get Blu Rays.

Thank you for your service. To celebrate I'm posting this pretty cool variation to a song from Seven Samurai.

Akira Kurosawa--Music for Film: Samurai Song #2 - YouTube

[Watershipdownisgood]

I’m not interested in 4K right now but probably this summer or honestly fall 2024 at the earliest is when I’m probably going to finally buy a 4K Blu Ray player. Still I’m going to wait there’s a ton of Blu Rays I am missing I still need to buy that I haven’t bought yet.

[dvining]

Originally Posted by Watershipdownisgood

Gosh I really need to watch Kwaidan and pick it up during the next Criterion sale along with Harakiri and a couple of other films. Brazil being one of them

If you're interested in Kobayashi, the Eclipse set has some very good movies:



I'd also suggest the book by Stephen Prince: A Dream of Resistance: The Cinema of Kobayashi Masaki.

Really, his whole filmography is worth checking out and the Criterion Channel has a good selection, though the one of his features that I feel is the most absent from their collection is Three Loves, the film he made after The Thick-Walled Room was suppressed.

I still hold out hope for a big ole box set of everything because I'm naturally a hopeful person.