The Criterion Collection

[JulesAndJim]

Originally Posted by CampArgyll

I may get some flack for this, but honestly I feel if Warner Bros. can't do it themselves, Criterion should release the 4K of Gone With the Wind if that were to happen (especially this year)

I know, it's controversial now, but I think it would make for a great opportunity for Criterion to challenge their usual consumer base and let viewers decide for themselves

You can now throws stones at me (this is only my first time Commenting here)

Calling it controversial "now" is misleading. I don't know of any recent critiques of this film that were not also voiced at the time it came out.

[bj.slive]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

With Criterion having 300(!!) or so Japanese titles not on Blu-ray, I was wondering what are the top ten I would like to see get a release. Floating Weeds has given me SOME hope that we might see more Japanese titles from them, but not holding my breath. The ones I would really like to see are

1. Hunter in the Dark
2. The Bad Sleep Well
3. Heat Wave
4. Fire on the Plains
5. Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees
6. Samurai Rebellion
7. Bandits Vs Samurai Squadron
8. Ronin Gai
9. Matango
10. Demon Pond

There are plenty of others, but off the top of my head I hope we get to see some of these. If we got Hunter in the Dark alone, I'd never say anything bad about Criterion again. Been bugging them about it since 2008 to no avail.

I like Hunter in the Dark quite a bit, but it is insane to me that The Bad Sleep Well has no blu-ray in the US. Or really any Kurosawa that doesn't have one, like I Live in Fear or Red Beard. And I know that Madadayo isn't exactly a popular one of his films, but it's really strange that it didn't even get a DVD release from them.

[speedracer5]

Originally Posted by SanCarolina59

Not certain if this will be an immediate release from Criterion, or not, but I saw elsewhere that Universal has just completed a new 4K restoration of Mitchell Leisen's Midnight (1939), which IIRC Criterion was rumored to or said to have under license.

Source

I hope this is true, I love Midnight! That movie is awesome.

There's been a dry spell of Classic Hollywood Criterion releases (save for The Roaring Twenties). I also hope they have Captain Blood, Twentieth Century, Random Harvest, Ball of Fire, and The More the Merrier in the works too. I'll settle for Random Harvest on Warner Archive Blu too.

[CampArgyll]

Originally Posted by JulesAndJim

Calling it controversial "now" is misleading. I don't know of any recent critiques of this film that were not also voiced at the time it came out.

I guess you're right

I'd also like to see a set of Victor Fleming's MGM movies pre-Wizard of Oz (i.e. Red Dust, Captain's Courageous etc.)

[Akibiyori]

Originally Posted by nicwood

As much as the current physical media climate excites me, the treatment of some (in my opinion) major filmmakers with actual international appeal is deeply disappointing.

I don’t know, 25 years since DVD took off and film culture has only declined in those years, especially the last 15.

All it has gotten us is constant quibbling about compression issues - that’s film culture today.

[koberulz]

Originally Posted by CampArgyll

I guess you're right, sometimes I'm just unsure what others will say in this day and age, glad to see people who still have common sense.

Pretty sure Jules was saying the exact opposite of what you think they were saying.

[CampArgyll]

Originally Posted by koberulz

Pretty sure Jules was saying the exact opposite of what you think they were saying.

Okay I fixed it

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by nicwood

It’s criminal to me that Ceylan’s newest opus flew that much under the radar during the awards season. It’s even more staggering when considering how long the film was in post-production and how massive it turned out. Memento Films in France co-funded the film and they inexplicably only release it on DVD. Komplizen Film in Germany, which is co-run by director Maren Ade, also contributed funding and no mention of the film over here at all. Truly terrible.

I dislike Criterion’s current philosophy towards their physical releases, including the Janus Contemporaries line, which carries on their unfortunate trend of slimming down their releases further and further as well but when looking at the rest of the world, I think we’re going to be happy that the film sees one semi-major BD release at all, let alone with English subtitles. As much as the current physical media climate excites me, the treatment of some (in my opinion) major filmmakers with actual international appeal is deeply disappointing.

What has the general reception been like? Maybe it isn't that good? The last one was a step down from Winter Sleep and OUATIA.

Perhaps he is on a slow downward trajectory, and with the increasing running times, many are less enthused.

[nicwood]

Originally Posted by malakaheso

What has the general reception been like? Maybe it isn't that good? The last one was a step down from Winter Sleep and OUATIA.

Perhaps he is on a slow downward trajectory, and with the increasing running times, many are less enthused.

Completely disagree and surely others do as well when looking at the Letterboxd scores for the three films: Winter Sleep 4.1/5, The Wild Pear Tree 4.0/5 and now About Dry Grasses 4.0/5. On IMDB all three have exactly 8/10.

No decline in the slightest.

[MifuneFan]

The Paris Theater are going to be having a huge program featuring films from 1974. Among them are Chinatown, The Conversation, and Blazing Saddles. They also mentioned it'll be the NY premiere of a new DCP restoration of Foxy Brown (1974). I feel like this, and potentially others here could be released by Criterion.

https://www.paristheaternyc.com/seri...llection-1974/

[NeoNical]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

The Paris Theater are going to be having a huge program featuring films from 1974. Among them are Chinatown, The Conversation, and Blazing Saddles. They also mentioned it'll be the NY premiere of a new DCP restoration of Foxy Brown (1974). I feel like this, and potentially others here could be released by Criterion.

https://www.paristheaternyc.com/seri...llection-1974/

Such a cool lineup. Foxy Brown is such an amazing film to own. Maybe not the best 4K title, but better than nothing since Olive Films are gone (Fortunately, the Blu-ray is still in a good price range so prices haven't skyrocketed).

I wish Chinatown would get a 4K release by Criterion but it sounds like Paramount will be the ones to do it this time around. A Blazing Saddles release would undoubtedly be amazing but I have no clue if Warner Bros. are going to do a release since this page hasn't mentioned anything about a new restoration.

Have never seen a Cassavetes film before but I plan to change that mistake real soon. Never fails to amazes me that Rowland was in The Notebook, which took me by surprised once I made that connection.

[Shanghai Express]

Originally Posted by SanCarolina59

Not certain if this will be an immediate release from Criterion, or not, but I saw elsewhere that Universal has just completed a new 4K restoration of Mitchell Leisen's Midnight (1939), which IIRC Criterion was rumored to or said to have under license.

This is welcome news! Midnight is one of my favorite movies ever, and it's sorely missing on Blu-ray. I hope Criterion or Universal themselves put it out in this 85th anniversary year. But as you know, restorations don't always mean releases. Trouble In Paradise was restored sometime before 2017 by UCLA, the Film Foundation, and George Lucas' foundation...

[tama]

I'm willing to bet Criterions half off 1 day sale will be this coming Tuesday the 27th.

[Macatouille]

Originally Posted by tama

I'm willing to bet Criterions half off 1 day sale will be this coming Tuesday the 27th.

It's usually in March, though. Any reason why it'd be early?

[dvining]

Originally Posted by Macatouille

It's usually in March, though. Any reason why it'd be early?

I believe it's actually more common for it to be in February. March seems to be becoming the norm, though, over the past few years.

When has the $10 promo code for Channel subscribers generally gone out? A week before? The day before?

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by Macatouille

It's usually in March, though. Any reason why it'd be early?

It's usually in February and October.

[bonehica]

Originally Posted by dvining

When has the $10 promo code for Channel subscribers generally gone out? A week before? The day before?

I think it has generally been the day before.

[hariseldon]

Originally Posted by Macatouille

It's usually in March, though. Any reason why it'd be early?

The last couple years it's been in March, before that it was far more likely for the 4th Tuesday in Feb. The breakdown isn't all that telling
6/12 -- 4th Tues
4/12 -- March
2/12 -- Valentines

With no releases scheduled 1st week March, it certainly wouldn't shock me for 2/27. 2 releases on the 12th including Daniel Webster so possibly they wait for that title. We'll probably know in a few days if streaming subs get those Gift Carts again

[MifuneFan]

The sale has been as early as ~Feb 13th, and as late as March 21st (last year). It's often tied to a big title release, and with The Roaring Twenties coming out on Feb 27th, I think that's pretty good guess. The Devil and Daniel Webster is probably their biggest March title, and that one comes out on the 12th.

[mclellandj]

I’d put To Die For as their biggest March release maybe? Or at least the one most known to the public.