The Criterion Collection

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

I don't really care at this point. I just want The Return to be released, now. (Both the series and the film )

Why can't you guys ever just support me?!!!!!!

We supposed to be a team!!

...so why do I always feel so alone?

[Show spoiler]

[20th Century Boy]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

I don't really care at this point. I just want The Return to be released, now. (Both the series and the film )

Someone told me a disc set is supposed to come out in October. I hope so. I avoided it on TV, purposefully waiting for a blu ray set. CC put out Dekalog. Why not The Return?

[LawnFurniture]

I wouldn't think it'd be too far fetched for Twin Peaks: The Return to be released through Criterion. I know it's being taken off Showtime in a few weeks and there were theories that Lynch has home video rights. Who knows if there is any truth in that, but we'll see. Regardless, I just hope it comes out soon because I can't wait to revisit it.

[sb5]

An AMA with Twin Peaks Executive Producer Sabrina Sutherland said that news of a Blu-Ray release of The Return should be coming soon, and it will be through CBS Home Entertainment.

https://www.reddit.com/r/twinpeaks/c...ducer_of_twin/

There certainly will be a Blu-ray and based on the previous release from CBS (The Entire Mystery), one can assume it will be special. More details on plans will be forthcoming from CBS Home Entertainment in the near future.

[ravenus]

So over the weekend I finished the remaining two films in the Lone Wolf and Cub set. My reviews of films 1&2 here and films 3&4 here.

Baby Cart in The Land of Demons sees the return of director Kenji Misumi who had made the first 3 films. This one at least initially has a very videogame-y sensibility with Lone Wolf Ogami Itto coming across a series of opponents who want to entrust him with a mission, but will dole out information only in their dying breaths after challenging him to a fight. Little Daigoro gets his own spotlight when he stands up to punishment to keep a secret he has promised to. The climax again underlines Ogami's ruthless dedication to keeping the order

[Show spoiler]even when it involves killing an innocent child

White Heaven in Hell is the last film, and under Yoshioki Kuroda's direction has a sense of visual scale to match. I personally felt this was one of the best looking entries in the series. My favorite scene was when Ogami cuts through a squadron of enemies in and around a lakefront house - the scene features an amazing long take where lead actor Wakayama shines with his swordplay moves. There is a horror element introduced in the form of the quasi-undead warriors who come after Ogami and his son. The climax is another mass slaughter, this time set in snowscapes where the baby cart becomes a sled that can race across the white slopes. You'd think that by now the enemy would know better than to send swordsmen rushing in a straight line towards Ogami's gun-stacked wagon, but perhaps it's against their honor code to use any form of evasion or shielding against gunfire. The film does not in itself conclude the LW&C story but there were no further instalments made (apparently, Wakayama refused to participate further after news of a TV series surfaced).

If you watch all the films in a go, there is likely to be some sense of sameness, especially in the last 4, where all the climaxes are Ogami vs Huge Army with a similar blend of swordplay and gunfire tactics. This is a major factor that keeps me from getting the Zatoichi box, I don't want a large set of movies with similar structures. The fifth film's contrived mission setup was also distracting in its game-like structure. But on the whole this was a good watch and I will return to at least some of these episodes in the future (I was also inspired to re-watch my copy of Yojimbo).

The extras disc featured interviews with the comic book writer Kazuo Koike (in which he talks about how actor Wakayama, whose bulky frame didn't match the lean muscular silhouette of the manga's Ogami Itto, turned up at his place to perform somersaults and swordplay moves to get his blessing to play the lead), and the biographer of director Kenji Misumi (who talks about his relationship with brothers Katsu and Wakayama, and his contributions to Zatoichi and LW&C), a nice 2005 documentary on the film series, an interesting featurette with a sensei of the Suio-Ryu swordsmanship that is Ogami Itto's style and an old silent docu on the making of Samurai swords (that was a little less interesting than I'd hoped). The booklet features an essay on the film series as well as synopses of all the films. It would have been nice to have a little more about the actor that played Daigoro, about the effect that the role and accompanying media fame had on his life, what he went on to do later and how he ended up getting caught while transporting a gun from Thailand into Japan (assuming that story is true). But on the whole, an excellent package, more than worth the 40$ I shelled out.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by InTheMood

Streaming really is the future for both TV and cinema.

Good Lord, I sincerely hope not.

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Good Lord, I sincerely hope not.

It's already overwhelmingly the trend with everything except niche stuff from companies like Criterion. And even they are moving to streaming and cutting down on their physical stuff (ex, booklets to pamphlets). As storage and bandwidth get cheaper and cheaper, it's just going to get worse. For the time being, we're in sort of a second golden age of releases of weird stuff, but if you don't see the writing on the wall, you've probably got your head in the sand.

Very, very few people prefer having an object that takes up space in their house to something they consider "just as good" that takes up NO space. We're weirdos here.

[javy]

On one hand we're worried about streaming taking over and on the other we're considering upgrading our collection to 4k. It's like, what's going on here?

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

It's already overwhelmingly the trend with everything except niche stuff from companies like Criterion. And even they are moving to streaming and cutting down on their physical stuff (ex, booklets to pamphlets). As storage and bandwidth get cheaper and cheaper, it's just going to get worse. For the time being, we're in sort of a second golden age of releases of weird stuff, but if you don't see the writing on the wall, you've probably got your head in the sand.

Very, very few people prefer having an object that takes up space in their house to something they consider "just as good" that takes up NO space. We're weirdos here.

Most of my offline friends think that I'm insane for having a big physical media collection.

...and they're probably correct.

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by javy

On one hand we're worried about streaming taking over and on the other we're considering upgrading our collection to 4k. It's like, what's going on here?

I know a lot of people who use their 4K TV just to watch upscaled sports and netflix with the 4K setting on (which looks worse than your average blu-ray, of course). I always inwardly facepalm.

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by belcherman

1997 was a helluva year for depressing movies. In addition to The Ice Storm, there was also The Sweet Hereafter and Affliction. Great movies, but harrowing to watch.

I'd love to see a blu of Affliction. The US dvd I have isn't anamorphic.

Re:Criterion. What are the predictions here for the next annoucement? Or have you guys already done that?

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

For the time being, we're in sort of a second golden age of releases of weird stuff, but if you don't see the writing on the wall, you've probably got your head in the sand..

Sure, but if there are enough of us we can hold back the tide for as long as possible.

[The Sovereign]

Originally Posted by dwk

Don't forget Mean Streets went OOP along with a number of other WB titles (including Barry Lyndon) that Criterion has released or announced. So the odds are that is going to get released by Criterion.

I didn't know that Mean Streets had gone OOP, but I'd love to see a CC release of it. The WB version isn't bad at all - I just think a film of this caliber deserves much better. Easily a top 5 Scorsese film in my book.

[20th Century Boy]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

It's already overwhelmingly the trend with everything except niche stuff from companies like Criterion. And even they are moving to streaming and cutting down on their physical stuff (ex, booklets to pamphlets). As storage and bandwidth get cheaper and cheaper, it's just going to get worse. For the time being, we're in sort of a second golden age of releases of weird stuff, but if you don't see the writing on the wall, you've probably got your head in the sand.

Very, very few people prefer having an object that takes up space in their house to something they consider "just as good" that takes up NO space. We're weirdos here.

Yeah, well, we'll see how average viewers enjoy streaming only options once net neutrality is decimated. Problem with all the pro-streamers is they're basing their idea of the service on the current net neutral internet with an assumed upgrade in streaming capabilities in the near future, when in fact there may be upgrades but there will also be bottlenecking and new restrictions on access. Once all this kicks in I expect a backlash, but unfortunately by then we'll be in another "you've got no option" scenario as physical formats as an alternative will no longer be viable.

I know, detractors go ahead throw the tin-foil argument at me yet again, but someone keep score and let's make a pool.

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by 20th Century Boy

Yeah, well, we'll see how average viewers enjoy streaming only options once net neutrality is decimated. Problem with all the pro-streamers is they're basing their idea of the service on the current net neutral internet with an assumed upgrade in streaming capabilities in the near future, when in fact there may be upgrades but there will also be bottlenecking and new restrictions on access. Once all this kicks in I expect a backlash, but unfortunately by then we'll be in another "you've got no option" scenario as physical formats as an alternative will no longer be viable.

I know, detractors go ahead throw the tin-foil argument at me yet again, but someone keep score and let's make a pool.

Yeah, net neutrality going away is a scary thing.

I think we're already seeing a backlash in the form of weird specialty channels, like Chiller, which feature a lot of the products of specialty blu-ray labels. I think that those will survive since they're packaged with other channels.

[llj]

Watched The Game last night. Good movie to give to someone on their birthday.
How would you react if you ever got a birthday 'gift' like this?

[javy]

Originally Posted by llj

how would you react if you ever got a birthday 'gift' like this?

game666.jpg

[ShellOilJunior]

I agree that streaming will be the future of delivering most visual media. I prefer physical media but the writing is on the wall.


The other day in the 2001 thread someone asked if WB would ever license 2001 to Criterion for a blu-ray release. I think WB will likely release the film in 2018 for its anniversary but I do not rule out a license to Criterion.

I think we'll see a lot more prestigious classic films go to boutique labels. I'm still surprised Sony licensed On the Waterfront to Criterion. If WB licenses 2001 then anything is possible. It would say a lot about what studios think of physical media.

[jw007]

As long as I'm still in physical form, I shall embrace physical media!

[SammyJankis]

Josh and Benny Safdie’s Closet Picks - YouTube

If you haven't seen Good Time in theaters, I'd strongly recommend doing so.