The Criterion Collection

[Jonbaker]

When is The Long Good Friday going to be released on blu-ray by Criterion? Last time there was a discussion of the possibility of it being released was a year ago. I'd also be interested in seeing some of the Neil Jordan films released on blu as well: Mona Lisa, The Company of Wolves, The Crying Game.

I was contemplating getting a region free blu-ray player and just picking up the Arrow releases if there is no chance of the titles being released on Criterion. Criterion, of course, is always my number 1 pick.

[jw007]

I unwrapped my sealed blu-ray release of 1984 and watched it last night, including all of the supplements afterwards. This might be one of the darkest, bleakest films of all time in my opinion, and I was quite amazed that there were no special effects and everything was done in-camera (including front and back projections).

The last time I saw this movie was just a few years ago (when I bought the limited edition Twilight Time blu-ray release) but before that it must have been decades. I REALLY appreciate the supplements Criterion included as that really sheds a lot of light on the production of the film which I had been wondering about for such a long time.

Now the question is, should I sell my TT blu-ray or keep it?

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by Jonbaker

When is The Long Good Friday going to be released on blu-ray by Criterion? Last time there was a discussion of the possibility of it being released was a year ago. I'd also be interested in seeing some of the Neil Jordan films released on blu as well: Mona Lisa, The Company of Wolves, The Crying Game.

I was contemplating getting a region free blu-ray player and just picking up the Arrow releases if there is no chance of the titles being released on Criterion. Criterion, of course, is always my number 1 pick.

I'm sorry I can't answer your question, although someone may know more about potential Criterion releases of these titles.

When I went region-free three years ago, The Long Good Friday and Mona Lisa were top of my list. I've also picked up the BFI release of The Crying Game, and many other Region B titles - including other films not yet upgraded by Criterion.

Getting an all-region player has allowed me to enjoy some of my favourite films presented in editions often equally as good as the best Criterion releases - without having to wait, or hedge my bets on a future Criterion or other US release that may or may not happen.

I say go for it! (And the two Hoskins titles on Arrow are superb).

[amputd]

Originally Posted by Jonbaker

When is The Long Good Friday going to be released on blu-ray by Criterion? Last time there was a discussion of the possibility of it being released was a year ago. I'd also be interested in seeing some of the Neil Jordan films released on blu as well: Mona Lisa, The Company of Wolves, The Crying Game.

I was contemplating getting a region free blu-ray player and just picking up the Arrow releases if there is no chance of the titles being released on Criterion. Criterion, of course, is always my number 1 pick.

The U.K. releases of Long Good Friday, The Crying Game and Mona Lisa are all excellent. I went region-free a couple of years ago and I don’t regret it. There are advantages and disadvantages, but overall I’m really happy with the decision. There are some productions (e.g. This Is England television series) that I doubt will ever be released in North America. Quite a few of my region B discs have seen releases here and that can be annoying sometimes. Kino picked up quite a few titles, but their discs vary in quality. On the positive side the pound is weak right now and discs in Europe are often much cheaper- even with currency conversion rates and shipping added in. I’d say it’s a great decision if you are so inclined

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by amputd

The U.K. releases of Long Good Friday, The Crying Game and Mona Lisa are all excellent. I went region-free a couple of years ago and I don’t regret it. There are advantages and disadvantages, but overall I’m really happy with the decision. There are some productions (e.g. This Is England television series) that I doubt will ever be released in North America. Quite a few of my region B discs have seen releases here and that can be annoying sometimes. Kino picked up quite a few titles, but their discs vary in quality. On the positive side the pound is weak right now and discs in Europe are often much cheaper- even with currency conversion rates and shipping added in. I’d say it’s a great decision if you are so inclined

Good points re: currency/price. Also, Amazon UK and some other vendors automatically deduct 20% VAT from the "sticker" price. It's definitely a great time to buy from the UK.

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by amputd

The U.K. releases of Long Good Friday, The Crying Game and Mona Lisa are all excellent. I went region-free a couple of years ago and I don’t regret it. There are advantages and disadvantages, but overall I’m really happy with the decision. There are some productions (e.g. This Is England television series) that I doubt will ever be released in North America. Quite a few of my region B discs have seen releases here and that can be annoying sometimes. Kino picked up quite a few titles, but their discs vary in quality. On the positive side the pound is weak right now and discs in Europe are often much cheaper- even with currency conversion rates and shipping added in. I’d say it’s a great decision if you are so inclined

I want this is England but amazon U.K. won’t ship this title to US. Nor will they Dead Man’s Shoes. Most stuff they do but some random titles they won’t. Is there a good alternative to Amazon to get imports?

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by Jonbaker

I was contemplating getting a region free blu-ray player and just picking up the Arrow releases if there is no chance of the titles being released on Criterion. Criterion, of course, is always my number 1 pick.

Even if you prefer the Criterion treatment, I would still go ahead and get the region free player. There are so many great films that haven't been released here that have great releases by Eureka, Arrow, and other labels. The region free player will pay for itself almost immediately

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

I want this is England but amazon U.K. won’t ship this title to US. Nor will they Dead Man’s Shoes. Most stuff they do but some random titles they won’t. Is there a good alternative to Amazon to get imports?

You can try rarewaves on eBay. I see Dead Man's Shoes for $11.66 on eBay from Rarewaves. This is England is $11.68 also from Rarewaves eBay shop. I've ordered all kinds of UK stuff from them and have never had one problem.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

I want this is England but amazon U.K. won’t ship this title to US. Nor will they Dead Man’s Shoes. Most stuff they do but some random titles they won’t. Is there a good alternative to Amazon to get imports?

Interesting. Some Amazon UK sellers don't ship to the US, but I've never had this happen when buying direct from Amazon UK - and I've bought over 100 titles in the past three years. Maybe rights issues for those particular titles?

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Jonbaker

I was contemplating getting a region free blu-ray player and just picking up the Arrow releases if there is no chance of the titles being released on Criterion. Criterion, of course, is always my number 1 pick.

Arrow's transfers of Mona Lisa and TLGF were supervised by the respective DoP's and look amazing, and also have a superlative set of supplements.

[DreadStare]

What are the chances of Häxan getting a UK release? Or should I just say farewell to my money and import it?

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by DreadStare

What are the chances of Häxan getting a UK release? Or should I just say farewell to my money and import it?

Tartan appears to have the rights over there, so unlikely. Arrow has gotten a few titles from them though, so it could potentially be released through Arrow Academy.

[Rzzzz]

I just watched The Innocents for the first time. I can't believe I have never seen this film before. I guess it didn't play on American TV much in the 60s and 70s? This is probably one of the creepiest films I have ever seen. I am not much of a fan of The Haunting or The Uninvited (I thought they were both entertaining but not something I need to own) so I wasn't expecting too much but this really blew me away. I would even go so far as to label it one of those "perfect" films where everything is done right and it achieves everything it set out to do and more. I feel like I need to watch it again because I am sure there are hidden things that can be found in the film. There is a scene where

[Show spoiler]Deborah Kerr is walking through the house in the dark and the clapboard accidentally got in the shot. The director decided to leave it in because he liked the way it looked and felt is gave the scene a disjointed, uneasy feeling

which pretty much describes the whole film ....

[Egbert Souse]

Originally Posted by Jonbaker

When is The Long Good Friday going to be released on blu-ray by Criterion? Last time there was a discussion of the possibility of it being released was a year ago. I'd also be interested in seeing some of the Neil Jordan films released on blu as well: Mona Lisa, The Company of Wolves, The Crying Game.

I was contemplating getting a region free blu-ray player and just picking up the Arrow releases if there is no chance of the titles being released on Criterion. Criterion, of course, is always my number 1 pick.

A December Handmade Films box set would be a great idea between it being the 40th anniversary of both the company and Life of Brian. Just in time for Christmas for the latter...

[KMR]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I don't know if you've ever seen it, but one of my favorite Spacek performances is Verna: USO Girl. It's a made-for-tv film I saw many years ago on PBS and she's wonderful in it.

Or how about Ginger in the Morning (1974)? That one surely is worthy of the Criterion treatment, no? NO!! I absolutely adore Ms. Spacek, but Ginger is definitely on my "Watch at your own peril" list. While I'm sure the atrocious 4:3 bad-telecine-from-a-worn-videotape-encoded-at-a-low-bitrate-DVD presentation from a no-name budget label didn't help any, this movie came across as a poor TV movie-of-the-week. I didn't find Spacek's character at all convincing, but that could very well have been due to the very bad writing and direction. Co-star Monte Markham's character was uber-creepy, especially because I couldn't get a handle on what age Spacek was supposed to be playing. Because of Carrie (made two years later), I was reading her character as being a minor, which made the whole situation feel quite icky.

[DaBargainHunta]

I watched Bad Education on The Criterion Channel before it expires. (Tonight!)

Man, what a WILD RIDE!

The Criterion Channel's description of the film conveniently leaves out all of its gay, transgender, and cross-dressing themes.

Originally Posted by The Criterion Channel

In Pedro Almodóvar’s BAD EDUCATION, two boys, Ignacio and Enrique, discover love, cinema, and fear in a Franco-era religious school in the early 1960s. In 1980 Madrid, young director Enrique Goded (Fele Martínez) is looking for a story for his fourth film when he has a visitor: an attractive young man (Gael García Bernal) who says he is his old school friend, Ignacio. Ignacio has brought a short story he has written, which piques Enrique’s interest when he realizes that the story was inspired by their childhood. Enrique’s film, and the events that transpire during its shooting, tell a story within a story whose real and imagined characters try to make sense of themselves, their world, and their past.

I guess they assume everyone is homophobic?

I bring this up because it took me by surprise - not a bad way, of course - but I wasn't expecting it because Criterion didn't include it in its description.

In any case, I was hooked from the very beginning. It is beautifully shot and the opening scene immediately grabs your attention, as an aspiring actor (played by Gael García Bernal) comes into a studio and introduces himself as the old school friend of a film director (Fele Martínez). From there, the director reads the script and we get flashbacks upon flashbacks of earlier times. To say more than that would be to spoil the movie...

I have one question though: Is the aspect ratio screwed up on the Criterion Channel version? I know the film has two different ARs, but the flashbacks on Criterion Channel have bars on all four sides, which doesn't seem right to me. Thankfully, the movie was riveting enough that I was able to overlook this possible technical snafu.

I was surprised to find out that Bad Education received the dreaded NC-17 rating. After watching it, I have no idea why. It's a PG-13 to me at most. Maybe I don't shock easily?

If I have time tonight, I'll try to watch either Akira Kurosawa's Dreams or The Man Who Fell to Earth (both also expiring). Not sure I'll be able to get to either of them though. Definitely won't be able to fit in both.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by Rzzzz

I just watched The Innocents for the first time. I can't believe I have never seen this film before. I guess it didn't play on American TV much in the 60s and 70s? This is probably one of the creepiest films I have ever seen. I am not much of a fan of The Haunting or The Uninvited (I thought they were both entertaining but not something I need to own) so I wasn't expecting too much but this really blew me away. I would even go so far as to label it one of those "perfect" films where everything is done right and it achieves everything it set out to do and more. I feel like I need to watch it again because I am sure there are hidden things that can be found in the film. There is a scene where

[Show spoiler]Deborah Kerr is walking through the house in the dark and the clapboard accidentally got in the shot. The director decided to leave it in because he liked the way it looked and felt is gave the scene a disjointed, uneasy feeling

which pretty much describes the whole film ....

Great classic horror film! I blind bought The Uninvited a few days ago and I really enjoyed it. I wasn't a fan of the pretty lame attempts at comedy in the first 25 minutes or so but I thought it picked right back up flawlessly and has some pretty creepy moments (even for 1944) along with a wonderful atmosphere.

I've done more blind buying in the last few months than I ever have and have had excellent luck with all of them, knock on wood!

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

I have one question though: Is the aspect ratio screwed up on the Criterion Channel version? I know the film has two different ARs, but the flashbacks on Criterion Channel have bars on all four sides, which doesn't seem right to me. Thankfully, the movie was riveting enough that I was able to overlook this possible technical snafu.

So whatever the main aspect ratio is, that would be the base aspect ratio. Then the flashbacks with the different AR would be inside the main one. The movie is set for two different ratios, it’s one and then another inside. That’s my assumption.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

So whatever the main aspect ratio is, that would be the base aspect ratio. Then the flashbacks with the different AR would be inside the main one. The movie is set for two different ratios, it’s one and then another inside. That’s my assumption.

The main aspect ratio looks fine, as far as I can tell. The flashback aspect ratio is supposed to be different, and it is, but bars on all four sides for that doesn't seem normal to me.

This is what IMDb lists as the two ARs:

1.85 : 1 (some scenes)
2.35 : 1 (some scenes)

Not sure which one is the "main" AR.

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Interesting. Some Amazon UK sellers don't ship to the US, but I've never had this happen when buying direct from Amazon UK - and I've bought over 100 titles in the past three years. Maybe rights issues for those particular titles?

Yeah Directly from Amazon there are a few random titles they won’t ship even though it says Amazon is the seller. Not sure why...

https://forum.blu-ray.com/picture.ph...ictureid=32485