The Criterion Collection

[Cooper67]

Originally Posted by sabdo

Has there been any sort of confirmation that Winchester '73 is coming from Criterion? I only ask because I would be elated to see it happen—it's probably the best of the westerns that Anthony Mann and Jimmy Stewart made together (I would love to see The Naked Spur happen as well).

No official conformation but the rumor i read a couple of years ago stated that criterion had destry rides again and winchester 73. Destry rides again was announced last month for an april release so the view is that winchester 73 is right around the corner.

I dont think criterion has ever officially confirmed any title before they announce in the newsletter. The newsletter would be their official conformation. Everything before that is based on rumors, leaks and clues.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Reddington

I just received the Koch Region B release of The Limey from Amazon Germany. Always thought it might get a Criterion release. One of my favourite Stamp performances.

Great film. Needs a BD release with English subtitles, though. Stamp's accent is so thick, it's often hard to understand what he's saying. In fact, the best line in the film comes when Stamp meets with the FBI agent...

Stamp: (Long speech)

FBI Agent: "There's just one thing I don't understand."

Stamp: Wot?!

FBI Agent: Every fückin' word you just said.

The same issue is the case with Bob Hoskins's character in Atom Egoyan's Felicia's Journey (which also greatly needs a BD release). Both films came out on DVD here by Artisan, which rarely seemed to supply English subtitles on their discs.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Network23

well whatever the new titles are this month, THIS YEAR better be when Criterion goes to 4k. Shout Factory just fired across the bow with "The Deer Hunter" announcement, even Vinegar Syndrome put out a 4k title. Whats the hold up Criterion, I consider them to be the gold standard in films on disc, they should be leading it and not following up behind.

Well, they also fell behind in getting into DVD, getting into anamorphic DVD, and getting into Blu-ray, so it shouldn't be any big surprise that they'd be behind in getting into UHD. It is what it is.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by RCRochester

The International Film category has its own separate set of rules for qualification from all other categories. There was even a film in the early 70s called The Emigrants which was nominated for Best Foreign Film one year and then a year later was nominated for Best Picture.

And for the 2001 Oscars Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was nominated for Best Picture, and won Best Foreign Film.

[chocolat]

Originally Posted by drat

If I were a betting man I'd wager that the sale will be on Feb. 25th which is the date their Karel Zeman box set is coming out.

I would actually prefer this date not for the Zeman set but to have just a little more deciding time if I am gonna add a title or two more to my already locked in selections (only 2 things)

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Well, that's the thing. I always assumed that "Best Picture" was Hollywood rewarding itself. The "Best International Feature Film" category replaced the "Best Foreign Language Film" this year. If a South-Korean made film qualifies for both, why couldn't an American-made film qualify under "International" given that the "Foreign Language" component has been dropped?

Because the rules for the category state that films made in the US cannot be nominated for Best International Feature Film. Even if it was a US film shot in Spanish. In the meantime, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand can get away with submitting films for the category as long as they're in any language other than English (like say, French, Welsh, or Maori).

One of the issues has been that there are some African nations (eg. Nigeria, Liberia) in which English is the official language. So, while Nigeria can submit a film for the BIFF category if it's filmed in Igbo, they can't if it's in English. Which seems counterintuitive.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Oh, it still has to be predominantly non-English? What if the movie is based in India, or Hong Kong and is in English? It wouldn't qualify?

Correct. But there really should be some reasonable allowances made. Back in the early 90s, there was a Hong Kong film by Clara Law, Autumn Moon (great film; needs a BD release). The basic story was about a teen-age local girl who was there finishing school, so she could join the rest of her family in Canada (to which they'd emigrated). She meets up with this young Japanese man who is in HK for vacation, and they strike up a friendship. She can't speak Japanese, he can't speak Cantonese, but they both speak some English, so that's how they communicate with each other. As a result, the bulk of the film is in English.

Under the AMPAS rules, a film like this would not be eligible for BIFF since it's predominantly in English, but jeez, really? That makes no sense.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by CoenP

Maybe it's been asked a couple of times, but I'm confused because of the re-release of Army of Shadows. What are the chances of Leon Morin, Pretre / Bob le Flambeur / Le Doulos / Touchez pas au Grisbi getting a criterion blu ray release. If not likely I'll go with the KL but the completist in me wants a CC release

I guess you are confused. If Kino has released them in the US, it means that Kino has the (usually exclusive) license to do so. Which means Criterion cannot release them unless and until Kino's license expires.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by drat

If I were a betting man I'd wager that the sale will be on Feb. 25th which is the date their Karel Zeman box set is coming out.

Originally Posted by chocolat

I would actually prefer this date not for the Zeman set but to have just a little more deciding time if I am gonna add a title or two more to my already locked in selections (only 2 things)

I'd prefer it because my budget is down close to zero until just before then.

[Dubstar]

anyone heard or read when and if Criterion is releasing the 2019 movie VARDA BY AGNÈS??

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Great film. Needs a BD release with English subtitles, though. Stamp's accent is so thick, it's often hard to understand what he's saying.

[Show spoiler]In fact, the best line in the film comes when Stamp meets with the FBI agent...

Stamp: (Long speech)

FBI Agent: "There's just one thing I don't understand."

Stamp: Wot?!

FBI Agent: Every fückin' word you just said.

The same issue is the case with Bob Hoskins's character in Atom Egoyan's Felicia's Journey (which also greatly needs a BD release). Both films came out on DVD here by Artisan, which rarely seemed to supply English subtitles on their discs.

The Koch has English subtitles but is Region B locked. I got it at the weekend but haven't been able to watch it yet due to other commitments - so I can't speak to their accuracy. Not that I'd need them; as a Brit and fellow Londoner, Stamp's accent will be music to my ears.

Big fan of Hoskins, but I've not seen that one. I'll have to rectify that.

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Well, they also fell behind in getting into DVD, getting into anamorphic DVD, and getting into Blu-ray, so it shouldn't be any big surprise that they'd be behind in getting into UHD. It is what it is.

That's true, but they were releasing in both those formats within two years of launch. It's now been four years since the UHD launch - they're unusually behind and it's starting to become really glaring.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Reddington

The Koch has English subtitles but is Region B locked. I got it at the weekend but haven't been able to watch it yet due to other commitments - so I can't speak to their accuracy. Not that I'd need them; as a Brit and fellow Londoner, Stamp's accent will be music to my ears.

Big fan of Hoskins, but I've not seen that one. I'll have to rectify that.

That's good to know. The database entry here just had German subs listed. I'll have to add it to the "Save for later" part of my cart and add it to my next Amazon DE order. Thanks.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Well, that's the thing. I always assumed that "Best Picture" was Hollywood rewarding itself. The "Best International Feature Film" category replaced the "Best Foreign Language Film" this year. If a South-Korean made film qualifies for both, why couldn't an American-made film qualify under "International" given that the "Foreign Language" component has been dropped?

Sounds like semantics, and perhaps it is a bit. But it seems like maybe a move designed to placate criticism of a lack of diversity in the "Best Picture" category. Sorry if that sounds cynical; it's just an observation.

Anyway, I've not seen the film but it is on my list. The reviews and plaudits seem to be universally positive, so one has to assume it was a deserved winner last night.

After reading some of the comments posted recently about this controversy, it makes me question what qualifies as a "predominantly English-spoken film"? Is there an equation or percentage of how much English makes it qualify for Best International Film? I'm guessing less than 50% but maybe its more like 25% or 33% English that allows it to be nominated for International cinema. I think language itself is sometimes overanalyzed, as language can be expressed silently as well (did anyone ever see this amazing documentary on these Carthusian monks living in a French hilltop monastery called Into Great Silence?), and also expressed through body language, or even Morse code (such as in Parasite).

But yeah, American cinema is not international, unless of course you're living in Japan or Brazil or South Africa or some other country where American cinema is more like "international cinema" in that perspective.

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by jayembee

And for the 2001 Oscars Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was nominated for Best Picture, and won Best Foreign Film.

Well, yeah, that’s what happened with Roma last year too. The point of my post was to illustrate the rules are different for International Film. Under the rules Emigrants was only eligible for Foreign Film one year, and all the other awards the next year. Basically any film is eligible for Oscar consideration if it has a theatrical run in Los Angeles County, but to qualify for International it has to have been exhibited in its own country and not be in English. Categories are not always mutually exclusive, Honeyland was also nominated in two categories this year.

[MifuneFan]

Honeyland is the first time a Best Doc nominee also got a Best International Film nomination, which is pretty cool.

While on the topic of documentaries, Netflix's American Factory won the Best Documentary Oscar last night. It wasn't even my favorite Netflix documentary nominated (The Edge of Democracy was), but I suppose Criterion chose well by acquiring it.

[Lordy]

Originally Posted by SteelyTom

Trying to narrow my flash sale choices down to three of the following-- any advice you can extend would be appreciated....

Sisters (Carlito's Way my only other De Palma)
Barry Lyndon
Hiroshima, Mon Amour (no Resnais)
All That Heaven Allows (Tarnished Angels my only other Sirk)
Red Desert (have the other Criterion Antonioni)
Short Cuts (have lots of Altman)
Don't Look Now

My recommendation to you is to go with Barry Lyndon first. It's an absolute masterpiece by Kubrick, and by far the best work Ryan O'Neal has ever done. Additionally, if another masterpiece by Kubrick, Paths of Glory, isn't already in your personal Criterion Collection, you need to grab that as well. Second, you'd do well to continue to supplement your Altman collection with Short Cuts. Thirdly, although it's kind of a toss-up, go with Hiroshima, Mon Amour to fill that directorial gap in your collection. My two cents.

[Ray Jackson]

Is the Zatoichi set OOP?

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Is the Zatoichi set OOP?

As I said before, its only OOP if it says so on Criterion's site. In Zatoichi's case its just currently unavailable for the time being.

[SuperFlyHighGuy]

Originally Posted by drat

If I were a betting man I'd wager that the sale will be on Feb. 25th which is the date their Karel Zeman box set is coming out.

That's be perfect cause I'm really interested in that set. Plus I forgot to put some money in my account for tomorrow.