The Criterion Collection

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by Scottie

R.I.P. Max von Sydow

Doing a quick count I think 17 films is how many he has in the collection. Such a legend I will miss him. He was the reason I got into Bergman’s work seeing him first in American films

[Cremildo]

The fact that he was 90 doesn't make it any less sad or surprising. We have lost one of the greatest screen actors of all time. What an amazing legacy.

[SeanJoyce]

One of the things that continued to amaze me almost on a daily basis was that the guy who played chess with Death in the 50s and dueled with Satan in the 70s was not only still walking and breathing, but collecting accolades while currently acting!

A true legend, RIP.

[jayembee]

Best. Actor. Ever.

I'd always liked Max Von Sydow in anything I'd seen him in, but my epiphany struck after a one-two punch of seeing Bertrand Tavernier's La mort en direct (Deathwatch) and Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters. His performances in both of these seemed so sublimely effortless, he made acting look like the easiest thing in the world.

And he apparently didn't take himself so seriously that he wouldn't appear in films like Flash Gordon, Judge Dredd, and Strange Brew. And it never seemed, unlike with some others, that he was phoning it in and/or doing it just for the paycheck.

We lost a Great One today.

[ShellOilJunior]

It would be unfair to cite one or two, or even five films where Max von Sydow was memorable. His body of work is staggering. A true legend.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by Scottie

R.I.P. Max von Sydow

A legend.

[theater dreamer]

What terrible news to wake up to. Max von Sydow’s body of work is virtually unparalleled. Such a brilliant man.

[Drake2222]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Noticed an entry on the site for an upcoming German release of David Lean's Oliver Twist. I know nothing about the label (Pidax), but translating the product description on Amazon, the two cuts are the "German" version and the "Long" version (the original German release was edited, and I assume the "Long" version is the full 116 minute cut):

Criterion could one-up them by releasing the David Lean version with the Lon Chaney version on a bonus blu ray disc

[joy-division]

Max certainly had a meaningful life

[Egbert Souse]

Max Von Sydow was one of those actors that's simply unparalleled in terms of his screen presence like an Olivier or Gabin. A face seemingly chiseled from rock and half a century of performances making use of it. There won't be another Von Sydow.

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

It’s not a given it will only be 8 films max. WKW has said and other reports have indicated that all his films will be released by Criterion. Even though Janus doesn’t have distribution rights and that’s why they aren’t touring with the others, they can still license them for box like they did with Bergman. We’ll only know for sure when it’s announced

Janus is touring his first six films (minus Ashes of Time) and Sony Pictures Classics has NA rights to Ashes of Time and 2046, apparently. Given that the Weinstein Co. films (not just WKW's) seem to be in limbo, who knows?

[AaronJ]

There's just no way to even come close to expressing the vastness of Max's career. And as others have pointed out, he could play fun, silly roles, too.

[jw007]

Max Von Sydow was in so many amazing films so he will be dearly missed. I especially liked his role in Minority Report.

[nitin]

If Antonioni or Bresson made an American road movie about drag racing, it would probably look and feel a little like Monte Hellman’s Two Lane Blacktop.

Hellman’s movie has a couple of drag races, usually over before you even realise them, and the characters do travel across America, but the characters that inhabit the film are not making American myths, they are living them long after those mythical days have passed. The two main male leads barely speak to each other, and when they do it is generally only about the car they are in. They seem unable to actually communicate. Same goes for the female lead, who is drifting both literally and figuratively.

All of them are contrasted with Warren Oates’ GTO, one of the great film characters of the 70s, who talks and talks but all of it is phoney and he keeps making up stories to escape from his real past (and the one time he does try to talk about his last, he is abruptly shut down by the other character because ‘it’s not my problem’).

It’s a really fascinating film, there’s not much narrative nor much actual characterisation. To a certain extent, you will get from it what you put into it. But if you are willing to meet it on its terms, it will linger with you for days.

Criterion’s blu is from a pretty good older master that gets a little noisy when the grain peaks in some of the night scenes, but otherwise looks quite nice. It’s certainly noticeably better than the filtered master on Eureka’s release and the best way to watch the film.

[Snicket]

So Universal is releasing Parasite in 4K this June.


Wondering why Criterion is even going to bother.

[sawdustandtinsel]

Originally Posted by Snicket

So Universal is releasing Parasite in 4K this June.


Wondering why Criterion is even going to bother.

Maybe the Criterion will include the B&W version or something.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Snicket

So Universal is releasing Parasite in 4K this June.


Wondering why Criterion is even going to bother.

Someone's gotta release the DVD.

[dwk]

Originally Posted by Snicket

So Universal is releasing Parasite in 4K this June.


Wondering why Criterion is even going to bother.

Maybe they didn't know Universal planned to release it on UHD when they struck the deal for the title.

[The Sovereign]

Originally Posted by nitin

If Antonioni or Bresson made an American road movie about drag racing, it would probably look and feel a little like Monte Hellman’s Two Lane Blacktop.

I feel like that one's been on my wish list forever. Maybe this July...

[skylark68]

Originally Posted by nitin

If Antonioni or Bresson made an American road movie about drag racing, it would probably look and feel a little like Monte Hellman’s Two Lane Blacktop.

Hellman’s movie has a couple of drag races, usually over before you even realise them, and the characters do travel across America, but the characters that inhabit the film are not making American myths, they are living them long after those mythical days have passed. The two main male leads barely speak to each other, and when they do it is generally only about the car they are in. They seem unable to actually communicate. Same goes for the female lead, who is drifting both literally and figuratively.

All of them are contrasted with Warren Oates’ GTO, one of the great film characters of the 70s, who talks and talks but all of it is phoney and he keeps making up stories to escape from his real past (and the one time he does try to talk about his last, he is abruptly shut down by the other character because ‘it’s not my problem’).

It’s a really fascinating film, there’s not much narrative nor much actual characterisation. To a certain extent, you will get from it what you put into it. But if you are willing to meet it on its terms, it will linger with you for days.

Criterion’s blu is from a pretty good older master that gets a little noisy when the grain peaks in some of the night scenes, but otherwise looks quite nice. It’s certainly noticeably better than the filtered master on Eureka’s release and the best way to watch the film.

I've owned this for quite some time in different formats. It has near legendary status among car guys/gals.

[nitin]

I am no car person but I would have thought the lack of any real race scenes would have out the car crowd off?