The Criterion Collection

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by 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?

The movie still consists mainly of the main characters cruising on the open road. The "car crowd" isn't just into race scenes.

[critterdvd]

Originally Posted by The Sovereign

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

Same here! I don't know why, but like clockwork everytime there is a Criterion sale I completely forget this and All that Heaven Allows, and have been doing so for a couple of years now. I had to highlight them on my wish-list spreadsheet a few weeks ago so I don't miss out on the next sale.

[critterdvd]

Originally Posted by Snicket

So Universal is releasing Parasite in 4K this June.


Wondering why Criterion is even going to bother.

Universal's 4K is probably going to be Bare Bones, while Criterion will have all the special features (at least that's my assumption). I know a several people who plan on purchasing both for the PQ and the Extras. While I do have some 4K discs, I don't plan on upgrading anytime soon (or if at all since my 70" TV barely fits in our living/media room as it is), I'll be personally sticking with the Criterion.

[Ray Jackson]

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.

All that speed’s gonna run over you one of these days.

You can’t be a nomad forever.

...not unless you flow with it like me.

[joy-division]

Originally Posted by Snicket

So Universal is releasing Parasite in 4K this June.


Wondering why Criterion is even going to bother.

Because there are loads who still can't be bothered with 4K

[regeyer]

Originally Posted by joy-division

Because there are loads who still can't be bothered with 4K

I bet 50% of Criterion's business is through the sale of DVDs. They still sell a lot of DVDs.

[jshaide]

Have there been any substantial rumors/unofficial confirmation that CITIZEN KANE is coming through Criterion?

I ask because I'm upgrading some old DVDs and I'm staring at this in my cart. But I thought I've heard some whispers here and there re. a Criterion release.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by jshaide

Have there been any substantial rumors/unofficial confirmation that CITIZEN KANE is coming through Criterion?

I ask because I'm upgrading some old DVDs and I'm staring at this in my cart. But I thought I've heard some whispers here and there re. a Criterion release.

There’s always been rumors. Some people took a sled from the New Years clue last year to mean Citizen Kane. I say it was only for Bamboozled. I think someone said there was a rumor it would’ve been the first 4K release sometime in fall 2019.

[Elvis_Tangerium]

Originally Posted by regeyer

I bet 50% of Criterion's business is through the sale of DVDs. They still sell a lot of DVDs.

I bet more than that . . . .

[dwk]

last time they answered the question, they said they sell about 60/40 Blu-ray/DVD. That was some time ago, so I would assume that the split is even more as they've released two big box sets only on Blu-ray and re-released three box sets on Blu-ray but have kept the DVD sets OOP.

[ravenus]

Just finished watching the extras on the Roma blu. Road to Roma is a 75min making of mainly from the POV of Alfonso Cuaron describing his vision for the film and how he set about it, while Snapshots from the Set (~30min) talks to several people from the cast and crew, including the wonderful lead actress Yalitza Aparicio.

I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the supplementary featurettes - Look of Roma and Sound of Roma, which concentrate on the post-production process. In Look, Cuaron discusses how he came to fix on the final shooting format of Roma (comparing film and digital, whether to shoot in B&W or color, Academy and widescreen ratio), and we also see how deeply and subtly VFX and contrast grading were used throughout the film, to achieve a seamless striking look. In Sound, the process of recording and mixing of audio for several sequences of the film is discussed in great detail. It is important to note that this featurette is presented in lossless surround (I assume Atmos, it shows on my setup as 7.1 TrueHD), which gives a brilliant ready demonstration of the aspects talked about by the crew.

Roma Brings Us Together focuses on the journey to bring Roma to Mexican audiences, how many independent cinemas were refurbished for screenings, open-air mass screenings were conducted, and how the film acted as a social impetus for people to discuss social and ethnic structure, and to pass important laws regarding the treatment of domestic employees.

Also read 2 essays from the included booklet, and they are meaty pieces from people who are not just critics lauding the film, but people with a perspective on the history it covers. A very thoughtfully put together package from Criterion.

[SuperFlyHighGuy]

Originally Posted by critterdvd

Same here! I don't know why, but like clockwork everytime there is a Criterion sale I completely forget this and All that Heaven Allows, and have been doing so for a couple of years now. I had to highlight them on my wish-list spreadsheet a few weeks ago so I don't miss out on the next sale.

All That Heaven Allows is so good, has become one of my favorite '50s films after getting the CC disc. It kicked off my obsession with finding more '50s melodrama films in color.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by jshaide

Have there been any substantial rumors/unofficial confirmation that CITIZEN KANE is coming through Criterion?

I ask because I'm upgrading some old DVDs and I'm staring at this in my cart. But I thought I've heard some whispers here and there re. a Criterion release.

No. And it doesn't need to be, because the current release is superb. A "C" doesn't make it magically better.

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

No. And it doesn't need to be, because the current release is superb. A "C" doesn't make it magically better.

There are rumors, and it’s not necessarily about a magical “c”

The current release is based on a restoration done a decade ago. If they think they can still improve the image or add unique supplements, then why not. It may introduce the film to people who don’t have the current release

[regeyer]

Originally Posted by dwk

last time they answered the question, they said they sell about 60/40 Blu-ray/DVD.

But is that quantity or sales total Blu-Ray's have a retail price that is roughly 25% more than DVD's. So even if there is a 50/50 split in the numbers of discs sold, the Blu-Ray's will have a greater share of total sales. In fact, DVD's could outsell Blu-Ray's and Blu-Ray's could still bring in a higher share.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

There are rumors, and it’s not necessarily about a magical “c”

The current release is based on a restoration done a decade ago. If they think they can still improve the image or add unique supplements, then why not. It may introduce the film to people who don’t have the current release

Yeah, man. I'm not aching for the "C", I'm aching for not dropping money on a disc that I'm going to want to upgrade shortly down the line.

[jshaide]

Early announcements to distract us from the pandemic???

[FragnitoM]

Got an email that replacement packages are delayed. Most Criterion staff are working from home it said. This virus has finally become personal

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jshaide

Yeah, man. I'm not aching for the "C", I'm aching for not dropping money on a disc that I'm going to want to upgrade shortly down the line.

Citizen Kane was Criterion's very first release -- well, it and King Kong (spine #2) were released together on laserdisc on December 1st, 1984 -- so there's a very reasonable joy at the thought of it possibly re-entering the Collection. More for Criterion's sake than Citizen Kane's sake, but still...

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

Got an email that replacement packages are delayed. Most Criterion staff are working from home it said. This virus has finally become personal

Quite frankly, I thought that happened when Tom Hanks tweeted that he and Rita tested positive while working on a film down in Australia.