The Criterion Collection

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I don't know if this is old news or not, but I just saw that Rohmer's Six Moral Tales are being screened next month with new restorations. Gotta think that means an upgrade is only a matter of time.

How new is new? Potemkine released all of Rohmer's films on blu in 2013. Not sure if that means a Criterion release is imminent. I'd love a release of his Comedies and Proverbs, but Kino has released Pauline at the Beach and Film Movement has released Full Moon in Paris, so the U.S. rights appear to be scattered, at least for that series.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by Snicket

I actually really like the TOL one. I think I'm going to go for it.

Well, glad the post provided some good use.

Make sure you have Twitter alerts set up. They'll sell out within seconds.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by belcherman

How new is new? Potemkine released all of Rohmer's films on blu in 2013. Not sure if that means a Criterion release is imminent. I'd love a release of his Comedies and Proverbs, but Kino has released Pauline at the Beach and Film Movement has released Full Moon in Paris, so the U.S. rights appear to be scattered, at least for that series.

Looks like it just says "new" without much more detail: http://www.filmlinc.org/daily/new-re...ing-september/

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Last night, I watched my Criterion Blu-ray of The New Land, after having watched The Emigrant earlier in the afternoon.

I think that both movies in The Emigrant/The New Land set are outstanding, but my preferences are strong with the latter film.

[Show spoiler] I enjoyed watching how Karl and Kristina, played respectively by Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann, survive and eventually thrive in America, and , once again, Jan Troell conveys the story with a breadth of exacting detail. I think that the side story of Robert's misadventure out west, as he ventured out to California to search for gold, adds quite a lot to the proceedings as well.

There's a rather shocking scene in The New Land that took me off guard. It's almost as though someone took five minutes out of a Ruggero Deodato film and stuck it in the middle of this otherwise idyllic historical drama. The moment still fits into the tone of the story, though, in the general scheme of things, because it further illustrates the hardship of what these Swedish settlers had to endure in their day-to-day lives.

One thing that resonated with me while watching The Emigrants and The New Land was the level of skill that the average person likely needed to have during those times in order to survive and feed a family. Karl (Max von Sydow) is a skilled farmer and also an expert carpenter who built his houses from the ground up. Of course, these are skills that we probably could all master in a world without electronic distractions. It's tough for many to imagine a life without 24-hour Urgent Care medical facilities around every street corner, and that reality is conveyed quite wonderfully in these films.

I also enjoyed watching how Jan Troell used a transition to a new land as an extended metaphor for a long-term marriage, and how he showed the ups-and-downs of Karl and Kristina's relationship alongside the ups-and-downs of settler life.

Blu-ray.com lists The Emigrants/The New Land as part of the western genre, and I think that both films justify this genre classification. Having now watched them, I'll be including the discs in the western section of my collection.

These are excellent movies, and I'm glad that I had enough free time yesterday to plow through both of them.

I prefer The New Land as well. There's a more interesting narrative arc for the characters imo.

What was the shocking scene you referred to?

Are you talking about the scene where the

[Show spoiler]natives kill her Uncle's family and nail the unborn baby up to the front door of the house?

...that was sickening.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I prefer The New Land as well. There's a more interesting narrative arc for the characters imo.

What was the shocking scene you referred to?

Are you talking about the scene where the

[Show spoiler]natives kill her Uncle's family and nail the unborn baby up to the front door of the house?

...that was sickening.

Yes, that is the scene.

Except that

[Show spoiler]the unborn baby was impaled on a stick and placed in front of the house. This is what made me think of Ruggero Deodato's Cannibal Holocaust.

Needless to say, I was not expecting such a scene while I was watching The New Land last night. The film has a PG rating, though. People were tougher back in 1972.

[jbieste]

Top Gun may not be getting the Criterion treatment for many years, but it is getting museum treatment tomorrow night. Museum of Flight is showing off their Tomcat and some other Navy fighters in their new Air Pavilion on Friday. After closing they're having a special screening of Top Gun in their theater. Planes, planes, and more planes.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Yes, that is the scene.

Except that

[Show spoiler]the unborn baby was impaled on a stick and placed in front of the house. This is what made me think of Ruggero Deodato's Cannibal Holocaust.

Needless to say, I was not expecting such a scene while I was watching The New Land last night. The film has a PG rating, though. People were tougher back in 1972.

It's definitely disturbing for a PG film.

Not as disturbing as Rudiger Vogler

[Show spoiler]dropping a deuce

in Kings of the Road imo.

...but few things in this world rise to that level of horror.

[Polaroid]

And here's me thinking Sweet Movie should have been a PG...

[bwdowiak]

[Show spoiler] I think the pooping at least has an artistic place in the film. Recall the various scenes in the movie:

Man poops
Man pleasures himself
Man urinates (front shot of that, too)
...and on the diesel truck, the 'e' and 'l' are covered by some sort of sticker to say "MAN DIES."

0

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

It's definitely disturbing for a PG film.

Not as disturbing as Rudiger Vogler

[Show spoiler]dropping a deuce

in Kings of the Road imo.

...but few things in this world rise to that level of horror.

[tenia]

Originally Posted by belcherman

How new is new? Potemkine released all of Rohmer's films on blu in 2013. Not sure if that means a Criterion release is imminent. I'd love a release of his Comedies and Proverbs, but Kino has released Pauline at the Beach and Film Movement has released Full Moon in Paris, so the U.S. rights appear to be scattered, at least for that series.

The movies received CNC funds for restorations after the Potemkine set was released but I dont think we saw these restorations anywhere yet.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

I swear I've looked for that. How did I miss it!?

Thank you, very much.

Aaron,

I would like to mention something to you. There is a large number of these discs that have imposed French subtitles. Apparently there is a small run where they can be turned off as well, but the first print -- which came via the box set (see below) -- has the imposed subtitles.

If you absolutely have to have this film now, see if you can confirm 100% what you get and then look for a sale. But my advise is to wait for a U.S. release. The film will be released on Blu-ray here. It might take some time, but we will get a local release.





If there is interest, we could do some reviews.

Pro-B

[darthfrede]

Another batch of Barnes & Noble sale Criterion blu-rays has arrived...
And about half of them are obvious reseals - different type of wrapping and no sticker.

It's exasperating to say the least.
My OCD is not happy with receiving cases that's been previously handled by persons unknown - with sanitary habits unknown.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by darthfrede

Another batch of Barnes & Noble sale Criterion blu-rays has arrived...
And about half of them are obvious reseals - different type of wrapping and no sticker.

It's exasperating to say the least.
My OCD is not happy with receiving cases that's been previously handled by persons unknown - with sanitary habits unknown.

Is that any different than the people who work in the factory that presses the discs, makes the cases/booklets etc?

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by darthfrede

Another batch of Barnes & Noble sale Criterion blu-rays has arrived...
And about half of them are obvious reseals - different type of wrapping and no sticker.

It's exasperating to say the least.
My OCD is not happy with receiving cases that's been previously handled by persons unknown - with sanitary habits unknown.

no sticker doesn't indicate anything about it being a re-seal. ...and there has been different type of cellophane wrapping over time.

I don't understand why people make so much of this. open it up. if there is evidence that it is a used disc, get a refund. if all looks well, then carry on.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

[Show spoiler] I think the pooping at least has an artistic place in the film. Recall the various scenes in the movie:

Man poops
Man pleasures himself
Man urinates (front shot of that, too)
...and on the diesel truck, the 'e' and 'l' are covered by some sort of sticker to say "MAN DIES."

0

It wasn't done for artistic reasons.

Here's an interview with Vim Venders where he says flat out that it was shot as a joke and never intended to be in the movie.

His editor basically dared him to leave it in.

...to this day he's still embarrassed by it.

http://culturevulture.net/features/a...h-wim-wenders/

[llj]

Originally Posted by belcherman

How new is new? Potemkine released all of Rohmer's films on blu in 2013. Not sure if that means a Criterion release is imminent. I'd love a release of his Comedies and Proverbs, but Kino has released Pauline at the Beach and Film Movement has released Full Moon in Paris, so the U.S. rights appear to be scattered, at least for that series.

The US rights for Rohmer's films is all over the place. It will be at least several decades before even a possibility of a US release of ALL of Rohmer in one box set, it such a thing even still exists by then.

That said, regarding just the Moral Tales, I could see Criterion releasing a BD of that soon with all their old extras.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

no sticker doesn't indicate anything about it being a re-seal. ...and there has been different type of cellophane wrapping over time.

I don't understand why people make so much of this. open it up. if there is evidence that it is a used disc, get a refund. if all looks well, then carry on.

You have no idea what life is like with OCD.

Me and my people have been through so much.

...it's a living hell.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

It wasn't done for artistic reasons.

Here's an interview with Vim Venders where he says flat out that it was shot as a joke and never intended to be in the movie.

His editor basically dared him to leave it in.

...to this day he's still embarrassed by it.

http://culturevulture.net/features/a...h-wim-wenders/

Okay, but the film was also shot without a plot or with any specific direction, so whatever survived the final cut was intended for artistic interpretation and connection making.
So I don't look upon that scene as any less necessary or unintentional than any other scene in the movie.

A lot is made of it, but how many other films show

[Show spoiler] a man rubbing his junk and a frontal shot of urination, as well?

since the interpretation and meaning of any work of art resides with the viewer (for film,) I have to believe that the presence of all the "man does this..." things are not without connection.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Is that any different than the people who work in the factory that presses the discs, makes the cases/booklets etc?

Great, make the poor bastard even more neurotic.

That's nice

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Well, glad the post provided some good use.

Make sure you have Twitter alerts set up. They'll sell out within seconds.

I ended up getting the non-variant. Not what I was aiming for but still happy with it.

Mondo is a huge PITA.