The Criterion Collection

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by rkish

Geez...I thought you were a bit closer.

I have family in your corner of the world

I'm Cleveland-West

[Walts Ghost]

Man there are quite a few titles coming out over the next few months from Criterion I'm really looking forward to Even more excited about Fear and Loathing, because I didn't think I'd ever get the Criterion edition on blu-ray, so I kept my DVD of it so I could have all the special features. I'm really getting into these Criterion releases!

[italy12]

Originally Posted by aggienader08

Is this Criterion's first foray into Travolta?

The Thin Red Line...tiny role, but Travolta nonetheless...

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by pj_campbell

I'm really getting into these Criterion releases!

Me too..... me too....

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

Me too..... me too....

Yea....They may be expensive, but they're so worth it Love what they do, and how much work they put into the titles. Really starting to wonder why I didn't start getting them earlier

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by italy12

The Thin Red Line...tiny role, but Travolta nonetheless...

Rumor has it Criterion picked up rights to Battlefield Earth. Hail Xenu!

[monque]

Looks like I will be getting the following:

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Le cercle rouge (never seen it but sounds great)
Kes (another blind buy)
and maybe Blow Out

[myka22]

Fear and Loathing is the only new one that I've seen. I guess that's a good thing, more movies for me to checkout.

[pro-bassoonist]

Final press sheet:

Le cercle rouge – Blu-ray
Alain Delon (The Leopard, Le samouraï) plays a master thief, fresh out of prison, who crosses paths with a notorious escapee and an alcoholic ex-cop (The Wages of Fear’s Yves Montand). The unlikely trio plot a heist, against impossible odds, and then a relentless inspector and their own pasts seal their fates. Le cercle rouge, from Jean-Pierre Melville (Le samouraï, Army of Shadows), combines honorable antiheroes, coolly atmospheric cinematography, and breathtaking set pieces to create a masterpiece of crime cinema.

1970 • 140 minutes • Color • Monaural • In French with English subtitles • 1.85:1 aspect ratio

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
• Restored, complete, uncut version, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• Excerpts from Cinéastes de notre temps: “Jean-Pierre Melville”
• Video interviews with assistant director Bernard Stora and Rui Nogueria, the author of Melville on Melville
• Thirty minutes of rare on-set and archival footage, featuring interviews with director Jean-Pierre Melville and stars Alain Delon, Yves Montand, and André Bourvil
• Original theatrical trailer and 2003 Rialto Pictures rerelease trailer
• PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by film critics Michael Sragow and Chris Fujiwara, excerpts from Melville on Melville, a reprinted interview with composer Eric Demarsan, and an appreciation from director John Woo

TITLE: Le cercle rouge (BLU-RAY EDITION)
CAT. NO: CC1996BD
UPC: 7-15515-07011-9
ISBN: 978-1-60465-407-3
SRP: $39.95
STREET: 4/12/11



White Material – Blu-ray
In White Material, the great contemporary French filmmaker Claire Denis (Chocolat, Beau travail), known for her restless, intimate dramas, introduces an unforgettably crazed character. Played ferociously by Isabelle Huppert (Story of Women, The Piano Teacher), Maria is an entitled white woman living in Africa, desperately unwilling to give up her family’s crumbling coffee plantation despite the civil war closing in on her. Created with Denis’ signature full-throttle visual style, which places the viewer in the center of the maelstrom, White Material is a gripping evocation of the death throes of European colonialism and a fascinating look at a woman lost in her own mind.

2009 • 105 minutes • Color • Surround • In French with English subtitles • 2.35:1 aspect ratio

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
• New digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Claire Denis and cinematographer Yves Cape, with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• New interviews with Denis and actors Isabelle Huppert and Isaach de Bankolé
• Short documentary by Denis on the film’s premiere at the Écrans Noirs Film Festival 2010 in Cameroon
• Deleted scene
• Theatrical trailer
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by film writer Amy Taubin

TITLE: White Material (BLU-RAY EDITION)
CAT. NO: CC1998BD
UPC: 7-15515-07031-7
ISBN: 978-1-60465-409-7
SRP: $39.95
STREET: 4/12/11



Kes – Blu-ray
Named by the British Film Institute as one of the ten best British films of the century, Kes, from Ken Loach (Hidden Agenda, The Wind That Shakes the Barley), is cinema’s quintessential portrait of working-class Northern England. Billy (an astonishingly naturalistic David Bradley) is a fifteen-year-old miner’s son whose close bond with a wild kestrel provides him with a spiritual escape from his dead-end life. Kes established the sociopolitical engagement and artistic brilliance of its filmmaker, and pushed the British “angry young man” film of the sixties into a new realm of authenticity, using real locations and nonprofessional actors. Loach’s poignant coming-of-age drama remains its now legendary director’s most beloved and influential film.

1969 • 110 minutes • Color • Monaural • 1.66:1 aspect ratio

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
• New, restored digital transfer, approved by director Ken Loach and director of photography Chris Menges, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• Making “Kes,” a new documentary featuring Loach, Menges, producer Tony
Garnett, and actor David Bradley
• The Southbank Show: “Ken Loach” (1993), a profile of the filmmaker, featuring Loach, Garnett, directors Stephen Frears and Alan Parker, and other Loach collaborators
• Cathy Come Home (1967), a feature directed by Loach and produced by Garnett, with an introduction by film writer Graham Fuller
• Original theatrical trailer
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by Fuller

TITLE: Kes (BLU-RAY EDITION)
CAT. NO: CC2000BD
UPC: 7-15515-07051-5
ISBN: 978-1-60465-411-0
SRP: $39.95
STREET: 4/19/11



Sweetie – Blu-ray
Though she went on to create a string of brilliant films, Jane Campion (The Piano, Bright Star) will always be remembered for her knockout debut feature, Sweetie, which focuses on the hazardous relationship between the buttoned-down, superstitious Kay and her rampaging, devil-may-care sister, Sweetie—and on their family’s profoundly rotten roots. A feast of colorful photography and captivating, idiosyncratic characters, Sweetie heralded the emergence of this gifted director, as well as a renaissance of Australian cinema, which would take the film world by storm in the nineties.

1989 • 99 minutes • Color • Surround • 1.85:1 aspect ratio

DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
• Restored digital transfer, supervised by director of photography Sally Bongers and approved by director Jane Campion, with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• Audio commentary featuring Campion, Bongers, and screenwriter Gerard Lee
• Making “Sweetie,” a video conversation between stars Genevieve Lemon and Karen Colston
• Campion’s early short films An Exercise in Discipline: Peel, Passionless Moments, and A Girl’s Own Story
• Jane Campion: The Film School Years, a 1989 video conversation between Campion and critic Peter Thompson
• Gallery of behind-the-scenes photos and production stills
• Original theatrical trailer
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Dana Polan

TITLE: Sweetie (BLU-RAY EDITION)
CAT. NO: CC1994BD
UPC: 7-15515-06951-9
ISBN: 978-1-60465-405-9
SRP: $39.95
STREET: 4/19/11



Blow Out – Blu-ray
In the enthralling Blow Out, brilliantly crafted by Brian De Palma (Sisters, Carrie, Scarface), John Travolta (Saturday Night Fever, Pulp Fiction) gives one of his greatest performances, as Jack, a movie sound-effects man who believes he has accidentally recorded a political assassination. He enlists the help of Sally (played by Carrie’s Nancy Allen), a possible eyewitness to the crime who may be in danger herself, to uncover the truth. With its jolting stylistic flourishes, intricate plot, profoundly felt characterizations, and gritty evocation of early-1980s Philadelphia, Blow Out is an American paranoia thriller unlike any other, as well as a devilish reflection on the act of moviemaking.

1981 • 108 minutes • Color • Stereo • 2.40:1 aspect ratio

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
• New, restored digital transfer, supervised by director Brian De Palma, with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
• New hour-long interview with De Palma, conducted by filmmaker Noah Baumbach
• New interview with star Nancy Allen
• Cameraman Garrett Brown on the Steadicam shots featured in the film within the film
• Select on-set photos from photographer Louis Goldman
• Original theatrical trailer
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Sragow and Pauline Kael’s
original New Yorker review

TITLE: Blow Out (BLU-RAY EDITION)
CAT. NO: CC2004BD
UPC: 7-15515-08001-9
ISBN: 978-1-60465-416-5
SRP: $39.95
STREET: 4/26/11


Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – Blu-ray
It is 1971, and journalist Raoul Duke barrels toward Las Vegas—accompanied by a trunkful of contraband and his unhinged Samoan attorney, Dr. Gonzo—to cover a motorcycle race. His cut-and-dried assignment quickly descends into a feverish psychedelic odyssey. Director Terry Gilliam (Time Bandits, Brazil) and an all-star cast headlined by Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands, Donnie Brasco) and Benicio Del Toro (The Usual Suspects, Che) show no mercy in adapting Hunter S. Thompson’s legendary dissection of the American way of life to the screen, creating a film both hilarious and savage.

1998 • 119 minutes • Color • 2.0 Surround • 2.35:1 aspect ratio

DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
• Digital transfer, approved by director Terry Gilliam, with a DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack and an optional 5.1 mix
• Three audio commentaries: one with Gilliam, one with stars Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro and producer Laila Nabulsi, and one with author Hunter S. Thompson
• Deleted scenes, with optional commentary by Gilliam
• Selection of Thompson correspondence, read on camera by Depp
• Hunter Goes to Hollywood, a short documentary by filmmaker Wayne Ewing
• A look at the controversy over the screenwriting credit
• Profile of Oscar Zeta Acosta, the inspiration for Dr. Gonzo
• Collection of artwork by illustrator Ralph Steadman
• Audio excerpt from the 1996 spoken-word CD Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, featuring filmmaker Jim Jarmusch and actor Maury Chaykin
• Fear and Loathing on the Road to Hollywood, a 1978 BBC documentary with
Thompson and Steadman
• Storyboards, production designs, stills gallery, theatrical trailer, and TV spots
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic J. Hoberman and two pieces by Thompson

TITLE: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (BLU-RAY EDITION)
CAT. NO: CC1997BD
UPC: 7-15515-07021-8
ISBN: 978-1-60465-408-0
SRP: $39.95
STREET: 4/26/11

Pro-B

[greekak229]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Rumor has it Criterion picked up rights to Battlefield Earth. Hail Xenu!

Although I dearly love Criterion, not even they can make this garbage watchable.

[Vriess]

Hmm doesn't look like F&L is a new transfer, if its really close to the HD-DVD ill probably just keep that

[capnnarcolepsy]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

Incidentally, CriterionCast went 4 of 4 on their tweeted hints this afternoon during The Great Wait:

Kes
Blow Out
Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas
White Material

How do they do it?

I, meanwhile, went 0 for 4.

i'm 90% positive that they have an "in". even before we started actively discussing there picks in here, they were nailing them every month. they even mentioned having a source when they discovered the "New Hollywood" boxset, which would eventually become the BBS set. i'm pretty sure that month or so back when they "missed" a few was done on purpose, whether it be in response to people feeling gipped not getting to hear them straight from Criterion, or maybe even pressure. from Criterion themselves.

i don't think them having an "in" is a bad thing. those guys are always blowing up twitter, Ryan posts in here every once in a while and, since they all seem like all-around good dudes, they're willing to let some crumbs/rumors find they're way to us, the fans. them having a "go-to" for info just makes me jealous cause i wish i had one. hah!

[capnnarcolepsy]

Originally Posted by Vriess

Hmm doesn't look like F&L is a new transfer, if its really close to the HD-DVD ill probably just keep that

i'm pretty sure that the current bluray didn't use the previous Criterion transfer, so it's a good chance this one will be better just cause Criterion put a lot more love into the cleanup than Universal would seem to, especially when they just throw it onto a barebones release

[JJE-187]

Sounds like another great month. Too bad there is no Ghost World yet and These are my Top 5 Criterion Blu-ray upgrade list:
Salo
Man Bites Dog
Fat Girl
The Lady Vanishes
Dazed and Confused

These are my Top 5 Criterion Blu-ray new release wants, all of these are on DVD from studios that Criterion is releasing stuff from now:
The Game
12 Angry Men
Some Like It Hot
Le Cage Aux Folles
Dead Presidents

[Gardenofstone10]

I was disappointed with the regular Fear and Loathing blu ray for lack of awesome features, and this Criterion is the answer to my agony. One of my favorites!!

[rkish]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

I have family in your corner of the world

I'm Cleveland-West

Oh...my bad..that's right. You had mentioned a family member and golf.

[ChinaMan]

Looks like Pierrot le fou is out of stock on Amazon.

[rezpekt]

Šooty guys but pictures of donuts are not clues for Twin Peaks or 35 Shots of Rum and picture of Drunken Angel film reel does not mean it is getting a Blu-ray release. Not everything Criterion puts on their Facebook or Twitter is a clue. Sometimes a picture is just a picture.

[BasicGreatGuy]

Originally Posted by ChinaMan

Looks like Pierrot le fou is out of stock on Amazon.

Just a matter of time now, before the third party sellers start raising their prices. Glad I got mine last year.

[greekak229]

Originally Posted by BasicGreatGuy

Just a matter of time now, before the third party sellers start raising their prices. Glad I got mine last year.

Third party sellers have been selling them for relatively cheap for awhile now.