The Criterion Collection

[hudakj]

Originally Posted by Sherlock_Jr

I don't know much about the legal stuff but how would Janus wrestle away an entire filmmater's catalog from Time Warner? Or is it more likely that they always owned the rights and TW licensed them to release the DVD set?

The Lloyd estate always owned those films, and it was only licensed through New Line after much negotiation. However, the license was only for a limited time which is why Janus was able to license the whole lbrary for home video and why the New Line set has been OOP for a while.

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by hudakj

The Lloyd estate always owned those films, and it was only licensed through New Line after much negotiation. However, the license was only for a limited time which is why Janus was able to license the whole lbrary for home video and why the New Line set has been OOP for a while.

That's right. The rights were up for grabs last year, the restored Safety Last was shown at Cannes and shortly after Park Circus and Carlotta reached some sort of agreement for distribution in the EU which received some publicity last year. I thought that was where the first release would come from. I don't think anyone knew about the Janus acquisition until Harold Lloyd Entertainment Inc. listed them as the contact for theatrical rights on their website.

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by hudakj

The Lloyd estate always owned those films, and it was only licensed through New Line after much negotiation. However, the license was only for a limited time which is why Janus was able to license the whole lbrary for home video and why the New Line set has been OOP for a while.

This is great news. I held off buying the DVDs a year ago. I am glad that Janus/criterion will be responsible in releasing Harold Lloyd's films. Thank you for the news.

[RojD]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

For those that care, Ebert's last review:

Vintage. Thanks for posting this.

[The Great Owl]

Hola... I'm back after a few days of absence.

I traveled up to North Carolina to run my second 100-mile ultramarathon. I was on track for an awesome race until I started having some Achilles pain around the 25-mile mark. I dropped after 37.5 miles after an EMT at the main aid station advised me to stop so that I could keep from injuring the Achilles even worse. I stuck around for the rest of the weekend to help out some friends who were still in the race. I was one of the 35-40% of total runners who ended up dropping out of the race. Nothing particularly devastating, since my training had not quite been ideal going into this, so I'm glad that I saved the legs to recover quickly and run another day.

And this has absolutely jack to do with Criterion movies, except...

I was getting sleeping earlier this morning during the six-hour drive back home, so I reached into the glove compartment to get out the big guns... My old movie soundtrack CD for Repo Man. That music never fails to give me a shot in the arm of adrenaline.

I am really, really, looking forward to seeing what Criterion has done with this movie.

[Abdrewes]

Welcome back Owl. The soundtrack to Repo Man indeed sounds incredible. I have a fondness for everything Post-punk, Punk and New Wave, so I'm sure the film won't fail me in that regard.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Welcome back Owl. The soundtrack to Repo Man indeed sounds incredible. I have a fondness for everything Post-punk, Punk and New Wave, so I'm sure the film won't fail me in that regard.

Looks like somebody got an awesome new Solaris avatar while I was away. Natalya Bondarchuk is stunning in that movie, even if she's a bit eerie in the context of the story.

I love how the Criterion Repo Man case replicates the look of a 1980s punk zine, like the countless ones that were printed up cheaply during the heyday of Black Flag and those other bands.

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Hola... I'm back after a few days of absence.

I traveled up to North Carolina to run my second 100-mile ultramarathon. I was on track for an awesome race until I started having some Achilles pain around the 25-mile mark. I dropped after 37.5 miles after an EMT at the main aid station advised me to stop so that I could keep from injuring the Achilles even worse. I stuck around for the rest of the weekend to help out some friends who were still in the race. I was one of the 35-40% of total runners who ended up dropping out of the race. Nothing particularly devastating, since my training had not quite been ideal going into this, so I'm glad that I saved the legs to recover quickly and run another day.

And this has absolutely jack to do with Criterion movies, except...

I was getting sleeping earlier this morning during the six-hour drive back home, so I reached into the glove compartment to get out the big guns... My old movie soundtrack CD for Repo Man. That music never fails to give me a shot in the arm of adrenaline.

I am really, really, looking forward to seeing what Criterion has done with this movie.

Welcome back Great Owl. Any song by Iggy Pop gets the adrenaline flowing, especially Repo Man.

[SimBelm]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

just seen sansho the baliff. it was a good movie. but i kinda did expect a little more. it was good though. but " became one of cinema’s greatest masterpieces," seems a little bit overrated?


looks like the criterion release does not have the movie Gion Bayashi
like the eureka one does. will take a look at that movie in the next few days.

I have a feeling you might like Gion more, I did the first time.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Looks like somebody got an awesome new Solaris avatar while I was away. Natalya Bondarchuk is stunning in that movie, even if she's a bit eerie in the context of the story.

I love how the Criterion Repo Man case replicates the look of a 1980s punk zine, like the countless ones that were printed up cheaply during the heyday of Black Flag and those other bands.

I think it's perfectly reasonable to note her appearance. It is about a man essentially falling in love with an image, after all what we are seeing isn't his wife but merely a projection of his wife.

Speaking of twisty sci fi romances, I wonder if Tony Scott saw Solaris before directing his magnum opus, Deja Vu?

[brandon_260]

I can't wait to get Naked Lunch this week. I had the DVD for a little while (recently traded it due to the news of a blu release), but never got the chance to delve into the supplements. That and Repo Man are my only Criterion purchases for April, at least new release wise, as money is getting tight as my final semester comes to an end.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Welcome back Great Owl. Any song by Iggy Pop gets the adrenaline flowing, especially Repo Man.

If there's a greater jogging song than "I wanna be your Dog" let me know

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I think it's perfectly reasonable to note her appearance. It is about a man essentially falling in love with an image, after all what we are seeing isn't his wife but merely a projection of his wife.

Speaking of twisty sci fi romances, I wonder if Tony Scott saw Solaris before directing his magnum opus, Deja Vu?

Exactly!

Solaris makes so many interesting points about how we never really know anyone around us. I realize something new every time I see the movie. I bought the Blu-ray back in December with the big Amazon discounts, and kept repeating the scene with the drive through the city, because that is so oddly mesmerizing.

I have a soft spot for those Tony Scott movies with Denzel Washington, incidentally. I like how Denzel basically settled into a present-day Chuck Norris-type action hero. Those movies are just simple good fun. Deja Vu has some really interesting things going on with the photography technology.

[rkish]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

well "we" did see it. she told the old woman that if shes dead nobody will be able to torture her. and later you see her go into the lake an drown herself. well that was an "impact"

zushio finds out later while he is trying to get her from the baliffs house. but i think sansho the baliff did actually never look for her or question her after they did not find her to torture her.


the burmese harp or ballad of narayama had an bigger effect on me.

I own all these films and especially liked The Burmese Harp and Narayama. I enjoyed Sansho, but think that Ugetsu is a better film and possibly, one of my favorite by Mizoguchi.

You have to remember that Sansho was based on a short story of the same name by Mori Ogai, so I would have to assume that Mizoguchi attempted to remain as true to that story as possible. Granted, he did take some poetic license with that story, but he kept it as close to the original story as possible.

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

If there's a greater jogging song than "I wanna be your Dog" let me know

Iggy Pop and the Stooges, nice.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Exactly!

Solaris makes so many interesting points about how we never really know anyone around us. I realize something new every time I see the movie. I bought the Blu-ray back in December with the big Amazon discounts, and kept repeating the scene with the drive through the city, because that is so oddly mesmerizing.

I have a soft spot for those Tony Scott movies with Denzel Washington, incidentally. I like how Denzel basically settled into a present-day Chuck Norris-type action hero. Those movies are just simple good fun. Deja Vu has some really interesting things going on with the photography technology.

I know plenty of people stay away from the film due to reports that it's slow (which I'm not bothered by) but they're missing out on something transcendental. Certain late plot developements just killed me.

Ditto on the Late Scott films. Have you read the pieces Mubi.com ran after his death? Here's a great one:http://mubi.com/notebook/posts/smear...action-painter

[rkish]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

Marketa Lazarova, you must get it come June as well.

Thanks to you...I am!!!

You have steered me into the wake of von Sternberg, Vigo, Kinogusa, Fassbinder, etc. and for that, I am truly grateful.

[Joe Dalek]

Les Blank has passed away. NYT obit

[vader4]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

If there's a greater jogging song than "I wanna be your Dog" let me know

Incidentally, it's also a great song to commit crimes to in Grand Theft Auto 4 when it comes on the radio

[brandon_260]

Not exactly Criterion related, but David Cronenberg's son, Brandon's film comes out this Friday in NYC. If you're unable to see it though, it's getting its blu-ray release in Canada the following Tuesday. If you're interested in it, it might be worth importing. I was able to see it when it came out here back in October, which was the perfect time of year for that film. If you're into David Cronenberg's weirder, more "out there" work, I definitely recommend checking it out.