The Criterion Collection

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by ultlife2013

Sorry, for which one of the movies does Lionsgate have the rights for?

Don't tell me it's both.

Sadly, it is both. They have the rights to the Studio Canal titles as its them that distributes for them

[ultlife2013]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

Sadly, it is both. They have the rights to the Studio Canal titles as its them that distributes for them

So, it would be wise for me to pickup the criterion blu-ray of Le Cercle Rouge asap.

[Shout92]

Originally Posted by jw007

By the way, I was just thinking ... does anyone know the percentage of movies in the Criterion Collection that are the directors' first film? I seem to notice that a lot of films in the collection end up being the debut or first film of a director more often than not. I guess those first films are easier to obtain for licensing purposes since major studios never picked them up and released them. I can think of a few films off the top of my head that are debut films for certain directors. Recently Michael Mann's Thief came out..and now Eraserhead. But there are soooo many more, no?

Here's a complete list (as far as I know):

http://www.criterion.com/explore/103-first-films

[Blu-Velvet]

The only one of this new batch of announcements I've never seen before is ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL, so that will be a blind buy that I can run as a double feature with ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (which I've also never gotten around to seeing and need to order soon).

I saw MACBETH about 30 years ago, and rather liked it, but in the meantime became very attached to Francesca Annis in the Tommy & Tuppence series, so I definitely want to get that one. There's not enough Francesca Annis on Blu-ray, much less with nude sleepwalking scenes! What else is there of her on Blu besides DUNE and the BFI's region-free release of THE PLEASURE GIRLS?

I'm quite satisfied with the fine region-free Australian Blu-ray from Umbrella of ERASERHEAD, although Criterion's HD short film bonuses may make me decide to double-dip on one of the half-price sales. I've also got THE INNOCENTS in the very nice region B British release from the BFI, which includes THE BESPOKE OVERCOAT in HD. I love SUNDAYS AND CYBELE (and it was a major reason I ordered the RAPTURE Blu-ray, which I loved just as much), and I already have a pretty good 16mm scope print. However, I will likely buy the Blu-ray at some point for convenience and for Criterion's bonus features. I'm also guessing Criterion's HD transfer will look at least as good and probably better than my 16mm print.

All in all, September will be a very nice month for Criterion titles.

[Todd Tomorrow]

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul is the most significant announcement for me, especially as I already have the British releases of Eraserhead and The Innocents.

I think it's Fassbinder's best film and for me he was the most significant of the directors of the German New Wave, though I understand his work "travels" not as well as the most famous films by Herzog, Wenders and even Schloendorf. His films were more specific to the political situation in Germany and how Germany was affected by the aftermath of WWII, so he never achieved the International fame of his compatriots. He is better known for his films later in his career, like The Marriage of Maria Brown and Querelle, but I think he made his best films in the early 70s.

Fear Eats the Soul is one one his most accessible films and it is one of the best remakes ever made. The remake is of Douglas Sirk's All That Heaven Allows (which makes for a great Criterion double feature now) and he relocates the setting from affluent New England suburbia to working class Munich. Instead of snobbery he examines racism and how Germany treated its "guest workers", foreigners who helped to rebuilt Germany after the war and who were made to live in ghettos and looked down on. And he links the hold the Nazis had over the previous generation to current prejudices without being didactic. it works, because at the heart of it is a genuinely touching love story between to seemingly mismatched people, both of whom have been marginalised by society, one because of race, the other because of old age.

A genuine masterpiece and another one of my top ten off my list. Two to go....

[jetthead]

I am so excited for Sundays and Cybele! Patricia Gozzi gave one of the greatest adolescent performances ever in Rapture and now we're getting her other major film on Blu-ray!

(Seriously, you guys should check out Twilight Time's release of Rapture, she is amazing and it's a great film as well!)

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Todd Tomorrow

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul is the most significant announcement for me, especially as I already have the British releases of Eraserhead and The Innocents.

I think it's Fassbinder's best film and for me he was the most significant of the directors of the German New Wave, though I understand his work "travels" not as well as the most famous films by Herzog, Wenders and even Schloendorf. His films were more specific to the political situation in Germany and how Germany was affected by the aftermath of WWII, so he never achieved the International fame of his compatriots. He is better known for his films later in his career, like The Marriage of Maria Brown and Querelle, but I think he made his best films in the early 70s.

Fear Eats the Soul is one one his most accessible films and it is one of the best remakes ever made. The remake is of Douglas Sirk's All That Heaven Allows (which makes for a great Criterion double feature now) and he relocates the setting from affluent New England suburbia to working class Munich. Instead of snobbery he examines racism and how Germany treated its "guest workers", foreigners who helped to rebuilt Germany after the war and who were made to live in ghettos and looked down on. And he links the hold the Nazis had over the previous generation to current prejudices without being didactic. it works, because at the heart of it is a genuinely touching love story between to seemingly mismatched people, both of whom have been marginalised by society, one because of race, the other because of old age.

A genuine masterpiece and another one of my top ten off my list. Two to go....

I've wanted to see this for a long time, and simply never got around to it for some reason. I'm very much a fan of RWF's films which I *have* seen. And I'm also a fan of Sirk's original film. So, I'm definitely looking forward to this.

[Bucky]

Originally Posted by oildude

Huge thumbs up for Sundays and Cybele. I have wanted to see it since I first saw Rapture and discovered Patricia Gozzi. One of the most talented child/teenage stars I have ever seen, a young actress so talented for her age she could own any scene she is in. Sundays and Cybele is the film that brought her to the attention of the world. She made very few films and one of the great "what ifs" of cinema is how far her career might have gone had she not quit acting at an early age. She is (or was) already in the Criterion Collection with Leon Morin, Priest. Super excited to finally get this on Blu-ray.

Also very happy about another Fassbinder. I have not seen Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, but I will blind buy anything Fassbinder with confidence.

Originally Posted by jetthead

I am so excited for Sundays and Cybele! Patricia Gozzi gave one of the greatest adolescent performances ever in Rapture and now we're getting her other major film on Blu-ray!

(Seriously, you guys should check out Twilight Time's release of Rapture, she is amazing and it's a great film as well!)

I third this. Rapture is one of the gems of my collection, and Patricia Gozzi is a big reason for that. Sundays and Cybele will definitely be in my order for the next Criterion sale.

Seems kind of strange that Criterion is already stopping with the dual-format releases and going back to Blu-ray only.

[mcvitie]

Hey guys. I don't suppose any of you have a side by side spine size comparison pic of the new 3 disc cases and regular ones. Im intrigued as Ive heard they are slightly thicker? I for one am glad they have sussed an alterative to oversized recent digipaks. Thanks!

[Ausjdm]

With Eraserhead, Scanners and Life Aquatic I guess Criterion has given Christmas early for all this year!

But what's with the Mulholland Drive requests do they have the rights?

[Judex]

Originally Posted by Ausjdm

With Eraserhead, Scanners and Life Aquatic I guess Criterion has given Christmas early for all this year!

But what's with the Mulholland Drive requests do they have the rights?

Who knows. They posted this image on their instagram & twitter months ago. Apparently it's confirmation that they're working on it...

[JJJ225]

Originally Posted by Judex

Who knows. They posted this image on their instagram & twitter months ago. Apparently it's confirmation that they're working on it...

But it's not really. By this logic they're also releasing Chinatown and Revenge of the Nerds. They post stuff about films NOT in their collection all the time.

Not saying it won't happen, but there's not really any reason to believe it will.

[blkhrt]

Originally Posted by JJJ225

But it's not really. By this logic they're also releasing Chinatown and Revenge of the Nerds. They post stuff about films NOT in their collection all the time.

Not saying it won't happen, but there's not really any reason to believe it will.

Exactly. People are so excited about the possibility of a Mulholland Drive release that they want to find clues. I would love the film to get a Criterion release, but there has been no evidence that it is going to happen.

[Judex]

Originally Posted by JJJ225

But it's not really. By this logic they're also releasing Chinatown and Revenge of the Nerds. They post stuff about films NOT in their collection all the time.

Not saying it won't happen, but there's not really any reason to believe it will.

Yeah I know. Others took it as confirmation though which is just baffling.
As you say they often post tidbits on other films, like many of the other labels do. Means nothing.

You forgot to add Pulp Fiction to that list aswell.

[Sinep]

This was a great set of releases, were any of them Criterion upgrades ?
The Innocents is one of the all time greats

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by Sinep

This was a great set of releases, were any of them Criterion upgrades ?

Ali: Fears Eats The Soul is an upgrade.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Sinep

This was a great set of releases, were any of them Criterion upgrades ?

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul is an upgrade. It's not hard to figure out if any announced titles are upgrades: just look at the spine number. If it's an older one, it's an upgrade. Ali is #198; all of the other titles for September are #725-728.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjfa1...utu.be&t=4m11s

Ha!! Great clip and a good laugh! thanks.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by octagon

No. I had a very similar experience with Paramount's release of To Catch a Thief.



People casually throw around phrases like 'it was like watching it for the first time all over again' when describing BD releases but sometimes that's true.

Seeing a better presentation of a film will often increase my appreciation of it to some degree or another. That's not really that unusual (nor, I would think, all that hard to understand). But occasionally that uptick in appreciation is marked. I just see the film in a different light.

That was the case with Charade.

I've seen Charade a few times, but never in HD. The transfer that existed prior to the CC release was HORRENDOUS. Absolutely awful - like one of the worst things I had ever seen, so I agree w/ Octagon's assessment here wholeheartedly.

[LPMA]

Originally Posted by jayembee

The issue with Le Samouraï is that the current available master is not all that great. As I understand it, the French BD release is just barely acceptable, if that. Criterion would probably have to do their own restoration, and it's unknown where that stands.

Le Samouraï is not a StudioCanal title, so I don't think Criterion's in any danger of losing the rights soon.

I can't find a source but I can remember reading that Criterion is not satisfied enough of the existing elements to work on a BD release.