The Criterion Collection

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by iScottie

But is it going on tour? I always assumed it was having the one screening.

Janus releases typically screen in select art houses and cinematheques before being released on blu-ray by Criterion. I'm fortunate to live a mile down the road from a place that shows all the Janus releases. The quickest turnaround from tour to blu-ray was probably Dekalog (a few months). It seems like they're going to blu-ray faster. It used to take about 6 months but they've seemed to have cut that in half.

The new schedule for the Cleveland Cinematheque comes out in a month and I expect to see NOTLD on the slate for October.

[redrunner97]

Ok, now you're scaring me... I gotta have NOTLD and I gotta have it soon.

[jw007]

With all this talk of NOTLD and the director of that film, George Romero, I should post a few pictures I shot of him back in 2003 when I attended a special film summit taped at WQED (PBS) studio here in his hometown of Pittsburgh (where all of the original NOTLD films were shot too).

Not only did I get to see him in person at a private VIP dinner at the Andy Warhol museum, but I sat at the same table he was sitting at too! (In that last photo sitting is also Russ Streiner, one of the producers of Night of the Living Dead, and the guy who played "Johnny").

Sorry if I'm coming off a bit paparazzi'ish here but I've included a few (never before seen) pics from the event. I was using a pretty old digital camera back then and a lot of the pics came out blurry... but you can see just how many times Romero got close to me. This was 2003 folks!

(By the way, that is Rob Marshall, director of Chicago, sitting next to Romero (to his left) on the chair)

And ahhh... no worries.. I wasn't stalking George Romero! Ha ha. (he's just so photogenic, ya know?)

[Brad1963]

Quite frankly, I do not understand why it has taken Night of the Living Dead so long to make it to the Criterion Collection. It seems like a given.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by nondiatonic

All this Romero talk reminds me how badly I need a bluray release of Martin...

Ah yes, while Romero's Dead Trilogy (I'm not considering the films after Day) is his most famous, Martin is my personal favorite (like how I prefer The Music Room over The Apu Trilogy, when it comes to Satyajit Ray). An sensitive, incisive portrait of a shy vulnerable youth, who just also happens to be at least a deluded serial murderer. Wonderful performance by John Amplas.
I have the Lionsgate DVD but it is an obviously cropped 16:9 transfer. I'm hoping Arrow (whose DVD is OOP) can someday put out this film on HD in a respectful way. Would be lovely to have a catch up with Amplas who reportedly mainly works in the theater scene.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by Brad1963

Quite frankly, I do not understand why it has taken Night of the Living Dead so long to make it to the Criterion Collection. It seems like a given.

Yeah I've never been able to figure that one out either

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Brad1963

Quite frankly, I do not understand why it has taken Night of the Living Dead so long to make it to the Criterion Collection. It seems like a given.

Not necessarily. Copyrights and access to proper source materials can be major hurdles. NotLD erroneously landed in the public domain, and has been released in dodgy versions by any number of shady labels. Possibly one of the issues would have been how to ensure that any restored version isn't just copied and issued by some cheap label.

Here's an article pertaining to the new restoration and how it came together:
LINK

Over the years, members of the original filmmaking team have tried to mine some profit from their vision, creating alternate cuts, even a colorized version. Because restoration at a certain level has been deemed to create new intellectual property, this is the first time the film as they wanted it seen will, to an extent, belong to them.

[tisdivine]

So I just watched Ugetsu. Obviously I don't have to say anything about how amazing the actual film is. I had already seen it so I thought I would check out the special features before watching it again. There is a two and a half hour documentary on Mizoguchi, which I thought might be interesting but at that length everyone must have be way too wordy lol I wont say I was dreading but I will say I was defiantly rolling my eyes lol

I just finished the entire thing in one sitting and I wish it could have went on for another two hours. It's very informative but it's told from the perspectives of people who worked with him so it is also very entertaining. At one point they interview, who I believe, was a prostitute that he liked back in the day. She told stories about him getting drunk and liking her above all the other girls. They interviewed the nurses that took care of his wife after she had, again what Im assuming was a breakdown. They tell how he was a sake connoisseur and during the war he had to travel by train all over to find it because sake was rationed. When he was able to find any it was usually horrible. They even show his favorite urine bottle since he didn't take bathroom breaks on the set. They semi-tour of some of the houses he used to live in and where the old studios used to be located. It was just great fun. Apparently he was stabbed in the back by a prostitute when he was young. The rest of his life he showed everyone his scar and said "You can't understand women until you've been stabbed by one". Another friend of his said he ate and drank everything. Nothing was off limits so he often had diarrhea. Ahhhh I love it...such a fun guy and a fun documentary.

So if you own the Ugetsu blu or you are picking it up during the sale. Watch this documentary first. It is just too good and their arent any spoilers if you havent seen Ugetsu.

[ravenus]

^I have dim recollections of watching a bit of that docu on a friend's DVD set. I don't remember the stuff you pointed out, but I probably shut off early because at least some of the early conversations in there seemed to rely on your having some insight into Japanese culture and regional differences of that time. Like for instance, someone would say "So-and-so is from such-and-such province", and there'd be much nodding all around, like that meant something, but I didn't understand the significance of at all.

[I KEEL YOU]

Originally Posted by tisdivine

My Pickpocket only has the bluray. I thought this release looked weird from the moment I unpacked it. It had been rewrapped. Honestly if only the DVD was missing I would prob let that go bc I have no need for a dvd BUT the outside cover looks like it was printed off a home printer lol

The easiest way to figure out if you have a scam or a legit blu ray only re-release is to look at the back cover and see if it has the DVD logo:



Notice how the first of the back covers of Throne of Blood (a legit BD only re-release) have the DVD logo and the second one doesn't:

Originally Posted by jlk5844

Between Night of the Living Dead and The Silence of the Lambs, it's gotta be the former. I don't expect the latter till next year at least.

Not just next year.. But late next year. I've said this in another thread, but TSOTL is such a huge title that they will probably leave a hint in their new year's drawing to generate hype and then have people on forums such as this one go crazy and expect it to get released any month, before they eventually finally announce it for October or November 2018. That's what I have my money on.

If we're lucky, maybe they have plans to go UHD by then, and they will release it sooner than late 2018 on blu ray.

[cgpublic]

Originally Posted by iScottie

But is it going on tour? I always assumed it was having the one screening.

The news that MOMA is screening NOTLD brings back rich memories of the day, back in the early 70s, our Dad dragged my brother and me to a triple bill matinee of Rosemary's Baby, Theater of Blood and NOTLD for a $1 at the St. Mark's Cinema, just off the corner on Second Avenue:



Given three movies were playing, most of the audience brought their own lunch, brown bagged from home or in our case, sandwiches, potato pancakes and pierogi from across the street at the Stage Restaurant, another favorite haunt just off St. Mark's serving Ukrainian food.

Checking in on the MOMA screening, outside food and drink is not allowed.

[ThisKid]

Originally Posted by cgpublic

The news that MOMA is screening NOTLD brings back rich memories of the day, back in the early 70s, our Dad dragged my brother and me to a triple bill matinee of Rosemary's Baby, Theater of Blood and NOTLD for a $1 at the St. Mark's Cinema, just off the corner on Second Avenue:

Now THAT'S a triple feature if I've seen one. That would've been the best damn day out ever.

[Movie shy]

Just curious why Criterions are always so much more expensive than regular blu rays? I buy my Criterions when B&N has their sales and already bought Tampopo and The Young Girls of Rochefort this time around. I realize they do restorations on most of their films and have nice special features but even with the B&N sale I spent 21.24 that includes tax on each Criterion after 50 percent taken off. Don't get me wrong I think there is value to buying a Criterion it just makes me wonder why they are priced so high in comparison to regular blu rays? For instance I have many blu's that were remastered with 2 or 4k that were reasonably priced. There are 3 movies I bought for 3.99 a piece instead of buying the Criterions. They are: Don't Look Back, The Manchurian Candidate and The Graduate. The all look good PQ wise and come with special features.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Movie shy

Just curious why Criterions are always so much more expensive than regular blu rays? I buy my Criterions when B&N has their sales and already bought Tampopo and The Young Girls of Rochefort this time around. I realize they do restorations on most of their films and have nice special features but even with the B&N sale I spent 21.24 that includes tax on each Criterion after 50 percent taken off. Don't get me wrong I think there is value to buying a Criterion it just makes me wonder why they are priced so high in comparison to regular blu rays? For instance I have many blu's that were remastered with 2 or 4k that were reasonably priced. There are 3 movies I bought for 3.99 a piece instead of buying the Criterions. They are: Don't Look Back, The Manchurian Candidate and The Graduate. The all look good PQ wise and come with special features.

For starters, those 3 films received new 4K transfers for their Criterion releases. You're also paying for the artwork, booklet or leaflet and overall presentation.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Movie shy

Just curious why Criterions are always so much more expensive than regular blu rays?

Releases from major studios tend to be cheaper than releases by smaller labels like Criterion because of the economies of scale. But you also get more consistency and attention to detail in the final product, like booklets and specially commissioned extras. And Criterion charges a uniform price for its product, so some high-profile releases (which may have been previous released by a major studio) may be funding other more obscure projects.

[Movie shy]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

For starters, those 3 films received new 4K transfers for their Criterion releases. You're also paying for the artwork, booklet or leaflet and overall presentation.

I forgot about the overall presentation. I do like the packaging of Criterions just wish they were less expensive.

[Movie shy]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Desert Hearts opens at the IFC Center on July 19. Brand new 4K restoration.

Desert Hearts - Trailer - YouTube

I love this movie and have it on dvd

[ThisKid]

Originally Posted by Movie shy

I forgot about the overall presentation. I do like the packaging of Criterions just wish they were less expensive.

We all wish that too. These B&N sales are really the only time Criterion's are cheap. It can be cheaper if you have a coupon, but B&N have been phasing them out of these sales. And sadly, the five finger discount has been long since discontinued.

[Movie shy]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Releases from major studios tend to be cheaper than releases by smaller labels like Criterion because of the economies of scale. But you also get more consistency and attention to detail in the final product, like booklets and specially commissioned extras. And Criterion charges a uniform price for its product, so some high-profile releases (which may have been previous released by a major studio) may be funding other more obscure projects.

Thanks sometimes I forget that Criterion is a smaller label.

[hockeyshark91]

I keep reading that Criterion will release Psycho. Is this just speculation/wishful thinking or have they officially announced it?