The Criterion Collection

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by deepbreathsanddeath

There are some really bothersome criterion reviews that haven't been done yet.
Only the first Apu film has been reviewed... what about Aparjito and Apur Sansar?
The latter in particular is one of the best films in the collection, which is especially impressive considering it's the third in a trilogy.

I'm also baffled that Les Blank: Always For Pleasure hasn't been reviewed, nor has A Poem is a Naked Person. Neither film receives much mention but they were among the absolute best things put out by Criterion in their respective years of release. I would really hate for documentaries like that to become an even lower priority because of bad sales.

Not that a review here will make a massive difference, but many times the Blu-ray.com review is among the top search results on Google so a little more exposure for outstanding releases wouldn't hurt. Apu doesn't need help selling well, but Les Blank could benefit from it.

I've noticed pretty much every recent Documentary hasn't been reviewed yet, I guess Svet has too much films to review.

I don't blame him, I also tend to let Documentaries for last

[pedromvu]

I finally caught up with one of the most beloved and requested for upgrade titles in here: Le Samourai

It was actually streaming in Filmstruck, I am guessing is the dvd transfer just in HD, and it looks pretty good, nothing spectacular though, and some dark scenes look bad, but I can see why Criterion would wait for a proper restoration.

Having previously seen Army of Shadows and Le Cercle Rouge, I must say it didn't live up to the hype, don't get me wrong it was still great, and the first 40 minutes are incredible, also it pretty much feels in the exact same style of his later two movies mentioned, but I believe at least after a first viewing that Melville only got better with his later efforts.

Anyway it's safe to say I will still be joining the chorus for an upgrade of this title.

[Eufi721]

Ps3, then went to my friend house ps4 and then to my cousin Samsung blu player
Same results with all of them...

[pedromvu]

Talking about Filmstruck, after researching quite a lot, I got some interesting findings about what has changed compared to Hulu, and some titles that could be joining the collection.

New titles in HD:

[Show spoiler]Two English Girls (Francois Truffaut)
Harold Lloyd Films ( The Kid Brother, For Heaven's Sake, Dr. Jack, Why Worry?)
Shame (Ingmar Bergman)
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (Tony Richardson)
Placido (Garcia Berlanga)
Limite (Mario Peixoto)
The Spy in Black (Michael Powell)
Tarkovsky films (The Steamroller and the Violin, The Mirror, Stalker)
Flight of the Red Balloon (Hsiao-Hsien Hou)
Logorama (Short)
Dersu Uzala (Akira Kurosawa)
May Fools (Louis Malle)
Classic Bollywood (Including Pyaasa, Pakeezah and some other highly regarded titles)
Arturo Ripstein films (Deep Crimson, El Lugar sin Limites, El Castillo de la Pureza)

Spines not previously on Hulu, or only in SD now in HD:

[Show spoiler]5 titles from the Lone Wolf and Cub series.
Le Samourai
Le Deuxieme Souffle
Juliet of the Spirits
Alexander Nevsky
The Executioner
A Poem Is a Naked Person
Ballad of a Soldier
Man Bites Dog
Lola
Shoot the Piano Player
The Virgin Spring
A Nos Amours
49th Parallel
Cria Cuervos...
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Fox and His Friends
Black Girl
Blow-Up
Good Morning
Samurai Rebellion
Z
Rome Open City
Young Torless

Few Eclipse titles now on HD:

[Show spoiler]Black River (Masaki Kobayashi)
I Will Buy You (Masaki Kobayashi)
Remorques (Jean Gremillon)

Keep in mind, HD now seems relative, it appears all titles use approximately the same bandwidth but some are clearly from SD sources as you can clearly see by the burned in subtitles quality.

Also I might be missing several more changes but since I was only looking for films I have not yet seen.

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

Talking about Filmstruck, after researching quite a lot, I got some interesting findings about what has changed compared to Hulu, and some titles that could be joining the collection.

New titles in HD:

[Show spoiler]
Limite (Mario Peixoto)

This would be groundbreaking.

Arguably the most important Brazilian film of all time - no DVD release anywhere that I know of.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by oildude

I have only one wish for Criterion on release day from now on.....

For the love of all that is holy in filmland, please please please take a long break away from releasing Blu-ray versions of films already out on Blu-ray and focus on upgrading all those good things in your catalog trapped on DVD. Over a year of this is enough.

I've long been in this camp as well but I'm also a little more tolerant of rereleases given the current lay of the catalog landscape. Studios like MGM are moving ever farther away from direct catalog releases and if they're going to be licensing things they've previously released directly I wouldn't mind if at least some of those titles landed with Criterion.

I mean, if Kino (and I have no idea if Kino has a relationship with MGM, I'm just using them as an example) wound up rereleasing things like Manhattan or Rebecca I'd be pretty okay with that. But I'd also be okay with films like that getting Criterion releases even though I'm perfectly content with MGM discs I already own.

And I'd actually love a spiffed up Midnight Cowboy.

[painiac]

Originally Posted by octagon

And I'd actually love a spiffed up Midnight Cowboy.

i'd buy that - it's definitely a classic.

[nikon76]

I'm hearing about "Sixteen Candles" and Ghost World" which is really great news. Was happy that "Something Wild" got the royal treatment. Is it too far fetched to request "Weird Science"? I'm sure that was the wrong question to ask here but oh well.

[MJD64]

Has it been confirmed that Criterion is working on Midnight Cowboy (I was under the impression it had) ? If for no other reason than to reinstate the laserdisc commentary with Schlesinger which never made it into any of the subsequent home video releases.

Anybody out there heard anything on Criterion releasing the special edition of Blue Is The Warmest Color that was promised when the bare-bones version was released? It's been years now...

[painiac]

Originally Posted by nikon76

I'm hearing about "Sixteen Candles" and Ghost World" which is really great news. Was happy that "Something Wild" got the royal treatment. Is it too far fetched to request "Weird Science"? I'm sure that was the wrong question to ask here but oh well.

how dare you! (kidding)

i wouldn't say it's totally out of the question, but people like to decide what is "criterion worthy" as if it isn't totally arbitrary.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by MJD64

Has it been confirmed that Criterion is working on Midnight Cowboy (I was under the impression it had) ?

I think the rumor started from a misconstrued newsletter clue from a few years ago that was really hinting at Il Sorpasso.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by MJD64

Anybody out there heard anything on Criterion releasing the special edition of Blue Is The Warmest Color that was promised when the bare-bones version was released? It's been years now...

I believe based on the last information from Criterion, the additional release isn't canceled but it isn't (or at least wasn't at the time) on their upcoming schedule either.

[nikon76]

Originally Posted by painiac

how dare you! (kidding)

i wouldn't say it's totally out of the question, but people like to decide what is "criterion worthy" as if it isn't totally arbitrary.

Something Wild was a bit of a shock, but then again, it was Jonathan Demme.

Sixteen Candles I can kind of see since it's John Hughes's debut film.

Weird Science I can also see since it's the loosest, most ridiculous teen movie ever made and has been treated more poorly in the transfer dept than the rest of the John Hughes films have. Planes, Trains and Automobiles with the lost footage would be a nice acquisition, as well. I'm fantasizing over here. Some people want black and white silent films, or French/Italian co-productions about WWII mimes and jugglers, I want American comedies. Sue me.

[painiac]

Originally Posted by nikon76

Something Wild was a bit of a shock, but then again, it was Jonathan Demme.

Sixteen Candles I can kind of see since it's John Hughes's debut film.

Weird Science I can also see since it's the loosest, most ridiculous teen movie ever made and has been treated more poorly in the transfer dept than the rest of the John Hughes films have. Planes, Trains and Automobiles with the lost footage would be a nice acquisition, as well. I'm fantasizing over here. Some people want black and white silent films, or French/Italian co-productions about WWII mimes and jugglers, I want American comedies. Sue me.

hoping to see Lint make the collection one day

[MJD64]

Originally Posted by Ray_Rogers

Commentary by John Schlesinger and Jerome Hellman.

I could upload this and share the link if you'd like. It's AC3 and only 155MB. Because LD is dead and if these commentaries aren't on DVD, HD DVD, or BD anywhere on the planet, I'll upload it.

And I bet many of those same people tend to forget what's been released via Criterion during the illustrious Laserdisc era. They were far more open with their titles.
Especially when people gripe about certain titles not knowing Criterion released it theirselves during the LD era but skipped initially on DVD, they're fools for not doing the research. It still counts if Criterion released it before on LD!

Criterion Collection Laserdiscs - Laserdisc Database

Thanks so much for the offer! I have in fact heard the commentary as a friend of mine was an avid laserdisc collector back in the day and had quite a few Criterion's; he allowed me to borrow the disc (along with De Palma's Carrie for its exclusive commentary). I collected laser way back when and still have a working player. It's quite a good commentary, and it would be great to have it preserved on a Criterion blu...Here's hoping!

[kuro_sawa]

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by Ray_Rogers

Commentary by John Schlesinger and Jerome Hellman.

I could upload this and share the link if you'd like. It's AC3 and only 155MB. Because LD is dead and if these commentaries aren't on DVD, HD DVD, or BD anywhere on the planet, I'll upload it.

And I bet many of those same people tend to forget what's been released via Criterion during the illustrious Laserdisc era. They were far more open with their titles.
Especially when people gripe about certain titles not knowing Criterion released it theirselves during the LD era but skipped initially on DVD, they're fools for not doing the research. It still counts if Criterion released it before on LD!

Criterion Collection Laserdiscs - Laserdisc Database

I would very much appreciate it if you could upload the commentary. I've been suspended for far less here though, so you may want to keep it in the PMs to avoid the oildude.

I was one of the people who were convinced a Midnight Cowboy blu was coming when the clue/drawing of the "sick rat" came out, but it was actually a possum (cluing Il Sorpasso).

[llj]

Watched They Shoot Horses, Don't They? last night. Gripping, depressing stuff. Gotta be one of Jane Fonda's all time great performances as the woman with the seemingly iron will. Doesn't this deserve a proper anamorphic re-release already? Would love to see it in the Criterion collection. It certainly has the pedigree.

[Mothravka]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

This would be groundbreaking.

Arguably the most important Brazilian film of all time - no DVD release anywhere that I know of.

There was a DVD that came with the second issue of Revista da Cinemateca Brasileira in 2013.

[kowski]

Sorry for off-topic but is there any good place to shop for Criterion Discs from Europe? Amazon prices are usually a little steep with the shipping charges added.

Thanks a lot in advance maybe there is a nice shop I don't know already.

[SkyAntoine]

Got some deadlines out of the way at work and I can finally resume my Criterion watching. I saw His Girl Friday last night. The dialog was so fast that I had trouble dialing in especially with four kids running in and out of the room. I definitely need to re-watch the last 30 mins tonight and I think it will improve its standing with me. 7/10 (as of now)

On a side note, I get my new 4k 8000 series Samsung tomorrow and I can't wait to see the up-conversation on BDs. I watched this and another DVD last night with the Samsung UHD player. I was impressed with the PQ on my old 1080p plasma and can't imagine what I'll see soon.