The Criterion Collection

[mrjohnnyb]

So, correct me if I am wrong, but the following announced films were the ones hinted at in the New Year's drawing:

Buena Vista Social Club
Tampopo
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Good Morning
Dheepan
Mysterious Object at Noon (Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project No. 2)
Ghost World
They Live by Night
The Marseille Trilogy
and
Stalker

Have I missed any?

[thatguamguy]

In retrospect, the fact that there is not a nest egg in the picture should've been an obvious clue for "Lost in America".

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

thatguamguy is just asking whether they still put signatures on the stickers, because he liked it. He is referring to Lost in America, and the apparent lack of Albert Brooks' signature.

Speaking of, is there a list somewhere that catalogs all the signature stickers?

If only the garbage can in my kitchen could speak. Its probably seen all of them.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

If only the garbage can in my kitchen could speak. Its probably seen all of them.

I bet that if you had saved them all, you could have sold them all together on eBay and got enough back to buy yourself another Criterion.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I bet that if you had saved them all, you could have sold them all together on eBay and got enough back to buy yourself another Criterion.

on that note, does anyone else here have a collection of Criterion odds and ends or misfit parts?

I've got a Criterion postcard for 8 1/2, the disc jacket for The Last Metro, and a mint booklet from the Children of Paradise DVD.

I know everyone has these, but titles like Taxi Driver and The Bogart set from a couple years ago came with postcard size pictures that are pretty cool. I just don't know what to do with them.

One of the more fun/interesting ones is the postcard I have of scientologist (is that what he'd be called?) Lancaster Dodd from The Master.

[ElliesDad]

Originally Posted by iScottie

It's been heavily rumored and requested for years, so it's just a matter of time.

Pleeease....Nights of Cabiria before La Strada!!

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

on that note, does anyone else here have a collection of Criterion odds and ends or misfit parts?

Does my room full of Criterion Baggus count?

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Warner Archive will be releasing Seven Days in May this summer. Great news that someone will do the film justice on blu-ray.

This completes Frankenheimer's unofficial paranoia trilogy on blu-ray along with Seconds and The Manchurian Candidate.

Originally Posted by hoytereden

It's not Frankenheimer but it certainly is paranoia inducing-could Criterion; Twilight Time, or anybody please release Fail-Safe? A perfect companion to all the films you mentioned.

Back in October, I noted the following:

Originally Posted by jayembee

Apropos of not much -- other than that these are three films Criterion really should license for release on Blu-ray if they can -- but I was highly amused to note that on the night of the final Presidential debate, Turner Classic Movies scheduled:

8:00 PM

Fail-Safe (1964)

A failure in the U.S. defense system threatens to start World War III.

10:00 PM

Advise & Consent (1962)

A controversial presidential nomination threatens the careers of several prominent politicians.

12:30 AM

Seven Days in May (1964)

An American military officer discovers his superiors are planning a military coup.

[Roninblues]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Criterion shows Kagemusha in the Coming Soon list, but they already released it back in 2009.

I purchased mine on Aug 23, 2009

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Criterion shows Kagemusha in the Coming Soon list, but they already released it back in 2009.

Originally Posted by Roninblues

I purchased mine on Aug 23, 2009

That reminds me...I need to send in my copy for a replacement...

[Roninblues]

Originally Posted by oildude

Yes.

Although personally I think a better combination would be 3 Women, Naked, The 400 Blows, and A Night to Remember.

You said a mouthful!

[MifuneFan]

Lost in America was a clue on Jeopardy today

[Hoke Moseley]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Lost in America was a clue on Jeopardy today

Yep. The nest egg was mentioned and I was very happy.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

Pleeease....Nights of Cabiria before La Strada!!

I agree. If for nothing else, I actually don't care much for La Strada and find it to be unnecessarily cruel.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

Pleeease....Nights of Cabiria before La Strada!!

Originally Posted by iScottie

I agree. If for nothing else, I actually don't care much for La Strada and find it to be unnecessarily cruel.

Those two films show just how versatile Giulietta Masina was. Playing two characters who couldn't have been more different.

As much as I want those two films upgraded my preference is Juliet of the Spirits. The dazzling colors, the surreal atmosphere, and yet another great performance from Giulietta. Superb.

[theater dreamer]

What are you guys watching next?

I've been on a bit of a feeding frenzy of late. I watched Rebel Without a Cause for the first time this morning, and loved it. Dean was so charismatic, and had pretty incredible range for a guy that young. There was a lot more empathy and vulnerability to his performance than I expected.

This was my first experience with Nicholas Ray, so I'm thinking In A Lonely Place for tonight or tomorrow. But I've got to knock out Bell de Jour tonight.

[CQD84]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I'm pretty sure there's like zero people interested in this, but Deep Discount has a selection of Essential Art House DVD's for $8.99 each, and there's a site-wide 15% off coupon, bringing down to $7.64 each.

http://www.deepdiscount.com/deep-cri...der-10/b233582

I'm really interested in La Strada and Loves of a Blonde. Since someone else has already asked about La Strada, are there any rumors of Loves of a Blonde being upgraded?

[tisdivine]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

Have they completely phased out the "director's signature" thing on the stickers? I would understand if they did, but I always kinda liked those.

Weird you ask that on the same day I just opened Buena Vista Social Club and noticed Wenders signature on the director approved sticker on the front and thought the same thing..."That's cool but thought they were done with that." I would take a pic for you but its already out in recycling.

[Hullabaloo]

Stalker from Criterion? Excellent.
I bought all seven Tarkovsky films on Blu-ray last year when they were released by UK distributor Artificial Eye, and six out of those seven were great quality, the only one that disappointed me was the Blu-ray of Stalker. The transfer wasn't very good at all, so I might buy the Criterion Blu-ray when it comes out. I've got a region free Blu-ray player so no problem for me if Criterion's UK branch doesn't release it, I'll just import it from the US.

[kaykaysud]

Watched Harakiri on Criterion Blu.



Masaki Kobayashi's unflinchingly scathing satire on the Samurai code of honor stars Tatsuya Nakadai as Hanshiro, a ronin (masterless warrior) who arrives at a Lord's palace in order to commit the titular act of ritual suicide. The Lord's counselor and the housekeepers have had way too many such cases, which were ultimately shams to extort money from the lord so that no blood would spill on his courtyard. So naturally, the counselor tries to warn the samurai by recounting the fate of the one who came before him. However, Hanshiro never budges and insists on having the ritual performed, though he has a few demands of his own in order to have it done. And it turns out that Hanshiro has come there with some ulterior motives which would slowly, but surely threaten to strip the whole concept of Samurai honor into what turns out to be nothing more than a web of hypocrisy, prejudice and naked lies. Also told in flashbacks is the tale of what leads Hanshiro to take such an extreme step.

The acting is fantastic throughout, headlined by Nakadai as Hanshiro - the ronin who stares at the face of death with defiance - and Rentarō Mikuni as Lord Saito, the counselor who appears stern, but reasonable

[Show spoiler] at first, only to be gradually reduced to a puerile PoS by the ronin's revelations

. Also, the film boasts of impeccable use of visual language all along the runtime, starting off in ultra-wide angles and with smooth dolly movements, and subtly constricting the field of view from there by means of close-ups and zooms which only gradually increase in number, culminating in utter chaos at the end. And yes, the storytelling is brutal and unforgiving when it comes to depicting poverty and hypocrisy.

Criterion hits a home run with the video transfer of the BD release, in that it does full justice to the intentions of the director and the cinematographer. This is an absolutely fantastic B&W presentation devoid of any artifacts and rich in grain. The LPCM Mono track is robust and clean - maybe the best mono track I've heard till date. The release is a bit light on extras by Criterion standards, but that's okay. There's also a booklet with essays on the film as well as the Blu-ray release credits.