The Criterion Collection

[MeMynonsense]

The supplementary docs included with A Man Escaped are a treasure trove!
Was really impressed with “The Road to Bresson” - which documents two young Dutch directors’ arduous and (almost futile) pursuit of an interview with Bresson during the 1983 Cannes Film Festival where he was in attendance to promote L'Argent. Interspersed with candid musings from contemporaries and enthusiasts including Paul Schrader, Louis Malle, Andrei Tarkovsky and an Orson Welles cameo. It’s a wonderful directorial study.
“Bresson: Without a Trace” is an hour long conversation with the reclusive director wherein he passionately discusses his minimalist stripped down approach to story-telling, unemotional directing style, his preference for non-professional actors (or more appropriately ‘models’), cinematography vs cinema, his fondness for Cocteau and the recently released Goldfinger. It’s rather awkwardly edited and takes some getting used to but contains some fascinating insights. (Apparently this was also Bresson’s first on-camera interview).
The 2010 doc “The Essence of Forms” is the most conventionally reverent and nostalgic of the lot and includes interviews with with past Bresson collaborators and fans. Through various anecdotes the actors discuss his forced suppression of their ‘performing’ instinct, his working methods and legacy.
Truly a great package worthy of the film.

[KJones77]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Thanks.

She worked on the 4k restoration used for the 2015 Studio Canal release, which is spectacular. Is the suggestion, then, that this transfer will form the basis for a Criterion release?

That seems to be the assumption.

They could be way off base, but it would be great to rescue an OOP title from P&P so I'm hopeful.

[SteelyTom]

Originally Posted by Gambit1138

I’d pay good money for that new Tree of Life artwork.

Or the Bergman compilation cover.

[minister_x]

Has the Tati set gone OOP? Amazon no longer seem to sell it, and over at Criterion at least three of the titles seem to be listed as OOP (Mon oncle, Monsieur Hulot's Holiday, Trafic)...

[Sifox211]

Originally Posted by KJones77

No word yet on State of Siege though, right?

Ordered both from B&N this morning regardless since they had stock of both.

It seems to out of stock everywhere now except market place and eBay sellers - so I'm guessing it could be going the same way?

[GenPion]

Originally Posted by SteelyTom

Or the Bergman compilation cover.

That would be a great poster to have. Good idea!

[KJones77]

Originally Posted by minister_x

Has the Tati set gone OOP? Amazon no longer seem to sell it, and over at Criterion at least three of the titles seem to be listed as OOP (Mon oncle, Monsieur Hulot's Holiday, Trafic)...

Pretty sure every individual film in the set is OOP as Criterion hasn't sold them as individual titles in years.

But no, it isn't OOP. It is only OOP if it says so on Criterion's site. They got the rights from the Tati estate itself so the set is safe

[KJones77]

Originally Posted by Sifox211

It seems to out of stock everywhere now except market place and eBay sellers - so I'm guessing it could be going the same way?

That is likely just due to recent run on it. I know I purchased it alongside The Confession this week just to be sure.

But, it still says it is in print on Criterion's website. These other retailers just have low stock.

[ChampagneTaste]

Originally Posted by SteelyTom

Or the Bergman compilation cover.

There is a poster available on the Criterion website that is almost identical.

https://www.criterion.com/shop/produ...-cinema-poster

I do think that there is an issue with the lack of posters and prints of Criterion art. I even think stills would be an appropriate product to sell. If Criterion expanded their art selection for sale and actually promoted it on social media, the products would sell well. I do understand it would be complicated for licensing various images and graphics though.

[mfitzwah]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Ozu's Floating Weeds got a new 4K restoration, which screened in NYC a couple months back through Janus,.so a release is no doubt on its way.

I was just looking into completing my Ozu Criterion collection during the sale so I'll hold off on that one even though it's one of my favorite of his and was hoping to own it sooner than later. Any idea if something like Early Summer or any others might be on the way?

At the very least, I'll probably pick up the Eclipse Series of his that I don't have (Crime films), and The Only Son/There Was a Father set possibly.

[dwk]

Originally Posted by ChampagneTaste

There is a poster available on the Criterion website that is almost identical.

https://www.criterion.com/shop/produ...-cinema-poster

I do think that there is an issue with the lack of posters and prints of Criterion art. I even think stills would be an appropriate product to sell. If Criterion expanded their art selection for sale and actually promoted it on social media, the products would sell well. I do understand it would be complicated for licensing various images and graphics though.

One of the big issues with the US studio titles (the non-Janus films), the DVD/Blu-ray rights don't include the rights to sell posters/prints/other merchandise. Then they'd have to get into licensing the likeness of actors/actresses. It really is a bit of hassle and I get why they don't want to bother with it.

[Scottie]

I'm surprised this hasn't been talked about yet.

Shinobu Hashimoto, Writer of Towering Kurosawa Films, Is Dead at 100

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/20/m...-kurosawa.html

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by MeMynonsense

The supplementary docs included with A Man Escaped are a treasure trove!
Was really impressed with “The Road to Bresson” - which documents two young Dutch directors’ arduous and (almost futile) pursuit of an interview with Bresson during the 1983 Cannes Film Festival where he was in attendance to promote L'Argent. Interspersed with candid musings from contemporaries and enthusiasts including Paul Schrader, Louis Malle, Andrei Tarkovsky and an Orson Welles cameo. It’s a wonderful directorial study.
“Bresson: Without a Trace” is an hour long conversation with the reclusive director wherein he passionately discusses his minimalist stripped down approach to story-telling, unemotional directing style, his preference for non-professional actors (or more appropriately ‘models’), cinematography vs cinema, his fondness for Cocteau and the recently released Goldfinger. It’s rather awkwardly edited and takes some getting used to but contains some fascinating insights. (Apparently this was also Bresson’s first on-camera interview).
The 2010 doc “The Essence of Forms” is the most conventionally reverent and nostalgic of the lot and includes interviews with with past Bresson collaborators and fans. Through various anecdotes the actors discuss his forced suppression of their ‘performing’ instinct, his working methods and legacy.
Truly a great package worthy of the film.

Good post. Look forward to watching this. I've upgraded my Bresson DVD's to bluray with this Criterion sale, but haven't had the chance to watch them yet (I can't seem to give away region 2 DVD's in the states). There remains one Bresson film that has never been on a DVD or bluray, Une Femme Douce (1969). It's a favorite French film of mine. I've held onto the New Yorker Video VHS, although I haven't watched it in ages:



https://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Woman-...oding=UTF8&me=

Perhaps Criterion will give this overlooked Bresson some attention soon.

[Martin_31]

It’s out of stock online at B&N. Should I even place an order for The Confession?

[sawdustandtinsel]

Originally Posted by spanky87

It'd be great if Criterion starting offering posters for the movies that haven't had a theatrical rerelease. I need that sexy Mildred Pierce artwork on my wall.

Originally Posted by Gambit1138

I’d pay good money for that new Tree of Life artwork.

Have you tried https://www.posterburner.com/? I can't vouch for it myself but a friend was able to burn the A Brighter Summer Day artwork onto a decent sized poster and it looked pretty good.

[Poya]

Got:

Age of Innocence
Blood Simple
Dr. Strangelove
Hard Day’s Night
Thin Red Line

It was torture! I still want more! Did I make the right choices?

[Ray Jackson]

I just blind bought Mike Leigh’s Naked at the Noble.

I assume there’s a lot of nudity in it.

That was a big selling point for me.

I’ve also heard that it’s dripping with nihilism and despair.

Anyone love or hate this film?

Can anyone confirm that we get to see David Thewlis naked?

...i’m a big fan of David Thewlis.

[Show spoiler]

[sawdustandtinsel]

Got a copy of The Confession at B&N today along with blind buys of Beyond the Hills and Elevator to the Gallows. I'm a big fan of both directors so I figure those were pretty safe. I'm really torn on grabbing The Night Porter and Salo. Anybody wanna go to bat for them? I've passed over them both for years and it just never feels like the right time if that makes any sense.

[demonknight]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I just blind bought Mike Leigh’s Naked at the Noble.

I assume there’s a lot of nudity in it.

That was a big selling point for me.

I’ve also heard that it’s dripping with nihilism and despair.

Anyone love or hate this film?

Can anyone confirm that we get to see David Thewlis naked?

...i’m a big fan of David Thewlis.

[Show spoiler]

I don’t believe there’s very much of Thewlis naked. And not tons of nudity at all. I seem to recall only some breasts.

Originally Posted by sawdustandtinsel

Got a copy of The Confession at B&N today along with blind buys of Beyond the Hills and Elevator to the Gallows. I'm a big fan of both directors so I figure those were pretty safe. I'm really torn on grabbing The Night Porter and Salo. Anybody wanna go to bat for them? I've passed over them both for years and it just never feels like the right time if that makes any sense.

Salo is superb. Night Porter, I found kinda dull. I wish it went more exploitative with it. But I’ll defend Salo as a horrifying masterwork until the day I die.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Scottie

I'm surprised this hasn't been talked about yet.

Shinobu Hashimoto, Writer of Towering Kurosawa Films, Is Dead at 100

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/20/m...-kurosawa.html

Looking up pieces about Hashimoto, I came across this book he had written detailing the evolution of his collaborations with Kurosawa. Halfways through and it's a pretty good book.