The Criterion Collection

[agenda]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

if you needed even more proof that Come and See is coming, it’s on FilmStruck with the C in front!

I do HELL hope so. Last time when I was reading anything new about the movie was this:

"Mosfilm's brand new restoration of Elem Klimov's war drama Come and See (1985) has won the Best Restored Film Award at Venice Classics. The restoration was overseen by Karen Shakhnazarov. Currently, no preliminary plans have been made public for an upcoming North American Blu-ray release of the new restoration."

[demonknight]

Originally Posted by Snicket

Enhance! Enhance!

Who’s shelf is that?

It’s in their offices

[repulsed]

Anyone know how long the 'My Criterion' section has been under construction. Can't remember exactly when. I'm wondering how long this is actually gonna take. Was anything said as to when it may return?

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by Banned User

Note I only brought her up because her screen presence exudes bad ass. She acted for a very short period in mostly just exploitation films. Granted Japanese exploitation films from that period make America's exploitation films in the 70's look like Walt Disney Films.

One of her more popular films was Sex and Fury. But be warned you better not have issues with her fighting naked with a sword or being tied up. There's a lot of that in those films in general and especially in the one mentioned.

She had a lot of early hits in explotation films with The popular Girl Boss Blues series. I think she may have also been in a few Stray Cat Rock films.

She is in one of my favorite films that I really wish Criterion would release. Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight. It is a very fun exploitation film. Tetsuro Tanba is always a blast to watch (really the guy is a legend having over 320 film credits to his name. Here's just a few films he was in = Three Outlaw Samurai , Goyokin , Harakiri , Kwaidan) and this movie really is a film that transcends exploitation IMO.

Not to say Reiko Ike only did exploitation eventhough that was her claim to fame. She was in a few tasteful and professional productions mostly by the great Kinji Fukasakyu. She's in both Battles Without Honour and Humanity & New Battles Without Honor and Humanity . Off subject if you have never seen Battles Without Honour and Humanity do yourself a favor and give them a watch.

Sadly Reiko Iko retired from acting very early in her career. 79 was her last feature film and other then a short stint in a TV series in 80 she disappeared from the scene at the age of 26. Which is probably why she is not more well known.

At the start of the 60's studio budgets & profits dropped and roman porno films and Pinky Violence films became the only way studio's could pull Japanese audiences away from their TV sets. For instance Nikkatsu by 70 had dropped the majority of their gangster film output and focused on Roman Porno. Why Toei was focused on Pinky Violence. Really there isn't that much a difference between the two, but as the 70's moved on they became more and more raunchy likely adding to Reiko's decision to stop acting. By the 80's VHS had become popular and replaced the need to go to a theater to see nudity and over the top violence. The major Studio's output of these films were next to zero by the end of that decade. Only now has there been a resurgence and reboot of Roman Porno in the last few years. Which has actually become really popular in Japan. I know I saw AntiPorno on Bluray recently and really it's a huge difference artistic wise then those films from that era.

Thanks for a trenchant assessment of the subject. I've seen Reiko Ike in Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight, Sex & Fury and Female Yakuza Tale (all released in 1973). If these films come out on bluray I'll buy them again.

I'd like to see more of her films. She was talented, both a capable actress and a skilled martial arts athlete. Not to mention an erotic beauty. Is Girl Boss worth a look? anything else?

[Jexes23]

Originally Posted by repulsed

Anyone know how long the 'My Criterion' section has been under construction. Can't remember exactly when. I'm wondering how long this is actually gonna take. Was anything said as to when it may return?

Yeah it’s a tad ridiculous at this point.

[Gerby]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

Thanks for a trenchant assessment of the subject. I've seen Reiko Ike in Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight, Sex & Fury and Female Yakuza Tale (all released in 1973). If these films come out on bluray I'll buy them again.

I'd like to see more of her films. She was talented, both a capable actress and a skilled martial arts athlete. Not to mention an erotic beauty. Is Girl Boss worth a look? anything else?

I've seen all 7 Girl Boss films, they are all entertaining & worth a look but Terrifying Girls Highschool: Lynch Law Classroom is one of the standout films in the genre that stars Reiko Ike.

[812crew]

Anyone else a fan of the :kogonada features on some of the criterion releases? Every time I watch one, I really enjoy it (just saw the La dolce vita one again tonight and thought it had an interesting perspective). I’d love some help figuring out exactly which releases he’s been on...I have Cries and Whispers and he’s on that. Anyone know a full list? Thanks!

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by regeyer

It's a personal view. Heck, some people don't like Star Wars because it seems unrealistic. To each their own.

With that said, I will add that I'm testing for my 2nd Degree black belt in Goju Ryu Karate in November, so I do have some insight. There's a reason why people are organized by gender and weight class in professional fights.

Floyd Mayweather is 5'8" and 151#.

I'm guessing there are very few people here who could even last half a round with him.

[rognvaldr]

Someone please make a Lady Snowbird meme.

[regeyer]

Lady Snowblood Revisited:

I'm the one who raised the issue as to whether or not Lady Snowblood is a believable character. I truly felt after my first viewing that she is not believable for the reasons stated in my previous post. But I decided to dust off the Blu-Ray and give it another go. To my complete surprise, I've done a complete 180.

After rewatching the two films I now find Meiko Kaji's role as Lady Snowblood very believable. I'm not sure why I didn't the first time. Lady Snowblood uses a sword, just like Zatoichi. In fact, they both hold the sword in the same fashion. She doesn't use martial arts kicks and punches, nor does she use a wrestler's brute strength. Her power is found in her lighting fast sword. And, although there are scenes where her prowess seems less convicable, overall Kaji plays the role very well.

***Spoiler Alert***My only gripe with both films is that there is little to no joy or even redemption. I like films to have a happy ending. These films leave our heroine in a rather sad state. Oh, and we'll just have to ignore the fact that

[Show spoiler]Lady Snowblood dies at the end of the first film.

Anyway, given the fact that I started this debate, I feel I needed to comment after rewatching the films. I recommend these films to anyone who enjoys samurai/martial arts films.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by okcmaxk

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and This is Spinal Tap are next to Shampoo, and two DVDs of Bringing Up Baby are on the shelf Shampoo’s on.

Since Bob & Carol just came out via Twilight Time this year, it's an unlikely Criterion release, but I could see the other two coming eventually.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by regeyer

Lady Snowblood Revisited:

I'm the one who raised the issue as to whether or not Lady Snowblood is a believable character. I truly felt after my first viewing that she is not believable for the reasons stated in my previous post. But I decided to dust off the Blu-Ray and give it another go. To my complete surprise, I've done a complete 180.

After rewatching the two films I now find Meiko Kaji's role as Lady Snowblood very believable. I'm not sure why I didn't the first time. Lady Snowblood uses a sword, just like Zatoichi. In fact, they both hold the sword in the same fashion. She doesn't use martial arts kicks and punches, nor does she use a wrestler's brute strength. Her power is found in her lighting fast sword. And, although there are scenes where her prowess seems less convicable, overall Kaji plays the role very well.

***Spoiler Alert***My only gripe with both films is that there is little to no joy or even redemption. I like films to have a happy ending. These films leave our heroine in a rather sad state. Oh, and we'll just have to ignore the fact that

[Show spoiler]Lady Snowblood dies at the end of the first film.

Anyway, given the fact that I started this debate, I feel I needed to comment after rewatching the films. I recommend these films to anyone who enjoys samurai/martial arts films.

You know for "Spoiler alert" you can put a spoiler tag?

[theater dreamer]

Harakiri was fantastic. You guys were absolutely right. I'll watch Kwaidan in the next few days.

[regeyer]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

You know for "Spoiler alert" you can put a spoiler tag?

Yes. And I used it later in that paragraph. But the first three sentences of the paragraph seemed iffy, and sort of needed to be read to make sense of the post. But I wanted to make sure that anyone who didn't want to know anything about the films should stop right there.

[blujazz]

Just watched Malle's The Lovers and fell head over heels for it. Any chance of a blu update soonish?

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by regeyer

Yes. And I used it later in that paragraph. But the first three sentences of the paragraph seemed iffy, and sort of needed to be read to make sense of the post. But I wanted to make sure that anyone who didn't want to know anything about the films should stop right there.

Or you could just spoiler tag the entire section.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by repulsed

Anyone know how long the 'My Criterion' section has been under construction. Can't remember exactly when. I'm wondering how long this is actually gonna take. Was anything said as to when it may return?

Checked my email and in the Criterion Newsletter received on April 24 it stated that "My Criterion will be going offline temporarily at the end of this month for a total overhaul...We’ll let you know when the new My Criterion goes live later this year!"

The new site is a considerable disappointment and in no way improves upon the old.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Checked my email and in the Criterion Newsletter received on April 24 it stated that "My Criterion will be going offline temporarily at the end of this month for a total overhaul...We’ll let you know when the new My Criterion goes live later this year!"

The new site is a considerable disappointment and in no way improves upon the old.

I do web design, too. It’s an utter embarrassment that some five months later, one of the site’s major functions is still nowhere to be found. You don’t put a redesign live until the entire thing is done. If after it’s been tested a few things need to be tweaked, fine. But who in the hell is handling the design for Criterion? They should be fired.

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by Reddington

The new site is a considerable disappointment and in no way improves upon the old.

Agreed - and that's putting it mildly.

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

I do web design, too. It’s an utter embarrassment that some five months later, one of the site’s major functions is still nowhere to be found. You don’t put a redesign live until the entire thing is done. If after it’s been tested a few things need to be tweaked, fine. But who in the hell is handling the design for Criterion? They should be fired.

Perhaps they were fired and that's why nothing has happened?

The fact that the layout of the current Criterion site is practically identical to the site for UK distributor Powerhouse Films is the real embarrassment in my opinion.