The Criterion Collection

[NeoNical]

Loving that Criterion is bringing back Japanese films into their announcements, which I thought they haven't been doing much lately. Hopefully, they can add in a few new ones as well as upgrading their older titles, especially Stray Dog and 24 Eyes.

[Sommerswerd]

Hmm, looks like the Onibaba Blu-ray does not have a new restoration.

On the Blu-ray: Restored high-definition transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack

[gudemameshiba]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

They tweet about it from all of their accounts. It drives me crazy.

The DVD took a long time too! Its spine number is 96, but Diary of a Chambermaid (spine 117) came out earlier the same month.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Sommerswerd

Hmm, looks like the Onibaba Blu-ray does not have a new restoration.

Nope. I don't think a new restoration exists for it. I actually thought for a while that Criterion had been sitting on it in the hopes that a new restoration would be done in Japan, but then gave up and decided to just release what they had.

[jshaide]

First time in a while I've been in for the full slate.

[Vigojean]

Let me piss on my generation for a moment. Does anybody here think that Millennial directors (Safdies, Gerwig, Eggers, Chazelle, Jonah Hill, Bo Burnham, Paul Dano, Aster) are actually better than any of the masters that came before them? Because I don’t. I think Paul Thomas Anderson would stomp all of them. My generation is NOT that good compared to Ramsay, Wes Anderson, Linklater, Coens, Lynch, Sofia Coppola, etc. Some of you need to calm down about Robert Eggers and the Safdies. PTA would kill them.

[Matt89]

Whoa. High Sierra, definitely gonna pick that up. Watched it this past year in a film class on studio era Hollywood. Great flick. Way overdue for a blu-ray release.

~Matt

[gudemameshiba]

Originally Posted by Sommerswerd

Hmm, looks like the Onibaba Blu-ray does not have a new restoration.

I'm curious about this as well. The phrasing is distinct from previous releases. Normally the pre-existing master newly issued on Blu-ray has been advertised as "High-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray." (For example, The Furies.)

The Human Condition's copy distinguished as follows:

On the Blu-ray: High-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural (Parts 1–4) and 4.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio (Parts 5 and 6) soundtracks

On the DVD: Restored high-definition digital transfer

For Onibaba we have

On the Blu-ray: Restored high-definition transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack

On the DVD: High-definition digital transfer, with restored image and sound and enhanced for widescreen televisions

This could indicate that some sort of additional restoration took place for the Blu-ray that they deemed worth mentioning in the specs, but I doubt it.

Probably it is simply that in 2004, when the DVD of Onibaba was released, their stock phrasing was "High-definition digital transfer, with restored image and sound" (also seen in the DVD specs for Pickup on South Street) instead of "Restored high-definition transfer."

(While I'm at it, why "digital restoration" vs. "restored digital transfer" for The Human Condition?)

[RBBrittain]

The winners of the spine number lottery : The Incredible Shrinking Man is Spine 1100; Uncut Gems is Spine 1101. So no Kane on those numbers.

Edit: High Sierra is 1099; Devi is 1102. Onibaba (226) & Ratcatcher (162) retain the numbers from their past Criterion DVDs.

[Nori]

My favorite month from Criterion in the entire year. Last few months I was worried they weren't going for great classics anymore.

Onibaba day 1 (assuming it's a new scan, or at least better than Master of Cinemas) and High Sierra day 1 too. Maybe Devi but will have to read up on it.

[dkelly26666]

I JUST got the Uncut Gems BD recently, with a slip, for SIX dollars. Not gonna get the Criterion for that one.

Pretty much interested in the rest. I was just thinking about The Incredible Shrinking Man the other day.

Onibaba I have had on the Eureka/Masters of Cinema BD for years. I MIGHT double dip.

Devi, High Sierra, Ratcatcher, and Shrinking Man I will definitely get.

[bergman864]

Originally Posted by Vigojean

Let me piss on my generation for a moment. Does anybody here think that Millennial directors (Safdies, Gerwig, Eggers, Chazelle, Jonah Hill, Bo Burnham, Paul Dano, Aster) are actually better than any of the masters that came before them? Because I don’t. I think Paul Thomas Anderson would stomp all of them. My generation is NOT that good compared to Ramsay, Wes Anderson, Linklater, Coens, Lynch, Sofia Coppola, etc. Some of you need to calm down about Robert Eggers and the Safdies. PTA would kill them.

Most of the Millennial directors on your list have only directed 1 or 2 features. And I would say that a good chunk of them measure up to the same point in their careers as the ones you mentioned in the later director list. Comparisons like this are ridiculous.

[ShellOilJunior]

If the past 3 summers are any indication, the next big box set will be announced soon.

Previous 3 summers:

Bergman set - announced 7/12/18, released 11/20/18
Godzilla set - announced 7/25/19, released 10/29/19
Fellini set - announced 8/11/20, released 11/24/20

[mmarczi]

The only thing tempering my enthusiasm for this wave of announcements is the fact that I already own three of them in different versions on blu ray. In fact, I ordered The Incredible Shrinking Man in the current Arrow sale...along with the Shaw Brothers box set...so I won't even be getting it until December. Too bad I can't have it removed from the order. But it's very exciting to see these titles overall, and I'm personally most pleased with Devi, though it would otherwise be for Onibaba if I didn't already have the Eureka release. I'll have to do a comparison to see about double dipping.

[omahajon]

Went to B&N today and got Detour and Female Troubles only to come home to Incredible Shrinking Man!

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

If the past 3 summers are any indication, the next big box set will be announced soon.

Previous 3 summers:

Bergman set - announced 7/12/18, released 11/20/18
Godzilla set - announced 7/25/19, released 10/29/19
Fellini set - announced 8/11/20, released 11/24/20

I'm still aching for Kurosawa. The free shelf space alone makes me want it, haha

[zackisthewalrus]

Originally Posted by omahajon

Went to B&N today and got Detour and Female Troubles only to come home to Incredible Shrinking Man!

Okay but those two choices!! Excellent picks!!

[Member-682067]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

If the past 3 summers are any indication, the next big box set will be announced soon.

Previous 3 summers:

Bergman set - announced 7/12/18, released 11/20/18
Godzilla set - announced 7/25/19, released 10/29/19
Fellini set - announced 8/11/20, released 11/24/20

Wonder who they'll choose. Fassbinder, or Bresson would make sense.

[dressedtokill]

So much for the UHD announcement, not that I thought that it was going to happen. That's too bad, as it means people will continue to ***** about it and now coupled with the fact that they're not doing it with Uncut Gems. Anyway, in for Onibaba, High Sierra and The Incredible Shrinking Man.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by RobHolloway

I don't know Onibaba or Devi. Never seen Uncut Gems, but friends less than enthusiastic.

Onibaba and Devi are excellent movies. Region-free folks are likely to already have the excellent Eureka blu-ray from 2013, and the generic verbiage makes it sounds like the Criterion may use the same master. Devi is a strong Ray film that brings in a touch of the eerie into his humanistic streak. Great shadowy cinematography that should be well-served by a good transfer.

Uncut Gems was a pretty damn good movie, although I don't know how much repeat value it has. Adam Sandler really nailed this one, holding the audience even when his character is wholly unsympathetic.