The Criterion Collection

[jw007]

Originally Posted by jayembee

MGM/UA licensed a lot of titles to Criterion back in the laserdisc era. As did a lot of other studios. Since LDs were a niche market, many of the studios were happy to license out their titles. Because DVD was a hit format right out of the gate, the studios started wanting to exert more control over their catalogs, so the licensing dried up.

I never realized this. Thanks for this information. It makes sense that LDs were a niche market compared to DVDs, since only serious film buffs bought loads of LDs back in the day (while most everyone else were happy with VHS - including me).

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by UncleBuckWild

Not sure if this has been posted earlier... currently B&N has a special Buy 2 Get a 3rd Free on Criterion Blu-ray titles.

Offer ends on September 30, 2013.

Cool. Here's my chance to pick up Seconds and the two new Satyajit Ray titles.

[blkhrt]

I don't think this has been mentioned, but it looks like there will not be a Before Trilogy box set. Sony just announced they are releasing Before Midnight:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=12002

[mark9404]

Originally Posted by UncleBuckWild

Not sure if this has been posted earlier... currently B&N has a special Buy 2 Get a 3rd Free on Criterion Blu-ray titles.

Offer ends on September 30, 2013.

I'm going to get Badlands, Band of Outsiders and Wings of Desire.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Cool. Here's my chance to pick up Seconds and the two new Satyajit Ray titles.

[Show spoiler]

Seconds is a great, great Criterion title.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Seconds is a great, great Criterion title.

I've no doubt it is. I saw the film waaaaayyyyyy back when on TV, and was quite taken with it. The writer, Lewis John Carlino, also wrote (among many others) another film that's little-known but a favorite of mine: Resurrection.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I've no doubt it is. I saw the film waaaaayyyyyy back when on TV, and was quite taken with it. The writer, Lewis John Carlino, also wrote (among many others) another film that's little-known but a favorite of mine: Resurrection.

I had never heard of Resurrection before, but it looks really good!

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I've no doubt it is. I saw the film waaaaayyyyyy back when on TV, and was quite taken with it. The writer, Lewis John Carlino, also wrote (among many others) another film that's little-known but a favorite of mine: Resurrection.

Didn't he also write The Great Santini?

[joie]

Dave Kehr had this to say about Seconds:

An aging millionaire is surgically transformed into Rock Hudson and given a new life by a secret organization. While this 1966 SF thriller is detailing the transformation, it's genuinely creepy and suspenseful, thanks largely to the black-and-white cinematography of James Wong Howe, which blends expressionist lighting with the realist overtones of handheld shooting. But the screenplay (by Lewis John Carlino, of The Great Santini) collapses into musty moralizing in the second half, and director John Frankenheimer throws in the towel. With John Randolph, Salome Jens, Jeff Corey, Murray Hamilton, and Will Geer.

So, I'll wait and see it if it comes to the library.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by joie

Dave Kehr had this to say about Seconds:

An aging millionaire is surgically transformed into Rock Hudson and given a new life by a secret organization. While this 1966 SF thriller is detailing the transformation, it's genuinely creepy and suspenseful, thanks largely to the black-and-white cinematography of James Wong Howe, which blends expressionist lighting with the realist overtones of handheld shooting. But the screenplay (by Lewis John Carlino, of The Great Santini) collapses into musty moralizing in the second half, and director John Frankenheimer throws in the towel. With John Randolph, Salome Jens, Jeff Corey, Murray Hamilton, and Will Geer.

So, I'll wait and see it if it comes to the library.

I could not disagree more with this reviewer's assessment of the final half of Seconds.

I like this Slate review better.

I like this Movie Metropolis review as well.

Last, but not least, I also like Pro-B's review on this site a lot.

[zoodermin]

Originally Posted by blkhrt

I don't think this has been mentioned, but it looks like there will not be a Before Trilogy box set. Sony just announced they are releasing Before Midnight:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=12002

This are very sad news. At least Warner should release the other two on BD this year.

[Abdrewes]

Wow. There are shades of the Koyaanisqatsi score in Dan Deacon's album, "America". Its all Very well done

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I could not disagree more with this reviewer's assessment of the final half of Seconds.

I like this Slate review better.

I like this Movie Metropolis review as well.

Last, but not least, I also like Pro-B's review on this site a lot.

Yay!!!!! I linked that one a couple weeks ago. Dana Stevens is a great critic

[14728]

Originally Posted by blkhrt

I don't think this has been mentioned, but it looks like there will not be a Before Trilogy box set. Sony just announced they are releasing Before Midnight:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=12002

I have never seen these films, but they look like a great Romantic Comedy. Very sad, indeed.

[johndoyle123]

Originally Posted by zoodermin

This are very sad news. At least Warner should release the other two on BD this year.

i doubt it ....

[pedromvu]

Hi, I am looking for 2 more $29 titles for the B2GO sale from B&N and was wondering if anyone has seen and could recommend Charulata and Big City? The only other Ray film i have seen is The Music Room and i loved that one, too bad Big City still doesn't have a review here.

Edit: Also Marketa Lazarova looks pretty tempting although i have heard mixed things.

[TheHighRoller]

Originally Posted by Sherlock_Jr

I wouldn't say that. They just turned down the master provided by Pathe. They could very well get the remastered elements before the DNR was applied, or make their own restoration from other elements. I don't know what their plans are, only that they supposedly turned down the master that was provided to them. Not knowing the specifics of their licensing or contracts, I don't know what their options actually are at this point. I do know, however, that they still want to release it.

Thanks for clarifying. I wonder how hard it is to get a hold of the original camera negative or the first interpositive made from the OCN. Hopefully they give it a 4K master. I really hope we get this soon.


Does anyone know what the clue was from the recent announcement email?

[Snicket]

Been a while since I have had time to sit and watch a film, but I did catch To The Wonder (finally...)

To The Wonder

At around the half way point while watching the film I had a surprising thought pop into my head, I thought that the film I was watching was shockingly...coherent. If you are familiar with Malick's preferences you know being straight forward is not something he is interested in, ambiguity is the name of his game. Yet something about To The Wonder makes it stand out as a very understandable film, perhaps I could find some relation to it's narrative that would not be obvious to the average viewer.

At it's core, To The Wonder is a film about detachment and longing for something more, nothing more or less. A couple longing for a deeper connection, a man looking for a change, a priest drifting away from God, a daughter wanting more love. For a film that dwells so much on the environment and emotions of the subject matter, and less on the characters the narrative comes across strongly, unexpected for this director. The performances were all top notch, even though Malick seems to dwell on the footage taken in between takes, nobody seems like they are acting for an extended period of time. As you could expect the cinematography was equally impressive, the fact that only natural lighting was used still boggles my mind and inspires awe with every frame.

Malick remains one director who's status will be debated endlessly, is he a master of the art? He is certainly a master of his art. And I will look forward to every film he crafts.

[Scottie]

Anyone get the newsletter yet?

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Anyone get the newsletter yet?

No sir.