The Criterion Collection

[Rayjg]

Poor Criterion. They probably thought they had licensed Haggis’s Crash.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Rayjg

Poor Criterion. They probably thought they had licensed Haggis’s Crash.

[amputd]

Any chance of a release of Summertime with Katherine Hepburn? This desperately needs an upgrade. It’s showing in HBO Max and it looks like a new master

[Egbert Souse]

Originally Posted by amputd

Any chance of a release of Summertime with Katherine Hepburn? This desperately needs an upgrade. It’s showing in HBO Max and it looks like a new master

I'd love to see Criterion do a "sequel" box set to the Coward/Lean box, except this would be something like "Adapted for the Screen by David Lean" with...

Great Expectations
Oliver Twist
The Passionate Friends
Hobson's Choice
Summertime

Lean wrote or co-wrote the screenplays for all five films, they're all adapted from novels or plays, and that would upgrade four DVD-only titles and bring in one new one. They could include Madeline as a bonus feature so that all of Lean's films (except Ryan's Daughter, obviously) are now on Blu.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by dvining

I've seen rumors that Criterion has the rights but is holding off. Polanski is kind of a wild card.

As long as Blu-ray.com's own reviewers are insisting that certain people must be expunged from a movie's production because they have a history of immoral behavior in order to help improve the movie, as Brian Orndorf did regarding Max Landis in his review of Shadow in the Cloud, a movie that seems bad enough to simply tear apart on the merits alone, then that attitude is going to continue in a large enough population for it to concern Criterion and its bottom line.

Except that's not what he does in the review: he points out both the fact that the filmmakers themselves have disowned Landis while pointing out that despite that the film has many of the recurrent flaws and touchstones of his previous work.

Lose the bats, Landis, crude endangerment scenarios, and iffy plot twists and turns, and a more genuine depiction of courage emerges. Instead of a clear representation of integrity, “Shadow in the Clouds” grows blurry as it struggles to manage many ideas and genres.

He is tearing it apart on its demerits, and Landis' writing is only one of them. At no point in the review does he 'insist' that Landis be 'expunged' because of his behavior (though that is what the producers did of their own volition), and his criticism is based on the shortcomings of the film rather than a moral judgment.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

[Rayjg]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

[FragnitoM]

I was going to use the upcoming flash to get a few DVDs I figured would not be upgraded, because of their source. Specifically Tanner 88 and Fishing with John. Are there other titles that similarly are unlikely to be upgraded to Blu-ray because they were shot on video?

[dwk]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

I was going to use the upcoming flash to get a few DVDs I figured would not be upgraded, because of their source. Specifically Tanner 88 and Fishing with John. Are there other titles that similarly are unlikely to be upgraded to Blu-ray because they were shot on video?

The Golden Age of Television set.

I think the Pedro Costa set is also unlikely to get released on Blu, but it is possible.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

One of the greatest films of the 21st Century still has no domestic blu-ray release. Maybe Criterion could remedy this oversight.

I always view Criterion's choices of releasing certain films as needing to be "politically correct" for the current state of American society. Roman Polanski as a person has been demonized along with Woody Allen, but I still love his films. The Pianist is one movie that I've been waiting to see come out as a Region A blu-ray release, but I doubt it will happen anytime soon.

I think Criterion is hypocritical though, if they are indeed "trying" to be politically correct, because they still have yet to release more than a handful of films directed by African American directors (I'm alluding to the original NY Times article from last year - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...americans.html)

If Roman Polanski no longer has a place in the Criterion Collection, that's their decision of course. Although they are still hypocritical if that's the case since there are already 6 films of his in the library. Perhaps The Pianist has licensing issues, and that's why it isn't able to get released on blu-ray anywhere in the U.S.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jshaide

Hmmm, the Bunuel set has spines on the individual releases but not on the box itself. Where to shelve it. . .

I don't have it yet, but when I do, I'll "shelve" it on the top of the Criterion bookcase, along with the Bergman, Del Toro, Zatoichi and Godzilla sets (with Arrow's Gamera set sitting on top of the next bookcase over). Basically, anything with "big box" packaging sits on top of the bookcases.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by dwk

The Golden Age of Television set.

I think the Pedro Costa set is also unlikely to get released on Blu, but it is possible.

Just to be pedantic, The Golden Age of Television films were kinescopes. In other words, a camera was pointed at a video monitor, recording that image on film. Due to the limitations of the source material, DVD is probably overkill.

[JasonMichael]

Originally Posted by jw007

I think Criterion is hypocritical though, if they are indeed "trying" to be politically correct, because they still have yet to release more than a handful of films directed by African American directors (I'm alluding to the original NY Times article from last year - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...americans.html)

That article was published in August. I wouldn't expect that would give Criterion much time to release more movies that would satisfy the woke police. I am sure they require more lead time then that.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by jw007

I always view Criterion's choices of releasing certain films as needing to be "politically correct" for the current state of American society.

I have always been under this same impression, but their track record does not necessarily bear this out when I think about it. After being publicly called out for ignoring a more (dare I say it) "inclusive" agenda, I can see them moving in that direction (as the release of a good, but still middling film like CLAUDINE proves).

I don't see it as a problem unless they start going too far in the other direction and looking everything over with a fine tooth comb before deeming it "acceptable." I hope we can reach a point in our society and culture where such considerations are just part of our everyday outlook rather than this heightened fervor where everyone is petrified of offending or just lying in wait to be offended.

[dwk]

Claudine, being a Fox title, would have been licensed a number of years ago. So it's release had nothing to do with that article (also, I think the film was directed by a white guy.)

[Member-496152]

I would love to see Criterion release La Vie En Rose (as no US blu-ray exists). It seems like something that would be up their alley and would draw in some interest.

[bergman864]

Originally Posted by dwk

Claudine, being a Fox title, would have been licensed a number of years ago. So it's release had nothing to do with that article (also, I think the film was directed by a white guy.)

Yes it is.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by jshaide

Hmmm, the Bunuel set has spines on the individual releases but not on the box itself. Where to shelve it. . .

I'm more concerned that Obscure Object... uses such an obviously dated master, going by the screenshots. Do the other films look better?

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by ravenus

I'm more concerned that Obscure Object... uses such an obviously dated master, going by the screenshots. Do the other films look better?

The other Buñuel films use old HD masters as well.

[ravenus]

^That's disappointing. About the only difference between this and the SC release is the rendering of the (coarse looking) grain field, and the SC is slightly yellow-tinged. There is little difference in the screenshots,and the Criterion transfer also shows some dirt/damage marks removed on the SC transfer. 4.5 for this transfer is really not warranted, as per current standards it's closer to a 3.5, an unmanipulated transfer of an aged master.

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?go=1&...158925&i=3&l=0

I feel that Cohen's release of Tristana in 2013 looks a little better than this, but I only have that disc in hand, so take this opinion for what it's worth.