The Criterion Collection

[Vigojean]

What are the chances of The Pilgrim and other First National movies getting the Criterion treatment? I thought that was Chaplin's creative peak

[dkelly26666]

Originally Posted by Cinematt

Wow I didn't realise how much better served we are in the UK for Kore-eda movies!
Arrow have given us Like Father, Like Son, After the Storm, I Wish, and The Third Murder. The BFI set has Still Walking, After Life, Maboroshi, and Nobody Knows. And then we've got Shoplifers, Out Little Sister, Air Doll, and The Truth with individual releases.
Most of these are very cheap as well, if anyone is looking for a justification for spending a bit on going region free

Indeed. I went Region Free several years ago and the UK is STILL better served in the Kore-eda, Imamura, and Pasolini depts. ... I got boxed sets and individual releases of films by all of those filmmakers, and many of those films STILL don't have US releases.

[Member-496152]

I'm on the fence about upgrading my 'Smooth Talk' Olive release and 'Secrets & Lies' original region B release. Seeing as 'Smooth' is barebones I think I'll upgrade it next sale, but is the transfer on 'Secrets & Lies' really the same as the original UK blu-ray? It's one of my favorites and if it's an improvement I'll pick it up.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by CMNPlanet

A few dual-format editions are officially cycling out of production. Stand-alone BDs with new UPCs are scheduled for June:

• Breaking the Waves -- June 29
• Frances Ha -- June 29
• George Washington -- June 29
• Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion -- June 8
• King of The Hill -- June 29
• Love Streams -- June 29
• Y Tu Mama También -- June 8

By Brakhage: An Anthology -- Volumes 1 & 2 is also scheduled for June 15th with a new UPC, but it's not presently a dual-format release, so not sure what the change is there.

Hmm. Interesting. Thanks for sharing!

Might I ask where you got the information?

[dylrichard02]

I wonder if we'll see Criterion release Blake Edwards' 10 soon. With the rumors of Warner leaving physical media (meaning there might not be a chance for WAC to) and the fact that the dated BD seems to be unavailable, besides from third party sellers, I feel like it has a chance to get a new restoration and a nice release in the collection.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by dkelly26666

Damn, you got me at first, LOL.

I was thinking that was a serious overreaction to what was intended as a pretty lighthearted post, LOL. Apologies, anyway.

I use quite a lot of streaming, I'm just a serious collector of physical media since the 80s. I always tell people I don't truly own a film unless I hold it in my hand.

But seriously, fellas, no offense was intended.

Haha, I was just having some fun with your post. I obviously didn't really block you, nor would I.

I love the Channel because blind-buying Criterions can get expensive quickly, so this helps me zero in on the ones I really want. Plus, I have to think releases like The Signifyin' Works of Marlon Riggs and Girlfriends probably wouldn't have happened without people being exposed to them on the Channel first.

Originally Posted by dylrichard02

I wonder if we'll see Criterion release Blake Edwards' 10 soon. With the rumors of Warner leaving physical media (meaning there might not be a chance for WAC to) and the fact that the dated BD seems to be unavailable, besides from third party sellers, I feel like it has a chance to get a new restoration and a nice release in the collection.

I had no idea this was OOP. Glad I got it last year.

[Cinematt]

Originally Posted by dkelly26666

Indeed. I went Region Free several years ago and the UK is STILL better served in the Kore-eda, Imamura, and Pasolini depts. ... I got boxed sets and individual releases of films by all of those filmmakers, and many of those films STILL don't have US releases.

Eureka’s Imamura box set is long OOP sadly, and sells for about £300 on eBay these days. I’ve wondered if Criterion would port any of theirs over, or upgrade the Pigs, Pimps and Battleships, but it doesn’t seem like they got the UK rights. Arrow just released a 3 movie set with The Ballad of Narayama which was one of Eureka’s, along with Black Rain and Zegen neither of which we’d had before. The UK generally does pretty well with Japanese movies (we’ve had The Human Condition for years) and Third Window Films do a fantastic range of contemporary and off the wall Japanese movies. Criterion haven’t done too much here with their extensive Japanese collection, though in part that seems to be because the BFI have quite a few that they’re just not upgrading, notably a few classic Kurosawas like Ikiru and High and Low. Definitely lots of good reasons to be region free wherever you are if you like Japanese cinema!

[tatterdemalion]

Originally Posted by Cinematt

Wow I didn't realise how much better served we are in the UK for Kore-eda movies!
Arrow have given us Like Father, Like Son, After the Storm, I Wish, and The Third Murder. The BFI set has Still Walking, After Life, Maboroshi, and Nobody Knows. And then we've got Shoplifers, Out Little Sister, Air Doll, and The Truth with individual releases.
Most of these are very cheap as well, if anyone is looking for a justification for spending a bit on going region free

The main reason I bought a region free player was to get the Arrow Kore-eda Family Values set. I have all the rest of his films from either Bandai Visual or the UK except for The Truth. I hadn't noticed that was released. Must hold off of buying...

In another post you mentioned the Imamura Arrow box. That, thankfully, was released also by the US Arrow distributor. Bought it with my stimulus money. Had to get Black Rain, one of my favorite films of his.

[omgitsgodzilla]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Well, if we are going down this road, I Wish didn't get a Blu-ray either and that was also Magnolia. Like Father, Like Son which is a personal favorite also only got a DVD. I guess the best bet would be for them to lose the rights and it going to someone else.

Shoplifters received universal acclaim and it going to DVD only was a pretty annoying move.

The cherry on top is that the Shoplifters DVD is hardsubbed.

[HenryHill]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

!

LOL, seriously though, physical media is awesome - I love it too - but streaming services like Criterion Channel are a great secondary source and - guess what - supporting the Channel helps fund more of those physical releases we both love and want.

Like all of you, I've been a charter subscriber to The Criterion Channel, but their DRM makes it impossible to watch movies online. I can only access the site with my phone, but that is seriously unsatisfactory. I'm thinking about canceling because CC hasn't responded to my emails about the problem.

[ShellBeacher]

Originally Posted by Karosanyo

Where is "Raise The Red Lantern"? I read that there was Blu-ray in the works a few years ago.

Who knows? They could have let it go, or could have been "persuaded to" by the copyright holders. Criterion has never been able to score licenses, apparently, and/or possibly hasn't been interested in any important historical mainland Chinese cinema. It's a bummer. Not just 'Red Lantern' - nearly all of Zhang Yimou's early films are not on HD in the west, either streaming or disc, and their DVDs seem OOP. Film Movement got the restoration of 'Shanghai Triad' but that's about it. It sure feels suspicious to me, because these films would surely sell well.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by HenryHill

Like all of you, I've been a charter subscriber to The Criterion Channel, but their DRM makes it impossible to watch movies online. I can only access the site with my phone, but that is seriously unsatisfactory. I'm thinking about canceling because CC hasn't responded to my emails about the problem.

Their DRM is indeed the pits (I assume you're seeing the infuriating "external monitor" error message).

Chromebooks didn't work for the first year and a half, but now do (as of the last time I checked anyway).

If you are on Windows/Mac, try other browsers until one works.

If you're in the U.S., I highly recommend a Roku or other similar cheap option.

[Vigojean]

Which director box set would you guys like to see most? I know everyone is waiting for a Kurosawa box set, but I’d rather get a John Woo box set, since his movies are in dire need of restoration. Almodovar and Todd Solondz would be cool too. And I really want Chaplin’s First National shorts.

[dvining]

Originally Posted by Vigojean

Which director box set would you guys like to see most? I know everyone is waiting for a Kurosawa box set, but I’d rather get a John Woo box set, since his movies are in dire need of restoration. Almodovar and Todd Solondz would be cool too. And I really want Chaplin’s First National shorts.

Kurosawa
Kobayashi
Ozu
Truffaut
Fosse

and while we're dreaming

Michael Bay because a complete set of Michael Bay's work (including Six Underground through Criterion's Netflix deal) would be too absurd and completely necessary.

[Karosanyo]

Originally Posted by ShellBeacher

Who knows? They could have let it go, or could have been "persuaded to" by the copyright holders. Criterion has never been able to score licenses, apparently, and/or possibly hasn't been interested in any important historical mainland Chinese cinema. It's a bummer. Not just 'Red Lantern' - nearly all of Zhang Yimou's early films are not on HD in the west, either streaming or disc, and their DVDs seem OOP. Film Movement got the restoration of 'Shanghai Triad' but that's about it. It sure feels suspicious to me, because these films would surely sell well.

Thanks for the reply. I think MGM still has the rights. I know that Criterion had a deal with them to license films. I can't believe that Yimou's early films haven't been released on Blu-ray. I think "Raise The Red Lantern" is Yimou's masterpiece. I remember watching it a lot on Bravo (before that channel was turned into reality TV trash) in the early 2000s. Perhaps Criterion will get on the ball if we keep writing to them for a release. I did that a lot for "Kwaidan"...and their release was stunning.

[omgitsgodzilla]

Originally Posted by Vigojean

Which director box set would you guys like to see most? I know everyone is waiting for a Kurosawa box set, but I’d rather get a John Woo box set, since his movies are in dire need of restoration. Almodovar and Todd Solondz would be cool too. And I really want Chaplin’s First National shorts.

WKW's films could use good restorations...

[Rayjaymay]

Originally Posted by Vigojean

Which director box set would you guys like to see most? I know everyone is waiting for a Kurosawa box set, but I’d rather get a John Woo box set, since his movies are in dire need of restoration. Almodovar and Todd Solondz would be cool too. And I really want Chaplin’s First National shorts.

Don’t know who currently owns the rights to all the films, but a John Sayles box set would be awesome.

Not a complete filmography, but I’m also hoping they can pick up Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series.

[Karosanyo]

I haven't been really excited for a Criterion release since the Bergman set. I already mentioned "Raise the Red Lantern" and "The Spirit of the Beehive". Criterion getting the rights to "The Conformist" and "Ran" would be great. The Luis Buñuel films that I want the most ("Viridiana", "Los Olvidados") haven't been released. "I Walked with a Zombie" and "Onibaba" would be great October releases. When are they going to release a proper "The Last Emperor" Blu-ray?

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Vigojean

Which director box set would you guys like to see most? I know everyone is waiting for a Kurosawa box set, but I’d rather get a John Woo box set, since his movies are in dire need of restoration. Almodovar and Todd Solondz would be cool too. And I really want Chaplin’s First National shorts.

Kurosawa
Ozu
Fassbinder
Early Bela Tarr
Mike Leigh
Edward Yang

[Vigojean]

Originally Posted by Karosanyo

I remember watching it a lot on Bravo (before that channel was turned into reality TV trash) in the early 2000s.

Dang you gotta be an older millennial or older to remember that lol. Brought back memories with that sentence. So many great indie and foreign films on Bravo: Buffalo ‘66, Spanking the Monkey, Swimming with Sharks, Reservoir Dogs, The City of Lost Children, Cemetery Man, American Heart, Little Odessa, The Daytrippers, Welcome to the Dollhouse, etc.....