The Criterion Collection

[bergman864]

So I'm watching short film collection Altered Innocence Vol. 1, released by the now partner label of Vinegar Syndrome, Altered innocence, and the third film, Doors Cut Down, begins with a Janus Films logo.

I found that pretty interesting.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by Vigojean

How come it was only four titles this month? How often does that happen?

We must assume that all hands are on deck putting together an Akira Kurosawa box set. 🥷

[yoloswegmaster420]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

Don’t know if anyone’s mentioned it here. But I was listening to the podcast, The Dead Pixel. It has people that work at Criterion on it. They mentioned they are working on an upgrade of Blast of Silence. It’s on episode 2 if anyone wants to listen.

It was already mentioned on here a couple months ago:

Originally Posted by dwk

During the 2nd episode of Lee Kline's podcast, he said they are releasing a Blu-ray of Blast of Silence sometime this year.

[mmarczi]

As far as this year's Criterion lineup goes, it's been perfectly fine according to my tastes, with the following being the titles I've picked up or intend to pick up:

[Show spoiler]The Ascent
Three Films by Luis Buñuel
Smooth Talk
Mandabi
Man Push Cart
Chop Shop
The Parallax View
Céline and Julie Go Boating
Secrets & Lies
Touki Bouki (debating as I already have the WCP edition)
Defending Your Life
World of Wong Kar-Wai
Memories of Murder
Irma Vep (debating as I have the Arrow)
History Is Made at Night
The Furies
Masculin feminin
Flowers of Shanghai
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Nightmare Alley
Merrily We Go to Hell
Pariah
Pickup on South Street
The Human Condition
La piscine
Bringing Up Baby
Mirror
Deep Cover
Working Girls
After Life
Beasts of No Nation
Ashes and Diamonds

...So as I look at this, I actually have to say this is quite a strong year for them by my count. This is what I picked up or intend to pick up from the 2020 slate:

[Show spoiler]All About My Mother
Fail Safe
The Fugitive Kind
Le petit soldat
Holiday
Roma
Teorema
Three Fantastic Journeys by Karel Zeman
Leave Her to Heaven
Bamboozled
The Cranes Are Flying
The Grant Budapest Hotel
Destry Rides Again
Army of Shadows
The Cremator
Dance, Girl, Dance
Husbands
The Great Escape
Wildlife
Six Moral Tales by Eric Rohmer
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Come and See
The Cameraman
An Unmarried Woman
War of the Worlds
Marriage Story
The Lady Eve
Taste of Cherry
The Comfort of Strangers
Toni
The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum
The Complete Films of Agnés Varda
Beau Trevail
would have picked up The Elephant Man but got the SC 4K
Christ Stopped at Eboli
World Cinema Project volume 3
The Naked City
Would have picked up Brute Force but have the Arrow
Parasite
Claudine
The Gunfighter
Pierrot le fou
The Hit
The Irishman
Girlfriends
Ghost Dog
Moonstruck
Essential Fellini
Would have picked up Crash but have the Arrow 4K
Amores perros
Mouchette

So...I guess I'm interested in buying almost everything they put out short of the documentaries.

[Vigojean]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

We must assume that all hands are on deck putting together an Akira Kurosawa box set. 🥷

Everyone and their grandma seems to be anticipating that one. If it happens, I gotta sell Yojimbo. Good thing I didn’t buy any Bergman titles, because I got the box set. Only box set I ever bought, unless Jean Vigo counts.

[theater dreamer]

I see that a number of people have expressed rather tepid reactions to the four films announced on Monday. Having been a Criterion patron for nearly six years, I find myself squarely in the other camp. These months, comprised of titles that are obscure to me, often end up among my favorites.

Before I began exploring the Collection, the likes of Ingmar Bergman and Federico Fellini, among many others, were foreign to me. And now, largely based on the discussions we’ve had here, I’ll be watching The Piano Teacher tonight; it will serve as my introduction to both Isabelle Huppert and Director Michael Haneke. And this illuminates one of Criterion’s greatest strengths: exposing our community of cineasts to works, and talents, that have not received the due they so richly deserve. I would remind those who are unhappy that, while it’s great when movies we already love get the “Criterion treatment”, that’s not their primary objective. Criterion is not on the decline when they announce a group of films that “nobody asked for”. Rather, they are fulfilling their true mission.

[bergman864]

Originally Posted by bergman864

So I'm watching short film collection Altered Innocence Vol. 1, released by the now partner label of Vinegar Syndrome, Altered innocence, and the third film, Doors Cut Down, begins with a Janus Films logo.

I found that pretty interesting.

I didn't get a good look at the logo when I was watching earlier so I took a second look. It ISN'T Janus films, it's Anus films. Cleverly done and easy to mistake if you're not paying close attention.

Figured I should correct this in case anyone was wondering.

[SuperFlyHighGuy]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

I see that a number of people have expressed rather tepid reactions to the four films announced on Monday. Having been a Criterion patron for nearly six years, I find myself squarely in the other camp. These months, comprised of titles that are obscure to me, often end up among my favorites.

Before I began exploring the Collection, the likes of Ingmar Bergman and Federico Fellini, among many others, were foreign to me. And now, largely based on the discussions we’ve had here, I’ll be watching The Piano Teacher tonight; it will serve as my introduction to both Isabelle Huppert and Director Michael Haneke. And this illuminates one of Criterion’s greatest strengths: exposing our community of cineasts to works, and talents, that have not received the due they so richly deserve. I would remind those who are unhappy that, while it’s great when movies we already love get the “Criterion treatment”, that’s not their primary objective. Criterion is not on the decline when they announce a group of films that “nobody asked for”. Rather, they are fulfilling their true mission.

Well said. I anticipate and buy my share of “upgrades”, but releasing important films that no other label in the U.S. would release is where it’s at. I rarely get burned by blind-buys from Criterion.

[dkelly26666]

As I said before, my ONLY reason for being underwhelmed at the August slate is because I already have 2 out of four, and a third I've seen but didn't care to own, and the last didn't interest me. And after the weekend wait, it just was a light month for me.

They are all quality titles.

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by Scottie

Another thing I'm going to be adding to the OP -- a rumor/confirmed list.

Here's a taste of what it will look like.

American Factory (2019)

https://twitter.com/NetflixFilm/stat...28780245073920

Atlantics (2019)

https://twitter.com/NetflixFilm/stat...28780245073920

Janus Films + National Film Archive deal (upwards of 30 films), including:

All My Good Countrymen (1968)
The Cremator (1969)
Distant Journey (1949)
From Saturday to Sunday (1931)
Marketa Lazarova (1967)
Three Nuts for Cinderella (1973)

https://criterioncast.com/news/janus...-to-the-states

Melvin Van Peebles Box Set consisting of:
The Story of a Three Day Pass (1968)
Watermelon Man (1970)
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)
Don't Play Us Cheap (1972)
Baadasssss! (2003)

https://www.indiewire.com/2021/05/th...es-1234637051/

Mississippi Masala (1991)

https://twitter.com/MiraPagliNair/st...80434408337412

Solo con tu pareja (1991)

https://www.reddit.com/r/criterion/c...luray_upgrade/

Three Amazon films confirmed coming from Criterion. Sound of Metal, One Night in Miami and Time.

https://www.indiewire.com/2021/03/so...on-1234621545/

[SmittysGelato]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

We must assume that all hands are on deck putting together an Akira Kurosawa box set. 🥷

I might just double-dip on something like that

Especially if it includes titles I don't have yet.

[BaronVH]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

We must assume that all hands are on deck putting together an Akira Kurosawa box set. 🥷

And one has to wonder why the new release of Ran is digital only in region A? Makes you think the absence is rather conspicuous. Fingers crossed. John Woo boxed set next please.

[Scottie]

[dvining]

Originally Posted by Scottie

[Show spoiler]

From Wikipedia:

a Czech Holocaust film directed by Alfréd Radok and released in 1949, not long after World War II. Radok uses experimental cinematography, blending historic footage of the Nazis with a fictional love story between a Jewish woman and her Gentile husband.

Reminds me a bit of Stuart Gordon's Overlord. Sounds interesting.

[Scottie]

In terms of Janus, I believe we're waiting for BD releases of:

Demonlover
Distant Journey
Ikarie XB 1
Kazuo Hara box set (potential), featuring most/all of his films
A Tale of Four Seasons box set
World Cinema Project Vol. 4 (potential), featuring Chess of the Wind

[DukeTogo84]

A review for the upcoming Human Condition boxset.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film6/blu-r...on_blu-ray.htm

Looking at the screen caps, it looks like the Criterion has a better transfer than the Arrow release. Not by much, but the it does seem clearer with better black levels. Good news overall.

[Movie*Maniac]

Amazon's Sound of Metal, Time and One Night in Miami all coming to Criterion

https://www.indiewire.com/2021/03/so...on-1234621545/

[Americo]

Originally Posted by Movie*Maniac

Amazon's Sound of Metal, Time and One Night in Miami all coming to Criterion

https://www.indiewire.com/2021/03/so...on-1234621545/

So glad Amazon is willing to license their stuff.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Americo

So glad Amazon is willing to license their stuff.

Yep, Cold War (2018) is their first release from Criterion

[pikachufan1336]

I just saw After Life via YouTube after hearing so much about it from you guys and I gotta say I get the hype now. It's like a live action Miyazaki movie. Who knew hearing a story about gusts of winds and rice balls in a bamboo forest had so much resonance.

Day one for me.