The Criterion Collection

[Jobla]

I might pick up HAPPINESS. I saw it once and the only thing I can remember about it is the Dylan Baker character. The list of other actors in the film might inspire me to give it another viewing, as there are some excellent people in the cast--none of whom I recall seeing in it

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by Egbert Souse

I'm actually curious if there's some good documentaries or even narrative films to seek out.

Over the past few years there’s been Tantura, A House in Jerusalem, Bye Bye Tiberias, The Teacher, No Other Land, To a Land Unknown, and many others like Promises, Paradise Now, Jenin Jenin, The Time that Remains, Lemon Tree, Amreeka, Wajib, Speed Sisters, In Between, Gaza Surf Club, Gaza Fights for Freedom, Mayor, It Must Be Heaven, Fadia’s Tree. Understandably, many films have been lost. There are also some early silent films with invaluable footage from the late 1890s.

The programme isn’t currently online but if you’re able to find them many of these are worth seeking out.

https://www.another-screen.com/films...alestine-women

Some short films you should be able to find online include The Way to Palestine, Blessed Blessed Oblivion, A Sketch of Manners, Electrical Gaza, Home Movies Gaza, The Silent Protest, The Present and Larissa Sansour’s work.

There are some articles on the subject too:

https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion...ian-revolution

https://filmquarterly.org/2018/09/14...h-nadia-yaqub/

Originally Posted by NeonStreetMelt

had you bought the Strand Doom blu that just came out though? Now I'm glad I hadn't yet.

I find it very interesting seeing Criterion license films we expected from another like I Am Cuba but for 4K.

Originally Posted by CuckterionCollection

I remember I thought Criterion was like the Hall of Fame of movies. I wish they'd have some delay between when a movie is released and when it's released in the collection. That way we can know if the movie really stands the test of time. But I guess All of Us Strangers from last year got fast tracked to classic status probably because Criterion panders. If that's the case, then that just cheapens the concept of this whole collection being something special.

45 Years and Weekend came out on Criterion within a year of original release.

Originally Posted by BillyBrown66

Holy shit. I'm gonna cum

Pretty sure that happens a lot in the Teen Apocalypse Trilogy.

[poisonmail]

I’m extremely amused by the idea that the label releasing Happiness is pandering to the “woke mob” or whatever.

[Watershipdownisgood]

Originally Posted by poisonmail

I’m extremely amused by the idea that the label releasing Happiness is pandering to the “woke mob” or whatever.

Yeah don't forget we're also getting Repo man, Pat Garrett, Mother, Real Life, and the Long Good Friday sure Criterion's pandering to the woke mob sure I believe these so called users that Criterion is pandering to woke people now. You've got to be kidding me what a flipping joke.

[mclellandj]

When is An American Carol entering the collection? Why is Criterion suppressing it? Why do they hate Kevin Farley??

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

45 Years and Weekend came out on Criterion within a year of original release.

Yup. They’ve been doing it since the laserdisc era. Sex, Lies and Videotape, Armageddon. The Fisher King. Short Cuts. The Player. Akira. Seven. Boogie Nights. (Bodies, Rest and Motion!) All released on LD in pretty short order after the theatrical release.

[BorisKarloffice]

Originally Posted by CuckterionCollection

I remember I thought Criterion was like the Hall of Fame of movies. I wish they'd have some delay between when a movie is released and when it's released in the collection. That way we can know if the movie really stands the test of time. But I guess All of Us Strangers from last year got fast tracked to classic status probably because Criterion panders. If that's the case, then that just cheapens the concept of this whole collection being something special.

"Since 1984, the Criterion Collection has been dedicated to publishing important classic and contemporary films from around the world in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements."

-the "About" page on Criterion's site.

[tatterdemalion]

Originally Posted by DimitriL

Yup. They’ve been doing it since the laserdisc era. Sex, Lies and Videotape, Armageddon. The Fisher King. Short Cuts. The Player. Akira. Seven. Boogie Nights. (Bodies, Rest and Motion!) All released on LD in pretty short order after the theatrical release.

My favorite Criterion laserdisc package was Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. I think it came out on 1992, three years after the release. So yeah, they've always had new releases. My thing is I'm mostly interested in their 1950s/60s European & Asian art-house films, with Japanese films being my most wanted. I don't do politics or religion, I just judge films on if they're good to me. Atheist, theist view or nonreligious, left or right or center or nonpolitical, just make it good dammit!

[sheri1983]

Originally Posted by ebima

Criterion will release soon “freepalestine” movies.

I think they should, Palestinian cinema is rich and resilient.

[bonehica]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

As they should, if there are any good ones.

Edit: Paradise Now, which I watched for the first time last year, would be a worthy addition to the Collection.

I would love to upgrade my DVD. I really need to give it another watch. It's been far too long.

[jw007]

I don't care if some of the movies Criterion releases are not award-winning. There are enough film snobs to go around and we don't have to define Criterion as a "film snob's only club." I personally prefer contemporary cinema anyway. Sure, classic films have their place, but I tend to reach for newer films these days and that's just how I am. To each their own. I grew up in the 80s and 90s and I gravitate more towards these decades for cinema-watching. And yes, Palestinian films would be good to see in the collection as well as Israeli films too. I talked about this years back and I hope Criterion is listening.

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by Egbert Souse

I'm actually curious if there's some good documentaries or even narrative films to seek out.

Mustafa Abu Ali's They Do Not Exist from 1974 can be found online. A short documentary that is still relevant.

[Areyakiddin]

Originally Posted by jw007

I personally prefer contemporary cinema anyway. Sure, classic films have their place, but I tend to reach for newer films these days and that's just how I am. To each their own. I grew up in the 80s and 90s and I gravitate more towards these decades for cinema-watching.

FYI, The Long Good Friday is older then Citizen Kane when Criterion first released it on laserdisc.

[ravenus]

Definitely in for Happiness, which I thought was a terrific bleak comedy. Confession, I haven't seen Repo Man ever and know Alex Cox more from his inputs on home video releases of Westerns, but the reviews make me think this would be fun and Harry Dean Stanton is always good at deadpan humor, so I might plump for it. All of us Strangers sounds interesting. I have the Arrow blu-ray of TLGF with the 2K resto from 2015, and that looked quite terrific to me (I remember thinking, how much better can this movie look?), so not likely upgrading.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by jw007

I don't care if some of the movies Criterion releases are not award-winning. There are enough film snobs to go around and we don't have to define Criterion as a "film snob's only club." I personally prefer contemporary cinema anyway. Sure, classic films have their place, but I tend to reach for newer films these days and that's just how I am. To each their own. I grew up in the 80s and 90s and I gravitate more towards these decades for cinema-watching. And yes, Palestinian films would be good to see in the collection as well as Israeli films too. I talked about this years back and I hope Criterion is listening.

This reminds me of one time I was listening to an early millennium Bollywood song, and a young neighbor said something like, "I guess you like oldies music." Then me be like:

[hawkikwah]

Happiness & Araki’s teen apocalypse trilogy movies ( specifically Doom Gen & Nowhere) went completely against the grain of all the mainstream garbage at the time. Seeing those movies in the 90s as a teenager was like a beacon of hope. I had found my tribe.

Fun fact: I got to meet and hang w Jordan Ladd one weekend last year and I mentioned to her that the word on the street was that Nowhere was getting a 4K restoration. She didn’t believe me. Glad to see her make it onto this new commentary track.

[CelestialAgent]

Anouk Aimée has passed away

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/a...an-1236040890/

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by tatterdemalion

My favorite Criterion laserdisc package was Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. I think it came out on 1992, three years after the release. So yeah, they've always had new releases. My thing is I'm mostly interested in their 1950s/60s European & Asian art-house films, with Japanese films being my most wanted. I don't do politics or religion, I just judge films on if they're good to me. Atheist, theist view or nonreligious, left or right or center or nonpolitical, just make it good dammit!

I mean, not an unfair viewpoint, and we certainly have our own favorites! My perspective is that Criterion focused on that for a good 30 years or so, and your favorite genres are crucially important - but it also has to evolve as cinema evolves. (Paul Schrader, of all people! - made this point on FB just yesterday - he said that the Andrew Sarris canon - which is mostly comprised of the films you discussed and parallel to what Criterion focused on for so many years - is woefully outdated and needs to be rethought in favor of something more relevant.)

And I get it. Sometimes that means, well shit, it’s not what I love as much anymore, that’s not my ballpark, but that’s the lovely thing about having many options now. There are so many great companies now that we can put together our own canon, should we so desire.

[albert_m2]

Originally Posted by hawkikwah

Happiness & Araki’s teen apocalypse trilogy movies ( specifically Doom Gen & Nowhere) went completely against the grain of all the mainstream garbage at the time. Seeing those movies in the 90s as a teenager was like a beacon of hope. I had found my tribe. .

FFS, there were countless against the grain indy movies in the 90s.

At least your "as a teenager" comment adds a lot of context as to why were so impressionable.

[Flex_MythoMass]

Originally Posted by albert_m2

FFS, there were countless against the grain indy movies in the 90s.

At least your "as a teenager" comment adds a lot of context as to why were so impressionable.

Why are you so frazzled over someone enjoying films?