The Criterion Collection

[Mr. Movie Fan]

Originally Posted by fkbrun

I got it just to satisfy my completist side. I really wished they released Happiness to pair with it. That one's a great movie, unlike its sequel.

Sometimes I feel like Criterion had a title in mind, but settled for something less expensive. Like "Chasing Amy" instead of "Clerks", or recently I think they wanted "Happiness" and "Life During Wartime" but Ifc interceded somehow...

[ShellOilJunior]

[Darkcritic]

You know, I am actually really impressed by those graphs. I mean, it is no mystery that Criterion favors US, France and Japan, but I would have thought that Germany had a good chunk too. Still, the results are quite dissapointing. I mean, I know getting the rights for films at some countries is difficult but these results hardly reflect that "world cinema" motto of Criterion .

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

and a lot of them are actually still impossible to see -- and a number of other important Japanese directors.

Shûji Terayama
Yoshishige Yoshida
Toshio Matsumoto

are 3 that comes to mind.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by AgentOrange

Thief of Bagdad is not in the set, so I don't think it means anything.

No idea if I'll get the Eclipse set. I've had my eye on a few of those sets, but can't seem to pull the trigger even during the B&N sales. I tend to end up buying blu-rays instead and have to draw a line somewhere on the $$$ I'm spending.

My problem as well AgentOrange. Just this morning, while ordering the Fanny and Alexander and Rules of the Game Blu's from Amazon, I discovered the Blu of Fellini's The Clowns at half price (well "duhhhh...").

Yes, I know I miss some good stuff these days that are still DVD-only, but I just can't bring myself to invest in that format anymore...unless I can find them lightly used in pawn shops for next to nothing.

Titles I would have once bet a fin would never see the light of day in high-def (e.g. Island of Lost Souls, The Killing/Killer's Kiss, Revanche, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, Blow Out, The Four Feathers, Drive He Said, and even The Monkees' Head), now have Criterion Blu-ray editions, while so many other higher-profile catalogue titles are not even available in Blu-ray, much less from Criterion.

To date, vintage/catalogue Blu-ray releases have been so scattershot and unpredictable I just get paralyzed into inaction whenever I see a DVD-only title that happens to appeal to me.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

[Show spoiler][/

Yes, interesting charts indeed ShellOilJunior. If you generated them yourself from Criterion spine data (they sure look Excel-ish to me), then what does the collection look like with a filter for all the OOPs they've lost to native rights holders? I suspect the U.S. share in particular would drop significantly.

[Monty70]

I dug out my old DVD of Anatomy of a Murder. (great film by the way) The region 1 disc is presented in "open matte" format (1.37) as opposed to the 1.85 that was used for theatrical presentations. I see that Criterion will be offering the film with a new 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack, as well as the original english mono in LPMC. After reviewing the film, I believe it would be interesting to include the film in both aspect ratios. (like the recent MOC edition of Touch of Evil)

The only drawback to this would be the amount of space that two versions of a 160 min. film would take up on the BD50.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Looks to me like Criterion needs to start adding some Australian New Wave movies to blu-ray.

[Yankees0222]

Quick question.... Are the 3 films in the color trilogy connected in any way by plot or reoccurring characters? Or are they more or less 3 different stories with an over arching theme?

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by oildude

Looks to me like Criterion needs to start adding some Australian New Wave movies to blu-ray.

They once thought Weir was the cat's patoot oildude. BTW, whatever happened to Picnic at Hanging Rock? I thought I read somewhere it was scheduled for Blu about a year ago.

And Beresford's Breaker Morant would certainly be a treat for me...

[kndy]

Originally Posted by rkish

kndy...THANKS for checking in...it's always good to hear from you!

Sounds like a fascinating documentary. I don't know if I can speak for us all...but I have no problem with DVDs...especially if there is little or no chance of this doc coming to blu-ray.

Thanks for the heads up on this!

Greetings rkish,

It's very good. Some critics felt that there wasn't enough because it was an 89 minute documentary, so the DVD includes these lengthy interviews as special features which was fantastic. Of course, another criticism is the use of the word "greatest". It's subjective to each person and in this case, these are her ten filmmakers that inspired her. Still, the fact that she was able to gain access to various filmmakers of different genres and countries is fantastic.

Originally Posted by ParticleDan

Speaking of Eclipse sets, are there many people on here who collect these in addition to Criterion's blu-ray releases? If so, any favorites or specific recommendations?

I'm intrigued by many of them and after reading several reviews, decided to order 18 sets to take advantage of the B&N sale.

Obviously, the Eclipse sets are DVD only, but since (as I understand it) the titles in this series are unlikely to be upgraded to blu-ray, I thought they might be fair game for discussion on this forum.

Greetings ParticleDan,

I have mostly all of them (missing the OOP "Carlos Saura's Flamenco Trilogy - because I didn't think I would be interested in it but now I am. And the other I am missing is "The Warped World of Koreyoshi").

With that being said, I will say that the Eclipse Series features wonderful films from Criterion (but not in the Criterion collection) that many people are missing out on because it's not on Blu-ray.

From what I own, I can easily recommend them all but it depends on your interests.

If you are going to purchase Bergman film on Blu-rays, you'll find yourself looking for more Bergman films not released via Criterion Collection that are available from other companies and of course, for his earlier films...you will want "Earl Bergman".

The same with Louis Malle, you may love his work but then you will want to see more of it and this leads you to his documentaries which are available via the Eclipse series.

Ozu is a fantastic filmmaker and if you love Japanese cinema that deals with the relationships of the family dynamic, you will want Late Ozu and also Silent Ozu (which is fantastic!)

Samuel Fuller, if you enjoyed his films via Criterion and buying the Sony set, you will definitely want "The First Films of Samuel Fuller".

If you love Kurosawa films, you will enjoy "Postwar Kurosawa" and also "The First Films of Akira Kurosawa".

"Lubitsch Musicals" are so damn enjoyable if you love late 20's-30's comedies and the musicals are very entertaining.

Larissa Shepitko is fantastic and the cheapest to get via the BN sale. "Silent Naruse" and "Oshima's Outlaw Sixties" I loved! I also enjoyed "Basil Dearden's London Underground" and "Chantal Akerman in the Seventies" a lot.

Again, it's so subjective. Depends what you are into. I enjoy the Eclipse Series so much that I can list them all (but two which I have not seen and the recent two that I just ordered). But these sets are really awesome!

But these sets are incredible and I know many Criterion fans are debating to buy these because many don't want to purchase DVD's anymore. That's understandable. But if you want access to films by filmmakers that won't be big sellers as individual releases or don't have the special features to support a major release via the Criterion Collection, the Eclipse Series is definitely worth it!

And also, I recommend the other titles not on Eclipse or the Criterion Collection but are Criterion titles and you can possibly find them very cheap via this sale.

The Red Balloon/White Mane
Paddle to the Sea (I have not purchased "Paddle to the Sea" as I have watched it online but will buy one of these days)

and also the following Essential Art House titles that have not been released on Eclipse or the Criterion Collection:

"Last Holiday", "Gervaise", "Le Jour se Leve", "Mayerling" and "Kapo"

The other two titles not available as singles, Eclipse or the Criterion Collection are:

Murderous Maids (10 Years of Rialto Pictures set)
Madayo (only in the AK100: 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa set)

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Does this Sabu Eclipse set mean Criterion has abandonned plans to take The Thief of Bagdad to Blu? I've yet to purchase #431 on DVD because I thought it would be an early candidate for high-def re-release.

Greetings ROclockCK,

Oh, not at all! There's a chance for a Blu-ray release for that title but the Sabu! Eclipse Series features "Elephant Boy", "The Drum" and "Jungle Book".

Originally Posted by Yankees0222

Quick question.... Are the 3 films in the color trilogy connected in any way by plot or reoccurring characters? Or are they more or less 3 different stories with an over arching theme?

Greetings Yankees0222,

"Three Colors" are different stories in which the colors represent the French Revolutionary ideals of liberty or freedom, equality and solidarity. Each are different films, but each has its way of showcasing symbolism through the various dominating colors of each film. [Just wanted to add: Awesome films btw...worth purchasing!!!]

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by AgentOrange

Thief of Bagdad is not in the set, so I don't think it means anything.

Thief has always been one of their core DVD sellers, and has too many extras, so didn't think they wanted to "throw it away" on Eclipse when it had too much sales potential as a straight title...Eclipse is only for the poor unmarketable film-study orphans.
When on Blu, I don't know, since they only do one or two classic catalogs at a time in every batch, but it's When Not If.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by kndy

There's a chance for a Blu-ray release for that title [ The Thief of Bagdad ] but the Sabu! Eclipse Series features "Elephant Boy", "The Drum" and "Jungle Book".

Thanks kndy. Probably too much to ask, but do you think Criterion would ever do a Sabu box set on Blu? I r-e-a-l-l-y don't want a double dip on that Eclipse DVD set.

[Yankees0222]

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by kndy

Greetings rkish,

It's very good. Some critics felt that there wasn't enough because it was an 89 minute documentary, so the DVD includes these lengthy interviews as special features which was fantastic. Of course, another criticism is the use of the word "greatest". It's subjective to each person and in this case, these are her ten filmmakers that inspired her. Still, the fact that she was able to gain access to various filmmakers of different genres and countries is fantastic.



Greetings ParticleDan,

I have mostly all of them (missing the OOP "Carlos Saura's Flamenco Trilogy - because I didn't think I would be interested in it but now I am. And the other I am missing is "The Warped World of Koreyoshi").

With that being said, I will say that the Eclipse Series features wonderful films from Criterion (but not in the Criterion collection) that many people are missing out on because it's not on Blu-ray.

From what I own, I can easily recommend them all but it depends on your interests.

If you are going to purchase Bergman film on Blu-rays, you'll find yourself looking for more Bergman films not released via Criterion Collection that are available from other companies and of course, for his earlier films...you will want "Earl Bergman".

The same with Louis Malle, you may love his work but then you will want to see more of it and this leads you to his documentaries which are available via the Eclipse series.

Ozu is a fantastic filmmaker and if you love Japanese cinema that deals with the relationships of the family dynamic, you will want Late Ozu and also Silent Ozu (which is fantastic!)

Samuel Fuller, if you enjoyed his films via Criterion and buying the Sony set, you will definitely want "The First Films of Samuel Fuller".

If you love Kurosawa films, you will enjoy "Postwar Kurosawa" and also "The First Films of Akira Kurosawa".

"Lubitsch Musicals" are so damn enjoyable if you love late 20's-30's comedies and the musicals are very entertaining.

Larissa Shepitko is fantastic and the cheapest to get via the BN sale. "Silent Naruse" and "Oshima's Outlaw Sixties" I loved! I also enjoyed "Basil Dearden's London Underground" and "Chantal Akerman in the Seventies" a lot.

Again, it's so subjective. Depends what you are into. I enjoy the Eclipse Series so much that I can list them all (but two which I have not seen and the recent two that I just ordered). But these sets are really awesome!

But these sets are incredible and I know many Criterion fans are debating to buy these because many don't want to purchase DVD's anymore. That's understandable. But if you want access to films by filmmakers that won't be big sellers as individual releases or don't have the special features to support a major release via the Criterion Collection, the Eclipse Series is definitely worth it!

And also, I recommend the other titles not on Eclipse or the Criterion Collection but are Criterion titles and you can possibly find them very cheap via this sale.

The Red Balloon/White Mane
Paddle to the Sea (I have not purchased "Paddle to the Sea" as I have watched it online but will buy one of these days)

and also the following Essential Art House titles that have not been released on Eclipse or the Criterion Collection:

"Last Holiday", "Gervaise", "Le Jour se Leve", "Mayerling" and "Kapo"

The other two titles not available as singles, Eclipse or the Criterion Collection are:

Murderous Maids (10 Years of Rialto Pictures set)
Madayo (only in the AK100: 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa set)



Greetings ROclockCK,

Oh, not at all! There's a chance for a Blu-ray release for that title but the Sabu! Eclipse Series features "Elephant Boy", "The Drum" and "Jungle Book".



Greetings Yankees0222,

"Three Colors" are different stories in which the colors represent the French Revolutionary ideals of liberty or freedom, equality and solidarity. Each are different films, but each has its way of showcasing symbolism through the various dominating colors of each film. [Just wanted to add: Awesome films btw...worth purchasing!!!]

Thanks! Thats what I thought but I heard someone say on here that starting with red would be like starting with return of the Jedi so that comment confused me a little

I just finished watching blue and was really impressed glad I decided to blind buy this set..... Too bad there isn't any more Binoche left to watch!

[EddieLarkin]

In regards to Eclipse ever becoming a Blu-ray based series, or the past sets being released as Blu-rays, I really can't see it happening. Blu-ray lives and dies on it's video and audio quality, not the film itself. Eclipse is a line that Criterion do practically zero work on in terms of cleaning and restoration and such, and it would defeat the point of the series entirely if they had to start sprucing up prints so they didn't look like some of the most poorly released Blu-rays out there. That's not to mention that, as far as I'm aware, most the Eclipse transfers are SD ones rather than HD, so they are going to look terrible on Blu-ray anyway if they're just upscaled to 1080p.

[Icemouth]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

So not only does the USA have its own section, it's also combined with UK for a grand total of WAY LESS than it has by itself? What kind of sorcery is this

[trombone dixie]

Originally Posted by nathan_393

Oh good! Might hop on Amazon and pre-order this while the price is low.

I was able to place a pre-order for both Three Outlaw Samurai ($20.99) and Anatomy Of A Murder ($16.99) on blu-ray for $37.98 on AMZ... Is this a mistake???

[Freeza]

Originally Posted by Icemouth

So not only does the USA have its own section, it's also combined with UK for a grand total of WAY LESS than it has by itself? What kind of sorcery is this

The kind where the film/s in that 1% are US/UK collaborations. You know, basic 1st year wizard school kind of stuff

[BluPat]

Just pre-ordered 'Anatomy of a Murder' Criterion Blu on Amazon for $16.99 like someone else mentioned. Great price for a pre-order.

[biglou114]

Originally Posted by blupat

just pre-ordered 'anatomy of a murder' criterion blu on amazon for $16.99 like someone else mentioned. Great price for a pre-order.

+1