The Criterion Collection

[KrugerIndustrial]

Sorry if this is a stupid question.

Is Criterion going to release Spartacus on blu-ray anytime soon as the Universal version is horrible?

[octagon]

Originally Posted by KrugerIndustrial

Sorry if this is a stupid question.

Is Criterion going to release Spartacus on blu-ray anytime soon as the Universal version is horrible?

I think the concensus is they're going to release it. They posted a photo of a cluttered desk or some such thing and some believe they could more or less make it out on a todo list. But there definitely hasn't been any announcement and other than that oh so closely scrutinized list I don't think there have been any other solid hints/teasers/references.

As for the anytime soon part...

[ikms]

Originally Posted by oildude

I hope you enjoy Still Walking as much as I do.

Originally Posted by stobbart

Still Walking, in my opinion, is the best film that Criterion released this year

Originally Posted by fkbrun

I got Still Walking just for completist's sake, and was I surprised. The title I think it relates most in the collection is Yi Yi, which is another wonderful movie.

Yi-Yi did feel somewhat similar, but I much preferred the narrative to Still Walking.

I actually watched the SW disc with the wife probably a month before I caught Nobody Knows on NHK. Neither of us were that moved/impressed... I suspect Still Walking's success overseas can be attributed to a combination of culture shock mixed with underlying familiarity. The summer story seems, well, rather like a typical O-bon weekend with the in-laws... and the characters weren't any more compelling than their real-life counterparts. In comparison, the dramatization in Koreeda's Nobody Knows, was arresting. The closest thematically I can recall is The Cement Garden - the story of children left alone, forced to create their own world within a cold urban landscape. Nobody Knows caused a big stir when it was released here (and won much praise) as it was based on real incidents, and brought an unflinching gaze to a segment of society that most Japanese preferred to ignore. I saw it when it aired as part of Yamada Yoji's "100 Japanese Masterpieces series" on Sunday nights (Still Walking didn't even make the cut, and 50 of the films were chosen for the "family" theme no less!), which is like a weekly BD "blind buy" that never ceases to amaze. And thanks to Japanese home recorder technology, I have them all burned to BD regardless

There is more great Japanese cinema than even the Eclipse series could ever hope to contain I am afraid!

Originally Posted by trombone dixie

It's a shame the Eclipse Series isn't offered on blu-ray.

I agree. Surely Criterion is selling more Blu than DVD at this point?

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by ikms

I agree. Surely Criterion is selling more Blu than DVD at this point?

I'd love to know what their sales split is for Blu v DVD.

[drbikeshorts]

Don't know if this is a sign of an upgrade come, but Scorsese was introducing a screening of a restored 35mm print of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp:
Criterion Corner
My mum took me and my brothers to see this when we were kids and we thought it was long and boring. Hey, we were kids
Would love to revisit this film...
Criterion Corner also tweeted a poster for The Cranes are Flying - there's been rumours it will also get upgrade, weren't there?

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

Don't know if this is a sign of an upgrade come, but Scorsese was introducing a screening of a restored 35mm print of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp:
Criterion Corner
My mum took me and my brothers to see this when we were kids and we thought it was long and boring. Hey, we were kids
Would love to revisit this film...
Criterion Corner also tweeted a poster for The Cranes are Flying - there's been rumours it will also get upgrade, weren't there?

Col. Blimp is definitely getting an upgrade. It will probably tour before the blu-ray release. Thelma Schoonmaker has said several times they are working "very hard" on it. It should be a great restoration.

[dwane5]

Originally Posted by dag

I just finished watching White Material, and I must say I was terribly disappointed. The protagonist appears to be

[Show spoiler]the stupidest white woman in the entire continent of Africa

; her son is, frankly,

[Show spoiler]incomprehensible

; and Christopher Lambert (looking

[Show spoiler]extremely worse for wear from his glory days as The Highlander

) doesn't

[Show spoiler]really do a whole heck of a lot

.

I don't mean to trample a film that any posters here enjoy, but I found the characters' behaviour to be inexplicable, and I was entirely unsympathetic to anything that was appearing on screen. Frankly, I found the script very shallow, and the production very poor. Alas, I was really expecting much more.

i must say i agree with you. i was left wondering what everyone liked about it.

[ShellOilJunior]

Here's the final poll.

Vote for Criterion Blu-ray release of the year for 2011.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...Zjcmc6MQ#gid=0

[exolstice]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Col. Blimp is definitely getting an upgrade. It will probably tour before the blu-ray release. Thelma Schoonmaker has said several times they are working "very hard" on it. It should be a great restoration.

Awesome film. I can't wait!

[scottpcusa]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Here's the final poll.

Vote for Criterion Blu-ray release of the year for 2011.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...Zjcmc6MQ#gid=0

SUGGESTION: Will you please add a "I made no blind buys" option on the Blind Buy poll? Thanks!

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Col. Blimp is definitely getting an upgrade. It will probably tour before the blu-ray release. Thelma Schoonmaker has said several times they are working "very hard" on it. It should be a great restoration.

It was on TCM the other night, and I PVRed it, haven't had a chance to watch it yet.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by scottpcusa

SUGGESTION: Will you please add a "I made no blind buys" option on the Blind Buy poll? Thanks!

Done.

[nametag]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Col. Blimp is definitely getting an upgrade. It will probably tour before the blu-ray release. Thelma Schoonmaker has said several times they are working "very hard" on it. It should be a great restoration.

There was a invite-only screening of the restoration at the BFI in London the other day with Scorsese in attendance (I know because I couldn't go at the last minute) - so it's definitely been completed and I'd imagine a UK BD release sometime next year, so I'd say a CC release would also be very likely. About time we had more Powell and Pressburger on Blu for sure!

[Wally Q]

I thought I had before:

Anyone think with 2012 being the year of big Lincoln related film projects that Criterion will announce a Blu upgrade of Ford's Young Mr. Lincoln?

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by ikms

I agree. Surely Criterion is selling more Blu than DVD at this point?

That has nothing to do with it. Eclipse sets are for Criterion to release obscure titles (or what they think are obscure, because some of them should of had restoration done) without having to do restoration work or lose any money on them. So no gamble releases for films we wouldn't see otherwise, so Eclipse should stay the way it is.

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

That has nothing to do with it. Eclipse sets are for Criterion to release obscure titles (or what they think are obscure, because some of them should of had restoration done) without having to do restoration work or lose any money on them. So no gamble releases for films we wouldn't see otherwise, so Eclipse should stay the way it is.

While I would also prefer Bluray releases this does make sense. Though IMO it would be nice on boxsets like Sabu to have the option of having all the movies on one Bluray even at low res.

[stobbart]

Originally Posted by ikms

Yi-Yi did feel somewhat similar, but I much preferred the narrative to Still Walking.

I actually watched the SW disc with the wife probably a month before I caught Nobody Knows on NHK. Neither of us were that moved/impressed... I suspect Still Walking's success overseas can be attributed to a combination of culture shock mixed with underlying familiarity. The summer story seems, well, rather like a typical O-bon weekend with the in-laws... and the characters weren't any more compelling than their real-life counterparts. In comparison, the dramatization in Koreeda's Nobody Knows, was arresting. The closest thematically I can recall is The Cement Garden - the story of children left alone, forced to create their own world within a cold urban landscape. Nobody Knows caused a big stir when it was released here (and won much praise) as it was based on real incidents, and brought an unflinching gaze to a segment of society that most Japanese preferred to ignore. I saw it when it aired as part of Yamada Yoji's "100 Japanese Masterpieces series" on Sunday nights (Still Walking didn't even make the cut, and 50 of the films were chosen for the "family" theme no less!), which is like a weekly BD "blind buy" that never ceases to amaze. And thanks to Japanese home recorder technology, I have them all burned to BD regardless

Still Walking did things with story and how it reveals key plot devices that other films simply do not do. It created the most realistic portrayal of "life" that I have ever seen in a film. And that probably turns some people off because they don't watch movies to see real life, they watch movies to escape.

I would comment more on this but actual discussion is usually frowned on in this forum. At least Still Walking had some cool cover art and didn't come in one of those horrible digipaks

[The Theory]

Anyone see the hint Criterion posted on Facebook?

[Show spoiler]

[tama]

Looks like they just posted a hint pic on FB. Sayd they'll release the Mar. line up in two weeks. Everyone seems to think Hook? but wasn't that film just released by Sony?

[scottpcusa]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Done.

Thanks! Now I won't feel bad by skewing the results with a vote for 12 Angry Men, which I've seen and have not purchased.