The Criterion Collection

[Criterion Collector]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

An undisclosed Hal Ashby film was confirmed at last fall's Wexner talk, and frankly both Harold (digging the Shallow Grave) and Maude (on the motorbike) are clearly in the drawing so it's a sure thing.

That's great to know.

Thank you for the confirmation & clarification!

[deltasun]

Originally Posted by Rizor

Looking at DVDBeaver's review of Traffic, I'm disappointed that Criterion's release looks about the same as Universal's. Not a huge surprise since Uni provides Criterion with their HD master, but I was hoping the ugly image was due to over-sharpening on Uni's part. It looks like Soderbergh approved Universal's master so I guess it's what he wanted.

Yep, very, very disappointing. It is the same oversharpened Uni master. Director-approved starts losing its meaning with each of these releases. So much for "tracking down the best film elements in the world..."

I'll get over it and be in a better mood.

[ChadFL]

Oh please tell me that one drawing isn't Michael Bay's The Rock.

[greekak229]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Oh please tell me that one drawing isn't Michael Bay's The Rock.

Still waiting for Criterion to announce the Transformers trilogy.

[Criterion Collector]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Oh please tell me that one drawing isn't Michael Bay's The Rock.

Someone mentioned on the official Criterion page that the "rock" is actually an iceberg, representing A Night to Remember. That could, indeed, be the case, as it does look as if it is melting (Look at the base of it. It looks like water pooling up from sitting there). The thing is, we already know "Night" is coming, so I am not sure if Criterion are just re-assuring us, or that represents something totally different. If I had to put money on it, I would say it's for "Night". All just guesses/thinking out loud, though.

Originally Posted by greekak229

Still waiting for Criterion to announce the Transformers trilogy.

The the third one must be in 3-D as the theatrical release was, otherwise I will say that Criterion has lost me forever!

Does anybody have any idea of what the mouth eating the foot represents?

[Darkcritic]

Originally Posted by Criterion Collector

Does anybody have any idea of what the mouth eating the foot represents?

Eating Raoul by Paul Barter

[Criterion Collector]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

Eating Raoul by Paul Barter

Sweet! That's great news. I have heard a lot of great things about this film.

Criterion have really been getting more titles that I find "instantly appealing". Ones that anyone can just pop in and enjoy, without having (or needing) any foreknowledge of the films history, the political climate of the time, the significance of the films release, etc, etc. It's nice to see that.

For some reason, I can't help but think this would be a great "companion piece" to Stacy Title's The Last Supper. I know it's not considered a great film by any stretch, but it has the same idea of luring unsuspecting "guests" into the house, only to eventually murder them.

I used to like that movie (The Last Supper) when I was young. I really need to re-visit it now that I am older, (and have a completely different worldview) just to see if I still think it's as good I remember it being.

[Cat III]

Eating Raoul would be quite sweet. I haven't seen it, but I like weird comedies and I liked the Paul Bartel movie I've seen (Death Race 2000).

While riling up snobs is a good time, I think Criterion has a lot of better options than Demolition Man when it comes to cheesy action. My pick would be the Melanie Griffith vehicle Cherry 2000 or Takashi Miike's City of Lost Souls, speaking of which Juenet and Caro's City of Lost Children would also be fantastic. Even if Criterion weren't to release these, I'm crossing fingers they get a Blu release.

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

Further analizing the drawing and probably in a fair bit of wishful thinking, what if the "grave" hinted in the picture actually refers to Taste of Cherry ?

No it's most likely for Shallow Grave, which was confirmed by Criterion that time they confirmed titles like the Ashby, Anatomy of a Murder, etc.

[Criterion Collector]

Originally Posted by joie

Do they post these comics/hints on April Fool's Day, too?

If memory serves me correctly, last year they announced that they were giving C.H.U.D. a spine!

To be completely honest here, I wish that it wasn't a joke.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Criterion Collector

If memory serves me correctly, last year they announced that they were giving C.H.U.D. a spine!

To be completely honest here, I wish that it wasn't a joke.

Grrr, I still hate them for that being a joke

[I KEEL YOU]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Grrr, I still hate them for that being a joke

C.H.U.D. just isn't a movie that is worthy of a Criterion release. I really wanted to like this movie as I like 80s monster movies, but it was just plain bad.. And not even bad enough to be "so bad that it's good" like Troll 2. There's like 2 minutes of footage where a C.H.U.D. is being shown in the whole movie and the end of the movie is horrible. It's a full length feature movie but the ending is like a cliffhanger of a 2 part TV show.

[ravenus]

^^
It'd be interesting to know which 80's horror films you'd consider worth of CC release - omit the ones that already have nice DVD/BD releases from other companies.

[georgec]

As great as they are, I would trade all of these releases for an upgrade of Le Samourai.

[Criterion Collector]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Grrr, I still hate them for that being a joke

I feel your pain.

I really wish that Criterion would add in some more cult horror flicks. They were my favorite films while growing up, and horror films truly are a large segment of the movie industry. 80's horror, especially, seems to be almost ingrained into the American film going psyche.

I will admit, some of these films weren't technically "well made", but they are great examples of the genre.

For example: The Evil Dead (although the Anchor Bay BD is stunning), Halloween (this used to be in the collection), Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Re-Animator, Bram Stoker's Dracula (also used to be in the collection and the current BD isn't that great), the Wes Craven directed "Nightmare" films, Scream, Cabin Fever (yeah, I said it), Let the Right one in paired with Let Me In, Night of the living dead paired with the remake, the original Fright Night (the current release is already oop and wasn't the best anyway. I know there is a three year waiting period until it can be released again, but that would give Criterion plenty of time to find a great print and properly restore it), I would love to see Neil Jordan's Interview with a Vampire get a spine, Mona Lisa had a spine on DVD (now oop), so I know they are aware of his work...I could go on for days with examples of great horror films that I would love to see become part of the collection.

Sadly, there is too much money to be made on the greats that once were part of the Criterion Collection (Halloween, Dracula, Silence of the lambs, Dead Ringers, Seven, Peeping Tom, Carrie, etc.) that it would be VERY difficult for them to gain the license once again. It's really too bad, honestly. Some of these films have had mediocre BD releases at best, or even none at all.

To see some of these classic greats, (along with some of the others mentioned) in the collection would truly be a dream come true.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by ravenus

^^
It'd be interesting to know which 80's horror films you'd consider worth of CC release - omit the ones that already have nice DVD/BD releases from other companies.

The Hunger and The Lair of the White Worm are both eminently spine-worthy.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by octagon

The Hunger and The Lair of the White Worm are both eminently spine-worthy.

LOL, Lair...is something of an acquired taste, but CC doesn't have ANY Ken Russell film, why? Also I don't buy the "too expensive to buy" argument. If a fledgeling video label like Twilight Time can put a classic 80's horror like Fright Night, CC can surely do as good or better....if they were interested. I wouldn't want them to do already very well-known films, but I'm sure there are some under-appreciated gems that'd benefit from their attention, and maybe introduce some of the CC regulars to horror movies
Criterion's commitment to cult horror has definitely been very shaky. At one point in the DVD-era I had heard rumors that they would be starting a sub-label devoted to cult B-movies, but obviously this never happened.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Yami

Coney Island - Lonesome
Motor Onomatopoeia - Week End
Big Motorcycle - Quadrophenia
Small Motorcycle - Harold and Maude

Maude looks very Inuit like so she could be a double clue for Nanook of the North

Yeah, I can see Ruth Gordon on the motorcycle.
(Which might've explained that weird Rosemary's guess , but no, that's too much of a Paramount catalog staple.)

Darn, and I swore I'd be on time this year...
I picked up Quadrophenia and Eating Raoul, and registered the "D'oh! " at Night to Remember; the rest are just a little too Criterion for my experience.

Originally Posted by Melodious Thunk

Or Jacques Tati's Trafic?

Knowing Criterion, definitely. (Also the sound effects suggest Tati.)

[Criterion Collector]

Originally Posted by ravenus

LOL, Lair...is something of an acquired taste, but CC doesn't have ANY Ken Russell film, why? Also I don't buy the "too expensive to buy" argument. If a fledgeling video label like Twilight Time can put a classic 80's horror like Fright Night, CC can surely do as good or better....if they were interested.
Criterion's commitment to cult horror has definitely been very shaky. At one point in the DVD-era I had heard rumors that they would be starting a sub-label devoted to cult B-movies, but obviously this never happened.

It's not that those titles are necessarily too expensive to buy, it's that they are money makers for the studios who do own them, so they aren't for sale...for lack of better wording at 3:48 am.

I would love to see Criterion release some cult/B movies, but these days, studios like Blue Underground, Synapse, Troma, Shout Factory, Anchor Bay, etc. all have their "catalogs" and they just aren't going to give up their (even moderately) popular titles.

I suppose Criterion could go to the studios and see what they could acquire, but I don't think they would have a lot of luck...perhaps I am terribly wrong with that line of thinking, but I just think it would be difficult for them, even if they wanted to (and I don't think they do). <---regarding the more popular titles that were once part of the collection, not new additions.

[John D.]

Originally Posted by Cat III

Eating Raoul would be quite sweet. I haven't seen it, but I like weird comedies and I liked the Paul Bartel movie I've seen (Death Race 2000).

While riling up snobs is a good time, I think Criterion has a lot of better options than Demolition Man when it comes to cheesy action. My pick would be the Melanie Griffith vehicle Cherry 2000 or Takashi Miike's City of Lost Souls, speaking of which Juenet and Caro's City of Lost Children would also be fantastic. Even if Criterion weren't to release these, I'm crossing fingers they get a Blu release.

Here's another vote for Cherry 2000. Melanie Griffith was so hot in that movie.