The Criterion Collection

[georgec]

Flike!

One of the few newsletter clues I identified immediately.

[P@t_Mtl]

See me I was going for an Our Gang Blu-ray upgrade with that clue

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

Well, yesterday's night I saw Oshima's Japanese Summer: Double Suicide and the first thing I thought after watching is why this isn't a main line release. I am absolutely IMPRESSED by it, I loved it from start to finish .

May I just say....FINALLY

[DarkRyder]

I really wish that Napoleon mention would be a hint as well. One of my favorite movies ever, and I won't be able to see the restored edition.

[Yami]

I'm really hoping that Criterion release Oshima. What's been released so far is alright but his masterpieces are still missing - Boy, Cruel Story of Youth, Night and Fog in Japan, Diary of a Shinjuku Thief etc.

I also really liked Taboo. It was deeply unsettling, one of the most haunting films I've ever seen.

[Yami]

Originally Posted by DarkRyder

I really wish that Napoleon mention would be a hint as well. One of my favorite movies ever, and I won't be able to see the restored edition.

Criterion: We’ve always wanted to release a definitive edition of Abel Gance’s silent masterpiece Napoleon. And we hope to one day, but it’s a project of enormous complexity.

[DarkRyder]

I could only imagine the complexity: getting the rights (especially if Coppola still holds parts of it), transferring a full 5-hour movie down to DVD and blu-ray, recording the symphony, plus whatever extras that they can fit in (especially for a film like Napoleon). They'd probably have to only release Napoleon as their only spine for that year. Oh well, one can dream.

[Yami]

According to Brownlow, the legal disputes have been resolved but it's unlikely to get a release due to the large amount of money required. I'd like to think that if no one company can foot the bill themselves or agree to co-fund then there could be some sort of Kickstarter project. If Manos: The Hands of Fate can raise that much, why not Napoleon?

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Yami

I'm really hoping that Criterion release Oshima. What's been released so far is alright but his masterpieces are still missing - Boy, Cruel Story of Youth, Night and Fog in Japan, Diary of a Shinjuku Thief etc.

I also really liked Taboo. It was deeply unsettling, one of the most haunting films I've ever seen.

Must...see those...now..

I've seen all the Oshima Criterion has out, I guess I should start branching out now, because I've really loved what I've already seen.

[IronWaffle]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Pufnstuf and the Banana Splits wouldn't have never existed if it hadn't been for The Monkees.

I just watched the original Pufnstuf TV movie (or as much as I could stomach) on cable recently. While I agree with most every Monkees comment you made in a positive light, I must say this bit hurt and almost made me wish the Monkees into oblivion

Again, I'm still waiting for the snarky, negative, "go away little girl, you know nothing about films and why should we take you seriously because you like the Monkees" remarks that cropped up a few weeks back when I claimed Phil Ochs was a superior artist to Bob Dylan (and he still is).

That last sentence reminds me of this. (I gave up on trying to embed the video)

Now, about Ochs vs. Dylan,

[Show spoiler]they were two very different artists. From what I've read, I'd much rather have known Ochs. I'd have also followed him where he marched. I can't find the video, but Dave Van Ronk near the end of his life had some interesting comments about Dylan that I think were pretty spot on (and he had a mixed appreciation, especially early on).

The fallacy in the comparison is you have to limit Dylan to the era where both were performing since Ochs' life ended so long ago. Hell, I don't think you can compare Dylan to himself depending on the decade/era. For instance, the growlier old Dylan has plenty in common with Leonard Cohen's new disc, late Tom Waits and recent Eric Andersen, but (arguably) little relation to his more well known 60s work. [Link to solid Christgau essay on Greenwich Village and critique of Dylan.]

Next argument: Could the Traveling Wilburys have existed without the Monkees and which Monkee is the analogue for which Wilbury

[IronWaffle]

I just watched Hopscotch, which is on Netflix Instant for those interested. I gotta wonder how controversial it'd be if that were chosen for a Blu upgrade. I was pretty underwhelmed, though it makes me really want to watch Charade, one of the most fun movies in the collection, in my opinion.

[IronWaffle]

One more post before I skulk back into the darkness like Muni in Chain Gang or Welles in Third Man: Someone asked about Vanya on 42nd Street. The AV Club has a worthwhile piece on it.

I need to re-watch the film before catching Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin. It'll be hard to get that out of my head. Then again, the play is Russian and you can see Russia from Alaska. Double bill?

[octagon]

Originally Posted by IronWaffle

I just watched Hopscotch, which is on Netflix Instant for those interested. I gotta wonder how controversial it'd be if that were chosen for a Blu upgrade. I was pretty underwhelmed, though it makes me really want to watch Charade, one of the most fun movies in the collection, in my opinion.

I imagine people would be more baffled than outraged but yeah, it probably wouldn't get all that warm a welcome.

And +1 on Charade and the f-word. I've always liked Charade but never really loved it but watching it this time around was a lot more fun than it's ever been. Before BD I don't think I fully appreciated how important the 'travelogue' aspect can be to certain films but this is definitely one of them.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by Yami

According to Criterion's site, Harold and Maude has been delayed until June 12th

Wonder if that means 1 less title in June now that H&M was moved to that slate.

[DetroitSquirreL]

Originally Posted by Yami

According to Criterion's site, Harold and Maude has been delayed until June 12th

[painted_klown]

Shameless plug here Criterion fans.

I am selling my entire Criterion collection. I have ALL oop Criterion titles.


Please see my thread if you are interested.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=195702

Thanks.

[lemonski]

Originally Posted by octagon

Before BD I don't think I fully appreciated how important the 'travelogue' aspect can be to certain films but this is definitely one of them.

Another one is To Catch A Thief. The South of France locale elevates IMO a pretty middling Hitchcock effort to something quite captivating

[octagon]

Originally Posted by lemonski

Another one is To Catch A Thief. The South of France locale elevates IMO a pretty middling Hitchcock effort to something quite captivating

Those two are almost interchangable for me.

They're 'meh' in the exact same ways (story mostly and middling is a very good word) and fun in the exact same ways. I'm still waiting for To Catch a Thief to be delivered but I won't be at all surprised if this go around elevates it in much the same way as Charade.

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by IronWaffle

Now, about Ochs vs. Dylan,

[Show spoiler]they were two very different artists. From what I've read, I'd much rather have known Ochs. I'd have also followed him where he marched. I can't find the video, but Dave Van Ronk near the end of his life had some interesting comments about Dylan that I think were pretty spot on (and he had a mixed appreciation, especially early on).

The fallacy in the comparison is you have to limit Dylan to the era where both were performing since Ochs' life ended so long ago. Hell, I don't think you can compare Dylan to himself depending on the decade/era. For instance, the growlier old Dylan has plenty in common with Leonard Cohen's new disc, late Tom Waits and recent Eric Andersen, but (arguably) little relation to his more well known 60s work. [Link to solid Christgau essay on Greenwich Village and critique of Dylan.]

Next argument: Could the Traveling Wilburys have existed without the Monkees and which Monkee is the analogue for which Wilbury

I have more Ochs than most people (by that, I mean like three albums) and I agree it isn't a fair comparison. Also, I'm surprised no one has bothered to point out that no one was a bigger fan of Ochs than Dylan himself. Dylan absorbed everything around him, but Ochs was one of those people that, like Woody Guthrie, always got name checked.

I think the Wilburys are as disappointing as most supergroups, but I think it has to be Dylan/Nesmith, Petty/Tork, Jones/Orbison, Lynne/Dolenz and Harrison/Boyce&Hart.

[IronWaffle]

On the Criterion front... dare I wish for them to release Dylan's Eat the Document and/or Renaldo & Clara?

Spoilering the rest for those not into this folkie talk (and sorry to be so offtopic):

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by rock, stone

I have more Ochs than most people (by that, I mean like three albums) and I agree it isn't a fair comparison. Also, I'm surprised no one has bothered to point out that no one was a bigger fan of Ochs than Dylan himself. Dylan absorbed everything around him, but Ochs was one of those people that, like Woody Guthrie, always got name checked.

I'd love a list of, say, ten Ochs songs of varying style and/or content that I should use as a primer to give him another shot. It's been years.

Young Dylan was a bit of a cipher, by all accounts, known to borrow or steal musical elements left and right without credit. His rise was so sudden that he and many of his fellow folkies built some reciprocal resentment. For those into him, yeah, it's clear that he has since name-checked Ochs, Paxton, Van Ronk, et al, particularly in his autobiography. But back in the day, in the middle of it all, he jumped the folk ship so acrimoniously that it was like an ugly community divorce. Going electric may have been the least infuriating thing he did within the community.

It's also worth noting Ochs was blown away by Highway 61: "I put on Highway 61 and I laughed and said it's so ridiculous. It's impossibly good, it just can’t be that good. How can a human mind do this?" Likewise, the Beatles and the Stones were amiable; Mickey Dolenz (and maybe Nesmith) actually got to sit in on at least one Sgt. Pepper session. Such stories are everywhere in the arts -- including in film. To quote the great Dr. Peter Venkman: "Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!" I think often we fans are more wrapped up in these debates than the artists who are busy, well, creating art and channeling those energies elsewhere.

I think the Wilburys are as disappointing as most supergroups, but I think it has to be Dylan/Nesmith, Petty/Tork, Jones/Orbison, Lynne/Dolenz and Harrison/Boyce&Hart.

The whole list is excellent, but Harrison/Boyce & Hart... that, sir, is brilliant.

I'm a Wilburys apologist if only because their breezy first album eked out some of Harrison's most relaxed writing and performance while getting Dylan out of an awful funk; arguably, without the Wilburys Dylan wouldn't have pulled together Oh Mercy, whose sessions yielded some incredibly solid writing (Dignity, Man in the Long Black Coat, Most of the Time, Series of Dreams).