The Criterion Collection

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by jw007

I would do anything for a 4 hour cut of Eyes Wide Shut.

Would be awesome! :P Barry Lyndon would be a great release for Criterion though

[aes3728]

Originally Posted by jw007

Well, with the rare exception of Fishing with John which was a failed tv show created by John Lurie (had 6 episodes I think). It's one of my favorite Criterion releases though and was one of my first over a decade ago.

http://www.criterion.com/films/580-fishing-with-john

Such an underrated classic. Glad someone else appreciates that mayhem.

[Polaroid]

Is there a real reason why Criterion are avoiding animated films except FMF?

Seems so odd as there are some incredibly animated films out there :/

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by jlk5844

I was disappointed in that aspect of his character.

[Show spoiler]At the end, she's made out to be the flawed, crazy one. But he had flaws too, he could have been more trusting with her.

It wasn't a prevailing flaw for me like it was for you though. There are reasons this doesn't rank among the director's best works.

If I'm not mistaken, in the original script Joan Fontaine's SUSPICION was correct, and she was murdered by Cary Grant. But of course, that didn't please the delicate sensibilities of the Hays Office, and so the trumped-up happy ending was substituted. I think that compromise threw the entire film completely out of whack. Imagine how good it would have been had Cary succeeded in murdering Joan, only to have been tripped up and caught after the fact! (The project's original title was Before the Fact.)

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by jlk5844

Criterion doesn't even release television shows. Their mission statement specifies films.

And thank God for that.

[Polaroid]

Are people forgetting

The Golden Age of Television? o___O

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Are people forgetting

The Golden Age of Television? o___O

No but I don't want a film distribution company releasing TV shows. Save that for the TV stations or the "big boys" not a company that prides itself on being unique in its releases.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Clare2904

No but I don't want a film distribution company releasing TV shows. Save that for the TV stations or the "big boys" not a company that prides itself on being unique in its releases.

Ok then, why can't Criterion release Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me and have Twins peaks TV show as supplements :P

Also people wanted The Kingdom from Lars Von Trier in collection :P

[Clare2904]

Have whatever as an Extra but I don't see how they could fit a whole TV series onto the disc like they do now.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Clare2904

Have whatever as an Extra but I don't see how they could fit a whole TV series onto the disc like they do now.

Multiple Discs :P big digipak !

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Multiple Discs :P

:lol: Then it is a box set of the TV show. Criterion need to stick to what they do best, film & documentary.

[jlk5844]

Originally Posted by jmclick

[Show spoiler]If I'm not mistaken, in the original script Joan Fontaine's SUSPICION was correct, and she was murdered by Cary Grant. But of course, that didn't please the delicate sensibilities of the Hays Office, and so the trumped-up happy ending was substituted. I think that compromise threw the entire film completely out of whack. Imagine how good it would have been had Cary succeeded in murdering Joan, only to have been tripped up and caught after the fact! (The project's original title was Before the Fact.)

Yeah, I did hear that the Hays Code of the time dictated the ending change, which sucks. If it weren't for that, the film might be ranked higher in his filmography. The ending seen in the film is tied up too nicely and quick and it nearly ruins the entirety of the movie that preceded it, because it kinda makes it feel like, what was the point of watching that. After about 40 minutes in, the movie is buildup as the mystery increases and it just sort of deflates at the last second. The ending wasn't handled well, I still felt like he was a murderer.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Clare2904

:lol: Then it is a box set of the TV show. Criterion need to stick to what they do best, film & documentary.

boooo! :P

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jlk5844

Criterion doesn't even release television shows. Their mission statement specifies films.

Except that they have released TV shows in the past. They even had a "Criterion Television" sub-label back in the laserdisc days.

[jlk5844]

So yes Criterion have released a couple TV show sets. It's still about as rare as an animated film release of theirs (something I would like to see more of from them).

This guy points out some animated films that sound interesting:

9 Animated Films We Want in the Criterion Collection - YouTube

[jlk5844]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Except that they have released TV shows in the past. They even had a "Criterion Television" sub-label back in the laserdisc days.

They also released major films like Halloween and Robocop and The Silence of the Lambs. Criterion's focus has shifted since then.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Is there a real reason why Criterion are avoiding animated films except FMF?
Seems so odd as there are some incredibly animated films out there :/

And most of them are owned by other people.
(All the "Criterion is a PANTHEON!" wishing in the world won't free up Perfect Blue, EoE or Macross: DYRL. )

Maybe Allegro, Dogs and Fantastic Planet have sunk into arthouse/PD limbo, but can't speak for what Janus Films does or doesn't have.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by EricJ

And most of them are owned by other people.

Yeah I know that - but so are a lot of film, so if Criterion wanted to get hands on an Animated film they can, look at Fantastic Mr Fox.

There are a lot of underrated animated films out there they could reach out to and try release.

The fact that out of 700+ films, only 1 is a real animated release (FMF)... just odd.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jw007

Well, with the rare exception of Fishing with John which was a failed tv show created by John Lurie (had 6 episodes I think). It's one of my favorite Criterion releases though and was one of my first over a decade ago.

There's also Altman's Tanner '88 and Fassbinder's Berlin Alexanderplatz. Not to mention the TV mini-series versions of Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage and Fanny and Alexander.

Now I know that when most people think "TV show" they're thinking of multiple seasons of 13-22 episodes each. But "TV show" encompasses a wide range of things. There are some short-run shows that I think would be right up Criterion's alley if the rights were available: the three mini-series of Armistad Maupin's Tales of the City, and some of Dennis Potter's work in the UK (especially Karaoke and Cold Lazarus) would be top of the list (well maybe just behind Kieslowski's Dekalog).

And then there's a couple of anthology series that Showtime aired back in the mid-90s. The first was Fallen Angels a series of 15 episodes adapting pulp noir stories by the likes of Woolrich, Chandler, Thompson, Goodis, Ellroy, Spillane, and Hammett. Directors included Steven Soderbergh, Tom Hanks, Alfonso Cuarón, Agnieska Holland, and Peter Bogdanovich.

The other was Picture Windows, a non-genre anthology series of 6 original stories that focused around works of art. The directors were Bogdanovich, Norman Jewison, Bob Rafaelson, Joe Dante, and John Boorman.

[DaveyJoe]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

The fact that out of 700+ films, only 1 is a real animated release (FMF)... just odd.

Not really, the majority of feature length films are live action, and the majority of animated films are aimed at children, which would be out of place in CC. I'm not saying that they shouldn't release more, just that adult animated films are a very small portion of movies. I've always thought Graveyard of the Fireflies would be a nice CC release.