The Criterion Collection

[themp3000]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Does Knight of Cups have a US distributor yet? I don't see any planned US release dates.

Also, is it possible Criterion has the inside track on the film's video distribution?

I wouldn't be surprised if Magnolia Pictures makes an aggressive push for rights in the US. It seems like they have the best chance given success with To The Wonder.

[JMDiaz718]

the brood!!!!!!

[Peachy]

Once again, I'm a little bit disappointed by the announcement of Criterion.

The titles are cool, But I think there are many more titles to be announced first (Mulholland Drive for example, or Warner titles like After Hours).

(but the artwork of "Ride the pink horse" is just gorgeous).

[I KEEL YOU]

Anyone else surprised by the lack of what would've been totally original "Where is Mulholland Drive?" complaints in response to Criterion's announcements over the last many months?

I find it weird that there hasn't been a single Mulholland Drive related request/complaint each month Criterion have announced what movies they will be releasing. Mulholland Drive is a great movie and since no one else will say it on this site, well I for one wish that Criterion would release it.

And when they do release it eventually, I will move on to whine about the next most mainstream potential Criterion release imaginable: The Big Lebowski. I don't give a damn about what the rest of you "cultured" hipster snobs think of me constantly whining about wanting such movies to be released by Criterion.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I want to vomit on Cries and Whispers, dying for that to be upgraded and that is the cover they gave us!?

Uhhh hello?

[IMG]

[Show spoiler]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YPAons5Ltd0/TrrKaeqSgmI/AAAAAAAAACk/ikbjoq4BUzw/s1600/opt_orphan_quad-sub.jpg

[/IMG]

Look familiar rofl?

good call on this one Polaroid!

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by I KEEL YOU

Anyone else surprised by the lack of what would've been totally original "Where is Mulholland Drive?" complaints in response to Criterion's announcements over the last many months?

I find it weird that there hasn't been a single Mulholland Drive related request/complaint each month Criterion have announced what movies they will be releasing. Mulholland Drive is a great movie and since no one else will say it on this site, well I for one wish that Criterion would release it.

And when they do release it eventually, I will move on to whine about the next most mainstream potential Criterion release imaginable: The Big Lebowski. I don't give a damn about what the rest of you "cultured" hipster snobs think of me constantly whining about wanting such movies to be released by Criterion.

I don't think you have been paying attention. Check the post right above yours.

[dsman71]

There are lots of people who want Mulholland Drive, but whining doesnt help matters. Just because they have it doesnt mean its coming out right away. I read a post here once that Criterion is known to hold onto titles for over a year and then decide to release it. Who knows how long they had Ride a Pink Horse for example
Some titles also take longer to do HD masters for depending on the elements, so one could speculate that MD might need extra time to look its very best

[LPMA]

Originally Posted by dsman71

There are lots of people who want Mulholland Drive, but whining doesnt help matters. Just because they have it doesnt mean its coming out right away. I read a post here once that Criterion is known to hold onto titles for over a year and then decide to release it. Who knows how long they had Ride a Pink Horse for example
Some titles also take longer to do HD masters for depending on the elements, so one could speculate that MD might need extra time to look its very best

At this point I'm just hoping we get a hint for it in the new year's drawing.

[Polaroid]

Looks like Gates of Heaven may be a digipak I'm happy with that!

[bwdowiak]

hooray! its my turn to play the role of, "lousy month... are you kidding me?!" and its the first time that I am somewhat irked by people complaining that other titles should have been released before these.

my 2 all-time favorite documentaries are being released by Criterion in the same month! those 2 would be The Thin Blue Line and Hoop Dreams.

TTBL is a fascinating doc that plays out a like a crime drama. sure, there are a lot of talking heads, but Morris's reenactments of the crime are special.

Hoop Dreams is just an amazing, jaw-dropping, poignant, beautiful film. it is COMPULSIVELY watchable. no amount of hyperbole would be excessive. I am a sports fan, so it might be easier for me to say, but I really don't think you have to give a lick about basketball to enjoy it.

I know nothing about the noir film other than the fact that Ben Hecht had a part in writing the screenplay. He wrote the screenplay for Hitchcock's Notorious, which is, IMO, one of the best screenplays ever. Not a 'buy', but something that could be good.

and then Truffaut... for all of you who are pining for more mainstream releases, you might want to take a chance on more Truffaut films. I've found his films to be a whole lot more accessible than I had thought they'd be. I love him!

Bergman... not for me, but it rounds out the month pretty nicely and I'm sure the inclusion of another title from him makes many people happy.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by jw007

What would you say is your favorite documentary film?

My top 5 FAVORITE documentaries are:

1. Dark Days (amazing and original documentary of homeless people living in the subway tunnels underneath NYC)
2. Mule Skinner Blues (the first time I saw this hilarious documentary film I couldn't stop laughing at times. It's total entertainment)
3. Supersize Me (guilty pleasure and highly entertaining, plus the dangers of fast food is well documented here)
4. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (a fascinating story about a famous Japanese sushi chef and his dedicated, upscale clientele)
5. Nostalgia for the Light (beautifully photographed and moving, poignant story on Chilean political prisoners)

Oddly, I already had Dark Days on the docket to watch tonight.

Top 15 (off the top of my head, 5 is too hard)

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
West Of Memphis
Tokyo-Ga
Jodorowsky's Dune
The Kingdom Of Dreams And Madness
Come Worry With Us
How To Die In Oregon
Jiro Dreams Of Sushi
Unmistaken Child
Mistaken For Strangers
Cave Of Forgotten Dreams
Senna
AK
Resurrect Dead
Of By For

My interests definitely effect what docs I tend to like, though some docs are so well made that my interest (or lack thereof) in the subject is irrelevant.

[bwdowiak]

one other independent thought about this month's releases and the fact that the covers kinda suck...

when I was choosing "best cover art" for a 2014 release, the thought occurred to me... "a lot of these suck." for me, it is another case of someone or something having established a reputation as being great or very good at something and having a large number of people buy into it, only to churn out mediocre work and continue to reap the benefits of high praise.

I guess that it is all subjective because I really like the covers for City Lights and Don't Look Now and I've read others here say how bad they are.

they have a great looking template and the snap cases they use are a nice higher quality, but, really... there's nothing special about most of their covers.

anyone with me on this thought?

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jw007

What would you say is your favorite documentary film?

My top 5 FAVORITE documentaries are:

1. Dark Days (amazing and original documentary of homeless people living in the subway tunnels underneath NYC)
2. Mule Skinner Blues (the first time I saw this hilarious documentary film I couldn't stop laughing at times. It's total entertainment)
3. Supersize Me (guilty pleasure and highly entertaining, plus the dangers of fast food is well documented here)
4. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (a fascinating story about a famous Japanese sushi chef and his dedicated, upscale clientele)
5. Nostalgia for the Light (beautifully photographed and moving, poignant story on Chilean political prisoners)

Jiro was painfully boring.

5 favorites of mine are:
Hoop Dreams
The Thin Blue Line
The Imposter
The Best That Never Was (from ESPN's 30 for 30)
Man on Wire (Project Nim was also great)

..and one must have a Herzog doc, so
Into The Abyss

[AgentOrange]

Originally Posted by TJS_Blu

Bergman is gold. Not a big Truffaut fan, but hard to believe someone that wasn't impressed with J&J would be dazzled by SS. That said, Pink Horse is the weakest title as far as I'm concerned. It's kind of like Riot, I'm more than OK with the genre, but both titles are a long way from the top of my priorities.

I have a bit of a hard time relating to those that think docs are a one-time-viewing experience. True, ignorant of the facts presented, one may not require a 2nd presentation of the "facts"; but it's the manner of the facts presentation that warrents a 2nd viewing. Not sure why docs with "real facts" are different than fictional films with story (made-up) facts. For example, how many times did you watch Star Wars? It doesn't take much to wrap your head around the premise of the movie, and unless you're a fan of blowing sh*t up, then what makes you want to see it again? To me, it's how the story is presented...

Different strokes for different folks. Having recently gone through most of Bergman's films this year (most that are available anyway) - I've actually been hugely disappointed in many of them. I can only recall a few of his films that I actually ENJOYED watching, something like Sawdust and Tinsel... and I guess film snobs probably consider that one of his "lesser" works (it's one I will at least buy when it comes to blu-ray). I don't like the heavy handed symbolism of works like Seventh Seal or Wild Strawberries, they just come off as pretens-ey to me. I've viewed some of the interviews/features as well, and seems like he is always treading on familiar ground (i.e. his "overbearing" father, religion, etc).

I haven't seen but a handful of Truffaut's films, but I certainly enjoyed watching those films far more than the "average" Bergman. I find films such as 400 Blows, Breathless, Jules and Jim, etc infinitely more re-watchable. That being said, Bergman was far more prolific as a director... so I guess it's hard to really compare them directly. I just don't agree with the notion that "Bergman is gold" as if every Bergman film is worth blind buying. That being said, this particular Bergman film is not one I've seen.

I agree with you on documentaries.. A really good feature length documentary is just as re-watchable as a feature film IMO. For me it probably depends on how much time is dedicated towards interviews vs how much time is allocated for other forms of presentation. If it leans too much towards interviews or straight discussion of facts, it wouldn't be as re-watchable as something with actual footage - or with quality re-enactments, or other artistic qualities.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

one other independent thought about this month's releases and the fact that the covers kinda suck...

when I was choosing "best cover art" for a 2014 release, the thought occurred to me... "a lot of these suck." for me, it is another case of someone or something having established a reputation as being great or very good at something and having a large number of people buy into it, only to churn out mediocre work and continue to reap the benefits of high praise.

I guess that it is all subjective because I really like the covers for City Lights and Don't Look Now and I've read others here say how bad they are.

they have a great looking template and the snap cases they use are a nice higher quality, but, really... there's nothing special about most of their covers.

anyone with me on this thought?

What do you think to my drunk design for Cries and Whispers lol? Is it an improvement XD?

I think Criterion are cutting back A LOT budget wise tbh, the designs lately have been pretty weak and really not up to the C standards, although there have been some great, I have just seen more weaker ones lately.

[lordmorpheus72]

Well finally got a chance to hop on and check out the Narch news... I'm not familiar with most of these, and only reallu know a little about Hoop Dreams. I am curious about Cries & Whispers, it looks very interesting.

[spargs]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

and then Truffaut... for all of you who are pining for more mainstream releases, you might want to take a chance on more Truffaut films. I've found his films to be a whole lot more accessible than I had thought they'd be. I love him!

I'm an admirer of Truffaut's films as well. The Soft Skin is the only March release that I'm definitely buying. I'll probably blind buy Ride the Pink Horse.

The Bergman film is a maybe sometime in the future, when I get a chance to actually get into his films. Still catching up on so much other stuff.

The documentaries just aren't my cup of tea. The only documentaries I really enjoy watching are the making of/behind the scenes stuff... the only one I'm really looking forward to is a potential Burden of Dreams upgrade. I've seen Hoop Dreams once, and that was enough for me - it was well-made and deserved all the accolades, but not something I want to own and watch again.

[ijustblumyself]

Another solid month. A classic Bergman, a Truffaut and some great documentaries.
I never understand why people complain about the announcements.

[Polaroid]

Not entirely Criterion related by Sam Smith (designer for Criterion) posted this mix - https://soundcloud.com/samsmyth-1/cinema-sound-2014

Am sure a lot can enjoy this

1. Antonio Sanchez - "Get Ready" from BIRDMAN
2. Jonny Greenwood - "Amethyst" from INHERENT VICE
3. Alexandre Desplat - "A Prayer For Madame D" / "Daylight Express To Lutz" from THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
4. George Fenton - "Enter in Tropical Style" from THE ZERO THEOREM
5. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - "What Have We Done to Each Other" from GONE GIRL
6. Mica Levi - "Love" from UNDER THE SKIN
7. Hans Zimmer - "Stay" from INTERSTELLAR
8. Philip Glass - "Gone" from VISITORS
9. Jeff Grace - "On the Road" from NIGHT MOVES
10. Herbert Groenmeyer - "Text from Jamal" from A MOST WANTED MAN
11. Andrew Hewitt - "The Double Theme (Version 2)" from THE DOUBLE
12. Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans - "I Think You Know" from ENEMY
13. James Newton Howard - "Nightcrawler" from NIGHTCRAWLER
14. Bradford Cox - "Wireless Fantasy No. 1" / "Canopy" from TEENAGE
15. Joe Hisaishi - "Cicada Night" from THE TALE OF PRINCESS KAGUYA
16. Etienne Charry - "Aquatisation" / "Telegram Forum" from MOOD INDIGO
17. Jeff Grace - "Official Protection" from COLD IN JULY
18. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - "Like Home" from GONE GIRL
19. Antonio Sanchez - "The Anxious Battle for Sanity" FROM BIRDMAN

[Scottie]

I watched La Ciénaga last night and I thought it was pretty darn good.

The "family" in the film is struggling with the changing times in Argentina and, as a result, their decline in importance. They essentially retreat to a rotted, decaying summer house to escape from reality. They are rather bitter with what they have become and take it out on their servants, for example, among other things. As you learn more and more about each character, it is hard to imagine that they were anything.

The final scene in the film is extremely powerful as it serves to emphasize that

[Show spoiler]there is no hope for them, especially not any time soon.

I'm not sure if I would buy it, but it is certainly something special.