The Criterion Collection

[Scottie]

I would be very surprised if Last Tango in Paris didn't get the Criterion treatment.

The MGM release is barebones and could use some improvements in terms of video and audio quality. Also, isn't there a 250+ minute version of the film?

[Doc Moonlight]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

This doesn't bother me one iota. It isn't like they are desecrating the original films. The remakes will make more money than the original and in five years time, they'll be forgotten like Britney Spears' pop stardom.

Off topic, but since we're talking about Britney Spears and remakes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4WGsMplGxU

It is possible to remake and improve.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by jmclick

And I kind of like that cover ... maybe because way back in the day, I wanted that DVD so badly. I kept going into Frye's in Texas and picking it up, trying to talk myself into a purchase. When I finally did pony up for it, I watched it three or four times in the first month I owned it. So there's a sentimental attachment there ...

So this movie is pretty good eh? I was thinking of picking up the Flicker Alley blu of this....

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by darkness2918

There have been a few new digibooks released already. Time to go back to the better plastic cases.

DigiBOOKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I would be very surprised if Last Tango in Paris didn't get the Criterion treatment.

The MGM release is barebones and could use some improvements in terms of video and audio quality. Also, isn't there a 250+ minute version of the film?

I find that movie to be so depressing.

...so freaking depressing.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Doc Moonlight

Off topic, but since we're talking about Britney Spears and remakes...

[Show spoiler]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4WGsMplGxU

It is possible to remake and improve.

A few years ago, I saw an acoustic performance by Richard Thompson. At one point during the show, somebody tapped me on the shoulder and asked, "Is there someone else up there off to the side of the stage playing another guitar, because it sounds like the music is coming from more than one guitar." I replied that Richard Thompson always sounds like that when he's playing by himself. He's that good.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I find that movie to be so depressing.

...so freaking depressing.

It is depressing in terms of how desperate someone is for human emotion and connection.

The only off putting thing about the movie for me were the childish and immature dialogue and interactions between Paul and Jeanne, but part of me thinks that it fits into the overall mood of the film.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

So this movie is pretty good eh? I was thinking of picking up the Flicker Alley blu of this....

If you like pre-Code horror, then yes, it's considered a classic of the genre. And it has some interesting tie-ins with the original King Kong, since it also stars Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong, features a score by Max Steiner, and was filmed on some of the same sets.

The Most Dangerous Game been remade at least two times that I'm aware of, once as Run for the Sun with Richard Widmark. Although I've kept the Criterion DVD, I also own the Flicker Alley blu-ray. Both offer excellent transfers. The Flicker Alley disc also includes a documentary, Gow, the Head Hunter, which I wasn't too impressed with.

Hope that helps!

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by iScottie

It is depressing in terms of how desperate someone is for human emotion and connection.

The only off putting thing about the movie for me were the childish and immature dialogue and interactions between Paul and Jeanne, but part of me thinks that it fits into the overall mood of the film.

The whole movie you think he's using her.

But by the end you realize that she's actually been using him.

The romantic in me was hoping that they would end up together.

But that...did not happen.

[jshaide]

Question for those who have been collecting Criterion for a while. . .

I've been going through my backlist Criterion titles in spine order for quite some time now, and I'm noticing a run of titles that are basically bare bones, transfer not too great (even for the time, according to some reviews I read from many years back), artwork pretty bland, in general just not outstanding discs.

Even in the early days of Criterion DVD (lets say before they hit 100, for example), were these discs held is as high regard or was there an acknowledged dip in quality (I have no idea what it was like in the laserdisc days). Also, did they announce at the rate they do like (like 5 titles every month), or was it more of a spread out and random release schedule?

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by jshaide

Question for those who have been collecting Criterion for a while. . .

I've been going through my backlist Criterion titles in spine order for quite some time now, and I'm noticing a run of titles that are basically bare bones, transfer not too great (even for the time, according to some reviews I read from many years back), artwork pretty bland, in general just not outstanding discs.

Even in the early days of Criterion DVD (lets say before they hit 100, for example), were these discs held is as high regard or was there an acknowledged dip in quality (I have no idea what it was like in the laserdisc days). Also, did they announce at the rate they do like (like 5 titles every month), or was it more of a spread out and random release schedule?

Criterion is the company that created commentaries and special features (at least they were the first company to offer those things as supplements on Laserdisc). Their titles were always pretty well done, despite what reviews you might have seen, but no company is perfect — they all have hits and misses, but Criterion has always had way more hits. Their special edition Laserdiscs ran either $50 for a more barebones version to $100 for a fully loaded edition. I think they even released some VHS before LD.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by jshaide

Question for those who have been collecting Criterion for a while. . .

I've been going through my backlist Criterion titles in spine order for quite some time now, and I'm noticing a run of titles that are basically bare bones, transfer not too great (even for the time, according to some reviews I read from many years back), artwork pretty bland, in general just not outstanding discs.

Even in the early days of Criterion DVD (lets say before they hit 100, for example), were these discs held is as high regard or was there an acknowledged dip in quality (I have no idea what it was like in the laserdisc days). Also, did they announce at the rate they do like (like 5 titles every month), or was it more of a spread out and random release schedule?

Criterion has always enjoyed a reputation as one of the premiere home video companies (if not the premiere company here in the U.S.). I have many old film and video publications dating back to the 1990's, and Criterion LaserDiscs and DVDs were always given reverential reviews.

You can see the Criterion release calendar by week here.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Okay, this is how it is...

The next time that somebody here in this Criterion thread fails to appreciate the significance of Julie Newmar in the Catwoman outfit, I'm leaving the forum forever.

Oh man. I am gonna miss you...

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Damn...was hoping for a digibook.

And it seems like a leaflet, instead of a booklet, as well. At least the cover art and transfer are gorgeous, at least!

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I would be very surprised if Last Tango in Paris didn't get the Criterion treatment.

They released it on LD back in the day, so...

The MGM release is barebones and could use some improvements in terms of video and audio quality. Also, isn't there a 250+ minute version of the film?

There's rumored to be a cut that's somewhere in that vicinity, but I've not heard of anyone who's actually seen it.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Criterion is the company that created commentaries and special features (at least they were the first company to offer those things as supplements on Laserdisc).

They were also the first company to (for the most part) consistently release films in their proper aspect ratio.

Their titles were always pretty well done, despite what reviews you might have seen, but no company is perfect — they all have hits and misses, but Criterion has always had way more hits. Their special edition Laserdiscs ran either $50 for a more barebones version to $100 for a fully loaded edition. I think they even released some VHS before LD.

They were pretty much state of the art for home video in the 1980s. But technology marched on, and a number of their releases weren't as good as later, remastered DVDs or even later, remastered LDs. Watching Criterion's edition of The Wizard of Oz, followed by MGM/UA's The Ultimate Oz is like night followed by day.

There were, to my knowledge, only three VHS releases -- The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, and The Third Man -- though I believe that technically they were released by Voyager, one of Criterion's parent companies, rather than by Criterion itself.

Voyager also released its own series of laserdiscs, mostly short films, computer-generated experimental films, documentaries, and still-frame reproductions of art from museums. They also, however, released a handful of silent films, one of which eventually got released as a Criterion DVD/BD: The Gold Rush. A couple of other Voyager LDs got released under the Criterion banner: For All Mankind (DVD and BD) and W.C. Fields: Six Short Films (DVD).

Another apocryphal not-quite-Criterion set of releases was a run of 20 DVDs released by Janus Films through Image Entertainment. Three of them had been Criterion LDs and another three Voyager LDs. Eight of them later ended up on Criterion DVD, with three of those also on Criterion BD.

[jw007]

Random suggestion for everyone here:

Watch more Les Blank!

Thank you, and we now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

[CoenP]

Bummer. Bought The Leopard blu ray through ebay, thought I'd be receiving a digipack but got a keepcase version instead. Didn't know the packaging of this (and other titles) had altered

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by CoenP

Bummer. Bought The Leopard blu ray through ebay, thought I'd be receiving a digipack but got a keepcase version instead. Didn't know the packaging of this (and other titles) had altered

Yeah sadly they made a few beautiful digipak's OOP and replaced with the plastic cases.

[DenOfEarth]

Since they found new footage from the 1968 masterpiece, who else wants a Criterion edition BD of this movie with a new restored Director's Cut 4K scanned version? even with the Elite DVD extras and a few new ones including a commentary by a fanboy with new transfer supervised by Romero?

And how about it's brilliant sequel as well?

All 3 cuts in 4K scanned remastering supervised by George Romero himself? plus every extra from the 4-disc UE DVD boxset especially a new documentary on the pop culture phenomenon this movie influenced as well as Night?