The Criterion Collection

[mja345]

Originally Posted by 14728

What are some films you'd like to see Criterion re-release that are either out of print or only available on DVD, regardless of how likely it is that they'll get another Criterion release?
For me it would be The Third Man, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Grand Illusion, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Spartacus, Beastie Boys Video Anthology, This Is Spinal Tap, and Life of Brian

I'm definitely partial to some of the early DVDs that don't look so hot anymore. Of the Criterion DVDs I own, the newer (2007, 2008) ones look miles better than the ones from the early 2000s. One film I'd love to see get an upgrade is "The Ruling Class" with Peter O'Toole. It's an amazing film that I think would gain a wider audience if Criterion upgraded it to Blu. The DVD looks pretty awful at this point, as it was released in 2001. Another one I'd love to see upgraded is Robert Altman's "Secret Honor". The DVD looks atrocious.

[Namuhana]

I'm currently watching The Rose Tattoo, and I would love to see it appear in the Collection (alongside a Blu-ray upgrade of The Fugitive Kind). A Tennessee Williams/Anna Magnani set would be fun.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jmclick

Just out of curiosity, which two did you consider to be the stinkers in the David Lean box? All four films were highly-praised at the time of their release, and all four won awards. (In the interest of full disclosure, I've only seen Brief Encounter, which I loved; the other three are unknown quantities to me, which is why I'm asking for your opinion.)

In Which We Serve was too much "rah! rah, Great Britain!" WW2 propaganda for me and I found Blithe Spirit just incredibly uninteresting. Turned it off half way through, actually.

This Happy Breed was a pleasant surprise though. I'd recommend seeing all the films but I wouldn't encourage anyone to blind buy the set. I think there is a definite audience for the two I didn't like, it just isn't me.

[BagheeraMcGee]

Originally Posted by 14728

What are some films you'd like to see Criterion re-release that are either out of print or only available on DVD, regardless of how likely it is that they'll get another Criterion release?
For me it would be The Third Man, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Grand Illusion, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Spartacus, Beastie Boys Video Anthology, This Is Spinal Tap, and Life of Brian

Allow me to include David Mamet's "House Of Games" and "Homicide", "Short Cuts" and "The Unbearable Lightness Of Being".

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by mja345

The scene when Volonte is conducting a press conference addressing crime and subversion to the establishment, he's shot in a way that reminds you of despots like Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin.

"Repression is civilization!"

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by 14728

What are some films you'd like to see Criterion re-release that are either out of print or only available on DVD, regardless of how likely it is that they'll get another Criterion release?

Far too many to list. Here are my top ten individual films, and top five sets (not including Eclipse sets), though:

The Passion of Joan of Arc
The Human Condition
Andrei Rublev
The Last Wave
La Strada
Magnificent Obsession
Le Samouraï
Z
Ugetsu
Drunken Angel
Gate of Flesh

Carl Theodor Dreyer
Eisenstein: The Sound Years
A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman
The BRD Trilogy
3 Silent Classics by Josef von Sternberg

[RickDee]

I would also include Fishing With John but I am not sure if that was filmed or taped?

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

In Which We Serve was too much "rah! rah, Great Britain!" WW2 propaganda for me and I found Blithe Spirit just incredibly uninteresting. Turned it off half way through, actually.

This Happy Breed was a pleasant surprise though. I'd recommend seeing all the films but I wouldn't encourage anyone to blind buy the set. I think there is a definite audience for the two I didn't like, it just isn't me.

Unfortunately while I felt the same about This Happy Breed on first viewing, it came across as incredibly cheesy and "safe" I guess is the word, on a second viewing. Brief Encounter is really the only great film in the set.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by RickDee

I would also include Fishing With John but I am not sure if that was filmed or taped?

I'm pretty sure it was shot on videotape.

[KillDaWabbit]

Just got back from a trip to Costco in San Diego, and they a new round of Criterion blu-rays available for 19.99 a piece. I picked up Inside Llewyn Davis, but they had It Happened One Night, Slacker, Eraserhead and Harold and Maude as well.

I had never seen any of these titles in stock at Costco before.

[deepbreathsanddeath]

Does anyone know the differences between the different versions of the documentary "Frank Capra's American Dream"?

-On Criterion's "It Happened One Night" release its listed as 96 minutes.
-On Warner's "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" release its listed as 109 minutes.
-IMDB lists it as 115 minutes.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by deepbreathsanddeath

Does anyone know the differences between the different versions of the documentary "Frank Capra's American Dream"?

-On Criterion's "It Happened One Night" release its listed as 96 minutes.
-On Warner's "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" release its listed as 109 minutes.
-IMDB lists it as 115 minutes.

That's interesting. I own it as a bonus feature on three different releases: the blu-ray editions of It Happened One Night (Criterion) and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Sony), and the DVD release of Capra's The Matinee Idol (also Sony, and also listed at 109 minutes).

I'm only hazarding a guess, but it could be that the Criterion version has been trimmed. That's going to be the case with the bonus documentary on the upcoming In a Lonely Place blu-ray: Criterion's publicity materials describe it as I’m a Stranger Here Myself, a 1975 documentary about director Nicholas Ray, slightly condensed for this release.

[Scottie]

If Criterion continues re-releasing films from box sets, I'd be happy to see The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by 14728

What are some films you'd like to see Criterion re-release that are either out of print or only available on DVD, regardless of how likely it is that they'll get another Criterion release?

Tokyo Olympiad
Tokyo Twilight
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
La Strada

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by 14728

What are some films you'd like to see Criterion re-release that are either out of print or only available on DVD, regardless of how likely it is that they'll get another Criterion release?
For me it would be The Third Man, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Grand Illusion, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Spartacus, Beastie Boys Video Anthology, This Is Spinal Tap, and Life of Brian

Somebody, somewhere, needs to give The Magnificent Ambersons a proper release.

[RickDee]

Originally Posted by belcherman

Somebody, somewhere, needs to give The Magnificent Ambersons a proper release.

Not sure if they can. Didn't I read somewhere that the source was badly damaged?

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by 14728

What are some films you'd like to see Criterion re-release that are either out of print or only available on DVD, regardless of how likely it is that they'll get another Criterion release?
For me it would be The Third Man, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Grand Illusion, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Spartacus, Beastie Boys Video Anthology, This Is Spinal Tap, and Life of Brian

Nights of Cabiria
Le Samourai
Elevator to the Gallows
La strada
The Adventures of Antoine Doinel
Onibaba
The Virgin Spring
Kind Hearts and Coronets
Night on Earth
Drunken Angel
The Thief of Bagdad (1940)
Z

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by RickDee

Not sure if they can. Didn't I read somewhere that the source was badly damaged?

The original cut of the film is long-lost, but the existing one should be fine to be restored to a high standard. For some reason it just hasn't happened yet (a disc has just been released in Japan, but it's supposedly fairly awful).

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by 14728

What are some films you'd like to see Criterion re-release that are either out of print or only available on DVD, regardless of how likely it is that they'll get another Criterion release?
For me it would be The Third Man, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Grand Illusion, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Spartacus, Beastie Boys Video Anthology, This Is Spinal Tap, and Life of Brian

I'll limit myself to a baker's dozen:

022: Summertime
062: The Passion of Joan of Arc
103: The Lady Eve
124: The Carl Theodor Dreyer box set ("It's my answer and I'll cheat if I want to, cheat if I want to, cheat if I want to ...)
203: The BRD Trilogy
208: A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman
215: Knife in the Water
291: Heaven Can Wait
358: Pandora's Box
375: Green for Danger
383: Brute Force
523: Night Train to Munich
528: Three Silent Classics by Josef Von Sternberg

[hammer99]

Originally Posted by 14728

What are some films you'd like to see Criterion re-release that are either out of print or only available on DVD, regardless of how likely it is that they'll get another Criterion release?
For me it would be The Third Man, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Grand Illusion, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Spartacus, Beastie Boys Video Anthology, This Is Spinal Tap, and Life of Brian

The Bank Dick.