The Criterion Collection

[Scottie]

That Boyhood cover art is so good.

[bwdowiak]

Does anyone born in the 70's or later (37 or older) think Boyhood is a great film?

Just a theory I have.. no one needs to entertain my somewhat rhetorical question.

[Ray Jackson]

I would much rather have a Criterion release of the Before Trilogy than Boyhood.

Meanwhile we get another Altman release, but no Le Samourai upgrade?

...I don't get that.

[SkyAntoine]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

GDT Trilogy set

[Show spoiler]DIRECTOR-APPROVED COLLECTOR’S SET:

• High-definition digital restoration of Cronos, 2K digital restoration of The Devil’s Backbone, newly graded 2K digital master of Pan’s Labyrinth, all supervised and approved by director Guillermo del Toro, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack for Cronos and 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks for The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth on the Blu-rays
• Alternate DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround soundtrack for Pan’s Labyrinth on the Blu-ray
• Audio commentaries on all three films
• Interviews with del Toro, director of photography Guillermo Navarro, and actors Doug Jones, Federico Luppi, and Ron Perlman
• Welcome to Bleak House, a 2010 video tour by del Toro of his personal collections
• New piece on Pan’s Labyrinth featuring del Toro and novelist Cornelia Funke
• Interactive director’s notebooks for The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth
• Making-of documentaries for The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth
• Geometria, a 1987 short horror film by del Toro finished in 2010
• Footage of actor Ivana Baquero auditioning for Pan’s Labyrinth in 2005
• Original Spanish-language voice-over introduction for Cronos
• Introductions by del Toro for The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth
• Deleted scenes from The Devil’s Backbone, with commentary by del Toro
• Selected on-screen picture-in-picture presentation of del Toro’s thumbnail sketches for The Devil’s Backbone
• Programs comparing del Toro’s thumbnail sketches and production storyboards for The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth with the final films
• Piece on The Devil’s Backbone’s depiction of the Spanish Civil War
• Animated comics featuring prequel stories for the creatures of Pan’s Labyrinth
• Gallery of stills from Cronos, captioned by del Toro
• Trailers and TV spots
• English subtitle translations approved by del Toro
• Deluxe box set for the Blu-ray, featuring new illustrations by Vania Zouravliov
• Blu-ray: A 100-page hardcover book featuring an introduction by author Neil Gaiman and essays by critics Michael Atkinson, Mark Kermode, and Maitland McDonagh, along with production notes and sketches by del Toro and illustrators Carlos Giménez and Raúl Monge
• DVD: Essays by Atkinson, Kermode, and McDonagh, and production notes for Cronos by del Toro

New designs by Vania Zouravliov (Blu-ray) and Guy Davis (DVD)

The heck with coupons and saving money. I just pre-ordered directly from Criterion! They're giving us an incredible set.

[SkyAntoine]

Originally Posted by iScottie

That Boyhood cover art is so good.

Agreed. You couldn't capture the film any better.

[rezpekt]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I would much rather have a Criterion release of the Before Trilogy than Boyhood.

But they're doing both anyway...

[MifuneFan]

I'm in for the GDT set, likely during the next B&N sale. The others I've either not heard of, or not interested. I do think Boyhood is a great film though, I connected with it at least.

[buffetfroid]

Is Pan's Labyrinth the first Criterion cover to feature a vagina?

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

GDT Trilogy set

[Show spoiler]


DIRECTOR-APPROVED COLLECTOR’S SET:

• High-definition digital restoration of Cronos, 2K digital restoration of The Devil’s Backbone, newly graded 2K digital master of Pan’s Labyrinth, all supervised and approved by director Guillermo del Toro, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack for Cronos and 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks for The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth on the Blu-rays
• Alternate DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround soundtrack for Pan’s Labyrinth on the Blu-ray
• Audio commentaries on all three films
• Interviews with del Toro, director of photography Guillermo Navarro, and actors Doug Jones, Federico Luppi, and Ron Perlman
• Welcome to Bleak House, a 2010 video tour by del Toro of his personal collections
• New piece on Pan’s Labyrinth featuring del Toro and novelist Cornelia Funke
• Interactive director’s notebooks for The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth
• Making-of documentaries for The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth
• Geometria, a 1987 short horror film by del Toro finished in 2010
• Footage of actor Ivana Baquero auditioning for Pan’s Labyrinth in 2005
• Original Spanish-language voice-over introduction for Cronos
• Introductions by del Toro for The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth
• Deleted scenes from The Devil’s Backbone, with commentary by del Toro
• Selected on-screen picture-in-picture presentation of del Toro’s thumbnail sketches for The Devil’s Backbone
• Programs comparing del Toro’s thumbnail sketches and production storyboards for The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth with the final films
• Piece on The Devil’s Backbone’s depiction of the Spanish Civil War
• Animated comics featuring prequel stories for the creatures of Pan’s Labyrinth
• Gallery of stills from Cronos, captioned by del Toro
• Trailers and TV spots
• English subtitle translations approved by del Toro
• Deluxe box set for the Blu-ray, featuring new illustrations by Vania Zouravliov
• Blu-ray: A 100-page hardcover book featuring an introduction by author Neil Gaiman and essays by critics Michael Atkinson, Mark Kermode, and Maitland McDonagh, along with production notes and sketches by del Toro and illustrators Carlos Giménez and Raúl Monge
• DVD: Essays by Atkinson, Kermode, and McDonagh, and production notes for Cronos by del Toro

New designs by Vania Zouravliov (Blu-ray) and Guy Davis (DVD)

Nice. I've had the Del Toro box set from the UK for years, but this one might have to take its place.

[MifuneFan]

Here's the DVD cover for the GDT set. You rarely see different covers for the different format editions coming out at the same time. It's a bit of a mash-up, not really sure if it works

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Nice. I've had the Del Toro box set from the UK for years, but this one might have to take its place.

I love the artwork for that one. Simple, but effective.

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Meanwhile we get another Altman release, but no Le Samourai upgrade?

...I don't get that.

Perhaps because Altman sells more than Melville in the US?

Also, it's not like Short Cuts is just some little thing rescued from obscurity.

[Brad1963]

I cannot believe the titles were announced. Usually when the 15th falls on Friday the hold off until Monday. October is another solid line up of titles.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

Perhaps because Altman sells more than Melville in the US?

Also, it's not like Short Cuts is just some little thing rescued from obscurity.

I don't know that what you say is necessarily true. The only angle that would move more Altman units in the U.S. is the fact that he was an American director whose films were part of the mainstream.

Melville is probably as revered as Altman and in art house circles (i.e. the Criterion audience) possibly even more so.

EDIT: It's also the 3rd Altman in a year. I don't really like when they do that either. There's far too many great directors and great films who need to have respectable Blu-ray disc releases.

[mocktm]

Awesome. Gives me a couple titles to snag in November sale!

[jmclick]

October is going to be yet another fantastic month, and 2016 is turning out to be an outstanding year. Although I already have Cronos and The Devil's Backbone, the inclusion of the hardback book in the Trilogy box set makes it worth a double-dip for me. Color me pleased-as-punch!

[jayembee]

Just came back from B&N with my second Criterion sale purchase.

1st haul (last week):

Blind Chance
Anatomy of a Murder
Sweet Smell of Success

2nd haul (today):

Design for Living
The Palm Beach Story
Pickpocket
Le silence de la mer
The Whit Stillman Trilogy

$17.99 for each of the single movies; $28.79 for the Stillman set after using a 20% off coupon. I would've bought the Wenders set, but my local store only had the DVD edition in stock.

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I don't know that what you say is necessarily true. The only angle that would move more Altman units in the U.S. is the fact that he was an American director whose films were part of the mainstream. Melville is probably as revered as Altman and in art house circles (i.e. the Criterion audience) possibly even more so.

I wasn't really "saying" anything. I was suggesting a possible answer to his question.

Still, I have a hard time believing non-English titles are reliably better sellers than English ones. Melville sure has strong footing among cinephiles, but do his movies reach potential general audiences in the same way an English-speaking one might?

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

It's also the 3rd Altman in a year. I don't really like when they do that either. There's far too many great directors and great films who need to have respectable Blu-ray disc releases.

Well, that's a matter of opinion. I think it's nice to have access to the majority of the body of work of a great filmmaker like Altman. Why wait years and years before putting it all out?

Plus, I don't think the variables in Criterion's decision-making are mutually exclusive like that. Perhaps they haven't released Le samourai yet for a number of reasons, like legal rights or proper source availability.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by BagheeraMcGee

Could Gosford Park

Originally Posted by Cremildo

Hopefully.

That Canadian Alliance Blu-ray is not appealing at all.

I have the Alliance release. There's nothing wrong with it, other than being barebones.

[NoirFan]

The Executioner and possibly Wooden Clogs and a Short Cuts upgrade for me.