The Criterion Collection

[blkhrt]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I'm sure everyone is hoping for a release of The Sweet Hereafter, a film that's hype I never understood.

It would be nice to see Exotica get a domestic release, though.

The Sweet Hereafter is probably my most wanted title, now that Ghost World and In A Lonely Place have been released.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by jedidarrick

I wonder what a 4k restoration of Inland Empire, which was shot on digital video, would look like.

It would look only as good as the source, which isn't that great. They would maybe up-Rez it a bit. 4k would be overkill anyway. I doubt it would/could look much better if at all than the current German blu.

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Same book as the dvd version?

I don't remember the DVD book 100%, but this one is fairly thick like it.

[theater dreamer]

I loved The Manchurian Candidate on my first viewing. Angela Lansbury's performance was so deliciously evil.

[mande2013]

My most wanted upgrades: Ordet, 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her, Dillinger Is Dead, Au Hasard Balthazar, Viridiana

My most wanted unreleased titles: Four Nights of a Dreamer, The Passenger, Last Tango in Paris, Los Olvidados

[Sifox211]

Originally Posted by Fabs

So I got Ugetsu today and it's a digipak, however this site and DVDbeaver both says it is a plastic blu-ray case.

A digipack and a book - bring it on!

< Scurries off to B&N to add it to wishlist for July sale... >

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by mande2013

My most wanted unreleased titles: Last Tango in Paris

There's a pretty good release from MGM. Barebones yes, but good transfer. It's unlikely there will be any input from the cast/crew for this one now.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by tisdivine

Im going to be picking up Judex at the July sale. Ive seen it and I love it and I also love Eyes Without A Face. I noticed Arrow released Spotlight on A Murderer. Has anyone here seen it? Since I like Franju's other films am I a shoe-in to like this one.

I watched the recent Arrow disc of Spotlight On A Murderer just last week and enjoyed it a great deal. I don't think it's as impressive as Judex, or Eyes Without A Face, but it's a nice film nonetheless. Would love to see La Tête contre les murs released on Blu-ray.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

My first reaction to the original Manchurian Candidate was lukewarm--I found it rather slow and tedious at first. Over the years and after some rewatches, I came to appreciate it on the merits of its noir-like style and premise. It's now one of my favorites.

I think there are enough thrills to call it a thriller. The ending has definite tension, but there is a certain threat that builds as the movie progresses and it becomes apparent that

[Show spoiler]Shaw is a time bomb waiting to go off. It takes a while for it to gain traction, but I think it's there, especially once the brainwashing becomes known (by both the audience and characters).

I find most political thrillers stuffy and droll by nature, but I'd say MC has more suspense than most others. But it certainly has elements of psychological thrillers and films noir. Maybe even a little bit of speculative fiction. It's not easy to classify the film in any of these subgenres, but for my own personal convenience I do have it shelved next to Seven Days in May and All the President's Men.

I read the MC novel recently. Very much the same story and the movie adapts it quite closely. But I gotta say, I hated its prose. It reads like a textbook--way too journalistic and passive. This is one of those odd cases where I felt the movie was better.

I agree. I read the novel a year ago but I remember thinking that Frankeheimer made great choices for the film. Same thing for Seven Days in May which I think is a better novel than MC.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by ravenus

There's a pretty good release from MGM. Barebones yes, but good transfer. It's unlikely there will be any input from the cast/crew for this one now.

Criterion could release that rumored 4 hour cut, though.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by jw007

I think its obvious to call The Manchurian Candidate a thriller, but that's too easy, lazy and simplistic.

It's far more than just a thriller. It's truly a psychological drama.

Errol Morris said: "I suppose the argument can be made that this movie is a thriller, but the movie seems far far too perverse to be thought of as a thriller. It's a perverted family story at its heart, which makes it really, really great! The American family gone awry... deeply awry!"

Okay, I can accept that too, but I'm calling this out as a drama more so than a thriller. Sure, there are some thrilling moments here and I might be part of a minuscule minority, but that's just my opinion.

The Manchurian Candidte is a psychological thriller sitting on the edge of the film noir pool with its feet dangling in the dark water. One of my favorite films of all time. First saw it as a rental around 2003 or so. It blew me away with its complexity, sense of mystery and disorientation, and its mix of wicked and tragic characters. A masterpiece on just about every level in my opinion. I wish you appreciated it more than you did, but not everyone sees a film the same way.

[senseabove]

Originally Posted by mande2013

My most wanted upgrades: Ordet, 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her, Dillinger Is Dead, Au Hasard Balthazar, Viridiana

My most wanted unreleased titles: Four Nights of a Dreamer, The Passenger, Last Tango in Paris, Los Olvidados

There's a not-English-friendly Japanese blu of Four Nights, so we know there's an HD master available. Curiously, it was the only Bresson film that didn't screen in a recent Bresson retro near me, so I'm assuming something's up with its rights...

Los Olvidados is with Kino, according to 35mm print screening near me soon (which I can't wait for, having seen it on DVD a few months ago): http://bampfa.org/event/los-olvidados-7

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by jw007

I think its obvious to call The Manchurian Candidate a thriller, but that's too easy, lazy and simplistic.

It's far more than just a thriller. It's truly a psychological drama.

Errol Morris said: "I suppose the argument can be made that this movie is a thriller, but the movie seems far far too perverse to be thought of as a thriller. It's a perverted family story at its heart, which makes it really, really great! The American family gone awry... deeply awry!"

Okay, I can accept that too, but I'm calling this out as a drama more so than a thriller. Sure, there are some thrilling moments here and I might be part of a minuscule minority, but that's just my opinion.

Okay, well it's good that you qualified your comments with regards to it being a psychological drama though everyone has their own little quirks as to what constitutes a certain genre of film (like those who say that Silence of the Lambs is not a horror movie, it's a thriller), but it's not incorrect to call Manchurian Candidate a thriller. Those moments of psychological drama as you call them are what other people derive their "thrills" from.

I remember first seeing in on VHS back in the early 90s. It was one of many classic films my dad recommended to me and I thought it was great. I always remember being confused at first as to what the heck was going on with the old ladies talking about flowers until I realized what was truly happening. The way it deals

[Show spoiler]with McCarthyism, political interference and incest was really ahead of its time.

[mande2013]

Originally Posted by senseabove

There's a not-English-friendly Japanese blu of Four Nights, so we know there's an HD master available. Curiously, it was the only Bresson film that didn't screen in a recent Bresson retro near me, so I'm assuming something's up with its rights...

Los Olvidados is with Kino, according to 35mm print screening near me soon (which I can't wait for, having seen it on DVD a few months ago): http://bampfa.org/event/los-olvidados-7

Los Olvidados must have had rights issues, as well, since being a core canon title it's taken so long for it to receive a HD master.

[Marlow27]

Non-Criterion related (when's that ever stopped us before?), but finally got around to watching Bullitt, and what a wonderful film, on every single level it's masterfully done.

Anyway, what are our favourite detective movies from the 60s and 70s? To make it criterion related you could also mention which ones you think would make good CC releases.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by Marlow27

Non-Criterion related (when's that ever stopped us before?), but finally got around to watching Bullitt, and what a wonderful film, on every single level it's masterfully done.

Anyway, what are our favourite detective movies from the 60s and 70s? To make it criterion related you could also mention which ones you think would make good CC releases.

The Long Goodbye
Chinatown
Serpico
Harper
Night Moves
Klute
Dirty Harry
The Squeeze (the Stacy Keach film)
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
The Late Show
Freebie and the Bean

"Harper", "Klute", "Night Moves", and "The Late Show" are all with Warner, so hopefully either Warner Archive or Criterion releases them. Kino has released some good 70s cop films like "Busting" and "The Laughing Policeman", both of which I highly recommend. "Hickey and Boggs" is solid as well, if you can get over the Bill Cosby stench. Twilight Time put out "The Detective" with Sinatra, which is flawed but interesting. "Tony Rome" and "Lady in Cement, also with Sinatra and released by TT, are also worthwhile.

[bsend]

Originally Posted by Ray_Rogers

Who gives a flying shit about what I want to own from Criterion, amirite?

I have been feeling "off" all day until I heard this information. There are literally dozens of us who give a flying shit about this stuff, and we all happen to be here on this forum.

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by mja345

The Long Goodbye
Chinatown
Serpico
Harper
Night Moves
Klute
Dirty Harry
The Squeeze (the Stacy Keach film)
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
The Late Show
Freebie and the Bean

"Harper", "Klute", "Night Moves", and "The Late Show" are all with Warner, so hopefully either Warner Archive or Criterion releases them. Kino has released some good 70s cop films like "Busting" and "The Laughing Policeman", both of which I highly recommend. "Hickey and Boggs" is solid as well, if you can get over the Bill Cosby stench. Twilight Time put out "The Detective" with Sinatra, which is flawed but interesting. "Tony Rome" and "Lady in Cement, also with Sinatra and released by TT, are also worthwhile.

There's a lot of neo-noir detective films (and spoofs) from the late 60s through the 70s that I enjoy. Of the ones not already on blu-ray: Harper & The Drowning Pool, Farewell My Lovely & The Big Sleep (which while considered inferior to the Bogart version is far more faithful to the original book), Hammett, Chandler, Gumshoe, Marlowe, The Late Show, Night Movies, Peeper, The Big Fix and The Black Bird. I suppose you could include Murder By Death and The Cheap Detective in there too.

[Jobla]

and then there's EXPERIMENT IN TEROR, which is either really late film noir or really early neo noir.

[theater dreamer]

Occasionally, though, simply enjoying a second viewing of a particular film can drastically change one's overall impression.

Oddly enough, one of my favorite movies started down this same trajectory. I'm a huge Marty Scorsese fan (/yells out "Kundun!" Christoper Moltisanti-style), but for some reason that escapes me to this day (perhaps it was an external factor of some sort clouding my mind at the time), I was left fairly cold watching Casino the first time, which is odd, because I think Bobby DeNiro and Joe Pesci could get together and fart in a kid's pool, and I'd be absolutely glued to the screen. I thought after Raging Bull and Goodfellas, I'd never see them on screen together again. After all, no-brainer dream pairings are often just a pipe dream, ie Al Pacino and Bobby D in Heat. They only appeared on screen together for a few short minutes, but I will forever be grateful to Michael Mann et all for making that dream a reality!

But, I digress!

Perhaps a second go-round of The Manchurian Candidate will change his opinion.

Originally Posted by oildude

The Manchurian Candidte is a psychological thriller sitting on the edge of the film noir pool with its feet dangling in the dark water. One of my favorite films of all time. First saw it as a rental around 2003 or so. It blew me away with its complexity, sense of mystery and disorientation, and its mix of wicked and tragic characters. A masterpiece on just about every level in my opinion. I wish you appreciated it more than you did, but not everyone sees a film the same way.