The Criterion Collection

[c-murph]

Originally Posted by iScottie

A plastic case and no DVDs. Everything else is the same.

Awesome! Thanks! It's been on my wish list forever but it's like $50+ CDN bucks on amazon.ca and not willing to pay that. Been waiting for a price drop but the new preorder is as good as any.

[dwk]

Originally Posted by dwk

Don't know who that is in the picture, but that seems to be Lee Kline's instagram account.

And he has changed the account to private.

[Ray Jackson]

Riff Magnum lives.

[Show spoiler]

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by jw007

With that said, can anyone here, in their opinion, tell me what are the VERY BEST commentary tracks in the Criterion Collection? Which films and directors/authors/scholars come to mind?

I generally enjoy the commentaries done by film historians like Stephen Prince for the Kurosawa films and David Kalat (on Island of Lost Souls and Godzilla). They give a lot of interesting information / perspective / trivia about the film and the director, and Prince also does some nice analysis of the film-making techniques used. David Cronenberg has done some excellent commentaries for his films, and is one of the few film-makers that can articulately discuss and analyze his own work.

[TXTyler]

I picked up Women in the Verge... yesterday and am really excited to give it a spin. One of my favorites from Almodóvar.

My question is if we can expect (in this lifetime) a release of Almodóvar's full catalogue. Criterion seems to have an agreement with Sony Pictures Classic which currently owns all the North American rights for all his feature-length films. Seems like this would be a monumental boxset. Any rumors out there? I'd love to see Labyrinth of Passions on Blu for the first time.

[jshaide]

The NYFF just announced a DCP screening of PANDORA'S BOX with the Janus logo, so perhaps an upgrade on that in coming sooner than later.

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by jshaide

The NYFF just announced a DCP screening of PANDORA'S BOX with the Janus logo, so perhaps an upgrade on that in coming sooner than later.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by ravenus

I generally enjoy the commentaries done by film historians like Stephen Prince for the Kurosawa films and David Kalat (on Island of Lost Souls and Godzilla). They give a lot of interesting information / perspective / trivia about the film and the director, and Prince also does some nice analysis of the film-making techniques used. David Cronenberg has done some excellent commentaries for his films, and is one of the few film-makers that can articulately discuss and analyze his own work.

Thank you for your very helpful response!

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by StarDestroyer52

Agree. You would think a company big as Studiocanal could easily create an US subsidiary without Lionsgate who's been terrible on releasing stuff here. I mean I even be willing to spend more money that there UK prices if they would release more of there stuff here(like many of the British war films, The Fallen Idol, that new Melville set, Le Trou, among many others). I mean yes I'm going to end up getting a region-free player either this Christmas or next year when I have more money to go around but I can't see Studiocanal's reasoning.

Studio Canal's reasoning is pretty clear. Lionsgate gives them a huge sum of money to license their entire catalog in NA. This saves Studio Canal having to either A - Release the films themselves or B - work to license each film individually. I can understand them choosing the sure thing up front money which requires almost zero work on their end. The reasoning that is harder to understand is Lionsgate paying the money to license the entire catalog and then doing very little with it. I know they are focused on streaming, but is that really enough to recoup their funds and make a profit?

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Studio Canal's reasoning is pretty clear. Lionsgate gives them a huge sum of money to license their entire catalog in NA. This saves Studio Canal having to either A - Release the films themselves or B - work to license each film individually. I can understand them choosing the sure thing up front money which requires almost zero work on their end. The reasoning that is harder to understand is Lionsgate paying the money to license the entire catalog and then doing very little with it. I know they are focused on streaming, but is that really enough to recoup their funds and make a profit?

I keep hoping Criterion will get the rights back to these films. It's criminal there isn't a Criterion Bluray of Ran. Plus its a shame I have to go region B to see a lot of my favorite Ealing Studio films like Kind Hearts and Coronets or Dead of Night. Not to mention some of my personal favorite films like Le Corbeau or Fallen Idol. Lionsgate could have atleast released the recent Ran 4k scan considering their Region A release is so bad. Makes me wish Lionsgate would just go belly up.

Speaking of commentaries I listened to the one for Ugetsu over the weekend and was really impressed with it. Insightful, clearly spoken and a very good grasp of the Japanese language and Asian films in general. The guys name was Tony Rayns.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Yeah, as soon as I finished it I looked it up only to let out a prolonged sigh when I saw TT released it. I'm not region free, so I suppose I'll have to wait.

I'm not sure why the half dozen or so copies available on eBay are priced so high. I don't think that the re-issue is OOP. I sold two copies for $26 earlier this year. If you keep an eye on it, you can get a copy for less than $30, I'm sure.

[SeanJoyce]

Hard to fork out any money for TT's anemic version of The Train after seeing how packed Arrow's release was. Would rather just hold out hope for a re-release (only Region-A friendly this time.)

[ShellOilJunior]

Anyone care to take a guess what the newsletter clue will be on Thursday?

I think they'll tease Night of the Living Dead.

Here's the past several clues for reference:

[Show spoiler]Clue month/release month
Nov 2016 - Rumblefish (April 2017)
Dec 2016 - Taipei Story (May 2017)
Feb 2017 - Meantime (August 2017)
Mar 2017 The Breaking Point (August 2017)
Apr 2017 - Twin Peaks: FWWM (October 2017)
May 2017 - Desert Hearts (November 2017)
June 2017 - Breakfast Club (TBD)
July 2017 - The Philadelphia Story (November 2017)

[HaroldnMaude]

Originally Posted by TXTyler

I picked up Women in the Verge... yesterday and am really excited to give it a spin. One of my favorites from Almodóvar.

My question is if we can expect (in this lifetime) a release of Almodóvar's full catalogue. Criterion seems to have an agreement with Sony Pictures Classic which currently owns all the North American rights for all his feature-length films. Seems like this would be a monumental boxset. Any rumors out there? I'd love to see Labyrinth of Passions on Blu for the first time.

If it was going to come out on blu-ray, you'd think it would have been included with the UK set from Studio Canal that has Dark Habits & What Have I Done To Deserve This from the same era. I still have Labyrinth of Passions on VHS, but I see there was a Uk dvd from a company called Tartan. Perhaps rights to both this & his first film Pepi, Luci, Bom are held by different companies than his later works controlled by his own company El Deseo.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Banned User

Speaking of commentaries I listened to the one for Ugetsu over the weekend and was really impressed with it. Insightful, clearly spoken and a very good grasp of the Japanese language and Asian films in general. The guys name was Tony Rayns.

Yeah, Rayns is terrific with Japanese films. He also did a great commentary for In the Realm of the Senses, bringing a lot of historical and social context, and for Eureka he has done several video essays for their releases of Shohei Imamura films.

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Yeah, Rayns is terrific with Japanese films. He also did a great commentary for In the Realm of the Senses, bringing a lot of historical and social context, and for Eureka he has done several video essays for their releases of Shohei Imamura films.

I didn't even realize that about the Imamura films. I've got the boxset, but haven't listened to one commentary on any of those films. I'll have to jump on that.

[FlamingSatchel]

Can we just get Stranger Than Paradise and Fishing With John on Bluray now please? Especially Stranger Than Paradise, I just can't believe hasn't been upgraded yet.

[Scottie]

Just got this e-mail from Filmstruck.

Get 30 Days Free until September 1
From now until Friday, September 1, download the FilmStruck app on your Apple device and get a 30-day free trial* of FilmStruck and the Criterion Channel. This special offer more than doubles your free access to all your favorite indie and arthouse films.

This special offer is only available to new subscribers for a FilmStruck + Criterion Channel monthly package who subscribe through the Apple App Store.

[olivianewtonyawn]

Originally Posted by TXTyler

I picked up Women in the Verge... yesterday and am really excited to give it a spin. One of my favorites from Almodóvar.

My question is if we can expect (in this lifetime) a release of Almodóvar's full catalogue. Criterion seems to have an agreement with Sony Pictures Classic which currently owns all the North American rights for all his feature-length films. Seems like this would be a monumental boxset. Any rumors out there? I'd love to see Labyrinth of Passions on Blu for the first time.

Of all the Almodovar films I would be most excited for blu ray releases of:

Talk to Her
All About My Mother
Bad Education

But will settle for any not yet available. A box set would be an instant purchase.

[dwk]

Originally Posted by TXTyler

I picked up Women in the Verge... yesterday and am really excited to give it a spin. One of my favorites from Almodóvar.

My question is if we can expect (in this lifetime) a release of Almodóvar's full catalogue. Criterion seems to have an agreement with Sony Pictures Classic which currently owns all the North American rights for all his feature-length films. Seems like this would be a monumental boxset. Any rumors out there? I'd love to see Labyrinth of Passions on Blu for the first time.

Not necessarily in a box set, but according to this tweet from 2015, Criterion will be releasing most of Almodóvar's films. (Although, I should point out that that tweet is incorrect in one regard, as it seems Criterion will in fact be the ones releasing Charles Burnett's To Sleep with Anger)