The Criterion Collection

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by Poya

There aren't enough Kidman gifs I can post here to prove you wrong.

You find Nicole Kidman "hot" and gif-worthy? Awesome. Don't see how that disproves my point in any way.

As for Reese Witherspoon "not deserving" to be in the Criterion Collection, what a load of rubbish. If her movie deserves to be there, then so does she (for that movie at least). And I say that as someone who doesn't even like Election.

[UncleBuckWild]

Originally Posted by Poya

Regarding my "this actor deserves to be there" comment, I wouldn't take that too seriously. That's just me being tongue-in-cheek. Of course you shouldn't judge an actor's career for whether they deserve to be in the Collection. I wish I wrote that better but I apologize for it.

I won't solely blame you for how your words came out... It's not just you.

Certain folks have made up their own perception of what Criterion should be doing.

Reese's a fine actress, maybe she didn't make good career choices.

But when presented with a good story/director; she gave best of her performances as an actor.

You also need to realize not everyone in Hollywood gets to do films on their own terms.

As for what she'll be known for... Who knows? I think she's got plenty of time left.

Cause if washed up actors like Robert Downy Jr. & Michael Keaton can rise up like a phoenix. Anything's possible in this life.

Hell, look at Keanu Reeves aka Mr. Baba Yaga/John Wick! Who would've thought!

[Cremildo]

Thousands, literally thousands, of actors/actresses are represented in the Criterion Collection... But out of all of them, it's Reese Witherspoon who stands out like a sore thumb?

[UncleBuckWild]

Originally Posted by cropduster

You should definitely add it to the top of your watch pile. It's such a beautiful and inspiring film with touching performances from Richard Farnsworth and Sissy Spacek. This David Lynch film seems to get lost in all the talk of his other work, which is a shame as it's a great film in its own right. I'm praying one of these days Disney(or someone who rescue's the film from Disney's clutches) will finally release a blu-ray of The Straight Story.

There's the Japanese release, if anyone's interested.



The feedback on A/V quality is that it's fairly adequate, surely a new transfer would've helped but for now the JP edition's your best bet.

... I might as well go ahead and order it soon.

[thatguamguy]

I love that people are talking about how bad Reese Witherspoon's career has gone for her when the same movie also has Chris Klein, probably the fastest hardest crash-and-burn film career in recent memory.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

I love that people are talking about how bad Reese Witherspoon's career has gone for her when the same movie also has Chris Klein, probably the fastest hardest crash-and-burn film career in recent memory.

Crash and burn? The video below would beg to differ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id7DLq7bpTw

[bigbadwoppet]

Originally Posted by captainron_howdy

Releasing an Olympic box set & a Rerelease of Monterey Pop is sort of "simply churlish." The complaints here are valid, criterion is sinking.

I fear Criterion have reached the point where they think every idea they have is brilliant (and most likely have people around them reasserting that notion). After all, they even managed to have Warner let them license some of their titles!

The Olympic boxset is the kind of multi-disc release people find cool but even those are looking forward to it being heavily discounted before they consider buying it. Also, it's too big to guarantee repeated viewings, which is the very reason people still bother buying physical media. The set comprises 32 discs! Would Criterion consider releasing upgrades to their 32 more requested titles?

The Monterrey festival has already been released by Criterion on blu-ray. Had these two sets been released on separate months, it wouldn't be so outrageous but the two combined spell a very weak month.

Add to this Election, a movie already available on blu-ray, which means it'll only appeal to Criterion completists and the Idi Amin docummentary, not precisely the most requested upgrade from the label.

In short, when I do see Criterion is releasing something I actually want (I never thought they'd go for Jabberwocky), I now see it as the exception rather than the norm.

[mja345]

Eh, I think they had four re-releases this year, not counting "Monterey Pop" because that was already in their collection. "Election" (not a massive fan of the film, but the other disc is bare-bones with a shoddy transfer), "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" (totally unnecessary), "Barry Lyndon" (badly in need of a better edition), and "Being There" (other release has a below average transfer with minimal special features). So, 3 of their 4 re-releases were necessary. I think they actually had more re-releases last year. "

[Poya]

Originally Posted by mja345

Crash and burn? The video below would beg to differ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id7DLq7bpTw

Was he out-slatering Christian Slater?

[MifuneFan]

Gotta love the logic of thinking a 32-disc Olympics set is somehow taking the place, or preventing Criterion from releasing 32 upgrades.

[captainron_howdy]

Originally Posted by mja345

Eh, I think they had four re-releases this year, not counting "Monterey Pop" because that was already in their collection. "Election" (not a massive fan of the film, but the other disc is bare-bones with a shoddy transfer), "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" (totally unnecessary), "Barry Lyndon" (badly in need of a better edition), and "Being There" (other release has a below average transfer with minimal special features). So, 3 of their 4 re-releases were necessary. I think they actually had more re-releases last year. "

Add Sid & Nancy, Rebecca, & Straw Dogs also. I'm sure they're good upgrades, all of them. Well, I know Straw Dogs is, but this is just pretty disappointing that they couldn't give us something for X-mas. Last year we had Roma at least.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by captainron_howdy

Add Sid & Nancy, Rebecca, & Straw Dogs also. I'm sure they're good upgrades, all of them. Well, I know Straw Dogs is, but this is just pretty disappointing that they couldn't give us something for X-mas. Last year we had Roma at least.

Right, I somehow missed those. "Straw Dogs" is a huge upgrade on the bare-bones disc. "Sid and Nancy" MGM disc is decent, haven't checked out the Criterion. Last December was pretty solid with "Asphalt Jungle" and "Roma". Two Decembers ago was pretty bad with "Downhill Racer" upgrade (good film), "Speedy" (good), "Jellyfish Eyes" (awful), and "Burroughs: The Movie" (no interest in owning).

[bigbadwoppet]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Gotta love the logic of thinking a 32-disc Olympics set is somehow taking the place, or preventing Criterion from releasing 32 upgrades.

In a sense it is, in a sense it isn't. Of course they wouldn't release 32 upgrades in one month but this is a vanity project which people will admire, maybe buy but hardly ever watch. People expect each month's announcements in the hope worthier films will make it to the collection, so all this effort (and hype) put on a single release is really frustrating.

Where's Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player or Polanski's Knife in the Water? For that matter, will we ever get The Tenant, which is often requested? Or Bitter Moon, which is now controlled by Rialto? Lindsay Anderson's This Sporting Life, Roeg's Bad Timing, Costa-Gavras's Missing, Huston's Under the Volcano, Weir's The Last Wave, Frears's The Hit, etc.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by bigbadwoppet

In a sense it is, in a sense it isn't. Of course they wouldn't release 32 upgrades in one month but this is a vanity project which people will admire, maybe buy but hardly ever watch. People expect each month's announcements in the hope worthier films will make it to the collection, so all this effort (and hype) put on a single release is really frustrating.

Where's Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player or Polanski's Knife in the Water? For that matter, will we ever get The Tenant, which is often requested? Or Bitter Moon, which is now controlled by Rialto? Lindsay Anderson's This Sporting Life, Roeg's Bad Timing, Costa-Gavras's Missing, Huston's Under the Volcano, Weir's The Last Wave, Frears's The Hit, etc.

I mean, the amount of good films they have in their catalog that could use an upgrade is seemingly endless. I do wish they would do one per month. "Z", "The Ruling Class", "House of Games", "Elevator to the Gallows", "Brute Force", "The Bad Sleep Well", "Night on Earth", "Stranger than Paradise", "Le Deuxieme Souffle", "Secret Honor", "Man Bites Dog". The list could go on and on. The Idi Amin doc is probably their most bizarre upgrade so far IMO.

[bwdowiak]

My two cents...

Alexander Payne is one of very few film makers left whose films I will make it a point to see and I think Election is his second best after Sideways.

Happy to see that AP has some fans. I thought maybe the complaining would have been worse.

I read most, maybe all, of the Reese conversation. I don't think anyone is really arguing that she doesn't deserve to be in the Collection, or if someone did, that wasn't the spirit of their comments.

Legally Blonde, though... ?! I'd fathom a guess that those who think that film is a comic masterpiece also think the same about My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by mja345

I mean, the amount of good films they have in their catalog that could use an upgrade is seemingly endless. I do wish they would do one per month. "Z", "The Ruling Class", "House of Games", "Elevator to the Gallows", "Brute Force", "The Bad Sleep Well", "Night on Earth", "Stranger than Paradise", "Le Deuxieme Souffle", "Secret Honor", "Man Bites Dog". The list could go on and on. The Idi Amin doc is probably their most bizarre upgrade so far IMO.

On top of those I like to see The Burmese Harp, Fires on the Plain, Henry V(1944), I've already mentioned Stray Dog(which I can't state enough), Onibaba, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, and Twenty-Four Eyes. Also well Pandora's Box(I don't know what the story is with this?)

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Legally Blonde, though... ?! I'd fathom a guess that those who think that film is a comic masterpiece also think the same about My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

I've never seen Legally Blonde, but I watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding the other night and it still holds up. Comedy masterpiece? I don't know. But a Criterion of Greek Wedding would hardly be out of line. There are several reasons to consider it.

[scottpcusa]

Originally Posted by mja345

Crash and burn? The video below would beg to differ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id7DLq7bpTw

Is it just me, or does it seem like Chris Klein got his acting inspiration for this role from Jason Lee's work as Azrael in Kevin Smith's Dogma?

[captainron_howdy]

Originally Posted by mja345

Right, I somehow missed those. "Straw Dogs" is a huge upgrade on the bare-bones disc. "Sid and Nancy" MGM disc is decent, haven't checked out the Criterion. Last December was pretty solid with "Asphalt Jungle" and "Roma". Two Decembers ago was pretty bad with "Downhill Racer" upgrade (good film), "Speedy" (good), "Jellyfish Eyes" (awful), and "Burroughs: The Movie" (no interest in owning).

That's right, Asphalt Jungle was the other one I couldn't remember.

[octagon]

I don't deserve to decide who deserves to be in the coll...The Collection.