The Criterion Collection

[theater dreamer]

No, it’s pretty clear that they’re full steam ahead on this. L’Eclisse is the latest film to get a blu only release.

Originally Posted by mewantbluray

Hi guys, i heard awhile back that Criterion was going to stop producing those dual editions with the Blu/Ray and DVD, that once those all sell out they were going to just release the BluRay only editions. Just checking if Criterion had a change of heart on that.

[moviflicilm]

Hope all of you cool cineastes have a safe and happy new year!



Drinking with the wife, enjoying a night in. Being a little hammered I'm going to post my wishlist tomorrow.

[Scottie]

A happy new year to all of you fine folks and your families.

Hopefully we'll see a lot of great Blu-rays in 2018!

(and maybe even the introduction of 4K )

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by yarulbcool

Anytime anything political comes up with criterion folks, I kind of chuckle to myself when they criticize something for being too left-wing (for example, Moore being a little left of democrat). Do they not realize some of their favorite filmmakers were so far left they make Moore look like Bush?

I don't rate movies based on whether or not I agree with their messages. I rate them according to how well they use visuals and narratives to convey their intended messages.

As such, I enjoy being challenged by filmmakers who have different values and political opinions than I might have.

I'm always a little wary of people who dislike movies because of politics. (The recent accusations that Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi is “shoving Disney's politics down people's throats.” is hilarious to me, and I happen to think that it's an excellent movie.) I think that cinema is a good way to encourage our thinking outside the box.

With regard to Michael Moore, I don't think that he does a particularly good job of conveying his intended messages in a credible or coherent way. Fahrenheit 9/11 is hugely entertaining, because Moore is, first and foremost, a humorist, but it also places news footage and interview footage completely out of context while committing logical fallacies to get the director's points across. In terms of being a documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11 is a hack job, and, quite frankly, it has even less factual credibility than fictional superhero movies, lowbrow comedies, or action movies have. It only succeeds in terms of humor, but that only carries it so far.

Bowling for Columbine is slightly more grounded, but only slightly.

I tend to be suspicious of most documentaries anyway, because I think that people can learn more about history by studying the fiction from a particular era than they can from studying non-fiction that may or may not have a slanted approach. If you really want to gain insight about the Poor Laws in England, for instance, then read Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. If you want to gain insight into the economic atmosphere of the mid-to-late 1980s, then watch Oliver Stone's Wall Street. The facts can be self-serving and distorted all around, but fiction is at least honest about being fiction.

(There are exceptions, of course. I think that For All Mankind is a spectacular documentary film.)



Oh, and Happy New Year in a few minutes!

[RCRochester]

Politics aside, Michael Moore is not a documentarian. Errol Morris is an example of a brilliant documentary filmmaker. Moore is a gonzo filmmaker, he’s his own biggest fan.

[Egbert Souse]

I've only seen Roger & Me and Fahrenheit 9/11, but Moore's style reminds me a lot of the style Orson Welles was using for F for Fake and Filming Othello. They're essay films, not documentaries.

[Al_The_Strange]

Interesting points about documentaries being biased. I suppose this is why I lean so heavily towards wordless docs--the works of Reggio and Fricke, and Microcosmos. Can't go wrong with most nature and science docs either (unless they bring up climate change--2009's Home is quite preachy that way, unfortunately). I know I have some historic ones around too--I see value in unbiased, factual exploration of certain events.

There are some docs I value for bringing up serious issues that deserve attention (or justice even), and making me aware of something I didn't know about before. Going Clear, for example, is something I think everybody should see once. The Drop Box movie was worth a look for its topic (although I felt that reading about it online was just as informative). It feels like Moore wants to take that approach--to bring light to social injustices--but it does come off as a little forced to me. And the issues he brings up (gun control, economics, conspiracies) are not nearly as cut-and-dry as, say, the evils of cults or abandoning babies in the street.

Seems that I get picky with my docs.

[paustin]

I'd like to see Criterion do The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, it has to be on their list as much Gilliam as they have.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Rzzzz

Absolutely, one of my favorite movies is Barbarella. Hanoi Jane has never looked hotter. If Criterion ever releases it, it would be day one for me. Oh yeah, and Roman Polanski is one of my favorite directors. When are we getting The Tenant Criterion?

The Tenant? How about The Pianist first!

By the way...

Happy 2018 everyone!

[rognvaldr]

Would anyone be willing to recommend 2 Yakuza films?
https://www.criterion.com/explore/149-yakuza

2 or 4 Melodrama's? I own Jubal.
https://www.criterion.com/explore/154-melodrama

Classic Hollywood - as many as you have time to list or reverse, the few you really don't like.
https://www.criterion.com/explore/183-classic-hollywood

[Backlog]

2018 Wishlist:

Far From Heaven
Secrets & Lies
The Elephant Man
Drugstore Cowboy
Welcome to the Dollhouse
The Dead Zone
Dawn of the Dead
After Life

[Marlow27]

Great political art will often transcend it's own politics and be of worth beyond it's point of view to many people. In other words, it's entirely possible to enjoy the work of political filmmakers with subtle political themes in their work, even if you disagree with their politics. Because art is an aesthetic undertaking first and foremost.
For the same reason, it's entirely possible to love religious art without being religious.

That's somewhat different to a shallow, surface level exploration of a political topic done in a cheap, exploitive form of 'in your face' documentary, which is what all of Moore's work is.
I think it's a lousy choice, not because I shy away from politics, but because it's not very good.

[theater dreamer]

The Pianist is an easy choice, given their extensive list of Polanski films, and the fact that there's never been a domestic blu-ray release of it. I've been campaigning for it for a while, sending Criterion tweets around announcement time. I really hope this happens. Until then, it just sits on my DVR.


Come on, Criterion. Help a man clear up some space on his DVR! Release The Pianist on blu-ray.

Originally Posted by jw007

The Tenant? How about The Pianist first!

By the way...

Happy 2018 everyone!

[rognvaldr]

Originally Posted by yarulbcool

Social Theory

What one man may consider to be Social Theory just might be considered Critical Theory to another man.

Originally Posted by yarulbcool

What isn't "factual" about his portrayal of class in Western society (you call it economics).

More Whites are killed in the US by Law Enforcement then any other racial group. This is a FACT, period. Depending on what my perspective/worldview is I could spin it different ways. But can or should the conversation continue? Of course it can such as Blacks are killed at a higher percentage. You can reverse that conversation aswell.

So are facts irrelevant? Of course not but does presentation, perspective and agenda matter, you betchya it does and Mr. Moore has an agenda 100x larger then Weinstein's fathead.

[Hazel Motes]

Bowling For Columbine has the worst ending in cinema history.

[Hazel Motes]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

I’m not a Moore fan but Bowling for Columbine is an excellent film. Heston wasn’t “ambushed.” The questions were fair. His answers were pathetic. Even Heston did not begrudge Moore much after it, according to his son.

He also had early stages dementia at that point. Heston was a piece of shit for sure. But Moore basically went after low hanging fruit. Making an old man with a feeble mind look stupid doesn't really impress me all that much, and then when Moore left that picture on the ground and made his bleeding heart plea while the cameras were rolling, it makes my skin crawl even thinking about it.

It was a pretty good film up until then. But that ending was horrendous.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by yarulbcool

Under the Skin would make for a great release, but I just don't see any A24 films making it into the collection any time soon. There are some others, like maybe The Vvitch, Ex Machina, and Moonlight, that would also be good additions.

Except none of those need Criterion editions because the current discs (or 4K discs in the case of Moonlight & Ex Machina) are more than sufficient. Let's stop wasting spine numbers with wishlist titles Criterion doesn't need.

[TajSamKojiJesam]

Originally Posted by rognvaldr

Would anyone be willing to recommend 2 Yakuza films?
https://www.criterion.com/explore/149-yakuza

Branded to Kill and Pigs and Battleships are the best. Pale Flower is the third best.

Originally Posted by rognvaldr

2 or 4 Melodrama's? I own Jubal.
https://www.criterion.com/explore/154-melodrama

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs, Sansho the Bailiff, Tokyo Story and Street of Shame.

Originally Posted by rognvaldr

Classic Hollywood - as many as you have time to list
https://www.criterion.com/explore/183-classic-hollywood

12 Angry Men, Anatomy of a Murder, Paths of Glory, Sweet Smell of Success, Rebecca and Ace in the Hole.

[rognvaldr]

Originally Posted by TajSamKojiJesam

Branded to Kill and Pigs and Battleships are the best. Pale Flower is the third best.



When a Woman Ascends the Stairs, Sansho the Bailiff, Tokyo Story and Street of Shame.



12 Angry Men, Anatomy of a Murder, Paths of Glory, Sweet Smell of Success, Rebecca and Ace in the Hole.

Awesome, thank you.

[mja345]

If you really want to get into Yakuza films, I'd get into Arrow's "Battles Without Honor and Humanity" set and watch them first (they've been re-released individually). Then, I'd go to "Pale Flower", which is a masterpiece IMO. Then, I'd go with the Suzuki films, which are almost spoofs of the genre. I love Suzuki, but I wouldn't start with his films because he would make one think that the entire genre is kind of daft. Then, you can get into the Takashi Miike and Johnnie To stuff. That's how I got deep into the Yakuza genre. Just my two cents.