The Criterion Collection

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by belcherman

If we’re talking about Susan Sarandon, we really need to have Atlantic City in the collection. As for Bull Durham, I thought it was great when I saw it about 30 years ago. I haven’t decided if I need to own it, though. As for Kevin Costner, he more than earned his place in the collection with his performance in The Big Chill. Tim Robbins = Shawshank, nuff said.

Great announcements. Now I just have to save my pennies.

Preach. I’ve been saving for months. I have quite a list for the sale. I haven’t been this excited about CC in a while.

[thatguamguy]

I honestly enjoy Ford's performance in "Hollywood Homicide". I know it's not a good movie, but it makes me wish he'd gotten his hands on one of the good Shelton scripts.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

I honestly enjoy Ford's performance in "Hollywood Homicide". I know it's not a good movie, but it makes me wish he'd gotten his hands on one of the good Shelton scripts.

I don’t actually remember this movie at all. I did see it in theaters but I would’ve been like 13.

[moviflicilm]

Originally Posted by malakaheso

Any fans of Cobb here? On the subject of sports related films? ;-)

Another sport film directed by jock auteur Ron Shelton! Haven't seen it myself, though I skimp through a Village Voice poll recently where it ranked among the best movies of the nineties.

On the subject of actors and memorability, are there any highly acclaimed actors who have a lackluster filmography? Or just filled with many films that don't have either popular or critical credentials years after release?

[Thomas Irwin]

Originally Posted by malakaheso

2)Those actors, while good, haven't really been in truly important American films. Their best films are rather middling oscar films that are quickly forgotten years after their release. A case can be made for Thelma and Louise, and The Shawshank Redemption is popular, but I think you would struggle to argue that they were in great films when looked at from a historical perspective. i.e taking the whole of cinema into account.

Love it or hate it, you can't argue the longevity of this one.

[thebratpackwrangler]

I am probably alone on this one but I personally would love to see the film Hedwig And The Angry Inch join the Collection.

[DenOfEarth]

Freaks (1932) needs to be on BD badly and now that Warner is doing licensing to Criterion and Shout, i believe it's possible to get Freaks on BD.

[jjhunsecker]

I wonder if Criterion has the rights to "West Side Story" and "In the Heat of the Night" ?

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by moviflicilm

Another sport film directed by jock auteur Ron Shelton! Haven't seen it myself, though I skimp through a Village Voice poll recently where it ranked among the best movies of the nineties.

How recently? That film sank at the time and doesn't seem to have gotten more popular over time.



THOMAS IRWIN: Touché

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by jjhunsecker

I wonder if Criterion has the rights to "West Side Story" and "In the Heat of the Night" ?

They might have In the Heat of the Night. I thought Kino would get the new 4k remaster but they indicated they wanted it but were outbid by another label. I'm assuming that label is Criterion.

[moviflicilm]

Originally Posted by malakaheso

How recently? That film sank at the time and doesn't seem to have gotten more popular over time.



THOMAS IRWIN: Touche!

The poll was complied at the end of the decade, so it's fair to say Cobb hasn't risen in critical esteem from reading any list about sport films or films from the nineties.


Village Voice's Best Films of the 90's.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by DenOfEarth

Freaks (1932) needs to be on BD badly and now that Warner is doing licensing to Criterion and Shout, i believe it's possible to get Freaks on BD.

Fingers crossed for this Halloween.

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by moviflicilm

The poll was complied at the end of the decade, so it's fair to say Cobb hasn't risen in critical esteem from reading any list about sport films or films from the nineties.


Village Voice's Best Films of the 90's.

Yeah I've seen that one. Thought it might have been more recent. Thx anyway!

[moviflicilm]

No problem. It's always good to look at introspective lists from any period and see what was cache then, not with hindsight into standing the test of time 20 plus years later.

[DenOfEarth]

Originally Posted by jjhunsecker

I wonder if Criterion has the rights to "West Side Story" and "In the Heat of the Night" ?

Maybe, who knows if they do.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by thebratpackwrangler

I am probably alone on this one but I personally would love to see the film Hedwig And The Angry Inch join the Collection.

Nope! I love it and all of John Cameron Michell’s Work!

[Thomas Irwin]

Originally Posted by moviflicilm

Village Voice's Best Films of the 90's.

I'm surprised they left The Last Seduction off of that list. One of my favorites of the '90s.

[DenOfEarth]

Originally Posted by jshaide

Fingers crossed for this Halloween.

That be awesome considering they did horror classics justice like Night of the Living Dead, Rosemary's Baby, Cat People, Island of Lost Souls and more.

If they announce Freaks maybe for Halloween time, fans of the film and horror even classic horror would buy it in an instant as an upgrade to their DVD.

[taymo016]

Bull Durham is probably a case of "You want this movie? You need to take Bull Durham too otherwise you can't have the one you really want."

Whatever the situation may be, Bull Durham is in the collection and no amount of complaining is going to change that.

[theater dreamer]

First of all, regarding the von Sternberg & Marlene Dietrich box set...

[Show spoiler]

I think the above gif adequately captures the sheer glee I am feeling right now.

Scaramouch, scaramouch, will you buy the Marlene box set?

In my experience, Marlene Dietrich is criminally underappreciated by classic film enthusiasts, so it's wonderful to see a blu-ray box set befitting of her unique talent. The only film I've seen from Josef von Sternberg and Dietrich working together is The Blue Angel. I thought it was a brilliant piece of film making. It looks like I'm watching Shanghai Express and The Scarlet Empress tonight after I finish this post.

I will gladly buy A Matter of Life and Death, as well as Bull Durham. Baseball is my greatest passion, and I can only hope this means Criterion begins exploring the works focusing on the National Pastime. As I mentioned in the announcement post, I'd love to see The Pride of the Yankees get a nod. One thing's for sure, though. We're all going to descend like locusts on Barnes & Noble in July. I might not be eating that month!

Lastly, one thing that draws my ire is elitist twaddle. If you don't like a film that Criterion releases, don't buy it. It's as simple as that. Please don't impugn another poster's taste in film. Bull Durham might not be Citizen Kane, but a lot of people like it, myself included. And releases like Bull Durham and The Breakfast Club make things like the von Sternberg & Dietrich box set possible.

I would love it if every release was a classic or foreign great. If it were up to me, I'd see at least one upgrade every month until all their DVDs were available on blu-ray, or, at least the ones they still have rights to. The Lady Eve is crying out for a high def release. Hamlet, too. I'd love to see more Kurosawa and Ozu, more Chaplin, Bergman and Fellini. I've been praying Roman Polanski's The Pianist would get a release pretty much since I bought my first Criterion. But I know that Criterion doesn't exist solely to make me happy. They have a lot of customers, customers with a variety of tastes in film, and they have to operate in a manner that allows them to be profitable.

All in all, I think they're doing an incredible job. There's something for everyone, if not every month, then every couple of months.