The Criterion Collection

[cropduster]

Is there any possibility of Criterion releasing a blu-ray of Hou Hsiao-Hsien's beautiful and devastating 1989 masterpiece A City of Sadness? I recently watched this film for the first time via a nice 35mm print and was completely blown away by the film. I was so moved that I was almost unable to get out of my seat in the theater once the film was over. I haven't had a film do that to me in a long time. Everything about this film is breathtaking, from the direction and cinematography, to the production design, the soundtrack, the story surrounding the fate of Taiwan after WWII, and the acting(especially Tony Leung Chiu-Wai's portrayal of the youngest brother who is deaf). The only releases currently available of the film are dvds from Japan and Thailand. I have no clue who owns the rights to A City of Sadness but this film just screams for a Criterion release and deserves to be more widely known and seen.

Criterion, please allow Hou Hsiao-Hsien to join the Criterion Collection, starting with A City of Sadness.

A City of Sadness Trailer - YouTube

The main theme to the film is timeless.

《悲情城市》A City of Sadness (1989) Theme OST - YouTube

[yoloswegmaster420]

Originally Posted by cropduster

Criterion, please allow Hou Hsiao-Hsien to join the Criterion Collection, starting with A City of Sadness

I don't know about City of Sadness but Hou should be entering the collection soon since WCP restored and has the rights to The Boys from Fengkuei.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

If you had to pare your collection down to 20 titles, which 20 would you pick?

Impossible question, Ray. And on the eve (hopefully) of a flash sale when we all intend to add more.

I'll have a bash at it, though. I'm only including BD releases, not favourite titles that have yet to be upgraded (most of which I've picked up on BD where other region releases exist). And the Bergman and Olympics sets would be on the list if it wasn't for your daft rule.

In no order, probably these:

The Third Man
Last Year at Marienbad
The Leopard
David Lean Directs Noel Coward (set)
Classic Hitchcock (set)
Rebecca
Notorious (picking up during the flash sale)
Elevator to the Gallows
High and Low
Solaris
Picnic at Hanging Rock
The Innocents
Paris, Texas
Naked
PlayTime
L'avventura
La Notte
L'Eclisse
La Dolce Vita
A Matter of Life and Death

[BluProofie]

Why are none of the May titles up for pre-order on Amazon yet, other than The Heiress?

[jordan-r]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

Why are none of the May titles up for pre-order on Amazon yet, other than The Heiress?

Funny Games, House of Games, and One Sings are up now too.

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Last night I watched a doc on Netflix called Minimalism.

It changed me.

I looked deep into the abyss of my so-called, middle-aged life and found a giant, 10,000 pound pile of clutter staring back at me. I keep things I don’t really need. I collect things I don’t really use. I shoplift ladies underwear that I only wear occasionally.

It all ends NOW.

I’m getting rid of everything and only keeping the bare essentials—starting with my Criterion collection. Only 20 will remain after i’m finished with the purge.

It was difficult and painful, but here are the 20:

[Show spoiler]1. Badlands
2. Days of Heaven
3. The Thin Red Line
4. The Tree of Life
5. High and Low
6. Ikiru
7. Harakiri
8. Picnic at Hanging Rock
9. Hiroshima Mon Amour
10. The Apu Trilogy
11. The Road Trilogy
12. Three colors Trilogy
13. World on a Wire
14. For All Mankind
15. Eraserhead
16. Mulholland Drive
17. Sans Soleil
18. Repo Man
19. Le Samourai
20. The Before Trilogy

...it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Which ones are you gonna buy when you watch another documentary?

[CQD84]

I understand decluttering just to get rid of some stuff that you don't want anymore. Minimalism, to me personally, is just sad. A minimalist lifestyle would be incredibly boring. Yeah, it's good to focus on the necessities in life, but it also takes away a lot of people's personal interests that they may find joy in. Oh well. That lifestyle isn't for me. I'll gladly keep my collections.

Anyway, I hope the FLASH SALE is today!

[Kyle15]

Hey guys, got a question:

When's the Flash Sale?

[Hoke Moseley]

I feel like Criterion would have tweeted out some sort of teaser by now if the flash sale was today...

[JEDGAR1000]

Basically the whole thread right now

[Gambit1138]

This was one of the most sadistic exercises I've ever had to do.

1. 12 Angry Men
2. A Brighter Summer Day
3. All That Jazz
4. Apu Trilogy
5. Before Trilogy
6. Bicycle Thieves
7. In the Mood for Love
8. Mulholland Drive
9. Picnic at Hanging Rock
10. Rushmore
11. Sansho the Bailiff
12. Seven Samurai
13. Stagecoach
14. The Devil's Backbone
15. The Innocents
16. The Red Shoes
17. The Third Man
18. The Three Colors Trilogy
19. The Tree of Life
20. Traffic

[KJones77]

Originally Posted by Hoke Moseley

I feel like Criterion would have tweeted out some sort of teaser by now if the flash sale was today...

Agreed...and the cart still says "ships within one business days" and I'm pretty sure that phrase changing to ~3 days is another tell.

[diskspinner]

Originally Posted by KJones77

Agreed...and the cart still says "ships within one business days" and I'm pretty sure that phrase changing to ~3 days is another tell.

Now we have passed the usual start time for flash sale (noon ET), so it's probably not happening today.

[jordan-r]

Blue Velvet just went up for Amazon preorder.

[theater dreamer]

When you wake up at 11 am CT and there's no Flash sale showing on the Criterion home page.

[RedHarvest]

Originally Posted by jordan-r

Blue Velvet just went up for Amazon preorder.

So did House of Games.

[SammyJankis]

Let the speculation begin.

[tama]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Let the speculation begin.

The cloud-capped star

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0054073/.

The 3 clouds could also represent that it's part of a trilogy.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meghe_Dhaka_Tara

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Afro Starfish and the Boogers Three (1967)

[zackisthewalrus]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Let the speculation begin.

A Star is Born? There are four clouds, which could symbolize the four versions of the film. I’d assume Criterion would release the ‘54 version if this is the correct guess.