The Criterion Collection

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

So would that be a Lionsgate release in the US?

I don't know. Others may. SC licensed quite a few films to KL recently, and that label did release Lost Highway - but then became embroiled in a dispute with Lynch.

[RojD]

Originally Posted by Banned User

I cannot agree more with this statement. This film always seems to be overlooked and ignored, but it is one of my favorites in the collection by far. I'd also argue when it comes to films that attempt to portray a medieval time period & atmosphere this one hits it out of the park.

Another blind buy I absolutely adore is The Music Room. The film maintains a haunting melancholy throughout as the main character comes to terms with the changing of the times. Filled with some amazing music. Its another title I like to revisit over and over and really unlike the other films made by Satyajit Ray IMO.

Love The Music Room, the seamless way the level of the the old guy's story tracks with the social level of the changes happening in India in the late 50s. I especially like the economy and focus of the film; there's not an unnecessary detail. I went through all the Ray available on Criterion, including the Eclipse movies, and that seems to be part of his style, so that might be one way to situate the film in Ray's work.

Added to all that, The Music Room is beautiful.

It definitely holds up under multiple viewings.

[BuraddoRun]

Y'all convinced me. I thought I was done with the sale this year, but after work today, I went back to B&N and picked up:

[Show spoiler]

[dwk]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

So would that be a Lionsgate release in the US?

No. StudioCanal doesn't have the US rights.

[jw007]

Stopped by Barnes & Noble for the 2nd time during this 50% off sale and bought these two on blu-ray (House of Games is an upgrade from my DVD):

[Al3xanderdelag]

Went yesterday and picked up the final digipack dual format of Picnic at Hanging Rock my B&N had. As much as I find amoray cases practical I have a soft spot for those releases.

[KubrickKurasawa]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

Some people seem personally bothered by the idea of awards simply because they might not agree with the outcome. I'll never understand the extreme distaste some have for the Oscars. Naysayers criticize them for being more about popularity and self-promotion as if that's some sort of stunning revelation - please, this is the industry patting itself on the back. Of course it's about popularity and self-promotion, and so what?

Whether you like them or not, they have become a staple of the film world, they have a long history, they have rewarded plenty of films generally considered masterpieces, and they're useful for promoting movies that people might otherwise not be interested in. Just thinking of how many winning movies and actors would've been unfairly forgotten if not for the award is enough to make me appreciate it.

Claiming that they're "meaningless" is just pouty posturing.

you like pepsi the best huh

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jw007

Stopped by Barnes & Noble for the 2nd time during this 50% off sale and bought these two on blu-ray (House of Games is an upgrade from my DVD):

hey J dub - I thought you were considering trimming down your collection? never could bite the bullet on that, huh?

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

So would that be a Lionsgate release in the US?

It's with Paramount.

[dmarvin]

Our podcast is giving away a copy of Godzilla: The Showa-Era Criterion Collection on 12/16. Entering the giveaway is pretty darn easy:

https://www.facebook.com/CF3pod/posts/2512627825661275

[Vinyl]

Re-watched The Bad Sleep Well and Samurai Rebellion.

I remember being blown away by the story in TBSW on my first viewing. This time around I feel that same way, but stronger due to understanding a lot more of the Dialog and the characters motives as well as getting a stronger understanding of the overarching plot. The tension in certain scenes is very palpable because of the pacing of major reveals. The acting is also top notch by all the major characters. I was amazed when I heard that this was some actors first film.

My rewatching of Samurai rebellion was a more difficult viewing. The acting was great. The three big roles done by Mifune, Nakadai, and Go Kato were amazing. Yoko Tsukasa as Lady Ichi and Shigeru Koyama as the Steward were equally impressive. The issue that kept coming up was this was a 20th century view of feudal times. They were putting their view of morality and the like on a completely different world. I also am wondering if it’s because I don’t understand the culture well that I had a tough time with it. Anyone run into such issues when watching movies like this?

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

Re-watched The Bad Sleep Well and Samurai Rebellion.

Surprised these haven't hit Blu-ray yet. Hopefully at least one of them makes the cut in 2020.

[audiodile]

Weird question, but... has anyone ever blind bought or gotten a Criterion blu and ended up not being crazy about the film?

More specifically, has anyone done that and would be interested in possibly trading for a Criterion blu that someone else bought/got but isn't crazy about?

I am looking to part ways with The Lure, so if you have a Criterion blu you'd be interested in trading, hit me up!

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by audiodile

Weird question, but... has anyone ever blind bought or gotten a Criterion blu and ended up not being crazy about the film?

More specifically, has anyone done that and would be interested in possibly trading for a Criterion blu that someone else bought/got but isn't crazy about?

I am looking to part ways with The Lure, so if you have a Criterion blu you'd be interested in trading, hit me up!

Try the trading forum you’d probably have some luck there

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Surprised these haven't hit Blu-ray yet. Hopefully at least one of them makes the cut in 2020.

I thought they would be all over the Kurosawa film. Also, Samurai Rebellion has a big name director as well as a handful of well known major actors. I would think a lot of people would be interested in these films.

Best guess is that I am wrong and they haven't sold very well, so it's not on the list. Second best guess is that there isn't a high definition scan out there, so unless they wanted to invest in one a blu-ray might be out of the question. Maybe it's a mix of both.

[JLaLibs]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

I thought they would be all over the Kurosawa film. Also, Samurai Rebellion has a big name director as well as a handful of well known major actors. I would think a lot of people would be interested in these films.

Best guess is that I am wrong and they haven't sold very well, so it's not on the list. Second best guess is that there isn't a high definition scan out there, so unless they wanted to invest in one a blu-ray might be out of the question. Maybe it's a mix of both.

I feel like the DVD for THE BAD SLEEP WELL didn't even look good by DVD standards back when it was released (and those subtitles were awful). My guess is there isn't great material out there and, even if there was, I can't imagine it sells as well as other Kurosawa titles.

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by filmincarnate

I feel like the DVD for THE BAD SLEEP WELL didn't even look good by DVD standards back when it was released (and those subtitles were awful). My guess is there isn't great material out there and, even if there was, I can't imagine it sells as well as other Kurosawa titles.

I've been hoping for a restoration/Blu on a lot of Kurosawa's older films. I think Stray Dog is the worst looking. No depth and extremely blurry. Drunken Angel as well. I feel like these older films benefit the most from a new HD scan and especially with the newer tools and technique used in restoration. I've been amazed at some of these older films that have been released on Bluray. The amount of added detail and depth is amazing when compared to past DVD releases even when its not a new restoration, but a new HD scan of existing elements.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

I thought they would be all over the Kurosawa film. Also, Samurai Rebellion has a big name director as well as a handful of well known major actors. I would think a lot of people would be interested in these films.

Best guess is that I am wrong and they haven't sold very well, so it's not on the list. Second best guess is that there isn't a high definition scan out there, so unless they wanted to invest in one a blu-ray might be out of the question. Maybe it's a mix of both.

I remember reading that some of Criterion's best sellers were their samurai output, but that was a decade ago. I'm not sure how they have sold on Blu-ray.

As you said there might not be a high definition scan. I wish they would get on the Human Condition trilogy as there is a scan of that and it looks great.

[MifuneFan]

I love The Bad Sleep Well, especially the opening wedding prologue. The film is a bit of a downer, but it's nicely layered like so many of Kuroswa's films.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Surprised these haven't hit Blu-ray yet. Hopefully at least one of them makes the cut in 2020.

Same here, I keep holding off on the Rebel Samurai: Sixties Swordplay box set since I wonder if it will get upgraded. I probably should bite the bullet during the next sale and if it gets upgraded then so be it and I will get the BluRay too. The Bad Sleep Well and Stray Dog(another I want) have seen releases in France that only have French subs, so I wonder what the hold up is in North America? Is the transfer used in the French versions not the one in the Toho versions or what, I wonder?