The Criterion Collection

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by kuro_sawa

Both volumes are on the channel - check some of them out first unless money isn't a concern. They were worth buying for me due to a handful of films that will probably never be available separately but it's kind of hard to recommend a blind buy

I love Husbands and it makes a great double feature with Mikey and Nicky but I also wish Criterion got BDABR because they might have put the commentary on it! The recently released Warner one doesn't have it.

Thank you, kuro_sawa. I’m not Jeffrey Bezos by any means, but when it comes to art, especially films that expand my understanding and appreciation of other cultures, I gladly make an exception where money is concerned. That’s one place where I simply cannot assign a monetary value.

I’m not subscribed to Criterion’s streaming service. I plan on it a bit down the road when I get caught up a bit on my DVR. I counted 103 films on it yet to be watched, so I’m a bit behind.

[Hazel Motes]

Originally Posted by Mike0284

Good to see another Criterion commentary get saved from the Laserdisc archive.

Two audio commentaries, one from 1991, featuring director John Sturges and composer Elmer Bernstein; the other, from 2004, featuring actors James Coburn, James Garner, and Donald Pleasence

I'm very interested to see what James Coburn and Donald Pleasence had to say about the film when they recorded their commentary track in 2004.

[Page14]

Originally Posted by Hazel Motes

I'm very interested to see what James Coburn and Donald Pleasence had to say about the film when they recorded their commentary track in 2004.

That's a feature I'm very interested in too.

[AaronJ]

Well, the May title I'm very excited about is Wildlife. I haven't seen it yet, but I adore both Mulligan and Gyllenhaal. And from what I've heard each of them say about the film, I definitely think it's up my alley.

Dance, Girl, Dance sounds terrific. And come on: Maureen O'Hara and Lucille Ball?! Yes, please.

As to the other ones, I'll have to look into them. I doubt I'll be picking up the Wes Anderson or the Western, since I'm not really a fan of that director nor of that genre, typically. But we'll have to see as time moves by.

[fatboyslim142]

Originally Posted by Hazel Motes

I'm very interested to see what James Coburn and Donald Pleasence had to say about the film when they recorded their commentary track in 2004.

Difficult for Donald Pleasance to have done a commentary 9 years after his death.

[Hellspawn28]

I still hope Criterion will release Kafka because the movie was only released on VHS. I always wanted to see it for years.

[Gacivory]

I like the Wildlife cover, but I just noticed Jake’s character looks like Dennis from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

[jw007]

WOW!

What an awesome May lineup of announcements!

I really do hope that the "4K digital restoration" for The Great Escape is from a new transfer. If not, I 99% sure believe that Criterion's release will be a much improved version of the MGM blu-ray. I've been eyeing this title for years now and never caved in and bought the much maligned MGM release because of the poor picture quality. It's a no brainer I'll be buying this one to add to my collection. It's one of my favorite "escape" films of all time.

I also like the Scorsese shorts collection. This one looks like a great pick also. I'm also for sure going to purchase the Cassavetes movie Husbands to add to my existing Cassavetes collection. As for the other releases, I'm not too familiar with them, but they look like good additions.

Bravo, bravo, Criterion.

[dancerslegs]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

Bad Day is out.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Bad-D...170131/#Review

And as far as I know, Criterion hasn’t released a title that had a Warner Archive release.

So is The Great Escape, for that matter. Just saying that it's too bad, as I consider Bad Day at Black Rock by far the more worthy Sturges title for the fancy Criterion treatment. (The Warner disc is pretty barebones.)

But huzzah for fans of The Great Escape with this announcement.

[AaronJ]

As I said above, I've never seen Dance, Girl, Dance. But I'm seriously getting more and more excited by the minute by the idea of adding Lucy to my collection! I mean not only was just a flat-out genius, but I grew up watching her every single day. At that age, Lucille Ball EQUALLED entertainment.

And it's not as if Maureen O'Hara is some schlub when it comes to performance, either.

[koberulz]

Originally Posted by fatboyslim142

Difficult for Donald Pleasance to have done a commentary 9 years after his death.

Coburn had passed away by then too, that's the joke.

[edmoney]

While it's good to be getting these restored Scorsese shorts, do they really merit being the featured titles of a release? I really thought they would make more sense as great extras on what would amount to a really terrific release of Mean Streets.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by edmoney

While it's good to be getting these restored Scorsese shorts, do they really merit being the featured titles of a release? I really thought they would make more sense as great extras on what would amount to a really terrific release of Mean Streets.

You'd maybe get Italianamerican with Mean Streets, but probably nothing else. I think there's definitely enough here to justify a standalone release. Plus we get extras that we wouldn't have gotten had they just added these as supplements to main Scorsese films.

[KMR]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Damn, that's so much nicer. I wish Criterion would use slimmer cases like that more often.

The case on the current US release of Jacques Demy couldn't be slimmer because--being dual format--it has more than twice the number of discs. The US set has 13 (6 Blu-ray and 7 DVD), while the UK presumably has only 6.

[minister_x]

Originally Posted by KMR

The case on the current US release of Jacques Demy couldn't be slimmer because--being dual format--it has more than twice the number of discs. The US set has 13 (6 Blu-ray and 7 DVD), while the UK presumably has only 6.

True, although I suppose they could have used a staggered 2-disc plastic tray rather than two 1-disc plastic trays on the US release, which would have saved some space.

You are correct that the UK only has the 6 blu-ray discs.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by KMR

The case on the current US release of Jacques Demy couldn't be slimmer because--being dual format--it has more than twice the number of discs. The US set has 13 (6 Blu-ray and 7 DVD), while the UK presumably has only 6.

Hopefully they switch to a BD only version in the future with that slimmer packaging.

[Page14]

Originally Posted by KMR

The case on the current US release of Jacques Demy couldn't be slimmer because--being dual format--it has more than twice the number of discs. The US set has 13 (6 Blu-ray and 7 DVD), while the UK presumably has only 6.

Hmmm ... I wonder if it's possible to buy only the slimmer case for those of us who already have the dual format set and would like to slim down the case. I wouldn't have any problem giving the DVDs to a friend or a library (and keeping the blu-rays, of course).

[CrossRhodes94]

Watched Pather Panchali for the first time yesterday and WOW. What a gorgeous movie. I will definitely be picking up the Apu Trilogy asap.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by StarDestroyer52

Beyond ecstatic that Six Moral Tales is back in print and will be getting that Day 1. Also, great news about The Great Escape which I also will be getting Day 1.

Wonder what is going with Rohmer's Comedies and Proverbs series since Kino's version of Pauline at the Beach went OOP on January 1? Wonder if Criterion will release that trilogy here or to just go ahead and get the upcoming reissue of Arrow's boxset this June.

If I were a betting man, I’d bet that Arrow plans to release it themselves in Region A.

[mark1220]

Just got, and I'm watching right now, "Fiend without a Face."