The Criterion Collection

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by amputd

Signing off,

Robot Monster

Pardon, but I thought your name was "RO-MAN?"

[Shane Rollins]

There’s a new reviewer doing Criterion reviews. Svet’s last review for Criterion was The Fearless Hyena from the Jackie Chan set. Kenneth Brown did the reviews for The Watermelon Woman and Medicine For Melancholy.

At the least there’s more than one person doing Criterion reviews now, at most Svet’s been replaced.

I don’t really want to sound like a dick, since I don’t really have any animus towards Svet. It’s just that so many of his reviews just completely drag solid discs. The two aforementioned titles are a combination of low budgets and stylistic cinematography, and I know they would’ve scored a 2/5 in the PQ department had Svet done the reviews.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Shane Rollins

There’s a new reviewer doing Criterion reviews. Svet’s last review for Criterion was The Fearless Hyena from the Jackie Chan set. Kenneth Brown did the reviews for The Watermelon Woman and Medicine For Melancholy.

At the least there’s more than one person doing Criterion reviews now, at most Svet’s been replaced.

I don’t really want to sound like a dick, since I don’t really have any animus towards Svet. It’s just that so many of his reviews just completely drag solid discs. The two aforementioned titles are a combination of low budgets and stylistic cinematography, and I know they would’ve scored a 2/5 in the PQ department had Svet done the reviews.

Jeffrey Kaufman has been doing Criterion reviews since some time (2020 onwards, I think). This includes their boxsets like Fellini and Agnes Varda: LINK

Just saying here that Svet has previously given high marks to blu-rays upconverted from SD / early HD video sources. I think he has an issue when he perceives what he calls modern day revisions to the color grading:
Inland Empire
Buena Vista Social Club

[Shane Rollins]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Jeffrey Kaufman has been doing Criterion reviews since some time (2020 onwards, I think). This includes their boxsets like Fellini and Agnes Varda: LINK

Just saying here that Svet has previously given high marks to blu-rays upconverted from SD / early HD video sources. I think he has an issue when he perceives what he calls modern day revisions to the color grading:
Inland Empire
Buena Vista Social Club

I think with films made on inferior formats, it really comes down to limitations of the format vs faithfulness of the discs. You could probably wax those two movies over, and they wouldn’t look the way they look on discs. Instead, they’d look something like Duel.

He gave the Blu-ray of Pink Flamingos a horrible review, even though in terms of PQ, color timing, restoration quality, and faithfulness it was a solid transfer.

The revisionist stuff in some films, it’s annoying as hell. It’s not done on every single movie, which you’d honestly think it did if you took his reviews at face value. Having only seen about 10 Criterions in my life, the only one I can personally confirm was messed with was the Wong Kar Wai set. If you just average out Svet’s reviews, at least 200-300 of Criterion’s releases would have issues.

Either way, I’m happy to hear that no one person has a monopoly on Criterion discs, since one guy really shouldn’t be having all the say regardless of their opinions.

[Ikari]

Well this is the second time I got a damaged cover. First it was Romeo & Juliet, now Eo... I think someone has problems with red covers. Really hate replacing these at Amazon, but at least I get to return another disc that I accidentally ordered two copies and Amazon does not allow quantity adjustments

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by Shane Rollins

Either way, I’m happy to hear that no one person has a monopoly on Criterion discs, since one guy really shouldn’t be having all the say regardless of their opinions.

I would like to see more reviews of other region releases, which occasionally you find on this site. Otherwise, we are mostly left with DVDBeaver, who is ok and does a good job of comparing extras, which I really appreciate, but it can be damn hard finding substantial reviews and info on foreign releases. So I would welcome that if Svet or any of the other critics here are looking for additional stuff to survey.

[amputd]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

Pardon, but I thought your name was "RO-MAN?"

I need guidance, Great One. For the first time in my life, I am not sure.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by amputd

I need guidance, Great One. For the first time in my life, I am not sure.

As with most everything else in life, Ro-Man, the answer is: More bubbles.

[Shane Rollins]

Off topic post, since this is less about Criterion and more about Amazon.

During a preview for our 4PM news, they showed a clip of Amazon's warehouse. My sound was muted, so I don't know what the story is or when exactly they'll play it. Anyway, they showed a 6x6x6 cardboard box filled with smaller cardboard boxes and bubble mailers, and a machine picked the box up, completely overturned it, and dumped the thousands of packages onto the belt. The packages literally fell on each other, and I'm pretty sure lots of stuff got broke.

This is why our stuff keeps showing up broken.

Considering Amazon's worth hundreds of billions of dollars (and may very well be the first company to be worth a trillion), they have enough money to assure that stuff like this doesn't happen. Instead, they choose to just manhandle stuff and replace/refund/blow off what gets broke. Yes it costs less and saves more, but they make enough money where they can at least afford to be decent. I literally never buy from Amazon unless I have no other choice, and this is the reason why.

[Shane Rollins]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

I would like to see more reviews of other region releases, which occasionally you find on this site. Otherwise, we are mostly left with DVDBeaver, who is ok and does a good job of comparing extras, which I really appreciate, but it can be damn hard finding substantial reviews and info on foreign releases. So I would welcome that if Svet or any of the other critics here are looking for additional stuff to survey.

The closest I've seen are:

-Imprint/Via Vision releases (okay, they're region free)
-Occasional releases from Asia of Asian films
-Occasional UK or German boutique releases (a major hole in this website, I'd love to see these be covered, at least future releases, at most go back and review some older releases)
-Most strangely, the "Spanish Blu-ray" of Pink Floyd - The Wall

[Rayjg]

Originally Posted by Shane Rollins

Off topic post, since this is less about Criterion and more about Amazon.

During a preview for our 4PM news, they showed a clip of Amazon's warehouse. My sound was muted, so I don't know what the story is or when exactly they'll play it. Anyway, they showed a 6x6x6 cardboard box filled with smaller cardboard boxes and bubble mailers, and a machine picked the box up, completely overturned it, and dumped the thousands of packages onto the belt. The packages literally fell on each other, and I'm pretty sure lots of stuff got broke.

This is why our stuff keeps showing up broken.

Considering Amazon's worth hundreds of billions of dollars (and may very well be the first company to be worth a trillion), they have enough money to assure that stuff like this doesn't happen. Instead, they choose to just manhandle stuff and replace/refund/blow off what gets broke. Yes it costs less and saves more, but they make enough money where they can at least afford to be decent. I literally never buy from Amazon unless I have no other choice, and this is the reason why.

Maybe it was its first day.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Rayjg

Maybe it was its first day.

It’s the son of a high up Amazon manager, so no chance of it being its last day.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by Lee2112

RIP Mr. O'Neal. I re-watched Barry Lyndon (the Criterion BR, of course) recently and Paper Moon is another favorite.

THE THIEF WHO CAME TO DINNER (1974) is one of his best films and acting performances. Little known, but the dynamic between he and Warren Oates in the picture is excellent and very moving.

[Scottie]

Google is paying tribute to Agnès Varda today.

[Shanghai Express]

Two recently restored silents, Man, Woman And Sin and Pavement Butterfly, will be screened at MoMA in January. Both belong in the Collection.

[Member-880182]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

THE THIEF WHO CAME TO DINNER (1974) is one of his best films and acting performances. Little known, but the dynamic between he and Warren Oates in the picture is excellent and very moving.

I have heard of that one but have not seen it. I will check it out. Warren Oates is great. I just picked up Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia in the Kino sale, another one I somehow have never seen.

[Taylor3978]

Originally Posted by Shane Rollins

During a preview for our 4PM news, they showed a clip of Amazon's warehouse. My sound was muted, so I don't know what the story is or when exactly they'll play it. Anyway, they showed a 6x6x6 cardboard box filled with smaller cardboard boxes and bubble mailers, and a machine picked the box up, completely overturned it, and dumped the thousands of packages onto the belt. The packages literally fell on each other, and I'm pretty sure lots of stuff got broke.

They are invested in a years-long training program. That program is training their customers to accept packaging where everything just gets thrown in a box and the box taped shut (air pillow optional).

Why are they training us to accept that? Because that's what you can expect from a robot packer, and eventually they'll replace all their warehouse staff with robots.

[MifuneFan]

March predictions

Werckmeister Harmonies (or Bela Tarr set)
Medium Cool 4K
Saint Omer
Peeping Tom 4K
It Happened One Night 4K

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

March predictions

Werckmeister Harmonies (or Bela Tarr set)
Medium Cool 4K
Saint Omer
Peeping Tom 4K
It Happened One Night 4K

Is there any clues that we'll get a re-do of It Happened 4K, or just that they did the same with Last Picture Show?

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Gunsnroses092789

Is there any clues that we'll get a re-do of It Happened 4K, or just that they did the same with Last Picture Show?

Oh, no. I forgot it actually had a 4K release in the Columbia Classics set. I was just on TCM's Film Festival page, and was looking at Sony anniversary titles that Criterion may upgrade and spotted that one. I would say it's unlikely to happen, so I know I already have at least one incorrect . I was going to put On the Waterfront there, but figured that may be saved for a later month like July (if it's happening at all).