The Criterion Collection

[Querelle]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Playing a single major chord on the guitar surpasses anything the cubists and abstract artists have done the past hundred years.

[Professor Echo]

One thing that I am guilty of overlooking every release announcement day and during all the arguments and complaints and debates that follow is that if Criterion announced only titles I have been desperate to get and in the best possible quality on every level, including cover art, that would always land on my radar, I would be broke after two months. It's actually gotten to the point now where I'm grateful there are months where my favorite labels like Criterion and Indicator miss the boat as far as my Wantlists go and I can use up my resources to continue to enjoy the hobby elsewhere. Man cannot live by Criterion alone.

So as much as I too would like more perfect Kurosawa 4K releases instead of what a lot of us determine are worthless upgrades of other films, I am not in the billionaire's club lighting cigars from my exploding Tesla. I don't need or even want Criterion to hit the mark every month with nothing but masterpiece editions of movies I can't wait to have. Let there be trash that is someone else's treasure!

[Fellini912]

Plug your Fender or Gibson guitar to your amp, turn it up to 11, and let it the E major chord ring.



The first time I saw This is Spinal Tap is on Criterion DVD. Is there a chance that we will see a 4k of this film in future?

[fdm]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Plug your Fender or Gibson guitar to your amp, turn it up to 11, and let it the E major chord ring.



The first time I saw This is Spinal Tap is on Criterion DVD. Is there a chance that we will see a 4k of this film in future?

Time will tell, but Bleeker Street seems to have the U.S. rights these days.

[sherlockjr]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

The first time I saw This is Spinal Tap is on Criterion DVD. Is there a chance that we will see a 4k of this film in future?

The SPINAL TAP sequel is scheduled for theatrical release in September from Sony, who now also has the worldwide rights to the original film except for the US, where it's still controlled by Bleeker Street.

Bleeker Street is planning a theatrical re-release this summer. That will, I'm guessing, be quickly followed (or simultaneous) with a physical and streaming re-release, leading up to the theatrical sequel release in the fall. A 4K of the original wouldn't surprise me, though I'm guessing as a mass release it's likely to be from a larger label than boutique Criterion.

I believe that most of THIS IS SPINAL TAP was shot on 16mm documentary style, so not sure how much of a visual upgrade a 4K would be over a BD. But I'm thinking we'll find out in a few months.

[ophone]

I'm still hoping for a new Blu-ray or even a 4K release of Jean-Pierre Melville's Le deuxième souffle by Criterion. (Also hoping a French distributor would be in the game to release a French version. Such things have been done with other French movies released by Criterion.)

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

Any LA people make it to the Criterion truck?

I live near Vidiots and have driven by it a few times, the truck is still there this morning when I went by. It is rent week and I have no extra cash. I'm hoping to make the next one is early June at the Aero.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Brad1963

I live near Vidiots and have driven by it a few times, the truck is still there this morning when I went by. It is rent week and I have no extra cash. I'm hoping to make the next one is early June at the Aero.

Yeah I’m gonna try and make the Aero one too.

[Flaneur]

Couldn’t manage it. Maybe for the return in May?

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

It seems this discussion comes up every week or so. While I do admire Duke's passion, and agree that we need more new to HD releases, I do feel that that in itself would not be good for business.

The funny thing is, and I feel many don't acknowledge this enough, but Criterion has actually been doing way more new to HD releases in recent times compared to past years.

New to HD worldwide debut:

Choose Me
Crossing Delancey
Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling
The Killer of Sheep
King Lear
Midnight
Prince of Broadway
Thelonious Monk Straight, No Chaser
Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould
You Can Count On Me

Plus new to HD in the US:

Anora
Antoine Donel films (besides 400 Blows)
Basquiat
Carnal Knowledge
Drugstore Cowboy
How to Get Ahead in Advertising
Three & Four Musketeers
The Mother and the Wh0re
Withnail & I
A Woman of Paris


That's nearly half of their 2025 output! The rest are either upgrades, or a newly acquired and usually popular/major film (like Sorcerer). Can you imagine what Criterion's sales would be like if they dropped those latter two things though? If they just filled it with new to HD stuff, even supposing they added some long-anticipated Japanese titles to the mix, there's no way they would be making as much as they would by including Barry Lyndon, Sorcerer, Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and others.

I think people look at Criterion as the smaller under the radar arthouse boutique they were back in the day, where Kurosawa titles were their bread and butter. But they are arguably more mainstream than ever. I mean, the fact that they can tour around a freaking Mobile Criterion Closet is proof enough of that. So, while they're not completely abandoning the more niche/arthouse crowd, they do have to cater to people that also now look to them to drop major titles too.

And for the record, as I've said before, I agree with Duke that we need some more upgrades of stuff they have rights to when possible, particularly from Kurosawa and Ozu (but also Naruse and others too), but I can't knock Criterion for picking up some major titles for 4K as well, when I know that they need titles like that to offset the undoubtedly lower expected sales from many of those New to HD titles listed above.

The funny thing is, In many cases I still chose to get the BD only versions of many new to Criterion titles including Choose Me, Crossing Delancey, Real Life, Mother, Paper Moon and most likely will get the BD only releases of Anora and Basquiat instead of 4k. But I have jumped at the chance to upgrade most of the Criterion legacy titles that have been released lately. 8 ½, The Wages of Fear, Breathless, Seven Samurai, Paris Texas, Wings of Desire, Rules of the Game, Le Samourai, The Seventh Seal etc. I do feel a desire to upgrade existing favorites and look forward to these as much and in most cases more than the new releases.
__________________

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

Yeah I’m gonna try and make the Aero one too.

This all snuck up on me and I was not able to put money aside. I am going to try to save enough money to get a couple titles at the Aero. Also, I have have a friend who wants to go and couldn't make it this past weekend who can make it to the Aero. Thankfully we have the 2nd date option.

[Sommerswerd]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TJ2BlReus0

[PhysMed]

Interesting he asked when Criterion is releasing the 4K of Armageddon, and Criterion left it in...

[Sommerswerd]

I just realized that the two most recent Closet videos are from the two actors from Gone Girl. Hmm.

[darrellmaclaine]

Originally Posted by sherlockjr

I believe that most of THIS IS SPINAL TAP was shot on 16mm documentary style, so not sure how much of a visual upgrade a 4K would be over a BD. But I'm thinking we'll find out in a few months.

That's right, it was shot standard 16mm then cropped and blown up to 35mm widescreen, as per real docs like Let It Be. Saying that, the previous 2K remaster that Canal made was surprisingly wonderful looking in both resolution and colour quality, so I'm not sure what elements exist that they had access to for that (previous masters including the MGM DVD were extremely dupey looking).

I do wish Criterion would get it back globally for disc. The 'demo version' of the film 'The Final Tour' has never been seen since their DVD, and the commentaries on that disc are beyond superb, whereas the jokier extras on subsequent labels' editions are a mixed bag.

[darrellmaclaine]

Originally Posted by Sommerswerd

I just realized that the two most recent Closet videos are from the two actors from Gone Girl. Hmm.

Also, Dogma remains another 'might they be?' possible.

[Ishai]

Originally Posted by darrellmaclaine

Also, Dogma remains another 'might they be?' possible.

Kevin Smith said a steelbook is coming soon, two things that don't fit criterion who would've sat on it for a while

[darrellmaclaine]

Originally Posted by Ishai

Kevin Smith said a steelbook is coming soon, two things that don't fit criterion who would've sat on it for a while

Fair enough! 5 years ago I wouldn't have said Dogma could have been a Criterion title but they have cycled back a little and I think it would have worked within their current editorial space.

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by darrellmaclaine

Fair enough! 5 years ago I wouldn't have said Dogma could have been a Criterion title but they have cycled back a little and I think it would have worked within their current editorial space.

Also, 5 years ago, the Weinsteins weren't at all interested in/in a position to do anything with the film, which was an ongoing source of frustration for Smith. Now that he finally owns the rights, I think his priority is simply getting it back out as soon as humanly possible.

[concolt]

Originally Posted by Sommerswerd

I just realized that the two most recent Closet videos are from the two actors from Gone Girl. Hmm.

I noticed that too. I really hope it’s a possibility.