The Criterion Collection

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Steric_Hinderance

Not saying they wouldn't be worth it! There's a lot on the By Brakhage set (obviously shorter pieces) but that's a substantially lower price point.

But isn't Brakhage set mostly made up of shorts with runtimes around 6 - 10 mins? Whereas this set has 14 full length documentaries + a selection of his short films.

Im new to Les Blanks so not actually sure on all his runtimes etc

[tenia]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

But isn't Brakhage set mostly made up of shorts with runtimes around 6 - 10 mins? Whereas this set has 14 full length documentaries + a selection of his short films.

It's a bit biased because this doesn't take in account the extras features on Les Blank set, but By Brakhage is 243 min + 454 min whereas Les Blank is 569 min.

[StLouisRibs]

Originally Posted by TomN245

Disappointing to hear that Les Blank's 'Werner Herzog Eats his Shoe' (1980) is not included in the set.

That's something everyone wants to see in HD.

Likely being held for the inevitable Burden of Dreams BD, given it was a bonus feature on the DVD.

[minister_x]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Im new to Les Blanks so not actually sure on all his runtimes etc

[Show spoiler]*The Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin’ Hopkins -- 31 mins
*God Respects Us When We Work, but Loves Us When We Dance -- 20 mins
*Spend It All -- 41 mins
*A Well Spent Life -- 44 mins
*Dry Wood -- 37 mins
*Hot Pepper -- 54 mins
*Always for Pleasure -- 58 mins
*Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers -- 51 mins
*Sprout Wings and Fly -- 30 mins
*In Heaven There Is No Beer? -- 51 mins
*Gap-Toothed Women -- 31 mins
*Yum, Yum, Yum -- 90 mins
*The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists -- 54 mins
*Sworn to the Drum -- 35 mins

BONUS:
- Lightnin’ Les -- (unknown)
- Mr. Charlie, Your Rollin’ Mill Is Burnin’ Down -- 10 mins
- The Sun’s Gonna Shine -- 10 mins
- More Fess -- (unknown)
- Julie: Old Time Tales of the Blue Ridge -- 11 mins
- My Old Fiddle: A Visit with Tommy Jarrell in the Blue Ridge -- 17 mins
- The Maestro Rides Again -- 30 mins

In total, I make it about 10.5 hours of documentaries (Criterion's site lists 9.5, so let's round to 10), with (probably) about 1.5 hours of bonus short films, on 3 discs with other extras. Total of 11.5+ hours of material.

In contrast, the By Brakhage set has (according to Criterion and my adding up) 11+ hours of material on 3 discs with some other extras.

Not a huge difference, really, except in the price tag... And if you go by Criterion's runtimes, basically the same quantity of content.

[minister_x]

Originally Posted by StLouisRibs

Likely being held for the inevitable Burden of Dreams BD, given it was a bonus feature on the DVD.

Yes, I think this is true. And such a set may not be too far off - as with other possible contenders, Burden of Dreams has been given an HD release on iTunes (and Hulu?). Hopefully it will be on its way to BD soon enough!

[Wildcat47]

Originally Posted by Steric_Hinderance

Yeah, that's what I thought! Isn't the Les Blank set the same price as the Tati set and yet has half as many discs??

I didn't do any comparisons between the amount of content on those two sets, but I did think the MSRP (which almost no one will pay) seemed pretty steep for the Les Blank set. Im unfamiliar with his work though, so I also just kinda assumed it wasn't too bad since no one had complained about it right after the announcement...

Also surprised how much "complaining" there is about Tootsie being released. It was already in the collection on LD, was leaked that it was coming out on blu again by C, and then people are still upset? Get over it. If you hate it that much, simply don't buy it. Its not like it was a total surprise and caught everyone off guard.

[SlickDamian]

I'm watching Marketa Lazarova right now as I type this. I'm about 20 minutes in, and seriously tripped out. But that transfer though!

[fahrenheit290]

Originally Posted by MiracleandWonder

I am surprised at how many hipsters are griping about Tootsie on the Facebook page.... some of us actually are huge fans of that movie and have waited patiently for years for this to come out on blu-ray, assuming the best we'd get would be a Twilight Time version with no new extras.

God forbid Criterion releases a movie that the general public actually knows of.

I've learned to ignore the Internet movie "hipsters," the ones who glorify everything by Tarantino, Fincher, and Scorsese as the cool films. There really is a divide between films the Internet generation loves and the wider public...you could see that on the AV Club's best films of the 90s, a ridiculous list. Apparently liking films like Silence of the Lambs, JFK, and Titanic is just not cool, as they were left out. Shakespeare in Love is continuously crucified online and in any print piece on the worst BP winners because it beat Saving Private Ryan, a film that I think is largely lackluster and pales against the great war movies. The Thin Red Line is never mentioned, of course. Group think wins out; it's amazing how people are afraid to make their own decisions about something as trivial as movies, as well as much more important issues of course. Tootsie is a very strong American comedy. I would guess those people griping on Facebook simply haven't seen the film. It comments on the entertainment industry agency structure, the struggling artist, women in Hollywood. Dustin Hoffman gives one of his best performances; the supporting cast is great; the screenplay fantastic. It has to be up there with the best American comedies: Wilder, Capra, Hawks. If those dissenters knew Bill Murray was in the movie, they'd probably change their mind lol

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I'm watching Marketa Lazarova right now as I type this. I'm about 20 minutes in, and seriously tripped out. But that transfer though!

It's an incredible film and release - something I'd never have found had it not been for Criterion.

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by CinemaBlu

Does anyone know of any plans for Criterion to eventually release their Eclipse label on Blu-ray?

Recently, Criterion has reaffirmed their commitment to the eclipse label.

As far as Eclipse series being released on blu:

...but Eclipse will remain a DVD-only line, in keeping with its original goals and identity.

Peter Becker August 20 2013.

This was the announcement that CC was going dual-format for all future releases. Ten months later, CC reverted back to separate format releases. Is it possible they will change their minds on making Eclipse series on blu-ray? Sure. Likely? Not.

At the time of their release, I believe, both the Mailer and the Czech New Wave Eclipse sets had at least one film that was available on blu somewhere.

I'd be tickled if CC Eclipse releases go blu, but my money's on blu-ray upgrades to specific titles.

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by fahrenheit290

I've learned to ignore the Internet movie "hipsters," the ones who glorify everything by Tarantino, Fincher, and Scorsese as the cool films. There really is a divide between films the Internet generation loves and the wider public...you could see that on the AV Club's best films of the 90s, a ridiculous list. Apparently liking films like Silence of the Lambs, JFK, and Titanic is just not cool, as they were left out. Shakespeare in Love is continuously crucified online and in any print piece on the worst BP winners because it beat Saving Private Ryan, a film that I think is largely lackluster and pales against the great war movies. The Thin Red Line is never mentioned, of course. Group think wins out; it's amazing how people are afraid to make their own decisions about something as trivial as movies, as well as much more important issues of course. Tootsie is a very strong American comedy. I would guess those people griping on Facebook simply haven't seen the film. It comments on the entertainment industry agency structure, the struggling artist, women in Hollywood. Dustin Hoffman gives one of his best performances; the supporting cast is great; the screenplay fantastic. It has to be up there with the best American comedies: Wilder, Capra, Hawks. If those dissenters knew Bill Murray was in the movie, they'd probably change their mind lol

I agree with everything you say, except about Saving Private Ryan being lackluster. It was one of my favorite films from the 90s. But that it's what is fantastic about movies and things like the Criterion Collection; that everybody has their own unique tastes, and you can further develop your own film sensibilities by talking to (in person or on forums) other films fans, allow a little of their perspective to develop yours, get some ideas and advice, "trade paint" like in a NASCAR race (I'm a much bigger F1 fan though, haven't missed a race since '99).

I still haven't seen Shakespeare In Love, but it is near the top of my "to see" list, and I'll probably just buy the blu-ray since it is so cheap. Silence of the Lambs, Titanic, and JFK are all fantastic films to me, and I find it hard to believe that an entire group of people could all hate them. They are playing "follow the leader". I love The Thin Red Line also, although I don't compare it to Saving Private Ryan as I consider it a completely different kind of war film.

I have a DVD Triple Feature (three discs in one case) of Speed, The Transporter, and Point Break. It is one of my most cherished items in my DVD collection.

[fahrenheit290]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I agree with everything you say, except about Saving Private Ryan being lackluster. It was one of my favorite films from the 90s. But that it's what is fantastic about movies and things like the Criterion Collection; that everybody has their own unique tastes, and you can further develop your own film sensibilities by talking to (in person or on forums) other films fans, allow a little of their perspective to develop yours, get some ideas and advice, "trade paint" like in a NASCAR race (I'm a much bigger F1 fan though, haven't missed a race since '99).

I still haven't seen Shakespeare In Love, but it is near the top of my "to see" list, and I'll probably just buy the blu-ray since it is so cheap. Silence of the Lambs, Titanic, and JFK are all fantastic films to me, and I find it hard to believe that an entire group of people could all hate them. They are playing "follow the leader". I love The Thin Red Line also, although I don't compare it to Saving Private Ryan as I consider it a completely different kind of war film.

I have a DVD Triple Feature (three discs in one case) of Speed, The Transporter, and Point Break. It is one of my most cherished items in my DVD collection.

Point Break is a stellar action movie. I think Kathryn Bigelow is one of the best working American directors; she's certainly at a peak in her career, which you can't say about many of her contemporaries. I wrote a post a while back saying the Criterion Collection needs a Bigelow film...said Near Dark would be perfect. Sometimes it irks me when I see other directors have their entire oeuvres in the collection and many of her films don't have definitive (or acceptable) releases. She's still not a huge Internet favorite; many still rail about Hurt Locker beating Inglourious Basterds. The Rock is another stellar action film for that matter, a real standout from Michael Bay that is in the Collection. Maybe it's because Connery's the most compelling actor he's ever had in one of his films. I agree, that we all have our own cherished items in our collections.

"Largely lackluster" was probably a bit harsh on Saving Private Ryan. I don't hate the film. It's hugely important for pushing the war genre forward. I just think there are a lot of examples in that film of Spielberg at his worst. A tighter editing job, removing those awful bookends, and making some dialogue changes, I think, could have been very positive to the overall product. I think Shakespeare in Love is a tremendously unique film with a fantastic screenplay; it plays very well, blending comedy and drama, with a great score, and really a perfect ending.

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

I've not seen any Antonioni - I am quite likely to pick up at least one of his films in the near future. Not sure which will be first up though. L'avventura a very likely purchase anyway.

It Happened One Night is exciting! I'll get that for sure.

I'm very interested in the Hellman westerns.

Tootsie is one of my wife's least favourite movies ever, so that's a pass (I've never seen it)

And Les Blank doesn't interest me at all. Looks like a great set for those that are interested though.

I'm in the same boat with L'avventura. Will I have to watch the others in the trilogy?

[myka22]

Originally Posted by fahrenheit290

Point Break is a stellar action movie. I think Kathryn Bigelow is one of the best working American directors; she's certainly at a peak in her career, which you can't say about many of her contemporaries. I wrote a post a while back saying the Criterion Collection needs a Bigelow film...said Near Dark would be perfect. Sometimes it irks me when I see other directors have their entire oeuvres in the collection and many of her films don't have definitive (or acceptable) releases. She's still not a huge Internet favorite; many still rail about Hurt Locker beating Inglourious Basterds. The Rock is another stellar action film for that matter, a real standout from Michael Bay that is in the Collection. Maybe it's because Connery's the most compelling actor he's ever had in one of his films. I agree, that we all have our own cherished items in our collections.

"Largely lackluster" was probably a bit harsh on Saving Private Ryan. I don't hate the film. It's hugely important for pushing the war genre forward. I just think there are a lot of examples in that film of Spielberg at his worst. A tighter editing job, removing those awful bookends, and making some dialogue changes, I think, could have been very positive to the overall product. I think Shakespeare in Love is a tremendously unique film with a fantastic screenplay; it plays very well, blending comedy and drama, with a great score, and really a perfect ending.

I completely agree with most of your opinions, and I especially love Bigelow. However, I don't think it is worth worrying or bothering over what people say on Facebook about certain films. Everyone has their own opinions. Sometimes director's end up with large amount of films in the collection because relationships have been established, other times director's works are absent simply because it is not feasible for Criterion to release it due to a litany of reasons. There are many hoops that Criterion has to go through to get a film released. There are many wonderful directors that don't have any films in the collection. Criterion can't release everything, it's better to appreciate the wonderful work they do instead of worrying about what they don't release.

[Polaroid]

What bugs me nowadays with film is people jumping in and saying this film will win all oscars etc

for example, head over to Interstellar IMDB forums and people are like this WILL get so and so oscars and this is a masterpiece, solely based on a trailer...

Im just like, 1. you haven't seen the film 2. you are comparing it film that are not even related and 3. why does it even matter if it wins or doesn't win an oscar!?

Really bugs me how people see Inception and film like that as masterpieces and then they say they can not watch or get bored by films by Tarkovsky, Fellini or Kubrick etc Ok I understand fi they may not like the film but not finding ANYTHING to appreciate :/

:/

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by Snicket

I'm in the same boat with L'avventura. Will I have to watch the others in the trilogy?

No. It's a thematic trilogy only.

[atlantajoseph]

Originally Posted by Snicket

I'm in the same boat with L'avventura. Will I have to watch the others in the trilogy?

No. It's not a traditional trilogy -- it's a series of movies that are related thematically that people have dubbed a "trilogy" only after the fact. This is also sometimes considered part of a tetralogy if you include Red Desert. None of these films share characters, continued stories, etc., so you can watch any or all of them in any order you please.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by fahrenheit290

I've learned to ignore the Internet movie "hipsters," the ones who glorify everything by Tarantino, Fincher, and Scorsese as the cool films. There really is a divide between films the Internet generation loves and the wider public...you could see that on the AV Club's best films of the 90s, a ridiculous list. Apparently liking films like Silence of the Lambs, JFK, and Titanic is just not cool, as they were left out. Shakespeare in Love is continuously crucified online and in any print piece on the worst BP winners because it beat Saving Private Ryan, a film that I think is largely lackluster and pales against the great war movies. The Thin Red Line is never mentioned, of course. Group think wins out; it's amazing how people are afraid to make their own decisions about something as trivial as movies, as well as much more important issues of course. Tootsie is a very strong American comedy. I would guess those people griping on Facebook simply haven't seen the film. It comments on the entertainment industry agency structure, the struggling artist, women in Hollywood. Dustin Hoffman gives one of his best performances; the supporting cast is great; the screenplay fantastic. It has to be up there with the best American comedies: Wilder, Capra, Hawks. If those dissenters knew Bill Murray was in the movie, they'd probably change their mind lol

All of my hipster credibility went out the window as soon as I wrote glowing User Reviews for Without Warning, Octopussy, and The Final Terror. I'm happier now, because there's no pressure or expectations.

I'm excited about the upcoming release of Tootsie.

[fahrenheit290]

Originally Posted by myka22

I completely agree with most of your opinions, and I especially love Bigelow. However, I don't think it is worth worrying or bothering over what people say on Facebook about certain films. Everyone has their own opinions. Sometimes director's end up with large amount of films in the collection because relationships have been established, other times director's works are absent simply because it is not feasible for Criterion to release it due to a litany of reasons. There are many hoops that Criterion has to go through to get a film released. There are many wonderful directors that don't have any films in the collection. Criterion can't release everything, it's better to appreciate the wonderful work they do instead of worrying about what they don't release.

Oh of course. It's one thing to write about what films we'd like to see in the Criterion Collection or updated; it's something completely different when it comes down to what is a possibility and what isn't.

I agree and disagree about Internet presence. While what individuals say on Facebook isn't important, the overall thrust of Internet influence is. There are certainly perceived "cool" films and "cool" directors that have led many great films to be passed over or not considered, be it by bloggers or younger generations or even critics when it comes to ranking films. The problem is people care a lot about their tastes being accepted, especially if in print or if their writing can be responded to or if it means their livelihoods. Hits/views matter, popularity matters. That's what can be problematic. The hosanna calls so many people do now, be it on Twitter or imdb or reddit or Facebook, to call films masterpieces to give validation to our own preferences and experiences. Look at Boyhood--Kenneth Turan decided not to put his negative review on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic for the fear that it would break the 100% ratings and he would be shit upon. Acceptance/perception is big. Sometimes I get the most pleasure of listening to the filmmakers, especially those who are not self-absorbed and just exhibit boundless excitement about the medium, other directors and actors, and many diverse movies, regardless of their quality.

[fahrenheit290]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

All of my hipster credibility went out the window as soon as I wrote glowing User Reviews for Without Warning, Octopussy, and The Final Terror. I'm happier now, because there's no pressure or expectations.

I'm excited about the upcoming release of Tootsie.

Octopussy is so much fun. "No, ma'am. I'm with the economy tour." And: "Mr. Bond is of a rare breed, soon to become extinct." Enough said.