The Criterion Collection

[BluPix]

Originally Posted by jayputter

I saw Umberto D today for the first time. What a wonderful film. So simple yet incredibly moving. To watch a mans dignity slowly being overtaken by despair was heartbreaking. I'll definitely be adding it to my collection.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. In terms of the feature film alone, Umberto D. is one of the very best in the Collection. I'm looking forward to owning the blu-ray when its released and watching the supplements for the first time and watching the film yet again.

[BluPix]

Originally Posted by alwaysHD

i really want to see modern times, maybe because ive only seen rushmore and the game but for some reason i just have to have this one

I wasn't very familiar with Charles Chaplin before I watched Modern Times on Criterion blu. I found it hilarious and encourage everyone to watch it, especially those who enjoy slapstick.

I just bought Chaplin's The Gold Rush from B&N's Buy 2 Get the 3rd Free sale and I'm likely to buy his The Great Dictator during the 50% off sale.

[BluPix]

Originally Posted by Ctzalman

good news: i talked to my buddy at Barnes and Noble today, he confirmed that the criterion sale will happen and begins on July 10th. He said the confusion arose from a change in the promotion: it will now include 50% off all 'art house' films, which includes the entirety of the criterion collection.

happy shopping!

Thanks for officially clearing that up—as officially as you can, anyway. Looks as if I should prepare my wallet for that big hit after all.

[BluPix]

Originally Posted by Sinthetic

You know your stuff friend.

On a side note, really looking forward to Le Havre coming soon.

I'm also looking forward to Le Havre being released, lol. I loved it when I saw it in the theater.

[BluPix]

Originally Posted by MPeriolat

How long does it usually take before Criterion announces the next movie in a collection? I'm specifically wondering about the Chaplin lineup since, while I'm thrilled about The Gold Rush and love Modern Times, I'm itching for them to get to City Lights and The Kid.

Just wondering and really looking forward to the sale in a few days.

Usually, Criterion announces, on the 15th of the month, the slate of titles it plans to release about three months in advance. So, right around Sunday, July 15th (it'll probably occur the preceding Friday or the following Monday), Criterion will likely announce its titles to be released during the month of October.

On average, the company announces four or five blu-ray titles. It also announces DVD-only titles, such as those in its Eclipse series.

I'm sure Criterion will eventually release City Lights and perhaps The Kid too. But, since it has already released a Chaplin film this year, The Gold Rush, the next Chaplin film probably won't be released until sometime next year. This is the way Criterion typically operates. It releases on the same day one or two films—or a box set of them—that were created by a certain director. If Criterion plans to release more titles by that same director, those subsequent titles won't typically materialize on the label until the following year or later.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by saprano

Does criterion not do inside artwork for their cases anymore? I noticed Rushmore is blank.

Shallow Grave has artwork. It's the most recent Criterion I own at the moment, since The 39 Steps hasn't show up yet, and the rest are pre-orders for August and September. Hoping I might grab Le Havre during the sale though, which will then be my most recent until the August/September pre-orders, as I hope it is included. I'll just have to freaking wait to order it.

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Not as familiar with English Canada but I could see three or maybe even five Quebec movies added and fit very well in the Criterion collection but that just me

Ooh, what ones? I need a list to check out once I stop reading for a bit. I'm on a reading kick as of lately, I've read about 20.5 books since Thursday:

Howards End (Criterion BD, check it out)
re-read Coraline (The film is pretty fantastic as well)
The Rum Diary (haven't watched the film adaptation yet, but will soon)
The Big Sleep (Awesome Bogey film btw)
The Thin Man (awesome William Powell film)
The Postman Always Rings Twice (Lana Turner, TCM had it on Friday)
The Turn of The Screw (The film adaptation is called The Innocents, and is deliciously creepy)
All 13 Lemony Snicket books
Half of The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

As I said, I'll read The 39 Steps once I watch the film, and I'm busy seeking out some more Criterion films that were initially based on novels that I haven't read yet. I'm hoping someone might have an English translation of The Leopard somewhere.,

[BluPix]

Originally Posted by Fallglimmer

new three reasons video for The Last Days of Disco...even though I think I'm the only one who was excited about this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE2rL...&feature=g-u-u

No, you're not the only one. I liked this three reasons promo. In any case, I'm thinking of picking up The Last Days of Disco—though Metropolitan has a slightly higher priority. Both would be blind buys for me.

[Freeza]

Originally Posted by Fallglimmer

new three reasons video for The Last Days of Disco...even though I think I'm the only one who was excited about this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE2rL...&feature=g-u-u

Nope, I'm right there with you.

[BluPix]

Originally Posted by saprano

Does criterion not do inside artwork for their cases anymore? I noticed Rushmore is blank.

It varies from title to title. For example, another Wes Anderson film in the Collection, The Darjeeling Limited, does have graphics inside the case.

Are you like me and feel ever so slightly disappointed when you discover there are large, blank panels in the case or booklet without interesting graphics?

[BluPix]

Last weekend, I finally watched my copy of

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

For me, it was a blind buy, though I like Terry Gilliam's work in general, so I bought with relative confidence. I enjoyed this film as well. "Off-kilter" doesn't even begin to really describe it. To enjoy this picture, you really have to appreciate Gilliam and Hunter S. Thompson's weird sense of humor and loosely structured storyline. I recommend it, though some of you may wish to rent it first, especially those who aren't already familiar with Gilliam's more thematically "out-there" films.

One great feature about this disc is the massive suite of supplements it has. It's going to be a while before I see them all, but I've taken a look at a few and they're quite informative, of strong quality and really add much extra value for viewers who want to explore "beyond" the film.

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by starman15317

I thought they lost the rights to all of them. Which ones do they still have the rights to?

Neither Armageddon or The Rock are OOP on Criterion's end.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by BluPix

Extras. Extras. More Extras. Yes, in terms of picture & sound presentation, Fox's blu-ray is first-rate, but it really could use more extras. Even a moderate selection of quality supplemental material would be an improvement.

The 30-minute doc pretty much covers everything... Malick doesn't participate in extras, and rarely releases deleted scenes... so there's really nothing else to put on there. The Fox disc is probably all you're going to get, unless a longer cut of the film emerges.

Good thing the discs are about the movies, not the extras.

[jayputter]

Originally Posted by BluPix

No, you're not the only one. I liked this three reasons promo. In any case, I'm thinking of picking up The Last Days of Disco—though Metropolitan has a slightly higher priority. Both would be blind buys for me.

I would heartily recommend both. I prefer LDOD, but only slightly. It's a more polished film, perhaps, but Metropolitan is still very good. For years I loved all three of Whit Stillman's films and could never figure out why he hadn't made any more. I haven't yet seen Damsels In Distress (his newest) but I'm looking forward to it.

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by BluPix

It varies from title to title. For example, another Wes Anderson film in the Collection, The Darjeeling Limited, does have graphics inside the case.

Are you like me and feel ever so slightly disappointed when you discover there are large, blank panels in the case or booklet without interesting graphics?

I think that since the original dvd case didn't feature interior artwork CC wasn't going to commission some for the sake of it. Rushmore's package is a pretty straight port of the dvd. If I remember correctly, the only thing upgraded to HD is the movie proper.

[Simple Lines]

Originally Posted by BluPix

I wasn't very familiar with Charles Chaplin before I watched Modern Times on Criterion blu. I found it hilarious and encourage everyone to watch it.

I recently decided that I would enjoy The Gold Rush and bought the CC release. I enjoyed it immensely. Probably because it's more of a drama than it is slapstick. I've tried to get into Chaplin before, and it never clicked. The Gold Rush and City Lights are probably the only two I'd purchase. Recently, I've been thinking about buying The General and giving Keaton another shot. I prefer Chaplin and Keaton when they're not completely over the top. That would explain why I enjoyed The Gold Rush so much, but dislike Modern Times and The Dictator.

[Justanothercrow421]

Originally Posted by Simple Lines

I recently decided that I would enjoy The Gold Rush and bought the CC release. I enjoyed it immensely. Probably because it's more of a drama than it is slapstick. I've tried to get into Chaplin before, and it never clicked. The Gold Rush and City Lights are probably the only two I'd purchase. Recently, I've been thinking about buying The General and giving Keaton another shot. I prefer Chaplin and Keaton when they're not completely over the top. That would explain why I enjoyed The Gold Rush so much, but dislike Modern Times and The Dictator.

Screening "The Kid" must happen for you immediately.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

The Big Sleep (Awesome Bogey film btw)

Nice.

A few years ago when I was on Chandler binge I read through all of his Marlowe novels one after the other. Incredibly addictive. Chandler is a boss.

[MPeriolat]

Originally Posted by BluPix

Usually, Criterion announces, on the 15th of the month, the slate of titles it plans to release about three months in advance. So, right around Sunday, July 15th (it'll probably occur the preceding Friday or the following Monday), Criterion will likely announce its titles to be released during the month of October.

On average, the company announces four or five blu-ray titles. It also announces DVD-only titles, such as those in its Eclipse series.

I'm sure Criterion will eventually release City Lights and perhaps The Kid too. But, since it has already released a Chaplin film this year, The Gold Rush, the next Chaplin film probably won't be released until sometime next year. This is the way Criterion typically operates. It releases on the same day one or two films—or a box set of them—that were created by a certain director. If Criterion plans to release more titles by that same director, those subsequent titles won't typically materialize on the label until the following year or later.

Mkay, then in all likelihood, we will not hear about another Chaplin for sure until next March or so if I am crunching the numbers right. Well and good, like I said, LOTS of other Criterions I am itching for and we got the rest of this year for releases as well. Thanks for the help.

[Benchman]

So I just watched The Gold Rush for the first time and loved it. I didn't watch the criterion blu though. It was the dvd from the "Chaplin collection" and the transfer was great for a dvd of a film that age. I can't wait to get my hands on the bluray because I know it will top-notch. Also does anyone have suggestions on what Chaplin film to watch next? Looking to maybe blind buy The Great Dictator or Modern Times during the sale.

[BluPix]

Originally Posted by retablo

The 30-minute doc pretty much covers everything... Malick doesn't participate in extras, and rarely releases deleted scenes... so there's really nothing else to put on there. The Fox disc is probably all you're going to get, unless a longer cut of the film emerges.

Good thing the discs are about the movies, not the extras.

Lots of strong blu-rays and DVD packages have been put together without the participation of their respective films' directors—including two from Malick in the Criterion Collection: Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line. Click the links below, then take a look at the Special Features and Extras section of Svet's reviews:

Days of Heaven
The Thin Red Line.

On Days of Heaven you'll see a generous selection of extras, including a feature-length audio commentary with several of the key heads of crew (art director, editor, costume designer, casting director) which, at about ninety minutes, gives much more in-depth information about the making of the film than a doc about a third of its running time could. There are interviews with the cinematographer, camera operator and lead actor. Additionally, there's a relatively lengthy (42-page) booklet that contains the director of photography's recollections on shooting the film and an analysis of the film.

The Thin Red Line abounds with extras, including its own feature-length (nearly three hours) audio commentary with the producer, director of photography and production designer. Beyond that, interview segments that, by themselves, are roughly two hours long, and feature many of the actors, the casting director, editors, music composer and the daughter of the original source novel; some of those “rarely released” outtakes; plus a few other extras that are related in subject matter. The booklet, which, at 36 pages, is still substantial, offers another analytical essay, as is typically the case with Criterion, plus an article by the author of the source novel the film is based on.

As these examples show, even if Terrence Malick doesn’t wish to participate in such discussions, it’s possible to find many who’ve worked with him or otherwise can speak with credibility and shed more insight about the making of his films. Plus, it’s possible to assemble other extras that are in some way related to the feature in subject matter or otherwise and could enhance viewers’ experiences with the feature and the package.

For me and for many other people, the presence of a high quality supplemental package in addition to the main feature(s) adds value to the disc. One of the nice things about the people at Criterion is they realize that many film aficionados, especially the audience companies like theirs cater to, not only value great films. They also value quality extras that accompany those films and are willing to pay a bit more for such premium packages—or wait long periods for sales that occur only two or three times a year. Accordingly, their packages with few or no extras have a lower list price.

Of Malick’s four previous features, two of them are on Criterion already; the rights for the other two are held by a studio that prefers to release its catalog for home video on its own, without involving companies like Criterion. Fox has a working relationship with Criterion, so I wouldn’t be surprised if The Tree of Life does make it onto Criterion at some point. And, if it does, it would be most welcome.

For that, I’d gladly dip again.