The Criterion Channel

[b00gie]

January line up: https://www.criterion.com/current/po...ry-2025-lineup

[JupiterMission]

Originally Posted by b00gie

January line up: https://www.criterion.com/current/po...ry-2025-lineup

I really wish they'd also do this for the films leaving at the end of the month. It'd give me a little more of a head start!

[fdm]

I did start a belated re-watch of Fire Music the other night which was going very well and then the wife came home pretty early in. I will give it another shot tonight. It's even better the second time, and I may go for a third time before it disappears forever. (No Kanopy option for me, if it's even actually there.) Highly recommended documentary.

Also made an expiring this month list prior to that, but it hasn't been vetted yet, or pruned for the inevitable things I've already seen or own.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by JupiterMission

I really wish they'd also do this for the films leaving at the end of the month. It'd give me a little more of a head start!

r/criterionconversation on Reddit does it every month.

https://www.reddit.com/r/criterionco...l_on_december/

[JupiterMission]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

r/criterionconversation on Reddit does it every month.

https://www.reddit.com/r/criterionco...l_on_december/

Sorry, I wasn't clear about what I was saying. I meant I wish they'd announce which movies are leaving at the end of January in mid-to-late December, or something like that. And it would really help if they'd just say when every movie was leaving. "Z Channel: 7 Days Remaining" or something like that. But I know streamers rarely do that beyond a month out, probably because it would get way too complicated.

Reddit grouping them is handy though! I appreciate you sharing it.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by fdm

I did start a belated re-watch of Fire Music the other night which was going very well and then the wife came home pretty early in. I will give it another shot tonight. It's even better the second time, and I may go for a third time before it disappears forever. (No Kanopy option for me, if it's even actually there.) Highly recommended documentary.

Also made an expiring this month list prior to that, but it hasn't been vetted yet, or pruned for the inevitable things I've already seen or own.

I hadn't quite managed to get back to the channel until tonight, determined to squeeze in Fire Music: The Story Of Free Jazz while the wife's away at work, and really enjoyed seeing it all again.

(Funny thing is that I was misremembering some stuff that I thought was in it that was actually in one of the other documentaries that had been part of the same package of related films on the channel at one point, that being Rising Tones Cross. Fortunately at least I have a (dvd or dvd-r) copy of that. Unfortunately will probably never have a chance to say the same about Fire Music.)

[DaBargainHunta]

I'm late to the party, but I watched Times Square last night (unrealistic but fun) and I'll probably watch the documentary The Gods of Times Square tonight. Then maybe some shorts to end the month.

This is what else I've watched (either on the Channel or elsewhere). My favorites are in bold, but they're all good.

• The Big Lebowski
• Christine
• Frankenstein
• God Told Me To
• Miller's Crossing
• The Night of the Hunter
• On the Waterfront
• Raising Arizona
• Suspiria
• Twelve Monkeys

[fdm]

I'll probably be spending a good amount of time over at prime… I noticed several days ago that some of my watchlist is expiring within days (now hours), and of course some of those led to other ones expiring. And then last night I noticed that one of my continue watching tv series was on the verge of expiring within 15 hours (at least I only had 3 more episodes to go (it was Jo with Jean Reno (all in English)), so…

I may get back to the channel though before this month is through… I do recall starting to watch God Told Me To somewhere or other, but put it off for some reason, maybe because it was on the channel.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

I'll probably watch the documentary The Gods of Times Square tonight.

I watched this last night. It's wild. Definitely worth carving out time for.

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

Then maybe some shorts to end the month.

Lynne Ramsay's Swimmer got removed from the Channel early. I hate when that happens. It's available on YouTube in sterling 360p quality though.

I just started Mike Leigh's A Running Jump (35 minutes) and will also watch Liberian Boy (4 minutes) because the thumbnail has me curious.



Update: A Running Jump is great. Liberian Boy is WTF???

[fdm]

Turns out prime expires things fairly early in the evening, so ended up with time for barely one more there and a couple on the channel after that. (Aside from that tv show I mentioned (Jo), which did go away altogether, the expiring prime ones that I noticed aftrwards either ended up being available with ads or as rentals.)

God Told Me To. This one was in my watchlist because at some point several months ago TCM was featuring several Sandy Dennis films and this was likely one of them… which I ended up deferring to the channel at the time. So good thing I got around to it at least. Not necessarily a fan of this sort of thing, but it was pretty okay all in all.

Had my eye on Someone's Watching Me! and figured I may as well stick with thrillers and gave it a shot and enjoyed it well enough.

And that was about all I felt like watching once it hit 3 am, though probably should have checked out A Running Jump. Pretty much neglected the shorts this time around.

[Cpt. Feeney]

Happy New Year all. I did not get much end of month viewing done, but we've got a bitter cold front coming in and I am lining up quite a few from the new collections. Also a ton leaving at the end of Jan.

[Cpt. Feeney]

The PQ on The Boston Strangler is exceptionally good. Nice to see that iffy 60s stock well-contrasted.
The film I also found hard-hitting - it makes a good go of expressing split personality disorder through the camera. Also it gives an account of male perversion that shows what a broad social problem it is, which feels like something that isn't tackled in cinema too often.

[Star Lord]

I watched The Last Seduction recently and the picture quality was awful.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Star Lord

I watched The Last Seduction recently and the picture quality was awful.

I was very lucky to catch it in 35mm when it first opened

[JupiterMission]

Originally Posted by Star Lord

I watched The Last Seduction recently and the picture quality was awful.

The blu-ray is pretty bad too. I'm not sure what the situation is with the elements, but I'm hoping somebody can do a new scan and restoration some time soon. I love that movie!

[Star Lord]

Saw To Die For, fun and crazy film.

[fdm]

A few days ago I watched Saura's The Hunt. I'd started it a few times, but usually wasn't at the best of times (usually after watching other things so it was late by then), but this last time I was pretty much wide awake for it and it pretty much was another of his that I enjoyed. Given it was his first film (at least of those on the channel), it did seem somewhat predictable, just a matter of how it would all happen (I got hints of this from the earlier attempts to watch it). Similar things happen in his later films, and I haven't even seen them all yet (which I intend to rectify soon), so that sort of added to the hints.

Up for more of his films soon, so I may get through the rest of them yet!

[jabba359]

Just watched Jean De Florette and Manon of the Spring. According to the credits, the streaming versions are based off the 2015 4K restoration (likely the same ones the upcoming UHDs will use) and I thought they looked great. Some of the best quality I've seen on the Criterion Channel.

I'm considering watching Eyes Wide Shut, but does anybody happen to know if this is unedited or if it's the edited/censored version?

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by jabba359

I'm considering watching Eyes Wide Shut, but does anybody happen to know if this is unedited or if it's the edited/censored version?

I'd be curious about that myself

[dwk]

Originally Posted by jabba359

Just watched Jean De Florette and Manon of the Spring. According to the credits, the streaming versions are based off the 2015 4K restoration (likely the same ones the upcoming UHDs will use) and I thought they looked great. Some of the best quality I've seen on the Criterion Channel.

I'm considering watching Eyes Wide Shut, but does anybody happen to know if this is unedited or if it's the edited/censored version?

Initially it was the r-rated version, but I saw a post at the Criterion Forum that said it has been replaced with the uncut version.