The Criterion Collection

[BarnDoor]

Has the possibility of The Naked Spur based on this been mentioned? It's one of my top Warner wants, hopefully Criterion have a few Warner-owned Westerns lined up.

[Member-167298]

Does anyone know when Criterion might have their next flash sale? I was looking back at old emails and it looks like they had one last September.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by PrestonXI

Does anyone know when Criterion might have their next flash sale? I was looking back at old emails and it looks like they had one last September.

First half of October usually.

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

First half of October usually.

They have a knack for dropping them just after a major title is put out, I would be shocked if they did it before the 17th when FWWM and Barry Lyndon are released.

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by BarnDoor

Has the possibility of The Naked Spur based on this been mentioned? It's one of my top Warner wants, hopefully Criterion have a few Warner-owned Westerns lined up.

I have heard nothing about this title, but with Criterion's current relationship with Warner Brothers, anything is possible.

Anthony Mann was an underrated yet gifted auteur, and unfortunately none of his films have received the Criterion blu-ray treatment. In addition to The Naked Spur, I would love to see Winchester '73, The Far Country, and Bend of the River be released Criterion. An Anthony Mann boxset would be a great addition.

[SeanJoyce]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

I have heard nothing about this title, but with Criterion's current relationship with Warner Brothers, anything is possible.

Anthony Mann was an underrated yet gifted auteur, and unfortunately none of his films have received the Criterion blu-ray treatment. In addition to The Naked Spur, I would love to see Winchester '73, The Far Country, and Bend of the River be released Criterion. An Anthony Mann boxset would be a great addition.

The Far Country and Bend of the River are slight, IMO, but the other two are masterpieces of their genre.

[Scottie]

100 Years of Olympic Films is now $260.49 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/100-Years-of-...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

[ravenus]

I saw the first 2 films (Sword of Vengeance and Baby Cart at the River Styx) in the 6-movie Lone Wolf and Cub set released by Criterion. The series is based on a manga (that's Japanese comic-book for those unaware). The protagonist Ogami Itto is an archetype ronin, who previously served as an executioner for the Shogunate. The warrior was betrayed by his masters the Yagyu clan for which he has sworn vengeance, and is currently an assassin-for-hire carting around his young son (in a rather James Bond-ian weaponized cart). In both the films I saw the plot has 2 main branches 1) Ogami accepting an assignment to kill someone for a fixed fee of 500 ryo 2) someone from the Yagyu clan attempting to kill him.
Tomisaburô Wakayama in the lead role is mainly required to look gruff and chop up enemies with his famed sword, which despite a double-chin he manages fairly well. There is a good amount of cartoony gore (mainly blood-sprays) and a bit of female nudity. The action choreography is uneven. Sometimes there are nice long takes where Wakayama pulls off multiple moves, and sometimes there are a bunch of hurriedly put together 'cuts'. While not great cinema, these films were very serviceable entertainment fodder and I look forward to further episodes in the series.

One question to people that have gone through their set: Should I watch all the films in the series before accessing the extras / booklet or can I sample them in between?

[dwk]

I don't recall the extras being particularly spoiler filled and the series never got a proper ending, so you should be ok, but to be on the safe side you might want to watch these three in-between:

• New interview in which Sensei Yoshimitsu Katsuse discusses and demonstrates the real Suio-ryu sword techniques that inspired the ones depicted in the manga and films
  
• New interview with biographer Kazuma Nozawa about Kenji Misumi, director of four of the six films
  
• Silent documentary from 1939 about the making of samurai swords, with an optional new ambient score by Ryan Francis

And save the booklet (which was more spoilery than the on-disc extras) and these three for after you've watched the last film:

• Shogun Assassin
  
• New interview with Kazuo Koike, writer of the Lone Wolf and Cub manga series and screenwriter on five of the films
  
• Lame d’un père, l’âme d’un sabre, a 2005 documentary about the making of the series

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by ravenus

I saw the first 2 films (Sword of Vengeance and Baby Cart at the River Styx) in the 6-movie Lone Wolf and Cub set released by Criterion. The series is based on a manga (that's Japanese comic-book for those unaware). The protagonist Ogami Itto is an archetype ronin, who previously served as an executioner for the Shogunate. The warrior was betrayed by his masters the Yagyu clan for which he has sworn vengeance, and is currently an assassin-for-hire carting around his young son (in a rather James Bond-ian weaponized cart). In both the films I saw the plot has 2 main branches 1) Ogami accepting an assignment to kill someone for a fixed fee of 500 ryo 2) someone from the Yagyu clan attempting to kill him.
Tomisaburô Wakayama in the lead role is mainly required to look gruff and chop up enemies with his famed sword, which despite a double-chin he manages fairly well. There is a good amount of cartoony gore (mainly blood-sprays) and a bit of female nudity. The action choreography is uneven. Sometimes there are nice long takes where Wakayama pulls off multiple moves, and sometimes there are a bunch of hurriedly put together 'cuts'. While not great cinema, these films were very serviceable entertainment fodder and I look forward to further episodes in the series.

Thanks for the write-up!

This Lone Wolf and Cub set has sadly languished in my still-unwatched list for too long, and I need to remedy that.

I saw Shogun Assassin during my childhood, and it left a permanent scar. I'm looking forward to seeing the films in their original forms.

[Alfalfa]

I ordered the outer slipcase to Zatoichi from Criterion but when I got the package I got some slim version of the case that I didn't even know existed, I then contacted them on aug 24 asking what can be done about it. They didn't respond so I sent another mail on aug 28 to Jon and still no reply. I waited to sep 1 and sent another both to Orders and Jon asking why they wont answer my mails but still no answer.

I have bought over 370 of their blu-ray's and box sets and they don't even care to answer a simple mail, that is very poor customer service. They only seem to respond when there is money in it for them.

[Alfalfa]

Originally Posted by hariseldon

Does the slipcover have the UPC code? it sounds like they may have sent the slipcover for the 2016 Bluray only re-release and not the 2013 original which I'm assuming is the item you needed.

Can't help on the first emails, but the Sept 1 may have gotten caught in the long Holiday weekend depending on what time it arrived. They won't be back in until Tuesday ET so I might give them until Wed to get back to you -- the orders email usual answers pretty quickly. The mulvaney email is irregularly monitored.

No UPC code anywhere, I bought my set in the nov 2013 B&N 50% sale.
I have no choice but to wait and see if they answer after the long holday weekend, if not I don't know what to do...

[Makarov]

I kind of wish Stalker had included some better special features. One of the interviews was an author who wrote a book on the movie, I checked out his book and it makes me wonder why they went to him for interview on the Criterion extras. Posted my thought in the Stalker thread. There's gotta be more people out there who could talk about that movie in a maybe a full length commentary track

[Blu_Beard]

Originally Posted by Makarov

I kind of wish Stalker had included some better special features. One of the interviews was an author who wrote a book on the movie, I checked out his book and it makes me wonder why they went to him for interview on the Criterion extras. Posted my thought in the Stalker thread. There's gotta be more people out there who could talk about that movie in a maybe a full length commentary track

Count me among those that wish Stalker had more special features as well, especially a full length commentary.

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by Makarov

I kind of wish Stalker had included some better special features. One of the interviews was an author who wrote a book on the movie, I checked out his book and it makes me wonder why they went to him for interview on the Criterion extras. Posted my thought in the Stalker thread. There's gotta be more people out there who could talk about that movie in a maybe a full length commentary track

While I agree with you completely about the need for a full length commentary track, I really enjoyed the interview with Geoff Dyer, author of Zona: A Book About a Film About a Journey to a Room. I thought that he gave a fair amount of insight into the film, and it was interesting to hear about his initial reaction to the film and how that reaction evolved into one of sheer admiration and reaching obsessive levels.

[P-Rock]

Originally Posted by Blu_Beard

Count me among those that wish Stalker had more special features as well, especially a full length commentary.

And who should do that commentary?

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by P-Rock

And who should do that commentary?

How about Vladimir Putin?

[Blu_Beard]

Originally Posted by P-Rock

And who should do that commentary?

Great question. Ideally it would be a Tarkovsky film scholar in the vein of Adrian Martin for Fuller films or Eddie Muller for film noir, if one existed (I really enjoy their commentaries).

From my recollection of my Solaris Criterion releases, I certainly wouldn't mind Vida Johnson, (and Graham Petrie, though he is getting up there in age). I admit it's been a while since I've revisited that commentary but I'm a little of the opinion that any commentary by somebody who has studied Tarkovsky's work would be a win.

English speaking scholars that have focused on Tarkovsky seem a little short in supply, don't they? Peter Green would be a dream from a knowledge standpoint, though this doesn't necessarily translate to a great commentary. Not everybody is able to speak as eloquently as they write, and doing a commentary takes a different skill. I'm not sure if he's still living, either.

Maybe Nick Wrigley?

[N7171626]

Anyone have any news on criterion collection's release of dragon gate inn for north American region blue rays. Is this still going to happen or is it canned?

[theater dreamer]

They have responded to me, multiple times in the past two months when there was no money in it for them. Once about an upcoming release, the other about a missing booklet for Hunger purchased during the Barnes & Noble sale. They responded each time within 24 business hours.

What address are you using? Mulvaney@criterion.com has always worked for me. Is it possible it's being filtered by your e-mail spam settings? Have you checked your spam folder?

Originally Posted by Alfalfa

I ordered the outer slipcase to Zatoichi from Criterion but when I got the package I got some slim version of the case that I didn't even know existed, I then contacted them on aug 24 asking what can be done about it. They didn't respond so I sent another mail on aug 28 to Jon and still no reply. I waited to sep 1 and sent another both to Orders and Jon asking why they wont answer my mails but still no answer.

I have bought over 370 of their blu-ray's and box sets and they don't even care to answer a simple mail, that is very poor customer service. They only seem to respond when there is money in it for them.