Criterion Additions

An Actor's Revenge is the only one I haven't seen and I just requested a Netflix copy.

Got mine in the mail today:

Ugetsu
Topsy-Turvy
One Eyed Jacks
World on a Wire
A Hollis Frampton Odyssey

I have a list of upgrades that I keep putting off:

3 Women
Yi Yi
Late Spring
F for Fake
Jeanne Dielman
M
L'eclisse
Au hasard Balthazar

This as good a thread as any to say that I started the <i>Marseille Trilogy</i> the other day and don't watch any of the extras until you've seen all three movies unless you're fine with MAJOR spoilers.

Watched IN A LONELY PLACE for the millionth time, then was scandalized by the featurette about Gloria Grahame

FEBRUARY: To Sleep With Anger; Death In Venice; La verite; Shame (Bergman); and Berlin Alexanderplatz on Blu.

Berlin Alexanderplatz on Blu

!!!

I picked the right week to start reading the book

aww yeah

https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/46479824_10157872458698709_2442756439077289984_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=d57628b312407b89cfe60d2aade7d602&oe=5C7299BF

Good god, that's not meant to sit on a shelf but a table.

Please tell me the actual name of the set is Bergman: Aww Yeah.

Freakin' With the Ing-Man

I signed up for B&N's rewards card so it came out to $135, which, hell yeah.

got mine today too!

Which reminds me that I just watched this because clemenza recommended it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMVrMHQk95s

My Bergman box should get here next week (shortly after my Shout Factory Herzog box)

MARCH: Japon; I Wanna Hold Your Hand; Wanda; Detour; The Kid Brother; and a reissue of The Magic Flute.

Have At It...

https://criterion-production.s3.amazonaws.com/ZZhaAEFtm1xq4WviRtHB2frQqHK3kp.png

Koker trilogy!

also read a guess that the sled isn't Citizen Kane but Spike Lee's Bamboozled (!!!)

Klute, Swingtime, An Angel at My Table

xp
Astaire/Rogers Swing Time?

I believe it is Swing Time. Criterion--unlike rights holder Warner Bros.--ain't afraid of no scuffy floors in HD!

Europa Europa?

Wildest guess seems to be The Heiress for the S balloon, though great if true.

nice piece by the illustrator of the Notorious upgrade: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6129-the-key-moment-drawing-a-new-look-for-notorious

https://criterioncast.com/news/wacky-new-years-drawing-hints-at-the-criterion-collections-2019-line-up

F. Part 2. The table with the game =

i hope it's Snakes on a Plane

An art gallery is selling a lot of Criterions on ebay, for those interested. It's located near me but I never remembered to go and check it out in person.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/flickhead/m.html?_nkw&_armrs=1&_ipg&_from&fbclid=IwAR0y3j78QfCEz3DTitovRhc7zLOtPfkt8Or6G-sBVHfC48wYDz7xYMb8V84

APRIL: Police Story & Police Story II; My Brilliant Career; A Face In The Crowd; Diamonds of The Night; and Blu upgrades of Stranger Than Paradise & Night On Earth.

how does Night on Earth stand against Stranger Than Paradise? I just watched the former over the weekend, was OK - hate Benigni with a passion, though. I liked the Winona/Gena and the Helsinki section a lot more than the others. I know STP isn't episodic and it's supposed to be great - missed a 35mm screening last year - should I hold off on renting the DVD from the video store?

STP kinda is episodic! (vs the anthology format of Night On Earth or Mystery Train). It totally shows it’s bonafides as a low-budget 1980s film: long takes on spare b&w stock, manneredness standing in for any stronger directorial drive (yet). imo in 2019 it’s probably v slow & boring at home, funny with an audience.

ooh ok gotcha, I got anthology & episodic mixed up. didn't know STP was either, assumed it was like Down by Law for some reason. slow is fine at home. I'll hold off, you watch enough DVDs and Blu-Rays at home and the difference can be pretty severe. I appreciate how much Jarmusch supported and advocated for Aki Kaurismäki early on - it was so great to see Matti Pellonpää and three of AK's other regulars in the last section of NOE.

It’s been years, but STP is a league above NoE in my opinion, JJ when he was hungry and at a creative peak, as opposed to the latter, which just tries to get by on star power. It may have worked better as a short than a feature? Anyway rent it

STP=ESZTER

https://i.gifer.com/HIrJ.gif

Better...

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcRVA6d9LYldrdcUoz8M5UlkqchfQkvrEiAhCehghefTNsPiLJO0

One of my favorite film images.

Oops

https://i.gifer.com/IBLW.gif

Also glad to see A Face In The Crowd will retain the making of from the DVD, which gave us this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN6f58cTMsY

Had forgotten about this...

https://vimeo.com/262575505

We're so excited! The Criterion Channel, our new streaming service for movie lovers, will launch April 8 in the U.S. & Canada! As a Charter Subscriber, you can start watching *right now* with our Movie of the Week series! Come join us! ✨📺 https://t.co/UjYZMW1W3c pic.twitter.com/bPHA9hwSA3

— Criterion Channel (@criterionchannl) January 30, 2019

& Canada!

nice!!!

no smart tv or console support, huh. i guess i can use my roku stick.

I'd never heard of VHX, the OTT platform they're using. I wonder if this is permanent or a short-term thing that lets them get up and running in a hurry.

MAY: Blue Velvet; One Sings, The Other Doesn't; Let The Sunshine In; The Heiress; Funny Games (the original); and an upgrade of House of Games.

Damn you Criterion. White Material and now Let the Sunshine In, but still no Chocolat, Beau Travail or Trouble Every Day.

So much of the Criterion "modern" catalog is minor tweaks to the UK Artificial Eye catalog. Maybe I should lobby them instead.

My first thought: "That stale Juliette Binoche-Johnny Depp nougat gets a Criterion?"

Let the Sunshine In is great... I'll take that over Trouble Every Day... any day.

Surprised by Blue Velvet, for some reason - bummed no Taste of Cherry upgrade yet.

All I want is a decent release of INLAND EMPIRE.

There was just like a deluxe Blue Velvet Blu-ray release a few years ago. Seems unnecessary.

xp Simon: Optimum Home in the UK has a well regarded Inland Empire release for £8.

There are enough UK releases of the exact same transfer as on Criterion, often for a third the price (after VAT is deducted and shipping), that its paid for my multi-region player many times over. Kieslowski's Three Colours trilogy for £13, for example. I love what Criterion does with its world exclusives, on pre-1980 titles, but their price point isn't competitive for more recent releases. Region A art film fans are a bit screwed on prices and title availability.