Criterion Additions

Nice...I'll get "Days of Heaven" and maybe "The Last Picture Show". I remember thinking when I got the (non-CC) "Days of Heaven" Blu-ray one month ago (to upgrade my DVD), "the moment I get this, CC is going to put out a 4K edition" - so that's exactly what happened, but I'm glad it's coming out in 4K and don't even mind getting it again, ha.

Oh yeah, the same exact thing happened with "Don't Look Now" a month ago...I have the power...if you want something to come out in 4K, they'll announce it a month after I get the Blu-Ray.

Janus Contemporaries November: Godland; Tori and Lokita; and The Eight Mountains

DECEMBER: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio*; The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse; and a Blu upgrade of Blast of Silence.

*4K available

The new Blast of Silence presents the film in two aspect ratios: 1.85:1 (widescreen) and 1.33:1 (full-screen). The now-OOP DVD only had the latter.

Having watched the DVD I assumed that was the proper aspect ratio, what's the story behind that?

I don't think full screen is EVER the proper ratio for a film unless it was originally made for TV or something?

If you mean 1.33:1, that (or close to it) was the aspect ratio for most films from the silent era to the mid-50s or so. But I think by Blast's day, most films were shot and shown in one of a few wider formats. I'd be curious to know why there are two versions - maybe there's evidence that it was shown both ways?

Sometimes films were shot “open matte” so composed for widescreen but with image above and below on the negative, often masked at projection time. THE SHINING is an example - the full frame 4:3 was the default LD/VHS/DVD presentation up until 2012 or so.

i'm ok with open matte since you're not "missing" anything (vs. pan & scan) but it's safe to assume that it was put together to be seeing in the wider format on the big screen. those just tend to feel a little too "airy" unless there are obvious mistakes in the intended matte

The Shining reminds me of some hullabaloo when the Kubricks first came to DVD and there was some talk about what aspect ratio was most correct there

JANUARY: Trainspotting*; Mudbound; Lone Star*; Chantal Akerman Masterpieces, 1968-1978 (Blu Upgrade of the Eclipse set, plus Jeanne Dielman and extras), and 4K upgrades of Blood Simple and The Apu Trilogy.

*4K available

Ooooh, a Blu-ray upgrade of an Eclipse set piques my interest. Have they done that before? There are a number of those sets I've been waiting on in the event that they started making that a regular practice.

They upgraded the Varda set as part of her Blu box set. IIRC, there have been maybe a couple films they've broken out and upgraded from other sets (Daisies for one).

This slate's got so much it almost feels like they, against their will, had to hold some December titles last-minute

24 hour 50% off sale on the CC site is live.

Oh no.

lol

Funds not sufficiently shored up for this one. Passing and holding onto the coupon for spring.

I'm in the same boat, lots of stuff I want, but I have to remind myself that this will come up again

I'm also edging pretty close to a $50 certificate, so I feel good about sitting tight and waiting

Poor little flow-ah.

Going to let my coupons pile up for a couple of years for a direct CC purchase, and get a few things in the Nov B&N sale in the meantime.

the sale is on

I'm limiting myself to one per paycheck, so two total: The Trial and likely the Tod Browning set

Shit, might have to pick up the Ranown Cycle 4k box on the way home today.

FEBRUARY: The Roaring Twenties*; Nothing But A Man; The Heroic Trio + The Executioners set*; Eric Rohmer's Tales of The Four Seasons; and a 4K upgrade of McCabe & Mrs. Miller.

*4K available

Janus Contemporaries February: Afire

Petzold's one of those filmmakers I should get into; didn't see Afire but really liked Transit from 2018

I am five minutes into Mark Lewis's "The Natural History of the Chicken." This is not and yet exactly what I should have been expecting.

SMARCH: To Die For*; Saint Omer; The Runner; All The Beauty And The Bloodshed; and an upgrade of All That Money Can Buy (a.k.a. The Devil and Daniel Webster).

*4K available

Really awesome month there. A little surprising that they're not using the Janus Contemporaries for either of those new movies.

Are they eeeeeever going to upgrade Trouble in Paradise? (The answer is yes, no more than a couple of weeks after I finally relent and buy the DVD.)

(Yester)Day of Missing Jason Polan & His New Year's Drawings

Back on topic: Perhaps Trouble In Paradise will be a Blu/4K upgrade? It's been available on Blu overseas for years.

Janus Contemporaries March: Lynch/Oz

this has been on the criterion channel, I tried watching it and got about 5 minutes in before turning it off, it was way too silly

same

APRIL: Dogfight; I Am Cuba*; Werckmeister Harmonies*; and 4Ks of Picnic At Hanging Rock & La haine

*4K available

I would loooove to see Soy Cuba (possibly bundled with the documentary they did about it)

― Stevie D, Tuesday, July 17, 2007 2:24 PM (sixteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Your wish is their command (sixteen years later)

For I Am Cuba and Werckmeister alone, a massive month

Following up one blockbuster month with another:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/product_images/2052-ba01382dd60c8332caec522da182b732/csDyqiAqrOJgCze9HjJXZR4sJdi6yF_large.jpg https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/films/5a8c7056b0f3173cd6706471109661e8/wZy6NE9NhmiEDTecl0IXwz1aRFQcT3_large.jpg https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/films/280357fa3290d829c99fcaa1a690aebb/CJVEzgYz3BhNckBy7sMdptZfJsTRhX_large.jpg

Plus a pair (trio?) of major upgrades:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/films/6724d7a97aa8fc2e8dd892f07c4d4c4f/unzQLMlUZtZU0z52W0WcCVJeek4NCO_large.jpg https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/product_images/2055-c9812d001708a6e844bc16be4b7c5d16/DcMM1I3Mce4WYCzldIxjVA8JxwJudD_large.jpg

(Peeping Tom is the only one being given a 4K, interestingly)

LOL, oops

I love the later Weeds so much. But I already have the BFI BD.

Girlfight was a nice surprise, i thought.
No 4K on Anatomy is a little surprising but i hear that's because it wasn't sourced in 4K? Or maybe they just didn't think it was worth the expense (which seems doubtful considering the recent clearly uncommercial stuff they've given 4K)

Planning a double dip maybe. It's such a great film.

Criterion Channel subscribers just got their $10 GC codes emailed to them, which means that sometime next week is probably going to be flash sale day

did I ever say that I got the towel? It's a nice towel!

Janus Contemporaries May: All That Breathes

JUNE: The Underground Railroad; Victims of Sin; Bound*; Querelle; and 4Ks of Blue Velvet & Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas.

*4K available

Dear god, this is the best cover they've had in awhile.

Victims of Sin looks pretty awesome