Criterion Additions

I would love to see a collection of Jem Cohen's films released by Criterion, but I'm certainly not holding my breath.

Once again, I refer you all to the wonderfully great Criterion messageboard of http://pub125.ezboard.com/bcriterioncollectionforum/

Try that...

I just ordered my copy - $18. on DVD-R. Natch. - along with a copy of <em> F is for Fake </em> from
www.pimpadelicwonderland.com

Weekend is owned by New Yorker films but no plans for a DVD have been made. It may come on Region 2 at some point.

And because they can - they've got the name and the identity to hook in film geeks, where else are you going to turn, New Yorker?

I haven't seen it, but supposedly it was aimed at the special effects mavens out there. Also I recall reading an interview with one of the Criterion folks who said that the revenues from the Armageddon allowed them to fund a lot of other less-popular titles.

Here's just the start of the relevant section:

Specifically, with "Armageddon": You'd be silly to overlook blockbusters as a genre and leave them out of a film library. They drive so much. They drive tastes and shooting styles and visual references that appear all over the world in commercials and on TV as well as on movie screens. They're part of a huge cultural cross-pollination. And special effects are one of the most important aspects of a certain kind of contemporary filmmaking.

Is The Rock Criterion still in print? I'd much rather have that than Armageddon.

Those were the days when you actually got your $140 million dollars worth out of your production budget.

I miss the days when a budget topping $80mln was big news and a reason to go see the film. Now that barely buys you a romantic comedy.

it depends on how you look at it. it my mind, there's no need for it to necessarily become somethi@5{te the suggestion that short films/music videos/avant-garde & experimental work are just a "warm-up" for a feature length narrative. it's kind of absurd to but a limitation of film that it has to be 90-180 minutes long with actors, dialogue & a plot. at least 50% of my favorite cinematic works don't fit into the categorization, and whenever i hear about people complaining about a lack of innovation in film, it's usually because all they watch are feature length narratives.

but as for the idea of the innovation in these works not "catching on" in the mainstream, you simply have to look around you to see their influence: magazines, billboards, popular films and music, even architecture. it's everywhere, and most of the good, innovative feature filmmakers will be the first to admit that they've been influenced by someone like michel gondry, spike jonze, jem cohen, etc.

two words: HOLY SHIT.

so rejoice, damn you.

Summertime might be my favourite Lean.

Hmm

WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956) 🌹 pic.twitter.com/2vDaxtXfyf

— Criterion Collection (@Criterion) September 26, 2020

wow, great capture

FINALLY

A ton of Joan Crawford available on Criterion.

Also Marlon Riggs and Jenni Olson!

Even without all the '70s horror, maybe their gayest month ever.

I wonder if the flash sale is going to happen this fall

Usually happens this week

I have been wondering too. Doesn't it often correspond with the timing of a big release? If so, maybe October 27th (Parasite).

I wish Criterion would accept Paypal. I have a balance there I keep forgetting about, the very definition of fun money to buy blu-rays with.

January: Minding the Gap, The Ascent, Rolling Thunder Revue, Three Films by Buñuel set (Discreet Charm, Phantom of Liberty, That Obscure Object)

So very happy to see the Shepitko.

Is this the first time an Eclipse title got promoted to the main collection?

Minding the Gap destroyed me.

the skater doc? saw that the year it came out, really strong

sps:

Most of Eclipse Series 1: Early Bergman found its way into the Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema box set. Scanning the Eclipse titles, I'm not seeing others.

I can totally see most of the Aki Kaurismäki (Eclipse Series 12 and 29) getting promoted (at least as a box set), as UK Artificial Eye already has this out.

the Varda eclipse set

There's probably more of those upgrades coming down the pike, like Daisies and some of the other Czech films.

minding the gap deserves it. can't wait to see what liu does next.

That huge Criterion Varda box strikes me as one of the least commercial releases they've ever done. Hope they're selling enough Godzilla and Wes Anderson titles to keep doing this sort of thing.

Yeah, I'm going to buy a copy in the next half-price sale even though all its content is available on the Channel.

the Varda box is 50 bucks cheaper than the Bergman box, I realize he's been canonized for over half a century but the Varda box doesn't strike me as much different. Then again, she's enjoying a resurgence in popularity among younger people who probably can't afford to buy the box, unlike Bergman+Fellini sets. IDK

24 hour flash sale has started.

and the site is down

i usually have a hard time justifying buying from the flash sale bc used dvd copies on ebay and amazon usually still end up being cheaper than 50% off, but I may pull the trigger on the Dietrich & von Sternberg set this time

Frustrated because Elephant Man and Beau Travail were already out of stock, but picked up the Varda box and Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

B&N sale is on.

Oh, I figured someone would've already made the announcement earlier.

Planning to pull the trigger on Dietrich and Von Sternberg if the the dumbass B&N mobile site will ever actually complete my order.

By the way for those interested, they're running a simultaneous 50% sale on Arrow titles. Get some giallo to go with your snoot flicks, why dontcha.

Very excited about The Parallax View getting a proper re-release, been out of print for too long. Glad there's more Ousmane Sembene coming, too--Mandabi is great.

FEBRUARY: Smooth Talk; Chop Shop; Man Push Cart; Mandabi; and The Parallax View.

Awesome news on Mandabi!

https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/4117-world-of-wong-kar-wai

oh shit

$20 a film!

I’ll wait for the streams lol

Killer March even beyond the WKW box:

Touki Bouki
Celine and Julie Go Boating
Secrets and Lies
Defending Your Life

hell yes to Touki Bouki! was quite annoyed that was only available on one of those Scorsese world cinema sets

Hope they break off Taipei Story at some point too.

OTM

Man, FINALLY someone has put out Celine and Julie!

I know, right? Seems like the restoration toured forever ago.

Now if somebody could deliver a truckload of money to Boris Eustache so he'll turn loose of his father's films.

Oh is that what the issue is?

Basically. IIRC, The Eustache catalogue was restored and toured theatrically in the mid-'00s. However, the masters weren't scanned in Blu-Ray quality, which had only become the standard after the work was done. So Boris has long wanted a ton of money-ostensibly to do 2/4K scans-quoting figures many have balked at for too excessive given the actual price of doing the work and whatever profits that could be made on the films themselves given their niche appeal.

I also seem to recall Boris isn't interested in parting out the set to prospective licensors.

Huh. I was told Eustache pere didn't want his work to be made available, must be an urban legend.

April: Memories of Murder, Irma Vep, History is Made at Night, The Furies, Masculin Féminin

Fingers crossed...

INLAND EMPIRE was going to be the centerpiece of our Standard Definition program at @BigEarsFestival 2020 until Lynch’s team told us they’d pulled the film temporarily. I’d hoped this was the explanation. @Astrostic https://t.co/xywh8EQDMW

— Darren Hughes (@longpauses) January 22, 2021