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.

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

An interesting angle for Criterion--usually this sort of title comes from Flicker Alley and the Film Noir Foundation. But I look forward to seeing this.

My brother has noted that Fassbinder bookended his career with "Be gay, do crimes" films: One subtext ("Love is Colder Than Death) and one all text (Querelle).

TIL Film Twitter hates the Querelle cover. Sounds about right

Think that's partly due to the dude who made it being an AI guy (though he says AI was not involved in this cover).

Will say that Criterion has fallen off hard in terms of bonus features over the years.

Yes, it's gotten quite bad on that front

Honestly, when I saw that cover, the first thing I did was to check the hands as it looked very "AI" to me

In a weird coincidence I saw Victims of Sin on the big screen in the past weeks and although I liked it just fine there are a couple of real failings imo. The song and dance (dance in particular) are unsurprisingly (too) heavily featured and there are some huge plot jumps particularly toward the end that are very jarring. But it's great high melodrama when it hits the spot and very funny in places.

The song and dance (dance in particular) are unsurprisingly (too) heavily featured

This criticism does not compute

Maybe it's just me but it's really unbalanced and the dance scenes are overly long for what they are, seemingly just to accommodate Ninon Sevilla's other fame. One of Rita Montaner's songs is particularly gratuitous as well, not plot related in the slightest.

Mind you, Santiago having a mariachi band follow him around just to accompany him as he picks up prostitutes is certainly an idea we can all relate to.

Janus Contemporaries June: Orlando, My Political Biography

JULY: Risky Business*; Farewell My Concubine*; Black God, White Devil; Perfect Days*; Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid*; and a 4K of Le samourai.

*4K available

Bummed the title I'm most interested in picking up there isn't in 4K

Can't imagine 4K really doing that much for a film as rough looking (complimentary) as BGWD

I saw a print of BGWD like 15+ years ago, and honestly a VHS transfer would be an improvement over what I saw then.

Risky Business 4k my dreams have come true!