Criterion Additions

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!

Janus Contemporaries July: Anselm