Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[jwd5275]

Encounters of the Spooky Kind and Mr. Vampire I-III open with the Criterion and Janus logos (Mr. Vampire IV does not).

Blanche Fury and So Long at the Fair open with Criterion and Janus logos as well...

[rrenault]

Fwiw, it looks like Carlotta in France are going Blu-ray only on Werckmeister Harmonies.

[FrauBlucher]

Another FWIW, It looks like Jarmusch's Paterson is OOP. I was contemplating dropping this on the KLSC thread as they have another Universal deal on the horizon but it does seem that Criterion is Jarmusch's choice if this is indeed heading to a boutique

[CSM126]

Probably depends on if the rights have reverted to Jarmusch yet. It seems that Criterion waits for that to happen before picking up his films.

[FrauBlucher]

Ooooo, for those spine number obsessed the next title will be 1200

[Matt]

I can’t remember if I posted this already or thought better of it, but an “Ozu 120” box would have been a nice candidate for that number. I realized, however, that the big director sets don’t get spine numbers. 1100 was The Incredible Shrinking Man, so I don’t think milestone spine numbers mean much to them anymore after 1000.

[therewillbeblus]

Woulda been clever if they saved the Pasolini set for it, since I believe the films and extras total right around that spine number in minutes. It could’ve been called Pasolini: 1200 Minutes of Sodom

[swo17]

The 101 number they went with is much better than that

[yoloswegmaster]

Titles are up:

The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse
GDT's Pinnochio
Blast of Silence

[FrauBlucher]

I can't think of a month's announcements that's produced less chatter than this one. Even the cover art thread has been quiet

For me, I'm happy that the Blast of Silence upgrade was finally announced. It's been on my 'want' list.

[Matt]

December is always a light month for them, but I’m surprised by no major box set for Christmas gifting. Maybe something got delayed.

[furbicide]

Just here for my monthly "oh I wonder if this means a Eustache set is about to be announced" post (particularly with only three rather than four or five titles being announced). One of these days it's actually going to happen ... right?

[Randall Maysin Again]

only three

only seven fixed

[therewillbeblus]

Just here for my monthly "oh I wonder if this means a Eustache set is about to be announced" post (particularly with only three rather than four or five titles being announced). One of these days it's actually going to happen ... right?

Yeah but didn’t Janus’ retrospective just start touring in July? It’d be cool to get it asap, but I feel like they almost always prefer to finish that before a physical release. I’ll hope for the winter/spring months, but it’ll happen sometime next year

[andyli]

Something got delayed, surely? Must’ve been another Gilliam or Scorsese 4K.

[Walter Kurtz]

... or working on Terrence Malick's Twirling Trilogy.

[ryannichols7]

If it was a situation like The Graduate, where we were getting something back like Suber’s long-lost commentary, I would wholeheartedly say bring back TD to the CC. But pretty much every Sony release of the film has licensed Scorsese’s excellent Criterion commentary for inclusion, so I don’t see the point other than having it. (Which would admittedly be a feather in their cap.)

IF it was part of a Scorsese box? Absolutely. But I’d rather have Bringing, or Kundun, or Silence, or Alice or any number of other neglected Scorsese films on 4k first.

hadn't visited the thread in a month and I agree. even my beloved Trainspotting, which would be my "every home media edition has the Criterion supplements and there's nothing they can add but I want a release anyway" title managed to work it all in. the difference is that one hasn't been released on 4K, Taxi Driver has. the latter four films you name certainly should be the priorities for Scorcese, and I'm sure we'll see something sooner rather than later. I will say I was impressed Arrow managed to license Hugo for the US - guess he wasn't as into that one coming to CC?

Fwiw, it looks like Carlotta in France are going Blu-ray only on Werckmeister Harmonies.

will be glad to have it either way, but good to know what to expect. hopefully we don't have to wait years for an English subtitled disc.

anyway, I can't believe there was no Ozu announcement for his 120th. just all too coincidental his birth/death date is even on a Tuesday. the BFI got their release out, Shochiku heavily promoted Ozu in Japan and other Asian countries (notably Taiwan), and there seemed to be quite a push. hopefully it was just delayed..

Just here for my monthly "oh I wonder if this means a Eustache set is about to be announced" post (particularly with only three rather than four or five titles being announced). One of these days it's actually going to happen ... right?

Yeah but didn’t Janus’ retrospective just start touring in July? It’d be cool to get it asap, but I feel like they almost always prefer to finish that before a physical release. I’ll hope for the winter/spring months, but it’ll happen sometime next year

just like the Kinuyo Tanaka, Marta Meszaros, and Rohmer Tales of the Four Seasons boxsets that are sitting on my shelf. oh wait...

[colinr0380]

even my beloved Trainspotting, which would be my "every home media edition has the Criterion supplements and there's nothing they can add but I want a release anyway" title managed to work it all in. the difference is that one hasn't been released on 4K, Taxi Driver has.

I think the best thing Criterion could do for a dream release of that would be to pair up a UHD edition of Trainspotting and T2 together.

[Kracker]

T2 was another one of those 'member berry' sequels that got forgotten about as soon as the fans got what they wished for. I could do without it for sure.

[Mr. Deltoid]

T2 was another one of those 'member berry' sequels that got forgotten about as soon as the fans got what they wished for. I could do without it for sure.

Or, it was a surprisingly poignant meditation on ageing, friendship and the ties that bind . . a modern-day Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, with added smack and viagra . . a film that strips back the zeitgeisty veneer of the original to reveal the rueful, often painful, consequences of youthful indiscretion that lie beneath. I fucking loved it.

[jazzo]

T2 was another one of those 'member berry' sequels that got forgotten about as soon as the fans got what they wished for. I could do without it for sure.

Or, it was a surprisingly poignant meditation on ageing, friendship and the ties that bind . . a modern-day Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, with added smack and viagra . . a film that strips back the zeitgeisty veneer of the original to reveal the rueful, often painful, consequences of youthful indiscretion that lie beneath. I fucking loved it.

What you said.

I’ve never touched heroin or glassed a lassie in my life, but I have reached a half-century and had dreams and friendships fall apart.

I’ve also found new dreams and deeper friendships than when I was 20.

I related to every single second of T2.

[therewillbeblus]

I never really saw the first film as being about heroin - certainly it’s a significant part of the narrative, but it’s about being young and lost and confused and subject to external influence and individualized selfish compulsions. The relay of the ‘get a life’ slogans is a nice ironic mishmash of that: Feeding into culture for meaning and also mocking it with faux-counterculture rhetoric. T2 is a good film, but it’s an extension of the same themes, just perhaps in a more accessibly-universal context. Though I think if you can look past the mirage of significance on those pronounced specifics in the first film, you’d find it’s broadly relatable too, just for an earlier, louder, chaotic stage of life - so wild that its surface-level devices threaten to alienate rather than include. But that’s also so spot on to its place in the developmental evolution of western man compared to the collective wisdom of the sequel

[jazzo]

I was (and mostly still feel like I am) prone to self-destructive behaviours. Trying to deal (or escape) those choices just didn't manifest in taking addictive substances. But other things, for sure.

I just meant that I related to the characters and quandries of the second film as much as I did the first.

[Blutarsky]

As I saw this thread got bumped, I noticed that Hairspray’s blu ray looks out of print. Considering John Waters is the subject of a year long Academy Museum retrospective (which I highly recommend seeing), and just got a star on the walk of fame, I would not be shocked if Criterion finally gave John a 4K treatment.

[jazzo]

As I saw this thread got bumped, I noticed that Hairspray’s blu ray looks out of print. Considering John Waters is the subject of a year long Academy Museum retrospective (which I highly recommend seeing), and just got a star on the walk of fame, I would not be shocked if Criterion finally gave John a 4K treatment.

That would be amazing. I’m sure it’ll be as gorgeous as their other Waters discs.

I also relate a great deal to spraying aerosol stiffener into my hair before going dancing.