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azechiel posted:So I recently discovered that my school library has a very large collection of both Criterion DVDs and Laserdiscs. So my question to you is what are some lesser known titles released on Criterion that are really good? F for Fake, For All Mankind, and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. Great films, great DVDs. The Blu for FAM is particularly nice, if just for the music.
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Feb 19, 2010 20:43
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azechiel posted:So I recently discovered that my school library has a very large collection of both Criterion DVDs and Laserdiscs. So my question to you is what are some lesser known titles released on Criterion that are really good? I was actually going to bring up this topic, but I didn't want to get too PYF. But since someone asked, here's some of my top "overlooked" (that is, I don't see them discussed much) Criterions: An Angel at My Table I Fidanzati Il Posto Miss Julie Twenty-Four Eyes Aki Kaurismaki's Proletariat Trilogy Nights of Cabiria Juliet of the Spirits The Browning Version Simon of the Desert The Cranes Are Flying Kanal Stolen Kisses Bed & Board 3 Women El Norte The Face of Another Antonio Gaudi Some of these might be less overlooked than I imagine they are. It depends on what you mean by "lesser-known". In terms of the general populace, Seven Samurai and 8 1/2 are lesser-known.
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Feb 19, 2010 20:52
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Going to second The Testament of Dr. Mabuse and Nights of Cabiria which are both insanely great and add Ace in the Hole and Le Million.
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Feb 19, 2010 21:34
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I don't really know what's overlooked, either. For all I know, these are like the best selling Criterions ever, but: The Spirit of the Beehive A gorgeous, quiet, haunting little movie. Watch it if you liked Pan's Labyrinth. Overlord One of my favorite WWII films. Some of the best use of stock footage in a narrative movie ever. Watch it if you liked The Thin Red Line. Sid and Nancy Romeo and Juliet if they were heroin addicts. Watch it if you like, I dunno, Repo Man? Punk? British stuff? Equinox All-in-all, the worst movie in the collection, but far and away the best DVD, and one of the best all-time tributes to the joy of filmmaking. Watch the commentaries, the interviews, the intros. Watch it all. It'll make you want to make a movie. Watch it if you like Evil Dead or the behind-the-scenes of low-budget filmmaking. Coup de Torchon Noir in West Africa. Watch it if you like The Maltese Falcon, or want to see Isabelle Huppert's tits. Blast of Silence One of the great pulp crime thrillers, and one of the first great independent films. A lot of fun, and incredibly fast-paced. Watch it if you liked Goodfellas or Pulp Fiction. Tanner '88 Gary Trudeau at his peak and Robert Altman at his peak, in one of the great send-ups of American politics. Watch if you want to see a better version of Primary Colors. Burden of Dreams Herzog. loving Herzog. Watch it if you like cool guy stuff. Young Mr. Lincoln Henry Fonda as Lincoln. John Ford at his peak. Watch it if you like Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Green for Danger A really cool little British mystery. Alastair Slim, best known for his Scrooge, is priceless. Watch if you liked Murder on the Orient Express. WR: Mysteries of the Organism Absolute madness. Watch it if you like absolute madness. Robinson Crusoe On Mars Big, splashy Technicolor sci-fi with Adam West and a monkey. Watch if you like Forbidden Planet. The Furies The King Lear of classical westerns. Watch if you like There Will Be Blood. The Friends of Eddie Coyle One-of-a-kind Boston mob movie with Mitchum tearing poo poo up. Watch if you liked, I guess, The Departed. I second F For Fake, For All Mankind, The Cranes Are Flying, and Simon Of The Desert, too.
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Feb 19, 2010 21:44
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I really like Youth of the Beast and Crazed Fruit. Neither is "Criterion-like," but I think they're both excellent films that don't get a lot of attention (even in relation to the other Nikkatsu action films Criterion has released, like Branded to Kill). Both have pretty strong transfers, although not as much in the way of special feature. Youth of the Beast is one of my favorites because of a) Jo Shishido's performance in the lead role and b) the little twists that show up here and there, like the model airplanes in the one guy's apartment. It's not as out-there as some of Suzuki's other films, but I actually like that about it; Branded to Kill, for example, is too "exceptional" for my tastes. Maybe you have to watch a ton of Nikkatsu action to really appreciate that sort of thing, but you should be watching those films anyway! They're great. Crazed Fruit has a great score and, for my money, is one of the best youth films of the fifties. Ishihara Yujiro launched his career because of this film, and I think it's deserved; he really captures that sense of "cool" that seems to go so well with the era. I'm not sure if any of his other films are available in the US, but he the most popular star in Japan throughout most of his career. vertov fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Feb 19, 2010 |
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Feb 19, 2010 22:45
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Egbert Souse posted:F for Fake, For All Mankind, and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. Great films, great DVDs. The Blu for FAM is particularly nice, if just for the music. Second all these (I wouldn't necessarily call them lesser-known, but that's just splitting hairs) penismightier posted:The Spirit of the Beehive Seconding these too, with the caveat that you shouldn't watch Burden unless you're already seen Fitzcarraldo. vertov posted:Youth of the Beast Second this, and I like Fighting Elegy even more.
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Feb 19, 2010 22:49
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penismightier posted:The Friends of Eddie Coyle One-of-a-kind Boston mob movie with Mitchum tearing poo poo up. Watch if you liked, I guess, The Departed. This is one of my favorites and the only accurate Boston film in terms of attitude and accents. I'd also recommend The Hit, its more accessible than some of the other Criterion films. Personally I really enjoyed Man Bites Dog but it is not for everybody.
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Feb 20, 2010 00:04
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azechiel posted:So I recently discovered that my school library has a very large collection of both Criterion DVDs and Laserdiscs. So my question to you is what are some lesser known titles released on Criterion that are really good? If you have access to a Laserdisc player and love James Bond, Criterion had LDs of the 1st 3 Bond movies. Do I really need to state... oh screw it Dr. No, From Russia with Love, and Goldfinger. What's so special about these LD'? Criterion put together commentary tracks for all of them from archival and then new interviews. These commentary tracks are famous (or if you're EON Productions infamous) for all sorts of off color, adult, hilarious, etc annecdotes about the production of the movies. I loved listening to all three. Did you know several of the crew for Dr. No sold large quantity of mariqana during the filming of the movie? That one of the editors of Goldfinger had a man crush on Sean Connery? etc. You learna a lot about the movies too. EON won't touch them for obvious reasons If you're school had them and you had a LD (who does actually...) they're wonderful to listen to. (I think I already gushed about these a while back
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Feb 20, 2010 00:10
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FitFortDanga posted:Second all these (I wouldn't necessarily call them lesser-known, but that's just splitting hairs) I consider "lesser known" as films that aren't easily found in discussions. They're films that either get overshadowed by a filmmaker's other films, didn't get much love when originally released, or simply don't come off as well known. Also, seconding Green for Danger. Alistair Sim steals every scene he's in. I'm still making my way through the set, but the Jean Painleve collection is surprisingly good. They're mostly educational films, but presented in such a fun and interesting way.
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Feb 20, 2010 01:17
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Thirding Green for Danger, seconding Miss Julie, and adding Secret Honor and Europa. The former is a one man show that's somehow completely compelling and fascinating, and the latter has one of the best openings/closings for any movie I've seen (though the middle can kinda drag).
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Feb 20, 2010 01:37
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Egbert Souse posted:I'm still making my way through the set, but the Jean Painleve collection is surprisingly good. They're mostly educational films, but presented in such a fun and interesting way. This set blew me away. Just incredible. I want the cover as a poster so loving bad, too.
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Feb 20, 2010 02:05
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penismightier posted:This set blew me away. Just incredible. I want the cover as a poster so loving bad, too. The Sounds of Science score is pretty sweet too.
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Feb 20, 2010 02:35
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FYI, I just watched Tati's Trafic... while it's not at the same level as his other three Mr. Hulot films, I was pleasantly surprised by how funny and inventive it turned out. I'd make sure those new to Tati would see Mr. Hulot's Holiday first, but I don't see why those fond of his previous three wouldn't enjoy it. Too bad no one's going to see this film for a long time thanks to Lionsgate. Criterion's DVD is quite good. I've gone to their BluRays for so long (the only DVDs I purchased last year were Vampyr and the Painleve set), but the windowboxing isn't obtrusive at all on a 16x9 monitor.
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Feb 20, 2010 06:49
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SneakySneaks posted:Personally I really enjoyed Man Bites Dog but it is not for everybody.
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Feb 20, 2010 07:37
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B&N has a few DVDs on sale at 40% off: Hamlet Written on the Wind Howards End Spartacus Traffic
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Feb 21, 2010 21:31
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Which films set to go OOP are worth the money to buy at this point? I know some of them are important enough (Grand Illusion) but which versions would work in terms of them being a definitive version and never likely to be repeated by Studio Canal .
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Feb 21, 2010 22:55
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NYIslander posted:Which films set to go OOP are worth the money to buy at this point? I know some of them are important enough (Grand Illusion) but which versions would work in terms of them being a definitive version and never likely to be repeated by Studio Canal . Grand Illusion and Peeping Tom will be new digital restorations on their upcoming StudioCanal editions, so they'll undoubtedly be improvements on BluRay. But it'll mainly be the commentaries missed. Alphaville, Gervaise, Le Jour se Leve, Mayerling, Last Holiday, Port of Shadows, Le Trou, and Variety Lights are all bare-bones (Port has a trailer only). It's more of a question of these getting another release. Trafic is an endangered title since I don't see it getting another release. Mr. Hulot's Holiday, Jour de Fete, Mon Oncle, and Playtime are firmly held by Les Films de Mon Oncle, so Trafic wouldn't end up in an R2 box set so I doubt StudioCanal would put any effort to release it. Among the OOP titles are multiple films by Marcel Carne, Powell & Pressburger, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Carlos Saura, Federico Fellini, and Rene Clement. Lionsgate has actually put out a few dozen box sets of films by directors (so far, Rossellini, Bunuel, Hitchock, Godard). TL:DR - Most of the titles are either bare-bones anyways, up for upgrades, or it's mostly supplements to be missed. Only Trafic seems like it won't be up for a release for a while.
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Feb 22, 2010 00:03
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Digital Bits reports Universal will release a BluRay version of Spartacus (with stereotypical  coverart to boot). I think that means Criterion wont do a Blu for that movie. Hopefully it does not lead to the Spartacus DVD going OoP. No word if the Blu is just the theatrical or the early 90's restoration (like the Criterion)
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Feb 24, 2010 05:47
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LaptopGun posted:Digital Bits reports Universal will release a BluRay version of Spartacus (with stereotypical That is nothing new. Universal already released it on HD-DVD awhile back.
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Feb 24, 2010 06:14
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I wouldn't worry about it going OOP since Universal always lets Criterion's editions co-exist. Also, the reconstructed Spartacus is the only cut that's been available since 1991. It wasn't exclusive to the DVD, just the HD-to-480p encode with color timing fixes.
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Feb 24, 2010 06:17
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You know what, in hindsight I think I once asked here why the Criterion didnt go OoP when I saw that HD DVD of Spartacus in stores.  Thanks for clearing that up.That's good to know Egbert Souse. Thanks
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Feb 24, 2010 07:37
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Just pure conjecture on my part but Straw Dogs has been out of print for a long time now. I was randomly doing some IMDB searches and evidently Straw Dogs is getting remade. Think its possible Criterion might get a chance to do a re-release in a relatively close time frame with the new movie? I'll second the Tanner 88 suggestion though. I bought that on that last Criterion mega sale.
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Feb 28, 2010 10:03
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Tanner 88 rules
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Feb 28, 2010 13:30
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Tanner '88 is too good to be as overlooked as it is. What's funny is how it uses the limitations of video, and in some ways I think it looks better that it could have on 35mm. Something about it brings out the ugly features of all the politicians and people, and that's thematically appropriate. Or maybe Altman was just broke at the time. Either way...
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Feb 28, 2010 18:30
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soggybagel posted:Just pure conjecture on my part but Straw Dogs has been out of print for a long time now. I was randomly doing some IMDB searches and evidently Straw Dogs is getting remade. Think its possible Criterion might get a chance to do a re-release in a relatively close time frame with the new movie? Criterion lost the rights a long time ago, so probably not. They're part of the ABC Films library licensed to MGM from Disney. It should expire this year or next.
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Feb 28, 2010 18:47
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Egbert Souse posted:Criterion lost the rights a long time ago, so probably not. They're part of the ABC Films library licensed to MGM from Disney. It should expire this year or next. Oh well that sucks. I don't believe Straw Dogs has ever been released on laserdisc or DVD though so that is a bit annoying.
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Mar 1, 2010 06:29
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soggybagel posted:Oh well that sucks. I don't believe Straw Dogs has ever been released on laserdisc or DVD though so that is a bit annoying. There were 3 DVD releases in the US alone (Anchor Bay, Criterion, and MGM) and a Blu-Ray is scheduled for release in the UK later this year.
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Mar 1, 2010 06:33
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Oh...well what the gently caress have I been doing then? I googled it a while ago and the only thing that showed up was the Criterion at Amazon and when I checked netflix it was "out of stock" or whatever. Silly me for not actually investigating. All versions are currently discontinued at this point though but now that I've actually checked the non-Criterion seem to be pretty easy to get.
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Mar 1, 2010 06:36
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I just watched Straw Dogs today and thought it was amazing. Easily the best Peckinpah movie I've seen.
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Mar 2, 2010 09:05
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azechiel posted:I just watched Straw Dogs today and thought it was amazing. Easily the best Peckinpah movie I've seen. Same here although it's the only Peckinpah film I'm seen (bought the Criterion after finding out it was OOP). I should watch it again.
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Mar 2, 2010 12:33
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It seems likely that the reissue of The Red Shoes will be announced for June. Also, Criterion's website says that Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments is coming this summer.
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Mar 4, 2010 20:54
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 The Thin Red Line baby!!! 
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Mar 10, 2010 19:33
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No way, that's definitely Narnia. Fake edit: But seriously, I am really excited now that it's official.
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Mar 10, 2010 20:21
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Should be getting new announcements today. I think The Red Shoes is guaranteed. Also, MORE Ozu on the way. At least it's two I haven't seen yet.
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Mar 15, 2010 16:08
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#519 - CLOSE UP (June 8, DVD) * New, restored high-definition digital transfer * Audio commentary by Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa and Jonathan Rosenbaum, authors of Abbas Kiarostami * The Traveler, a notable early feature by director Abbas Kiarostami * “Close-up” Long Shot, a forty-five-minute documentary on Close-up’s central figure, Hossein Sabzian, five years after Kiarostami’s film * A Walk with Kiarostami (2003), a thirty-two-minute documentary portrait of the director by Iranian film professor Jamsheed Akram * New video interview with Kiarostami * New and improved English subtitle translation * PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Godfrey Cheshire FFD take: A buy, one of my favorite Kiarostamis. I wish it was on Blu, though, and I wish it was accompanied by A Moment of Innocence. #520 - EVERLASTING MOMENTS (June 15, DVD)  * New high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Jan Troell * Jan Troell’s Magic Mirror, an hour-long documentary about Troell’s life and career * Short documentary on the making of Everlasting Moments, featuring interviews with Troell, cast, and crew * Documentary featuring photographs by the real Maria Larsson, accompanied by narration telling her story * Theatrical trailer * PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Armond White FFD take: rental, possible buy later. Never seen any Troell. #521 - MYSTERY TRAIN (June 15, DVD/BR)  * New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Jim Jarmusch (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition) * Two video Q&As with Jarmusch, one from the 2009 All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in New York and one in which he responds to questions sent in by fans * Original documentary on Mystery Train’s locations and Memphis’s rich social and musical history * On-set photos by Masayoshi Sukita, and behind-the-scenes photos New and improved English subtitle translation * PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by writers Peter Guralnick and Dennis Lim, as well as a collectible poster FFD take: rental. Jarmusch annoys me more often than not, but I do like Tom Noonan a lot. #522 - RED DESERT (June 22, DVD/BR)  * New, restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition) * Audio commentary by Italian film scholar David Forgacs * Archival video interviews with director Michelangelo Antonioni and actress Monica Vitti * Outtakes from the film’s production * Original theatrical trailer * PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film historian Mark Le Fanu, an interview with Antonioni by Jean-Luc Godard, and a reprinted essay by Antonioni on his use of color * More! FFD take: my favorite Antonioni, a Blu-Ray purchase for sure. What a bland cover for such a visually striking movie, though. #523 - NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (June 22, DVD)  * New, restored high-definition digital transfer * New video conversation between film scholars Peter Evans and Bruce Babington about director Carol Reed, screenwriters Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, and the social and political climate in which Night Train to Munich was made * PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Philip Kemp FFD take: rental, I doubt it will be a buy. I don't get too excited for Carol Reed, but it looks fun. #235 - THE LEOPARD (June 29, BR)  * specs same as DVD release FFD take: this should make Criminal Minded happy, but I'm not a big Visconti fan. I guess Red Shoes wasn't a guarantee after all. Also, no Eclipse this month. Between Red Desert and Close Up, I'm happy.
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Mar 15, 2010 17:11
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FitFortDanga posted:#235 - THE LEOPARD (June 29, BR) You have no idea. 
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Mar 15, 2010 17:13
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I see a lot of rentals, but not exactly the "Criterion rapes Egbert's wallet" May schedule. Finally, I got around to watching their Lady Vanishes SE. Great, great film, but the image quality is breathtaking. This ought to look amazing on BluRay if they get around to it. Egbert Souse fucked around with this message at 18:53 on Mar 15, 2010 |
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Mar 15, 2010 18:50
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Egbert Souse posted:Finally, I got around to watching their Lady Vanishes SE. Great, great film, but the image quality is breathtaking. This ought to look amazing on BluRay if they get around to it. Speaking of Lady Vanishes, I didn't realize Charters and Caldicott are in Night Train to Munich. That raises my interest level a bit (although Crook's Tour is pretty terrible, but maybe they're just better as minor characters than the star attraction).
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Mar 15, 2010 20:19
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I'm down with Night Train to Munich and Mystery Train, but give me my Red Shoes.
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Mar 15, 2010 21:13
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aha I just got Close-Up from my Uni's library, although I have yet to watch it. Other than that the only one that really interests me is Everlasting Moments. Still, some nice additions.
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Mar 15, 2010 22:17
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