Forthcoming Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.3

[aox]

Honestly, I think this is the weakest month in years, already showcasing one of the weakest years in years (not that there hasn't been good stuff, but I think I will have only bought by June 5-8 titles).

People on Sunday is the only thing here that really excites me just looking at the plot, but I don't know if I would blind-buy it. As someone already said, is this year just a dumping ground and IFC films?

[matrixschmatrix]

Really? I mean, horses for courses, but Kiss Me Deadly alone is enough to put this month in the top half of the field for me.

[domino harvey]

Best month of the year

[matrixschmatrix]

It does seem like the month people have been waiting for all year- all new spine numbers, and a decent number of movies that have never been released in R1 (or in the case of the Eclipse, anywhere). The special features have been better, but the actual releases are pretty amazing.

[Saturnome]

I might end up buying three of them (plus the Eclipse, so far my blind buys in Eclipse have all been great) so, to me, it's a good month. And I'm not buying titles every month, far from that. And despite the fact that there's two titles by the same director, I feel there's something for everybody.

[Murdoch]

Kiss Me Deadly instantly cancels out any claims of it being a bad month.

[SpiderBaby]

Best month of the year

It really is.

[swo17]

Honestly, I think this is the weakest month in years, already showcasing one of the weakest years in years (not that there hasn't been good stuff, but I think I will have only bought by June 5-8 titles).

There are ten new releases this month, spanning from the '20s to the '80s (and pretty evenly spread out), with at least a few stone cold classics in the mix. If this is a bad month, I say bring on more Smarch weather.

Still, here we are through June, and no boxsets for the year. Whaddya say to that, zedz?

[zedz]

They're coming! And I'm sure at least half of us will be disappointed when they arrive!

[matrixschmatrix]

It's nice to see more silent film, too, especially something as relatively obscure as People on Sunday. Although I'm not sure I'll get to watch it in time for the 30s List project...

[colinr0380]

Finally we can cross People on Sunday off the forthcoming list after, how many years, three? (Still waiting on that edition of Diane Kurys's Cocktail Molotov that the the first Criterion DVD catalogue promised though! )

I've not seen The Makioka Sisters or Black Moon before, and even though I'll approach with caution that they aren't the best films by their directors I'm still excited about picking them up!

[Jeff]

The last few months, people have bitched because Criterion was releasing too many Blu-ray reissues and recent IFC films. This month, they announce 10(!) films that are all new to the collection (only one of which has been released in R1 at all), nothing from IFC, and the most recent film is 26 years old. There are American, British, French, German, Italian, and Japanese films (including a silent masterpiece). People bitch anyway. You can't win, Criterion.

It's true, The Makioka Sisters, Black Moon, and Insignificance are not among their respective directors' best or most important films. Kiss Me Deadly and People on Sunday, however, are balls-to-the-wall, flat-out, indisputable masterpieces. They both have very well-appointed discs too. Throw in the zany New Wave joie de vivre of Zazie, and box of (heretofore unknown to me) Italian post-war cinema, and you've got yourself one hell of a month. I really can't imagine what more people could want.

[Tom Hagen]

What's really comical about the bitching is that people always end their complaints by saying "I'm still going to buy like four or five titles."

[Mr. Ned]

Wow, this month is amazing; a variety of genre, time period, acclaim and auteur with something for everyone and some rarity to showcase the company's effort. I'm devouring all of these.

[SpiderBaby]

I think the people who loves this month outnumbers the ones who doesn't.

[TMDaines]

It's nice to see more silent film, too, especially something as relatively obscure as People on Sunday. Although I'm not sure I'll get to watch it in time for the 30s List project...

Obscure? Geez, this isn't far behind Sunrise in terms of silent films that have had more than enough releases. I love the old films on Blu-ray but so little silents get released by the quality labels and it's always the same stuff that gets multiple releases. I'll get this at some point but it's a shame Criterion can't release some "obscure" silents rather than only the bigger, more famous, names.

[Crab Society North]

Great month I've seen, like and will get 5 of the titles and I've seen not liked and will not get Insignificance though the cover is a great choice. The two Malle's are among my top 5 from him, I love Makioka Sisters as well and Kiss me deadly and people on sunday are no brainers. And that eclipse.... why are people complaining about June releases? you guys are way too spoiled if not just for the fact that we're getting six titles in one month and no appreciation for that

[Saturnome]

What? People on Sunday not obscure? Depends to who you talk. "relatively obscure " it is. It's not Sunrise.

[movielocke]

the only thing missing this month (a terrific month) is a bluray catalog upgrade or three.

[felipe]

The last few months, people have bitched because Criterion was releasing too many Blu-ray reissues and recent IFC films. This month, they announce 10(!) films that are all new to the collection (only one of which has been released in R1 at all), nothing from IFC, and the most recent film is 26 years old. There are American, British, French, German, Italian, and Japanese films (including a silent masterpiece). People bitch anyway. You can't win, Criterion.

Have you imagined that maybe it was different people who bitched about those two months. I, for example, liked last month's titles (even though many bitched about them) and I disliked this month's titles. Just because some people disliked blu-ray upgrades and whatnot, doesn't mean releasing 6 new spines will all of a sudden please everyone.

[felipe]

the only thing missing this month (a terrific month) is a bluray catalog upgrade or three.

I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer for that Sisters' upgrade...

[matrixschmatrix]

What? People on Sunday not obscure? Depends to who you talk. "relatively obscure " it is. It's not Sunrise.

Yeah. I understand being disappointed that it's something that's already out on a nice BFI edition, but this movie has never been released on DVD in R1. Criterion's not exactly Kino in terms of getting silent movies out there, and this one's not from any of the Holy Trinity of German silents- it's not the most obscure thing in the world, but it's not Charlie Chaplin, either.

Besides, they've got that Silent Naruse set on the docket, so even apart from this they're improving their silent movie output.

[What A Disgrace]

My only complaint is that they're releasing Louis Malle films.

[matrixschmatrix]

My only complaint is that they're releasing Louis Malle films that aren't Le monde du silence.

[Perkins Cobb]

Very happy about this lineup. Even conceding the need for a portion of Blu upgrades, this is the kind of Criterion release schedule that's most useful for me -- dominated by relative "obscurities" that I haven't seen yet and have been wanting to get my hands on in a good edition. Even the one Blu upgrade is one of the very few films I'd watch again just because it's on Blu.

I wish every month could be like this.