criterionforum.org

BEST RELEASE
1. To Sleep With Anger
2. The Koker Trilogy
3. The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice
4. Do the Right Thing
5. The Baker's Wife

BEST BOXED SET: The Koker Trilogy
BEST MODERN FILM: Cold War

BEST COMMENTARY: And Life Goes On
BEST BOOKLET: Do the Right Thing

BEST REISSUE: Do the Right Thing
BEST UPGRADE: The BRD Trilogy

BEST COVER: The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice
WORST COVER: Cluny Brown
BEST PACKAGING: The Koker Trilogy (this is too damn inspired not to win)

BEST DISCOVERY: The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice
MOST UNNECESSARY RELEASE: Betty Blue (in a year where they presumably passed on von Trier's masterpiece in the safety of politically correct risk management, only to release one of the most offensively pathological and sexist films I've ever seen is an ignorant joke, or maybe a perfect summation of the 2019 zeitgeist)
MOST FLAWED RELEASE: All About Eve (I realize there are many features in this package, but more new stuff would seem to be a no-brainer for such a perfect film)

BEST THREAD: I feel a bit uncomfortable about voting for the Michel Deville thread, considering I've posted a considerable portion of it so far, but I feel obligated to join the party if this happens to win and get more people to see his films and contribute. This thread also has a special value for me since it launched by confidence in participating on this forum, and introduced me to one of my favorite filmmakers. Honorable mentions go to the other list project threads, specifically the Claude Chabrol, 1940s decade thread, and the Shakespeare project (despite not succeeding in receiving the votes to tally up, it was a great experience and one that forced me to consider more avenues for analysis than the average project).
MEMBER OF THE YEAR: domino harvey, for all his work organizing the mini-list projects, sharing resources, making endless recommendations for movies I'd never find on my own of which a good fraction inevitably become new favorites, and mostly for encouraging me to share my thoughts after lurking self-consciously for years. I would still be hiding in the shadows if not for him.
RICHARD CRANIUM AWARD: Are we going by Oscar standards, or sticking to the year 2019? Either way, I'll nominate TwoTecs for making The Irishman thread confusing and weird before committing forum suicide via an explosion of displacement.

As a reminder, voting apparently closes this Friday

swo17 wrote:As a reminder, voting apparently closes this Friday

Haruumph. Is that because the Oscars moved their schedule up so now everything else has to?

I’m willing to not count shorts here too

BEST RELEASE
Klute
Matewan
To Sleep With Anger
Hedwig And The Angry Inch
Police Story

BEST BOXED SET
Police Story
BEST BOOKLET
Hedwig And The Angry Inch
BEST REISSUE Notorious
BEST UPGRADE Haxan

BEST COVER To Sleep With Anger
BEST PACKAGING
Hedwig And The Angry Inch
BEST DISCOVERY To Sleep With Anger

BEST RELEASE
The Koker Trilogy
To Sleep with Anger
Wanda
24 Frames
Godzilla : Showa

BEST BOXED SET
The Koker Trilogy
BEST MODERN FILM
24 Frames

BEST "BONUS" FILM
Homework

BEST ON-DISC NON-COMMENTARY EXTRA
A Walk with Charles Burnett

BEST REISSUE
Do the Right Thing
BEST UPGRADE
Berlin Alexanderplatz

BEST COVER
Polyester
CLUNY BROWNIEST COVER
Cluny Brown
BEST PACKAGING
The Koker Trilogy

BEST DISCOVERY
Wanda

MEMBER OF THE YEAR
therewillbeblus

Best Release
The Koker Trilogy
Klute
To Sleep With Anger
The Cloud-Capped Star
Japón

Best Boxed Set
The Koker Trilogy
Best Modern Film
Cold War

Best Commentary
Local Hero
Best Bonus Film
What did the lady forget?
Best Booklet
Polyester
Best Non-Commentary Extra
It’s a strange world (collected interviews on Blue Velvet)

Best Reissue
Do The Right Thing
Best Upgrade
Tunes of Glory

Best Cover
War and Peace
Worst Cover
it’s really Cluny

Best Discovery
A face in the crowd
Most Unnecessary Release
I wanna hold your hand
(Second tier: La Verite)
Most Flawed Release
House of Games

Best Thread
Jacques Rozier (not for the thread itsself but for some posts this year reminding me of his wonderful work)
Member Of The Year
therewillbeblus
Richard Cranium Award
abstention

I didn't buy enough new Criterions to vote this year.

Gotta start stealing sometime

Best Release
The Koker Trilogy
Klute
One Sings The Other Doesn't
Wanda
War and Peace

Best Boxed Set
The Koker Trilogy

Best Modern Film
Cold War

Best Commentary
I didn't listen to any this year.

Best Bonus Film
Homework

Best Non-Commentary Extra
I Am Wanda (I didn't really consider it a movie in the movie-sense of the word, which is why I didn't list this in Best Bonus Film.)

Best Reissue
The Magic Flute

Best Upgrade
Haxan

Best Cover
The Magic Flute

Worst Cover
Let The Sunshine In

Best Discovery
The Cloud-Capped Star

Most Unnecessary Release
I was pleased with everything I purchased this year (not that I purchased a lot of them).

headacheboy wrote: Fri Jan 10, 2020 3:25 am
Best Non-Commentary Extra
I Am Wanda (I didn't really consider it a movie in the movie-sense of the word, which is why I didn't list this in Best Bonus Film.)

I mean, have you never seen a documentary before?

Any stragglers have until tomorrow morning to submit a list, but I'm going to start tallying tonight so no editing or updates for submitted ballots

BEST RELEASE
1. To Sleep With Anger
2. Klute
3. Now, Voyager
4. War and Peace
5. Swing Time

BEST REISSUE
Notorious

BEST UPGRADE
The BRD Trilogy

BEST COVER
Now, Voyager

CLUNY BROWNIEST COVER
Let the Sunshine In

BEST BOOKLET
Polyester

BEST PACKAGING
The BRD Trilogy – I know it’s not eligible, but I still think it’s one of the most attractive packages Criterion has put together. I’m only voting for it now because I didn’t get to vote for it the first time around.

BEST DISCOVERY
To Sleep With Anger

BEST RELEASE
1. To Sleep With Anger
2. Do the Right Thing
3. The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice
4. Swing Time
5. The Koker Trilogy


BEST BOXED SET
The Koker Trilogy

BEST MODERN FILM
Cold War

BEST REISSUE
Do the Right Thing

BEST UPGRADE
Haxan

BEST BONUS FILM
What Did The Lady Forget?

BEST COVER
The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice

CLUNY BROWNIEST COVER
Cluny Brown, both covers!

BEST PACKAGING
The Koker Trilogy

BEST DISCOVERY
Local Hero

BEST OTHER RELEASES
Absolutely adored everything about Arrow's Khrustalyov, My Car!

BEST RELEASE
1. The Koker Trilogy - I've waited 15 years for this, since buying horrid 2nd-gen-VHS-copies from the Iranian Films storefront in Orange County, and it was a fantastic release. I wish they had included a handful of more shorts (great to finally see "Homework" after reading about it), video essays, and two more commentaries, but I'm just greedy.
2. Detour - I've waited 30 years for this (had a muddy VHS copy in late '80s), and it was also wonderful; I really love films noirs, and this is among the noiriest.
3. The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice - waited 15 years for this, so happy to ditch my Panorama region 3 version.
4. Cluny Brown - I'd never seen this, only read about it, so I was overjoyed to receive it as a gift from the Criterion gods.
5.The Kid Brother - a continuing sign of Criterion's care for film history; this was a good year for silent releases (including many other labels), I hope they continue. Excellent extra features added context.
BEST BOXED SET
The Koker Trilogy
BEST MODERN FILM
Cold War

BEST COMMENTARY
The Circus - I thought Jeffrey Vance did a commendable job here, and commentary on a silent film is particularly interesting for me, as there is little to no dialog to interfere with absorbing the notes; I always enjoy hearing Rosenbaum (And Life Goes On), but I learned more from The Circus' release extras, including this commentary.
BEST "BONUS" FILM
What Did the Lady Forget? (the Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice)
(runner-up: Homework (Koker Trilogy))
BEST BOOKLET
A Face in the Crowd - a great release that just missed my top 5

BEST ON-DISC NON-COMMENTARY EXTRA
"Close to Home", video essay by John Bengtson (The Kid Brother) - I love Bengtson's three books (Silent Echoes, Silent Traces, Silent Visions) detailing the locations for Keaton, Chaplin, and Lloyd films (respectively), and his extra feature video essays successfully bring out the spirit of those books. Detective work, film history, and analysis rolled together.
(runners-up: video essay by Kristin Thompson (Cluny Brown), video essays by David Bordwell (Notorious, The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice); please, more Bordwell and Thompson, and more video essays! - their short "Understanding Film Art" analyses on the Criterion Channel are my top reason for subscribing)

BEST REISSUE
Notorious - really fantastic extras, voluminous and high quality, very educational, especially the visual essays by Bordwell (ending), Bailey (visual style) and Raim (story-boarding).
BEST UPGRADE
3 Silent Classics by Josef von Sternberg
(runner-up: Haxan)

BEST COVER
The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice

CLUNY BROWNIEST COVER
Funny Games - yikes, I can't change the page fast enough when I see it ... I know it's appropriate to the story and all, but no thanks.
BEST PACKAGING
The Koker Trilogy - clever, creative, and means more each time you unpack it to watch and re-watch the films.

BEST DISCOVERY
Cluny Brown - I know, I'm a philistine. That's why I read this forum, to learn.
(runner-up: Now, Voyager ... a film I'd never read about and saw totally cold, and yes, I know, I'm a philistine)

MOST UNNECESSARY RELEASE

MOST FLAWED RELEASE

BEST THREAD
"Decades: The '40s" - I learn the most from these decades (and the other topical) lists, and this one in particular continues to provide fertile opportunities for me to learn and enjoy films. The "Screwball Comedies" list was also wonderfully instructive and added easily 20 discs to my kevyip.

MEMBER OF THE YEAR
therewillbeblus has been very interesting to read, though I'm often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of his posts (both wordiness and density of ideas, and quantity of posts), and find myself skipping through them. But he's been a welcome addition to the forum, and someone whose posts lead me to revisit films.
(runner-up: Domino Harvey, I think I've learned the most this past year by going back and re-reading his older posts in the lists threads (and on Bogdanovich))

RICHARD CRANIUM AWARD

Voting closed, results soon

I'm humbled by the words some have said, and the votes in general. As DarkImbecile mentioned, I spent years lurking without posting. I was afraid to write anything, intimidated and doubtful of my readings and abilities. Moderation isn't exactly a characteristic action I easily administer, but I'll hopefully pare it down a bit soon. A huge 'thank you' to everyone who writes on this forum: I've been introduced to all-time favorites, gained new appreciations for some movies, reinforced appreciations for others, and welcomed new readings on old favorites through the discussions here over the last four years and I'm grateful to have been able to participate more this last year. It's been a life-changing experience being a member of this film community. Like Tarantino did for Rick Dalton, a self-conscious and anxious invisible man, against expectations, thanks for recognizing me in spite of my own self-doubt. I've always felt incredibly uncomfortable being recognized, but I won't minimize that it means a lot, and I was genuinely surprised and moved to see my name pop up by people I've long admired here and been inspired by over the years. If you're lurking out there afraid to post, please consider changing that. Many members here have significantly impacted my education, appreciation, and love for movies - I just hope I can continue to contribute to the positive influence of this space too. Thanks again.

Congratulations, twbb! Hope this recognition helps you to overcome any lingering insecurity and become obnoxiously assertive and overly confident in your opinions like most other past winners.

And thanks to domino for the tabulation and typically delightful presentation of the winners, not least the particularly enjoyable Richard Cranium.

Ditto on the congrats, blu! You would have gotten my vote too, of course (!), if I took part in this thread (I don't buy nearly enough Criterion discs the same year that they come out to participate, not a single one from 2019 yet) - thoroughly deserved! Nice acceptance speech too. Go man go!

@DarkImbecile, you penciled in my name last year - I'll take this opportunity to say I noticed and that I was surprised and touched as well.

Congrats, blu! You would've had my vote too if I was voting.

PS-I kinda like the Cluny Brown cover. I think it's cute.