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The argument (or complaint, rather) about the demographics of the Criterion Collection crop up often enough that an FAQ posting might not actually be the worst idea. If you add one though, I want you to include the line "Criterion is not a grant-funded entity designed to award the best films in the world with really cool DVDs" verbatim.

This may not have been Criterion's best year ever, but at the same time I have a lot of great stuff on my shelf now that I didn't this time last year.

arsonfilms wrote:The argument (or complaint, rather) about the demographics of the Criterion Collection crop up often enough that an FAQ posting might not actually be the worst idea. If you add one though, I want you to include the line "Criterion is not a grant-funded entity designed to award the best films in the world with really cool DVDs" verbatim.

Done!

Tom Hagen wrote:The ever-unlikely HerrSchreck/domino harvey axis has spoken: 2008 is officially the worst Criterion year in recent memory.

While I certainly agree with the majority of users that this has been an incredibly lackluster year in terms of output, I think it has been a necessary bump in the road for Criterion to continue to be successful in giving us better versions of great films in the long-term. If you consider what has had to occur within the office over the last twelve to eighteen months in terms of adapting Criterion's business model to include producing Eclipse and Blu-Ray releases every month, such a lackluster year seems worth it. Sure we all have to wait even longer for some of our favorites that were promised to us years ago, but if thats the cost of getting a better version of Marienbad or an Eclipse set of a director someone has never heard of before, isn't that worth it? Maybe I am actually the only one who thinks this isn't all that bad; although I will admit that the relative quality of this years output isn't good, but again, it's all relative.

maybe criterion is hyping us up for a better year...u never know...yeah it might have been kinda bad, but i got pierrot le fou...

What A Disgrace wrote:I hope Criterion can pull off the awesome next year. We certainly have some promising discs...Magnificent Obsession, Human Condition Trilogy, Rosselini films, Macunaíma, the Gremillion titles, Naruse Eclipse, Roberto Gavaldón Eclipse, Fuller remasters, Walkabout remaster, El Norte, etc, etc. But some of this stuff was promised for this year; and some of it was promised last year.

Don't forget about the long awaited releases of Akira Kurosawa's Dodes'Ka-den and Josef von Sternberg's Shanghai Express!

let me tell u a great criterion year would look like for me

1. Face to Face, Summer with Monika, and etc
2. Repulsion
3. Other Luis Bunuel films
4 Kurosawa films
5. godard films
6. Clouzot films

u know all that good stuff and then give us some other good stuff

canti10 wrote:u know all that good stuff and then give us some other good stuff

Thanks for that.

canti10 wrote:let me tell u a great criterion year would look like for me

1. Face to Face, Summer with Monika, and etc
2. Repulsion
3. Other Luis Bunuel films
4 Kurosawa films
5. godard films
6. Clouzot films

u know all that good stuff and then give us some other good stuff

Post of the year.

Morgan Creek wrote:Since we're wishing, how about an Eclipse set of Ida Lupino's Issue Films, which aren't easy to come by?

Which titles are those-- I've never heard that phrase before viz her canon ("issue films"); do you mean a la "People with issues" i e her social outcast films like Not Wanted (own it & love it) The Bigamist (own it & love it), Outrage & Never Fear? (never saw the last two).

Her The HitchHiker is one of the most frightening noirs you'll ever see. Although the Kino isn't bad (nor is the Roan), a new edition would certainly be welcome.

Would love to see a CC of Mann's The Black Book-- great companion spine to Furies, since they were virtually back to back.

Elia Kazan's name popped up recently... what's the status of the Criterion relationship with Fox?

I could see films like Viva Zapata, Wild River, or even A Tree Grows in Brooklyn make it into the collection. Some classic Hollywood in there. Hell, I'd be curious enough to take a look at his commie-baiting melodrama Man on a Tightrope if Criterion got a hold of it.

Shreck- I believe Black Book is going to be in one of Sony's forthcoming noir sets. They own the negative.

HerrSchreck wrote:

Morgan Creek wrote:Since we're wishing, how about an Eclipse set of Ida Lupino's Issue Films

Which titles are those-- I've never heard that phrase before viz her canon ("issue films"); do you mean a la "People with issues" i e her social outcast films like Not Wanted (own it & love it) The Bigamist (own it & love it), Outrage & Never Fear? (never saw the last two).

Yes, those are exactly the ones I meant, and the "Issues" was just an Eclipse-like categorizaiton for a series of films that cover rape, bigamy, unwed motherhood, etc. I've only seen a few of them, but they're remarkable for that point in the 50s, all tightly wound, unnervingly intense pieces of work - not unlike Ida herself.

HypnoHelioStaticStasis wrote:I could see films like Viva Zapata, Wild River, or even A Tree Grows in Brooklyn make it into the collection.

A Fox executive recently mentioned Viva Zapata as one of the films they want to restore themselves, so I doubt very much that Criterion can get it.

canti10 wrote:let me tell u a great criterion year would look like for me

1. Face to Face, Summer with Monika, and etc
2. Repulsion
3. Other Luis Bunuel films
4 Kurosawa films
5. Godard films
6. Clouzot films

But that doesn't include any docs, silents, African, or North American films (and I'm assuming the Bunuel would be from his Mexican period).

Mexico is part of North America.

There is definitely an incredible shortage of Kurosawa films. We only got six this year.

miless wrote:Mexico is part of North America.

Great, another liberal and his 'facts'.

aox wrote:

miless wrote:Mexico is part of North America.

Great, another liberal and his 'facts'.

Geographically, yes... but in cinema, Mexico is considered part of "Latin American cinema", not American. And what is that about liberals?

miless wrote:Mexico is part of North America.

Good catch. But Bunuel is Spanish. So that complicates it even more.

Does anyone else not consider Simon of the Desert or Exterminating Angel to be part of Bunuel's Mexican period? I tend to group the post Viridiana films in a separate category. Not that there is going to be a Mexican box anytime soon.

And for what it's worth, I've been told that the Rossellini and the Gorin are the two next Eclipse titles for early next year.

Cinephrenic wrote:

aox wrote:

miless wrote:Mexico is part of North America.

Great, another liberal and his 'facts'.

Geographically, yes... but in cinema, Mexico is considered part of "Latin American cinema", not American. And what is that about liberals?

Just a joke with a small reference to Will Ferrell's imitation of Bush. Lighten up.

Ok, you scared me there for a moment.

EL NORTE is perhaps my favorite film of all time. Granted I haven't seen it in over ten years, but when I heard a rumor way back in 2000 that a restoration was underway which was soon to be followed by a theatrical re-release and eventual DVD, I was ecstatic. Unfortunately, this never transpired.

When Criterion announced it's Blu-Ray release of EL NORTE, I naturally was excited again, but still very cautious. I continue to be cautious now... I check practically every day for artwork on Criterion's website. Until I see artwork or an actual release date, there will always be a little disbelief in me.

I currently work as a Blu-Ray compressionist and when I first heard that EL NORTE was being released, I tried to find who was in charge of the disc's creation. I promise you that no one else would give this film as much love during compression as I would. I have numerous high profile films under my belt and a few academy award winning films as well, all with excellent reviews. I wish I could have gotten through to the persons in charge of this disc's development, but couldn't. It would have been AWESOME to work on this title... actually, I'd LOVE to work on ANY of Criterion's Blu-Ray discs.

That being said, I truly await this title more than anyone else. PLEASE post artwork or a release date soon Criterion!! I just bought my Playstation 3 (currently the most stable Blu-Ray player out there) in preparation for this release.

restlessfunk wrote:I check practically every day for artwork on Criterion's website. Until I see artwork or an actual release date, there will always be a little disbelief in me.

Save yourself some time. Just check on the 15th or 16th of each month.

justeleblanc wrote:And for what it's worth, I've been told that the Rossellini and the Gorin are the two next Eclipse titles for early next year.

So then, between White Dog's missing commentary and this, Criterion are now in the business of soliciting extras they don't use

domino harvey wrote:So then, between White Dog's missing commentary and this, Criterion are now in the business of soliciting extras they don't use

Supposedly Donald Richie did a commentary for "I Was Born But" -- and that didn't get used either.