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CRITERION OUTDOES ITSELF

post #1 of 26
10/16/10 at 12:50pm
Thread Starter 
What a December and January we have in store for us.

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post #2 of 26
10/16/10 at 3:33pm
Their total contempt for non-Japanese, non-WKW Asian cinema is disgusting considering their mission statement. Nice cover art though.
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post #3 of 26
10/16/10 at 4:08pm
I'd never really noticed that. Anyone know why that is?
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post #4 of 26
10/16/10 at 4:31pm
I've been in love with Criterion since I started buying DVDs, and I find that I just can't get that upset about anything they do (though the Criterion Cast podcast kinda sucks). If it weren't for Criterion, I would probably never have seen/been aware of what are now some of my favorite movies. Blast of Silence, Carnival of Souls, Shock Corridor...all came to my attention thanks to Criterion. Even better, they helped me discover some great, fun, weird and obscure horror films like Hausu and Equinox (my esteem for that movie just continues to grow). That's not even taking into account the amazing treatment they offer to classic cinema from around the world.

I guess in the end, I can acknowledge that they're not perfect, but god damn...they come closer than most. Criterion will always have my heart.
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post #5 of 26
10/16/10 at 4:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Olson View Post
I've been in love with Criterion since I started buying DVDs, and I find that I just can't get that upset about anything they do (though the Criterion Cast podcast kinda sucks).
Not the biggest fan, though I do like to support that kind of podcast, but they are not affiliated with Criterion at all. Although I wish Criterion staff had a podcast full. It'd have to be full of vague hints on their future releases.
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post #6 of 26
10/16/10 at 4:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony Ryan View Post
Not the biggest fan, though I do like to support that kind of podcast, but they are not affiliated with Criterion at all. Although I wish Criterion staff had a podcast full. It'd have to be full of vague hints on their future releases.
Ah, okay...I thought these twats were somehow affiliated with Criterion itself. Man, they suck. I think I tuned out the minute one of them expressed disbelief that the script for the latest Star Trek film wasn't nominated for an Oscar, but even before that, I couldn't handle listening to these guys ramble. It quickly became obvious that their knowledge of film is severely limited. Anyway, sorry for the derail.

I agree with you, though. An official Criterion sanctioned podcast would be the bee's knees. I'd love it if they could get something going where they have people who are actually knowledgeable about film get together to discuss the collection on a film by film basis.
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post #7 of 26
10/16/10 at 10:05pm
I may have to rent Broadcast News to see if we finally get an explanation for that fucking ending. Because god, that ending sucks.
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post #8 of 26
10/16/10 at 10:17pm
I'll be honest: I never made it to the end of Broadcast News. Three different tries, and nothing about that movie registers as the least bit funny or amusing. It's weird how little of James L. Brooks' cinematic output I actually enjoy, in contrast to how much I freaking adore As Good As It Gets.
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post #9 of 26
10/16/10 at 10:18pm
It's a wonderful little movie, until the ending.
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post #10 of 26
10/16/10 at 10:19pm
The ending is perfect. You mean Holly Hunter in the cab? Is that what you can't understand? She gets in and gives up control, only to begin giving the driver directions again ... she's not broken, the ending says. She will regain her sense of self and control.
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post #11 of 26
10/16/10 at 11:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt Hindmarch View Post
The ending is perfect. You mean Holly Hunter in the cab? Is that what you can't understand? She gets in and gives up control, only to begin giving the driver directions again ... she's not broken, the ending says. She will regain her sense of self and control.
Denial!

I actually love the movie, ending aside. It's a two-minute glitch in an otherwise excellent film.
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post #12 of 26
10/17/10 at 1:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by reggie-wanker View Post
Their total contempt for non-Japanese, non-WKW Asian cinema is disgusting considering their mission statement. Nice cover art though.
What about John Woo?

Was hoping they'd announce The Game finally, but perhaps they're looking to time it with Social Network's release on DVD/Blu-Ray.
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post #13 of 26
10/17/10 at 2:55am
Yi-Yi as well.
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post #14 of 26
10/17/10 at 10:34am
It is true that the amount of Hong Kong flicks they have in their catalogue is miniscule when compared to their japanese output. And you could I guess say that japanese cinema - artsy, slow-paced, brooding - would be an easier sell for Criterion snobs than HK cinema - which is typically unabashedly commercial, fast-paced and lighthearted.* But that wouldn't really explain why they don't include the noir-infused Milkyway stuff, for example, or some of the more lyrical wuxia films. Perhaps it just has something to do with Janus Films owning a lot of great old japanese films?

They should definitley start tackling Korea, though. Apropriatley artsy and "highbrow" and there's been an interesting national cinema there for decades, way before the late 90's/early 00's boom, from what I've read.

* giant generalization, yeah, but if we're talking about a stereotypical image of a nation's cinema...
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post #15 of 26
10/17/10 at 12:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeShaynePI View Post
What about John Woo?

Was hoping they'd announce The Game finally, but perhaps they're looking to time it with Social Network's release on DVD/Blu-Ray.
March 2011. David Prior already let it slip.
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post #16 of 26
10/17/10 at 2:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeShaynePI View Post
What about John Woo?
Woo was a carryover from LaserDisc days, when they had a demonstrably different attitude and released things like SUPERCOP and AKIRA (an animated film - another enormous gaping hole in Criterion's modern-day lineup). Those rights lapsed last century.

For example, Criterion has a relationship with IFC. IFC has a decent number of Korean and at least a few Hong Kong films. They're not even questionable choices for Criterion, they're films like THE CHASER, THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD, and MAD DETECTIVE. And yet, nothing.

Too many other, newer, less prestigious, and almost certainly poorer companies are able to acquire these sorts of titles, and yet Criterion just can't? I call bullshit on the very notion. At some point, after years and years and years of this, it becomes glaringly obvious that it's not a question of "gosh, we can't afford it" or "gosh, the rights simply aren't available" but rather "Pfffft, Korean movies? Animated movies? Chinese movies? You mean other than Wong Kar-wai? You have to be joking. We're a serious company - Dragon Dynasty is across town. I'll call you a cab."
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post #17 of 26
10/17/10 at 3:26pm
Yeah, I sincerely doubt that the people in the Criterion offices are running off some anti-Chinese cinema attitude.
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post #18 of 26
10/17/10 at 3:34pm
In the Mood for Love is one of the great Criterions.
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post #19 of 26
10/17/10 at 3:39pm
Which is itself a WKW film, as reggie pointed out as an exception in his theory.

I have also wondered about Criterion's lack of Korean films a long time ago. Is it possibly because Korean studios already tend to go pretty full out with the special features on their DVDs already? Maybe it's them that are holding out for a better deal?

I always wished that Battle Royale would get a Criterion treatment, but I've heard that TOEI has been ridiculously stingy and unrealistic about distribution rights elsewhere. Not sure how true that is, but the sentiment is out there.
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post #20 of 26
10/17/10 at 3:59pm
Generally speaking, isn't Criterion forced to pick from films that the studios generally deem too expensive to properly release on HV? Obviously there are a few exceptions to this rule (Armaggedon, I'm looking at you) but by and large, the reason why Criterion's releases cost more is purely to recoup on their investment. HK and Korean HV releases generally seem like safe bets for their studios. The cloes ties between Japanese cinema and Criterion seems like a legacy partnership from back when Japan had the most mature film culture, (especially compared to other east-Asian countries.)
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post #21 of 26
10/17/10 at 4:39pm
Yeah, I imagine the problem Criterion found was that Tartan (god bless em) and Miramax were so aggressive in buying the rights to stuff. I mean Tartan essentially built itself on obscure transgressive Asian Films and Miramax just bought things to be dicks.
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post #22 of 26
10/17/10 at 6:32pm
NIGHT OF THE HUNTER is coming?

I've been waiting for this news for as long as I've known DVD. This makes my whole year. Thanks for the head's up.
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post #23 of 26
10/17/10 at 9:32pm
I hope CRONOS is but a start in the rest of GDT's more elite catalog. Screw it. His whole catalog. MIMIC too.
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post #24 of 26
10/17/10 at 10:22pm
the ending of broadcast news is when she gets in the cab right and heads off. I'm curious what was so bad about that ending. Its perfect unless theres a scene ending after it I can't remember.

And Broadcast News is wonderful. Funny, moving and extremely well written and acted.
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post #25 of 26
10/17/10 at 10:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DARKMITE8 View Post
I hope CRONOS is but a start in the rest of GDT's more elite catalog. Screw it. His whole catalog. MIMIC too.
If Criterion could put out that Director's Cut of Mimic that's been languishing on the shelf at Miramax I'd be more than happy.
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post #26 of 26
10/17/10 at 10:56pm
House is going to be a Blu-ray blind buy for me.

I have Paths Of Glory and Night Of The Hunter on their old MGM standard dvds, so I may wait to get those when they're on sale.
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