2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

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movielocke
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:44 am

2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#1 Post by movielocke » Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:10 am

Edit: did not expect this to become a new thread, hope I didn't steal anyone's thunder.

Because I like breaking things down into stats:

2012 features 65 releases on 161 discs covering 96 films. Surprisingly that is pretty similar to 2011 which had 76 release on 164 discs covering 101 films. you could even increase 2012's count up to 99 films if you counted 2 each for godzilla, gold rush and brazil. On average in 2012 they released 13.4 discs/month which is basically identical to 2011's average of 13.7 discs/month.

2012 featured 41 new releases (49 films, 3 sets), 8 new editions of catalog titles (1 set), 12 upgrades of catalog titles and 7 eclipse releases. (the new editions # counts three for the samurai trilogy and includes Brief Encounter)

2011 featured 38 new releases (44 films, 1 set), 6 new editions of catalog titles, 26 upgrades of catalog titles and 6 eclipse releases.

Edit: Adding a breakdown of 2012 releases below, since this is now a thread for the year wrapup/awards

Criterion (Main Line)

593 Belle de Jour
594 Godzilla
595 Moment of Truth
596 Three Outlaw Samurai
597 Tiny Furniture
598 World on a Wire
599 Vanya on 42nd Street
600 Anatomy of a Murder
601 Letter Never Sent
602 War Room, The
603 David Lean directs Noel Coward
604 In Which We Serve
605 This Happy Breed
606 Blithe Spirit

607 Hollis Frampton Odyssey, A
608 Harold and Maude
609 ¡Alambrista!
610 Organizer, The
611 Being John Malkovich
612 Certified Copy
613 Summer Interlude
614 Summer with Monika
615 Gold Rush, The
616 Shallow Grave
617 And Everything is Going Fine
618 Gray's Anatomy
619 Havre, Le
620 Promesse, La
621 Rosetta
622 Weekend
623 Lonesome
624 Quadrophenia
625 Eating Raoul
626 Visiteurs du Soir, Les
627 Game, The
628 Forgiveness of Blood, The
629 Sunday Bloody Sunday
630 Rosemary's Baby
631 Trilogy of Life
632 Decameron, The
633 Canterbury Tales, The
634 Arabian Nights

635 Weekend
636 Heaven's Gate
637 Purple Noon
638 Following
639 Qatsi Trilogy, The
640 Koyaanisqatsi
641 Powaqqatsi
642 Naqoyqatsi


Criterion (Reissue)

7 Night to Remember, A
Samurai Trilogy
14 Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
15 Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple
16 Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island

56 39 Steps, The
76 Brief Encounter
138 Rashomon
141 Children of Paradise

Criterion (Blu-ray Upgrade)
51 Brazil
70 Last Temptation of Christ, The
147 In the Mood for Love
151 Traffic
157 Royal Tenenbaums, The
166 Down By Law
201 Umberto D.
326 Metropolitan
331 Late Spring
381 Haine, La
387 La Jetee/Sans Soleil
485 Last Days of Disco, The

Eclipse
31 Three Popular Films by Jean Pierre Gorin
Poto and Cabengo
Routine Pleasures
My Crasy Life

32 Pearls of the Czech New Wave
Pearls of the Deep
Daisies
Report on the Party and Guests, A
Return of the Prodigal Son
Capricious Summer
Joke, The

33 Up All Night with Robert Downey Sr.
Babo 73
Chafed Elbows
No More Excuses
Putney Swope
Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight

34 Jean Grémillon During the Occupation
Remorques
Lumière D'Été
Ciel Est À Vous, La

35 Maidstone and Other Films by Norman Mailer
Maidstone
Wild 90
Beyond the Law

36 Three Wicked Melodrams from Gainsborough Pictures
Man in Grey, The
Madonna of the Seven Moons
Wicked Lady, The

37 When Horror Came to Shochiku
X From Outer Space, The
Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell
Living Skeleton, The
Genocide
Last edited by movielocke on Tue Sep 18, 2012 2:54 pm, edited 4 times in total.

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matrixschmatrix
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Re: Criterion & Eclipse Cover Art & Packaging Babble-on Vol.

#2 Post by matrixschmatrix » Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:23 am

(Presumably this should get moved to the other Criterion thread)

The obvious change there being the enormous drop in blu upgrades- an average of more than two a month last year, down to one a month this year. No doubt they cherry-picked a lot of the easiest stuff last year, but I wonder if there's any other reason for the change.

ianungstad
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Re: Criterion & Eclipse Cover Art & Packaging Babble-on Vol.

#3 Post by ianungstad » Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:43 am

I will usually buy a catalog title if it's a complete overhaul with a new transfer and additional supplements. If it's just a direct port of the dvd; I almost never buy the title if I already own it. While I cherish my collection there are far too many releases that I only pull out once in a blue moon that it's not worth spending another $20 bucks just to have the blu version. I suspect the sharp drop in dvd to blu ports perhaps indicates that a good chunk of the people buying Criterion discs have similar buying habits.

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ryannichols7
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Re: Criterion & Eclipse Cover Art & Packaging Babble-on Vol.

#4 Post by ryannichols7 » Tue Sep 18, 2012 9:34 am

plus they realized Samurai Trilogy could easily fit on two discs since there aren't a ton of supplements with it.

thankfully the Trilogy of Life and (presumably) the Qatsi Trilogy will be digipack boxes ala Lean/Coward and Three Colors. I really wish Rashomon would be a digipack, that art begs for it.

my biggest complaint with 2012 is definitely the lower number of upgrades. it was kinda frustrating in the early months of the year when it'd only be 1-2 and they wouldn't be.."bigger" titles. but with Down by Law, Tenenbaums, Umberto D, In the Mood for Love, Rashomon, and Brazil, i think they definitely started hitting their stride. i just wish they could've doubled the number of upgrades. but it's okay, I'm sure 2013 will have plenty (Le Samourai, Wild Strawberries, Ikiru, Tokyo Story, Ace in the Hole..)

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zedz
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#5 Post by zedz » Sun Sep 23, 2012 5:38 pm

I happened to be thinking about this the other night (why? because I'm crazy, that's why) and it occurred to me that traditional special features would be hard-pushed to compete with the actual feature films that have been added to several of this year's releases.

When the voting categories were originally devised, actual additional feature films (leaving aside the early 'double feature' releases like The Killers) were exceedingly rare. Now they seem to become more and more common.

What do people think about splitting the 'special features' category into 'Best Extra - Feature Film' and 'Best Extra - Special Feature'?

Off the top of my head, I think we've got at least seven feature films in the running for the former category:
U.S. Godzilla
Creative Non-Fiction
Return of the War Room
(the only one which sort-of strays into traditional 'extra' territory)
The Report
The Gold Rush
(1925)
Broadway
The Last Performance

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swo17
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#6 Post by swo17 » Sun Sep 23, 2012 6:00 pm

You might also count Sex and Death to the Age 14 and A Personal History of the American Theater.

Also, I like the idea for the additional category, but might it also include short films?

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zedz
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#7 Post by zedz » Sun Sep 23, 2012 6:45 pm

Could do (e.g. Anima Mundi etc.), though they've always been a regular presence on Criterion discs and competed on an even footing with other special features come voting time. My main concern is that (obviously?) a whole extra feature film is going to outweigh the value of a 20 minute interview or illustrated essay, however brilliant, so the traditional special features will get short shrift. But unless a lot of other people feel the same way (and would be voting for the features rather than interviews / shorts / essays) then it's probably a non-issue.

I wasn't thinking of the Gray monologues, but yeah, they're probably in the same boat.

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movielocke
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#8 Post by movielocke » Mon Sep 24, 2012 4:39 am

I've just been mining the War Room features (got in a political mood for some reason, can't imagine why), and it's quite the impressive set, I was a bit shocked to discover Return of the War Room was an entire 90 minute film on top of a couple other hours of features, that was icing.

So I agree that best Bonus Feature Film seems like a good category this year.

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zedz
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#9 Post by zedz » Mon Sep 24, 2012 5:00 pm

movielocke wrote:I've just been mining the War Room features (got in a political mood for some reason, can't imagine why), and it's quite the impressive set, I was a bit shocked to discover Return of the War Room was an entire 90 minute film on top of a couple other hours of features, that was icing.
Some of Criterion's very best collections of extras come with their documentaries. Harlan County and Harvey Milk immediately spring to mind: lots of material, lots of insight, lots of different contributing voices, but expertly curated / edited to minimise redundancy. Return of the War Room is a must-see if only for a couple of minutes of Mary Matalin exorcising her id. It kind of makes me wish we could see the 'opposite film' to The War Room, following her around the '92 campaign trail instead of Carville & Stephanopoulos.

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movielocke
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#10 Post by movielocke » Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:23 pm

I think this is a full list of the commentaries for 2012 releases. Some of the rerelease/upgrade commentaries may have been on the original editions, so I'd appreciate anyone who might know if they are new features or were on the original release:



593 Belle de Jour – Michael Wood
594 Godzilla – David Kalat
594 Godzilla, King of the Monsters – David Kalat
607 A Hollis Frampton Odyssey (selected shorts) – Hollis Frampton
608 Harold and Maude – Nick Dawson, Charles B. Mulvehill
609 ¡Alambrista! – Robert M. Young, Michael Hausman
611 Being John Malkovich (selected-scenes) – Michel Gondry
615 The Gold Rush (1925) – Jeffrey Vance
616 Shallow Grave – Danny Boyle
616 Shallow Grave – John Hodge, Andrew Macdonald
623 Lonesome – Richard Koszarski
624 Quadrophenia – Franc Roddam, Tufano
625 Eating Raoul – Richard Blackburn, Robert Schulenberg, Alan Toomayan
627 The Game – David Fincher, Harris Savides, Michael Douglas, John Brancato, Michael Ferris, Richard “Dr.” Baily, Jeffrey Beecroft, Kevin Haug
628 The Forgiveness of Blood – Joshua Marston
638 Following – Christopher Nolan

Edit: Removed the following from the list because the commentaries appeared on the earlier criterion editions

7 A Night to Remember – Don Lynch, Ken Marschall
56 The 39 Steps – Marian Keane
76 Brief Encounter – Bruce Eder
139 Rashomon – Donald Richie
141 Children of Paradise – Brian Stonehill, Charles Affron
Last edited by movielocke on Mon Sep 24, 2012 11:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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matrixschmatrix
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#11 Post by matrixschmatrix » Mon Sep 24, 2012 9:06 pm

Off the top of my head, I know the Keane, Eder, Richie, and Stonehill/Affron commentaries were all on the old discs (has Eder done a commentary in the last like five years?) and I believe the one on A Night to Remember is also recycled- and as far as I know, The Game and Following were both on the previous non-Criterion discs (though not in region A for The Game). I know for certain that both Kalat commentaries are new, and I'm 99% that Lonesome, Being John Malkovich, Harold and Maude, and The Gold Rush are all newly recorded. Maybe someone else can fill in the rest.

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zedz
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#12 Post by zedz » Mon Sep 24, 2012 9:36 pm

The (superb) A Night to Remember commentary was indeed on the old disc.

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#13 Post by The Narrator Returns » Mon Sep 24, 2012 9:38 pm

Shallow Grave's director's commentary already appeared on the UK Blu-Ray.

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zedz
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#14 Post by zedz » Mon Sep 24, 2012 9:45 pm

matrixschmatrix wrote: I know for certain that both Kalat commentaries are new, and I'm 99% that Lonesome, Being John Malkovich, Harold and Maude, and The Gold Rush are all newly recorded. Maybe someone else can fill in the rest.
You can be 101% sure about Lonesome, since the film has never been previously released.

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movielocke
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#15 Post by movielocke » Mon Sep 24, 2012 10:46 pm

The Keane is described as an audio essay on the back of the original box art (looked up on dvd empire), is that the same as commentary (Night to Remember, Brief Encounter, Rashomon & Children of Paradise all denote the feature as a commentary).

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matrixschmatrix
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#16 Post by matrixschmatrix » Mon Sep 24, 2012 10:51 pm

Yeah, I think they just used to call it that when the commentator didn't pay much attention to what was going on on-screen. As far as I recall, it runs the full length of the movie, and it's definitely exactly the same on both DVD and blu (which is too bad, because it's like a textbook case of overanalysis and pulling out things that aren't there.)

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movielocke
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#17 Post by movielocke » Mon Sep 24, 2012 11:09 pm

matrixschmatrix wrote:Yeah, I think they just used to call it that when the commentator didn't pay much attention to what was going on on-screen. As far as I recall, it runs the full length of the movie, and it's definitely exactly the same on both DVD and blu (which is too bad, because it's like a textbook case of overanalysis and pulling out things that aren't there.)
I'm shocked that anyone could possibly over-determine Hitchcock, ever! Who could do such a thing?

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Matt
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#18 Post by Matt » Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:37 am

Keane was also very useful in pointing out the many phallic symbols in The Lady Eve. I would have remained completely oblivious of them were it not for her generous assistance.

scoundrel
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#19 Post by scoundrel » Tue Sep 25, 2012 12:27 pm

Matt wrote:Keane was also very useful in pointing out the many phallic symbols in The Lady Eve. I would have remained completely oblivious of them were it not for her generous assistance.
You mean that snake was a penis?!

Brianruns10
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#20 Post by Brianruns10 » Tue Sep 25, 2012 2:16 pm

Matt wrote:Keane was also very useful in pointing out the many phallic symbols in The Lady Eve. I would have remained completely oblivious of them were it not for her generous assistance.
Damn Freudians have to ruin everything...

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movielocke
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#21 Post by movielocke » Thu Sep 27, 2012 3:43 pm

has there ever been a wishlist category?

I think it'd be fun to have a "2013 Wishlist" category in the ballots where you can list your top five most wished for titles, that'd be interesting to see the forums top titles... but maybe there would be too little overlap for it to be a valid consensus? Perhaps it'd work better if it were restricted to upgrades of existing catalog titles?

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zedz
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#22 Post by zedz » Thu Sep 27, 2012 5:53 pm

I think that would be the most annoying and/or depressing category ever. Isn't that sort of thing what Facebook is for?

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swo17
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#23 Post by swo17 » Thu Sep 27, 2012 6:03 pm


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movielocke
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#24 Post by movielocke » Thu Sep 27, 2012 6:34 pm


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domino harvey
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Re: 2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

#25 Post by domino harvey » Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:53 pm

Movielocke is tabulating? Clearly I haven't been keeping up with my board coups

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