2012 Wrapup | Criterion Forum Awards

[zedz]

It might be helpful if in domino's instructions post, all the past winners were listed in one place and voters were encouraged not to vote for any of those members, barring some compelling reason to do so.

EDIT: I believe these are all the past winners:
David Hare, HerrSchreck, zedz, domino harvey, Cold Bishop, Michael Kerpan, swo17

Wot no MichaelB? (begins stealth campaign)

[knives]

It might be helpful if in domino's instructions post, all the past winners were listed in one place and voters were encouraged not to vote for any of those members, barring some compelling reason to do so.

EDIT: I believe these are all the past winners:
David Hare, HerrSchreck, zedz, domino harvey, Cold Bishop, Michael Kerpan, swo17

Wot no MichaelB? (begins stealth campaign)

You've already found a convert.

[swo17]

Best Release
1. Lonesome
2. Jean Grémillon During the Occupation
3. A Hollis Frampton Odyssey
4. Letter Never Sent
5. Pearls of the Czech New Wave

Best Eclipse Release
Jean Grémillon During the Occupation

Best Boxset
The Qatsi Trilogy

Best Reissue
Rashōmon

Best Blu-ray Upgrade
Brazil

Runners-up: In the Mood for Love, La Jetée

Best Release of a New(ish) Film
Rosetta

Best R1 Rescue
Week End

Best Discovery
A Hollis Frampton Odyssey

Most Disappointing
- Hapax Legomena not being included in its entirety on A Hollis Frampton Odyssey (though all will of course be forgiven if there's a Volume 2!)
- The PQ for about half the duration of Children of Paradise
- Pearls of the Czech New Wave being an Eclipse set with no extras presumably just because some of the transfers weren't HD-quality. The approach taken by Cinema Guild for their Sokurov: Early Masterworks set (Blu-ray for the films that merit it, DVD otherwise + all the extras you might expect from a mainline boxset) would have been ideal here.
- The cover art for Being John Malkovich (and I rarely complain about cover art)

Best Commentary
Hollis Frampton

Best Bonus Film
The Secret Cinema (Eating Raoul)

Best Supplement
A Lecture (A Hollis Frampton Odyssey)

Runner-up: the near-field audio track for The Game, optimized for home viewing (more of this, please!)

Best Cover
The Game

Best Packaging
Children of Paradise

Forum Member of the Year
peerpee, both for years of stellar work at MoC, and for continuing to fight the good fight since his departure

Honorable mentions: MichaelB (for being obedient), everyone keeping the lists project alive (especially those who've spent hours and hours preparing guides)

Best Non-Criterion Releases
Battleship Potemkin (BFI), assuming the PQ issue gets fixed
Confidence (Second Run)
The Gospel According to Matthew (Masters of Cinema)
Mother Joan of the Angels (Second Run)
Die Nibelungen (Masters of Cinema)
Die Oberhausener (Edition Filmmuseum)
On the Bowery (Milestone)
The Passion of Joan of Arc (Masters of Cinema)
Sokurov: Early Masterworks (Cinema Guild)
The Turin Horse (Cinema Guild)

Honorable mention to Olive Films for a slew of affordable, mostly fine Blu-ray premieres, many of which never even came out on DVD in R1 (Letter from an Unknown Woman, Johnny Guitar, the Lewis/Tashlin films, etc.)

[ryannichols7]

Best Release
1. World on a Wire
2. Shallow Grave
3. Certified Copy
4. A Hollis Frampton Odyssey
5. Week End

Best Eclipse Release
Three Popular Films by Jean-Pierre Gorin

Best Boxset
The Qatsi Trilogy

Best Reissue
Rashōmon

Best Blu-ray Upgrade
In the Mood for Love

Down by Law, Late Spring, La Jetee, Brazil=honorables

Best Release of a New(ish) Film
Certified Copy

Best R1 Rescue
Week End

Best Discovery
A Hollis Frampton Odyssey

Most Disappointing
Heaven's Gate, not only for being released, but also having Cimino limit the release heavily.

and now i'll rant for a few more minor gripes that don't matter:
-Anatomy of a Murder, The Game (especially for just porting over old supplements), Harold and Maude, Rosemary's Baby, Malkovich were all big editions that felt somewhat lacking in supplements. thankfully what we got for each was quite good, though.
-not getting Robert Stam or Adrian Martin to record a commentary for Week End, though Jones' visual essay is great
-and somewhat similar, not having Nolan record a new commentary for Following, but his interview was still quite good

and I'll keep two of Swo's since I agree:
- Hapax Legomena not being included in its entirety on A Hollis Frampton Odyssey (though all will of course be forgiven if there's a Volume 2!)
- The cover art for Being John Malkovich (and I rarely complain about cover art)

Best Commentary
Harold and Maude

Best Bonus Film
The Report

Best Supplement
Scott Foundas interviews the Dardennes on La Promesse and Rosetta.

runner up: Remembering Rosemary's Baby

Best Cover
World on a Wire

Best Packaging
Trilogy of Life

honorable mention to Certified Copy, which looked bland when the cover was first announced but the package came out gorgeous.

Forum Member of the Year
peerpee

Best Non-Criterion Releases
Sunset Boulevard (Paramount)

(I'm not region free so i'd feel unfair voting)

[warren oates]

Best Release
Week End
The Game
Letter Never Sent
Trilogy of Life
Lonesome

Best Eclipse Set
Three Popular Films by Jean-Pierre Gorin

Best Non-Eclipse Box Set
The Qatsi Trilogy

Best Reissue
Rashomon

Best Blu-ray Upgrade
In The Mood For Love

Best R1 Rescue (for title already available in R1 and re-released by Criterion)
The Game

Best (Re)Discovery
A Hollis Frampton Odyssey

Most Disappointing Release (for Criterion's treatment, not the film itself)
Heaven's Gate

Best Commentary
The Game

Best Bonus Film
The Report

Best Non-Bonus Film Supplement
Saul Bass / Otto Preminger doc, Anatomy of a Murder

Best Cover
The Game

Best Packaging
The Qatsi Trilogy

Member of the Year
Domino, who won before, gets a mention for inspiring me to stop lurking with his contrarian opinion of Meek's Cutoff. Peerpee deserves recognition too for everything he's done on the board and off, but especially this year for breaking the story of the botched Universal Hitchcock set and at the very least forcing them to fix those embarrassing Frenzy credits -- but he's already got plenty of other votes. So I'll cast my ballot for Sausage, for being the sort of mod who doesn't just police up threads, make nice and referee, but also doesn't suffer bullshit from anybody, including yours truly. I've learned a lot about films from everybody on the boards, but Sausage has also taught me about arguments: What makes a good one, what makes a bad one and how to know when one might not be worth having.

Richard Cranium Award
Based on some scrapes in a handful of threads that I could have handled differently or shouldn't have gotten into in the first place, I'm tempted to vote for myself. But that feels like bad juju, so I'll leave this blank with a New Year's resolution to be more constructive and succinct.

Best non-Criterion releases
MOC's The Passion of Joan of Arc + The Gospel According to Matthew + Double Indemnity
Cinema Guild's Sokurov: Early Masterworks + The Turin Horse + Once Upon A Time in Anatolia
German Filmmuseum Editions' James Benning films RR/Casting A Glance + The California Trilogy
Kino's Buster Keaton Blu-ray box
BFI's Faces
Fox's Prometheus (for the longest and most exhaustive making-of doc ever)

[Dylan]

Best Release
Rosemary's Baby (simply, one of the top five or ten greatest films in all of the Criterion Collection - a milestone addition of a real masterpiece of filmmaking, screenwriting, and performance)
Belle de jour (what a difference it makes seeing this at 16 on a vhs and again at 26 on the amazing blu - by a mile, I consider this Bunuel's masterpiece)
Summer With Monika (early Bergman meditation on fantasy & expectations & real life, with some of the greatest cinematography in all his oeuvre)
Summer Interlude (one of the great films about ballerinas - would make my #1 best release in most other years)
Heaven's Gate (amazing transfer - if it had been a bare bones release it'd still make my list)

Best Eclipse Set
Pearls of the Czech New Wave

Best Non-Eclipse Box Set
David Lean directs Noel Coward

Best Reissue
Brief Encounter

Best Blu-ray Upgrade
La Jetee/Sans Soleil

Best R1 Rescue (for title already available in R1 and re-released by Criterion)
Rosemary's Baby

Best (Re)Discovery
Belle de jour (had been many years for me, and the first time was on tape... what a film!)

Best Commentary
Harold and Maude

Best Non-Bonus Film Supplement
Saul Bass/Otto Preminger documentary, Anatomy of a Murder

Best Cover
Rosemary's Baby

Best Packaging
Anatomy of a Murder

Member of the Year
MichaelB

[teddyleevin]

Best Release (1-5, ranked in order of preference)
1. Godzilla
2. The Gold Rush
3. Les Visiteurs du Soir
4. Quadrophenia
5. Rosemary's Baby

Best Eclipse Set
Jean Grémillon Under the Occupation

Best Non-Eclipse Box Set
David Lean directs Noel Coward

Best Reissue
Children of Paradise

Best Blu-ray Upgrade
Brazil


Best R1 Rescue (for title already available in R1 and re-released by Criterion)
Quadrophenia

Best (Re)Discovery
A Hollis Frampton Odyssey

Most Disappointing Release (for Criterion's treatment, not the film itself)
Les Visiteurs du Soir

Best Commentary
Harold and Maude

Best Cover
Eating Raoul

Best Packaging
David Lean directs Noel Coward

Member of the Year
Domino Harvey

Richard Cranium Award
Domino Harvey

[swo17]

Best Release (1-5, ranked in order of preference)
1. Godzilla
2. The Gold Rush
3. Les Visiteurs du Soir
4. Quadrophenia
5. Rosemary's Baby

Best Reissue
Children of Paradise

Most Disappointing Release (for Criterion's treatment, not the film itself)
Les Visiteurs du Soir

[knives]

I assume top list takes in the films rather than the disc for him.

[triodelover]

I assume top list takes in the films rather than the disc for him.

Yes, but Les Visiteurs was a gorgeous BD which has been pretty much universally acclaimed. (Hell, it even got David's stamp of approval, and we know that's a tough sell. )

[knives]

Lack of extras for one of Carne's best. I don't agree that it is a disappointment of a disc, but I would love to have more scholarly material especially since the point in time the film was released in has given it plenty of controversy.

[triodelover]

Lack of extras for one of Carne's best. I don't agree that it is a disappointment of a disc, but I would love to have more scholarly material especially since the point in time the film was released in has given it plenty of controversy.

I've never understood downgrading a top drawer presentation of the main feature (which is presumably why you bought the thing) over extras. To use a seasonal metaphor, it's like getting everything you wanted under the tree and then complaining about the stocking stuffers.

[TMDaines]

Best Release (1-5, ranked in order of preference):
1) Lonesome - Criterion don't do enough silents and/or early sound films. Here's yet more evidence of that. Great work but we want more! Not everything needs to be an super stacked extravaganza. Why no silent Eclipse sets? We're getting to the 100th anniversary of some big films now, so let's hope Criterion has one eye on that.
2) The Gold Rush - Another stacked release with Criterion making an effort to reflect the history of the film, even if there was opposition.
3) Trilogy of Life - They took their time but what a set of extras. I hate to see double-ups between the big labels but Criterion blew the BFI releases out of the water.
4) I compagni (The Organizer) - This wasn't coming out on Blu-ray elsewhere. Always good to see labels going beyond the canon in your area of interest.
5) Il momento della verità (The Moment of Truth) - Ditto above.

Best Eclipse Set: Eclipse: Jean Grémillon During the Occupation

Best Non-Eclipse Box Set: Trilogy of Life

Most Disappointing Release: Eclipse: Jean Grémillon During the Occupation being barebones, enough said.

Best Bonus Film: Broadway (on Lonesome)

Best Cover: Letter Never Sent

Best Packaging: A clear Amaray case with some classic poster art or stylish minimalist artwork is always a winner and is much more preferable to cardboard.

Member of the Year: triodelover

Richard Cranium Award: mfunk9786

Five Non-Criterion and Non-MoC Highlights:
1) The Conformist - Dual Format (Arrow Academy) - Forgacs commentary is easily the best in 2012. Such a shame that Arrow Academy is all but dead when it was just getting going.
2) Vier Filme mit Asta Nielsen - DVD (Editon Filmmuseum) - Slow year for EF but this release alone made it worthwhile and demonstrates why they're arguably the most valuable DVD label out there. They truly release stuff that no-one else does.
3) Querelle - Blu-ray (Gaumont) - Gaumont are one of the more interesting labels out there nowadays, even if you do need English subtitles. This was a welcome release after the number of crap DVDs there have been.
4) Der Alte Fritz & Der komische Kintopp - DVD (arte/absolut MEDIEN) - An unexpected silent release is always welcome, especially when it's a five-hour-long two parter. The collection of early German shorts was also more than welcome. More of the same please!
5) Fansubbers - Simply put, the people who are doing the most to get new films out there in an English-friendly form or otherwise are the fansubbing groups online. So much good stuff on a weekly basis. They're becoming ever more important as the bigger labels get more conservative.

Label of the Year: Masters of Cinema - Would have liked to have seen some more extras on certain releases but still a sterling year and the label whose releases on average I get the most out of.

[zedz]

Why no silent Eclipse sets?

I can think of two off the top of my head.

[jindianajonz]

Why no silent Eclipse sets?

Silent Naruse
Silent Ozu

[TMDaines]

I was commenting on the lack this year. Eclipse seems made for silent films when you consider that this is their DVD-only strand now.

[Mathew2468]

Best Release (1-5, ranked in order of preference)
1. Godzilla
2. The Gold Rush
3. Les Visiteurs du Soir
4. Quadrophenia
5. Rosemary's Baby

Best Reissue
Children of Paradise

Most Disappointing Release (for Criterion's treatment, not the film itself)
Les Visiteurs du Soir

Probably meant the other Carné.

[Ashirg]

Best Release
1. Lonesome
2. Rosemary’s Baby
3. The Gold Rush
4. Visiteurs du Soir
5. Anatomy of a Murder

Best Eclipse Set
Jean Grémillon During the Occupation

Best Non-Eclipse Box Set
Pier Paolo Pasolini's Trilogy of Life

Best Reissue
Rashomon

Best Blu-ray Upgrade
Brazil

Best R1 Rescue
Belle de Jour

Best (Re)Discovery
Letter Never Sent

Most Disappointing Release
Children of Paradise

Best Commentary
David Kalat, Godzilla

Best Bonus Film
The Last Performance and Broadway on Lonesome

Best Non-Bonus Film Supplement
Remembering Rosemary's Baby on Rosemary's Baby

Best Cover
World on a Wire

Best Packaging
Trilogy of Life

Member of the Year
MichaelB

Richard Cranium Award
Ray Carney

Best Non Criterion
The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928) UK Masters of Cinema
Universal Monsters: The Essential Collection (1931-1954) Universal
On The Bowery - The Films of Lionel Rogosin, Vol. 1 (Lionel Rogosin, 1956) Milestone
Kazan at Fox, Volume 1 and 2 (Elia Kazan, 1945-1960) Fox
This Is Cinerama (Merian C. Cooper, 1952) Flicker Alley
Fernando Di Leo Crime Collection (Fernando Di Leo, 1972-1976) Raro Video

[jindianajonz]

I don't believe it's been explained in this thread; what exactly is the Richard Cranium award? It doesn't seem to be something that's desired...

[knives]

What is short for Richard and another term for your cranium.

[skuhn8]

Best Release
1. Harold and Maude
2. Rosemary’s Baby (Ruth Gordon x2 in one year!)
3. Letter Never Sent
4. Lonesome
5. Anatomy of a Murder

Best Eclipse Set
Pearls of the Czech New Wave

Best (Re)Discovery
Letter Never Sent

Most Disappointing Release
Heaven's Gate (it's like the based the price point on a stacked set and then stripped it)

Best Commentary
David Kalat, Godzilla

Best Bonus Film
Broadway on Lonesome

Best Non-Bonus Film Supplement
Remembering Rosemary's Baby on Rosemary's Baby

Best Cover
Harold and Maude

Best Packaging
Godzilla

Member of the Year
MichaelB


Best Non Criterion
Die Nibelungen - UK Masters of Cinema
Swamp Water - Twilight Time

[jindianajonz]

What is short for Richard and another term for your cranium.

Who is Rick Noggin?

[TMDaines]

Rich Skull's brother.

[Mathew2468]

Son of Richie Gulliver.

[headacheboy]

Best Release:
1. Certified Copy
2. Lonesome
3. Rosetta
4. Summer With Monika
5. Summer Interlude

Best Eclipse Set:
Pearls of The Czech New Wave

Best Non-Eclipse Box:
David Lean Directs Noel Coward

Best Reissue:
The Samurai Trilogy

Best R1 Rescue:
Weekend (Godard)

Best (Re)Discovery:
Letter Never Sent

Most Disappointing Release:
That huge Keisuke Kinoshita Eclipse Box...oh, wait a minute!

Best Bonus Film:
The Gold Rush (1925)

Best Non-Bonus Film Supplement:
The story about Kroger Babb's distributing Summer With Monika as an exploitation film called Monika, The Story of A Bad Girl.

Best Cover:
Rashomon

Best Packaging:
Godzilla