Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[nolanoe]

@Drucker: I am aware of the film's reputation - it's just something I never, umh, "felt". Obviously, I will see it sooner or later (rather sooner now, I figure).

[carmilla mircalla]

Wasn't there some good evidence the clock was for After Hours? I never got why people thought it could have been for One, Two, Three since the hands point at 2 and 4

[domino harvey]

Great month, I may even blind buy the haneke.

Anything in the new years clue that fits code unknown or duvivier?

So that leaves for december:

New world
Wenders box
Inside llewyn Davis
This is spinal tap
Jellyfish eyes
Lady snowblood

Plus we know they're working on

Before trilogy
Wcp volume 2
The graduate
Bicycle thieves

I'm beginning to suspect that New Year's clue that we all thought was Llewyn Davis was in fact meant to represent the Pennebaker film.

Nah, the cat's a dead giveaway

[domino harvey]

December is the worst time to release a retail product and is always a light month from Criterion, so I think we can safely assume that's when Jellyfish Eyes is getting dumped

[jedgeco]

In Cold Blood, Code Unknown, Don't Look Back: Today, Criterion has settled all family business w/r/t newsletter clues.

[The Narrator Returns]

Great month, I may even blind buy the haneke.

Anything in the new years clue that fits code unknown or duvivier?

So that leaves for december:

New world
Wenders box
Inside llewyn Davis
This is spinal tap
Jellyfish eyes
Lady snowblood

Plus we know they're working on

Before trilogy
Wcp volume 2
The graduate
Bicycle thieves

I'm beginning to suspect that New Year's clue that we all thought was Llewyn Davis was in fact meant to represent the Pennebaker film.

Nah, the cat's a dead giveaway

Not to mention, while I'm not an artist of any kind, I think that '65-66 Bob Dylan would be a lot easier to draw than Llewyn with/is the cat, so the only purpose of using Llewyn to hint at Dont Look Back would basically be to outright trick people.

[movielocke]

Wasn't there some good evidence the clock was for After Hours? I never got why people thought it could have been for One, Two, Three since the hands point at 2 and 4

Hah! Kids these days really can't read a clockface anymore can they? Can they read cursive still?

[FrauBlucher]

So, is this a one off Haneke or could we expect more.

[Finch]

Well, this month goes some way to make me feel a bit better about Criterion's 2015 catalogue: Will be getting the Duvivier Eclipse, the Dylan doc, the Brooks and the Ray set. Not a fan of Haneke and I don't like IKIRU as much as I used to.

[movielocke]

So, is this a one off Haneke or could we expect more.

not to say this is particularly directed at you, but we have yet to experience the monthly outraged whinging "but it was released in other regions already!" Out of curiosity, is haneke exempt from said whinging and if so, why, and how can we replicate hanekes special nonwhingeing status and apply it to others?

[Minkin]

Sorry everyone, as I was the one who asserted the Question mark coat was Young and Innocent (blame the Blu-ray.com forums for creating the idea to begin with!). For the above who are speculating on what newsletter clues remain unannounced - perhaps take a gander at the forthcoming list @lacritfan - I think Criterion intends to release them within the year, but there are many cases of things being delayed (Y tu Mama Tambien is perhaps the most infamous case - having been on 2 newsletters, before having finally been released more than a year later).

Code Unknown, In Cold Blood, and Don't Look Back were monthly newsletter clues; Apu Trilogy known from the Janus tour + the Amazon pre-order listing; Ikiru upgrade wasn't hinted at, but not exactly unexpected. I suppose the Eclipse set is the only total surprise of the bunch.

I'm glad we finally got a proper boxset for this month/year. Ikiru is amongst the most desired upgrades (and had started to attract a mob of the proportions of Moonrise Kingdom in terms of wanting it). Count me amongst the crowds that have been wanting the Apu Trilogy for years (and nolanoe, you should see it +Ikiru before you dismiss this month!). Dont Look Back is also something I'm estastic for; it really is a great set of announcements. That said, I still think February was the best release month for 2015.

It appears that Criterion picked up the Haneke (and Kieślowski) films that Kino lost. Did Kino release any Haneke films other than the following (+ Code Unknown)? Either way, expect the below to eventually be released by Criterion:

The Piano Teacher
Funny Games
The Castle
Benny’s Video
The Seventh Continent
71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance

[domino harvey]

So, is this a one off Haneke or could we expect more.

not to say this is particularly directed at you, but we have yet to experience the monthly outraged whinging "but it was released in other regions already!" Out of curiosity, is haneke exempt from said whinging and if so, why, and how can we replicate hanekes special nonwhingeing status and apply it to others?

It's only been an hour, give it time. Remember, a watched griper never bitches

[SexualAmbulance]

Anything in the new years clue that fits code unknown (...)?

There is a lot of driving in Code Unknown, so maybe the car? The most famous image is of Binoche screaming while inside a pool - which isn't to be found there. There's also a scene with a beggar that features prominently and war photography... aside of that, nothing comes to my mind as a striking image, so conclusively: no, not that I'd recall.

The Narrator mentioned it separately but the newsletter clue of the coat with the question mark was for Code Unknown.

[Gregory]

So, is this a one off Haneke or could we expect more.

not to say this is particularly directed at you, but we have yet to experience the monthly outraged whinging "but it was released in other regions already!" Out of curiosity, is haneke exempt from said whinging and if so, why, and how can we replicate hanekes special nonwhingeing status and apply it to others?

In what other country has Code Unknown been released on Blu?

[SexualAmbulance]

So, is this a one off Haneke or could we expect more.

not to say this is particularly directed at you, but we have yet to experience the monthly outraged whinging "but it was released in other regions already!" Out of curiosity, is haneke exempt from said whinging and if so, why, and how can we replicate hanekes special nonwhingeing status and apply it to others?

In what other country has Code Unknown been released on Blu?

Mexico with Spanish subtitles. Clearly it should have been realised that someone already did Criterion's job for them.

[criterion10]

Did Kino release any Haneke films other than the following (+ Code Unknown)?

I believe that's it (I don't think they released Time of the Wolf).

And Haneke's films through Funny Games U.S. were already released in a French box set on Blu-Ray in December 2013. Not that I'm any sort of video expert, but the transfers seemed pretty good.

[Gregory]

Oh right, the French set. I was avoiding that, not having seen it reviewed anywhere and also waiting to see if AE would follow through with something similar at a lower price (plus English subs for The Piano Teacher, etc.), but who knows with them anymore.

[Brian C]

Time of the Wolf was released in the US by Palm Pictures. I don't really know whatever happened to them, but their website doesn't appear to show new titles for quite some time and I don't think they ever got around to Blu-ray for any of their titles. So it's either in some kind of US rights limbo or might as well be.

Palm actually had a pretty good set of titles. Be a shame if we never see those again.

[Shrew]

December is the worst time to release a retail product and is always a light month from Criterion, so I think we can safely assume that's when Jellyfish Eyes is getting dumped

Criterion's been treating it more like a normal month for the past few years though (probably due to online vendors being more important), and there's usually always a couple "big" films. Hopefully they consider Inside Llewyn Davis and The Graduate big and not Jellyfish eyes. But if there is a delay with Davis, I expect it's due to the Coen brothers' schedules (like with whatever hellish hotel Barton Fink has been waiting in).

A December release date for Davis could also catch an audience of Star Wars kids who want to see Poe Dameron and Kylo Ren sing a song about outer space.

[Luke M]

I'm always impressed with Criterion's ability to blindside us with at least one pick every month. Ikiru is probably this month's pick that I'm most looking forward to revisiting again.

[RSTooley]

Wasn't there some good evidence the clock was for After Hours? I never got why people thought it could have been for One, Two, Three since the hands point at 2 and 4

Hah! Kids these days really can't read a clockface anymore can they? Can they read cursive still?

It's a stretch, but I still think the clock points to 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days. The clock is a literal representation of time and the numbers between the two hands are none other than 2, 3, and 4.

Then again, I also believe the Moonrise Kingdom house lies "beyond the hills" for a reason. Perhaps I'm just desperate for a Mungiu title.

[alacal2]

Apu was always going to be a little anti-climactic given it had been trailed so heavily but, for me, its still a crowning achievement in world cinema in probably the definitive edition. Incidentally, what a tribute to glorious black and white cinematography November's releases are.

[jedgeco]

Poe Dameron and Kylo Ren sing a song about outer space.

I would buy that record.

[FrauBlucher]

Off the top of my head there are no outstanding monthly newsletter clues left, yes?

[criterion10]

Off the top of my head there are no outstanding monthly newsletter clues left, yes?

Unless you still think the clue for Il Sorpasso was really for Midnight Cowboy.

SpoilerShow

It clearly wasn't.