Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[jwd5275]

High Hopes,Secrets And Lies, & Happy Go Lucky all open with the wacky C animation, I'd welcome any of them as the next Mike Leigh to disc.

Happy-Go-Lucky actually starts with a Miramax logo, however Career Girls does start with Criterion and Janus logos. Chantal Akerman's La Captive, Histoires d'Amerique and Golden Eighties do as well.

[Adam X]

The High Hopes BD was re-done, wasn't it? I haven't seen it, but the original one was reportedly an SD master that was upscaled to HD.

Yes, and it looks fine. Wouldn't be surprised if Criterion used the same master, if they released it.

[Lowry_Sam]

Happy-Go-Lucky actually starts with a Miramax logo, however Career Girls does start with Criterion and Janus logos. Chantal Akerman's La Captive, Histoires d'Amerique and Golden Eighties do as well.

I think it was wishful thinking that led me to mix up those 2. I also noticed the Akerman & Celine And Julie Go Boating and for what it's worth, Diary Of A Chambermaid, That Obscure Object Of Desire, The Milky Way, Robinson Crusoe, The Phantom Of Libertyand The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie all still start with the wacky C (while Tristana starts with Coen & L'age d'or w/ Kino). Someone may have mentioned it, but I couldn't resist checking, all the currently unreleased by Criterion Fassbinders that are being streamed seem to be new transfers & start with a wacky C.


Also, Another Country looks like a new transfer & (like 1984) is from Virgin Films and would be a much better addition than any of the Arakis or But I'm A Cheerleader (I really hope it's pushing these because it was all they could muster at the last second under lockdown for Pride month).

[Noiradelic]

for what it's worth, Diary Of A Chambermaid, That Obscure Object Of Desire, The Milky Way, Robinson Crusoe, The Phantom Of Libertyand The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie all still start with the wacky C (while Tristana starts with Coen & L'age d'or w/ Kino).

FWIW, Diary Of A Chambermaid, That Obscure Object Of Desire, The Milky Way and The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie are expiring at the end of the month (as well as Tristana and L'age d'or).

[Brianruns10]

I apologize if this belongs elsewhere but I couldn't find a more suitable thread to post. I'm just curious, as I'm sure many are, if there is any word if Barnes and Noble will still be having its half off sale? Normally it would be commencing the first week of July, wouldn't it?

[swo17]

Being discussed in this thread

[jwd5275]

Further confirmation of Jia Zhang-ke films forthcoming, Pickpocket (Xiao wu) is now listed on the Film Foundation site as a WCP restoration

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Scorsese actually published a nice little open letter when the restoration premiered at Berlin.

To recap what we know about Criterion and Jia, Janus has Xiao Wu, Platform, Unknown Pleasures, and The World. Xiao Wu is a WCP restoration and was done in 4K at L'Immagine Ritrovata; Platform is (per a social media post from Jia) being restored by Criterion themselves or at least with their direct involvement. No word as far as I've seen on what's being done with Unknown Pleasures or The World, though The World arguably doesn't need any new work. Criterion's recent cleanup job on Bamboozled might be a preview of what we could expect from Unknown Pleasures.

[soundchaser]

Per a newsletter today, Criterion is working on Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog.

[Glowingwabbit]

Per a newsletter today, Criterion is working on Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog.

Folks on here are so excited they created 3 different threads on it. Haha. Looking forward to this release.

[FrauBlucher]

Swo wins. He was the first

[yoloswegmaster]

Criterion Channel July Additions that open up with both the Criterion and Janus logo:

• The Sweet Hereafter
• The White Balloon
• Gohatto
• Calender
• Exotica
• The Adjuster

[Big Ben]

Oshima's Gohatto/Taboo is a welcome addition. The last release I saw maybe ten years ago had numerous typos in the subtitles. And that was when I could read them at all as they had a tendency to zip by in a comically sped-up fashion. It's a great film about the kind of shitty people the code of Bushido produced though.

[barbarella satyricon]

...

[Rupert Pupkin]

"Exotica" really needs a proper transfer. I bought day one the Canadian/US Blu-Ray (and the HD details is a bit disappointing.... no no no I'm not talking only about the "Everybody Knows" Leonard Cohen and club schoolgirl sequence with the unforgettable Mia Kirshner ). With all this smoky club that request a really good restoration work. (the Artificial Eye release is not better)- I won't say that it's as bad as "The Last Seduction" (which really would deserve to be included in the Criterion collection)
I really enjoy this David Lynch atmosphere in "Exotica" (or vice versa) a-la Blue Velvet since Atom Egoyan was ahead of his time here-

I really enjoy the first Atom Egoyan's movies (I bought the DVD box set- don't remember the label of this US box set). It reminds me Hanecke's best works (Benny's videos), etc... all this concept about being "watched", the used of video, etc... ("Speaking Parts" and "Family Viewing") I think Atom did as good as Cronenberg reflexion since "Videodrome" and the "roots", related, family concept which is particular to Atom Egoyan (I can also think about an influence of Kiarostami too). Soderberg did it a bit later with "Sex, Lies and Videotape" in a way.
Even with the remake of a French movie (Nathalie), Atom succeeded to put it again with the "roots"-relative concept with "Chloe".
The last amazing movie by Atom Egoyan (still needed on blu-ray) is IMHO "Where the Truth Lies". I really enjoyed the "white rabbit" sequence and this kind of "Chinatown" "revival".
"Remember" was great IMHO but was bashed in France by the French critics (Télérama, Positif) because of the plot and twist which was considered as "unacceptable".

I emailed many years ago J.Mulvaney about requesting Atom Egoyan in the Criterion collection. Like Hal Hartley (ok, some of the US BR release are great; A.Eye too) this is a big lack in the Criterion collection

[Rupert Pupkin]

oh and by the way, can we hope one day a Blu-Ray Criterion of "She's Gotta Have It" by Spike Lee ? [-o< I've rewatched the laserdisc yesterday. It's intriguing that Mathieu Kassovitz and Spike Lee did their 2 first movies with the same kind of plots (Do The Right Thing has its funny quotes like on "La Haine" (which are came out later), and the "turning point" is not expectable in Spike Lee's movies. In "Métisse", Kassovitz seems to makes his own "Nola" - and he acts too like Spike Lee (which is absolutely funny in "She's Gotta Have It"- "La Haine" seems to be highly influenced by Ragging Bull and Taxi Driver of course for this famous quote)
I really enjoy the black & white photography and acting in "She's Gotta Have It". Really, after the new restoration of "Do The Right Thing", this really deserve to be upgraded on blu-ray.
Does Criterion still have the right to this movie?

I did forget that there was this stunning and gorgeous color sequence. Kind of Jacques Demy's influence decades before "La La Land" ?

And Bill Lee jazz music is absolutely stunning (at one short moment it sounds like a sample of Prince is used (sounds like the beginning of "Lust U Always")- the piano intro is superb.
This deserve a soundtrack isolated like Twilight Time used to do.

[therewillbeblus]

With Criterion confirmed to release 4 Little Girls, I don't see them slowing down on Lee anytime soon. She's Gotta Have It is one of his best films, so I'd be down- and I'm sure he'd love to participate and rally others for supplements on his first feature film.

[black&huge]

I would love to see He Got Game get a Criterion release

[Rupert Pupkin]

stupid and neophyte question regarding "Exotica" by Atom Egoyan on the Criterion channel. If it opens with the Janus and Criterion logo and it's already streaming (I can have access to Criterion Channel, I have just seen the Criterion page with indeed "Exotica") it's easy to check if this is a new transfer/restoration or the Canadian transfer which is the same than the Artificial Eye UK release ?
I know we can't tell when it's a trailer; since a trailer is not necessary restored; but if "Exotica" can already be seen on the Criterion channel...

[ianthemovie]

Spike Lee made passing reference to Criterion doing She's Gotta Have It during a Q&A some time last year, so it could happen.

[captveg]

Criterion Channel July Additions that open up with both the Criterion and Janus logo:

• The White Balloon

Oh man, really hope this gets a disc release eventually. A wonderful film that I only saw once ~20 years ago in film class from the laserdisc, IIRC.

[captveg]

I don't see them slowing down on Lee anytime soon.

25th Hour was also suspiciously absent re: Kino's releases of Lee's Disney owned catalog.

[Ribs]

Kino only released Summer of Sam from Disney, didn’t they? If they had done Miracle at St Anna or He Got Game as well I’d think the lack of 25th Hour would be more suspicious.

Also, I distinctly remember Lee proudly saying on Instagram that 25th Hour would soon recieve a Criterion release in 2013 and basically can’t believe him at all as he similarly keeps making promises for his catalog to further be released considering that history.

[Amazing Goose]

Has there been anything said about A Prairie Home Companion ever getting a Criterion release? Altman's final film (and a quasi-PTA film) and there's never been a blu-ray release that I can tell.

[black&huge]

Oh man.... that would absolutely be a delight.