The Criterion Channel -- Film and Content Discussion

[beamish14]

They had me at “Quebec prison.”

I do wish the “synth scores” series included The Mosquito Coast, which would tie in with Paul Schrader, too

[John Cope]

Fantastic to see Lilies on there. One of my favorite films of the 90's and my favorite Greyson (which is saying a lot). Hope this portends a Blu release finally.

[therewillbeblus]

What are some of your other favorite Greyson films?

[John Cope]

What are some of your other favorite Greyson films?

I like all his work to one extent or another. He has always been restlessly inventive and experimental with form. Zero Patience is probably the other obvious peak, though I also especially like Proteus and Urinal and his "doc" Fig Trees is remarkable. The one I struggle with most and am most ambivalent about is The Law of Enclosures simply because I love the book it's based on and Greyson makes some creative decisions in adapting it which I can't fully get behind; a beautiful movie otherwise though and one that should be seen more than it has been.

[swo17]

About Dry Grasses debuts on Tuesday

[dwk]

Looking at the expiring on June 30 list and both Comrades: Almost a Love Story and The Cat are both leaving. Comrades is going back in WB's Golden Harvest jail, don't know who has the US rights to The Cat.

[dwk]

July 2024.
Slate includes Four of the Heisei-Era Godzilla films (The Return of Godzilla (1984), Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989), Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992))

[dwk]

Ryuichi Sakamoto Concert Doc ‘Opus’ to Premiere With Live Streaming Event on the Criterion Channel

[bfaison]

Hopefully it goes better than the last time they tried a livestream. Sounds really cool -

On Sunday, June 30 at 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. EST, Criterion will broadcast the film live via its streaming service. Following the premiere, the concert doc will stream exclusively on the Criterion Channel beginning July 1.

[CriterionPhreak]

Looking at the expiring on June 30 list and both Comrades: Almost a Love Story and The Cat are both leaving. Comrades is going back in WB's Golden Harvest jail, don't know who has the US rights to The Cat.

I just checked out Comrades. Plenty of films and TV shows have used the same subject matter: a fish-out-of-water Chinese Mainlander with no language skills, cultural understanding, nor financial stability struggling to survive in Hong Kong in the 80s and 90s when China was still a poor, backward third-world country while Hong Kong was the envy of all Chinese. In fact, this 1985 TV episode (Chinese subs only) uses almost identical setups and plot points as the 1996 film: a fellow Mainlander, a lodging house that is a brothel, being looked down by HK people, the ensuing inferiority complex and uncertainty, etc. Such sentiment is no more, of course, since China became an economic powerhouse in the early 2000s. Nowadays it is often the Hong Kongers who are being looked down by Mainlanders for not being able to speak Mandarin (while under British rule, Mandarin was not taught in many HK schools), and for being economically and culturally inferior, showing once again that history is the consummate trickster.

[criterionsnob]

I'm not sure when these were added, but Criterion and Janus logos appear on a bunch of short, medium, and feature length Les Blank films on the Channel, which don't appear on the Always for Pleasure Blu-ray release.

[jwd5275]

I'm not sure when these were added, but Criterion and Janus logos appear on a bunch of short, medium, and feature length Les Blank films on the Channel, which don't appear on the Always for Pleasure Blu-ray release.

They were all added today. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe all of Les Blank's films are now available on the channel except Puamana (available on multiple other streaming platforms) and Ry Cooder Group ’88 in Santa Cruz (right issues).

Besides these and the Heisei Godzilla films, Kidlat Tahimik's Turumba and Perfumed Nightmare begin with Criterion and Janus logos too.

[dwk]

August 2024

[CSM126]

Auguat 2024

The only thing worse than that lousy Smarch weather is that damned Auguat heat.

[yoloswegmaster]

Crazy good month, especially with the Youssef Chahine retrospective, Kansas City Confidential, Pictures of Ghosts, My Heart Is That Eternal Rose, and Victims of Sin.

[dwk]

Auguat 2024

The only thing worse than that lousy Smarch weather is that damned Auguat heat.

D'oh. My fingers are too fat, I need to obtain a typing wand

[knives]

Alphabet City is exciting. That’s easily my favorite of the No Wave films. I’m also deeply appreciative of the Chahine films which I thought I’d never see after they left Netflix.

[brundlefly]

Was reminded by his mention in the "Why Don't People Speak How I Want in Historical Films?" thread that Youssef Chahine's films recently lapsed off Netflix and it would be very nice if they found a new home here. A physical release would be even better, but I'll take what I can get.

I feel seen. Now bring on the box!

[dwk]

They are doing the live streaming premiere thing again. This time it is The Beast

MARK YOUR CALENDARS Live Streaming @criterionchannl Event!Join us on July 28 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET for the online premiere of Bertrand Bonello's THE BEAST ('23), a genre-bending romantic thriller starring Léa Seydoux—one of the year's best films!

[CSM126]

Does anyone get excited for a live stream of a movie? As if it won’t be available on demand in like a day’s time?

[Boosmahn]

It's kind of like watching it alongside an audience in a theater, I guess? A "secret screening" of an unspecified film might generate more excitement; Shudder did this for Dario Argento's Dark Glasses a couple of years ago.

[dwk]

I think they should occasionally, sometime between 11 PM and 2 AM on the 24/7 live stream run something they have the rights to but haven't put on the Channel or released on disc. Just randomly stream something like Eastern Condors in the middle of the night.

[rrenault]

I'm becoming convinced that depending on the device you're using some of the Channel's streams are quietly 4K SDR, such as the Dazed & Confused stream. To my eyes, it's just too robust looking to not at least have a 4K equivalent streaming bitrate. Even knowing a UHD is available I found it perfectly watchable. Alice in the Cities, on the other hand, is a blocky mess on the Channel.

[Guido]

I'm becoming convinced that depending on the device you're using some of the Channel's streams are quietly 4K SDR

Interesting. Will be curious to check later on today. But yeah — what I find most disappointing with the Channel is the poor quality/bitrate that mars plenty of films, including full editions that you'd think would have no issue. I wish they weren't locked into Vimeo's awful OTT platform...

[fiendishthingy]

September 2024 Lineup