The Criterion Channel -- Film and Content Discussion

[dwk]

A bunch of the Golden Princess catalog is being added to the Channel in October
A Better Tomorrow 1-3
The Killer
Hard Boiled
Once a Thief
Peking Opera Blues
City on Fire
Full Contact
Prison on Fire 1&2
School on Fire
A Chinese Ghost Story 1-3
Evil Cat

[Calvin]

Hopefully the fact that Yang's That Day, On the Beach isn't among them isn't a bad omen for its release prospects

[dwk]

I assume that Shout hasn't gotten around to That Day, On the Beach. I can't imagine that it is as high a priority for them as the titles going up in October.

[hearthesilence]

I actually found a beautifully-packaged Blu-ray for that while I was in Korea last year. I haven't seen it yet because I lent it to someone who STILL hasn't returned it.

[yoloswegmaster]

I love how all the major titles are listed and then they just add Evil Cat at the end. BTW, where was this announced? I can't find anything on the main accounts.

[dwk]

I think it went out to media. Sean Gilman posted it on Blue Sky

[Lowry_Sam]

Pacific Film Archive is doing a Tsai Ming-Liang retrospective, which unfortunately has been completely sold out for a while (looks like he'll be attending all screenings). I searched the channel to see what Criterion might have, but found absolutely nothing, how disappointing. Does anyone remember any of his films being featured on the channel?

[Matt]

Does anyone remember any of his films being featured on the channel?

Yes, a few have been on there before, but I can't recall which ones specifically. If you have access to Kanopy through your library, there are five films on there: Stray Dogs, The Hole, Goodbye, Dragon Inn, Vive l'amour, and Rebels of the Neon God.

EDIT: after some quick searching, I see that Stray Dogs, The Hole, Vive l'amour, Rebels of the Neon God, and The Wayward Cloud have been on the Channel within the past several years. I think it's been a few years since any of them were on there, though.

[Lowry_Sam]

Thanks! completely forgot to check there.

[yoloswegmaster]

In a very pleasant surprise, all of the Bertrand Tavernier films that left the Channel a couple of months ago are now back.

[Lowry_Sam]

I love that they're doing this 70s Thrillers theme. It does include several (particularly Night Moves) that have been popping up in these curated themes frequently. Disappointingly absent from the announcement list though is The Conversation which is probably one of the best representations of the theme and which has popped up in previous themes and is still on the channel. Weird. Feels a bit incomplete without it. The absence of Lumet's other 70s films (Serpico, Network, Dog Day Afternoon) also seems short-sighted, although maybe they were trying to avoid it being dominated by one director.

[criterionsnob]

October lineup.

[Matt]

Very cool that they've brought back in streaming form the Criterion editions of The Killer and Hard Boiled. There's an entire generation that has missed out on those commentaries. And I'd never thought I'd see Jean Rollin beamed into my own living room. Doesn't seem that long ago that I had a stack of nearly unwatchable Video Search of Miami VHS tapes of his films in my living room, and I think they cost $35 each in late-'90s dollars.

[criterionsnob]

There are a few Rollin films in the October lineup not yet released by Indicator (The Grapes of Death, The Living Dead Girl, Lost in New York). I have to assume those might be coming soon if Criterion is streaming them. I'm also looking forward to the Muratova films because who knows if those will ever make it to disc.

[clownmeat]

My Winnipeg is streaming in October but is indicated as being available only in the U.S., which as a Canadian I find uproarious.

[Lowry_Sam]

The Hong Kong Action lineup this month is quite impressive, nice to see a theme stacked with many titles again.

[dwk]

My Winnipeg is streaming in October but is indicated as being available only in the U.S., which as a Canadian I find uproarious.

Hasn't that generally been the case with Canadian films?

I am curious, since there are title ls that they don't have Canadian rights to, if the Criterion Closet van had everything during its visit to TIFF or of they removed those titles.

[criterionsnob]

It's possible the Canadian streaming rights were already taken, perhaps by one of the original funders.

[clownmeat]

It's possible the Canadian streaming rights were already taken, perhaps by one of the original funders.

Oh yes, very well aware. In this specific case, I just find it funny is all.

[jazzo]

The Devils is streaming as part of the channel’s Nunsploitation program, so a physical announcement may be imminent.

Also, Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, so hopefully that means a Criterion rescue from Olive’s sad little release.

[LastMinit]

The Devils is streaming as part of the channel’s Nunsploitation program, so a physical announcement may be imminent.

It's not a HD transfer unfortunately. It's DVD quality.

[Mr.DarjeelingLimited]

The Devils is streaming as part of the channel’s Nunsploitation program, so a physical announcement may be imminent.

Also, Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, so hopefully that means a Criterion rescue from Olive’s sad little release.

The Devils on the Channel is probably one of the worst looking things they have on there. It looks like no restoration work on it was done beforehand. I don’t think it’s coming soon.

[dwk]

November 2025 line up

[beamish14]

November 2025 line up

Interesting that Jafar Panahi’s The Circle isn’t there. Maybe it just doesn’t exist in a form that’s good enough to stream

[Lowry_Sam]

The Devils is streaming as part of the channel’s Nunsploitation program, so a physical announcement may be imminent.

Also, Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, so hopefully that means a Criterion rescue from Olive’s sad little release.

Both have been on & off the channel several times since its inception, though I think something for the Altman 100 restorations might come before The Devils.