criterionforum.org

THE 2019 CRITERION FORUM FPTP BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION CLUSTERFUCK AWARDS
FOR EXCELLENCE IN BRITISH HOME VIDEO
(Formerly the Criterion BAFTAS)



After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, we’ve decided to revive these parallel awards with a bit of a twist.

Last year the riches put out by British labels were so great that the voting ended up a little diffuse. This year doesn’t seem to be any exception, so we’ve trimmed down the categories and initiated a new voting protocol. It’s very simple, but so are some of our potential contributors, so read the following instructions carefully.

1) The ballot will be decided by nomination. The only way to make a nomination is to post in this thread. No PMs.
2) Nominate your favourite 2019 British releases in any or all of the voting categories. You can nominate as many worthy releases in each category as you like (but don’t be stupid about it).
3) If you like somebody else’s nominee in any category, you can second that nominee (but don’t be stupid about it). Seconding a release only works if you’re seconding it in the same category for which it’s nominated, so you need to be clear about which category you’re nominating and seconding releases for, or else your vote will not register.
4) Any release with a nomination and a seconder will go through to the final ballot, even if there are thousands of them. (If there are thousands of them, I will dump the cheesecake truck and leave town.)
5) Nominations will close on or around Monday January 13.
6) The list of eligible films in each category will be posted shortly thereafter. If any category has failed to achieve five seconded nominations, it will be eliminated from the ballot.
7) Select your favourites from this list in each specified category (you can’t vote for a particular release as “Best Box Set” if it’s only been nominated for “Best Packaging”, for example, and vice versa). Your vote for “Best Release” MUST contain ten (10) titles, ranked in order of preference, or none of your votes will be counted. Voting in other categories is optional. If you include ties in any category, I’m just going to ignore you.
8) The final vote will be accepted up until Monday 3 February (to give participants a chance to catch up on the nominated releases). Your final vote can be made as a post in this thread or, if you’re shy, as a PM to me.
9) All Arrow releases are eligible, unless they were only released in the USA. No Criterion releases are eligible, because there’s already an awards thread for them.
10) If this doesn’t work, it’s swo’s fault.

As always, this thread is supposed to be more about discussion and recommendations than raw data, so please take the time to explain a little about why you think X is the best box set ever, or Y has the shittiest cover since Cluny Brown.

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2019 CRITERION FORUM FPTP BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION CLUSTERFUCK AWARDS FINALISTS

Vote in this thread or by PM to me before Monday 3 February.


BEST RELEASE (NUMBERED IN ORDER FROM 1-10) - You must vote for ten titles from the following list in order to have your ballot counted.

An American Werewolf in London
The Andromeda Strain
A Blonde in Love
The Buddhist Trilogy
A Case for a Rookie Hangman
Dawson City: Frozen Time
demonlover
Derek Jarman Vol. 2
Diamonds of the Night
Donbass
Dragonwyck
The Ear
The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On
Immaculate Conception
The Fate of Lee Khan
The Fifth Cord
The Golem
Ikarie XB-1
Journey to the Beginning of Time Khrustalyov, My Car!
Legend of the Witches & Secret Rites
Lilith
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
Marlene Dietrich & Josef von Sternberg at Paramount
Moulin Rouge
90° in the Shade
Nuri Bilge Ceylan: The Complete Films
Of Flesh and Blood: The Cinema of Hirokazu Kore-eda
The Possessed
The Reckless Moment
The Ring Collection
Scum
Secret Ceremony
The Snake Pit
Spetters
They Made Me a Fugitive
Three Films with Sammo Hung
Time Without Pity
Track 29
The Triple Echo
The White Reindeer

BEST ARROW RELEASE (VOTE FOR 1)

An American Werewolf in London
The Andromeda Strain
The Buddhist Trilogy
demonlover
The Fifth Cord
Khrustalyov, My Car!
The Possessed
The Ring Collection

BEST BFI RELEASE (VOTE FOR 1)

Derek Jarman Vol. 2
Legend of the Witches & Secret Rites
Moulin Rouge
Of Flesh and Blood: The Cinema of Hirokazu Kore-eda
Spetters

BEST INDICATOR RELEASE (VOTE FOR 1)

Dragonwyck
Immaculate Conception
Lilith
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
Marlene Dietrich & Josef von Sternberg at Paramount
90° in the Shade
The Reckless Moment
Scum
Secret Ceremony
The Snake Pit
They Made Me a Fugitive
Time Without Pity
Track 29
The Triple Echo

BEST MASTERS OF CINEMA or EUREKA RELEASE (VOTE FOR 1)

Donbass
The Fate of Lee Khan
The Golem
Three Films with Sammo Hung
The White Reindeer

BEST SECOND RUN RELEASE (VOTE FOR 1)

A Blonde in Love
A Case for a Rookie Hangman
Dawson City: Frozen Time
Diamonds of the Night
The Ear
The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On
Ikarie XB-1
Journey to the Beginning of Time

BEST BOXED SET (VOTE FOR 1)

The Buddhist Trilogy
Derek Jarman Vol. 2
Marlene Dietrich & Josef von Sternberg at Paramount
Nuri Bilge Ceylan: The Complete Films
Of Flesh and Blood: The Cinema of Hirokazu Kore-eda
The Ring Collection

BEST COVER (VOTE FOR 1)



ELIMINATED CATEGORIES (Failed to attract five or more nominees):

BEST "BONUS" FILM
BEST BOOKLET OR BOOK
BEST COMMENTARY
BEST DISCOVERY (which wouldn’t actually really work in this voting format anyway)
BEST ON-DISC NON-COMMENTARY EXTRA
BEST PACKAGING
MOST FLAWED RELEASE
WORST COVER (Let’s just give it to Model Shop)



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And your 2019 CRITERION FORUM FPTP BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION CLUSTERFUCK AWARDS categories are…

BEST RELEASE (NUMBERED IN ORDER FROM 1-10) - You must vote for ten titles to have your ballot counted. Boxed sets can be voted for in this category.

Currently eligible titles are those listed by label below, plus the following:

Nuri Bilge Ceylan: The Complete Films

BEST BOXED SET (VOTE FOR 1) – This relates to multi-film box sets. Boxed sets dedicated to a single very big film / series are not eligible.

Currently eligible titles:

The Buddhist Trilogy
Derek Jarman Vol. 2
Marlene Dietrich & Josef von Sternberg at Paramount
Nuri Bilge Ceylan: The Complete Films
Of Flesh and Blood: The Cinema of Hirokazu Kore-eda
The Ring Collection

BEST COMMENTARY (VOTE FOR 1) – New commentaries only, not ports of existing discs from other labels/studios.

Nothing eligible yet

BEST "BONUS" FILM (VOTE FOR 1) – This relates to bonus features, shorts or documentaries included on a disc alongside the headline title. It’s intended to cover films with a profile independent of the headliner, not works of whatever length created specifically for the home video release or other publicity purpose.

Currently eligible titles:

Dead Cat (Derek Jarman Vol. 2)
It Was a Faint Dream (The Buddhist Trilogy)
A Short Vision (How I Won the War)

BEST ON-DISC NON-COMMENTARY EXTRA (VOTE FOR 1) – This category relates to anything else on a disc that isn’t a “bonus film” (see above).

Currently eligible:

Miss Blandish and the Censor

BEST BOOKLET OR BOOK (VOTE FOR 1)

Currently eligible titles:

demonlover

BEST COVER (VOTE FOR 1)

Currently eligible titles:



WORST COVER (VOTE FOR 1)

Currently eligible titles:



BEST PACKAGING (VOTE FOR 1)

Currently eligible titles:

Derek Jarman Vol. 2
Marlene Dietrich & Josef von Sternberg at Paramount

BEST DISCOVERY (VOTE FOR 1) – For a film that is new to you.

Currently eligible titles:

demonlover
The Possessed
Time Without Pity
The Triple Echo

MOST FLAWED RELEASE (VOTE FOR 1) – For the treatment of the film (poor transfer, wrong version, bad extras etc.), not the film itself.

Currently eligible titles:

The Far Country

BEST ARROW RELEASE (VOTE FOR 1)

Currently eligible titles:

An American Werewolf in London
The Andromeda Strain
The Buddhist Trilogy
demonlover
The Fifth Cord
Khrustalyov, My Car!
The Possessed
The Ring Collection

BEST BFI RELEASE (VOTE FOR 1)

Currently eligible titles:

Derek Jarman Vol. 2
Legend of the Witches & Secret Rites
Moulin Rouge
Of Flesh and Blood: The Cinema of Hirokazu Kore-eda
Spetters

BEST INDICATOR RELEASE (NUMBERED IN ORDER FROM 1-5)

Currently eligible titles:

Dragonwyck
Immaculate Conception
Lilith
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
Marlene Dietrich & Josef von Sternberg at Paramount
90° in the Shade
The Reckless Moment
Scum
Secret Ceremony
The Snake Pit
They Made Me a Fugitive
Time Without Pity
Track 29
The Triple Echo

BEST MASTERS OF CINEMA or EUREKA RELEASE (VOTE FOR 1)

Currently eligible titles:

Donbass
The Fate of Lee Khan
The Golem
Three Films with Sammo Hung
The White Reindeer

BEST SECOND RUN RELEASE (VOTE FOR 1)

Currently eligible titles:

A Blonde in Love
A Case for a Rookie Hangman
Dawson City: Frozen Time
Diamonds of the Night
The Ear
The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On
Ikarie XB-1
Journey to the Beginning of Time

Guess I'll kick this off by nominating these releases by label. (I'm nominating them both for best general release and best release for that label. The ones that are boxed sets--highlighted in blue--I'm also nominating for best boxed set)

Arrow
The Buddhist Trilogy
demonlover
Khrustalyov, My Car!
Phantom Lady

BFI
At Last the 1948 Show
The Best of British Transport Films
Derek Jarman Vol. 2
How I Won the War
Moulin Rouge
Of Flesh and Blood: The Cinema of Hirokazu Kore-eda

Indicator
Bellman & True
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
Marlene Dietrich & Josef von Sternberg at Paramount
90° in the Shade
The Reckless Moment
Scum
Take a Girl Like You
They Made Me a Fugitive
Time Without Pity
The Triple Echo

Eureka
Donbass
The Golem
Three Films with Sammo Hung
The White Reindeer

Second Run
A Case for a Rookie Hangman
Dawson City: Frozen Time
Diamonds of the Night
The Ear
The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On
Everybody in Our Family
Ikarie XB-1
Journey to the Beginning of Time

And for best cover art...

I'll happily second the following (for label, release and - where appropriate - box set categories). I'd probably second more, but haven't seen some of them yet!

Arrow

The Buddhist Trilogy - Finally!
demonlover
Khrustalyov, My Car! - Amazing film with a superb range of extras.

BFI

Derek Jarman Vol. 2 - Fewer surprises than the first volume, but another exemplary production, and the films are brilliant. I'll also nominate this for Best Packaging, even though it's basically just following in the footsteps of Volume 1.
Of Flesh and Blood: The Cinema of Hirokazu Kore-eda

Indicator

Marlene Dietrich & Josef von Sternberg at Paramount - Considering these films formed the best Criterion box set last year, and this box is better in just about every way, a no-brainer. Another nomination for Best Packaging. I love the use of the period artwork on the individual covers.
Scum

(I really need to catch up on recent Indicator releases)

Eureka

Donbass - So pleased that this got such a speedy release. One of the best films of recent years.

Second Run

A Case for a Rookie Hangman - Haven't actually got this yet, as I picked up the Czech BluRay, but it's a great film.
Dawson City: Frozen Time
Diamonds of the Night
The Ear
The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On - Likewise, but it's on the way.

---------------------------------

A couple of my own nominees:

Both for Best Arrow Release and Best Release and Best Discovery:

The Fifth Cord - Arrow have put out a lot of gialli, but there aren't a lot of films that look as good as this. Maybe my favourite work by Vittorio Storaro.


The Possessed - Fantastic moody neo-noir. Also looks sensational.

I'd also like to nominate for best bonus film Dead Cat, the Psychic TV short on the Derek Jarman set

Additionally, I'd like to nominate:

Second Run:
A Blonde in Love (Beautiful new transfer of a great film.)

And I will second:

Indicator (All of these were unknown to me until these releases. All were great discoveries.):
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
The Reckless Moment
The Triple Echo

Second Run:
Ikarie XB-1

I'll second the Bazzonis for Best Arrow Release

I'll second 90° in the Shade, They Made Me a Fugitive, and Time Without Pity from Indicator and The White Reindeer from Eureka. Please also nominate Time Without Pity for Best Discovery.

And lastly for now: I'd like to nominate for Best On-Disc Non-Commentary Extra Miss Blandish and the Censor from Indicator's release of No Orchids for Miss Blandish. It's a fascinating look at the BBFC, British censorship in general, and the film's journey from book to screen. If you haven't seen it, you really should -- it's probably better than the film itself.

Most of what I’ve loved has been mentioned and seconded, though I expect to have a few more noms once my amazon uk order comes in next week.

To get specific on other categories I’ll have to make time to go through some of these supplements, but I’d like to nominate demonlover for best cover, booklet, and discovery; Khrustalyov, My Car! for cover and discovery; and Buddhist trilogy for discovery. Are we considering the fourth film It Was a Faint Dream in the trilogy a bonus film? Because if so, that too.

I think It Was Faint Dream counts as a bonus film, considering how sidelined it is in the package and presentation (no real fault of Arrow as a late addition.) I'll gladly second it as one!

I nominate Fate of Lee Khan for MOC release, seconds not already seconded: Moulin Rouge

I kind of think Indicator could sustain its own list ala the Criterion one. But failing that, I nominate the Snake Pit, Dragonwyck, and Lilith

I'll second Dragonwyck and Lilith, still need to fit in some viewings before I second others.

Oh, and I nominate New Wave's Nuri Bilge Ceylan: The Complete Films!

I’ll second The Snake Pit and Nuri Bilge Ceylan: The Complete Films (even though I’ve only seen a few transfers), and nominate Indicator’s The Reckless Moment while we’re venturing down that pipeline.

It’s hardly an original thought but I’d like to throw every creepy cartoonish Arrow Academy cover out there for the worst cover category, and every Indicator release for the best. I can be more specific tomorrow though if that’s helpful

Here are some more candidates looking through the list of titles that caught my eye this year, sorry if there are any repeats. I'll follow swo's lead and blue the boxsets:

88 Films
Battle Creek Brawl
Paganini Horror
To Kill With Intrigue

(and the Kickstarted Beatrice Cenci and Eleven Days, Eleven Nights)

Anime Limited
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
Mirai

Arrow
American Horror Project Volume 2
An American Werewolf In London
The Andromeda Strain
Aniara
Before We Vanish
Blood Hunger: The Films of José Larraz
Bloody Terror: The Films of Norman J. Warren
The Hills Have Eyes, Part 2
Horror Express
The Iguana With The Tongue of Fire
In The Aftermath
The Legacy
Oldboy + the rest
The Ring Trilogy
Terra Formars
Toys Are Not For Children / Hitch Hike To Hell
Yakuza Law

Artificial Eye - no particular extras of note but:
Disobedience
Dogman
The House That Jack Built
In Fabric
Loro
Mektoub My Love (only on DVD though)
Vox Lux

BFI
Legend of the Witches and Secret Rites
Pinter At The BBC
Spetters

Drakes Avenue Pictures
Ash Is The Purest White
An Elephant Sitting Still (only on DVD though)

Indicator
Black Joy
Hussy
Immaculate Conception
Secret Ceremony
Track 29

Manga
Adventure Time Complete Seasons 1-5 on Blu-ray
Okko's Inn

Mubi(!)
Border
Under The Silver Lake
Suspiria (2018)

MVM - the anime resurgence continues with:
Hanasaku Iroha: Blossoms For Tomorrow Volume 1
Vatican Miracle Examiner Season 1 - the perfect antidote to Dan Brown!

Second Sight
Romance - Catherine Breillat's most famous film made it to Blu-ray with little fanfare this year. Do your E.L. James-addled mother a favour and buy her this rather than that Fifty Shades of Grey boxset for Christmas, and I'm sure she'll thank you for it! Or divorce your father to pursue her own fantasies, one or the other...

Third Window
Blue Spring
One Cut of the Dead (the only English language version of the film on disc? I heard it went to a streaming service in the US?)
Top Knot Detective

Thunderbird
Shoplifters

Universal
Peterloo
Shadow, the Zhang Yimou film in either 4K UHD or Blu-ray/DVD editions

I will try and do the same for US releases and my personal top ten in the normal Criterion voting thread soon.

Colin, that's a lot of choices-- are you saying you would vote for all of those? We're not just mentioning eligible titles but nominating titles this year-- it's a bit confusing for me too!

I think it's fine to nominate anything that especially stands out to you. It'll only become eligible if someone else seconds it, which should end up being a much more manageable list and help the vote be less spread out than last year.

I'm mostly interested in what extras people are going to nominate, and intend to check out all of them that I can

swo17 wrote: Wed Dec 11, 2019 6:29 pm I think it's fine to nominate anything that especially stands out to you. It'll only become eligible if someone else seconds it, which should end up being a much more manageable list and help the vote be less spread out than last year.

I'm mostly interested in what extras people are going to nominate, and intend to check out all of them that I can

Yeah, I think that's where the nomination approach should work best. Last year the votes in the smaller categories were spread very thin across such a wide range of releases, so the winners weren't always convincing! (e.g. three votes in a sea of singles)

First post has been updated with everything both nominated and seconded so far. Let me know if I've missed anything. Or if you think something deserving is missing, nominate or second it!

domino harvey wrote: Wed Dec 11, 2019 4:11 am I kind of think Indicator could sustain its own list ala the Criterion one.

I move that, at the very least, we be allowed to vote for a top 5 of Indicator releases on our ballots, and that an overall top 5 or 10 be published with the final results. Maybe just in general we say that any label that gets at least 10(?) eligible titles receives this treatment.

swo17 wrote: Wed Dec 11, 2019 6:56 pm First post has been updated with everything both nominated and seconded so far. Let me know if I've missed anything. Or if you think something deserving is missing, nominate or second it!

domino harvey wrote: Wed Dec 11, 2019 4:11 am I kind of think Indicator could sustain its own list ala the Criterion one.

I move that, at the very least, we be allowed to vote for a top 5 of Indicator releases on our ballots, and that an overall top 5 or 10 be published with the final results. Maybe just in general we say that any label that gets at least 10(?) eligible titles receives this treatment.

We'll see how the nominations pan out, but that sounds reasonable.

soundchaser wrote: Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:34 amPlease also nominate Time Without Pity for Best Discovery.

Seconded, and I nominate a few more Indicators for best discovery:

Bellman & True
Take a Girl Like You
The Triple Echo

I'll also second demonlover and Khrustalyov My Car! for best cover

I'll second the nom of Deitrich Indicator box for best packaging

These are not nominations, but I thought I'd flag up the full-length commentaries that were recorded specifically for a 2019 Indicator release and which are currently unique to the label:

• Jo Botting and Jonathan Rigby on The Two Faces of Dr Jekyll
• Jo Botting and Norman J Warren on Bloody New Year (NB: this is not the Vinegar Syndrome commentary)
• Dean Brandum and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas on Secret Ceremony
• Dean Brandum and Eloise Ross on The Third Secret
• Michael Brooke on 90˚ in the Shade
• Dick Clement and Sam Dunn on A Severed Head
• Samm Deighan on A Dandy in Aspic
• Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger on Morocco and The Damned
• Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby on Revenge of Frankenstein
• Jim Hemphill on Gardens of Stone and Track 29
• Stephen Jones and Kim Newman on Revenge of Frankenstein
• Richard Loncraine and Sam Dunn on The Missionary
• Kevin Lyons on The Legacy and Taste of Fear
• Adrian Martin on Blonde Venus
• Alan Parker and Justin Johnson on Birdy
• Tony Rayns on The Scarlet Empress
• Neil Sinyard on Time Without Pity
• Paul Talbot on Breakout and R.P.M.
• David Thompson on Shanghai Express
• Thirza Wakefield and Melanie Williams on The System

Here's an organized presentation of my nominations (a few of which have not been seconded, sorry if this confuses anyone - I promise I'm not trying to cheat!):

Best Cover:
90° in the Shade
The Snake Pit
Lilith
Birdy
Track 29

Worst Cover:
Model Shop
The Bell at St. Mary's
Hold Back the Dawn

Best Booklet:
demonlover
90° in the Shade
The Buddhist Trilogy

Best Discovery:
90° in the Shade
Khrustalyov, My Car!
demonlover
The Buddhist Trilogy

Best Packaging:
The Last Movie
Scum

I'll second Jarman Vol. 2 for best packaging and Bells of St. Mary's for worst cover

I'd also like to nominate Of Flesh and Blood for best packaging

I guess we’re not doing most unnecessary release, because that reminds me I’d def nom Bells

domino harvey wrote: Wed Dec 11, 2019 6:21 pmColin, that's a lot of choices-- are you saying you would vote for all of those? We're not just mentioning eligible titles but nominating titles this year-- it's a bit confusing for me too!

Ah, I thought this was just the first round of saying what might be nominatable before an actual ballot was submitted. I'm planning to do an actual vote in a week or so.