Criterion News and Discussion

[Gold Trumpet]

Criterion website just got all the May updates:

Tin Drum
Testament of Dr Mabuse
Smiles Of A Summer Night
The Leopard (3 discs!!)
Stray Dog

The Tin Drum: http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp?id=234

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse:  http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp?id=231

Smiles of a Summer Night: http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp?id=237

The Leopard: http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp?id=235

Stray Dog: http://www.criterionco.com/asp/release.asp?id=233

As it stands now, The Leopard is a must buy. Important release. I'll likely get The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. Also likely will get Smiles of a Summer Night because I am a completist for Bergman. I heard it wasn't very good. Ignmar Bergman approving the dvd personally is rare considering he is famous for keeping out of most dvd releases. Stray Dog is a Kurosawa I can skip. Its not that good. The Tin Drum will solely depend on how I like the movie. I'm seeing it shortly. All in all, no unexpected titles and the most plentiful of releases so far this year.

[SoNowThen]

Welles seems to think Smiles Of A Summer Night was the best Bergman film...


As to Leopard, I agree, GT -- a must buy. Mostly on the cast and the CC treatment and the Scorsese recommendation. Cos I'm not a very big Visconti fan (Ossessione was easily one of the most boring movies I've ever seen), but I am a Claudia Cardinale completist...

[Ravi]

[edison]

and you certainly wont get to use that condom by watching all those movies

[MacGuffin]

and you certainly wont get to use that condom by watching all those movies

You misunderstood. Ravi is telling us, he's f*cked.

[picolas]

Ravi is telling us, he's f*cked.

well played.

[edison]

and you certainly wont get to use that condom by watching all those movies

You misunderstood. Ravi is telling us, he's f*cked.

ah, i see, sorry Ravi.

[cine]

I think Ravi threw in the condom at the last minute for effect.

[Ravi]

That's just a picture I found online.  In reality I'm always running out of condoms.

[Henry Hill]

The Game, The Game, where is The Game?  

[Gold Trumpet]

An interesting Gift Box Set is coming out for the Samuari Trilogy in May. For me, this is gratifying news because the films have always interested me but they were released such a long time ago I never trusted vendors to really have them in stock. (I've had similiar problems with other older Criterions) What this does is rerelease the trilogy and save me 23% on the price as well. Sometime over the summer, I'm definitely buying the box set.

info here: Arriving on 4th May 2004 is the Samurai Trilogy: Three-Disc Boxed Set with a retail price of $69.95. Hiroshi Inagaki's acclaimed Samurai Trilogy is a sweeping saga of the legendary 17th-century samurai Musashi Miyamoto (powerfully portrayed by Toshiro Mifune) set against the turmoil of a devastating civil war, and follows Musashi's odyssey from unruly youth to enlightened warrior. This specially priced gift pack contains the three DVDs previously only available separately: Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto, Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple, Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island.

(Courtesy of DVDTimes)

Also, a criterion forum member struck gold when he incquired about Cecil B. DeMille's King of Kings and got the responce that means a release of the film is iminment:

Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Will Criterion be releasing DeMille's version of "King of Kings?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Jon replied:

Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm afraid I am not at liberty to discuss our production schedule beyond
those titles that have been officially announced. Sorry I can't be of
greater assistance.

best,
JM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Gold Trumpet]

Good news. M will be rereleased later this year. This is one of the major titles always rumored to be getting a major release and making me hold off on buying the dvd because of it (Andrei Rublev the other). Hopefully the excellent Stanley Kauffmann essay stays and a new cover is implemented over the old one. Official news block from the Criterion website:

Fritz Lang's M to be Re-Released in 2004

The original Criterion edition of Fritz Lang's groundbreaking suspense masterwork M will be taken out of print on March 31 to make room for an all new DVD edition of the film, slated for release late in 2004. The upcoming re-release of M will feature a pristine transfer from newly restored film elements, as well as a host of new special features. Keep an eye on this space for more details in the coming months.

Also, info and cover image for the Samurai Trilogy Box Set: http://www.criterionco.com/asp/connections.asp?id=63

[modage]

Fritz Lang's M to be Re-Released in 2004

thats great.  actually about 3 days ago i was putting this on my wish-list, i will make sure to remove it to the waiting for a better edition pile.

[A Matter Of Chance]

I don't know... I was worried enough with regular re-releases from studios, I always considered Criterion the ultimate. Now them too! I mean, a better DVD is great, but...

[Find Your Magali]

Yeah, I don't know....

I'm quite happy with my current edition of M. ... I don't see any reason to let them double-dip me on this one.