Criterion News and Discussion

[Gamblour.]

I think the question on everyone's mind is: how does it stack up to Two Girls, One Cup?

I can't bring myself to watch that.

[SiliasRuby]

Oh it beats two girls in a cup right out of the ballpark

[samsong]

...really?  i would think people, let alone two chubby women actually shitting into a cut, eating it, and vomiting on each other as a sex act is a little more off-putting.

as appalling as salo can at times be, it's an amazing film.  profound in its provocations, it certainly shouldn't be approached as pure shock value.  it does have a great cover.

i'm personally really excited about brand upon the brain!  the optional narration tracks is a great feature.  it's too bad they didn't get lou reed to record one as well.

[Ravi]

Max Ophuls collection?

[last days of gerry the elephant]

I hope so. About time!

[cine]

oh nice...

[edison]

Special Features
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Audio commentary featuring film scholar Susan White, author of The Cinema of Max Ophuls
- An interview with Academy Award–winning filmmaker Marcel Ophuls, discussing his father's work
- Interview with actor Daniel Gélin (Napoléon, Testament of Orpheus)
- Interview with film scholar Alan Williams
- Selected correspondence between Sir Laurence Olivier and Heinrich Schnitzler (the playwright's son), illustrating the controversy surrounding the source play
- New and improved subtitle translation
- PLUS: A new essay by film critic Terrence Rafferty


Special Features
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Introduction by filmmaker Todd Haynes
- English- and German-language versions of the opening narration
- From Script to Screen, a video essay featuring film scholar Jean-Pierre Berthomé discussing the evolution of Ophuls's screenplay for Le plaisir
- Interviews with actor Daniel Gélin, assistant director Tony Aboyantz, and set decorator Robert Christidès
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- PLUS: A new essay by film critic Robin Wood


Special Features
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Audio commentary featuring film scholars Susan White and Gaylyn Studlar
- Interviews with Ophuls collaborators Alain Jessua, Mar Frédérix, and Annette Wademant
- A visual analysis of The Earrings of Madame de . . . by film scholar Tag Gallagher
- Interview with novelist Louise de Vilmorin on Ophuls's adaptation of her story
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- PLUS: A new essay by Molly Haskell, Louise de Vilmorin's novella Madame de, upon which the film is based, and a reprinted essay by costume designer and longtime Ophuls collaborator Georges Annenkov
- More!


Yasujiro Ozu's An Autumn Afternoon (no cover yet)
Special Features
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- New audio commentary featuring David Bordwell, author of Ozu and the Poetics of Cinema
- Excerpts from "Yasujiro Ozu and the Taste of Sake," a 1978 French television program looking back on Ozu's career, featuring film critic Michel Ciment
- Theatrical trailer
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- PLUS: A booklet featuring new essays by film scholars Geoff Andrew and Donald Richie

[cine]

oh my god. finally.

[Gold Trumpet]

I'm surprised just three titles for the Max Ophuls box set. They may be dividing up his Hollywood and French period, but Lola Montes (if they have rights to it) should be in this box set. It could be released separately but I hope this isn't it for Ophuls. I expect a Hollywood set to come sometime later and Lola Montes to eventually be released. But good news these titles are being released because they include two titles of his I wanted the most.

[SiliasRuby]

Haven't seen any of his films, anything I should definitely blind buy?

[samsong]

all of them.

[last days of gerry the elephant]

I'm surprised just three titles for the Max Ophuls box set. They may be dividing up his Hollywood and French period, but Lola Montes (if they have rights to it) should be in this box set. It could be released separately but I hope this isn't it for Ophuls. I expect a Hollywood set to come sometime later and Lola Montes to eventually be released. But good news these titles are being released because they include two titles of his I wanted the most.

So is there a box set? Because I pre-ordered them individually. Which is all I could see on their website for now.

[Gold Trumpet]

I'm surprised just three titles for the Max Ophuls box set. They may be dividing up his Hollywood and French period, but Lola Montes (if they have rights to it) should be in this box set. It could be released separately but I hope this isn't it for Ophuls. I expect a Hollywood set to come sometime later and Lola Montes to eventually be released. But good news these titles are being released because they include two titles of his I wanted the most.

So is there a box set? Because I pre-ordered them individually. Which is all I could see on their website for now.

Nope. I saw them ordered as such and just assumed. Criterion never has released more than two films in one month by the same director and not made them a box set so I was going by previous example.

[SoNowThen]

Wow, am I ever happy that they didn't do a box set. I bought the UK versions a year ago for a great price (even factoring in exchange), but La Ronde wasn't available at the time so now I can complete my Ophuls set with that fine, fine, superfine film.

On a side note, too bad that Criterion isn't doing Letter From An Unknown Woman. Not saying it is any better than these other ones, but for some reason it is the one I watch the most, and would recommend as a starting point for anyone interested. Also, glad they left off the mostly boring and tedious Reckless Moment.

[w/o horse]

I don't think it's yet been said that Janus is soon (in September) going to be releasing disc from their Essential At House collection.

http://www.criterion.com/asp/EAH.asp

Volume 1 is
Grand Illusion
Knife in the Water
Lord of the Flies
Beauty and the Beast
Rashomon
Wild Strawberries

Online stores have them for $15 each or a box set for $70.  I'll probably choose some of these over the Criterion releases in the future because 50% of the time I don't explore the special features.  I'm assuming the same great transfers.