Criterion News and Discussion

[ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ]

I'm not one for rumors, so ignore this if it never comes to pass, and I rarely contribute to this thread since there are clearly more qualified people who pretty much run this thread, but I hear tell from a proffessor of mine with friends at Criterion that there is a strong possibility of a release of Monte Hellman's "Cockfighter" in the near future.

Having seen it recently, this excites me incredibly.  Does anyone have any further knowledge on this?

[modage]

Criterion Confirms 'The Thin Red Line,' 'The Darjeeling Limited,' 'Antichrist' & More For This Fall
Source; ThePlaylist

The Criterion Collection usually announces their next batch of BluRay and DVD releases around the middle of each month, but this month some details have have slipped out early.

Following up on a Blu-ray.com report that revealed Amazon may have jumped the gun giving pre-order pages (now down), The Playlist got in touch with Criterion who confirmed those listings were correct and that Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line," Lars von Trier's "Antichrist," Wes Anderson's "The Darjeeling Limited," a new, Blu-ray edition of David Cronenberg's "Videodrome," and a high-definition restoration of Akira Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai" will all be coming this fall.

While Criterion will firm up release dates and extras in their upcoming official announcements there is still a lot to be excited about. The biggest title, at least for us, is Malick's "The Thin Red Line" (previously hinted at by Criterion in a clue in their monthly newsletter). While the film currently has a fine, if bare-bones DVD release, the prospect of an extras-laden, high-definition release is exciting stuff. We really hope that some of the cutting room floor footage that featured Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Sheen, Gary Oldman, Bill Pullman, Lukas Haas, Viggo Mortensen and Mickey Rourke finds its way into the release. Even some of the excised footage of guys who managed to stay in the film (albeit in greatly reduced roles) like Adrien Brody and John C. Reilly would be great. Can we wet dream of the notorious 4-6 hour cut as well? Dare to dream, but don't count on it.

The other surprise is the appearance of Wes Anderson's "The Darjeeling Limited." Fans of the director were disappointed when it was first revealed that the film wouldn't be appearing, like the director's previous works, in the Criterion Collection. And when the first DVD arrived, it was disappointingly bare, sporting only the short "Hotel Chevalier" and a brief making-of documentary. Well, Criterion will be re-issuing the film, and we can only hope that the extras will be fleshed out. Wes Anderson has done commentaries for each of his previous films with The Criterion Collection and we would be surprised if he doesn't do one here. Not to mention that the previous films were stacked with extras from nearly every aspect of the production; if that continues this time around, Anderson fans will have an early Christmas present for themselves.

The rest of the titles are also quite exciting. As we previously revealed, Criterion will be issuing Lars von Trier's divisive "Antichrist" on DVD and BluRay. The cinematography will undoubtedly look phenomenal in high-def and as for the extras, we would love to see some input from both detractors and advocates of the film. How about the reportedly rowdy Cannes press conference for the film as well?

David Cronenberg's "Videodrome" will be getting the BluRay treatment to accompany the already stellar DVD, and Criterion will also finally re-issue "Seven Samurai" this fall as well. -

[Alexandro]

How many years will it take for the criterion guys to launch their Fanny & Alexander five discs boxset BLU RAY??

Do it guys!!

[edison]

    * New, restored high-definition digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
    * Optional English-dubbed soundtrack
    * Archival interviews with director Marcel Camus and actress Marpessa Dawn
    * New video interviews with Brazilian cinema scholar Robert Stam, jazz historian Gary Giddins, and Brazilian author Ruy Castro
    * À la recherche d'"Orfeu negro," a feature-length documentary about Black Orpheus's cultural and musical roots and its resonance in Brazil today
    * Theatrical trailer
    * PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Michael Atkinson


    *  New, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Terry Zwigoff, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
    * Two audio commentaries, one from 2010 with Zwigoff, and one from 2006, featuring Zwigoff and critic Roger Ebert
    * Outtakes and deleted scenes
    * Stills gallery
    * PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Jonathan Rosenbaum


    *  New, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Terry Zwigoff
    * Audio commentary featuring Zwigoff
    * Outtakes and deleted scenes
    * Illustrations by Howard Armstrong
    * Stills gallery
    * PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Michael Sragow




    * New, restored high-definition digital transfer
    * L'amour existe, director Maurice Pialat's 1960 short film about life on the outskirts of Paris
    * Choses vues, autour de "L'enfance nue," a fifty-minute documentary shot just after the film's release
    * Excerpts from a 1973 French television interview with Pialat
    * New visual essay by critic Kent Jones on the film and Pialat's cinematic style
    * Video interview with Pialat collaborators Arlette Langmann and Patrick Grandperret
    * New and improved English subtitle translation
    * PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Phillip Lopate


    *  New, restored high-definition digital transfers
    * Six scores: one by Robert Israel for each film; two by the Alloy Orchestra, for Underworld and The Last Command; and a piano and voice piece by Donald Sosin for The Docks of New York
    * Two new visual essays: one by UCLA film professor Janet Bergstrom and the other by film scholar Tag Gallagher
    * 1968 Swedish television interview with director Josef von Sternberg, covering his entire career
    * PLUS: A ninety-six-page booklet featuring essays by film critic Geoffrey O'Brien, film scholar Anton Kaes, and author Luc Sante; the original film treatment for Underworld by Ben Hecht; and an excerpt from Sternberg's autobiography, Fun in a Chinese Laundry, on Emil Jannings

[Champion Souza]

I'm glad I put off buying Crumb for so long.  Curious to see Louie Bluie too.

[tpfkabi]

via Facebook:

Out of Print Announcement
Today at 2:39pm
Dear Criterion collectors,


The following titles are going out of print effective June 30:



Billy Liar
Bob le flambeur
Diary of A Chambermaid
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Kind Hearts and Coronets
The Man Who Fell to Earth (DVD and Blu-ray editions)
The Milky Way
The Phantom of Liberty
That Obscure Object of Desire
Touchez pas au grisbi
A Woman Is a Woman



We will be selling copies only while supplies last, so order yours soon. As ever, we will try to relicense the films so that they can rejoin the collection sometime in the future.

[Gold Trumpet]

Ever wanted to know the process to making a cover for a Criterion DVD? Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments DVD is explained here:

http://samsmyth.blogspot.com/2010/06/process-everlasting-moments-dvd-cover.html

[socketlevel]

I'm so stoked for the criterion release of The Thin Red Line, easily my favorite anti-war film. it might be too much to ask for the 4 hour cut with nearly half the cast restored, but i'mma geek out on the thought of it for a bit.

[socketlevel]

Ever wanted to know the process to making a cover for a Criterion DVD? Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments DVD is explained here:

http://samsmyth.blogspot.com/2010/06/process-everlasting-moments-dvd-cover.html

seems like a lot of shots in the dark until you hit the target. it also seems like it would be a fun job, smoke a joint and get on photoshop for a bit; navel gazing as you go.  lol ok i'm simplifying it, but it would still be fun.

[Ravi]

The following titles are going out of print effective June 30:



Billy Liar
Bob le flambeur
Diary of A Chambermaid
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Kind Hearts and Coronets
The Man Who Fell to Earth (DVD and Blu-ray editions)
The Milky Way
The Phantom of Liberty
That Obscure Object of Desire
Touchez pas au grisbi
A Woman Is a Woman

Are these all going to StudioCanal?

[Sleepless]

Ever wanted to know the process to making a cover for a Criterion DVD? Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments DVD is explained here:

http://samsmyth.blogspot.com/2010/06/process-everlasting-moments-dvd-cover.html

I want to design posters and DVD covers now

[edison]

    * New, restored high-definition master (with DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition)
    * The Oshima Gang, an original making-of featurette
    * New video interviews with producer Jeremy Thomas, screenwriter Paul Mayersberg, actor Tom Conti, and actor-composer Ryuichi Sakamoto
    * Hasten Slowly, an hour-long documentary about author and adventurer Laurens van der Post, whose autobiographical novel is the basis for the film
    * Original theatrical trailer
    * PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film writer Chuck Stephens and a 1983 interview with director Nagisa Oshima by Japanese film writer Tadao Sato


    * New, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Terrence Malick and cinematographer John Toll (with DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition)
    * New audio commentary featuring Toll, production designer Jack Fisk, and producer Grant Hill
    * Outtakes from the film
    * Video interviews with several of the film's actors, including Kirk Acevedo, Jim Caviezel, Ben Chaplin, Tom Jane, Elias Koteas, Dash Mihok, and Sean Penn
    * New video interview with casting director Dianne Crittenden, featuring original audition footage
    * New interview with composer Hans Zimmer
    * New video piece featuring interviews with editors Billy Weber, Leslie Jones, and Saar Klein
    * An interview with writer James Jones's daughter Kaylie Jones
    * World War II newsreels featuring footage from Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands
    * Original theatrical trailer
    * PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic David Sterritt and a 1963 essay by James Jones on war films

[Pubrick]

Oh noes! the awkward C has finally done it. It's been threatening to devour the cover art since its creation, and now the thin red line has become its first casualty.

also, "Outtakes from the film" better not mean a blooper reel..

[Stefen]

Can't wait to see Terry Malick get punk'd!

"Oh, you guys!"

[Ravi]

I love Box Art Coming Soon.  I imported a Region 2 DVD of it a while back.

also, "Outtakes from the film" better not mean a blooper reel..