Criterion News and Discussion

[Reinhold]

i wonder why they put rules of the game in 4:3 instead of leaving it at its original aspect ratio(1:37:1). pan and scan on this film seems wrong-- in my opinion it's as much of a landmark for cinematography as citizen kane. 

[Ravi]

i wonder why they put rules of the game in 4:3 instead of leaving it at its original aspect ratio(1:37:1). pan and scan on this film seems wrong-- in my opinion it's as much of a landmark for cinematography as citizen kane. 

4:3 is 1.33:1. Criterion didn't pan-and-scan it.

[Reinhold]

1:33 is slightly thinner than 1.37:1 -- the product description says pan and scan.

[analogzombie]

La Jetee/Sans Soliel Feb 7
Tiny Furniture & Three Outlaw Samurai Feb 14
World on a Wire & Anatomy of a Murder Feb 21
Vanya on 42nd St. Feb 28

[Ostrich Riding Cowboy]

Uuuuhhhhh: James Carville's face is on a Criterion cover.

[MacGuffin]

Criterion Teases 'Being John Malkovich,' 'Y Tu Mama Tambien,' 'Harold & Maude,' 'Quadrophenia' & More In New Year's Clue
Source: Playlist

In what has become an annual tradition, The Criterion Collection has rung in the New Year with a mega-clue posted on Facebook to tease fans of what it has on deck for the coming year. Some of them are titles that have been heavily rumored or already announced, while others are some pleasant surprises. And while Criterion is leaving the guessing to fans until they officially announce the films sometime in the next twelve months, their followers (particularly those at the Criterion Forum) have had a pretty good track record of deciphering the clues.

So, what can we expect? Among the obvious is the already announced re-issue of "A Night To Remember" evidenced by the giant iceberg (though some say it's a wet rock pointing to Wim Wenders' "Pina"). The trio of lovers in an embrace hints at Alfonso Cuaron's "Y Tu Mama Tambien," long rumored to be added to the collection. The old woman on a motorcycle points to Hal Ashby's classic "Harold & Maude" (awesome) while the standalone bike suggests The Who's grand rock opera "Quadrophenia." And let's not forget the honking for Jean-Luc Godard's "Week End" (which was inevitable after sister company Janus re-released the movie to arthouses this year).

The female marionette ties into "Being John Malkovich," while the gravedigger hints at "Shallow Grave" (a great genre movie, but Criterion material?). Meanwhile, the smiling billboard points to the bonkers "Eating Raoul."

Other movies coming down the pike include "My Summer With Monika" (girl lying on top of the car) and the silent "Lonesome" (the Coney Island sign) while the big question mark still to be filled is what is up with the three oysters and the samurai dudes.

Either way, looks like another smashing year from Criterion, so start saving your allowance.

[socketlevel]

IF that is BJM, then i'm super happy. I'd love a commentary. not to mention a good 1080p transfer.

[MacGuffin]

'Harold & Maude' Leads Criterion's April Slate Of New Releases
Source: Playlist

April come she will, and for Criterion, that means finally getting Hal Ashby's sophomore film into the collection.

The boutique label has unveiled their slate, and as hinted at in their New Year's teaser "Harold & Maude" has now been given the wacky C. If you haven't seen Hal Ashby's classic cult film, then we're kind of jealous, if only so we can relive that experience of seeing it for the first time. But the movie has influenced a host of filmmakers and is pretty much a must-see if you consider yourself a movie fan. It centers around a death obsessed young man (Bud Cort) and his friendship with an eighty (or so) year old woman (Ruth Gordon), and that's all we'll say. Oh yeah, the soundtrack by Cat Stevens is one of the greats. The new edition will boast a commentary from Ashby's biographer and the film's producer, an interview with Yusuf Islam and the whole thing will get rounded out with some essays. And that cover rules.

But worry obscure/foreign film heads, you will be well served too. Avante-garde filmmaker Hollis Frampton gets collected on "A Hollis Frampton Odyssey" bringing together 24 of his films from 1966-1979. Robert M. Young's inaugural Cannes Camera d'Or winnnig "¡Alambrista!" gets spit shined and it will tell the gritty story of a Mexican farmworker who sneaks across the border to California to earn money for his family. This set will be rounded out by Young's short documentary, "Children Of The Field." Keeping with the worker spirit will be "The Organizer" by Mario Monicelli, telling the tale of factory workers in Turin who strike and find an unexpected sympathizer in a professor played Marcello Mastrioanni.

Meanwhile, the Eclipse line will drop "Pearls Of The Czech New Wave," a boxset featuring six films from 1960s Czech cinema. Finally, Yasujiro Ozu's classic "Late Spring" goes hi-def with a Blu upgrade.

[Bethie]

Harold and Maude <3

[tpfkabi]

Best April Fool's of all time!

http://www.criterion.com/films/28373-kindergarten-cop



I would buy a special edition of this movie. I have seen it in on cable dozens of times.

[polkablues]

You can tell it's an April Fools joke because it's a well-designed Criterion cover.

[Stefen]

Kurosawa when he visited the set.

[mogwai]

You can tell Arnie had a masterpiece going on. You can tell Kurosawa is cleary pissed off.

Y'all can tell that this post is not quite funny.

[MacGuffin]

The Criterion Collection Unveils 'Le Havre' & Reboots Whit Stillman & Jim Jarmusch Titles In Blu For July
Source: Playlist

Summer is around the corner which means that with the cold weather a distant memory, people are going to want to spend their time outside in the sun and warmth while it lasts. Which likely means less time sitting at home watching movies. So perhaps with that in mind, The Criterion Collection is keeping it easy on the new titles for July, but they do have one new offering, a box set and healthy handful of Blu-Ray reboots.

Kicking things off, Aki Kaurismaki's delightful, humane, charming and utterly moving "Le Havre" is getting the wacky C stamp along with some pretty gorgeous artwork. The film about one man's attempt to help a young illegal immigrant from Africa find passage to England was one of the best films from 2011, a touching observation on the power of community and human connection. The film arrives with a decent set of extras including interviews with the cast, video of the Cannes press conference and more. Either way, if you missed it, this should be on your list.

The only other brand new title is a boxset, with Criterion packaging up three films by Jean Grémillon, a lesser known contemporary of folks like Henri-Georges Clouzot, Marcel Carné and Jean Renoir. The filmmaker directed over fifty movies in a wide range of genres, and these will give viewers a glimpse at two romantic dramas -- "Remorques" and "Le Ciel Est A Vous" -- and one tragicomedy, "Lumiere D'Ete." As this will be in the Eclipse line, there are no extras.

Finally, some pretty great films get some hi-def upgrades. Robby Muller's gorgeous cinematography in Jim Jarmusch's fantastic "Down By Law" will look even better in Blu, in the dusted off release which will port over all the extras from the DVD version. It is a sad and beautiful world. Whit Stillmans's "Metropolitan" and "Last Days Of Disco" also go Blu, again with all the extras you know and love. And if you want to know how we really feel about those films, check out our retrospective of his work here.

[chere mill]

fantastic line up of criterion releases for august.

http://www.criterion.com/library/expanded_view?f=1&s=release_date

i have been anticipating the announcement of rosetta for a long time as it is one of my very favorite films. la promesse makes for a great dardennes double feature. and weekend finally gets the release it richly deserves.