Criterion Collection

[Ben]

Oh, yeah, we had both…mainstream terrestrial channels like Channel 4 that would hav3 whole seasons dedicated to films such as Videodrome with wraparound docs and intros, and the earliest cable and satellite TV where you could pick up the airwaves and watch stuff you shouldn’t do (the early TCM, which sadly just closed down here, being a favorite). I did actually probably see Videodrome in this way, either through fuzzy UHF or via someone's off-air VHS, though I also remember the tape cover, so it’s also likely my Dad had a copy. I know I saw The Terminator that way too.

[Daniel]

November titles:

Mean Streets 4K Blu-ray:
NEW 4K RESTORATION, approved by director Martin Scorsese and editor Thelma Schoonmaker, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Excerpted conversation between Scorsese and filmmaker Richard Linklater from a 2011 Directors Guild of America event
Selected-scene audio commentary featuring Scorsese and actor Amy Robinson
New video essay by author Imogen Sara Smith about the film's physicality and portrayal of brotherhood
Interview with director of photography Kent Wakeford
Excerpt from the documentary Mardik: Baghdad to Hollywood (2008) featuring Mean Streets cowriter Mardik Martin as well as Scorsese, journalist Peter Biskind, and filmmaker Amy Heckerling
Martin Scorsese: Back on the Block (1973), a promotional video featuring Scorsese on the streets of New York City's Little Italy neighborhood
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by critic Lucy Sante

The Last Picture Show 4K:
4K RESTORATION OF THE DIRECTOR'S CUT, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Texasville (1990), the sequel to The Last Picture Show, presented in both the original theatrical version and a black-and-white version of Peter Bogdanovich's director's cut, produced in collaboration with cinematographer Nicholas von Sternberg
Two audio commentaries, featuring Bogdanovich and actors Cybill Shepherd, Randy Quaid, Cloris Leachman, and Frank Marshall
Three documentaries about the making of the film
Q&A with Bogdanovich from 2009
Screen tests and location footage
Introduction to Texasville featuring Bogdanovich, Shepherd, and actor Jeff Bridges
Excerpts from a 1972 television interview with filmmaker François Truffaut about the New Hollywood
Trailers
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by film critic Graham Fuller and excerpts from an interview with Bogdanovich about Texasville, with a new introduction by Bogdanovich biographer Peter Tonguette

La Cérémonie:
NEW 4K RESTORATION, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
Selected-scene commentary featuring Claude Chabrol
New introduction by filmmaker Bong Joon Ho
Making-of program
Archival interviews with Chabrol, actor Sandrine Bonnaire, and cowriter Caroline Eliacheff
Episode of the Criterion Channel series Observations on Film Art about the use of offscreen sound
Trailer
New English subtitle translation
PLUS: An essay by crime-fiction and true-crime authority Sarah Weinman

Days of Heaven 4K Blu-ray:
NEW 4K RESTORATION, supervised and approved by director Terrence Malick, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Audio commentary featuring editor Billy Weber, art director Jack Fisk, costume designer Patricia Norris, and casting director Dianne Crittenden
Audio interview with actor Richard Gere
Interviews with camera operator John Bailey, cinematographer Haskell Wexler, and actor Sam Shepard
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by critic Adrian Martin and a chapter from director of photography Nestor Almendros's autobiography

Jackie Chan: Emergence of a Superstar, Half a Loaf of Kung Fu, Spiritual Kung Fu, The Fearless Hyena, Fearless Hyena II, The Young Master, My Lucky Stars:
2K RESTORATIONS of Spiritual Kung Fu, The Fearless Hyena, Fearless Hyena II, The Young Master, and My Lucky Stars and high-definition digital restoration of Half a Loaf of Kung Fu, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks
Alternate stereo and 5.1 surround Cantonese soundtracks
New audio commentaries for The Fearless Hyena and The Young Master featuring Hong Kong cinema expert and producer Frank Djeng (Enter the Clones of Bruce)
Interview with author Grady Hendrix (These Fists Break Bricks) about actor-director Jackie Chan
Archival interviews with Chan, actor-director Sammo Hung, actors Michiko Nishiwaki and Hwang In-shik, and more
The Young Master promo reel from the 1980 Cannes Film Festival and deleted scenes from the film
Interview from 2005 with Hong Kong cinema critic Paul Fonoroff about producer-director Lo Wei
NG shots from The Young Master and My Lucky Stars
Trailers
New English subtitle translations
PLUS: An essay by critic Alex Pappademas

[Ben]

I’ve never really been able to plug into Mean Streets for some reason (possibly the "amateurish" — and that’s in quotes for a reason — nature of what feels like a very loose and almost improvised film that's better than De Palma's similar early efforts but still doesn’t really come together until the last reel; Taxi Driver is much more polished and betterer), and I’ve struggled through Picture Show a good few times.

Again, the sour, downbeat nature and melancholic tone make it hard to truly love, though I suppose I could give both another chance due to CC's discs. Then again, Picture Show might just continue to do me in the previous BBS Criterion box, especially as it’s a black and white film.

Didn’t like Parasite, so don’t need more from the same director, or Malick for that matter, while I fear being sucked into Jackiechan world on that one and I haven’t even cracked open Arrow's new Bruce Lee box yet! Still, good to see CC again keeping their 4K updates to themselves now, rather than seeing them routinely popping up from Kino…

[Randall]

I already have most of these: Mean Streets in the Contemporary Ultimate Gangsters set, Last Picture Show in the BBS set, and a few of the Jackie films from 88 Films in tbe UK. And no strong interest in Malick or Korean crime stories. So, nothing for me this month. I am feeling content with my collection these days.

[GeffreyDrogon]

Didn’t like Parasite, so don’t need more from the same director, or Malick for that matter, while I fear being sucked into Jackiechan world on that one and I haven’t even cracked open Arrow's new Bruce Lee box yet! Still, good to see CC again keeping their 4K updates to themselves now, rather than seeing them routinely popping up from Kino…

By Parasite, are you talking about the Bong Joon-Ho film? For me, it's one of my favorite movies.

[EricJ]

\By Parasite, are you talking about the Bong Joon-Ho film?

Yes. The 1982 Charles Band horror film already came out on Blu3D back in 2019.
https://www.amazon.com/Parasite-Special ... B07VP784TB

[Randall]

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio joins the Collection in December! In 4K, yet. Personally, I think that's great news. Lots of extras, too. (Though, I would have welcomed a Claus announcement instead.)


Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio 4K Blu-ray

Description: A classic tale is reborn through the inspired imagination of cinematic dream-weaver Guillermo del Toro, directing alongside Mark Gustafson. Realized through boundary-pushing, breathtakingly intricate stop-motion animation, this dark rendering of the fable of the puppet boy and his maker—which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature—daringly transfers the story to Fascist Italy, where the irrepressible Pinocchio gradually learns what it means to be human through his experiences of war, death, and sacrifice. Featuring the voices of Ewan McGregor, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, and Christoph Waltz, this Pinocchio imbues the oft-told tale with a bold new resonance about living with courage and compassion.

Special Features and Technhical Specs:
4K DIGITAL MASTER, supervised by directors Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson
DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Handcarved Cinema, a new documentary featuring del Toro, Gustafson, and cast and crew, including the film's puppet creators, production designers, and animation supervisor
Directing Stop-Motion, a new program featuring del Toro and Gustafson
New conversation between del Toro and film critic Farran Smith Nehme
New interview with curator Ron Magliozzi on The Museum of Modern Art's 2022 exhibition devoted to the film
New program on the eight rules of animation that informed the film's production
Panel discussion featuring del Toro, Gustafson, production designer Guy Davis, composer Alexandre Desplat, and sound designer Scott Martin Gershin, moderated by filmmaker James Cameron
Conversation among del Toro, Gustafson, and author Neil Gaiman
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing and English descriptive audio
PLUS: Essays by film critic Matt Zoller Seitz and author Cornelia Funke

STREET DATE: DECEMBER 12.

And this'll give another opportunity for Ben to grumble about how they're still using del Toro's name in the title. Sorry, man, but that's still the name of the film.

[Ben]

Oh, I’m way past that at this stage, Rand. I know it’s just marketing and that’s that. And yet, they don’t use his name every time…

"Featuring the voices of Ewan … Waltz, this Pinocchio imbues the oft-told tale…" should be "Featuring the voices of Ewan … Waltz, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio imbues the oft-told tale…", no?

A shame they didn’t also include the original' 'Flix making-of doc in there as well for completeness, but this was an obvious CC addition ever since it won the Oscar.

I would, as a much, much, much better nominated film, have loved Klaus (not Claus — jeez, and he has a dig at me over titles! Still, I guess you’re not calling him Del Toro anymore, even if that was a cut-and-paste, so that’s something. But, yeah, it’s Klaus) over this as well. Natch.

[Farerb]

I wanted a different Pinocchio to be released on 4K

[Randall]

I knew Claus looked wrong. Blame it on the late night.

[EricJ]

I wanted a different Pinocchio to be released on 4K

Yeah, when are we going to get that 2020 Italian version with old Roberto Benigni as Gepetto (and doing it right this time*), another actual wooden-CGI Pinocchio, and no cheap Pan's Labyrinth callbacks on the Blue Fairy and Mussolini settings?

And yes, I knew what you meant, but that one's when-not-if.

---
(* - For all that Benigni dropped the ball on his legendary-disaster '00 version, there's a great scene at the beginning of the '20 version where we see his Gepetto so desperate for woodcarving work, he tries to drum up business while having a drink at the tavern: "That door of yours is sticking again, someone with a good plane could smooth it...Oh, I almost spilled my drink because this table is tipping again, y'know, someone could even out the legs..."
THAT'S the Roberto we know from Life is Beautiful and The Monster. )

[Ben]

I knew Claus looked wrong. Blame it on the late night.

It *still* looks wrong!

[Randall]

Coming in February: Warner Bros' classic The Roaring Twenties (Bogart & Cagney) in 4K! Plus, the long-awaited (by me and many others) The Heroic Trio finally got announced, paired with its sequel, Executioners, on 4K and BD discs!! What a great month!

Plus, McCabe & Mrs. Miller gets a 4K upgrade, Nothing but a Man (looks like a good one), and Eric Rohmer's Tales of The Four Seasons.

[Ben]

Links, man, links!

Here, for peeps who want more info:
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=33555

The Roaring Twenties a big YES for me, though if I am to be really picky — and you know me! — and as much as I love what she’s doing on these kind of titles, the Jennifer Dionisio cover art is *just* about starting to feel a little samey, especially in the use of the same font. Yeah, it has that golden age feel, and her style and execution is *exceptional*, but this slight Dutch-angle, hard-contrast, white deco font look is in danger of becoming rote and usual as opposed to the stunning and unique approach it originally felt.

But "brought to a close the celebrated Warner Bros. gangster cycle of the 1930s"? Well, yes, they quantify it by stating the 30s, which is true, but that also cuts off a couple of genuine "accomplices" to that list, not least Cagney's White Heat from almost ten years later, and the true ending of those Warners "tough guys" pictures.

All the others I’ll have to read up on, but only The Heroic Trio possibly entices, due to knowing about it but never having seen it. And I didn’t know/realize that Executioners was its sequel, so that’s cool. A good mix, and good to see Criterion owning their own 4Ks again as opposed to letting Kino steal their thunder a few months down the line.

[Daniel]

March titles:

All That Money Can Buy Also Known As The Devil and Daniel Webster: (1941)
NEW 4K RESTORATION with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
Audio commentary by film historian Bruce Eder and Steven C. Smith, biographer of composer Bernard Herrmann
New restoration demonstration
Reading by actor Alec Baldwin of the short story by Stephen Vincent Benét on which the film is based
Episode of the Criterion Channel series Observations on Film Art about the film's editing
Comparison of the differences between the July 1941 preview version of the film, Here Is a Man, and the film's 1943 rerelease as The Devil and Daniel Webster
The Columbia Workshop's radio adaptations of Benét's short stories "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and "Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent," both featuring music by Herrmann
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by author Tom Piazza and a 1941 article by Benét

The Runner: (1984)
NEW 2K RESTORATION, supervised by director Amir Naderi, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
New conversation between Naderi and filmmaker Ramin Bahrani
Audio interview from 2022 with Naderi and actor Madjid Niroumand, moderated by curator Bruce Goldstein
Waiting, a 1974 film by Naderi, featuring an afterword by the director
Trailer
English subtitle translation
PLUS: An essay by filmmaker and critic Ehsan Khoshbakht

To Die For 4K Blu-ray: (1995)
NEW 4K RESTORATION, approved by director Gus Van Sant and director of photography Eric Alan Edwards, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
Audio commentary featuring Van Sant, Edwards, and editor Curtiss Clayton
Deleted scenes
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by film critic Jessica Kiang

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed: (2022)
NEW HIGH-DEFINITION MASTER, approved by director Laura Poitras and artist Nan Goldin, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
New interview with Poitras
Two conversations from the 2022 New York Film Festival, one featuring Poitras, Goldin, coproducer and PAIN activist Megan Kapler, PAIN activist Harry Cullen, and lawyer and PAIN member Mike Quinn discussing the making of the film, and the other featuring Goldin on art and activism
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing and English descriptive audio
PLUS: An essay by author and activist Sarah Schulman

Saint Omer: (2022)
NEW 2K MASTER, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
New interviews with director Alice Diop
Conversation between Diop and author Hélène Frappat
Conversation between Diop and filmmaker Dee Rees from a 2023 episode of The Director's Cut – A DGA Podcast
Trailer
New English subtitle translation
PLUS: An essay by critic Jennifer Padjemi