Criterion Collection

[Neal]

Randall—

It's been a while since I last posted, but I visit the site a few times a week for animation news & like it best here amongst the sites I visit (the others being Cartoon Brew, Toon Zone, Animation Scoop, and Animation Magazine). If you need another reviewer or staff writer, I'd have an interest.

[Randall]

Guys, we definitely would like to have more reviewers contributing to the site, on an ongoing basis! With only two of us currently handling them, there is lots of room for more voices on the site.

If anyone would like to join the team, I would suggest picking a title that hasn't been reviewed on Animated Views before (like the Criterion Fantastic Mr. Fox, if Akiyama would like to try that), and write a review using the format that AV utilizes. You may submit it to myself (randall at animatedviews.com), and we can take a look at it. If it looks good, or only needs minor editing, we can use it.

Please note that we are interested in folks who can provide ongoing reviews, on roughly a monthly basis, or more often if you can. Please send me (or Ben or James) a private message with any questions.

Okay, back to Criterion...

[Dan]

I imagine this is a good way to get back to the Criterion subject.

[Dan]

So here are my pick-ups from the Barnes and Noble sale last month.

Upgraded to Blu Ray
133. The Vanishing
247. Slacker
281. Jules and Jim
288. F for Fake
387. La Jetée/Sans Soleil
422. The Last Emperor (Actually a double-dip as I'm hanging onto the 4-disc DVD that includes material not on the blu ray like the extended television version of the film)

New
369. Paul Robeson: Portraits of the Artist (Includes 370. The Emperor Jones, 371. Body and Soul, 372. Sanders of the River, 373. The Proud Valley, Borderline, Jericho, Native Land, and Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist)
599. Vanya on 42nd Street
623. Lonesome
636. Heaven's Gate
692. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
724. All That Jazz
725. Eraserhead
729. The Complete Jacques Tati (Includes 110. Monsieur Hulot's Holiday, 111. Mon Oncle, 112. Playtime, 429. Trafic, 730. Jour de fête, and 731. Parade)
736. It Happened One Night

[Randall]

Thanks, Lord Akiyama. You have made me feel less guilty about picking up as many as I did. In my defence, I did skip last year's November sale, and I only picked up a small amount each of the past two Julys, so I was falling way behind. And remember, no Hulu in Canada.

We had a couple of same choices. I have very few European films (outside of British ones), and tend to concentrate on films from the US, the UK, and some from Japan. All of these are blind buys, by the way.

My pick-ups were:

I Married a Witch - looks like a fun confection, and I dig fantasy premises; plus, I've never seen a Veronica Lake film

Seconds - unique sci-fi, my favourite genre

Safety Last - because I need to expand beyond Chaplin (this is actually the second time I bought this, as B&N cancelled a previous order... which was actually for Ben... so I guess this was actually my third time ordering it, since I sent Ben my last copy to fill his order; B&N has told me this one has shipped!)

All That Jazz - I like musicals, and have never seen it

Tess - this is actually my wife's name, and we like historical fiction (it can be hard to pick something we both like!)

To Be or Not To Be - gotta love Nazi/war comedies; Duck Soup and The Great Dictator are other favourites

The Devil's Backbone - I dig del Toro

The Qatsi Trilogy - another one purchased to satisfy curiosity

On the Waterfront - a big, cool set for a classic

Rosemary's Baby - one of the last great horror films before they went slasher (I can't stand slasher pics)

Heaven's Gate - legendary; gotta see this, especially in this extended cut

Plus, the Eclipse title When Horror Came to Shochiku, because I love kooky Japanese stuff, and some of these films came up in my reading

Tonight, I put up a shelf that will largely display my Criterions. I was surprised at how small the collection looked (though I keep Hitchcock and Kubrick in seperate places), but these new additions will help fill it out nicely. For now, my Twilight Times and digibooks are keeping the Criterions company.

[EricJ]

To Be or Not To Be - gotta love Nazi/war comedies; Duck Soup and The Great Dictator are other favourites

Even Jack Benny, who kidded himself on his radio show about his "movie career" (The Horn Blows at Midnight is on Instant Warner Archive, for those curious, and yeah, it's bad) considered this his best movie:
"Oh, look Rochester, they're showing To Be or Not to Be on TV tonight...Gee, that was a good one."
"Boss, that was THEEEEE good one!"

Safety Last - because I need to expand beyond Chaplin (this is actually the second time I bought this, as B&N cancelled a previous order... which was actually for Ben... so I guess this was actually my third time ordering it, since I sent Ben my last copy to fill his order; B&N has told me this one has shipped!)

The Qatsi Trilogy - another one purchased to satisfy curiosity

I'll forgive you being "curious" (ie. "haven't seen it") about the Qatsi trilogy as long as you took the helpful step to do something about it , and recommend that if you're moving On Beyond Chaplin, normally Harold Lloyd is the third stop. (Check out The Freshman too, while you're at it.)
The second stop is normally Buster Keaton, but it's Kino that has the monopoly on most of the classics, starting with The General, Seven Chances and Sherlock Jr.

[Ben]

From Akiyama's pile I also got F For Fake (updating a VHS!), and have Mad, Mad World from before.

Quite a few on that list are on my wish list, although I have several layers of priority based on what I really want to see in HD, what I already have on DVD (both commercial and off-air) and even what I still have on LD and, yes, VHS.

Like Rand I also got I Married A Witch, a lovely little film that I saw years ago and then again on TV here last Christmas. It's actually only 19.99 regular at Amazon but the B&N sale got it down to 14.99 which is more worth it considering a lack of real extras and that it's such a throwaway, if charming, picture. I love Veronica Lake and have a bunch of her movies, though still waiting for that decent The Bad And the Beautiful, one of my faves.

Picked up Seconds, too, which I again saw on TV a while back and have the Paramount DVD. Not sure this is strictly sci-fo though, Rand...this is one of the spookiest motion pictures I have ever seen. I don't get "scared" or freaked out by films, but two films have left odd tastes in my mouth and Seconds was one (the Michael Keaton thriller White Noise was the other). You'll maybe see what I mean when you see Seconds, but I certainly kept looking over my shoulder for a few days after seeing it...try to watch it alone in the dark and you'll get the full effect!

I'm up for The Freshman in the next sale, as well as the Tati and BBS box sets, which will be my main purchases. All That Jazz I wasn't really a fan of (it's not really a musical) and is as depressing a movie as I can imagine. Having "experienced" once I'm good with having seen it.

A few there on Rand's list that I have or waiting to get, though with all the Kino and Twilight Time titles I've been going for its good to space Criterion out. Next up for me will be those big sets, then on to the Hitchcocks (which I waited on to see what the UK versions would be like, plus I have all these on DVD anyway) and some of what's coming out next year.

To Be Or Not To Be nearly made my list, but I have the WB set with it and saw it only recently again (in comparison to the Brooks remake), but I love comedy as a genre and have a bucketload. I'm all up to date on the Chaplins, and Lloyd, despite the acclaim and the fact I loved the World Of Harold Lloyd show in the 70s, never really did it for me in his screwball comedies, The Freshman aside (I don't think it coincidence that Criterion have only put these two out so far, though I would love Feet First and a couple of other daredevil shorts he did).

I absolutely adore Keaton (Buster, not Michael, though I like him too), and have the Kino set as well as the original DVDs that had an extra disc of extras, plus all the WB archive releases that may not be his best but are still nice to have. I think I'm mostly complete on Keaton, though am probably missing a handful of secondary titles.

My other favorites...in fact the tip of the top for me, are Laurel & Hardy, woefully undervalued not only on BD but DVD as well. I have the "all-in" big box and am tempted by the US set out but think they may issue a BD the minute I buy that! Otherwise I have them covered with all the TCM and Fox sets as well as other standalones...I don't think there's one film of theirs that I don't have somewhere or other (including guest appearances in other films).

Looking forward to the next B&N sale, and thanks to Rand for making big orders up for both of us and shipping mine on...!

[Randall]

No probs!

Right, I did pick up that BBS set too, when B&N offered a coupon for another 25% off a single title a week or so ago. After reading Easy Riders Raging Bulls, buying that set was the next logical step.

And so my collection takes another step closer to being "complete".

[Randall]

Criterion has a Facebook video showing off a lenticular cover for Time Bandits. I never expected that they'd go for that gimmick, but it looks good.

[Ben]

Well they needed to do something to rival that nice UK steelbook and make this special for the 278th time this is being issued on disc.

That said, I may bite...I have the Criterion DVD and have nearly gone for the UK edition for the different extras but there is still not one defining edition. However, it would be cool to have this in HD and the Criterion is likely the one to spring for.

[Randall]

I do have the UK steelbook for Time Bandits. I'll have to compare extras. (And actually watch the film, he adds, sheepishly.)

[Dan]

Criterion has announced the titles that will be released in March.

Upgrading to Blu Ray:
101. Cries and Whispers - March 31
289. Hoop Dreams - March 31

Newest Additions:

749. The Soft Skin
François Truffaut - 1964
François Truffaut followed up the international phenomenon Jules and Jim with this tense tale of infidelity. The unassuming Jean Desailly is perfectly cast as a celebrated literary scholar, seemingly happily married, who embarks on an affair with a gorgeous stewardess, played by Françoise Dorléac, who is captivated by his charm and reputation. As their romance gets serious, the film grows anxious, leading to a wallop of a conclusion. Truffaut made The Soft Skin at a time when he was immersing himself in the work of Alfred Hitchcock, and that master’s influence can be felt throughout this complex, insightful, underseen French New Wave treasure.
March 10

750. Ride the Pink Horse
Robert Montgomery - 1947
Hollywood actor turned idiosyncratic auteur Robert Montgomery directs and stars in this striking crime drama based on a novel by Dorothy B. Hughes. He plays a tough-talking former GI who comes to a small New Mexico town to shake down a gangster who killed his best friend; things quickly turn nasty. Ride the Pink Horse features standout supporting performances from Fred Clark, Wanda Hendrix, and especially Thomas Gomez, who became the first Hispanic actor to receive an Academy Award nomination for his role here. With its relentless pace, expressive cinematography by the great Russell Metty, and punchy, clever script by Charles Lederer and Ben Hecht, this is an overlooked treasure from the heyday of 1940s film noir.
March 17

751. Gates of Heaven/Vernon, Florida
Errol Morris - 1978, 1984
With his trademark mixture of empathy and scrutiny, Errol Morris has changed the face of documentary filmmaking in the United States, and his career began with two remarkable tales of American eccentricity: Gates of Heaven and Vernon, Florida. The first uses two Southern California pet cemeteries as the bases for a profound and funny rumination on love, loss, and industry; the second travels to a languorous southern backwater and meets a handful of fascinating folks—a determined turkey hunter, a curious minister, a laconic policeman—engaged in individualistic, sometimes absurd pursuits. Morris consistently creates humane portraits of true candor, and these early works remain two of his greatest and most provocative films.
March 24

752. The Thin Blue Line
Errol Morris - 1988
Among the most important documentaries ever made, The Thin Blue Line, by Errol Morris, erases the border between art and activism. A work of meticulous journalism and gripping drama, it recounts the disturbing tale of Randall Adams, a drifter who was charged with the murder of a Dallas police officer and sent to death row, despite overwhelming evidence that he did not commit the crime. Incorporating stylized reenactments, penetrating interviews, and haunting original music by Philip Glass, Morris uses cinema to build a case forensically while effortlessly entertaining his viewers. The Thin Blue Line effected real-world change, proving film’s power beyond the shadow of a doubt.
March 24

[Randall]

Wonderful films, I'm sure.... but thankfully, nothing that tempts me too much.

[Ben]

Wait...you've not seen Time Bandits either!?

I have the Criterion DVD but UK editions seems to have other (better?) extras. The UK steelbook is always tempting...I'd appreciate a rundown on the extras from someone with a physical copy for sure!

But...wait...you've really never seen Time Bandits!?

[Randall]