Get ready to mark your calendars.
Criterion just announced the release of The Rules of The Game
and Kurosawa's IKIRU
Printable View
Get ready to mark your calendars.
Criterion just announced the release of The Rules of The Game
and Kurosawa's IKIRU
This is great news. Glad I didn't invest on the french import dvd of RULES because the extras were not subtitled. Did Criterion decide to scrap plans to release Ozu's FLOATING WEEDS? Well, they did release TOKYO STORY with a ton of substantial extra features.
Floating Weeds appears to have been shelved for the time being. (the same thing happened to La Strada a year ago).
I'm sure it will hit stores in the new year.
January 20th is the release date for Ikiru & Renoir's masterpiece, btw.
"La Strada" will be released November 18th by Criterion. Amazon is asking $28. Both the Italian and English versions will be available on the SAME dvd.
Memory: It was my first year out of high school. I attended the first week of film screenings at the local film club organized by older film school students. The first screening was "La Strada". I had never seen it, coming from a small mid-western town where there were few art houses. I wept as I have never wept for a movie before. When the house lights came up at the end, I was ashamed of how wet my face was, and struggled to use my sleeves to wipe off my tears. I've never forgotten how just obverving the reflected light and moving shadows off a flat surface could move me to react so strongly until my gut ached with misery. Whoever dismissed film as shallow has never seen "La Strada"
I was completely altered after seeing La Strada the first time, like you, cinemabon.
A 70 year old former teacher friend of mine taught me the genius of Fellini. He said before we watched the vhs: "Prepare to see Guiletta Masina. The director married her. You will not forget her".
Sobbed like a baby. It's my favorite Fellini film just because of how I was introduced to it. (and my reaction). My friend (I'll say his name: Constantine) was a major influence. He showed me The wages of Fear (a film that terrifed him in Cyprus as a boy), Gilda with Rita and Glenn- "Jason! Do you want to see Gilda dance?" he would say whenever we'd watch it for the gazillionth time.
The Greatest Show on Earth, Maureen O'Hara, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Gone With The Wind and all of Orson Welles' films were introduced to me by this wonderful man- Con.
Sorry to sound sappy, but I miss him and the times we spent watching those classic movies....
I hope you learned to forgive the Greeks, Con....
Just as a side note. The following week, that same group played "Citizen Kane", which I had also never seen before. I won't even go into what happened to me that night. I only know I ended up in the Student Commons, eating Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream, and mumbling into my bowl that my dream of becoming a filmmaker was just shattered... because I could never make any thing that ever came close to that.
The special features on the Criterion edition of IKIRU are music to the ears of a Kurosawa fan such as I:
-A 41 minute documentary on Ikiru with interviews with Kurosawa and Shimura.
-A 90 minute documentary on Kurosawa produced by his production company in 2000.
-commentary by the author of The Warrior's Camera- a great book on Kurosawa. (It's right up there with Donald Ritchie's The Films of Akira Kurosawa and "Something Like An Autobiography").
-the original theatrical trailer
Peter Cowie is getting a lot of work these days doing commentaries for Criterion releases.
Diary of a Country Priest has just been announced as a new release (along with Olivier's Richard III) and ole Peter is lending his boring voice talents to the experience of seeing Bresson's 4th film.
I guess I'll have to live with it. This DVD is a must-own.
I think it's Bresson's best film.
The Criterion Collection are doing God's work.
Ingmar Bergman's epic FIVE HOUR TV Movie SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE is getting released for the first time in North America.
I gotta do what Tarantino's doing:
making films so he can write off DVD's and books as tax-deductable.
I just took the time to watch Agnes Varda's Vagabond, a film as accomplished as Ms. Varda's New Wave classic Cleo from 5 to 7. The Criterion edition features a flawless transfer but regrettably lacks any extra features. The film is better than I thought when I saw it during the 80s. It's based on the true story of a teenage girl found dead of natural causes on a ditch in rural southern France. It's a character study that incorporates a cross-section of French society. It uses the framework of Citizen Kane, a portrait of an enigmatic character drawn by those who knew him. It's also influenced by Homer's Odyssey. Varda interviews those who met the girl during the nomadic last months of her life. The girl is played by the great Sandrine Bonnaire. By this time(1987), Ms. Bonnaire had already won a Cesar for her alluring performance in Maurice Pialat's A Nos Amours, a film that won the French Academy award for best film of 1983. This very sexy film is only available on vhs. Mr. Pialat died a year ago. He also directed Loulou, Under Satan's Sun, Police, and the best film about Van Gogh.
Someone said in a book I read that Cleo from 5 to 7 will always be Varda's masterpiece. Maybe, but Vagabond (which I have only seen once) could very well be.
Agnes could be called the originator of the french new wave if you wanna get technical. She is as brilliant as Godard or Truffaut, Chabrol or Rohmer.
But who knows who she is?
Ask regular movie-goers who Agnes Varda is and I guarantee you'll get a slew of blank stares. Idiots. She's a major female figure in film history (a la Riefenstahl).
Thanks oscar for telling readers about Vagabond- a film that had me in tears and a film I'll never forget. (Even if I never see it again).
oscar jubis should be glad to know the 2-DVD set of Ozu's masterpiece will hit shelves in April, bearing the spine #232.
Two commentaries: Donald Ritchie & Roger Ebert
visit the website to check out the astounding cover art!
www.criterioncollection.com
Looks great. I'm specially happy about the inclusion of the silent, early version I've never seen and the commentaries. I'm equally excited about Renoir's The Rules of the Game, which I am buying soon. Have you guys seen it? It's Top 10 all-time for me!
Another exciting dvd release is the first from Chinese "indie" director Jia Zhangke. His award-winning films have never received wide release. Unknown Pleasures comes out on 3/16/04. Hope Platform follows.
Hmm...
Just watched Brazil on Criterion in film class. It was really interesting to see the results of the controversy over editing the film.
That was the best part. Otherwise I didn't think the film was that admirable.
Was it "somewhat" admirable then?
Well, I just think things were too hectic for my tastes. And the "sad" ending didn't really seem that important or impacting. Oh well, I still love Terry Gilliam. Long live Time Bandits!!!
Originally posted by HorseradishTree
Well, I just think things were too hectic for my tastes.
It's a lot to absorb in one viewing. The shifts to dream sequences can be disorienting at first.
And the "sad" ending didn't really seem that important or impacting.
Universal's Sheinberg insisted on a shorter cut with a happy ending until the Los Angeles Critics Asso. named it Best Film of 1985. Apparently crits crashed studio screenings or watched in Europe, where the film was first released.
More new releases:
Films fans rejoice!
1. Fritz Lang's The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (2-disc set)
2. Kurosawa's Stray Dog
3. Schlondorff's The Tin Drum- Palm D'or winner 1979
Thanks, Criterion. I pine for every release...
J, do you know the date of release of The Tin Drum? I'm selling my vhs copy before it loses value as vhs copies do invariably when they come out on digital disc. (This is how I finance this obsession for cinema.)
Is Floating Weeds out?
My brother has been trying to rent us Tokyo Story at Netflix. He is on a very looong waiting list. The public is thirsty for great cinema. Someone tell the movie distributors.
No release dates for these titles, but it'll be this year for sure. You can see the cover art and special features, tho. Floating Weeds is not out yet.
What's the story behind Netflix? I've heard of it (is it an on-line rental system?) but I still go to the video store. (Old fashioned, I guess)
Netflix has over a million customers. You pay $20 per month. You maintain a list of discs you want to rent. They send your top three choices along with pre-paid return envelopes (they claim shipping each way takes 1-3 days). You can keep discs as long as you want. As soon as they receive each disc you've returned, they send you the next one on your wish list. They claim to carry an inventory of 15,000 titles, all region 1 releases, no imports.
I also prefer local stores. When I cannot find a disc at two stores I rent from, I ask my bro to get it from netflix.
Hmmmm. Sounds pretty damn good.
Is it worldwide, or USA only?
I like the idea of keeping them as long as required.
The late fee demon has plagued me often..
Region #1 only, USA and CANADA.
Netflix is a god send, but it puts a big dent in the retail video stores' business (that's kind of sad). I guess video on demand would have done that anyway. I must admit that I love it!
P
PS I hear you can have up to 7 dvd's at a time with a new membership!
Palm D'or winning film The Tin Drum is released on my birthday (May 14) and will be a 2-disc set- a 2-disc set that is loaded for bear. Check out the special features listings at the Criterion website.
Also, Charade and Fritz Lang's M. have been discontinued but will be re-released later this year in new, vamped-up editions. These are must-see classics. Glad I didn't buy them earlier (or should I say "glad I didn't have the cash"?)
Criterion is releasing two film versions of Gorky's The Lower Depths in one 2-disc set:
one by Akira Kurosawa.
one by Jean Renoir.
Man, the company just keeps outdoing itself....
Also just announced is the release of Pasolini's Mamma Roma
Oscar should be happy: a new box set of Renoir films is on the way! Finally more Renoir-late Renoir.
It's a fine box indeed. It will have The Golden Coach (a film I love because of it's Vivaldi soundtrack), French Can-Can & Elena and her Men. The set has video intros by Renoir himself, Peter Bogdanovich and Martin Scorsese. Not to mention all 3 original trailers, a BBC documentary, an interview with his prod. designer and of course the new sound and picture transfers.
Wondrous news.
Also coming soon:
Ozu's Early Summer
Marcel Carne's Port of Shadows
Renoir is my answer to the question: If you had to name one director...
I'm happy indeed and appreciative of your keeping us informed about upcoming releases. In my mailbox today: Renoir's The Rules of the Game, Bresson's Diary of a Country Priest and Clouzot's Quai des Orfevres.
By the way, I've been wondering whether Anduril and I are the only members who own a multi-zone player. There are some amazing discs released in Europe and Asia that may never come out in North America. Is there any point writing about them?
There's a point in writing about them!
I'll have a world-player in due time. There are BFI Greenaway DVD's that I really want, stuff like Trier's Riget part II and other foreign films that require the machine. No time or money at the moment to go shopping.
Please write a review of The Rules of the Game DVD's- I can't think of anyone who would do it better justice.
Originally posted by Johann
Please write a review of The Rules of the Game DVD's- I can't think of anyone who would do it better justice.
Thanks for your confidence in me. I've avoided posting about three movies because of fear of failing to do them justice; The Rules of the Game and two directed by Kenji Mizoguchi: Sansho The Bailiff and Ugetsu. I recently watched the latter(again) and jot down a few impressions, but it's a tall, time-consuming task. It's rare for anything to inspire such reverence on me. It's the exhilaration of a perfectly calibrated work of art.
By the sheer density of its accomplishments, my post on RULES will have to be rather lengthy and put together in advance. A lot of what makes it shine amongst masterpieces is in the details. I want to have a clear head. I will catch the end of Kill Bill and that Italian film Howard recommends. I will bring some balance to the Stone thread. Then my focus will be on trying to justify your trust in me.
What?! Justify my trust in you?
No need, dear sir- you are purer than I am. *trust me*
And isn't that Rules DVD a breathtaking sight? The Criterion Collection are saviors. True saviours.
And what a beautiful thing it is, Johann! This Criterion 2-disc forces me to recognize the materialist in me. Pride in ownership that a true-blue bohemian would not experience frequently. Introduction by Renoir himself, flawless transfer, clean sound, expert commentary, side-by-side analysis of its two endings, excerpts of a doc about Renoir directed by Jacques Rivette, a BBC doc, a shitload of interviews, written tributes by Wenders, Paul Schrader, Hoberman, Kent Jones,etc. Depth of pleasure!
Books, CD's and DVD's are a means to an end: art appreciation.
Due to my acute awareness of the possibility of species annihilation (nukes/global warming/magnetic reversal of the poles, etc.), I place very little value on material possesions. I own these mat's because it broadens my knowledge of many things.
I could burn it all in a heartbeat if russian soldiers were marching down the street, taking over my universe. Or if the dollar meant nothing tomorrow (as occured during the depression). I'm prepared for the apocalypse. I have inner peace. I have my life experience memories to guide & console me. I won't weep for the destruction of man. (Because I helped in a way).
Don't get me wrong- I'm one of the most positive guys you'll ever meet. I just know the score baby....
Are you being sarcastic?Quote:
Originally posted by Johann
Don't get me wrong- I'm one of the most positive guys you'll ever meet.
What do you think?
Yep, you heard right, Criterion is putting together a box set of 5 Cassavetes films and the Charles Kiselyak documentary "A Constant Forge".
It contains every touchtone of John's career:
Shadows/Faces/A Woman Under the Influence/The Killing of a Chinese Bookie/Opening Night.
Man, these guys have got their hands DEEP in my pockets...
Cassavetes is one of my favorite American directors and I'm thrilled. I actually own every title available on dvd, discs I'll be selling soon to purchase the box set.
I'm curious about where posters buy their Criterions. Maybe it's a good idea to pass along some tips on how to make the precious discs more affordable. I've been buying and selling them for myself and others for years, and I'm currently "the foreign film buyer" for a buff-oriented rental shop.
Most people don't want to bother with bidding on ebay auctions or buying opened dvds (no matter how mint they are). The best, most reliable, cheapest store to buy Criterions is dvdplanet.. Every single titled is sold at 35% off list price, so the 39.99 list are $25.97 and the 29.99 list are $19.47. THAT INCLUDES SHIPPING! If you can do better than that, please let us know.
For those who like to shop on ebay, there are several interesting possibilities:
*Bid on discs that have been played but remain in mint condition and you'll save. I haven't been disappointed. Seems people who buy 'em take good care of them.
*Buy new, import Criterions at substantial savings. Be aware that even though the discs will look and sound as good as the North American discs, some imports may be missing special features. Most of the time the only difference is extra writing on the cover in a foreign language.
*Bid on an auction that includes several Criterions for big savings. Sample deal: I payed $265 (includes $10 s/h) for 17 Criterions including brand new Band of Outsiders, Ikiru,Ratcatcher, The Tin Drum, and the 3-disc Brazil. Average price per movie: under $16. It'a good investment as many Criterions go up in price as they age.
Criterion Collection releasing Altman's 3 Women.
Article about film in NYTimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/30/movies/30CLEM.html
I've wanted to see this film for quite a while, and up to now it's been unavailable on VHS or DVD. Good to see it being released now. Several of Altman's movies from the early to mid '70's were never released on VHS and some are only now getting out on DVD. Images was released last year, and California Split isn't out yet. Needless to say, seeing these films up to now has been difficult if not impossible.
Oscar, thanks for the info on dvdplanet. I'll go check it out. I've bought a few movies on ebay, even used ones, and I've never had a problem. I just make sure to check the "feedback" on the sellers to see if anyone's had a problem with them in past. Also, any legal ramifications in buying import DVDs, i.e. are they illegal?
Originally posted by JustaFied
Images was released last year, and California Split isn't out yet.
I had no idea Images had been released on dvd! I was a kid when I saw it and I loved the cinematography but I couldn't make up my mind between mysterious/complex vs. confused/feeble. Susannah York won Best Actress at Cannes in a role similar to Devenue's in Polanski's masterful Repulsion. Avoid at all costs if you require tidy endings_ I'm not certain that by film's end you'll discern exactly what actually happened from the protagonist's hallucinations. I'd be interested in your opinion, Justafied. I will buy or rent this dvd. A good anamorphic transfer of a clear print states one review I read.
Oscar, thanks for the info on dvdplanet.
Place to go for Criterions. For other dvds, check out deepdiscountdvd.com .
I just make sure to check the "feedback" on the sellers to see if anyone's had a problem with them in past.
Excellent advice.
Also, any legal ramifications in buying import DVDs, i.e. are they illegal?
Perfectly legal. You'd be surprised at the number of import dvds bought by Americans. Asians counties in particular are releasing just about everything in our NTSC format, even some European films otherwise available only in European format (PAL). Anyway, dvd players that can show PAL dvds in our tv sets are now at the cost level of "regular" dvd players.
There are rental shops where the most popular titles are import dvds. It's even legal to transfer them onto vhs and make the tapes available for rental, as long as an "official" region #1 vhs of a given film has not been released.
Haven't yet seen Images. Just looked up a couple of Altman titles yesterday after seeing the article on 3 Women. These were two I tried to track down a few years ago, to no avail. I'm certainly not expecting a happy movie, nor one with a tidy ending. Sounds like a rather different type of Altman film; he is indeed a unique filmmaker, but I consider his films overall to be more humanistic than abstract experimental (a la Greenaway). This films appears to break that mold. I'll probably go ahead and buy the DVD also, it's still going to be tough to find at the video store. I'm also the current high bidder on a copy of the Criterion edition of 3 Women over on Ebay, don't go and outbid me!
I've been leary of buying import DVDs so far. Doesn't sound like I have anything to worry about. Thanks for the advise.