HumanMedia Posted December 30, 2008 Author Posted December 30, 2008 Yah, my Criterion release of Chungking Express has arrived. Congrats. Its a fantastic disc. I'd never seen the movie before and it was a joy to watch, in particular the criterion blu-ray presentation.
Guest BlackFlash Posted January 2, 2009 Posted January 2, 2009 Mine arrived today. I would've preferred a standard case as opposed to the cardboard covers...it makes them look a bit cheap. Like a freebee or something you'd buy in the post office here for five euros. I was also hoping the menus wouldn't be Java but no luck there. I guess it's a region coding and BD+ thing. Still...it's all about the restored print and the picture quality and they look very good from the quick peeks I've had.
momaw Posted March 19, 2009 Posted March 19, 2009 Criterion to release The Seventh Seal on blu-ray 16th June. Details as follows: Few films have had as large a cultural impact as Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (Det sjunde inseglet). Disillusioned and exhausted after a decade of battling in the Crusades, a knight (Max von Sydow) encounters Death on a desolate beach and challenges him to a fateful game of chess. Much studied, imitated, even parodied, but never outdone, Bergman’s stunning allegory of man’s search for meaning was one of the benchmark foreign imports of America’s 1950s art house heyday, pushing cinema’s boundaries and ushering in a new era of moviegoing.DISC FEATURES - New, restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition) - Introduction by Ingmar Bergman, recorded in 2003 - Audio commentary by Bergman expert Peter Cowie - A new afterword to the commentary by Cowie - Bergman Island (2006), an 83-minute documentary on Bergman by Marie Nyreröd, featuring in-depth and revealing interviews with the director - Archival audio interview with Max von Sydow - A 1998 tribute to Bergman by filmmaker Woody Allen - Theatrical trailer - Bergman 101, a selected video filmography tracing Bergman’s career, narrated by Cowie - Optional English-dubbed soundtrack - New and improved English subtitle translation - PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Gary Giddins I'm keen to have a look at this one. While I'm here, I might point out to those who missed it (since the discussion took place in the DVD forum a while back)... Criterion to release RAN on 12 May 2009 With Ran, legendary director Akira Kurosawa reimagines Shakespeare’s King Lear as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan. Majestic in scope, the film is Kurosawa’s late-life masterpiece, a profound examination of the folly of war and the crumbling of one family under the weight of betrayal, greed, and the insatiable thirst for power.DISC FEATURES AVAILABLE IN BOTH DOUBLE-DVD AND BLU-RAY EDITIONS: - New, restored high-definition digital transfer (with uncompressed stereo soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition) - Audio commentary featuring film scholar Stephen Prince - An appreciation of the film by director Sidney Lumet - A.K., a 74-minute film by director Chris Marker - A 30-minute documentary on the making of Ran, from the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create - A 35-minute video piece reconstructing Ran through Kurosawa’s paintings and sketches, created as part of the series Image: Kurosawa’s Continuity (NOTE: not included in the Blu-ray edition) - Video interview with actor Tatsuya Nakadai - Theatrical trailers - New and improved English subtitle translation - Plus: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Michael Wilmington and interviews with Kurosawa and composer Toru Takemitsu (NOTE: Takemitsu interview not included in the Blu-ray edition) Ran is one of my favorite films of all time so am mighty pleased about this and put the pre-order in a little while back. Other upcoming releases include: THE 400 BLOWS FRANÇOIS TRUFFAUT 1959 24 March 2009 François Truffaut sensitively re-creates the trials of his own difficult childhood in The 400 Blows, the film that marked his emergence as one of Europe’s most brilliant auteurs and signaled the beginning of the French New Wave. THE WAGES OF FEAR HENRI-GEORGES CLOUZOT 1953 21 April 2009 Four desperate men sign on for a suicide mission to drive trucks loaded with nitroglycerin over a treacherous mountain route—a white-knuckle ride from France’s legendary master of suspense, Henri-Georges Clouzot. THE LAST METRO FRANÇOIS TRUFFAUT 1980 24 March 2009 Gérard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve star as members of a French theater company living under the German occupation during World War II in François Truffaut’s gripping character study. Equal parts romance, historical tragedy, and even comedy, this is Truffaut’s tribute to art overcoming adversity. LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD ALAIN RESNAIS 1962 23 June 2009 A surreal fever dream, or perhaps a nightmare, Last Year at Marienbad, written by the radical master of the New Novel, Alain Robbe-Grillet, gorgeously fuses the past with the present in telling its ambiguous tale of a man and a woman who may or may not have met a year ago. and lastly IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES NAGISA OSHIMA 1976 28 April 2009 A graphic portrayal of insatiable sexual desire, In the Realm of the Senses, set in 1936 and based on a true incident, depicts a man and a woman consumed by a transcendent, destructive love while living in an era of ever escalating imperialism and governmental control. They are releasing the companion film to In The Realm Of Senses, Empire of Passion on the same day on DVD. Pity it didn't get the High Definition treatment. With the release of The Seventh Seal on Blu-ray I have high hopes for a blu-ray release of Seven Samurai in the not too distant future.
momaw Posted March 24, 2009 Posted March 24, 2009 Ran on Blu-ray has been removed from the coming soon blu-ray releases on the criterion website. Going to the Ran product page only shows a dvd version but references to the blu-ray are still in the product description. Lets hope this is an error.
the_wonderchild Posted March 24, 2009 Posted March 24, 2009 Ran on Blu-ray has been removed from the coming soon blu-ray releases on the criterion website. Going to the Ran product page only shows a dvd version but references to the blu-ray are still in the product description. Lets hope this is an error. Certainly hope it is a mistake as well. Noticed this was on Foxtel late last night, and well, it's safe to say i've had to spend the day catching up with some things.
momaw Posted March 26, 2009 Posted March 26, 2009 Criterion announce the blu-ray release of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on 5 May 2009. DAVID FINCHER 2008 “I was born under unusual circumstances . . .” Thus begins The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the Academy Award–winning film starring Brad Pitt as a man who is born in his eighties and ages backward, and Cate Blanchett as the woman he is destined to love forever. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a monumental journey—as unusual as it is epic—that follows Benjamin’s remarkable adventure of romance and redemption from the end of World War I through the twenty-first century. Directed by David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a powerful testament to life and death, love and loss.DISC FEATURES AVAILABLE IN BOTH DOUBLE-DVD AND BLU-RAY DIRECTOR-APPROVED EDITIONS: - Interviews with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett - Audio commentary featuring Academy Award-nominated director David Fincher - Never-before-seen footage revealing the innovative techniques behind the Academy Award–winning visual effects and makeup - Step-by-step examination of the motion-capture process aging Brad Pitt - In-depth exploration of David Fincher’s creative process on the set - Interview with acclaimed composer Alexandre Desplat about the score - Featurettes on the film’s storyboards, costumes, and Academy Award–winning art direction - Stills galleries, including costume design and candid behind-the-scenes production photos - Optional French- and Spanish-dubbed soundtracks - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, and optional French and Spanish subtitles - PLUS: An essay by film critic Kent Jones I didn't know this was a David Fincher film. Might have to check it out.
momaw Posted March 26, 2009 Posted March 26, 2009 Update on RAN. I contacted Criterion to find out what was happening with this release and here is the reply: Unfortunately, the Blu-ray release of RAN has been cancelled indefinitely due to rights issues.
the_wonderchild Posted March 26, 2009 Posted March 26, 2009 I think a smilie (or in this case a 'frownie'), sums up my thoughts as well.
Cucamonga Posted March 26, 2009 Posted March 26, 2009 Wonder how much $$'s it will be? ..... still havn't seen it myself Me neither. It looks like a rental for me. Not really my cup of tea.
momaw Posted April 13, 2009 Posted April 13, 2009 Bad news Kurosawa fans. I while back I reported that RAN would no longer be released from Criterion on Blu-ray due to rights issues. Well it seems Criterion has lost the rights to RAN altogether. Now I'm not sure what's going on here but the end result is now the DVD edition of RAN from Criterion has also been discontinued. If you don't have this masterpiece, pick it up before the greatest edition is gone.
the_wonderchild Posted April 13, 2009 Posted April 13, 2009 Bad news Kurosawa fans. I while back I reported that RAN would no longer be released from Criterion on Blu-ray due to rights issues. Well it seems Criterion has lost the rights to RAN altogether. Now I'm not sure what's going on here but the end result is now the DVD edition of RAN from Criterion has also been discontinued. If you don't have this masterpiece, pick it up before the greatest edition is gone. + =
MSB1503561349 Posted April 13, 2009 Posted April 13, 2009 The region 4 DVD of 'Ran' is through Universal via Studio Canal. That's an amazing looking version! Perhaps we can expect to see a Blu Ray of Ran that way.
momaw Posted April 13, 2009 Posted April 13, 2009 The region 4 DVD of 'Ran' is through Universal via Studio Canal.That's an amazing looking version! Perhaps we can expect to see a Blu Ray of Ran that way. Not so amazing once you compare it to the criterion. I used to have the universal, it now belongs to my dad. It's good, but I want the Criterion High Def version
bugsy_pal1503561260 Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 So how are you folks watching your region-locked Criterion titles? Are all of the Criterions region-locked?
ajm1503559545 Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 So how are you folks watching your region-locked Criterion titles? Are all of the Criterions region-locked? On a region free machine. TBH I've not checked the region coding on the couple of discs I own, no need to.
bugsy_pal1503561260 Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 On a region free machine.TBH I've not checked the region coding on the couple of discs I own, no need to. Thanks - I was actually wondering what region-free machines are in use by Criterion freaks (sorry - I realise it's a bit off-topic)
momaw Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 (edited) Thanks - I was actually wondering what region-free machines are in use by Criterion freaks (sorry - I realise it's a bit off-topic) Quite a few (including myself) using modded Panasonic's. Used to have a region A and Region B PS3 for the different duties. Edited April 17, 2009 by momaw
momaw Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 Latest "rumor" on RAN is Weinstein have the rights. Apparently Weinstein licensed it to Criterion, but that license has expired. Word is Weinstein are having some financial difficulties and are trying to extract extra dollars to renew Criterion's license. Hope things get sorted sooner rather than later.
Guest john-andrew Posted April 18, 2009 Posted April 18, 2009 (edited) So how are you folks watching your region-locked Criterion titles? Are all of the Criterions region-locked? The only Blu-ray Criterion title I have here is 'The Third Man'. AFAIK, they're all region locked on 'A'. Well, on my machine I have enter a 2 digit code for region 'A' to play them here. Edited April 18, 2009 by john-andrew
momaw Posted April 19, 2009 Posted April 19, 2009 A couple more Criterion announcements FOR ALL MANKIND AL REINERT 1989 79 MINUTES 1.33:1 ENGLISH 14 Jul 2009 Breathtaking both in the scope of its vision and the exhilaration of the human emotions it captures, Al Reinert’s award-winning documentary For All Mankind is the story of the twenty-four men who traveled to the Moon—told in their words, in their voices, using the images of their experiences. REPULSION ROMAN POLANSKI 1965 105 MINUTES BLACK AND WHITE 1.85:1 ENGLISH 28 Jul 2009 Roman Polanski followed up his international breakthrough Knife in the Water with this controversial, chilling tale of psychosis, starring Catherine Deneuve as Carol, a fragile, frigid young beauty cracking up over the course of a terrifying weekend.
Fouler Posted April 19, 2009 Posted April 19, 2009 A couple more Criterion announcementsFOR ALL MANKIND AL REINERT 1989 79 MINUTES 1.33:1 ENGLISH 14 Jul 2009 Breathtaking both in the scope of its vision and the exhilaration of the human emotions it captures, Al Reinert’s award-winning documentary For All Mankind is the story of the twenty-four men who traveled to the Moon—told in their words, in their voices, using the images of their experiences. I've not seen this one but it sounds a good, so will likely buy it. Nice release date but they better not delay it as 20 July will be the 40th anniversary of the first landing.
LeBougre Posted April 20, 2009 Posted April 20, 2009 Hi, Benjamin Button (Paramount / Criterion), region free or not ? if sombedoy know ^^ Thanks
Fouler Posted April 20, 2009 Posted April 20, 2009 All Criterion have been region locked. All Paramount have been region free. Make of that what you will
momaw Posted April 27, 2009 Posted April 27, 2009 Amazon is now shipping In the Realm of Senses so would expect benjamin Button to ship in 1 week. Keen to see how In the Realm of Senses scrubs up. Should be a visual feast.
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