Criterion in September
 

Looks like a winner. No La Strada, though.

The Devil and Daniel Webster
Jabez Stone is a hard-working farmer trying to make an honest living, but a streak of bad luck tempts him to do the unthinkable: bargain with the Devil himself. For seven years of good fortune, Stone promises “Mr. Scratch” his soul when the contract ends. When the troubled farmer begins to realize the error of his choice, he enlists the aid of the one man who might save him: the legendary orator and politician Daniel Webster. Directed with stylish flair by William Dieterle, The Devil and Daniel Webster brings the classic short story by Stephen Vincent Benét to life with inspired visuals, an unforgettable Oscar®-winning score by Bernard Herrmann, and a truly diabolical performance from Walter Huston.

Special Features
-New restored digital transfer of the full-length 106-minute version
-Audio commentary by film historian Bruce Eder and Herrmann biographer Steven C. Smith
-Video comparison between The Devil and Daniel Webster and William Dieterle’s “preview version” of the film, entitled Here Is a Man
-The Columbia Workshop’s radio dramatizations of Stephen Vincent Benét’s stories The Devil and Daniel Webster and Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent, both with music by Bernard Herrmann
-Gallery of behind-the-scenes photos and promotional materials
-New essay by author Tom Piazza (Blues and Trouble: Twelve Stories)
-English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
-Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition

Fassbinder's BRD Trilogy
By 1979, thirty-three year old German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder had directed already twenty-two feature films. In 1978, he embarked upon a project to trace the history of postwar Germany in a series of films told through the eyes of three remarkable women. Fassbinder’s three films The Marriage of Maria Braun, Lola, and Veronika Voss —the BRD (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) Trilogy, would garner him the international acclaim he had always yearned for and place his name foremost in the canon of New German Cinema. The Criterion Collection is proud to present these films as a group for the first time ever in home video.

The Marriage of Maria Braun
Special Features
-Audio commentary by cinematographer Michael Ballhaus and renowned filmmaker Wim Wenders
-Exclusive video interview with the star of The Marriage of Maria Braun and regular Fassbinder collaborator, Hanna Schygulla
-Video interview with Fassbinder scholar Eric Rentschler

Veronika Voss
Special Features
New video conversations with Veronika Voss star Rosel Zech and editor Juliane Lorenz
Dance with Death (Tanz mit dem Tod), a one-hour portrait of UFA Studios star Sybille Schmitz, Fassbinder’s inspiration for the character Veronika Voss

Lola
Special Features
-Audio commentary by Fassbinder documentarian, biographer, and friend Christian Braad Thomsen
-New video interview with Lola star Barbara Sukowa and Fassbinder co-screenwriter Peter Märthesheimer

Knife in the Water
Roman Polanski’s first feature is a brilliant psychological thriller that many critics still consider among his greatest work. The story is simple, yet the implications of its characters’ emotions and actions are profound. When a young hitchhiker joins a couple on a weekend yacht trip, psychological warfare breaks out as the two men compete for the woman’s attention. A storm forces the small crew below deck, and tension builds to a violent climax. With stinging dialogue and a mercilessly probing camera, Polanski creates a disturbing study of fear, humiliation, sexuality, and aggression. This remarkable directorial debut won Polanski worldwide acclaim, a place on the cover of Time, and his first Oscar® nomination.

Special Features
-New high-definition digital transfer
-Video interview with director Roman Polanski and co-screenwriter Jerzy Skolimowski
-A collection of rare publicity and production stills
-An English subtitle translation by Roman Polanski himself.

Finally, Knife In The Water!!

:thumbsup:

I've heard soooo much about this film...never seen it yet. will be getting it!!! thanks for the heads-up.

Need more MIchael Bay, dammit

:lol:

I have to say i'm not too familiar with any of Fassbinder's work so this gives me an ideal opportunity of addressing that matter especially as there's a commentary track on one of the features by one of my favourite filmmakers Wim Wenders :up:

Knife in the Water is great news. But i'm disapointed at the lack of features.

Re: Knife in the Water
 

I've never seen this either but it looks like that will change come September. Great news!

knife in the water is one of the best films ever made. Yay!

Well, Bad Boys 2 is coming out this summer in theaters... perhaps a Criterion by December?

(If that happened, I'd be mortified.)

On topic related discussion, I thought Soderbergh's Schizopolis was rumored for release around this time... what happened?

I think they've run into some production delays on this one. It's already assigned a spine # (199), but if legal issues have cropped up, we may not see it until '04.

Devil and Daniel Webster - yes! One more Criterion laserdisc gets retired...

:thumbsup: I've been anticiating this one for a long time.

I guess Polanski's Oscar win got Criterion's ass in gear. I was starting to think Knife In The Water was lost in their Inbox, along with Ivan's Childhood.

Looking forward to Knife in the Water.

Cover and details are up for Knife In The Water.

Well crap. I was really looking forward to this one. I can't find a copy anywhere in town to rent.

Nice to see that its only a $29.99 MSRP and that they aren't killing us like High & Low at $39.99 MSRP and no features.

Criterion has added more features to the disc (okay, actually, more shorts). Eight Polanski short films will be included, making this a two disc set. The shorts were made etween 1957 and 1962. They are:

Teeth Smile (1957)
Murderer (1957)
Break Up The Dance (1958)
Two Men and a Wardrobe (1958)
The Lamp (1959)
When Angels Fall (1959)
The Fat and the Lean (1961)
The Mammals (1962)

Whoa. That is a must own for polanski fans with all those short films.

I think Criterion are worried about Anchor Bay UK 'stealing their thunder' for these Polanski releases hence this addition to the specs.

Here's hoping they don't raise the MSRP on Knife In The Water.

They already have raised it to 39.99 on the criterion website. So place your orders before the e-tailers raise theirs!!

Wow, I just put my order in at DVD Empire yesterday at the lower price. I just hope it's not a long delay with this one now.

Put me down for a copy of 'The Devil and Daniel Webster'.

Well I just pre-ordered Knife in the Water at $21 and change at DDD. Doubt they'll change the price on me. At least I hope not.

Looks like Knife In The Water has been pushed back from 9/23 to 9/30.

OMG! I can't believe I haven't heard about this before! And all those short films sound friggin great!!! Love that Criterion, I tell you! Love it!

Ditto. Already had mine on pre-order for a while now. I've been waiting for this one to come out for ages, and the fact it will be a Criterion is just fantastic.

La Strada and Richard III should be released in November according to some websites.

Have posted this in the International Forum but anyway....a brief review of 'Knife In The Water:CC' here:

http://www.mondo-digital.com/polanski.html

'At Polanski's request,the viewer cannot fast forward during the feature' ??????

I sometimes wonder if the Mono Digital reviewer works for Criterion. He always seems to review their discs weeks before they're released, beating the rest of the DVD review crowd to the punch.

Mondo Digital has a review of Criterion's Fassbinder BRD Trilogy up as well now...

http://www.mondo-digital.com/whity.html

Yes...and The Devil And Daniel Webster! both certainly sound fantastic.
Was maybe going to pick up BRD Trilogy further down the line although i'm severely tempted to pick this up at the end of September/beginning of October as well.

Actually, is the R2 set better than Criterion? Can anyone inform us of the differences? Thanks.

I wasn't aware there was a R2 BRD Trilogy set??....French (MK2)??

i think schizopolis is due in october...i could be wrong. This is the best news I've heard in a while! I can't wait to see it on dvd instead of my crappy vhs transfer!!!!!!!

At the moment you are correct...it is scheduled for October (14th?) unless it suffers a 'release date shift' as what has happened to the September releases originally listed for the 16th.

Well I picked up both D&DW along with the Fassbinder trilogy yesterday.

They are both freaking excelent - there's a little print damage in D&DW, but otherwise it looks great. The extras are okay - but nothing major.

Everything about the Fassbinder set is MAJOR - all the films look awesome and sound great for mono. The packaging is just like the Truffaut and Monterey Pop sets - each movie has it's own disc and package, with commentaries and a fourth disc for more extras covering Fassbinder's entire carreer. It also has a very thorough booklet. - this is my pick for dvd of the month.

Bravo Criterion!