re: The Criterion Collection 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread
 

ANNOUNCEMENT DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!


not even going to make any guesses or wishes this time....don't want to jinx anything.

re: The Criterion Collection 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread
 

Well, if predicting something can jinx it and reduce its chances of being announced...

I'm going to predict It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and The Big Chill.

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Screener delay, but I finally got it yesterday. I should have a review up by this evening.

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Excellent! I know you guys can't possibly review everything, but you've been pretty consistent with Criterion releases recently.

re: The Criterion Collection 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread
 

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re: The Criterion Collection 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread
 

So a few notable things:

First, no, there's still no Eraserhead or Cronenberg films.

Second, everything is dual format now, and apparently no price increase (hopefully they don't change that.)

Third, a 27-disc set of all the Zatoichi films!

re: The Criterion Collection 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread
 

CITY LIGHTS

The most cherished film by Charlie Chaplin is also his ultimate Little Tramp chronicle. The writer-director-star achieved new levels of grace, in both physical comedy and dramatic poignancy, with this silent tale of a lovable vagrant falling for a young blind woman who sells flowers on the street (a magical Virginia Cherrill) and mistakes him for a millionaire. Though this Depression-era smash was made after the advent of sound, Chaplin remained steadfast in his love for the expressive beauty of the pre-talkie form. The result was the epitome of his art and the crowning achievement of silent comedy.

Special Features

New, restored 4K digital film transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
New audio commentary by Charlie Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance
Chaplin Today: “City Lights,” a 2003 documentary on the film’s production, featuring Aardman Animations cofounder Peter Lord
Chaplin Studios: Creative Freedom by Design, a new interview program featuring visual effects expert Craig Barron
Archival footage from the production of City Lights, including film from the set, with audio commentary by Chaplin historian Hooman Mehran; a costume test; a rehearsal; and a complete scene not used in the film
Excerpt from Chaplin’s short film The Champion (1915), along with footage of the director with boxing stars at Chaplin Studios in 1918
Trailers
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Gary Giddins and a 1966 interview with Chaplin

FRANCES HA

Greta Gerwig is radiant as a woman in her late twenties in contemporary New York, trying to sort out her ambitions, her finances, and, above all, her tight but changing bond with her best friend, Sophie (Mickey Sumner). Meticulously directed by Noah Baumbach with a free-and-easy vibe reminiscent of the French New Wave’s most spirited films, and written by Baumbach and Gerwig with an effortless combination of sweetness and wit, Frances Ha gets at both the frustrations and the joys of being young and unsure of where to go next. This wry and sparkling city romance is a testament to the ongoing vitality of independent American cinema.

Special Features

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION:

New high-definition digital master, with DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio on the Blu-ray
New conversation between filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich and the film’s cowriter and director, Noah Baumbach
New conversation between actor and filmmaker Sarah Polley and the film’s cowriter and star, Greta Gerwig
New conversation about the look of the film between Baumbach, director of photography Sam Levy, and creative director Pascal Dangin
Trailer
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by playwright Annie Baker

ZATOICHI: THE BLIND SWORDSMAN

The colossally popular Zatoichi films make up the longest-running action series in Japanese history and created one of the screen’s great heroes: an itinerant blind masseur who also happens to be a lightning-fast swordsman. As this iconic figure, the charismatic and earthy Shintaro Katsu became an instant superstar, lending a larger-than-life presence to the thrilling adventures of a man who lives staunchly by a code of honor and delivers justice in every town and village he enters. The films that feature him are variously pulse-pounding, hilarious, stirring, and completely off-the-wall. This deluxe set features the string of twenty-five Zatoichi films made between 1962 and 1973, collected in one package for the first time.

Special Features

New digital restorations of all twenty-five films, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on the Blu-rays
The Blind Swordsman, a 1978 documentary about Zatoichi portrayer and filmmaker Shintaro Katsu, along with a new interview with its director, John Nathan
New interview with Asian-film critic Tony Rayns
Trailers for all twenty-five films
New English subtitle translations
PLUS: A book featuring an essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien; synopses of the films by critic, novelist, and musician Chris D.; “The Tale of Zatoichi,” the original short story by Kan Shimozawa; and twenty-five new illustrations inspired by the films, by twenty-five different artists

re: The Criterion Collection 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread
 

Holy shit on the Zatoichi box! That's gonna be pricey, ain't it?

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^ i think i'm in for all 3!

re: The Criterion Collection 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread
 

A bit pricey, yeah. It has an MSRP of $224.95, which means you'll be able to get it for $130 or so (or maybe less, with coupons) during the next B&N sale. Not bad for 25 films on Blu-ray, but hopefully they'll release individual titles or smaller sets at some point in the future.

I haven't seen any Zatoichi films, so I probably won't be blind buying this.

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these dual format cases better be blu-ray sized

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MSRP is $225, so during B&N sales you should be able to get it for around $100 if you're a member. Throw in an extra coupon and you should be able to get the price down below $100. Not a bad deal consider there are 26 films in the set.

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Yeah, $130-150 for 25 movies on blu-ray in that nice box isn't too bad, isn't too bad at all.

All this and not a single title worth buying
Sigh

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Thank God there's no sign of a price hike for the dual format change.

Looking at the package shot of Zaitochi, I wonder how they'll do the dual format thing.

Also, City Lights and Frances Ha are listed as 2 discs, Tokyo Story as 3 and Zaitochi as 27.

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How the heck is that Zatoichi box dual format? 2 films on each disc? How long are they?

Never even seen one but that box looks so cool it makes want to blind buy it.

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Meanwhile, I think this is one of the most exciting release slates that Criterion has ever had.

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... but that's the only way!







I'll see myself out.

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Dual-format had better mean dual-disc!

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Yeah, I'm hoping this doesn't mean they'll be flippers.

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Nothing for me.

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Frances Ha is good but an instant criterion is a bit much.

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If Criterion turns to flippers then I would buy very few to any from here on out. I really doubt that is what will happen but who knows?!

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I'm guessing they'll be single-sided discs that can be played in either type of player; blu-disc player will play the HD content and a dvd player will play the SD content.

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Nope... 9 BD (2 to 3 films per discs); 18 DVD (1 to 2 films per disc)... May one DVD is for supplement.

BD and DVD specs do not allow for what you are guessing.

fitprod

re: The Criterion Collection 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread
 

They're cherrypicking as part of the IFC deal, I assume. Wouldn't be the first instance of this.

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Everything on the release slate before the next B&N sale ends: Criterions

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That Zatoichi box is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen from Criterion. I am buying that without hesitation.

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'Life During Wartime' was a head-scratcher to me.

re: The Criterion Collection 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread
 

That Zatoichi box set...Fuck!

I've never seen any of those films but my interested is piqued. It's definitely on my radar now!

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Same here. This is the first time I've wanted to buy all the announced titles. My eyes widened when I saw City Lights and Tokyo Story, got even bigger when I saw Frances Ha, and just about burst out of my skull when I saw that Zatoichi box.

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No interest in anything other than Zatoichi, and I ain't blind buying at that price. But if I can nab it for under $100 down the line, definitely.

No Lynch or Cronenberg :(

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Well, count me among the few pleasantly surprised about the Frances Ha Criterion release. It's the first time in a long time that I am considering buying an up-coming Criterion title. I think Frances Ha stands out as one of this year's best cinematic releases.

I'm fine continuing to wait on Cronenberg and Lynch. I've got all their titles on DVD, and I am hoping the DVDs of the Brood and Scanners go up in value on DVD before I sell them, but those days seem far gone now....

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FWIW, Criterion's website has this to say about "Dual Format Editions"...

What are dual-format editions?
Dual-format editions include both Blu-ray and DVD versions of a film in a single package. All supplements are available across both formats.

It looks as if these will be separate discs, NOT flippers. The upcoming Tokyo Story re-release, for example, is listed as a three-disc set, so it's probably one BR and two DVDs. Not sure if the packaging will be bulkier or not, though. Existing two-disc Criterions use overlapping hubs, while their past three-disc releases like Seven Samurai (DVD) and Shoah have been digipaks.

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Of all the "instant criterions," I'm most ok with Frances Ha (least ok with Tiny Furniture).

Frances Ha at least is directed by a formerly release Criterion director and the film for what it's worth plays like an American ode to the French New Wave. So, I think it is a fitting film for the Criterion Collection. That being said, I would always prefer a catalog release to a new release, but if they must release new films, I'm happy they picked one I enjoyed.

I've never seen a Zatoichi film, but I've liked other samurai films, so I will blind-buy the blind swordsman set whenever it can be had for around $100 or so (likely the applicable BN sale with coupons and such).

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so no one is excited by Tokyo Story or City Lights hitting blu? Jesus, people are hard to please. And that's not even considering the massive box set.

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:lol:

Yeah, I suppose I could have worded that better.

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Please no digipacks for these dual-format releases.

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Can you fit an overlapping hub on one side and a single disc on the other? But then again, where would the booklet go?

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I really dislike Criterion's cartoon cover art on some titles. I wish they'd stop doing that.