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

Johnnie To in the closet (and in Cantonese) :thumbsup: :

A lot of the higher profile names in there these days (almost too many sometimes) seem to be doing so adjacent to having some project coming out, or already out, but To has no movies on the horizon and hasn’t directed a full feature in years, so I’m wondering if he was at Criterion due to some upcoming release of one of his older films? One can hope . . .

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

MoMa was doing a To retrospective a few months ago, that's why he was in NYC.

But, yes...
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/enter...hy-hope-burden

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

I was fortunate enough to have attended SF MOMA's retrospective on Johnnie To back in 2017.

In addition to seeing Exiled (2006), Election (2005), Election 2 (2006) & The Mission (1999), there was a short Q&A between screenings as well, which is a memory I'll never forget.

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

I’d love to see a retrospective even though I’ve seen all of his work at this point (except that reportedly awful mainland China film he did a few years ago). At TIFF every year since my first in 1998, my first picks have always been Hong Kong and Asian stuff (with anything from anywhere else a bonus). Over the years, I saw the premieres of, in chronological order, THE MISSION, FULLTIME KILLER, PTU, BREAKING NEWS, EXILED + ELECTION + ELECTION 2 (all three in the same fest), MAD DETECTIVE, VENGEANCE, LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE, BLIND DETECTIVE and OFFICE 3D.

THE MISSION and FULLTIME KILLER were Midnight Madness shows, both with To and Wai Ka-Fai in attendance as I recall, and FULLTIME with Simon Yam and Andy Lau as well, the latter of whom accounted for about 200 screaming young girls with gigantic heart-shaped ‘I Love U Andy’ signs scattered throughout the audience. The cynical buddy I saw it with thought it was annoying. I thought it was awesome. :lol:

All of his screenings after those two were in the main programmes of the festival. He’s probably the one filmmaker I’ve seen there more than anyone else, but that wasn’t entirely intentional. Because I always picked HK movies, and because they kept inviting him back, I saw pretty much all of his screenings there, by default. Toward the last four I mentioned, I was starting to think the programmers just had him on speed-dial and would just take whatever he had available because of his name value. Not that those later ones are bad at all, but I started to wonder if TIFF couldn’t have given opportunities to other HK filmmakers, both veterans and newbies. I guess it’s just a fest thing to try and build up certain names. Most years I went during To’s run, there were other HK films in the programs, but never from anyone who got to repeat as often as To did.

With the exception of OFFICE, To appeared and did Q&A’s for all of them, but hearing about these recent retrospectives I tend to think a career-focused Q&A at those was probably a more satisfying experience.

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

Check your email for $10 Criterion codes. Not sure if all get them.
If anyone received one and doesn't plan to use, I'm happy to take it off your hands. :D

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

Do the codes expire? The usual subscriber gift codes don't, but this newest email doesn't specify.

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

Nope. You can bank them until the next Flash Sale.

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

With yesterday's code I had $40, so I went ahead and made an order of 4 titles on 4K. My total was $99 and some change. Basically 50% off. Snagged: Paris, Texas 4K, Repo Man 4K, No Country for Old Men 4K, and 8 1/2 4K.

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

You're sure about that? Cuz I was gonna place an order, but the next Flash sale is only a couple months away I can wait if it's still valid.

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

Yes, I save them every year. You can add it to
your account now and it just stays there.

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

Man, I just saw Criterion’s No Country for Old Men in 4K. It was stunning. Such a great movie and looked so good. Can’t wait to get to the extras.

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

I'm glad you mentioned this. Even though the email said they didn't expire, I had no idea you could stack them.

I just went through all of mine and have $110 worth of credit!

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

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

I dug through my emails and only found two unused codes. Still, it's free money. I'm gonna use em.

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

As well, since they don't expire, I can wait until the next 50% off sale!!

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

Coming in March:

https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/me...jpg?1733939103 https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/me...jpg?1733939103
https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/me...jpg?1733939103 https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/me...jpg?1733939103
https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/me...jpg?1733939103 https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/me...jpg?1733939103

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

Criterion grabbing a Warner Archive title (Night Moves) feels like kind of a big deal.

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

It seems like the start of a recent trend. Performance might've been the first, and I could've sworn an announcement from another boutique (possibly also Criterion) in the past month or two included another Warner Archive title.

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

Wages of Fear will only be 4K SDR. I believe the BFI edition is full 4K HDR/DV.

If CC is doing Thief on 4K I wonder if Arrow will handle the UK 4K? They released their own BD version that had different supplements than the domestic release like 10 years ago or so.

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

I guess BIOLLANTE getting a standalone release kills any chance of a boxed set with that run of Godzilla pictures. I presume something to do with different U.S. rights-holders for various films, in particular the first two?

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

Happy to see some special features on it. The box set was fairly lacking.

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

I think a larger collection (or series of collections) could still be in the cards. Criterion has preceded box sets by individual releases before (Godzilla, Bergman, Fellini...and yeah, one of these things is not like the others). Biollante is the only Heisei-era film that's been remastered and gotten a physical release in Japan to date. Toho is issuing a box set that includes (among others) Return of Godzilla, Mechagodzilla '93, and Final Wars next June.

The turnaround time has been pretty zippy, with Criterion's editions of '54 and Biollante following roughly a year after the Japanese UHD editions. Even after next summer's big box set, there are still gaps for Showa, Heisei, and Millennium as far as physical remastered releases go in Japan, so we'd probably be looking at 2026 or 2027 for a complete Heisei / Millennium set from Criterion.

Those rights have been expiring, and the last of what Sony holds expires pretty imminently, IIRC. The only title that's held in perpetuity is, I believe, King Kong vs. Godzilla, and Universal is very easy to work with.

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

Anyone have "Pamela Anderson, Cinephile" on their bingo card?
Have to be honest, I didn't expect her to have this level of knowledge with films - especially foreign films. Fellini, Godard, Bergman, Malle, Bellocchio, Kiarostami among her choices.
I'm impressed.

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

I have Thief on Criterion BD and on Arrow region B.

I don't think a 4K upgrade will really enhance the viewing experience.

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

I'd love it if they got Urgh! A Music War from the Warner Archives. For my money, still the best concert film ever made, and yes I've seen (and love) Stop Making Sense. There's a rumor that each band in the film had three songs filmed, and they only included the best one in the final print. But that means there's over four hours of incredible music on film if someone can dig deep into the vaults for them.

Even for those associated with trash cinema, they've taken acting classes and have studied film. Ultimately it doesn't surprise me at all. Like I once saw a one-man show starring Jeffrey "Herbert West, Reanimator" Combs and he commanded the stage for nearly two hours. You wouldn't think that considering all the schlock cinema he's done in his career.

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

Good Lord I've never been more attracted to her.

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

I really hate this giant fucking glasses trend. They look absolutely ridiculous.

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

Then I guess you're lucky they can't ask George Romero to do one of these Criterion Closet Picks...

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

Not unless they fix the horrible Director's Cut color grading, which is unlikely if they want to market it as being approved by Michael Mann.

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

There is a very short list of people that could/can get away with it.

George Romero - we're just used to it.
Dennis Taylor, purely for their functional purpose. He's a snooker player and needed them to be able to sight down the cue:

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...e85e8b9da9.png

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

I wonder if Criterion could have pulled off a "Reiwa Era Vol 1" boxset by including, Shin Godzilla, the anime trilogy, the Singular Point series and Minus One. I would have bought the hell out of that.

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

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

Criterion posted the closet clip this morning. 1+1 = 2.

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

They’ve been doing press for a movie they’re currently in together.

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

My goodness, Juliette is still stunning. Can I elect to spend my time in the closet, with her?

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

She really is. Was a big fan of hers since seeing her in Kieślowski's Three Colours: Blue.

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

I started watching some of those Criterion closet videos on YouTube last night. I'm pleasantly surprised to see some known people on there being such film nerds like Pam Anderson and even Norman Reedus. And then they get hooked up with free movies for participating in the video.

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

I find that aspect a little annoying. You hear the celebrity get excited about grabbing movies they like and are basically like a kid in a candy store - especially when they grab boxsets. I always think "you can buy every title in this closet and you wouldn't even notice it in your bank account - why don't you just buy them?"

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

Why? That's basically their compensation for participating in the video. Criterion sacrifices a few hundred dollars of Blu-Rays to get some celebrity advertising. These guys also like physical media. You're not going to get a minimalist or streamer to be interested in partaking in this. And they are only choosing movies they are interested in.

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

I'm not questioning why Criterion gets them to do it. I get that part. What I don't get is when rich-ass celebrities salivate at being able to grab these titles for free (I'm not talking about their excitement when they talk about the titles). If I were them, Amazon would basically be my Criterion closet. I wouldn't think anything about spending a few hundred (or a few thousand) dollars on titles if I were them.