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[BenjaminBirdie]

Hadn't even read the comments, just seen the picture...

Sure, I mean, I watch movies on a (big) TV and in motion. And as long as there's no wrong aspect ratio/awful contrast / terrible noise or poor sound I won't refrain from a purchase.Yet BRs are pricey (especially when you import) and I still notice poor encoding and macroblocks from time to time. Again, nothing that would absolutely deter me from a purchase but I expect more than average encoding from a premium publisher like Criterion. Luckily for me European labels (MoC, Arrow and Carlotta mainly) have stepped up their game in that regard.

I just don't understand why Criterion would commission awesome 4k remasters (which they are great at doing) and not put them on BD-50 with the best encoding available.

There's also the whole thing about this particular blu-ray.com reviewer being biased against Arrow (arguably this year's best publisher) and very lenient with Criterion but hell if I care about this kind of forum drama. This is all very similar to gaming side discussions about graphics and framerate: some notice, some don't. It's usually not a huge deal.

Edit:



Now that could explain it. : )

Pretty much how I come down on it

 

[Ridley327]

I imagine the compression issue is just them trying to save costs by cramming everything onto one disc as much as possible. It kinda makes me curious to see if it'll crop up again on Inside Llewyn Davis, since that disc is stacked to Everest heights in the features department.

 

[berzeli]

I imagine the compression issue is just them trying to save costs by cramming everything onto one disc as much as possible. It kinda makes me curious to see if it'll crop up again on Inside Llewyn Davis, since that disc is stacked to Everest heights in the features department.

I would accept that being the case if not for the fact that there are other labels, e.g. Arrow, who are doing a much better job when it comes to encoding their discs. The issue isn't compression as such but rather encoding and Criterion just should be doing better.

I should probably clarify that I'm in the camp which isn't that bothered with minor artefacting from compression (especially since my setup doesn't amplify those issues), however there clearly is room for improvement and I don't feel it's wrong to critique Criterion for not delivering the standard which some expect (and others manage to deliver).

 

[Fjordson]

I should probably clarify that I'm in the camp which isn't that bothered with minor artefacting from compression (especially since my setup doesn't amplify those issues), however there clearly is room for improvement and I don't feel it's wrong to critique Criterion for not delivering the standard which some expect (and others manage to deliver).

That I can agree with.

All this talk of Arrow gives me high hopes for their Yakuza Papers set. Truth be told, I've never bought one of their releases before.

 

[Ridley327]

I would accept that being the case if not for the fact that there are other labels, e.g. Arrow, who are doing a much better job when it comes to encoding their discs. The issue isn't compression as such but rather encoding and Criterion just should be doing better.

I should probably clarify that I'm in the camp which isn't that bothered with minor artefacting from compression (especially since my setup doesn't amplify those issues), however there clearly is room for improvement and I don't feel it's wrong to critique Criterion for not delivering the standard which some expect (and others manage to deliver).

Oh, I'm certainly not giving them a pass on the issue. I just think there's a great likelihood of the issues being more economical than anything else.

 

[omgkitty]

Well shit...

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
Limited edition box set (1,000 copies) containing Love is Colder Than Death, Katzelmacher, Beware of a Holy Whore, The Merchant of Four Seasons, The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Fear Eats the Soul, Effi Briest, Fox and His Friends, Chinese Roulette and The Marriage of Maria Braun
Brand new 4K restorations of the films from original camera negatives
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations
Original uncompressed PCM mono audio
Optional English subtitles on all films
Six audio commentaries: Adrian Martin on Beware of a Holy Whore, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Christian McCrea on The Merchant of Four Seasons, Diane Charleson on The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Mark Freeman on Fear Eats the Soul, Ken Moulden on Effi Briest and Hamish Ford on Fox and His Friends
Two early short films by Rainer Werner Fassbinder from 1966, The Little Chaos and The City Tramp
My Name is Not Ali, Viola Shafik’s 2011 feature-length documentary on the life and death of El Hedi ben Salem, star of Fear Eats the Soul
Newly-filmed interview with actor Lou Castel on Beware of a Holy Whore
Newly-filmed interviews with actor Ulli Lommel on Love is Colder Than Death, Effi Briest and Chinese Roulette
Newly-filmed interviews with director of photography Jürgen Jürges on Fear Eats the Soul and Effi Briest
The Rainer Werner Fassbinder Family, an all-new featurette detailing the actors who worked with Fassbinder time and again throughout his career
Life Stories: A Conversation with R.W. Fassbinder, a 50-minute interview with the director conducted for German television in 1978
End of the Commune, Joachim von Mengershausen’s 1970 documentary portrait of Fassbinder and his troupe including rare footage of his actors rehearsing and Love is Colder Than Death’s premiere at the 1969 Berlin Film Festival
Role-Play: Women on Fassbinder, a 1992 documentary containing interviews with four of the director’s leading ladies, Margit Carstensen, Irm Hermann, Hanna Schygulla and Rosel Zech
Life, Love & Celluloid, a 1998 feature-length documentary on Fassbinder, written and directed by his regular editor, Juliane Lorenz
Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1977, a candid 30-minute interview with the director
Original theatrical trailers for Katzelmacher, Beware of a Holy Whore, Fear Eats the Soul, Fox and His Friends and Chinese Roulette
200-page hardback book, exclusive to this limited edition box set, containing all-new writing by Tony Rayns, Gertrud Koch, Michael Pattison, Nick Pinkerton, Ashley Clark, Erica Carter, Alex Davidson, Glenn Kenny and Margaret Deriaz

Kinda wish they'd slow the fuck down with all these box sets. Seems like there's a new one announced almost every month. I'm tempted to get this, but then I also already own the 3 Criterion releases.

 

[berzeli]

Well shit...

Kinda wish they'd slow the fuck down with all these box sets. Seems like there's a new one announced almost every month. I'm tempted to get this, but then I also already own the 3 Criterion releases.

Jesus fuck that is amazing.

I actually kind of prefer the boxsets approach, the Mizoguchi set Eureka put out won me over totally on that front.

 

[omgkitty]

Jesus fuck that is amazing.

I actually kind of prefer the boxsets approach, the Mizoguchi set Eureka put out won me over totally on that front.

I love them...they're usually a great value, but I can't afford all of them!

 

[berzeli]

I love them...they're usually a great value, but I can't afford all of them!

Yeah I feel you, I had to pass on the Yoshida one since I can't afford it as a blind buy from a director whose work I'm not that familiar with. This however...

 

[omgkitty]

Yeah I feel you, I had to pass on the Yoshida one since I can't afford it as a blind buy from a director whose work I'm not that familiar with. This however...

Yeah I've gotten the Imamura, Yoshida, Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Chaplin Essanay Comedies, Rivette and The Apu Trilogy sets, all within the last month. It's kinda ridiculous.

 

[Ridley327]

The Fassbinder box is cool because they have films in HD that Criterion have only released in SD as a part of their Eclipse set. Region B, of course, but I imagine that most of the people interested in it are already region free on their player of choice.

 

[Fjordson]

Arrow just sent me an email saying they'll be shipping the Yakuza Papers set December 11th. Bummer it got delayed past this week, but I'm excited.

 

[Fancy Clown]

Picked up Kwaidan, The Seventh Seal, Modern Times, and In the Mood For Love. Probably it for me this sale, but I think I done good.

Does Criterion only do the shitty pamphlets with all their new releases now? Really prefer the booklets...

 

[TAJ]

Knowing my 80s ninja films, I suspect that the cover for Pray for Death is overselling the shit out of the contents inside the box, and I freely admit that it's working.

I had the good fortune to see Pray For Death in the '80s in a grindhouse theater that was thisclose to being condemned, in other words its natural environment. They clearly aimed for irony with that cover.

 

[Puck Beaverton]

Does Criterion only do the shitty pamphlets with all their new releases now? Really prefer the booklets...

For most of them that is the case since I believe it's a cost cutting measure with them doing away with dual format. Some still get booklets since I think Mulholland Dr. has one.

 

[mattiewheels]

Finally getting the Decline of Western Civilization set, anyone else have it? Really can't wait to see the unreleased footage and I never saw part three with the gutter punks...

 

[JTripper]

Received my $40 Zatoichi today from ebay. Really surprised they didn't cancel it.

Other than that, I've only picked up Belle De Jour and Mulholland Drive from this month's sale. Don't Look Back will be a definite pick-up when that releases too.

 

[Guzim]

I bought Metropolitan and The Last Days of Disco today. I've never seen Whit Stillman's other films. How are they compared to those two?

 

[swoon]

Finally getting the Decline of Western Civilization set, anyone else have it? Really can't wait to see the unreleased footage and I never saw part three with the gutter punks...

three is good, but it's not like the others for better or worse.

there's some really great unreleased footage across the discs.

 

[mattiewheels]

three is good, but it's not like the others for better or worse.

there's some really great unreleased footage across the discs.

It was an insane figure waen I added the footage total time up...like three hours.

 

[Ridley327]

Arrow is alluding to doing a lot more box sets for 2016. Crazy, considering how many they've done this year, but it sounds like the booklet for the Battles Without Honor and Humanity set mentions that they're putting one out for The Gangster VIP series. I can't say I've heard of them, but seeing as they star Tetsuya Watari of Tokyo Drifter fame, they just went on my radar.

 

[berzeli]

Arrow is alluding to doing a lot more box sets for 2016. Crazy, considering how many they've done this year, but it sounds like the booklet for the Battles Without Honor and Humanity set mentions that they're putting one out for The Gangster VIP series. I can't say I've heard of them, but seeing as they star Tetsuya Watari of Tokyo Drifter fame, they just went on my radar.

I really, really hope that one of those boxsets is for Bo Widerberg. Now I'm thrilled that Criterion is putting out the oeuvre of Jan Troell (especially with The Emigrants/The New World seemingly coming soon), so that someone besides fucking Bergman gets released. But the world is long overdue getting reintroduced to Widerberg.

 

[omgkitty]

I really, really hope that one of those boxsets is for Bo Widerberg. Now I'm thrilled that Criterion is putting out the oeuvre of Jan Troell (especially with The Emigrants/The New World seemingly coming soon), so that someone besides fucking Bergman gets released. But the world is long overdue getting reintroduced to Widerberg.

There are other Swedish directors besides Bergman?

There are still plenty of Bergman's that need to be released on blu-ray too.

 

[berzeli]

There are other Swedish directors besides Bergman?

Hate you.

There are still plenty of Bergman's that need to be released on blu-ray too.

Compared to the dire fucking straits the works of Widerberg is in, there's just no comparison.

To illustrate with the top 10 Swedish films of all times (per FLM, the only best film magazine in Sweden)

1. Körkarlen | The Phantom Carriage (Victor Sjöström, 1921) - released by Criterion (DVD & blu)
2. Kvarteret Korpen | Raven's End (Bo Widerberg, 1963) - no English friendly release exists
3. Här har du ditt liv | Here Is Your Life (Jan Troell, 1966) - released by Criterion (DVD & blu)
4. En kärlekshistoria | A Swedish Love Story (Roy Andersson, 1970) - released by Artificial Eye (DVD & blu)
5. Fanny och Alexander (Ingmar Bergman, 1982) - released by Criterion (DVD & blu)
7. Mannen på taket | The Man on the Roof (Bo Widerberg, 1976) - no English friendly release exists
8. Flicka och hyacinter | Girl with Hyacinths (Hasse Ekman, 1950) - no English friendly release exists
9. Ett anständigt liv | A Respectable Life (Stefan Jarl, 1979) - no English friendly release exists
10. Sånger från andra våningen | Songs from the Second Floor (Roy Andersson, 2000) - released by Artificial Eye (DVD & blu)

Widerberg is getting shafted, hell you couldn't even buy most of his films in Sweden until this year. But I'm almost hopeful for a revival, most of his films are getting releases in France, where the newly restored Joe Hill premièred at Cannes this year (thanks to Paramount finally stopped fucking about with the negatives after 11 years).

 

[Cosmic Bus]

2. Kvarteret Korpen | Raven's End (Bo Widerberg, 1963) - no English friendly release exists
7. Mannen på taket | The Man on the Roof (Bo Widerberg, 1976) - no English friendly release exists

There is (was?) an English subbed dvd for both of these, but possibly out of print now: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews23/man_on_the_roof.htm

Can't find a link for Raven's End at the moment, but I owned it at one point.

 

[berzeli]

There is (was?) an English subbed dvd for both of these, but possibly out of print now: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews23/man_on_the_roof.htm

Can't find a link for Raven's End at the moment, but I owned it at one point.

There was one for The Man on the Roof, now there's a single disc rerelease without English subtitles, which is also OOP.
Not sure what you're on about regarding Raven's End, there isn't even a stand alone DVD release here in Sweden, though you can get it as part of a boxset.

The only English friendly release of Widerberg's work to my knowledge is a shitty DVD of Elvira Madigan which was released by Arrow way back. I don't think it's OOP, but it's using a master which isn't restored and might be in the wrong aspect ratio.

edit: There might be a DVD of Lust och fägring stor | All Things Fair as well now that I think about it. edit2: There is!

 

[Fjordson]

Sounds like some UK people are getting their Yakuza papers sets. Mine isn't shipping until December apparently =[ Arrow posted a photo of it on their Facebook

 

[Puck Beaverton]

Sounds like some UK people are getting their Yakuza papers sets. Mine isn't shipping until December apparently =[ Arrow posted a photo of it on their Facebook

Ughhhhh that looks so gooood.

 

[Guzim]

That set looks fantastic. It was supposed to be here last week

 

[Fjordson]

Huh, here's another picture with the covers they've shown before. Not sure what my first picture was of. Maybe the DVD versions?

 

[Puck Beaverton]

They do reversible covers so the first pic was probably the older artwork.

 

[Fjordson]

They do reversible covers so the first pic was probably the older artwork.

Ohh okay. Damn, that's cool.

Have to say, the newer covers are looking hot.

 

[Ridley327]

The box set looks awesome. Really excited to see it come in when it does in December.

 

[berzeli]

They updated the packaging for the Godard collection, looking quite lovely actually.

Also an update on those limited edition Arrow releases:

***Limited Edition Update***
We know a lot of you have been asking for updates on various Limited Edition releases so we thought we'd collect them in one handy update:
The Long Good Friday+Mona Lisa 30% remaining
Edgar Allan Poe's Black Cats 40% remaining
Blood Rage 65% remaining
Nekromantik 2 15% remaining
Kiju Yoshida: Love + Anarchism 60% remaining
The Jacques Rivette Collection 60% remaining
Deep Red 25% remaining
Battles Without Honour and Humanity 40% remaining
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls + The Seven Minutes 75% remaining
Nikkatsu Diamond Guys Vol 1 85% remaining
Audition SteelBook 80% remaining
Fassbinder Collection 70% remaining

 

[swoon]

the godard set will be great, but like picking and choosing films based on the random rights you have, and then calling it essential is dumb.

 

[omgkitty]

Criterion is doing The Graduate - https://www.instagram.com/p/-J1c7LSzfO/?taken-by=criterioncollection

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

Criterion is doing The Graduate - https://www.instagram.com/p/-J1c7LSzfO/?taken-by=criterioncollection

WOWWWWWW

 

[Jo Shishido's Cheeks]

It would be great if they've managed to record something with Mike Nichols before last year

 

[Ridley327]

I think it was heavily implied that Dustin Hoffman sat down for more than just Tootsie, so we should be seeing some of that on their disc for The Graduate. The same will happen when they finally do Midnight Cowboy, which seems to be one of those perpetual "when we get to it" things they have going on right now.

 

[Fancy Clown]

Criterion is doing The Graduate - https://www.instagram.com/p/-J1c7LSzfO/?taken-by=criterioncollection

huge

 

[swoon]

yea the long lost, blu-rayless graduate is finally going to be seen about a whole new generation.

 

[omgkitty]

yea the long lost, blu-rayless graduate is finally going to be seen about a whole new generation.

Lol to be fair releases like that are what help fund the really good stuff.

 

[Ridley327]

Lol to be fair releases like that are what help fund the really good stuff.

Like what might be the rest of February's release slate, if the detective work pulls through.

 

[Ridley327]

And it has!

Without knowing anything at all about them, I must say that I feel like buying the Troell twofer just on the basis of how stunning the cover is.

 

[omgkitty]

That I Knew Her Well cover is amazing.

 

[berzeli]

Without knowing anything at all about them, I must say that I feel like buying the Troell twofer just on the basis of how stunning the cover is.

Buy it with confidence. Troell is a wonderful director, you should also consider to pick up Everlasting Moments which probably is my favourite of his work.


But yeah, that's quite the lineup.

 

[Easystride]

The Kid is my favorite Chaplin film. So good.

 

[Blader]

Kinda surprised they're releasing The Kid (mostly) by itself, would've figured they'd pack it with some of the other First National shorts too since the film itself is under an hour. Maybe they're saving up for a separate shorts collection release.

 

[jlevel13]

I'd never heard of I Knew Her Well, but I'm definitely intrigued (great cover).

 

[codhand]

November 24th



for the initiated

Includes the films:
The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer (1984, 14 mins)
This Unnameable Little Broom (or The Epic of Gilgamesh) (1985, 11 mins)*
Street of Crocodiles (1986, 21 mins)*
Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies (1988, 14 mins)
Stille Nacht I - Dramolet (1988, 1 min)*
The Comb (1990, 18 mins)
Anamoprhosis (1991, 14 mins)
Stille Nacht II (Are We Still Married?) (1992, 3 mins)*
Stille Nacht III (Tales from Vienna Woods) (1993, 4 mins)*
Stille Nacht IV (Can't Go Wrong Without You) (1994, 4 mins)
In Absentia (2000, 20 mins)*
The Phantom Museum (2003, 12 mins)
Maska (2010, 24 mins)**
Through the Weeping Glass (2011, 31 mins)**
Unmistaken Hands (2013, 26 mins)**
and
Quay – a film by Christopher Nolan (2015, 8 mins)**

*Includes Quay Brothers Audio Commentary
**Not in the previously available Quay DVD collection

Total running time: 225 minutes.

Includes a 28-page booklet and special digipak packaging