BD 231 Criss Cross

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rapta
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BD 231 Criss Cross

#1 Post by rapta » Wed Apr 08, 2020 1:08 pm

Siodmak's Criss Cross is coming in June... :)

Glowingwabbit
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist and Random Speculation

#2 Post by Glowingwabbit » Wed Apr 08, 2020 1:15 pm

rapta wrote:
Wed Apr 08, 2020 1:08 pm
Siodmak's Criss Cross is coming in June... :)
I hope this looks better than the Shout Factory version which I passed on. [-o<

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therewillbeblus
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist and Random Speculation

#3 Post by therewillbeblus » Wed Apr 08, 2020 3:11 pm

A happy announcement for many but I really dislike it, and find Soderbergh’s remake is much better. Two considerable strengths: a very dark ending which basically defines the fatalism of film noir and a wonderfully suspenseful hospital scene that is so expertly conceived with tension in powerlessness (due to literal immobility) it feels on par with a lavish setpiece.

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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist and Random Speculation

#4 Post by Glowingwabbit » Wed Apr 08, 2020 3:24 pm

therewillbeblus wrote:
Wed Apr 08, 2020 3:11 pm
A happy announcement for many but I really dislike it, and find Soderbergh’s remake is much better. Two considerable strengths: a very dark ending which basically defines the fatalism of film noir and a wonderfully suspenseful hospital scene that is so expertly conceived with tension in powerlessness (due to literal immobility) it feels on par with a lavish setpiece.
Huh! I didn't realize it had been remade. I'm not really high on Soderbergh but I might have to check it out.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: MoC Forthcoming, Wishlist and Random Speculation

#5 Post by therewillbeblus » Wed Apr 08, 2020 3:26 pm

It’s titled The Underneath and is actually a special feature on the Criterion disc of King of the Hill

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domino harvey
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Re: Forthcoming: Criss Cross

#6 Post by domino harvey » Wed Apr 08, 2020 4:07 pm

It’s indeed a better film than the mainline release it is a bonus for, and Soderbergh’s honest interview about what he (incorrectly) perceives to be a failure is one of Criterion’s best extras

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knives
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Re: Forthcoming: Criss Cross

#7 Post by knives » Wed Apr 08, 2020 4:30 pm

I haven't seen it yet, but King of the Hill is top five Soderbergh for me so that's some very strong language in my eyes.

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: Forthcoming: Criss Cross

#8 Post by The Narrator Returns » Wed Apr 08, 2020 5:21 pm

It's not better than King of the Hill, and I think it's pretty firmly lower-tier Soderbergh (which still means I'd give it an 8/10), but I do have a soft spot for its combination of baroque style and uncomfortable depictions of what Soderbergh's first marriage must've been like towards the end.

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Re: Forthcoming: Criss Cross

#9 Post by swo17 » Wed Apr 08, 2020 5:30 pm

I'm thinking domino is not necessarily much of a fan of KOTH

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Re: Forthcoming: Criss Cross

#10 Post by Gerald Christie » Wed Apr 08, 2020 5:47 pm

Day one purchase! I was holding off on buying SF's edition hoping Arrow or someone else would release it with competent encoding. Shout Factory's edition is a blocky mess.

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Gregory
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Re: Forthcoming: Criss Cross

#11 Post by Gregory » Wed Apr 08, 2020 6:46 pm

I saw it teased that this will have something from Adrian Martin, perhaps a commentary.
Last edited by Gregory on Thu Apr 09, 2020 1:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Ovader
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Re: Forthcoming: Criss Cross

#12 Post by Ovader » Thu Apr 09, 2020 12:28 pm

Adrian Martin told me he does the feature-length audio commentary and does not know what Gambin contributes to the extras.

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tenia
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Re: BD 231 Criss Cross

#13 Post by tenia » Thu Apr 09, 2020 12:47 pm

Weird. Specs state :
New audio commentary by film author Lee Gambin, and actress Rutanya Alda
New video piece on the film by film scholar Adrian Martin

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Drucker
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Re: BD 231 Criss Cross

#14 Post by Drucker » Thu Apr 09, 2020 1:06 pm

The newsletter indicates this is a 4k restoration.

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domino harvey
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Re: BD 231 Criss Cross

#15 Post by domino harvey » Thu Apr 09, 2020 1:23 pm

Shout’s was as well, so no surprise

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Ovader
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Re: BD 231 Criss Cross

#16 Post by Ovader » Thu Apr 09, 2020 1:55 pm

tenia wrote:
Thu Apr 09, 2020 12:47 pm
Weird. Specs state :
New audio commentary by film author Lee Gambin, and actress Rutanya Alda
New video piece on the film by film scholar Adrian Martin
Yes I contacted him about that and then he told me about the error. He has since posted on his FB account the following:
Important information correction for anyone thinking about buying the forthcoming Masters of Cinema release of Siodmak's great CRISS CROSS: contrary to the press release just out claiming "New audio commentary by film author Lee Gambin, and actress Rutanya Alda | New video piece on the film by film scholar Adrian Martin" - let me clarify: I'VE DONE THE AUDIO COMMENTARY. Not a "video piece".

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Re: BD 231 Criss Cross

#17 Post by cdnchris » Thu Apr 09, 2020 7:45 pm

Could it be that they're editing his commentary down to a shorter video feature that will be more of a scene-specific commentary? Because from what I can discern from another Facebook post, Gambin did do a commentary for this release.

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domino harvey
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Re: BD 231 Criss Cross

#18 Post by domino harvey » Thu Apr 09, 2020 7:50 pm

Why is Alda on the track? Does she do film criticism as well as act? Seems like an odd choice

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Re: BD 231 Criss Cross

#19 Post by cdnchris » Thu Apr 09, 2020 8:02 pm

Yeah, that one I was bewildered by as well, and was trying to find if she at least knew someone involved with the film, but I came up with nada.

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domino harvey
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Re: BD 231 Criss Cross

#20 Post by domino harvey » Thu Apr 09, 2020 8:08 pm

It looks like Kino Lorber Studio Classics has been commissioning the pair of Gambin and Alda to provide a few upcoming tracks on unrelated films, so she must be bringing something to the table. Though given how often KL go back to the same wells of content providers to let’s say middling returns, I’m not sure this can be seen as an endorsement, but who knows, maybe the two have a good rapport and knowledge base

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Re: BD 231 Criss Cross

#21 Post by swo17 » Thu Apr 09, 2020 9:51 pm

You can't not have two simultaneous commentators for a film called Criss Cross!

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Gregory
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Re: BD 231 Criss Cross

#22 Post by Gregory » Thu Apr 09, 2020 10:18 pm

I haven't had the pleasure of hearing a Gambin/Alda commentary, but if the two different reviews I read of Kino's Flame of New Orleans are even remotely on the mark, it sounds like I'd never want to:
Matt Hough wrote:Film historian Lee Gambin offers interesting observations on the film (though I didn’t appreciate the gay characters being referred to as “pansy” and “faggot” by Gambin) interrupted three times with separate comments by film historian Rutanya Alda. Both of them make occasional errors (Roland Young didn’t win the Oscar for Topper; Alda gets some of Mischa Auer’s filmography scrambled), and Alda speaks so breathlessly that her information tumbles out in all directions.
David Krauss wrote:Author and film historian Lee Gambin joins actress and film historian Rutanya Alda for a lively commentary that benefits from dual perspectives, even though the remarks were recorded separately. Gambin kicks off the discussion and performs the usual chores of providing background production information, cast and crew credits, and analyses of various themes. Alda shares some titillating trivia (whether James Stewart really impregnated Dietrich - resulting in a subsequent abortion - on the set of Destry Rides Again and whether Dietrich really slept with three members of the Kennedy family remain open to debate) as well as memories of her own personal connections to Dietrich. She also gushes over the film's costumes and praises its personnel. Alda is bubbly and breathless, and a nice contrast to the more subdued Gambin, whose professionalism complements her casual delivery.

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Godot
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Re: BD 231 Criss Cross

#23 Post by Godot » Tue Apr 14, 2020 1:26 pm

swo17 wrote:
Thu Apr 09, 2020 9:51 pm
You can't not have two simultaneous commentators for a film called Criss Cross!
And indeed the release details on Eureka's site has been updated:
- New audio commentary by film author Lee Gambin, and actress Rutanya Alda
- New audio commentary by film scholar Adrian Martin

An easy pre-order for me, paired with A Foreign Affair for discounted price.

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porquenegar
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Re: BD 231 Criss Cross

#24 Post by porquenegar » Sat Jul 04, 2020 2:30 pm

Is anyone one else having a problem with viewing this on a region-free BD player? My player has never had a problem playing any of the 150+ MOC I own, but is having trouble with both Criss Cross and a Foreign Affair. It loads the disc, I hear the sound, I see the menu, I can navigate the menu with no issue, but when the movie itself starts playing, I get sound and no video. I pulled several other MOC Region 2 BD and they played with no issue. It seems odd that my player is only having problems with these most recent two discs.

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Re: BD 231 Criss Cross

#25 Post by Glowingwabbit » Sat Jul 04, 2020 2:54 pm

porquenegar wrote:
Sat Jul 04, 2020 2:30 pm
Is anyone one else having a problem with viewing this on a region-free BD player? My player has never had a problem playing any of the 150+ MOC I own, but is having trouble with both Criss Cross and a Foreign Affair. It loads the disc, I hear the sound, I see the menu, I can navigate the menu with no issue, but when the movie itself starts playing, I get sound and no video. I pulled several other MOC Region 2 BD and they played with no issue. It seems odd that my player is only having problems with these most recent two discs.
I decided to test out both discs and they play just fine for me. Sorry that doesn't help much.
Last edited by Glowingwabbit on Sat Jul 04, 2020 3:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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