Criterion Discussion and Random Speculation Volume 7

[Saturnome]

Such a great lineup this month, more than what my budget can afford for the eventual 50% sale, so in a way I'm still complaining.

[ryannichols7]

I was going to respond in the Quarantined thread before it got locked, but I wonder if there being fewer 4Ks is because of Trump tariffs plus pressing in Mexico…

Anyhow, potentially just The Burmese Harp for me. Great lineup though regardless.

if that was remotely true, I highly doubt the two 4K upgrades this month would've been two (relatively) obscure Japanese movies, as opposed to a Hollywood layup like Scorcese or something. that seems like a real stretch given Eureka and Radiance both announced fairly obscure 4Ks top

Fires on the Plain is just as essential as The Burmese Harp

[Michael Kerpan]

>> relatively) obscure Japanese movies

Wow, Maybe I am showing my age. But I would have considered both these films to be relatively well-known (and acclaimed) Japanese films of their era.

[Matt]

It looks like Saving Face is not even from a 4K source, so that explains the lack of a UHD for that title. And I'm guessing Compensation, Cairo Station, and the two Yangs are not high-profile enough to warrant the extra expense (and/or they decided 4K UHD wouldn't provide an appreciable improvement on the 1080p Blu-ray image on these films).

I'm personally very glad they doubled up those Yangs. I didn't particularly like them when I saw them in the late '90s and probably wouldn't take a second chance on them if they were separate releases.

[therewillbeblus]

Yeah, I’m glad they’re still interested in releasing more obscure films that aren’t 4K-ready/profitable

[ryannichols7]

>> relatively) obscure Japanese movies

Wow, Maybe I am showing my age. But I would have considered both these films to be relatively well-known (and acclaimed) Japanese films of their era.

it's funny, I definitely think of them as such and I think in the OG Criterion DVD era they were. but over time, older Japanese film knowledge centers around Kurosawa, Ozu, and maybe Mizoguchi, and otherwise it's gotta be samurai/kaiju/yakuza stuff. I feel like Ichikawa, Oshima, Naruse, Imamura etc still have their audiences but haven't broken in with the newer crowds as much just yet. hopefully that changes and these releases (and what Radiance is doing!) do a lot in that regard - I have faith they will

Yeah, I’m glad they’re still interested in releasing more obscure films that aren’t 4K-ready/profitable

same. and this is a real crowd pleasing lineup on that front, considering we have quite a lot of films that are coming straight from old DVDs to new restorations. I'm sure they will still grace us with lovely new discs for Raise the Red Lantern and Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, but I could see both of those making the 4K jump too

[rrenault]

Raise the Red Lantern is a lock for a 4K, but Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors could probably go either way I imagine.

Interestingly, it’s the first month in a while without a 4K upgrade of a film they’ve already released on Blu-ray.

[captveg]

Interestingly, it’s the first month in a while without a 4K upgrade of a film they’ve already released on Blu-ray.

It's a great trend the last couple months getting more of the DVD-only releases making the jump to BD & UHD simultaneously like the Truffaut and Ichikawa titles.

[andyli]

And that pool is dwindling fast, with rights to lots of DVD titles now lost to other labels/companies. Of the still in-print DVDs I could see these jump directly to a 4K UHD as newer restorations have since become available: the René Clair films, And God Created Woman, I Know Where I'm Going!, The Shop on Main Street, Closely Watched Train, The Last Wave, Loves of a Blonde, Pépé le moko, Il posto/I fidanzati, Salvatore Giuliano, Stray Dog, the Ozu films, Unfaithfully Yours, Viridiana, Hands Over the City, Sweet Movie, Classe tous risques, La ronde, Le deuxième souffle. But I imagine some of them will be deemed unworthy of the ultimate format.

[rrenault]

And that pool is dwindling fast, with rights to lots of DVD titles now lost to other labels/companies. Of the still in-print DVDs I could see these jump directly to a 4K UHD as newer restorations have since become available: the René Clair films, And God Created Woman, I Know Where I'm Going!, The Shop on Main Street, Closely Watched Train, The Last Wave, Loves of a Blonde, Pépé le moko, Il posto/I fidanzati, Salvatore Giuliano, Stray Dog, the Ozu films, Unfaithfully Yours, Viridiana, Hands Over the City, Sweet Movie, Classe tous risques, La ronde, Le deuxième souffle. But I imagine some of them will be deemed unworthy of the ultimate format.

I'm surprised Criterion has never released these two on blu-ray. Ordet is another one.

[DeprongMori]

If I had to pick three titles I’m hoping get a boost from DVD to UHD, they would be Salvatore Giuliano, The Spirit of the Beehive, and I Know Where I’m Going!.

Most others I’ve ended up picking up imports already.

[FrauBlucher]

3 or 4 years back, I emailed CC asking about whether we would see a Pépé le moko upgrade. To paraphrase their answer, "it's not on our schedule but it would be a title we'd be interested in upgrading." Maybe that time has come with a restoration that's been screened. So hopefully sooner than later

[captveg]

What's the rights/licensing situation for the Dreyer box set? I know it's OOP, but is it the type that could get re-licensed for a BD/UHD upgrade?

[dwk]

All three are with Janus so I assume their being OOP is due to them phasing out most of their DVDs.

[Lowry_Sam]

My picks for individual DVDs to UHD would be Great Expectations, Red Beard, The Killer or Hard Boiled. Otherwise, the Wajda, Cocteau, Teshigahara or Ophuls UHD boxes would top my box ugrade list.

[captveg]

No way Shout licenses out the Woo films they now own.

I would definitely welcome some Lean and Olivier upgrades from those earlier spine #s.

[Furstemberg]

Trouble In Paradise or bust

[Hogfather]

3 or 4 years back, I emailed CC asking about whether we would see a Pépé le moko upgrade. To paraphrase their answer, "it's not on our schedule but it would be a title we'd be interested in upgrading." Maybe that time has come with a restoration that's been screened. So hopefully sooner than later

A Pépé le moko upgrade is more likely than you think. Studiocanal just released a new restoration this February, and this is the version of the film streaming on the Criterion Channel. I don't know when they'll put this version out though, because Janus still owns the rights to this film and they haven't updated the webpage.

[Hogfather]

My picks for individual DVDs to UHD would be Great Expectations, Red Beard, The Killer or Hard Boiled. Otherwise, the Wajda, Cocteau, Teshigahara or Ophuls UHD boxes would top my box ugrade list.

It's pretty odd that Red Beard doesn't have a US blu-ray when the restoration played at Venice a full decade ago. As far as I can tell, the only place this restoration has been released on blu-ray is Spain. It's a shame that so many of Kurosawa's films have been left to languish on blu-ray, I'd hoped that Criterion would have been able to move faster with these after they started putting out 4Ks of Toho films.

[Beloved Aunt]

Didn't tenia say there was something wrong with the Pepe le Moko restoration? Or was that just the bluray he was criticizing?

[tenia]

Heavily frozen grain on the French BD, which I doubt isn't baked-in the restoration.

[Stefan Andersson]

About El Cid, someone reportedly bought the titles that Weinstein personally owned, I assume we'll find out who bought them whenever Dogma gets announced.

Dogma is now owned by Alessandra Williams.
https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2025 ... vin-smith/

[dwk]

Wes Anderson 10-film Boxset is incoming

[knives]

I’m doubtful, but that would cover everything until Asteroid City including two features not yet in the collection.

[therewillbeblus]

They'll probably make this a 4K boxset and not upgrade each title individually