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Criterion's Twitter: "We're sending out a newsletter shortly... Are you subscribed?"

Did anyone just get the "newsletter" aka, "a page full of 3 Reasons videos of films most of us own so we care nothing about, and they already posted all these videos before, yet they feel the need to send us all of them in a thing called a newsletter"?

Yeah, that was just a tad disappointing. Frankly, I'd rather see that Criterion had just friended Theo Angelopoulos; that'd be worthwhile news!

Criterion tweeted the following

Just shot a closet video with the man of the hour, Guy Maddin! Now to edit...

dwk wrote:Criterion tweeted the following

Just shot a closet video with the man of the hour, Guy Maddin! Now to edit...

My Winnipeg, The Saddest Music in the World, or both?

None, they just like having him over.

Prob a top 10 list for free Criterions.

I sent the following email to Guy:
Criterion just posted that you were picking out dvds in their gift closet. Does this mean that either My Winnipeg or The Saddest Music in the World is currently being worked on? They usually post these videos as sort of a teaser of a forthcoming release (I'm hoping for both films)

His response:
Alas, it means nothing. I was just visiting the offices and they let all visitors into the closet. I got greedy.

I had emailed him last summer about these two films as well. His reply then was:
I really wish my IFC films, the ones you mention, would come out on Criterion, but they won't, alas. Sigh.

Peter Becker probably considers these to be "minor" Maddin and passed on them. (I actually though My Winnipeg was a far better movie than Brand Upon the Brain!) Maybe we should expect Criterion editions of The Human Centipede and Hannah Takes the Stairs instead? They seem more suited to Becker's tastes. meh.

Remember, the guy's favorite movie is The Last Emperor. So it shouldn't come as any surprise that he's not into Kiarostami, Rivette, Chabrol, Maddin, et. al.

Time to bitch...where the hell is Rossellini-Bergman films? Peter????

Wait until Friday to bitch at the very least.

ianungstad wrote:Alas, it means nothing. I was just visiting the offices and they let all visitors into the closet. I got greedy.

Oh what it would be like to be rich and famous instead of poor and having to pay $30 for a movie.

Pardon my ignorance, but who is this Peter Becker? Head-honcho over at Criterion HQ I take it?

MitchPerrywinkle wrote:Pardon my ignorance, but who is this Peter Becker? Head-honcho over at Criterion HQ I take it?

Peter Becker and Jonathan Turrell own Criterion/Janus Films. They took over after their fathers Saul Turrell and William Becker retired. It's a family business!

I posted a question on their facebook asking if Peter Becker likes Rivette, Rocha, Garrel, etc and they took it off in 5 mins. Wasn't a smart*** comment. Minor, but not smart***.

Yeah, let's be antagonistic toward the president of the company that has put out stellar editions of hundreds of films that we love.

Can't ask a question to see what the pres likes, to know what we should expect in the future? Or is the Facebook wall for requesting blu upgrades all the time and cover art complaining?

I think asking a person if he likes a number of directors is fine, but on a Facebook page that's for the company he's running and where the potential for a flurry of arguments among fanboys is high? That might be pushing your luck.

There are better ways to ask that sort of thing. Be sensitive, ask how you would like to be asked. It's probably also helpful to say Criterion rather than Becker.

I understand. But Criterion responded to me nicely twice in a month on facebook (rarely happens to anyone), so I wasn't trying to be hateful. They don't e-mail me replies hardly anymore, so Criterion's facebook was the reason I even signed up for that site.

I generally get the impression that Criterion doesn't like to name names in terms of who's behind the scenes supporting whatever project and who likes or hates what- I mean, the one name everyone has (Jon Mulvaney) may well be mythical, and more or less all the lengthy writing about any given movie is done by an outsider.

Could be. I'm serious though, I wasn't trying to bash the guy (like some of the posts I see on here does). I seriously just asked the question to see if a yes would show that they do try for those films, instead of everybody's rip of him just going for IFC titles. If anything, it could of helped his image a little (if they said yes. If they deleted it because he doesn't like those films, we won't know.). But whatever, we get what we get from Criterion, and I'll watch films in sections on youtube.

Especially given the recent Tiny Furniture/Certified Copy debacle, any reference to Becker, his personal tastes, or the word "minor" are going to be seen as a dig, and I don't blame them for removing the comment--it would just stir up more animosity. A much more constructive way to voice your opinions would be to gush about the Rocha, Garrel, etc. films you love and then just say you would love it if Criterion were to release them (paying them the compliment that when they release a film, it's an honor to that film). While they may not respond to your comment, I understand that they read everything, and they're surely more apt to be receptive to your recommendations if you go about them this way.

Also, it's silly to suggest that one person calling the shots there isn't into Kiarostami, Rivette, etc. when they've already either released or promised to release some films by these directors.

I'm sure that for every film that someone here might think it incontrovertibly belongs in the Collection, there's another perfectly rational person here with decent taste in film that would disagree, and yes, those people work at Criterion too. Deal with it.

swo17 wrote:Yeah, let's be antagonistic toward the president of the company that has put out stellar editions of hundreds of films that we love.

Exactly. Being pushy is always a great way to get a response from them.

Tribe wrote:

swo17 wrote:Yeah, let's be antagonistic toward the president of the company that has put out stellar editions of hundreds of films that we love.

Exactly. Being pushy is always a great way to get a response from them.

Seems to be okay here.

I just ventured over to the Facebook page and read it. Amazing how insufferable it has become over the past 6 months.