400 BLOWS re-release by Criterion (1 Viewer)

[Ted Todorov]

Why not "Big Illusion", since big has no positive connotations?

Ted

 

[Rob FM]

Not to get this thread too far off topic, but The 400 Blows DVD will be re-released by Criterion.
~Rob

 

[Rich Malloy]

Rob, how do you know? And any idea whether it'll include the same raft of features (or possibly more - say, beginning with subs for the French commentary)?

I've got the original, which I wouldn't mind unloading now if I can be sure about a new one.

 

[Ted Todorov]

Rob, how do you know? And any idea whether it'll include the same raft of features (or possibly more - say, beginning with subs for the French commentary)?

Rich,
Criterion is certainly planning a 400 Blows re-release, their reps were quoted in the trade press saying they had gotten the rights from Wellspring for that plus Jules and Jim, Claire's Knee, My Night at Maude's as well as a couple of Fassbinder movies.
What will be on the actual DVD though, at this point is pure speculation. They may decided to compete with the MK2 release and greatly improve the extras. They may just do a new transfer. They may re-release their old disk. Who knows??
Ted

 

[Jon Robertson]

I e-mailed Jon Mulvaney, Criterion's PR-guy, to ask about subtitles on the French commentary track.

When he gets back to me, I'll let you all know.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Truffaut, Rohmer, and Fassbinder... oh my!

 

[StevenA]

Why not "Big Illusion", since big has no positive connotations?

Ted, good question, but I suppose "Big Illusion" doesn't sound very sophisticated
Oh, and more on topic, I can't wait for the fruits of the Criterion/Wellspring deal!

 

[Rob Tomlin]

So, did anything ever come of Criterion re-releasing The 400 Blows?

 

[Jean-Michel]

So, did anything ever come of Criterion re-releasing The 400 Blows?

Um.....

 

[Justin W]

Did anything ever come of Jules and Jim?

 

[Rob Tomlin]

Bummer, it's only available in a 5 disc box set for $99.00.

 

[MartinTeller]

I had it in my Netflix queue, and got an email yesterday saying they can no longer offer it. :frowning:

 

[Rob Tomlin]

I received the same email Martin, that's what prompted my inquiry!

 

[Brian PB]

As usual, the online price is substantailly lower than the retail (e.g., it can be had for under $70 from Digital Eyes). I love The 400 Blows. I don't think any of Truffaut's subsequent films with the Antoine Doinel character equal the first (and the last one, Love on the Run is pretty awful). Yet I still think The Adventures of Antoine Doinel box set is one of Criterion's 2 or 3 best releases. Ever.
If it's within your budget, it's worth every penny.

 

[Lars Vermundsberget]

I watched this set a few weeks ago and, as a whole, I think it's great. In my opinion, there's hardly any reason to be sorry that The 400 Blows is available in this set only. I watched The 400 Blows (with Antoine & Collette), Stolen Kisses and Bed and Board in one long "sitting". Then I saved Love on the Run and the extras disc for a few days later. Saving Love on the Run for later was suggested by someone at the Criterion Collection Forum and it made sense to me.

According to most reviews, The 400 Blows seems to be THE masterpiece of the lot. Even though I think it was very good, it didn't stand out that much to me, but I've only watched it that one time so far, so maybe I'll learn to appreciate it even more eventually.

Stolen Kisses is not considered a masterpiece, but still very good - and I agree. Having finished it, I still had a very good feeling about the set.

Bed and Board is considered not great but just OK. Still not bad enough to ruin my good feeling about the set. Then I called it a day.

Love on the Run is usually characterized as "awful", so, apparently, the Antoine Doinel saga started with a masterpiece and then went downhill from there. I didn't think it was that terrible, though. But it's very much possible that it would have been a major disappointment if watched together with the rest of the "series". So - get the preceding films on a distance and expect the worst. Then you might find Love on the Run watchable, at least.

All in all - highly recommended. But you should read a review first.

 

[WillardK]

This is one I would have bought on it's own, but like some others I'm not interested in the whole set. It is a shame, I think, that Criterion doesn't offer individual discs from their boxed sets ala the Hitchock set (which was done after the fact). A suggestion to view a series of seperate but connected films is fine, but I don't like being forced to shell out money for films I have no interest in or don't like in order to have the one I do. It's a sort of cultural tyranny and I won't give in! This is the reason I have neither 400 Blows nor Sunrise.
If it's within your budget, you can afford it... but it doesn't necessarily make it worthwhile.

 

[rich_d]

Criterion has made a lot of good DVD moves but I also question the box set approach.
Certainly the Antoine Doinel is a theme set so it is not a disconnected set (like the Hitch set - just made up of films Criterion happened to have rights to). Even then the Hitch titles were all available separately - so the box set is just a marketing option.
Seems to me films available only as box sets could be a barrier to entry for many movie lovers because of the cost. Why not separate them so that the movie lover gain entry to the films and then (if they love them) seek out the others? If CC wants to offer them as a box set (as well) so be it.
I personally wonder whether Criterion would sell more units if separated then together. I doubt that I would ever have tried a expensive Melville or Tati box set - but certainly enjoyed the individual films that CC has offered and now look forward to more titles.

 

[Brian PB]

The thing is, this set (like their recent Fassbinder trilogy set) is fully integrated. It is designed as an organic whole, not as a box of 4 or 5 parts. The care that went into every aspect of the design and execution (including the SEVENTY-TWO page booklet) is simply astounding. I think Criterion made the right decision with this box. They had already released The 400 Blows by itself in the past, and an affordable version from Fox Lorber was plentiful, too. So they decided to marshall their resources and create a set to surpass anything they'd done before. Bravo.

 

[WillardK]

So, only those wanting the entire set are deserving of the superior transfer?

That Fassbinder set is wonderful. But even there, why not offer the films seperately? We're not talking Dekalog here, I mean they ARE very individual films as are the Truffauts. And as blasphemous as it may sound, some of us are even familiar with all in question and STILL only want to re-view one or two favorites. I just think we should have that option. Especially since the discs are so expensive. There's a sort of coffee table book mentality to it all. I tend to make my purchases more deliberately.

 

[Justin W]

Seems to me films available only as box sets could be a barrier to entry for many movie lovers because of the cost.

All four films are still available from Fox Lorber for a little over $10 a piece.