Criterion September Releases (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Newcomb]

Stranger Than Paradise



Rootless Hungarian emigré Willie (John Lurie), his pal Eddie (Richard Edson), and visiting sixteen-year-old cousin Eva (Eszter Balint) always manage to make the least of any situation, whether aimlessly traversing the drab interiors and environs of New York City, Cleveland, or an anonymous Florida suburb. With its delicate humor and dramatic nonchalance, Jim Jarmusch's one-of-a-kind minimalist masterpiece, Stranger Than Paradise, forever transformed the landscape of American independent cinema. Also included in this special-edition release is Jarmusch's legendary debut feature, Permanent Vacation, a time capsule of late-seventies Manhattan, on DVD for the first time in the United States.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Jim Jarmusch
• Permanent Vacation (1980, 75 minutes), Jarmusch's first full-length feature, presented in a new, restored high-definition digital transfer supervised by the director
• Kino '84: Jim Jarmusch: a 1984 German television program featuring interviews with cast and crew from Stranger Than Paradise and Permanent Vacation
• Some Days in January, 1984, a behind-the-scenes Super-8 film by Tom Jarmusch
• Location and on-set photos
• U.S. and Japanese trailers
• PLUS: A booklet featuring Jarmusch's 1984 "Some Notes on Stranger Than Paradise," Geoff Andrew and J. Hoberman on Stranger Than Paradise, and Luc Sante on Permanent Vacation


Night on Earth



Five cities. Five taxicabs. A multitude of strangers in the night. Jim Jarmusch assembled an extraordinary international cast of actors (including Gena Rowlands, Winona Ryder, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Beatrice Dalle, and Roberto Benigni) for this hilarious quintet of tales of urban displacement and existential angst, spanning time zones, continents, and languages. Jarmusch's lovingly askew view of humanity from the passenger seat makes for one of his most charming and beloved films.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Jim Jarmusch
• Audio commentary by director of photography Frederick Elmes and location sound mixer Drew Kunin
• Q&A with Jarmusch, in which he responds to questions sent by fans
• 1992 Belgian television interview with Jarmusch
• New and improved subtitle translation
• PLUS: A booklet featuring new essays by Paul Auster, Thom Andersen, Bernard Eisenschitz, Goffredo Fofi, and Peter von Bagh, as well as the lyrics to Tom Waits' original songs from the film


Robinson Crusoe on Mars



Special-effects wunderkind and genre master Byron Haskin (The War of the Worlds, The Outer Limits) won a place in the hearts of fantasy-film lovers everywhere with this gorgeously designed journey into the unknown. When his spaceship crash-lands on the barren wastelands of Mars, U.S. astronaut Commander "Kit" Draper (Paul Mantee) must fight for survival, with a pet monkey seemingly his only companion. But is he alone? Shot in vast Techniscope and blazing Technicolor, Robinson Crusoe on Mars is an imaginative and beloved techni-marvel of classic science fiction.

Special Features

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer
• Audio commentary featuring screenwriter Ib Melchior, actors Paul Mantee and Victor Lundin, production designer Al Nozaki, Oscar-winning special effects designer and Robinson Crusoe on Mars historian Robert Skotak, and excerpts from a 1979 audio interview with director Byron Haskin
• Destination: Mars, a new video featurette by Michael Lennick detailing the science behind Robinson Crusoe on Mars
• Excerpts from Melchior's original screenplay
• New music video for Victor Lundin's song Robinson Crusoe on Mars
• Stills gallery of behind-the-scenes photos, production designs, and promotional material
• Theatrical trailer
• PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by filmmaker and space historian Michael Lennick, a Brief Yargorian Dictionary of Melchior's original alien dialect, and a list of facts about Mars included with his original screenplay


The Threepenny Opera



The sly melodies of composer Kurt Weill and the daring of dramatist Bertolt Brecht come together onscreen under the direction of German auteur G. W. Pabst (Pandora's Box) in this classic adaptation of the Weimar-era theatrical sensation. Set in the impoverished back alleys of Victorian London, The Threepenny Opera follows underworld antihero Mackie Messer (a.k.a. Mack the Knife) as he tries to woo Polly Peachum and elude the authorities. With its palpable evocation of corruption and dread, set to Weill's irresistible score, The Threepenny Opera remains a benchmark of early sound cinema. It is presented here in both its celebrated German and rare French versions.

SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES:

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer (taken from a new film restoration element from the Bundesarchiv in Germany)
• Audio commentary by scholars David Bathrick, author of The Dialectic and the Early Brecht, and Eric Rentschler, author of The Films of G. W. Pabst
• L'opera de quat'sous, Pabst's French-language version of The Threepenny Opera, starring Albert Préjean and Florelle
• A video interview with film scholar Charles O'Brien on the differences between the English and French versions
• New exclusive documentary on Threepenny's controversial journey from stage to screen to lawsuits
• Gallery of production photos by Hans Casparius
• Production sketches by art director Andre Andrejew
• New and improved English subtitle translation
• PLUS: A new essay by film critic Tony Rayns


Martha Graham: Dance on Film



One of the great artistic forces of the twentieth century, performer, choreographer, and teacher Martha Graham influenced dance worldwide. Criterion presents a sampling of her stunning craft, all collaborations with television arts-programming pioneer Nathan Kroll. A Dancer's World (1957), narrated by Graham herself, is a glimpse into her class work and methodology. Appalachian Spring (1959) and Night Journey (1960) are two complete Graham ballets, the first a celebration of the American pioneer spirit, scored by Aaron Copland, the second a powerfully physical rendering of the Oedipus myth. These are signature Graham works and tributes to the art of the human body.

SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES

•New, restored high-definition digital transfers of three films: A Dancer's World, Appalachian Spring, Night Journey
•Martha Graham: The Dancer Revealed, an American Masters documentary following Graham's career
•Side-by-side comparison, by dance critic Deborah Jowitt, of excerpts from a 1940s performance of Appalachian Spring, featuring Graham, Eric Hawkins, and Merce Cunningham, with the 1958 film
•Aaron Copland: Art in America, a short documentary by Nathan Kroll, featuring composer Aaron Copland discussing Appalachian Spring with artist Paul Jenkins
•A visual essay narrated by Kroll
•New interview with Museum of Television and Radio curator Ron Simon discussing Kroll's work and legacy
•Interviews with film editors Eleanor Hamerow and Miriam Arsham discussing their work on the three films
•New interviews with Graham company dancers Mimi Cole, Mary Hinkson, Linda Hodes, Stuart Hodes, Yuriko Kikuchi, and Ethel Winter
•Excerpts from The Martha Graham Technique, a 1975 filmed demonstration featuring company members and narrated by Graham
•16mm home-movie footage of Graham's company from their 1954 European tour
•PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by writer Joan Acocella

 

[Joe Fisher]

Yes! Yes! Yes!

 

[Jeff Newcomb]

Note that Jarmusch's Permanent Vacation is included as a suppelement on Stranger Than Paradise.

 

[Opi]

Robinson Crusoe on Mars

Finally, how long have I waited for this announcement.
YEAH, and now hopefully Criterion is able to rescue some other classics from Paramount as well.

Who owns PHASE IV (1974) ?

 

[JeffMc]

I'm assuming Criterion will get the 1.66:1 aspect ratio correct for STRANGER THAN PARADISE considering Jarmusch is apparently supervising it (the MGM disc was over-matted to 1.85:1).

Great to see the cover art for ROBINSON CRUSOE. It finally makes it "real". Can't wait for that one.

 

[Jeff Newcomb]

 

[JeffMc]

Hmm... I remember reading some reviews indicating the old MGM was over-matted at 1.85:1, but if Jarmusch says 1.85:1 is the correct ratio, who am I to argue. The imdb says 1.66:1, but we all know how incorrect that can be.

 

[Mario Gauci]

I don't know if Criterion have decided to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the DVD format in a big way from the outset but, man, 2007 has been a massive benchmark year for them...and it ain't even over yet!

Frankly, I've only watched 5 Criterion DVDs from 2007 so far - the MONSTERS AND MADMEN 4-Discer and FIRES ON THE PLAIN (1959) - but have also acquired GREEN FOR DANGER (1946), BICYCLE THIEVES (1948), THE BURMESE HARP (1956), YOJIMBO (1961)/SANJURO (1962) and MOUCHETTE (1967)!

This is not to mention all the other essential DVD releases which Criterion sprung on us throughout the year and which I've yet to pick up myself - 49TH PARALLEL (1941), BRUTE FORCE (1947), THE NAKED CITY (1948), THE THIRD MAN (1949), LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES (1950), ACE IN THE HOLE (1951), SANSHO THE BAILIFF (1954), IVAN'S CHILDHOOD (1962), IF.... (1968), ARMY OF SHADOWS (1969), THE MILKY WAY (1969), WR: MYSTERIES OF THE ORGANISM (1971) and SWEET MOVIE (1974) - and the launching of their long-awaited subsidary label, Eclipse!

And now, on top of all that, comes this newest double-header with the long-rumored THE THREEPENNY OPERA (1931/1933) and ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS (1964)! Incidentally, just today I inaugurated my new shelfing cabinet which should hold all of my 1300+ discs with, incredibly enough, some room to spare!

P.S. By the way, I just love it when Criterion releases something I have absolutely NO interest in purchasing every once in a while and, thankfully, there have been a handful of those as well this year...

 

[PaulP]

Night on Earth, yes! I suggested that to Criterion way way back

 

[Marc Colella]

Definitely Night on Earth for me.

Why oh why can't Criterion release on HD?

 

[walter o]

Paramount.

 

[Jim_K]

Ditto. Rumors are late Q3 early Q4. If we don't get an annoucement by the end of August it probably isn't going to happen until next year.

But I'll be picking up Crusoe on Mars from this batch.

 

[Brandon Conway]

What's the source of the Q3/Q4 rumors for HD? I just don't see it happening. The authoring costs are just to prohibitive for such a small company that sells few copies of their releases even on DVD.

 

[Jeff Newcomb]

Yeah, Criterion has made it pretty clear that they have no intention of entering the HD market any time soon. Until there is a clear winner in the format war, and there is a sizable installed base for that format, it just doesn't make financial sense.

Here is what Criterion president Peter Becker has to say on the subject.

 

[Jim_K]

Robert Zohn from Value Electronics who has a relationship with some high ups at Criterion. He posted a couple months ago stating they were seriously looking to decide on which HD format to release a select number of titles and would possibly make a decision this summer. Posted over at AVS but I'm not inclined to go search for it.

I have no reason to doubt him but I don't count it as firm but merely a strong possibility. I can't see how a company like Criterion wouldn't be looking into the best possible presentation of their catalog and merely be content with standard def so going HD makes perfect sense.

Robert posts in the HD areas so maybe he'll confirm here or you could ask him yourself.

 

[JPCinema]

DAYS OF HEAVEN would be a great inaugural HD DVD!!!!

 

[Jim_K]

If it comes to pass this year I'd expect to see a handful of Criterion's heavy hitters to come first - Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, The Third Man, Brazil, M, etc. Whatever titles they chose is going to have to have very broad appeal given the smaller market.

 

[Peter Neski]

I second that ,now that they have dvds with Blue ray on one side and
HD on the other,they don't even have to have three versions,Even if they
picked BR over HD ,even that would be better,At least they be giving you
a HD version at this time,instead one might either have to wait years
to pay double."Days of Heaven" would be a perfect choice
They aren't sony or Universal ,they can do what they want.

 

[Jeff_HR]

Is RCOM for sale anywhere yet???

 

[Ed St. Clair]

CC