October Criterions (1 Viewer)

[TimJS]

At DVDPlanet:

Le Cercle Rouge

Schizopolis

Tokyo Story

Available 10/14

Tim

 

[CraigF]

Tokyo Story is MINE!

 

[Simon_Lepine]

Yes! More Melville!!!! Wohoo!!!

I'll get Tokyo Story too, of course


Ouch to my wallet though, this fall is getting more and more expensive

 

[Jason Whyte]

Melville, Soderbergh and Ozu all on the same day. Is Criterion just about near-perfect or what?

Jason

 

[Jay E]

All 3 are definite pre-orders for me.

Now somebody please release Le Samourai!!

 

[Kenneth English]

Now somebody please release Le Samourai!!

Here here!!!

 

[Matthew_Millheiser]

*drool*

Tokyo Story.... at long last!

I feel like plotzing!

EDIT:

Here are the specs, according to DVD Planet. This could very well end up being DVD OF THE YEAR for me :

• 2-Disc Set
• New high-definition digital transfer, with restored image and sound
• Audio commentary by Ozu-film scholar David Desser, editor of Ozu’s Tokyo Story
• I Lived, But...: (1983) a two-hour documentary about the life and career of Ozu, featuring former assistant Shohei Imamura (director of The Pornographers, The Eel), critics Donald Richie and Tadao Sato, actors Chishu Ryu, Mariko Okada, Haruko Sugimura, and many more
• Talking with Ozu: a 30-minute tribute to Yasujiro Ozu featuring reflections from directors Stanley Kwan, Aki Kurasmaki, Claire Denis, Lindsay Anderson, Paul Schrader, Wim Wenders, and Hou Hsiao-Hsien
• Original theatrical trailer
• New essay by David Bordwell, author of Ozu and the Poetics of Cinema
• New and improved English subtitle translation.

 

[Jerome]

Le Cercle Rouge was not shot in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio but with the 1.66:1 aspect ratio.

I live in France and I know very well this movie. It is always shown in widescreen format on TV and the two DVD released in France (first by Film Office Editions and now by Studio Canal) are in 1.66:1 aspect ratio with a 16/9 master.





I hope this is a mistake in the press announcement.

 

[Kirk Tsai]

I saw Le Cercle Rouge in theaters this year, and it was definitly not 1.37: 1. So yeah, I hope it was just a mistake.

But drool to that Tokyo Story set....

 

[Nick Sievers]

Can't wait to pick up Schizopolis, i've been waiting a long time and its great that Criterion picked it up. I haven't seen it for a while, but what I rememeber it was delightfully bizarre.

 

[Brian PB]

Criterion is very committed to honoring the OAR of the films they release, and Le Cercle rouge will be no exception (it's far more likely that DVD Planet has made an error--"error" seems to be their middle name recently). Criterion has yet to post the official specs on their website, so this point should be clarified soon enough. This is one of Melville's best films, so I can't wait.

As for Le Samouraï, the R1 rights are owned by New Yorker, which is rumored to be working on a DVD release (though probably not before 2004). There is a decent French R2 PAL release (from TF1/René Chateau), which has been favorably reviewed at DVD Beaver, for the impatient, all-region capable among us.

I am especially drooling over Tokyo Story. I hope this is just the first of many future Ozu releases as we celebrate the centenary of his birth in 2003. In the 2002 Sight and Sound poll, Tokyo Story ranked as the 5th greatest film of all time among critics. Although most Westerners surely think of Kurosawa when they think of great Japanese directors, there are many who consider Yasujiro Ozu to be his equal (and a few who consider him a greater master). This will be only the second R1 DVD release of his extant films (compared to 13 of Kurosawa's films in print in R1). The specs for Tokyo Story look brilliant, as befits this great director.

As much as I love Steven Soderbergh, I plan to give Schizopolis a rental first, before plunking my money down.

Nice work, Criterion!

 

[Matthew_Millheiser]

I am especially drooling over Tokyo Story. I hope this is just the first of many future Ozu releases as we celebrate the centenary of his birth in 2003. In the 2002 Sight and Sound poll, Tokyo Story ranked as the 5th greatest film of all time among critics. Although most Westerners surely think of Kurosawa when they think of great Japanese directors, there are many who consider Yasujiro Ozu to be his equal (and a few who consider him a greater master). This will be only the second R1 DVD release of his extant films (compared to 13 of Kurosawa's films in print in R1). The specs for Tokyo Story look brilliant, as befits this great director.

Amen to that, Brian. I recently watched an Ozu retrospective at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. Although I was unable to catch Tokyo Story on the big screen (it sold out instantly), I was able to catch five others (An Autumn Afternoon, I Was Born But..., Record of a Tenement Gentleman, Good Morning, and Late Spring) and was utterly mesmerized by all of them. Ozu's films were "too slow" for some people there (judged by the walkouts), but most stayed and enjoyed his meditative pace, gentle humor, phenomenal shot composition and masterful storytelling abilities. (I think a basic knowledge of Japanese culture and society does help in understanding his themes)

It's a shame that more of his films haven't be released in R1. "Good Morning" has a great transfer from Criterion, but that was released 3 years ago!! I'm glad to see what's commonly acknowledged as Ozu's masterpiece being released with some wonderful extras (I'm especially interested in that 2-hour documentary about Ozu). But bring on the rest! I can't wait to see what they do with Floating Weeds!! (I'd love to see a box set containing his silent films -- the ones that have survived, that is..)

 

[Brook K]

Great news as Tokyo Story is 2nd only to Ikiru on my most wanted DVD list and getting I Lived But... is an incredible bonus.

Criterion is working on Floating Weeds now, Ebert is doing a commentary for it. I know they are releasing at least 1 more (I believe either Autumn Afternoon or Late Spring) and may have more set beyond that.

Then they have to get the lead out and release some Mizoguchi.

 

[Brandon Conway]

dvdplanet now lists 1.66:1 as the OAR of Le Cercle Rouge: CC.

 

[Pascal A]

I know they are releasing at least 1 more (I believe either Autumn Afternoon or Late Spring) and may have more set beyond that.

Could it be Early Summer, since Home Vision owned the VHS rights to that? Of course, I'm not going to complain if Late Spring or An Autumn Afternoon were released either. I do know that the New Yorker VHS license recently expired on those two though, along with Tokyo Story (which did end up with Criterion), Equinox Flower, I Was Born But..., and Record of a Tenement Gentleman, so who knows.

 

[Gary->dee]

Schizopolis! WOOHOO!

From Criterion's site:

Soderbergh to Interview Soderbergh for Schizopolis

An audio commentary featuring esteemed director Steven Soderbergh interviewing esteemed director Steven Soderbergh will appear on Criterion's upcoming DVD edition of his 1996 smash hit, Schizopolis. In the interview, Soderbergh discusses his meteoric rise to fame and his continued vitality and importance in the world of contemporary cinema. Look for Criterion’s Schizopolis this fall.



Now I'm going to go into the men's bathroom here at work and make stupid faces in the mirror.

 

[Tim_Prasuhn]

good to see Schizoplis getting the special treatment. A wonderfully nonsensical (or is it? ) movie, and a great time. Criterion is kicking some serioius ass of late.

 

[Tim_Prasuhn]

It's a thing of un-rivaled beauty.

 

[PaulP]

Tim, you missed the other posted cover:

 

[Gary->dee]

OMG they actually have a $3.99 price tag as part of the cover art? LOL That's sure gonna confuse some people!

jigsaw