As a major fan of Albert Brooks as an actor, I am ecstatic to have two of his more notable films join the collection. Definitely will blind buy both as I am so excited to watch both Mother and Real Life
People complain about 'weak months' when they haven't heard of the titles. Sadly, a vocal minority don't see this as a chance to get into some new filmmakers and prefer to moan about the lack of a new big title (not counting the 4k upgrades). They seem to forget that Criterion don't release a Risky Business or Raging Bull every month.
Yeah that's kind of the point of Criterion isn't it? Classics, quality is always there. But a focus on getting eyes on films that might not be obvious choices for home media releases.
Not to mention, how long have they been announcing 5 or so releases a month every single month? With that kind of release schedule for any label, there's bound to be a fair number of months in there that don't pique your interest that much.
Exactly I look to boutique labels to curate my film selection, not just restore films I already love. ( however I am still a sucker for some of these more mainstream releases they’ve had)
Ever since getting into physical media channels and forums, one of the things that has shocked me the most is seeing so much discourse around "bad months" or even "bad years". I've long since followed the Criterion announcements, but it never bothered me, not even once, that I didn't see a title I was looking forward to. There's always next month! Or even next year! Every release isn't for you! Nor should it fucking be! Every release has it's audience! Spend more time complaining about poor QC practices and less about your favorite movie taking too long to hit the collection! The same goes for a distributer like VinSyn. Stop complaining that they're not releasing more crowd pleasers for fucks sake! They have their audience and they serve it very well! But it's not you! (or me)
After going down the Albert Brooks rabbit hole last year, "Real Life" has been a big one on my wishlist so getting 4k upgrades of that and "Mother" in the same month makes it a great month for me (though probably less so for my wallet)!
Mother getting a Criterion release, and a 4K Criterion release no less, is absolutely WILD. I’ve watched all of Albert Brooks films in the last year or so since blind buying Lost In America, and as enjoyable as Mother is, it just doesn’t seem like a Criterion level movie to me at all. Real Life makes perfect sense though.
Personally, as a major Asian cinephile It’s just always a huge month for me whenever any new films from Asian countries get new releases. So Perfect Days and Farewell My Concubine were really what got me excited as hell. So, for what I want personally I’d say it’s a “weak” slate. But no matter what I’ll always respect and love the criterion mission of getting great movies someone may have never heard of in their hands. So that’s just a win anyway ya shake it!
It's not up to the same standard of the previous few months of announcements. Still, I've been waiting for Mother on BluRay for a long time, it's another classic from Brooks & has my favourite Debbie Reynolds role.
I get the sentiment a lot of people have been echoing and this is a bit of a lighter month for me, but also there's things that weren't even on my radar beforehand that I'm now interested in picking up which is always a win imo
I'm kinda with you on The Last Emperor; I have the Criterion Blu-ray, Eagle (Italy) 3D, and Arrow (UK LE) 4K. I do have a region-free 4K player, so there's not much room for Criterion to improve on the Arrow/Turbine transfers. Still, most Americans should see two major improvements over the Criterion Blu-ray: (a) 2.35:1 OAR instead of Vittorio Storaro's retconned 2.0:1 AR, and (b) the extended TV version on Blu-ray & hopefully 4K (the Arrow LE & I believe Turbine were the first Blu-rays of that version). I probably will buy it eventually (50% off flash or B&N sale) just because it's the U.S. edition.
I bought The Last Emperor in 2005 (Director's cut DVD), 2008 (Criterion DVD), 2020 (Criterion Bluray) and, recently, the Arrow Ultra Hi-Def Blu-ray version. I'm good for now.
I already have the Arrow Video 4k of The Last Emperor but will probably get the Criterion too but more for the extras! Havn't seen the german edition but won't bother with it anyway. But I'm also hyped for "Not A Pretty Picture" and "Brief Encounters" not because I have seen them but because they really seem to be very powerful cinema I wouldn't hear of if it wasn't for Criterion!
The Arrow UK Last Emperor is good enough for me. Apprently I read that the Criterion won't have the original theatrical stereo? Not that I'm a stickler for these things.
Arrow Video already release The Last Emperor on 4k and it's a stunning transfer that is guaranteed to look better than the inferior Criterion 4ks. Stick to your Arrow 4ks folks for that one.
I'm actually keen to check out the Albert Brooks 4ks. Nobody else would give us those but Criterion so let's appreciate that. Criterion will have some "bigger" titles coming later in the year I'm sure.
Unpopular opinion I imagine, but maybe it's time for Criterion to raise their prices. Their price has been forty dollars for a blu ray for a very long time, and I think the quality of the films released is showing the shrinkflation. For example, I really don't see how Mother or To Die For are worthy of a Criterion release. Plus the extra features have been bare bones for awhile. I see Kino doing 4K releases of Scarlet Street, The Usual Suspects, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and High Noon and I wonder why Criterion no longer has releases of that caliber. I used to be excited for the news of the monthly Criterion releases, but lately my enthusiasm has been waning.
I agree... or would agreed if I didn't live abroad in Brazil. Criterion and other boutique labels cost a fortune here! But, Yes, there are several films I don't know what they are doing in Criterion catalog.
I will be purchasing Mother, Real Life and Last Emporer. The two Brooks films make this a banger month for me. Really excited and, in the case of Mother, really surprised. I love Mother!
Well we did get the 4k here of The Last Emporer from Arrow, but I am big fan of Albert Brooks so I welcome both those titles I got the DVD of Mother so will upgrade that, to add to my collection I did get Modern Romance on Indicator. I also welcome the Muratova films. I did see Martha Coolidge film a few years back interesting film - and that new release of Valley Girl is great I’ve got that.
The problem with The Last Emperor previous 4K releases is the region B lock on the blu-rays included on the set. This Criterion set apparently has 3 disc unlike the Arrow release, so that may also be a reason to buy it. I am looking forward to this release.
I guess this is what we get for having a killer prior month. I really don't care at all about these announcements, tho I will grab Last Emperor as I've eyed it for a while to purchase but never pulled the trigger.
THE LAST EMPEROR was the first blu-ray release in the Criterion Collection in the USA - and it looked terrible; the stereo soundtrack didn't kick in until the last quarter of the picture as well. I don't know if they ever corrected the audio problem. I prefer the more luxurious packaging on the other 4K versions, so will probably go with the Arrow. I have an Italian release that contains the 3D restoration approved by Bertolucci and shown at Cannes in 2013 and that's still a fun watch for me as well. I am glad that Criterion apparently has a relationship with Albert Brooks, whose films are all comedic gems. LOST IN AMERICA, his best in my opinion, and DEFENDING YOU LIFE have already been released by Criterion in the US.
None of them excite me, but none of these labels owe me anything. They can't please everyone all the time so it's not worth stressing over. The more exciting months will come when they come.
I feel like people are disappointed and say it's a weak month or whatever when they aren't familiar with the titles, when they're isn't anything they are specifically excited for. But that's part of the point of these boutique labels- to help showcase films and filmmaking. I hope those who complain and are disappointed don't completely write off such announcements and still check out the unfamiliar titles and discover new films and filmmakers to like, love, and be excited about and interested in. And I hope there are people who are so happy about every release! Someone's so-called 'unexciting title' is someone else's Thelma & Louise, Risky Business, The Princess Bride, or whatever. We shouldn't be expecting huge titles in every announcement and I don't think it should be a disappointment when there isn't one. It's like people forget about having a neutral response when they aren't personally into or familiar with them. Honestly, this is something I've noticed more of over the past year or so- not _necessarily_ that it's happening more, I'm just noticing it more- the negative comments particularly when it comes to Criterion (under their social media posts mostly). I understand criticism but some people are downright disrespectful and come off as entitled.
Not a weak batch of releases to me. People love to complain. I like that Criterion has updated their blu ray of the last emperor and yeah im excited for the albert brooks films coming out. Havent seen either of them. But now im faced with the question do i support Criterion or do i go with Arrow for the last emperor. That thick box release by Arrow looks very attractive 😊
Definitely NOT a weak month IMO, but would be nice to see some 4k UHD Kurosawa movies in the pipeline. Appreciate your recommendations of the Kira Muratova movies thank you Elliot. Not a Director I am familiar with and will definitely check them out.
![ОРБАН приехал к ПУТИНУ и "отчитался" о поездке в Киев 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_0ukDovOWq8/mqdefault.jpg)
Real Life is one of THE best comedies of the 70s. Mother is also great. I am thrilled!
As a major fan of Albert Brooks as an actor, I am ecstatic to have two of his more notable films join the collection. Definitely will blind buy both as I am so excited to watch both Mother and Real Life
People complain about 'weak months' when they haven't heard of the titles. Sadly, a vocal minority don't see this as a chance to get into some new filmmakers and prefer to moan about the lack of a new big title (not counting the 4k upgrades). They seem to forget that Criterion don't release a Risky Business or Raging Bull every month.
Yeah that's kind of the point of Criterion isn't it? Classics, quality is always there. But a focus on getting eyes on films that might not be obvious choices for home media releases.
Not to mention, how long have they been announcing 5 or so releases a month every single month? With that kind of release schedule for any label, there's bound to be a fair number of months in there that don't pique your interest that much.
Exactly I look to boutique labels to curate my film selection, not just restore films I already love. ( however I am still a sucker for some of these more mainstream releases they’ve had)
You think the majority of Criterion buyers wanted Risky Business?
Ever since getting into physical media channels and forums, one of the things that has shocked me the most is seeing so much discourse around "bad months" or even "bad years". I've long since followed the Criterion announcements, but it never bothered me, not even once, that I didn't see a title I was looking forward to. There's always next month! Or even next year! Every release isn't for you! Nor should it fucking be! Every release has it's audience! Spend more time complaining about poor QC practices and less about your favorite movie taking too long to hit the collection! The same goes for a distributer like VinSyn. Stop complaining that they're not releasing more crowd pleasers for fucks sake! They have their audience and they serve it very well! But it's not you! (or me)
Preach
August and December are typically not as big title driven months, as people are in a spending hangover from the B&N 50% sale.
We do need some breathing room to financially recover after a sale!
I agree with you both. July is going to hurt .
Criterion, put out Barry Lyndon in 4K. Everything else can burn!
After going down the Albert Brooks rabbit hole last year, "Real Life" has been a big one on my wishlist so getting 4k upgrades of that and "Mother" in the same month makes it a great month for me (though probably less so for my wallet)!
Mother getting a Criterion release, and a 4K Criterion release no less, is absolutely WILD.
I’ve watched all of Albert Brooks films in the last year or so since blind buying Lost In America, and as enjoyable as Mother is, it just doesn’t seem like a Criterion level movie to me at all.
Real Life makes perfect sense though.
Just wait for the Jean Eustache box set from Criterion- that is the holy grail of holy grails. You heard it here first.
Personally, as a major Asian cinephile It’s just always a huge month for me whenever any new films from Asian countries get new releases. So Perfect Days and Farewell My Concubine were really what got me excited as hell. So, for what I want personally I’d say it’s a “weak” slate.
But no matter what I’ll always respect and love the criterion mission of getting great movies someone may have never heard of in their hands. So that’s just a win anyway ya shake it!
It's not up to the same standard of the previous few months of announcements. Still, I've been waiting for Mother on BluRay for a long time, it's another classic from Brooks & has my favourite Debbie Reynolds role.
I'm very excited to finally see it! Cheers
I'd like to see Elia Suleiman's films get the Criterion treatment.
Oh. I don’t think so. I’m excited about the Last Emperor and Mother.
The 4K restoration of The Last Emperor is stunning. Enjoy when it arrives!
@@ElliotCoen I saw it in the theater in 88 as I am a huge Peter O’Toole fan. Haven’t seen it in hi def yet. Looking forward to UHD
I get the sentiment a lot of people have been echoing and this is a bit of a lighter month for me, but also there's things that weren't even on my radar beforehand that I'm now interested in picking up which is always a win imo
I'm kinda with you on The Last Emperor; I have the Criterion Blu-ray, Eagle (Italy) 3D, and Arrow (UK LE) 4K. I do have a region-free 4K player, so there's not much room for Criterion to improve on the Arrow/Turbine transfers. Still, most Americans should see two major improvements over the Criterion Blu-ray: (a) 2.35:1 OAR instead of Vittorio Storaro's retconned 2.0:1 AR, and (b) the extended TV version on Blu-ray & hopefully 4K (the Arrow LE & I believe Turbine were the first Blu-rays of that version). I probably will buy it eventually (50% off flash or B&N sale) just because it's the U.S. edition.
I bought The Last Emperor in 2005 (Director's cut DVD), 2008 (Criterion DVD), 2020 (Criterion Bluray) and, recently, the Arrow Ultra Hi-Def Blu-ray version. I'm good for now.
Love Albert Brooks and can't wait for these two.
I already have the Arrow Video 4k of The Last Emperor but will probably get the Criterion too but more for the extras! Havn't seen the german edition but won't bother with it anyway. But I'm also hyped for "Not A Pretty Picture" and "Brief Encounters" not because I have seen them but because they really seem to be very powerful cinema I wouldn't hear of if it wasn't for Criterion!
We need weak months, all these releases is getting expensive. Don't mind some breaks along a year to catch up on other releases
The Arrow UK Last Emperor is good enough for me. Apprently I read that the Criterion won't have the original theatrical stereo? Not that I'm a stickler for these things.
I would like to see The Sheltering Sky from Bertolucci on 4k
I am happy, I love Albert Brooks films.
Arrow Video already release The Last Emperor on 4k and it's a stunning transfer that is guaranteed to look better than the inferior Criterion 4ks. Stick to your Arrow 4ks folks for that one.
Also 5.1 with Arrow. Only get a 2.0 audio track from Criterion
I'm actually keen to check out the Albert Brooks 4ks. Nobody else would give us those but Criterion so let's appreciate that. Criterion will have some "bigger" titles coming later in the year I'm sure.
Best option is the 4-disc Turbine 4K HDR of Der Letzte Kaiser (Last Emperor), already available in their shop.
Unpopular opinion I imagine, but maybe it's time for Criterion to raise their prices. Their price has been forty dollars for a blu ray for a very long time, and I think the quality of the films released is showing the shrinkflation. For example, I really don't see how Mother or To Die For are worthy of a Criterion release. Plus the extra features have been bare bones for awhile. I see Kino doing 4K releases of Scarlet Street, The Usual Suspects, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and High Noon and I wonder why Criterion no longer has releases of that caliber. I used to be excited for the news of the monthly Criterion releases, but lately my enthusiasm has been waning.
I agree... or would agreed if I didn't live abroad in Brazil. Criterion and other boutique labels cost a fortune here! But, Yes, there are several films I don't know what they are doing in Criterion catalog.
I will be purchasing Mother, Real Life and Last Emporer. The two Brooks films make this a banger month for me. Really excited and, in the case of Mother, really surprised. I love Mother!
Real Life was SO ahead of its time. Mother is the only Brooks film I do not have a physical copy of.
Well we did get the 4k here of The Last Emporer from Arrow, but I am big fan of Albert Brooks so I welcome both those titles I got the DVD of Mother so will upgrade that, to add to my collection I did get Modern Romance on Indicator. I also welcome the Muratova films. I did see Martha Coolidge film a few years back interesting film - and that new release of Valley Girl is great I’ve got that.
The problem with The Last Emperor previous 4K releases is the region B lock on the blu-rays included on the set. This Criterion set apparently has 3 disc unlike the Arrow release, so that may also be a reason to buy it. I am looking forward to this release.
For me, I hate it when there are no new commentary tracks 😔
I guess this is what we get for having a killer prior month. I really don't care at all about these announcements, tho I will grab Last Emperor as I've eyed it for a while to purchase but never pulled the trigger.
THE LAST EMPEROR was the first blu-ray release in the Criterion Collection in the USA - and it looked terrible; the stereo soundtrack didn't kick in until the last quarter of the picture as well. I don't know if they ever corrected the audio problem. I prefer the more luxurious packaging on the other 4K versions, so will probably go with the Arrow. I have an Italian release that contains the 3D restoration approved by Bertolucci and shown at Cannes in 2013 and that's still a fun watch for me as well. I am glad that Criterion apparently has a relationship with Albert Brooks, whose films are all comedic gems. LOST IN AMERICA, his best in my opinion, and DEFENDING YOU LIFE have already been released by Criterion in the US.
None of them excite me, but none of these labels owe me anything. They can't please everyone all the time so it's not worth stressing over.
The more exciting months will come when they come.
Real Life is day one.
I was underwhelmed. Especially considering last month.
Last Emperor is a masterpiece but I already own the criterion blu ray.
I don't know any of these movies. :(
I hope they continue to release Albert Brook’s films. He’s a master director.
I feel like people are disappointed and say it's a weak month or whatever when they aren't familiar with the titles, when they're isn't anything they are specifically excited for. But that's part of the point of these boutique labels- to help showcase films and filmmaking. I hope those who complain and are disappointed don't completely write off such announcements and still check out the unfamiliar titles and discover new films and filmmakers to like, love, and be excited about and interested in. And I hope there are people who are so happy about every release! Someone's so-called 'unexciting title' is someone else's Thelma & Louise, Risky Business, The Princess Bride, or whatever. We shouldn't be expecting huge titles in every announcement and I don't think it should be a disappointment when there isn't one. It's like people forget about having a neutral response when they aren't personally into or familiar with them. Honestly, this is something I've noticed more of over the past year or so- not _necessarily_ that it's happening more, I'm just noticing it more- the negative comments particularly when it comes to Criterion (under their social media posts mostly). I understand criticism but some people are downright disrespectful and come off as entitled.
Not a weak batch of releases to me. People love to complain. I like that Criterion has updated their blu ray of the last emperor and yeah im excited for the albert brooks films coming out. Havent seen either of them. But now im faced with the question do i support Criterion or do i go with Arrow for the last emperor. That thick box release by Arrow looks very attractive 😊
Mother was a letdown for me. At least it’s better than Brooks’ next one, The Muse.
Definitely NOT a weak month IMO, but would be nice to see some 4k UHD Kurosawa movies in the pipeline. Appreciate your recommendations of the Kira Muratova movies thank you Elliot. Not a Director I am familiar with and will definitely check them out.
The only bad thing about Real Life is that it releases the month AFTER the Barnes & Noble sale.
Nothing important, maybe Last Emperor. I must save money, I overspent on films. So there are no temptations ahead.
Criterion encode...boo!!!!
For me. Very weak.