Criterion Collection Oct. 2014 blu-ray titles announced

The following titles have been announced at www.criterion.com:
"My Darling Clementine"(1946), directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda, Victor Mature & Walter Brennan. Coming Oct. 14th.

"F Is For Fake"(1975), the documentary starring & directed by the legendary Orson Welles. Coming Oct. 21st.

"La Dolce Vita"(1960), the breakthrough Italian film directed by the legendary Frederico Fellini and starring Marcello Mastrioni & Anita Ekberg. Coming Oct. 21st.

"The Complete Jacques Tati"(1949-74), which covers the following films: "Jour de Fete"(1949), "Mr. Hulot's Holiday"(1953), "Mon Oncle"(1967), "Trafic"(1971) & "Parade"(1974). Coming Oct. 28th.

"The Vanishing"(1988), the French mystery-thriller directed by George Sluizer. Coming Oct. 28th.

All Criterion Collection titles come with the requisite state-of-the-art HD transfers and bells and whistles expected by hardcore cinemaphiles from the label...MSRP is $39.95, but their website is offering these titles for $31.96 or 20% off...

 

Hmmm. Already have the Criterion Tati's, so it's kind of annoying to have to buy the box just to get the ones I don't already have. (there's just no way the box will include the longer cut of 'Playtime', is there?) Not that the price is anything to complain about, just a little exhausted at all the duplications.

I'm in for 'La Dolce Vita', lukewarm about the rest. Looks like I'm gonna have enough money left over by hallowe'en to be able to leave some candy out for the kids.

And whatever happened to the long-promised extended cut of 'Blue Is The Warmest Color'?? If not the disc itself, I thought that at least we'd have some news or details by now.

 

Listed running time for "Playtime" is 124 minutes...don't know if that's the longer version you're referring to, 93curr...

 

I enjoy My Darling Clementine well enough but there are other, better Ford Westerns they could have chosen ahead of it, IMO.

 

There's also a 155-minute cut that Criterion avoided on the earlier stand-alone DVD and BluRay editions. I've never seen it, and I'm not suggesting it's better than the two-hour cut or more "director approved" than the one Criterion have already issued - they're clearly made their decision and sticking with it seems likely.

 

F for Fake in hi-def: a must-have, for me, even though I already own the Criterion and MoC DVDs. One of my all-time favourite films.

 

Re Playtime. Has this ever been released?

 

Not on home video, to the best of my knowledge.

 

• New 4K digital restoration of the theatrical release version of the film, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray

• High-definition presentation of the 103-minute prerelease version of the film

• New audio commentary featuring John Ford biographer Joseph McBride

• New interview with western historian Andrew C. Isenberg about the real Wyatt Earp

• Comparison of the two versions by the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s Robert Gitt

• New video essay by Ford scholar Tag Gallagher

• A Bandit’s Wager, a 1916 short costarring Ford and directed by his brother, Francis Ford, featuring new music composed and performed by Donald Sosin

• NBC broadcast reports from 1963 and 1975 about the history of Tombstone and Monument Valley

• Lux Radio Theatre adaptation from 1947 starring Henry Fonda and Cathy Downs

• Trailer

• PLUS: An essay by critic David Jenkins
  
  New cover by F. Ron Miller

I'm in !!! even though Hank Fonda's no Kurt Russell...

 

I really want the Tati set, but I don't want to rebuy everything to FINALLY get Jour de Fete! Thankfully, only Playtime is on Blu already.

 

Very nice!

Although I was kind of hoping they'd throw in the "Movie Tonight" episode from M*A*S*H as an extra.

"Now, this movie's a classic. It has the three things that make a movie great: horses, cowboys, and horses." — Col. Potter

 

Not much historically accurate in the movie but it sure is entertaining. I'm in too.

 

Yeah, and that's the one I paid about $50 for!

But the word on the street is that the one in the box set is a new improved transfer. Honestly, the old version looked pretty great to me already, but it does take some of the sting off.

 

I thought the existing Blu looked terrific and it was one of the first upgraded from the DVD when I bought my player. At least the other titles never came out on Blu-ray, though this box makes a triple-dip for several since I have the old Criterion Laserdisc versions as well...

You can never have too much Tati.

 

I'll be picking up 'My Darling Clementine' and 'La Dolce Vita.' Considering that 'Eraserhead' comes out in September, it looks like it may be an expensive autumn for me. Hopefully B&N will do their half-off Criterion sale in November again.

 

As much as I enjoy F is for Fake I don't see Blu-ray as being that much of an upgrade for the title.

 

This post made me stop and think, since half-off is half off the MSRP, but when I see Clementine precedes WKRP, The Sopranos, and Batman, I should proceed as planned.
Once those 3 get here, I'll be too busy to be buying any more for a while.

 

How's the currently available La Dolce Vita DVD?