Archives For criterion

Buying physical media has been a chore lately, you gotta keep an eye out so you make sure you don’t miss your delivery because, for some reason, people cannot just leave your package any longer.

Plus, distributors are doing physical media less and less. The whole of the Indian Cinema industry has decided to phase out physical media in favor of going all in on OTT and VOD. Even enormous hits like RRR are left with no physical release, even in the West. Even Disney is letting Sony handle its physical media, which seems like the end of an era. Then there’s the whole thing about editing and disappearing media from libraries.

So these are some of the most recent -and not so recent- films that have been added to the physical library. I wish I had more disposable income because there are a bunch of titles (and upgrades) that had been added to the wishlist.

These on top of some Bluray upgrades like Sion Sono’s Love Exposure, Kalatozov’s The Cranes Are Flying, brand new Criterion’s for Los Otros and Laberinto del Fauno. Some random BR UK release for Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

Also, this post makes it so that this year is the most I’ve blogged since 2020. I’m coming for you 2019. Four posts in Feb’24 is the most continuous blogging since Aug’18.

Since I got my computer back (and found a set of hindi fonts too), I’ve been playing around with a basic Rani Mukerji Fake Criterion collection. I decided to skip Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, but include Aiyyaa. I actually like the movie a lot more than I initially did. Plus, it’s not a supporting role, so it beat out roles in Yuva, Bombay Talkies, Veer-Zaara, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or Talaash.

Fake Criterion Collection: Rani Mukerji - Aiyyaa Fake Criterion Collection: Rani Mukerji - Black

Fake Criterion Collection: Rani Mukerji - Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Fake Criterion Collection: Rani Mukerji - Paheli

Serious dramas lend themselves out for cooler Criterion covers, though I must admit that I liked the disorder in the Aiyyaa cover. And I have to apologize for the Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, I just couldn’t think of any particular symbol from the movie… but at least I got to test out that new (tricky) hindi font.

I think I might do a Sanjay Leela Bhansali set.

I haven’t done a fake Criterion fanart in a long time — possibly in over 4 years [1] — but after seeing M.F. Husain’s films, I couldn’t resist. Besides Madhuri Dixit- DUDE! Tabu as Meenaxi. I can’t possibly resist.

Fake Criterion Collection: M. F. Husain - Gaja Gamini Fake Criterion Collection: M. F. Husain - Meenaxi

I do believe that Tabu acted miles around the material that Madhuri Dixit got, and that M.F. Husain should’ve used a lot more of Madhuri’s dancing skills and charisma to get his muse concept across. Especially considering how she was his muse and all.

Full set on Flickr and MUBI.

I literally burst out laughing when I saw this on the DVD

It’s supposed to be a deleted scene from In the Mood for Love — understandable considering it totally kills that moody setting throughout the whole thing. But the part of me that laughed heartly would have loved it included…

Going through my last batch of DVDs to arrive, there’s some pretty kick-ass extras in the Criterion edition of In the Mood for Love. And why wouldn’t there be, right? It’s Criterion! Listen to Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung speaking in English is… something else. xD

There’s a quote from an essay included in the DVD that struck a chord and wanted to share

As an African-American singing in Spanish, [Nat King] Cole embodies American Culture’s ability to absorb, transform, and commodify the exotic for its own ends. In other words, America takes from the world and sells what it has borrowed back to those from whom it was taken.

In the Mood for Love
Hong Kong, 1960s Introduction
Romance and the “Yellow Peril”: Race, Sex and Discursive Strategies in Hollywood Fiction by Gina Marchetti

Amazon.com | Google Books

The Disgusting Dog Challenge!

December 23, 2010 — 5 Comments

Have been challenged by Joel~

Puppy jam :)

I generally don’t like animals because the smell bothers me, and the licking. I don’t plan to have a photo of a gross dog in here, so cute puppy dog has to do ;P

So let’s start with it, shall we?

Continue Reading…

I was re-watching the DVD for Swallowtail Butterfly that I bought after watching the film on YouTube xD – and Because I’m cheap, I bought the Hong Kong version, when the Japanese version comes with English subtitles. I don’t think it’s the DVD per se, but the way it was shot. I don’t really know what it is, it’s scratchy, and it could certainly be because the film is kinda old. However, I would like to see a clean better release by Criterion… of all of Shunji Iwai written and directed films~

Fake Criterion Collection: Shunji Iwai Collection - Love Letter

Continue Reading…

Yay! I’m done with the Garbo films that come on the TCM Garbo Signature Collection. On this batch there’s Queen Christina — my favorite just because of the line about being a bachelor xD — then there’s Anna Karenina, Camille and Ninotchka.

My favorite of this batch turned out to be Anna Karenina, even though it was the trickiest one to do. I wanted to use the train as the symbol of the film, but I couldn’t find a perfect train with the perfect smoke/steam. In the end, I ended up looking for smoke/steam alone… and I almost just use that by itself, but I thought it would look too much like the cover for Devil and the Flesh… so I made a composite image. LOL

Fake Criterion Collection: Greta Garbo Collection - Anna Karenina

I also sort of liked how Ninotchka turned out. It’s completely different to the other covers, except for the Criterion logo and titles, but like I told my friend JK when he asked why Anna Christie was the only one in color – besides whiskey not being whiskey without the color… Anna Christie was Garbo’s first Talkie, so to make it different in a “Garbo Talks” sort of way, there’s color. LOL, but you know… that may be total bull.

Fake Criterion Collection: Greta Garbo Collection - Ninotchka

Same with Ninotchka – “Garbo Laughs” and so the cover is completely different to the others. It’s got more color, the titles and signature are in black. You can check the whole Fake Criterion set on Flickr.

Just started a Greta Garbo Fake Criterion Collection, from the TCM Garbo Signature set. The only one I’m choosing not to do is Grand Hotel… and of course, the TCM archives. So I’m only missing Queen Christina, Anna Karenina, Camille and Ninotchka. ;P

My favorite fake cover… is between The Mysterious Lady and Flesh and the Devil.

Fake Criterion Collection: Greta Garbo Collection - Flesh and the Devil

In this one, I like the flame… which you know, I picked from the classic scene where they are lighting their cigarettes and the shot gets so awesome with the light. Of course, I couldn’t find a lighter, so decided to just use the flame. And in it, you can see a bit of that scene if you squint enough.

Plus, Flesh and Devil sounds so sinful and all about kinky passion. LOL Fire, right? xD

Fake Criterion Collection: Greta Garbo Collection - The Mysterious Lady

And The Mysterious Lady plays the whole spy thing. I’m not even sure if the gun fits the movie, it just looked like it did… it wasn’t too “period-like” and it wasn’t a modern shotgun.

It just didn’t feel right to use Greta Garbo and/or the movie stills. It seemed kind of… dull. That’s why I’m kind of disappointed on my version for Mata Hari. I couldn’t find a still of just the head piece, and I didn’t want to use Garbo’s face — as striking as it was — and I was about to use just the ring, but I guess it’s not really that striking.

And of course, Anna Christie plays on the whole “Gimme a whiskey!” line. After all, Garbo Talks! LOL

You can check the rest of the set here.

Just started this.

My Fake Criterion Collection