Criterion, the Beloved Country
Art films. What does that mean? Isn't all film, art? Well, I've seen some things on film that probably shouldn't have been made, period, let alone be called "art" (I'm looking at you Wicker Man). I could give you the "wikipedia definition" (funny how wikipedia has replaced Webster's) but the jist is this: art films do not follow the tried and true pattern used by most hollywood films. They are made for a few while hollywood films are made for the masses. I know that's an oversimplified explanation but it fits. Think of it in food terms (something I often do). Art films are the fine restaurant with small portions (budgets) and exotic tastes (ideals or questions), while Hollywood is McDonald's with familiar flavors (themes, structure) and high fat content (more mindless entertainment, less thought provoking). With that being said there are a couple of companies right now that are at the front of the "art film" production and they would be Masters of Cinema in the UK and Criterion in the US. I'll deal with Criterion since Masters or Cinema has very few "region free" titles ( I have one, Mad Detective).
I can thank my counterpart in this blog "T" for introducing me to Criterion. My first was actually "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". I wasn't even aware it was a Criterion to be honest. T told me of his love of Criterion and it fit me to a "t" (pardon the pun). I've been a fan of another "art house" company if you will in the jazz world. Mosaic Records does the same thing that Criterion does. Both companies lease the rights to either a specific title (as in Criterion) or a specific time period/collection of recordings (as in Mosaic). They supply the best version possible (all are remastered for lack of a better term) with many extras and each has an insightful booklet written by an expert in their respective fields. Both are not for the casual listener/viewer since they don't target mainstream artist. I'll put Criterion in the extreme category since they'll actually reprint products that are considered controversial (Salo anyone). Not much controversy in jazz.
I've got more Criterions than I care to mention (don't ask). Some of these titles are "classic" titles. Seven Samurai, M, Diabolique, The Red Shoes, Seventh Seal, 400 Blows, Breathless and Stagecoach. Most titles however are unfamiliar to the general public. Yi Yi, Double Life of Veronique, Secret Sunshine, Black Moon and so on. With Criterion they seem to cater even more to the esoteric tastes. They put out titles that I can't imagine selling very well at all. Criterion is not for everyone, but that's just fine. As an art form it's subject to it's viewer's taste. (3 naked kids with a switch running down a path smacking a hog on the ass just isn't a normal thing in any movie. I'm looking at you Black Moon) If you've never seen a Criterion movie, find someone who has unless your completely aware of what the movie is about. If you decide to "taste" some Criterions you might just discover that this "beloved country" plays an important role in the movie landscape.
I can thank my counterpart in this blog "T" for introducing me to Criterion. My first was actually "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". I wasn't even aware it was a Criterion to be honest. T told me of his love of Criterion and it fit me to a "t" (pardon the pun). I've been a fan of another "art house" company if you will in the jazz world. Mosaic Records does the same thing that Criterion does. Both companies lease the rights to either a specific title (as in Criterion) or a specific time period/collection of recordings (as in Mosaic). They supply the best version possible (all are remastered for lack of a better term) with many extras and each has an insightful booklet written by an expert in their respective fields. Both are not for the casual listener/viewer since they don't target mainstream artist. I'll put Criterion in the extreme category since they'll actually reprint products that are considered controversial (Salo anyone). Not much controversy in jazz.
I've got more Criterions than I care to mention (don't ask). Some of these titles are "classic" titles. Seven Samurai, M, Diabolique, The Red Shoes, Seventh Seal, 400 Blows, Breathless and Stagecoach. Most titles however are unfamiliar to the general public. Yi Yi, Double Life of Veronique, Secret Sunshine, Black Moon and so on. With Criterion they seem to cater even more to the esoteric tastes. They put out titles that I can't imagine selling very well at all. Criterion is not for everyone, but that's just fine. As an art form it's subject to it's viewer's taste. (3 naked kids with a switch running down a path smacking a hog on the ass just isn't a normal thing in any movie. I'm looking at you Black Moon) If you've never seen a Criterion movie, find someone who has unless your completely aware of what the movie is about. If you decide to "taste" some Criterions you might just discover that this "beloved country" plays an important role in the movie landscape.
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