Kubrick movies are mostly popular with the public and thus their rights are extremely expensive to obtain, hence making them unaffordable for a smaller company like Criterion.
The Criterion Collection has no pretense to be some sort of canon. It is merely a distribution company that releases mainly hard-to-find titles. Criterion has no reason to release all those Kubrick films that any consumer can already find so easily.
Are we discussing Spartacus?
Christopher, probably. I didn’t know until I saw your post though.
As Brian said, his films are easily available. There are way too many important films that are unavailable that Criterion would be better off distributing.
Well I think Criterion should release Barry Lyndon on Blu Ray since that film screams it needs one. But there is no reason at all for them to release the films that recently got fantastic DVDs.
Here, here Drew!
Everbody sign this petition to try to get Criterion to persuade WB to release “Lyndon”!!!! Show Warner we care.
http://www.petitiononline.com/BL1975/petition.html
When asked why it was decided to exclude “Barry Lyndon” from the latest box of re-releases, Jan Harlan said that he couldn’t find any substantial extras to go along with it, so he decided not to bother. I don’t see the Kubrick estate pressing a blu release of this any time soon: most of the people close to him seem to agree with the “general public” that it’s his weakest major effort, because they only ever talk about how hard it was on him to make little money, or how hard he worked on it, etc. I think it’s his best film. I think it’s one of the best films. So I think Criterion would be wise to purchase the right to distribute Barry, and I’m sure that the people in power would agree they’re the best company to do this, considering their targeted audience. Perhaps The Auteurs should start a poll for this.
Anyways, yeah, don’t get too worked up about popular films that aren’t in the Collection. It’s not a judgment of their quality. We risk raising a generation that doesn’t know any Kurosawa or Bergman that hasn’t got a Criterion spine number, or doesn’t know any Griffith at all, etc. Clockwork et al have just fine releases as it is.
Petitions never do anything. Maybe try pledging money?
Also, seems like Drew was one of the first people to sign that petition.
I started a petition in 4th grade to let the 4th graders play handball with the 5th graders. I got a ton of 4th graders to march up to the office with this piece of paper with a ton of signatures, and I gave it to the lady working in the office. The next week 4th graders could play handball with the 5th graders.
SO DON’T TELL ME PETITIONS DON’T WORK!!!!!!
But ya they usually don’t work.
The best part is that my ACO and EWS were cheap and the 2 disc special editions!
“Lyndon” deserves such a treatment.
Yes, it does, but there are many films you might also think deserve that treatment if they were even available for you to see. Why spend so much time petitioning for a beautified version of Barry Lyndon when other films, equally deserving, are rotting away in some warehouse while Barry Lyndon is sitting on your shelf?
“I started a petition in 4th grade to let the 4th graders play handball with the 5th graders. I got a ton of 4th graders to march up to the office with this piece of paper with a ton of signatures, and I gave it to the lady working in the office. The next week 4th graders could play handball with the 5th graders.”
Jesus Christ man!
Don’t get riled if I ever call you pretentious again. I’m from Connecticut and even I don’t play handball. And at the age of 10? geez.
I think Criterion still to get managed to get Kubrick’s best film into their catalogue. Spartacus remains my favourite Kubrick, followed by his amazing Lolita. Barry Lydon is probably the best of his later work.
Mary: “I’m from Philadelphia, and in Philadelphia we believe in God …”
Issak: “Yeah, you said that the other day, and I didn’t know what the hell it meant then, either.”
Somehow the Connecticut/handball analogy has to fit with this …
well, few sports are more preppy than handball.
maybe just crew and squash (which is practically handball to begin with)
and to a lesser extent lacrosse.
That’s pretty judgmental. Drew’s a nice guy and not pretentious at all.
He’s passionate about good film and handball, give the guy a break.
I think Josh Ryan is officially devoid of a sense of humor.
Now THAT’s funny!
Get it?
Look, I’ve been dodging bullets all day, so I guess my panties are in a wad. But I will stick up for my boy Drew anytime.
Good luck with your play, Drew.
Thank you Josh. And for the record I don’t see the connection between a 4th grader playing handball at recess and him being pretentious.
I guess you’re just not smart enough to understand the complex and intellectual side of handball.
“I guess you’re just not smart enough to understand the complex and intellectual side of handball.”
I don’t know anything Drew except that he’s a kid and has too much of a love for Kubrick, but I swear to god he must live on one of the coasts. Your poor teachers, man…
I am a great Kubrick fan. I mentioned just on another forum that “The Killing” is my favorite. But have said this, I can tell you that there are people who think that Kubrick is not such a good director… because they find him to have a lack of psychology and humanism.. His characters are to flat…. And these critics have a point…. but still for my self can’t figure it out, because I like his films.
I think the handball that Drew was talking about is not the same rich white guy handball mostly associated with other games like polo and lacrosse. The handball I played in elementary school (also in California) used a giant ball (like you would use in dodgeball) not a small little thing like they use in racketball.
Not sure if the ball size is directly related to the level of pretentiousness but it seems to be a pretty common schoolyard game for kids (along with basketball and tetherball).
I would be careful about calling anyone pretentious, RUS. I believe pretentious people originated somewhere in New England, though I’m not sure if it was Conneticut (it might have been Vermont because of the whole maple syrup thing). But I think we can all agree Ben & Jerry’s is sooooo pretentious.
I love how a thread on Kubrick ends up in a discussion in handball and pretentiousness. hahahahha
Yeah, let’s go to the Is Stanley Kubrick Too Cold thread to continue that conversation, if it’s necessary.
I think ball size is related to insecurity.
What about polo? Polo’s pretty preppy. Unless it’s Segway polo, that’s badass.
Haha ya Fredo, the ball was similar to a dodgeball, and you hit it against a wall, but it must bounce or else you get an “American” and you are out unless you are playing with “Americans”. Before playing you have to decide if you are playing with “rainbows”, “black magics”, “white magics”, “poppies”, “cherries”, and many other different things. The ultimate hit was a “slicey”, which was when you hit it very low to the ground, but it still bounces once and barely hits the bottom of the board. They were nearly impossible to hit. Now “superslicies” on the other hand were even hard to hit.
See now Drew, you crossed the line. You’re giving me flashbacks to third grade, which was like twenty years ago, and a time I’d prefer to forget.
Being a kid sucks.
Sam Baker
Whilst I love this movie I am surprised this is the only Kurbick movie in the collection! Surley all of his movies are deemed classics?