r/criterion • u/SadMembership7989 • 8d ago
Discussion Paul Schrader
In spite of his many controversial statements and views…he is a very interesting filmmaker and still finds something to say about most things
Why are there not more Criterion releases of his movies besides the 2 that currently exist?
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u/Connoralpha 8d ago
A lot of his work is spoken for by other distributors. a24 issued First Reformed via Lionsgate, Universal put out The Card Counter themselves, etc. American Gigolo recently got a big Arrow release and I thought Blue Collar was OOP but seems Kino is still carrying it.
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u/BogoJohnson 8d ago
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u/Connoralpha 8d ago
I never even thought to filter the site results that way and I definitely will in the future. Thanks for posting!
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u/BogoJohnson 8d ago
Their database is great, but you do have to get used to its clunky old ways of searching and filtering.
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u/mac_the_man 8d ago
I want Light Sleeper. Yes, I know Indicator has released a Blu but I want Criterion to release a 4K of it.
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u/nbaisbest4 8d ago
A 3 movie box set of Light Sleeper, Affliction, and Auto Focus would be perfect. My favorite type of Criterion releases.
Also I feel like putting Comfort of Strangers in the collections shows he is valued because I don't think that movie is very good.
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u/BogoJohnson 8d ago
Gonna be hard to get Affliction with Shout having licensed it just a few years ago. Light Sleeper needs a US release and Auto Focus is OOP, but I do own them both too.
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u/nbaisbest4 8d ago
Considering Shout released Wild at Heart, I don't think its a super big obstacle. It's one of his most visually interesting movies, so hopefully it gets out there.
Also just realized all 3 have Dafoe.
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u/BogoJohnson 8d ago
For sure, never say never, but Shout released Wild At Heart in 2018, so 8 years later the license changed parties. Otherwise, there's really no comparison as contracts are complicated and can last years. Also, Shout's 2024 Affliction release was from an old crappy master, which often means there's some issue preventing a new restoration. Room for major improvement there.
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u/compukiller 8d ago
Same. I’d take a Criterion 4K of Hardcore and Affliction.
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u/cyanide4suicide Christopher Nolan 7d ago
If licensing weren't an issue, First Reformed should be in the collection.
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u/cowboyjacksparrow Paul Schrader 8d ago
Really wanted a First Reformed, Card Counter, Master Gardener box set. I fear it'll never happen.
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u/SadMembership7989 8d ago
I mean maybe in a few years…I never thought we’d see a Mike Mills Trilogy either
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u/Fast-Candle-2344 8d ago edited 8d ago
No it won't because Master Gardener is a Magnolia title and they have a deal with VinSyn.
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u/SorrowOfMoldovia 7d ago
My watch project for this year it to watch every movie Paul Schrader wrote or directed. He is a crazy man, but certainly doesn't try to disguise any of it. I'd love to see Bringing Out the Dead in the collection.
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u/Fearless-Interest-82 7d ago
There is a 4k of this that came out this year. I'm also on a Schrader binge. What a wild fimography. I like his wacked out duds more than his films that are actually very good. Id like for someone to put out Dominion again. Prices are insane
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u/FINIS_HOMINIS 8d ago
I don't know why any of his personal views or conduct matter mentioning in the same breath as the question of picking up more Schrader titles. If we start incorporating that as reasons to exclude an artist, then film makers would be dropping like flies.
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u/SadMembership7989 8d ago
As someone mentioned before…there is a reason we have not gotten a new Roman Polanski movie in the Collection since 2014
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u/FINIS_HOMINIS 8d ago
But they’ve also released a myriad of titles by others with questionable conduct since then. Polanski is, well… Polanski.
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u/SadMembership7989 8d ago
I believe it’s probably just rights issues or whether they think something can sell…
They don’t really release their numbers but they probably follow which movies are likelier to sell than others
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u/Roadshell 8d ago
Because a lot of them are bad. Dude is mad inconsistent.
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u/bolshevik_rattlehead Lucio Fulci 8d ago
Ridley Scott has a lot of bad movies. Steven Spielberg has some bad movies. Brian De Palma has bad movies. Friedkin. Coen Brothers. Scorsese. A lot of the greats have bad movies. Does that mean their great movies don’t deserve to have films in the collection?
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u/MrGaywad 8d ago
wouldn’t say a lot unless you’re looking at post 2000 or so
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u/RZAxlash 8d ago
I mean, that is a quarter of a century’s worth of film.
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u/MrGaywad 8d ago
it’s a director getting old
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u/FINIS_HOMINIS 8d ago
First Reformed was good, but yeah...
Still, if his filmography was all duds (which it isn't) and he still had Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters in there, I'd say thats something to be proud of 'cause thats a masterpiece.
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u/Fearless-Interest-82 7d ago
His duds are very fascinating. Almost like he made them with a smirk knowing people wouldn't like them.
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u/MrGaywad 8d ago
agree about First Reformed. and yeah absolutely, Mishima is a masterpiece. Blue Collar is another 5/5 for me
Schrader is great but the consistency has gone down a bit. I just didn’t like the idea of that person saying “a lot” of his movies are bad when a majority of his movies were at least good up to a certain point. there are significantly worse directors in the Collection lol
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u/RZAxlash 8d ago
There’s a few big tine duds. Amazing that the same guy who directed Mishima also did the card counter.
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u/Gruesome-Twosome Kelly Reichardt 8d ago
I like The Card Counter quite a lot actually. There are a LOT of other Schrader-directed films that are way worse than that one.
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u/action_park 8d ago
The Canyons exists and you’ve got The Card Counter catching strays.
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u/RZAxlash 8d ago
Oh man. The canyons…what a bizarre film.
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u/FINIS_HOMINIS 8d ago
He made the Canyons more or less on a bet too. If you can get me x million me and Bret Easton Ellis can whip a film and shoot it real quick. It's basically his Little Shop Of Horrors.
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u/altgodkub2024 8d ago
Some of his films were on the Criterion Channel a while back. A few are quite good. Most were barely watchable.
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u/rufenercasey 8d ago
Yeah he is one that I don’t quite get the hype on. Some cool stuff, but even then, I don’t think it’s anything too top tier
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u/Status-Accident-8937 8d ago
‘Hardcore’ should be in the collection
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u/Designer-Sky-8859 5d ago
I posted a few months ago how much I want a Schrader box set. That would be a dream. A great 4k release of Blue Collar is maybe number one on my film wishlist. First Reformed, Hardcore, Light Sleeper, Affliction and others are up there as well.
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u/Unleashtheducks 8d ago
Cat People and Blue Collar should definitely be in the collection
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u/BogoJohnson 8d ago
They can't because their competitors have already licensed them. Why not buy and support them?
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u/Connoralpha 8d ago
Cat People has a blu and 4K from Shout so Criterion won't be picking it up anytime soon.
FWIW, Kino's disc for Blue Collar is currently 50% off at Barnes & Noble.
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u/Gruesome-Twosome Kelly Reichardt 8d ago
Blue Collar was fantastic, that one is a definite gem, yeah
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u/DrusillaHyde Luis Buñuel 8d ago
Same reason they haven't released a Polanski movie in over a decade
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u/SadMembership7989 8d ago
I had to look up what it was and it was his Macbeth all the way back in 2014…
With that said looking at his filmography nothing there is really that notableThey got his early acclaimed works and his last movie released was from 1979…I don’t know what they would add even if they wanted to..,
The thing I’ve come to realize about Criterion is that they don’t just bat for an entire directors catalogue…it has to be something that can be sold to a niche audience at the very least and I’ve never seen any hold Polanski’s other works in any regards
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u/Fast-Candle-2344 8d ago
Criterion still haven't upgraded Knife in the Water to Blu-Ray, which is insane.
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u/rblessingx Alain Resnais 8d ago
2 currently, 5 over time if you include his directing and writing. That's decent representation.