I for one, have a love/hate relationship with the beloved Criterion Collection. I love that they reissue films, and give films the special edition treatment they wouldn't get otherwise. I hate the price tag, and the some of the films in their catalog. Why did "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" or the entire Wes Anderson filmography get first round Criterion releases ? Couldn't a studio just release a bare-bones edition of them first ? What makes them so deserving ? Then again, the same thing could be said about the 2 Michael Bay films that have made the collection.
Their releases, has been subject to much criticism. Some enjoy the route they are going. And some, would rather them release more cult, mainstream titles. Personally, as a film nerd; I admire what they are doing. They are releasing films that would probably never get released otherwise. However, they could give some other films their treatment that I feel are more deserving. What that said, here's some films I feel deserve the Criterion treatment.
NOTE: these are films I feel have suffered either piss-poor or mediocre releases on either DVD, Blu-Ray, or both.
PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974)- A complete musical satire of music genres of the early 70's, blended with a updated, revamped telling of the "Phantom Of The Opera" tale. Rod Serling does a uncredited voice narration during the beginning. Directed by Brian DePalma and Music by Paul Williams. What more could you ask for ?
Way better of a cult musical than "Rocky Horror Picture Show". Just saying......
RIVER'S EDGE (1986)- Teen films and or films about young people, ruled in the eighties. However, there came a point where the genre was just mimicking itself. Same old bullshit but just packaged different. This film, is a complete 180 from others in it's genre.
The film stars Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye, Daniel Roebuck, Crispin Glover, and the legendary Dennis Hooper. The film is about a group of small town teens. Their day starts out normal until, a friend of theirs tells them he killed his girlfriend. They all play it off as a joke until, he decides to show them her dead body. After seeing the body, the confusion sets in. Do they do the right thing and notify the authorities ? Or do they pretend they never seen it, and remain loyal to their friend ?
This film is dark. It's not a glitzy John Hughes picture. Aside from the subject matter, it's a deep film exploring themes such as morality, drug addiction, isolation, friendship, and loyalty. How this film got overlooked is beyond me. Then again, having a film being dubbed a "Cult Classic" is probably the best title a film can be given.
LAST ACTION HERO (1993)- Big budgeted action/comedy movie, the guy who directed Die Hard 1 and 3 did this, Schwarzenegger film and a summer blockbuster; not Criterion material. You're right. However, 2 of Michael Bay's films where included in the Criterion collection {The Rock and Armageddon} With that said, there is no excuse why Criterion shouldn't let a big budgeted action film into it's collection from time to time.
The fact Schwarzenegger on his own merit, acted in a movie that parodied a genre that made him a household name speaks volumes. Most in his position wouldn't dare. Granted, in today's society parodying oneself is widely accepted and welcome with open arms. Back in '93, to have a major star do it was a new concept.
EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987)- Personally, I am fond of Spielberg's work pre Jurassic Park. In this period I personally enjoy, he did some of his most memorable & signature films. There are a few films in that period that are completely underrated. The one film I feel is completely underrated is "Empire Of The Sun".
The movie has a simple premise; boy loses his parents in their war torn country during, boy goes to find his parents. The journey the boy takes makes this film worth watching.
I hadn't really had a keen interest in this film. I bought on VHS as a blind buy. After the first initial viewing, I was blown away. Simply because this wasn't your typical run of the mill Spielberg film. At this point in his career, he was Mr. ILM Latent, Summer Blockbuster. This, along with "The Color Purple" is a complete 180 from his previous films at that point.
On home video, Spielberg's films have always had the luxury of getting the Special Edition treatment first time around. To date, he's only had one Criterion release (the laserdisc edition of "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind", spine number 125). It would be nice if one of his underrated works got the Criterion treatment.
THE ROCKETEER (1991)- This film, next to Tron is probably the best live action film Disney has ever done. Unlike "Tron", this film is not celebrated enough. Even though it's not as groundbreaking as "Tron", it's a brilliant film that I feel Disney sweeps under their rug time after time.
I seen this in the theater when I as child, and I was blown away. As a adult, it still blows me away. Why ? The special effects where not that bad for the time. The subject matter is not typical of a Disney film. Jennifer Connelly was smoking hot. Lastly, let's face it; The Rocketeer looked and still looks fucking cool ! Need I say more ?
I still own my childhood VHS copy, and I own the barebones DVD release. The film came out on Blu Ray a few years back. A digital upgrade who be nice however, I haven't swallowed my pride to chuck out 20 dollars on a barebones Blu Ray release.....
So, there you have it. I know some of these are a little far fetched but hey, we can dream right ?
Special thanks to boredom, having way too much time on my hands, and to http://fakecriterions.tumblr.com/ for inspiration.
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