Went into HMV recently and along with Pop Vinyl and actual vinyl was a surprising large section of releases from Arrow / Eureka / 101 / Criterion etc. A fairly new world to me so just interested…
Anyone have a collection?
Recommendations?
Overpriced and prefer the standard Blu-ray?
No need for anything as streaming covers everything?
During furlough I sorted though and sold/donated a whole bunch of my “would probably never watch again” DVD/Blu-ray collection and invested in a Freeview recorder to catch all that stuff leaving about 100ish titles…
I have quite a few from this sort of label, mostly Arrow and Eureka. I don’t collect everything they put out, but it seems that whoever runs them taps pretty closely into my taste (basically 80s / 90s B-movies). I like to have a physical copy of movies I’m likely to watch more than once, and they usually do a good job with picture quality, packaging and extra content.
Arrow’s Shocktober campaign is on now, so an awful lot of their catalogue is cheaper than normal, around eight quid each. Off the top of my head I’d recommend Dave Made A Maze, Miracle Mile, and The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey, which are all the kind of offbeat imaginative movies I enjoy but there are all kinds of not quite mainstream things in their catalogue. You’re bound to find something that appeals to you if you have a root around.
Eureka have some excellent Hong Kong classics in their lineup. I recently bought the double packs of Police Story 1 & 2 and Project A & Project A Part Two, which is Jackie Chan at his finest, and they did a really good edition of Iron Monkey, which might be the greatest martial arts film of all time. Having said that, there’s loads of great films from that part of the world at that time that aren’t available - I’d love to have quality versions of A Chinese Ghost Story, Mr Vampire, The Bride With White Hair, Peking Opera Blues, etc. There is a Criterion box set of the Once Upon A Time In China movies out soonish, which is very tempting but it’s going to be £100+, I think. Although it did also teach me that there are OUATIC parts four and five when I thought they’d stopped at three, so that’s something.
If I had a lot of money I’d buy all the Criterion releases - all great films beautifully packaged and definitive versions with loads of bonus stuff. Bit pricey though.
Came in to talk about Criterion - lovely lovely stuff
Take real care in the restoration/presentation of the films themselves, which is obviously the main thing, but the features they include are absolute next level stuff. If you really want to know a film, the Criterion edition is the one.
I’ve got the Eureka Buster Keaton and Late Mizoguchi boxsets. Both lovely things, nice chunky books inside them. Have I ever read the books or watched all the films? Nope.
Got quite a few Arrows too, Big Trouble In Little China, Spider Baby, Tenebrae, The Visitor, probably some others but can’t remember when I last watched any. Kind of glad the kids came along when they did to stop me going a bit obsessive as is my wont.
Actually this might be a good place to offer my region A copy of Hard Boiled on blu ray. It’s been collecting dust for almost 10 years now, may as well give it to someone who can make use of it
Re: Criterion. Anyone know if any UK retailers mimic the November 50% off sale that happens in the US / Barnes & Noble? Think I might dip in for the first time if so.
Had a rummage before starting this thread and plumped for Children Of Men (lost my old bare bones Blu-ray) and Climax! (only had a Film4 recording)
