The Criterion Collection

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

The best version I've seen is the one I approached with the least expectations-Count Dracula. A 1977 release that was shown on PBS in three parts eons ago. Just the fact that Louie Jourdan was playing the title role was enough for me to pre-judge the thing as a disaster. At the time, my familiarity with Mr. Jourdan consisted of his being a pitchman for floral arrangements from FTD. It didn't take long for me to be so wrong that I'd have been willing to eat one of those arrangements as an apology to Mr. Jourdan. He IS the Count. Plus, the mini-series running time allows for more of the novel to be included. It's great. It's available on DVD for under $10.

In total I've seen ten different movie versions of Dracula but that isn't one of them. I've heard nothing but good things about it. I'll have to track it down sometime.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

The best version I've seen is the one I approached with the least expectations-Count Dracula. A 1977 release that was shown on PBS in three parts eons ago. Just the fact that Louie Jourdan was playing the title role was enough for me to pre-judge the thing as a disaster. At the time, my familiarity with Mr. Jourdan consisted of his being a pitchman for floral arrangements from FTD. It didn't take long for me to be so wrong that I'd have been willing to eat one of those arrangements as an apology to Mr. Jourdan. He IS the Count. Plus, the mini-series running time allows for more of the novel to be included. It's great. It's available on DVD for under $10.

In my opinion, the 1922 version of Nosferatu, which is an "unofficial" adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel, is still the best vampire movie ever made.

I'd like to see the Louis Jourdan version, though, since I love his work in the James Bond film, Octopussy.

[RalphoR]

I'd put Nosferatu #2 behind Dracula (Horror of Dracula). As inhuman as Nosferatu is......Christopher Lee's Dracula is even more so once his speaking lines are over. There's nothing sad or sympathetic about his rendition of Dracula. Just a vile, evil creature spawned from hell.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

In my opinion, the 1922 version of Nosferatu, which is an "unofficial" adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel, is still the best vampire movie ever made.

I'd like to see the Louis Jourdan version, though, since I love his work in the James Bond film, Octopussy.

I prefer Herzog's remake.

...it's better in every way imo.

[WonderWeasel]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I prefer Herzog's remake.

...it's better in every way imo.

I came across Herzog's on accident, and was pleasantly surprised. Kinski is just so damn creepy.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I prefer Herzog's remake.

...it's better in every way imo.

Let's break this down...

Nosferatu (1922)
- Max Schreck is incredibly sinister in the role.
- The ship scenes are frightening and insane.
- The scene with people carrying coffins down the street just rules.
- The use of photo negatives in one sequence is haunting and incredible.
- This movie has an otherworldly antiquated feel, as though the filmmakers really believed in the existence of vampires.
- The cinematography is unbelievable, considering the era.

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
- Isabelle Adjani is the most beautiful actress in the world. [At least until my mind settles on another actress whom I'm keen on.]
- Rats. A lot of rats. A whole lot of rats. Thousands of thousands of rats. So creepy and awesome.
- Despite the 1979 release year, this film feels authentically antiquated and believable in its story era as well.
- It's my favorite Werner Herzog film.
- Klaus Kinski is no Schreck, but he's nonetheless entrancing in the role.

Hmmm.

Nosferatu (1922) wins for me.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by monorail91

Hey other Los Angeles area folk -- UCLA Film Archive is screening several CC classics over the next few weeks, including:

Oct 02 - The Red Shoes (https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/2...ry-celebration)
Oct 03 - Gilda (https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/2...ry-celebration)
Oct 16 - Night of the Hunter (https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/2...hunter-macbeth)
Oct 19 - My Darling Clementine (https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/2...-yellow-ribbon)

Never been but I can't NOT see Gilda in theaters.

Anyone else been to the UCLA Film Archive? Yay / nay? When I was a student at UC Berkeley, I went to their film archives pretty often and really loved it.

I don't know how you could pass on any of those! What a great line up!

[WonderWeasel]

Over the past week or so, I came across a nice little cache of used Criterions, and ended up grabbing Thief, Diabolique, and Shock Corridor. I also found a copy of The Naked Kiss, but I know absolutely nothing about it, so I passed. After reading a bit about the film, it comes off as something that might be interesting, but it seems to have equal potential to be something I absolutely loathe. Do you guys think it's worth a blind buy? It's priced at $15, so I wouldn't be out too much, but if it's just not that entertaining of a film, I'd rather spend the money on something else.

[hoytereden]

Nosferatu is the most frightening, creepy, disgusting, scary, whatever word you want to use to describe a creature so far removed from the suave, good looking types that have portrayed the Count since Murnau's film. I first saw the film when I was in my teens and had trouble sleeping that night. A similar reaction happened to a friend of mine, many years later, who joined us to watch Salem's Lot when it first showed on TV. Reggie Nalder's Barlow (virtually a twin of Schreck's makeup) so unnerved him he didn't want to walk home through the woods between our two houses. I couldn't blame him.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Let's break this down...

Nosferatu (1922)
- Max Schreck is incredibly sinister in the role.
- The ship scenes are frightening and insane.
- The scene with people carrying coffins down the street just rules.
- The use of photo negatives in one sequence is haunting and incredible.
- This movie has an otherworldly antiquated feel, as though the filmmakers really believed in the existence of vampires.
- The cinematography is unbelievable, considering the era.

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
- Isabelle Adjani is the most beautiful actress in the world. [At least until my mind settles on another actress whom I'm keen on.]
- Rats. A lot of rats. A whole lot of rats. Thousands of thousands of rats. So creepy and awesome.
- Despite the 1979 release year, this film feels authentically antiquated and believable in its story era as well.
- It's my favorite Werner Herzog film.
- Klaus Kinski is no Schreck, but he's nonetheless entrancing in the role.

Hmmm.

Nosferatu (1922) wins for me.

I, too, love the original silent version, and my appreciation of it only soared after I watched the fascinating "companion piece", Shadow of the Vampire, with John Malkovich playing director F. W. Murnau and Willem Dafoe giving a chilling performance as actor Max Schreck. It's a "must".

I haven't seen Herzog's remake of Nosferatu in years, but I remember it being a beautiful and compelling film. The Region A blu-ray from Shout Factory received lukewarm reviews, especially compared to the bouquets thrown at the BFI Region B release. If and when I ever get a region-free player, the British release will be one of my first purchases.

[willbfree]

I dont believe Criterion has announced this, but the Wim Wenders Foundation in Germany today let it slip that the 295 minute version of Until the End of the World will be released by Criterion. See this thread -

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...9&postcount=18

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Is that where the "slick" part of SlickDamian comes from?

Maybe it has something to do with my skill with the ladies?

[octagon]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

Over the past week or so, I came across a nice little cache of used Criterions, and ended up grabbing Thief, Diabolique, and Shock Corridor. I also found a copy of The Naked Kiss, but I know absolutely nothing about it, so I passed. After reading a bit about the film, it comes off as something that might be interesting, but it seems to have equal potential to be something I absolutely loathe. Do you guys think it's worth a blind buy? It's priced at $15, so I wouldn't be out too much, but if it's just not that entertaining of a film, I'd rather spend the money on something else.

Have you watched Shock Corridor yet? I've only watched each once but I liked The Naked Kiss quite a bit more than Shock Corridor. I would be hesitant to recommend either as a blind buy but The Naked Kiss seemed pretty accessible to me and it had a nourish, late, late show quality that I always have a bit of a soft spot for.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

The best version I've seen is the one I approached with the least expectations-Count Dracula. A 1977 release that was shown on PBS in three parts eons ago.

That was a great adaptation. I was absolutely spellbound.

You're also reminding me of what a great resource PBS really was back in those days. In this day and age it seems quaint to think of BBC shows as 'obscure foreign imports' but back then my local PBS station (WTTW) really was a 'window to the world'.

Monty Python, Doctor Who, Fawlty Towers, The Prisoner, Masterpiece, Masterpiece Mystery...it all seems ridiculously mainstream now but it was pretty exotic fare back then.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Let's break this down...

Nosferatu (1922)
- Max Schreck is incredibly sinister in the role.
- The ship scenes are frightening and insane.
- The scene with people carrying coffins down the street just rules.
- The use of photo negatives in one sequence is haunting and incredible.
- This movie has an otherworldly antiquated feel, as though the filmmakers really believed in the existence of vampires.
- The cinematography is unbelievable, considering the era.

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
- Isabelle Adjani is the most beautiful actress in the world. [At least until my mind settles on another actress whom I'm keen on.]
- Rats. A lot of rats. A whole lot of rats. Thousands of thousands of rats. So creepy and awesome.
- Despite the 1979 release year, this film feels authentically antiquated and believable in its story era as well.
- It's my favorite Werner Herzog film.
- Klaus Kinski is no Schreck, but he's nonetheless entrancing in the role.

Hmmm.

Nosferatu (1922) wins for me.

I think silent films in general have some inherent stylistic limitations that more modern films do not.

Max Schreck does a great job with the role, but I find Kinski's performance to be better.

The music in the original is boring to me and music can make or break my appreciation of any film. The score in the remake is much more powerful imo.

I'm just not a fan of silent films in general and I've never understood the belief that a well-made silent film can be better than a well-made film from the sound era.

It's almost like comparing two different mediums.

Silent films just strike me as amateurish and goofy compared to great talking pictures.

...it's just a personal preference.

[EVERYONE LIES]

Originally Posted by jmclick

I, too, love the original silent version, and my appreciation of it only soared after I watched the fascinating "companion piece", Shadow of the Vampire, with John Malkovich playing director F. W. Murnau and Willem Dafoe giving a chilling performance as actor Max Schreck. It's a "must".

I haven't seen Herzog's remake of Nosferatu in years, but I remember it being a beautiful and compelling film. The Region A blu-ray from Shout Factory received lukewarm reviews, especially compared to the bouquets thrown at the BFI Region B release. If and when I ever get a region-free player, the British release will be one of my first purchases.

Shadow of the Vampire is long overdue on blu-ray

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I'm just not a fan of silent films in general and I've never understood the belief that a well-made silent film can be better than a well-made film from the sound era.

It's almost like comparing two different mediums.

Silent films just strike me as amateurish and goofy compared to great talking pictures.

...it's just a personal preference.

While I disagree on the first part, you're right that it is almost a different medium, but I feel that some of the things that made silent films so good was also lost on the transition to sound films, while in theory everything that can be done with silent films can be done with sound films, the film language started to evolve in a different artistic direction once it became all sound.

Some of Murnau silent films are way in the top for me, Sunrise, City Girl and The Last Laugh just have something special we don't really get with modern films anymore.

[EVERYONE LIES]

Originally Posted by octagon

Have you watched Shock Corridor yet? I've only watched each once but I liked The Naked Kiss quite a bit more than Shock Corridor. I would be hesitant to recommend either as a blind buy but The Naked Kiss seemed pretty accessible to me and it had a nourish, late, late show quality that I always have a bit of a soft spot for.

Shock Corridor has James Best which makes it the better movie in my opinion.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by EVERYONE LIES

Shock Corridor has James Best which makes it the better movie in my opinion.

It certainly makes it the Bester movie.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

While I disagree on the first part, you're right that it is almost a different medium, but I feel that some of the things that made silent films so good was also lost on the transition to sound films, while in theory everything that can be done with silent films can be done with sound films, the film language started to evolve in a different artistic direction once it became all sound.

Some of Murnau silent films are way in the top for me, Sunrise, City Girl and The Last Laugh just have something special we don't really get with modern films anymore.

I can respect that.

It's just not a genre that I've ever been drawn to.

I watched The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari on TCM a couple weeks ago and there were some cool things about it in terms of the production design and some of the music was effective.

The only silent film I've ever seen that really moved me is The Passion of Joan of Arc. And that's in large part due to the music, which is absolutely incredible.

The first 15 minutes or so of Metropolis are very cool, but then it starts to get boring for me.

No right, no wrong...just everyone has different tastes.