The Criterion Collection

[SkyAntoine]

Originally Posted by ravenus

You do know that there was no original music score, right? Carl Dreyer intended that the film should be watched in utter silence. The score used on the Criterion release is a special edit of the album Voices of Light (1995), composed by Richard Einhorn as an inspiration / tribute to the Dreyer film.

I debated whether I should watch the film with music or no music. I read on the disc that various music was played while showing the film in theaters. Since Criterion chose this for the film I decided to watch it with the score.

I thought it complimented the film well, but did not over dramatize. I was so drawn into the faces that the music was very much in the background. One day when the mood hits me I'll watch without the score to see if the effect is different.

[PaperThinWalls]

Originally Posted by SkyAntoine

Greed is one of my favorite silents! I saw this discussed on The Story of Film: An Odyssey and DVR'd it from TMC. I don't think I could sit through the original 8 hour version, but the 2 hour was wonderful.

For the time, I'm sure the film was epic. Plot, theme, location, characters, etc. Other than Chaplin this was my only other silent for a long time.

Is this available on blu-ray here in the States?

It belongs to Warner, so no.

[jmclick]

Greed and The Passion of Joan of Arc are both among my favorite silent films.

Another is Dziga Vertov's The Man With a Movie Camera, which was released on blu-ray earlier this year by Flicker Alley (and which I won on eBay last night). It's absolutely dazzling, a unique exercise in "pure cinema." If you've never seen it, you owe yourself a look, especially the version accompanied with a score by the Alloy Orchestra.

Other silent films I have revisited often and recommend wholeheartedly: King Vidor's touching The Crowd starring the tragic James Murray; Victor Seastrom's epic The Wind, which features a great performance by Lillian Gish; F. W. Murnau's poetic Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans; Charles Chaplin's comic tearjerker, City Lights (thank you, Criterion!); and well, the list goes on and on ...

I do wish that more silent films were being released on blu-ray. I know there's a limited audience for them, but it's an enthusiastic one, and I can't help but feel that a limited edition series, if marketed correctly, might be a winner.

[SammyJankis]

What's the best Criterion title that you watched for the first time this year? It doesn't have to be blu; as long as it's in the collection.

Figured it's a question worth asking now the year is nearing its end.

For me, it's Jeanne Dielman. I saw it in Belgium the week Akerman died in a theater where one of her close friends gave a very personal - and hyperbolic - introduction. It was an experience I find difficult articulating, one that almost redefined what I felt cinema can be. It's one of the few films that left me completely oblivious to the reality outside of that screen. I hope to see a Blu release soon.

Next up would probably be Life and Death in Colonel Blimp. Leave it to Pressburger and Powell to give me the definitive film for my eventual old age (gulp.)

[KillaCam]

What's everyone's opinion on Heavens Gate? I love westerns and I'm tempted to blind buy this as it's still only $24 on best buys website. I was reading some reviews of the film on IMDb and they are very divided in opinions. Some seem to praise the film while others dislike it for being slow and drawn out.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

What's the best Criterion title that you watched for the first time this year? It doesn't have to be blu; as long as it's in the collection.

The best Criterion title that I watched for the first time this year was probably Ride the Pink Horse.

[The Great Owl]

Incidentally, there is a thread in the main forum asking people to list their Top 10 Blu-ray Releases of 2015.

This was a tough task for me, and I could easily have listed another 20 or 30.

As is, several Criterion titles made my cut...

Pitfall (Kino Lorber)
Night and the City (Criterion)
Ride the Pink Horse (Criterion)
The Killers (Criterion)
Odd Man Out (Criterion)
Breaking Away (Twilight Time)
Don't Look Now (Criterion)
Sharky's Machine (Warner Bros.)
Burnt Offerings (Kino Lorber)
Edgar Allan Poe's Black Cats (Arrow)

[TJS_Blu]

From NPR

So it's good that rights disputes have been resolved, meaning a freshly restored Janus Films/Criterion Collection Chimes at Midnight will shortly be available on DVD and in limited theatrical release

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

What's the best Criterion title that you watched for the first time this year?

Tough question. For me, it would probably be one of these three:

An Autumn Afternoon

Che

Two Days, One Night

Certainly they are three very different films, but all left a powerful impression.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by jmclick

Greed and The Passion of Joan of Arc are both among my favorite silent films.

Another is Dziga Vertov's The Man With a Movie Camera, which was released on blu-ray earlier this year by Flicker Alley (and which I won on eBay last night). It's absolutely dazzling, a unique exercise in "pure cinema." If you've never seen it, you owe yourself a look, especially the version accompanied with a score by the Alloy Orchestra.

Other silent films I have revisited often and recommend wholeheartedly: King Vidor's touching The Crowd starring the tragic James Murray; Victor Seastrom's epic The Wind, which features a great performance by Lillian Gish; F. W. Murnau's poetic Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans; Charles Chaplin's comic tearjerker, City Lights (thank you, Criterion!); and well, the list goes on and on ...

I do wish that more silent films were being released on blu-ray. I know there's a limited audience for them, but it's an enthusiastic one, and I can't help but feel that a limited edition series, if marketed correctly, might be a winner.

Credit where credit is due, Kino Lorber has done a very good job of bringing silent classics to DVD and Blu Ray here in the States:

http://www.kinolorber.com/search-by-...php?genre_id=3

Greed would be a great candidate for the Warner Archive Collection, but Warner should license it to someone like Criterion or Kino Lorber if they're not interested in putting it out themselves. Speaking of Criterion, looking forward to getting The Kid on blu!

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by TJS_Blu

From NPR

Sweet! Dvd!

[mja345]

Originally Posted by KillaCam

What's everyone's opinion on Heavens Gate? I love westerns and I'm tempted to blind buy this as it's still only $24 on best buys website. I was reading some reviews of the film on IMDb and they are very divided in opinions. Some seem to praise the film while others dislike it for being slow and drawn out.

I watched this film after hearing all of the negative press over the years and was blown away by about 4/5 of it. The last battle sequence was poorly done unfortunately IMO. But, overall, it's a beautiful film that doesn't at all deserve its poor reputation. The film is stunning visually, right up there with "Days of Heaven", and provides a interesting story arc following two men (Kris Kristofferson and John Hurt) who were positioned on top of the world as Harvard grads, as they go out to Wyoming in an attempt to help quell the Johnson County War between mercenaries and immigrants.

I've heard many criticize the film for not developing the characters enough, but I didn't find that at all. I found the performances uniformly strong. The only thing I wish is that they included the amazing documentary, "Final Cut: The Making of Heaven's Gate". But that wasn't going to happen since Michael Cimino was overseeing the restoration. Nonetheless, it's a great release and it's nice to hear Cimino talk about the film. You can tell he's genuinely moved that Criterion allowed him to oversee the restoration of his misunderstood masterpiece.

[malakaheso]

Heaven's Gate is arguably one of the most beautiful American films ever made. It does have its problems, and those problems go beyond the final battle sequence to me. There are a few so-so performances and I think Cimino could have tightened the story without sacrificing the impressionist touches, but it's a really good film.

I still maintain that the recent restoration was an exercise in cinematic revisionism though.

[KillaCam]

Think I'll go ahead and order it while it's on sale since I have a $10 RZ certificate as well. Thanks

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by KillaCam

What's everyone's opinion on Heavens Gate? I love westerns and I'm tempted to blind buy this as it's still only $24 on best buys website. I was reading some reviews of the film on IMDb and they are very divided in opinions. Some seem to praise the film while others dislike it for being slow and drawn out.

Heaven's Gate is quite magnificent in its fully-restored version as appears on the Criterion Blu-ray.

The Internet Movie Database reviews can be confusing, since many of them are based on the butchered version of the movie that was released in theaters back in the day.

[silverlakephil]

Any Fassbinder fans pre-order the Arrow box set from the U.K.? I decided to take the plunge and pass on the Criterion releases, since there's 7 more films plus some shorts I think. I could be wrong but the pre-order price of 64.99 pounds will not last long.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

What's the best Criterion title that you watched for the first time this year?

Best? The Music Room or Wild Strawberries.

Most fun? Ride the Pink Horse or The Sword of Doom. I Married a Witch was a surprisingly strong honorable mention too.

[Marlow27]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

What's the best Criterion title that you watched for the first time this year? It doesn't have to be blu; as long as it's in the collection.

- Don't Look Now
- Ride the Pink Horse
- The Gold Rush

Thoroughly impressed with all of them, and was especially impressed by Ride the Pink Horse because it was the least known and talked about of the three.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

Any Fassbinder fans pre-order the Arrow box set from the U.K.? I decided to take the plunge and pass on the Criterion releases, since there's 7 more films plus some shorts I think. I could be wrong but the pre-order price of 64.99 pounds will not last long.

Preordered it last sale. I don't mind double dipping since there are a lot of different suppliments.

£64.99, free shipping, and £13 to use on a future order makes it a great deal in my eyes.

[CubistCastle]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

What's the best Criterion title that you watched for the first time this year? It doesn't have to be blu; as long as it's in the collection.

I'd have to say Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Young Girls of Rochefort are neck and neck for me. If you would've told me at the beginning of the year the two best movies I'll see, Criterion or otherwise, are two French musicals from the sixties I would have called you crazy.

But here we are.

Watching Young Girls of Rochefort I just had a smile on my face the entire time and I cannot remember the last time that's happened if ever. And just hearing the theme song on the blu ray menu screen for Umbrellas makes me all misty eyed.