The Criterion Collection

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Maybe they're saving Rosemary's Baby for spine #666, since several people think it's coming out under Criterion. Maybe that's why they keep adding new titles, to get to it quicker, rather than upgrading older ones.

That would be so cool.

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

I've been meaning to see Despair, but a while back in this thread someone mentioned hating it

Don't listen to em. If you watched Querelle already and loved it (as do I), you should have no problem loving this, as usually Querelle is the one hated on.

[Yami]

I saw Ali: Fear Eats the Soul last week and I thought it was terrific. I certainly liked it a lot better than I thought I would because that really isn't my 'type' of film.

[SpiderBaby]

Gaumont is releasing a blu-ray of Querelle this summer. I'm curious if Criterion has R1 rights to it.

Originally Posted by Yami

I saw Ali: Fear Eats the Soul last week and I thought it was terrific. I certainly liked it a lot better than I thought I would because that really isn't my 'type' of film.

That is a good place to start, as it's usually the first recommendation by most. Hope ya check out more.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

Gaumont is releasing a blu-ray of Querelle this summer. I'm curious if Criterion has R1 rights to it.

That would make for an interesting release...I imagine there'd be a negative reaction by many, but I'd love for an upgrade to it.

I will be sure to keep you updated on what I think of the films I see (there's certainly many I have to make my way through)

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

That would make for an interesting release...I imagine there'd be a negative reaction by many, but I'd love for an upgrade to it.

I will be sure to keep you updated on what I think of the films I see (there's certainly many I have to make my way through)

would like to read what you think about them as you go through.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

I don't collect. The most lame thing to do is start treating films like baseball cards.

Tell that to Criterion...numbering DVDs was their idea.

Fox tried something like it for awhile with their Studio Classics series, but eventually abandoned the practice as well as the brand. No other label does it, at least none I can think of...

[HyperRealist]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Tell that to Criterion...numbering DVDs was their idea.

Fox tried something like it for awhile with their Studio Classics series, but eventually abandoned that practice as well as the brand. No other label does it, at least none I can think of...

Masters of Cinema does it. Dragon Dynasty does it. Midnight Legacy does it but they only have one release.

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Tell that to Criterion...numbering DVDs was their idea.

very true, but they kind of stroke it's own ego doing that.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by HyperRealist

Masters of Cinema does it. Dragon Dynasty does it. Midnight Legacy does it but they only have one release.

Well, I still agree with SpiderBaby that it's inherently dumb.

Thankfully, title numbering remains fairly rare for home video - the wild variations in specs and appeal of any label's content, makes it something of questionable value beyond Marketing. I mean, how many discussions here turn on the "appropriateness" of a particular title getting a "spine"?

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

My mental image of you is now = Nicholas Ray.

Heh, that's both flattering and deeply disturbing...well done

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Throw in Cat Ballou and Murder by Death, and we have a deal.

I was never all that crazy about Murder by Death but I think I only saw it once when it came out. I should give it another look though. Anybody who trumpets Don Knotts as much as you do deserves to have her screwball comedy preferences taken seriously.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by octagon

Heh, that's both flattering and deeply disturbing...well done



I was never all that crazy about Murder by Death but I think I only saw it once when it came out. I should give it another look though. Anybody who trumpets Don Knotts as much as you do deserves to have her screwball comedy preferences taken seriously.

Murder By Death was Clue before Clue, which is also an incredibly fun film. Eileen Brennan is also in both films. It has a pretty darn impressive cast:

Peter Sellers
Peter Falk
Eileen Brennan
Truman Capote
Maggie Smith
David Niven
Alec Guinness
Elsa Lanchester
Estelle Winwood
Nancy Walker
James Coco
Richard Narita
James Cromwell in his first ever film role

Also, it was written by Neil Simon, so it has all that going for it as well. It's a great send up of classic detective films.

Rant time:

RAWR!!!!!! STUPID ALIANT. They updated my cable box last night (finally after saying they were going to do so 3 months ago), and I ended up not getting my PVRs for the following films:

The House of The Seven Gables (big honking "we're updating!" box covers the whole film)
The Last Detail
Tristana
Blockade
Grand Prix
: angry: :shakefi st:

I'm done now. Freaking pain though, as I now have to seek these films out via other means.

[*DrStrangelove*]

I just finished The Marriage of Maria Braun and thought it was excellent. The main actress performance was outstanding. I really enjoyed the film and highly recommend it. Gonna watch Veronika Voss tomorrow. So far though The BRD Trilogy is becoming one of my most wanted upgrades, and that's just on the first film alone!

[SpiderBaby]

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders is up on Hulu.

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Fox tried something like it for awhile with their Studio Classics series, but eventually abandoned the practice as well as the brand. No other label does it, at least none I can think of...

They also did it with the noirs.

I'm all for a marketing line like Studio Classics, Cinema Classics, Vault Series, Marquee Musicals, Legacy Series, etc., especially if there is an attractive trade dress. If the studio wants to stick a number on the spine, who am I to complain? Getting the discs in print/titles available is the main thing, and if the studio believes in the marketing angle or the "collectability" of the series collector and the result is we get a title in print, why the drama?

[DLizzle]

The May pre-orders are still not up on Amazon.ca. Is this unusual?

[Cinemach]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Well, I still agree with SpiderBaby that it's inherently dumb.

Thankfully, title numbering remains fairly rare for home video - the wild variations in specs and appeal of any label's content, makes it something of questionable value beyond Marketing. I mean, how many discussions here turn on the "appropriateness" of a particular title getting a "spine"?

I agree with this sentiment as well. I just ignore the number/spine, as that information is insignificant to me outside of ascertaining when Criterion released something. And that can be discovered by other means.

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

I just finished The Marriage of Maria Braun and thought it was excellent. The main actress performance was outstanding. I really enjoyed the film and highly recommend it. Gonna watch Veronika Voss tomorrow. So far though The BRD Trilogy is becoming one of my most wanted upgrades, and that's just on the first film alone!

And the other two, it can be argued, are even better.

This is the best boxset in the collection, particularly given its eminent upgrade* and the quality control issues that have popped up with Three Colors (which would be neck-and-neck without). Antoine Doinel set comes very close, too, but these edge it by a hair due to the films.

*However, I'm so, so glad that I picked this up during last July's sale, as 'eminent' to Criterion can be measured in immense units of time.

[Darkcritic]

Was looking at some titles at Criterion's website and then found they have Missing by Costa-Gavras in the collection. I have been really interested in watching this film so I want to ask if someone has seen it and could recommend it . I have never seen anything from Gavras before but the title is cheap and I don't really see this as something they may release in the near future (or is it ?)

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

Was looking at some titles at Criterion's website and then found they have Missing by Costa-Gavras in the collection. I have been really interested in watching this film so I want to ask if someone has seen it and could recommend it . I have never seen anything from Gavras before but the title is cheap and I don't really see this as something they may release in the near future (or is it ?)

You never watched this one?

I haven't seen Missing, but I really enjoyed Z, which was a contender for Best Picture in 1969. It's also in the collection, and was on TCM last weekend.

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by Cinemach

I agree with this sentiment as well. I just ignore the number/spine, as that information is insignificant to me outside of ascertaining when Criterion released something. And that can be discovered by other means.

I put my films on my shelves in order of directors anyways (Criterion or not). For example, I have my first dvd shelf filled with Godard films by in order of release year (Breathless then Le Petit Soldat, on and on and on), all my Fassbinder together, etc.

I also have a thing where I have all my Soviet filmmakers together, Brazilian, Czech, etc.