The Criterion Collection

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

What's wrong with the Three Colors White disc? I just bought the set but haven't watched my copies yet.

From what I read, there is a problem with the audio. However, the problem is only on the DVD version, not the blu-ray.

[ElliesDad]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

What's wrong with the Three Colors White disc? I just bought the set but haven't watched my copies yet.

They fouled up the transfer. A technical misunderstanding resulted in it actually coming out formated in black and white.

[The Great Owl]

I've got the Criterion DVD of Kiss Me Deadly. That movie really threw me off at first viewing, because it was sort of a classic film noir turned 1950s sci-fi. I appreciated it a lot more the second time around.

[R o d]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I just watched my Blu-ray of Andrey Tarkovskiy's Solaris.

I've watched my old Criterion DVD several times, but this was my first time seeing the movie on Blu. The shortcomings of the source material are apparent, but I think that Criterion did a marvelous job with the restoration after what they probably had to work with.

I also have it on DVD. Some of the Blu-ray screen caps I saw left me wondering if an upgrade was really worthwhile. Having seen both and recognizing the "shortcomings of the source material," what do you think?

[ZooTv]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Just watched The Killing. What a great film!

I love film-noirs even more after seeing this.

Incredible film, you can see how it laid the blueprint for Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs in a lot of ways.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by ZooTv

Incredible film, you can see how it laid the blueprint for Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs in a lot of ways.

Yeah, especially with the back and forth narration. It shows how each person nicely fit into the equation.

[andsoitgoes]

For the select few Canadians, I thought I would post the amazon Canada listing for Criterion's "Kid with a Bike"

http://www.amazon.ca/Criterion-Colle...7618522&sr=8-1

It would be a blind by for me, but due to the bits I've read, it sounds excellent. I don't want to spoil too much else. I just hope criterion gives it some nice extras.

Edit: I'm an idiot. If I'd have taken 5 minutes I could have seen this on the Criterion site:

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION:

• New 2K digital transfer, supervised by director of photography Alain Marcoen, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
• New conversation between film critic Kent Jones and directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
• Interview with actor Cécile de France
• New interview with actor Thomas Doret
• Return to Seraing, a half-hour documentary in which the Dardennes revisit five locations from the film
• Trailer
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Geoff Andrew

I'm torn. I really struggle with purchasing something without a bit more oomph than that. In all honesty, I'd watch the extras once and while I might watch the movie multiple times, is it worth having in super HD? I'm not sure. With a commentary? No brainer. Without, much less excited. I know that's petty of me..

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by Cinemach

Lynch is certainly one of the most important directors alive right now

That depends on who you think are important to YOU.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

What's wrong with the Three Colors White disc? I just bought the set but haven't watched my copies yet.

It's an issue with the sound, which they fixed. Unfortunately, they didn't fix the issue with Three Colors: Blue, in which the whole film is misframed. Oh well.

[Jr7936]

just saw pina tonight, even with no subtitles the movie is freaking amazing
was going to get the criterion one as well, but i don't think there is any need since most of the movie is just dancing and the subs would only go to the interviews

after watching it, i would place it in my top 10 of 2012
i think its a movie everyone either needs to buy or at least see once

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by Jr7936

just saw pina tonight, even with no subtitles the movie is freaking amazing
was going to get the criterion one as well, but i don't think there is any need since most of the movie is just dancing and the subs would only go to the interviews

after watching it, i would place it in my top 10 of 2012
i think its a movie everyone either needs to buy or at least see once

Good to hear! It's been in my Netflix watch list for a while now, I need to make time for it.

[Jr7936]

awesome, not sure if the criterion one is going to use the same transfer but the transfer and audio quality on the german blu ray, was very nice

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I see your thread derail and I'll raise you...

I have read incredibly glowing reviews of Argo, and several friends have enthusiastically recommended the movie.
For the life of me, though, I just cannot get excited about Argo at all. I am not feeling the need to see this movie in the slightest.

I have the utmost respect for Ben Affleck as a film director, because I thoroughly enjoyed Gone Baby Gone and The Town. I am also intrigued about the true story from which Argo is based.
When it comes to seeing Argo at the theater or renting/purchasing it on Blu, though, I'm just...not feeling it.

I did enjoy both Gone Baby Gone and The Town, but they are very overrated. Particularly The Town. Seriously, have critics never seen a crime film before?
I liked Argo quite a bit and think it's a much better film than the previous two. I think Affleck is actually a good director of Affleck the actor.
I expect to see Argo in the mix when the Oscar nominations are announced.

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

I did enjoy both Gone Baby Gone and The Town, but they are very overrated. Particularly The Town. Seriously, have critics never seen a crime film before?
I liked Argo quite a bit and think it's a much better film than the previous two. I think Affleck is actually a good director of Affleck the actor.
I expect to see Argo in the mix when the Oscar nominations are announced.

I really enjoyed Argo as well. Affleck is a capable director. Although I'm thinking that most of the Oscar buzz will be around Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty, and rightfully so.

[se7endeadly]

Originally Posted by retablo

Lynch has always been an acquired taste, and to his fault, he does make the same movie over and over. But no amount of "selling" is going to get mainstream audiences into the theater to see something as obscure as Lost Highway.

The Straight Story, Eraserhead and Blue Velvet are not the same movie. Hell, each of his pictures have a pretty unique character, aside from certain Lynchisms. IMHO.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I really enjoyed Argo as well. Affleck is a capable director. Although I'm thinking that most of the Oscar buzz will be around Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty, and rightfully so.

I can't wait to see Zero Dark Thirty and I'm looking forward to Django Unchained.
Unfortunately, since I'm in Australia, I'll probably have to wait until 2014 or 2015. (Not really, but sometimes we're kept waiting for films released in the US.)
Actually, I'm working on my best and worst films of 2012 for my Tumblr account.
The best:
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
The Master
Holy Motors
The Dark Knight Rises
Brave
I actually got to see The Master twice in 70mm. The first time was followed by a Q & A with P.T. Anderson.

[rkish]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

The "tears in the rain scene" is one of my favorite Scenes of all time. I have a profound reaction each and every time, in those brief moments I feel the fragility of life and the expanse of the universe. Maaaaannn

I saw an interview with Rutger Hauer and that scene is mostly improvised by him...including the "tears in rain" line. I was really impressed when I heard that.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by oildude

Ha ha. Will do, mate. Although I am not sure when I will make it up your way.

I have made many trips to Canada, but all of them have been in Alberta and BC. Maybe one day I will get to the east. I want to see Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes.

I have seen many incredible pictures of the Maritime Provinces over the years, and once looked into attending grad school in Halifax. It has been a dream of mine to visit Nova Scotia, maybe BG will buy me a beer too if I make it up that way.

Which Halifax university? We only have about 5 of them. I did my undergrad down in the valley at Acadia, and went to Ontario for my masters. I hope you don't expect me to buy you Keith's, because IMHO, It's the piss of Nova Scotia, not the pride.

You can go on a tour of Propeller and they give samples.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by R o d

I also have it on DVD. Some of the Blu-ray screen caps I saw left me wondering if an upgrade was really worthwhile. Having seen both and recognizing the "shortcomings of the source material," what do you think?

I had the most recent Criterion DVD of Solaris that was released concurrently with the Blu-ray, and gave it a go-over shortly before I sold it to make room for the Blu-ray in my collection. On my 32'' HDTV, the differences between the DVD and Blu-ray are mostly negligible, but the Blu-ray picture does seem noticeably better with the early "hike through the woods next to the lake" scene.

The source material shortcomings (artifacts on the screen during a few space station scenes, occasional blurriness, etc.) are still there, but just made more apparent on the Blu-ray format. I am glad, however, that this movie still retains the grain and such from the source material, and that obtrusive touch-ups were not performed to alter the movie in an unfavorable way.
I'm not an expert on Blu-ray picture quality at this point, and a lot of the terms that fly around on the reviews ("edge enhancement", etc.) go over my head, but I think that Solaris looks better to my eyes on the Blu-ray than it has ever looked, even if the most recent DVD release was almost as good on my television.

Hari (Natalya Bondarchuk) looks even more beautiful on the Blu-ray presentation, but she looks more beautiful with each subsequent viewing anyway.

Now, if you have the older Criterion DVD edition (with Kelvin and Hari in front of the mirror on the cover), then the upgrade to Blu-ray is a must, because the blue color tint on the black/white scenes has been restored.

Solaris is one of my favorite science fiction films, and, as much as it unsettles me and freaks me out every time, I'd give the Blu-ray a happy recommendation.

Now...

It's worth noting that I decided to "chase down" my viewing of Solaris last evening with a fluffier movie, so I watched my new Blu-ray of Hitchcock's To Catch A Thief.
To Catch A Thief may be the best-looking Blu-ray in my collection. I mean, it's downright astounding how awesomely beautiful this movie looks.
For this reason, I may be a bit more critical of the Solaris picture quality this morning having watched To Catch A Thief immediately after.

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by ZooTv

Incredible film, you can see how it laid the blueprint for Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs in a lot of ways.

In addition, The Killing was inspired by the different perspectives presented in Rashoman. Sterling Hayden says this was told to him when auditioning for the film; his comments can be found in the supplements.