The Criterion Collection

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by R o d

And don't forget Double Life of Veronique as iScottie suggests. In fact, I would rank that one ahead of the Three Colors. The bottom line is your collection will improve greatly with the addition of any Kieslowski.

Probably my favorite film from the entire Criterion Collection thus far!

[bugsy_pal]

Originally Posted by MitchA17

On a side note, does anyone know if the rumors about a Playtime restoration and reissue are true? It's really irritating to me that I bought a copy of Chungking Express for $30 on Amazon when they announced that was going OOP, only to see the price drop to $21 for quite a while afterwards, and see that they still have copies available. Playtime, however, is now $70 at cheapest after staying at normal price for about a week after going OOP. Should I wait for a restoration/reissue, or am I up a creek on this one?

Don't know whether the rumours will prove to be true. The Criterion is a nice package to be sure, but if you are region-free, you can still get the BFI bluray version for cheap - about 12 pounds minus VAT. It's also an excellent set, equal to or even slightly better than the Criterion.

If you aren't region-free - why not? Maybe now is the time...

It's hard to imagine they could improve much more on the image quality of Playtime - but I'll be in line for any new disc version based on a new 4K transfer from 65mm elements, if that's a possibility...

[ZooTv]

Originally Posted by ccg1978

Just finished Army of Shadows. I really enjoyed the movie. I'm kinda partial to WWII related movies and wasn't aware of the French Resistance to this level. Acting and directing were A+. I've added to my wishlist on Criterion. Any other movies from Jean-Pierre Melville worth watching?

All of them!

Originally Posted by metaridley

I refuse to watch films in which animals (especially dogs) are put in jeopardy/neglected/killed/etc., if I know about it beforehand. Otherwise I'd watch this.

[Show spoiler]Badlands

might be one you want to avoid then

[skylog]

Originally Posted by MitchA17

On a side note, does anyone know if the rumors about a Playtime restoration and reissue are true? It's really irritating to me that I bought a copy of Chungking Express for $30 on Amazon when they announced that was going OOP, only to see the price drop to $21 for quite a while afterwards, and see that they still have copies available. Playtime, however, is now $70 at cheapest after staying at normal price for about a week after going OOP. Should I wait for a restoration/reissue, or am I up a creek on this one?

i hear you, i just consider myself lucky to pick up a copy just a minute ago. it was at 24, i hesitated for a few minutes to check out where else it may be available (after it was listed at best buy here for 20.99, although that proved to be incorrect as it doesn't seem they have it all), and went back and it went up a dollar. also, it was listed on amazon as being the last one in stock, whatever that actually means. regardless, it would be nice to have some idea what was going on.

all of that said, perhaps i am confused, but if you have a copy, do you expect the restoration/reissue to be "better" and that is why you feel you are "up a creek on this one?"

EDIT: lol, i don't know, my order was the "last one," yet, it clearly now states "in stock"

[metaridley]

Originally Posted by ZooTv

[Show spoiler]Badlands

might be one you want to avoid then

Thanks for giving me the heads-up!

[Hypnosifl]

Originally Posted by metaridley

Thanks for giving me the heads-up!

Did you mean movies where an actual animal is killed, or do you not want to watch movies where they fake an animal being killed (even if it's quick or offscreen)? Pretty sure it was the latter with that movie.

[metaridley]

Originally Posted by Hypnosifl

Did you mean movies where an actual animal is killed, or do you not want to watch movies where they fake an animal being killed (even if it's quick or offscreen)? Pretty sure it was the latter with that movie.

Both, although I'm not quite as sensitive as you might think. For example, quick and off-screen is tolerable.

For example, what happens to Kevin Costner's horse and wolf in Dances With Wolves, although fake, really soured me on the whole movie, despite enjoying it until then.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Hypnosifl

Did you mean movies where an actual animal is killed, or do you not want to watch movies where they fake an animal being killed (even if it's quick or offscreen)? Pretty sure it was the latter with that movie.

The only film I know of where they use real animals is Cannibal Holocaust.

I'm pretty sure every other film or 99.9% of them use fake animals. Why on earth would they kill an actual animal for a movie? lol

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by iScottie

The only film I know of where they use real animals is Cannibal Holocaust.

I'm pretty sure every other film or 99.9% of them use fake animals. Why on earth would they kill an actual animal for a movie? lol

The water buffalo was actually slaughtered in Apocalypse Now. Apparently it was going to be slaughtered by the natives anyways.

There are several hard to watch (at least for me) animal killings in Walkabout.

[metaridley]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

The water buffalo was actually slaughtered in Apocalypse Now. Apparently it was going to be slaughtered by the natives anyways.

There are several hard to watch (at least for me) animal killings in Walkabout.

Apocalypse Now is a brilliant film; one of the best of the 70s and maybe the greatest Vietnam movie ever made. That being said, I'm still hesitant to own it because of that buffalo being slaughtered and the puppy apparently dying off-screen. I'll probably suck it up and add the Blu-ray to my collection eventually.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by metaridley

Apocalypse Now is a brilliant film; one of the best of the 70s and maybe the greatest Vietnam movie ever made. That being said, I'm still hesitant to own it because of that buffalo being slaughtered and the puppy apparently dying off-screen. I'll probably suck it up and add the Blu-ray to my collection eventually.

The puppy didn't literally die, ya know. Hell, its fate is ambiguous in the film.

[metaridley]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

The puppy didn't literally die, ya know. Hell, its fate is ambiguous in the film.

Oh, I know it didn't literally die. I should have clarified that. I think it's pretty obvious that it drowned or somehow didn't survive the attack.

EDIT: I should also add before any of you "oh you don't care about people dying, just animals" types show up, that I felt sorry for the innocent Vietnamese villagers on the boat who were massacred due to a misunderstanding (trying to protect the puppy).

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by iScottie

The only film I know of where they use real animals is Cannibal Holocaust.

I'm pretty sure every other film or 99.9% of them use fake animals. Why on earth would they kill an actual animal for a movie? lol

I'm pretty sure many other films have...they're just not as widely talked about.

[nagysaudio]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

The water buffalo was actually slaughtered in Apocalypse Now. Apparently it was going to be slaughtered by the natives anyways.

There are several hard to watch (at least for me) animal killings in Walkabout.

Actually it went like this: Some idiot on the Apocalypse Now crew witnessed the water buffalo sacrifice. So the dumb director decided that it would be cool to have it in his movie as a cheap Horror trick. So he went to the natives and had them stage it AGAIN, for film this time. A completely prick move.

[ElliesDad]

Originally Posted by metaridley

Both, although I'm not quite as sensitive as you might think. For example, quick and off-screen is tolerable.

For example, what happens to Kevin Costner's horse and wolf in Dances With Wolves, although fake, really soured me on the whole movie, despite enjoying it until then.

The second time I saw Dances With Wolves I was just as totally unprepared for the 'two-socks' scene as I was when I saw it the first time. I'd actually completely blocked that scene from my memory! To remain o/t, wouldn't it be wonderful if Criterion did a DWW release!!

The question of the special empathy most of us, I think, feel for animals in movies vs. various scenes of human carnage, I can only surmise has something to do with the aspect of innocence. People can to some extent usually exercise at least some control (not alway obviously) over their circumstances, whereas animals are often (not always) innocent victims in their interactions with people. Perhaps it's summed up by the caption on the plaintive Animals in War monument in London~ "They Had No Choice".

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

I'm pretty sure many other films have...they're just not as widely talked about.

Pretty sure Week End had some at the end. Or they were convincing fakes.

[BruceWayneMartin]

Originally Posted by jrsl76

Just at Barnes & Nobles, which is where I got my copy.

Ahh cheers.

I got a call for an interview today . If I get it, that means Criterion galore!

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Snicket

Pretty sure Week End had some at the end. Or they were convincing fakes.

Right! That was another one.

[Sukuri]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

I'm pretty sure many other films have...they're just not as widely talked about.

Have we forgotten The Rules of the Game?

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by Sukuri

Have we forgotten The Rules of the Game?

The rabbits haven't. They're just biding their time.