The Criterion Collection

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I always take flak for this, but Dune is my favorite David Lynch movie by far. I will also define myself even deeper in the minority by saying that the theatrically-released version of Dune (featured on the existing DVD) is the superior version.

I agree about the theatrical version being superior to the TV version, if for no other reason than that there's less of it. The only virtue I could find in the TV version was that there was more of Linda Hunt in it.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Review coming up shortly...



Pro-B

I love when directors do this. Malick did it for the theatrical showing of Tree of Life and for the Criterion Thin Red Line (Play it loud!). More than anything it tells me the director truly cares about his/her art. I think if directors like Welles or Lean were still alive today they'd be doing the same.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by octagon

Generally, the darker the better.

That's a little condescending, no?

No, it isn't. In my experience, most people watch TV -- or movies on TV -- with the room lights on. Back in the day, the accepted wisdom was that having the lights on while watching TV was better on your eyes (something to do with the way the fields interlaced on the display, I think).

If I watch TV or a movie by myself (i.e., my wife isn't in the room), I turn off the room lights. If it's during the day, I close the blinds on the balcony door. But even then, primarily it's because the light reflecting off the TV screen drives me nuts.

[myka22]

So I was watching Wayne's World, and I was shocked by how much the young Rob Lowe looks like Alain Delon, especially in something like Purple Noon.

[Steric_Hinderance]

Originally Posted by jayembee

No, it isn't. In my experience, most people watch TV -- or movies on TV -- with the room lights on. Back in the day, the accepted wisdom was that having the lights on while watching TV was better on your eyes (something to do with the way the fields interlaced on the display, I think).

If I watch TV or a movie by myself (i.e., my wife isn't in the room), I turn off the room lights. If it's during the day, I close the blinds on the balcony door. But even then, primarily it's because the light reflecting off the TV screen drives me nuts.

Yeah, always watch films and TV with the lights off....listen to music with lights off...basically tend to do most things with the lights off

[octagon]

Originally Posted by jayembee

No, it isn't. In my experience, most people watch TV -- or movies on TV -- with the room lights on.

And you don't think there's something condescending about telling those people how their own living room lights should be set when they're watching their own television sets in their own homes?

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

the more I read, see, and hear about Lynch, the more I'm inclined to tell him to go shove it. does he really think that anyone who is buying Eraserhead doesn't already have their televisions calibrated at differently than the way it came out of the box?! I mean, thanks for the info pal, but the audience for your films wasn't born yesterday.

I got into a discussion w/ another forum member recently and he argued that one MUST watch a film from start to finish without any interruptions and "that is why David Lynch doesn't put chapters on his discs." well, David Lynch doesn't come over to my house to watch my son while I'm watching his movies.

also, 2 bits of proof that he is full of crap:
#1 - his imdb trivia page says that he refuses to record commentary tracks because he believes "that films speak for themselves." really, DL? then why was it necessary to include "10 clues to unlocking Mulholland Drive" in the DVD liner notes?

#2 - about the lack of chapter stops... I can't find the article right now, but recently I read about how he'd like to work more on TV. I wonder if he has ever heard of commercials. that kinda prohibits one's ability to digest your art in one sitting w/o interruptions, no?

I like his films well enough, but he's a moron and should just be quiet already. he's very annoying

Reminds me a skit called Extreme Duplex Makeover with Werner Herzog and David Lynch. Enjoy

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh5Zjm4kMus

[myka22]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Reminds me a skit called Extreme Duplex Makeover with Werner Herzog and David Lynch. Enjoy

Man that video is great. Thanks for sharing.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

does he really think that anyone who is buying Eraserhead doesn't already have their televisions calibrated at differently than the way it came out of the box?! I mean, thanks for the info pal, but the audience for your films wasn't born yesterday.

I've never calibrated my television. I purchased my first HDTV and my first Blu-ray player on the same day, I hooked them up together with a HDMI cable, and then just started watching movies. I've never noticed anything lacking when watching Blu-rays of well-loved films on my setup, so I just roll with it and don't try to fix something, by my perception, that isn't broken.

I agree with "the darker the better" when it comes to lighting in the room, though. I live alone in an apartment, and I always turn every single light off when I'm watching a film, even down to the obsessive extent of covering a microwave clock light that I can see from my kitchen when I'm sitting on my sofa.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I love when directors do this. Malick did it for the theatrical showing of Tree of Life and for the Criterion Thin Red Line (Play it loud!). More than anything it tells me the director truly cares about his/her art. I think if directors like Welles or Lean were still alive today they'd be doing the same.

Malick also sends notes to cinemas on how it should be lit and project - I think some other do it too.

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I've never calibrated my television. I purchased my first HDTV and my first Blu-ray player on the same day, I hooked them up together with a HDMI cable, and then just started watching movies. I've never noticed anything lacking when watching Blu-rays of well-loved films on my setup, so I just roll with it and don't try to fix something, by my perception, that isn't broken.

I agree with "the darker the better" when it comes to lighting in the room, though. I live alone in an apartment, and I always turn every single light off when I'm watching a film, even down to the obsessive extent of covering a microwave clock light that I can see from my kitchen when I'm sitting on my sofa.

Really? I calibrate the TV per film, sometimes when its calibrated with one film it doesn't work with another - its a tad annoying but it does make the difference, I've compared the default set up to my calibrated and its really impressive.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Malick also sends notes to cinemas on how it should be lit and project - I think some other do it too.

Yep.



Typical Terry.

[ijustblumyself]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I've never calibrated my television. I purchased my first HDTV and my first Blu-ray player on the same day, I hooked them up together with a HDMI cable, and then just started watching movies. I've never noticed anything lacking when watching Blu-rays of well-loved films on my setup, so I just roll with it and don't try to fix something, by my perception, that isn't broken.

I agree with "the darker the better" when it comes to lighting in the room, though. I live alone in an apartment, and I always turn every single light off when I'm watching a film, even down to the obsessive extent of covering a microwave clock light that I can see from my kitchen when I'm sitting on my sofa.

I used to feel exactly the same, but once you've fiddled around with the settings and see how much more natural films looks when calibrated, you won't go back.
A weird example, but when watching the first few seasons of Mad Men on my setup, the amount of flickering noise used to always bug me to the point of annoyance. Once I did some research and calibrated my TV, the flickering noise was gone. My TV's settings were simply creating out a ton of artifacts on the blu-ray which didn't need to be there.

A side note, I've found the LCD screens don't really need much calibration when compared to LED's.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by ijustblumyself

A side note, I've found the LCD screens don't really need much calibration when compared to LED's.

I have a LCD television. I've really never noticed anything lacking when watching any of my movies, and they all look as they should, by my perception anyway. Everything looks cinematic and natural, as long as the Blu-ray transfer itself does not have any outstanding issues. My LCD television is smaller than most, but I might be jumping to a bigger set in the not-too-distant future, depending on whether or not I end up moving to a new place soon.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by sheri1983

I saw yesterday Contempt and have the same dialectic inside my mind between enjoying the movie and thinking beneath it and i ended up deciding to enjoy it and postpone the analysis after the movie it`s a solution for me.

Interestingly, in the booklet that comes with Persona, Thomas Elsasser writes: (emphasis added)

"Reference to other films and self-reference to the fact that you were watching a film became essential elements in the arsenal of New Wave directors in France and elsewhere -- Godard's Contempt and Fellini's 8-1/2, both from 1963, being Persona's precedents."

The mirror.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by octagon

And you don't think there's something condescending about telling those people how their own living room lights should be set when they're watching their own television sets in their own homes?

Not at all. Why on Earth would you think that?

I once had an uncle who liked to drive his car in second gear all the time. Would you consider it condescending to tell him how driving his own car in second gear all the time is bad for the car?

[monorail91]

Originally Posted by nondiatonic

The more von Trier I watch, the more I am interested in watching Salo again. I'm also interested in blind buying Trilogy of Life. So, in order to make my blind buying decision a more educated one I watched Mamma Roma on Hulu a few weeks ago.

This one was a little difficult for me. I really loved many of the scenes. There are two gorgeous shots of Mamma Roma walking toward the camera as the camera recedes away from her at her walking pace. Behind Mamma Roma it is pitch black except for the floating points of light of the street lamps. However, I felt like a lot of the metaphors went over my head.

This review does a pretty good job of examining some of the decision choices and peaks my interest in watching the movie again.

What are everyone's thoughts on this one? Still unsure about the Trilogy of Life blind buy.

Trilogy of Life is awesome. The style of Decameron and The Canterbury Tales can be hard to get used to since the vignettes start and stop and sorta flow into each other, but the special features provide really helpful insight if you're unfamiliar with the source material.

Arabian Nights is definitely my favorite, and probably the most traditional of the films with a more long-running narrative with other pieces woven in. In terms of impact though, the trilogy really is the opposite of Salo - these films leave you filled with such joy. They are always a delight to revisit.

I wouldn't recommend for everybody (since there is strong sexual content / nudity and some graphic scenes of violence) but if you are cool with Salo you're definitely fine for this.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I've never calibrated my television. I purchased my first HDTV and my first Blu-ray player on the same day, I hooked them up together with a HDMI cable, and then just started watching movies. I've never noticed anything lacking when watching Blu-rays of well-loved films on my setup, so I just roll with it and don't try to fix something, by my perception, that isn't broken.

Same here. I once tried to calibrate an old CRT TV using a calibration laserdisc, and it ended up being more trouble than it was worth. Adjusting color and brightness a smidge is about the only thing I've ever done since.

I agree with "the darker the better" when it comes to lighting in the room, though. I live alone in an apartment, and I always turn every single light off when I'm watching a film, even down to the obsessive extent of covering a microwave clock light that I can see from my kitchen when I'm sitting on my sofa.

It's OK to have some light. Even movie theaters have lights on (albeit low) along the side walls. We have a digital clock near the TV, facing us. That doesn't bother me. And when I turn the lights off to watch a movie, I leave the light on over the kitchen sink.

[ultlife2013]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I've never calibrated my television. I purchased my first HDTV and my first Blu-ray player on the same day, I hooked them up together with a HDMI cable, and then just started watching movies. I've never noticed anything lacking when watching Blu-rays of well-loved films on my setup, so I just roll with it and don't try to fix something, by my perception, that isn't broken.

I agree with "the darker the better" when it comes to lighting in the room, though. I live alone in an apartment, and I always turn every single light off when I'm watching a film, even down to the obsessive extent of covering a microwave clock light that I can see from my kitchen when I'm sitting on my sofa.

When watching film noir imagine if you had your shades open and during the whole film you got the reflection on the screen? Nobody would do that :lol:. Always make the environment darker to avoid such things from happening.

[the sordid sentinel]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I have a LCD television. I've really never noticed anything lacking when watching any of my movies, and they all look as they should, by my perception anyway. Everything looks cinematic and natural, as long as the Blu-ray transfer itself does not have any outstanding issues. My LCD television is smaller than most, but I might be jumping to a bigger set in the not-too-distant future, depending on whether or not I end up moving to a new place soon.

You should grab the Disney WOW disc and give it a whirl. Very easy to follow and effective IMO. I do agree that most newer HDTV's look quite good OOTB. Much better than a few yrs. ago.

[Page14]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Review coming up shortly...

[Show spoiler]

Pro-B

I love that!

That looked so familiar to me that I went and dug out my old 2005 Eraserhead 2000 DVD. Sure enough when you pop in the disc, the first thing that shows up is the FBI warning (not to duplicate the DVD), quickly followed by basically the same instructions listed above ... with the wording slightly different.

I will be upgrading to the Criterion bluray.