The Criterion Collection

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I'm simply browsing which films Janus owns the rights to whether theatrical or home video and seeing the possibilities of Blu-ray releases.

Gotcha! Well, I'd love for them to give Secret Agent the Criterion treatment. Maybe not one of Hitchcock's best, but a fascinating film nonetheless. Any movie that stars Madeleine Carroll and Peter Lorre is worth an upgrade!

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by CPinheiro

I imagine its probably been discussed before, but I was just wondering which movie in the collection has the most beautiful/haunting score or soundtrack.

I love Three Colors: Blue and The Double Life of Veronique, but imo Picnic at Hanging Rock is the one that has the eeriest soundtrack and it fits perfectly with the movie.

What do you guys think? Whats your favorite score/soundtrack in the collection?

Well, if you include OOP titles, then The Third Man would be my choice, otherwise The Qatsi Trilogy. There are so many, really.

[monorail91]

Favorite soundtracks include:

Anything Nino Rota
Beauty and the Beast
The Great Beauty
Harold and Maude
House
Mulholland Drive
Nashville
Sweet Smell of Success
Weekend (2011) [even though there's no official soundtrack release - the songs chosen are excellent complements to the moments onscreen]
Y Tu Mamá También (especially the superb "Si No Te Hubieras Ido")

[CBHampson]

One of my favorite scores, that I had actually never heard of before seeing the film, is Morricone's work on "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion"

Ennio Morricone - Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion - YouTube

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I'd like to know what it means when a reviewer says, "the grain is well resolved" or "more well resolved than x" when comparing two releases of the same title.

oh, and "compression" issues.. no idea.

Hi bwdowiak,

1. Well resolved addresses evenness, and specifically whether the grain is as it naturally appears on the element that was used to produce the transfer.

There are multiple reasons why the grain may appear blotchy or patchy. One possible reason is an old transfer with limitations/issues. Another possible reason is weak encoding. This being said, grain does not have universal appearance. In other words, depending on the format, it would appear either over/underexposed to the untrained eyes. Obviously, with 16mm material it would appear overexposed, while with 65mm/75mm format it would appear underexposed. Additionally, the better the scan (high-quality), the more refined and less obvious the grain will be (there will be a difference between 2K and 4K transfers, but a relatively minor one). So, generallys peaking, as you transition to 4K -- even with upscaling -- the image becomes "tighter" and you see less of the grain.

Here are some examples so that you can see the difference.

Well resolved grain

1. Following

This is 16mm grain. You can see how obvious and evenly distributed the grain is. There is no blockiness/blotchy patterns/smearing.

2. The Fury

Here you have 1.85:1-framed film, 2K restoration. The appearance is different. But, do you see how even the grain is again? No patches, no smeary spots.

3. Hiroshima mon amour Blu-ray

Moving to 1.37:1 (but not 16mm). This is from a 4K restoration. Do you see again how "tight" and "even" the grain is?

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...958&position=1

4. Ben-Hur

Moving to a much larger format: 2.75:1. Do you see how "glossy" the grain is? It is so refined that it is extremely difficult to see (it is there). Also, this is very high-quality scanning:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...756&position=3

So, remember, as you move from 16mm to 70mm grain exposure evolves. Also, as you move from 2K to 4K and all the way up to 8K scans, grain exposure again evolves (despite the fact that eventually you downscale to go back down to 1080p for Blu-ray).

Poorly resolved grain/Other issues

1. The Fabulous Baker Boys Blu-ray

The release is sourced from an old master. Do you see on the left side how the grain looks blotchy/smeary?

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...274&position=8

2. The Last Days of Disco

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...08&position=11

Another release sourced from an old master. Do you see how in the upper left corner the grain looks smeary? There is a lot of sharpening here as well. Do you see the harsh edges?

3. Audrey Rose

Another release sourced from a very old master. Here the grain is literally overwhelmed by noise. Do you see the wavy patterns? Because the grain is overwhelmed by the noise, the image is very flat and there is literally no depth.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...477&position=1

4. Stolen Kisses

This is a classic example where the grain isn't as well resolved as it could be because of poor encoding. Do you see how smeary it appears?

5. Performance

And another here:
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...57&position=12

Do you see the large patches that create a snowy spider web?

So remember again: There are plenty of very good older masters that would produce good Blu-ray releases. Grain could be a bit more pronounced, but they are fine. But some have native issues -- for example, they are loaded with noise -- and some have been manipulated. Naturally, you could encounter more of the issues highlighted above. And finally, poor encoding will produce poor results. (Also, high bitrates do not equate excellent encoding).

I hope this makes it a bit easier to understand, bwdowiak

Pro-B

[Polaroid]

Mulholland Dr has some great music!

Mulholland Dr Llorando Crying - YouTube

Linda Scott - I've Told Every Little Star - YouTube

David Lynch & John Neff - Mountains Falling (Mulholland Dr.) - YouTube

MULHOLLAND DRIVE The First Dance - YouTube

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by iScottie

According to this list, Janus Films has the rights to these films that have not yet been released on BD or DVD:

[Show spoiler]
1922 - Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler

1930 - Westfront 1918

1931 - Comradeship

1933 - The Ghoul

1936 - Secret Agent

1937 - Bulldog Drummond Escapes

1938 - Merrily We Live

1939 - Le Jour Se Leve
1939 - Zenobia

1950 - Three Feet in a Bed
1950 - The Winner's Circle

1951 - Bullfight

1952 - Waiting Women

1953 - Gan

1954 - A Lesson in Love
1954 - Lowlands
1954 - Time of Desire

1955 - Dreams
1955 - Heroes and Sinners
1955 - The Summer Wind Blows

1956 - Tides of Passion

1957 - The Flute and the Arrow
1957 - The Ostrich Has Two Eggs

1958 - Sins of Youth

1960 - Cinderella
1960 - The Devil's Eye

1961 - Bernadette of Lourdes
1961 - The Creation of Woman
1961 - The Fruit is Ripe
1961 - The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
1961 - Teen Kanya
1961 - Whistle Down the Wind

1962 - Älskarinnan
1962 - Being Two Isn't Easy
1962 - Crooks Anonymous
1962 - Just Once More
1962 - Maid for Murder
1962 - Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
1962 - Three Fables of Love

1963 - The Face of War
1963 - The Guest
1963 - Heavens Above!
1963 - Nurse on Wheels
1963 - Playboy of the Western World
1963 - Sparrows Can't Sing
1963 - Young Aphrodites

1964 - 491
1964 - All These Women
1964 - Anatomy of a Marriage
1964 - The Troublemaker

1965 - Enter Hamlet
1965 - The Games of Angels

1966 - Barrier

1967 - Like a Shooting Star
1967 - Two Castles

1969 - Boy
1969 - One Fine Day
1969 - The Rite

1971 - Two English Girls

1973 - The Invitation

1974 - A Poem is a Naked Person

1978 - One Night Stand

1979 - Ondanondu Kaladalli

1981 - Rubber Tarzan

1987 - I Was a Teenage Zombie

1991 - Until the End of the World

1997 - Cure

2013 - Jellyfish Eyes

2014 - The Visistor

2015 - Annie Get Your Gun

I'd sure like to see those Bergman films make it, especially Dreams. Harriet Andersson gets a chance here to look stunning as a fashion model but underneath the fancy gowns her character could almost be Monika after her summer adventures. I should also add I really like her co-star Eva Dahlbeck, a Bergman regular during this period, who unfortunately doesn't get mentioned often in discussions of Bergman's stock company of actors.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by monorail91

Favorite soundtracks include:

Anything Nino Rota

Yes, especially the very catchy scores for Amarcord and Juliet of the Spirits.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by CPinheiro

I imagine its probably been discussed before, but I was just wondering which movie in the collection has the most beautiful/haunting score or soundtrack.

I love Three Colors: Blue and The Double Life of Veronique, but imo Picnic at Hanging Rock is the one that has the eeriest soundtrack and it fits perfectly with the movie.

What do you guys think? Whats your favorite score/soundtrack in the collection?

I am a big fan of film scores/soundtracks so here is a big list:

My favorite score from Three Colors is from Red, other than that, Double Life of Veronique is pretty good too, I guess anything with Zbigniew Preisner, unfortunately I have only seen those 4 with a score from him, hopefully we will get much more from him with The Decalogue in the future.

Here is my favorite from Red:

[Show spoiler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUyj3ndt8o4

From Michel Legrand I love the one from Vivre Sa Vie, other great sountracks or scores by him on the collection: Young girls of Rochefort, Une femme est une femme, Cleo from 5 to 7.

[Show spoiler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlZDIqWHKB4&list=PLx3-OLoANJBX4iyYkOwZboG_vC-EoXiL6

Since there are many Fellini films in the collection, Nino Rota is another big one, my favorite is probably 8 1/2, but i love the ones form La Dolce Vita and Amarcord too.

[Show spoiler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvrcRSvpI78

Philip Glass score of Koyaanisqatsi is pretty amazing, specially the part that appears in Watchmen:

[Show spoiler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0RKpmjjpLQ

Of course A Hard Days Night, no need for video.

And Anything by Morricone, with Days of Heaven, Tie Me Up, Tie me Down! and The Battle of Algiers being the highlights for me.

Apart from that I also enjoy more musical films, so i need to add the one from Monsoon Wedding by Mychael Danna:

[Show spoiler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUCiGqAHx4g

And from Black Orpheus by Luiz Bonfa and Antonio Carlos Jobim:

[Show spoiler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x89OqoxP1uI

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by iScottie

According to this list, Janus Films has the rights to these films that have not yet been released on BD or DVD:

1979 - Ondanondu Kaladalli

Seriously?! Ondanondu Kaladalli aka Once Upon a Time is a fabulous film. It's Indian playwright and film-maker Girish Karnad's tribute to Akira Kurosawa (specifically Seven Samurai) by way of local legend. It has a gripping story of loyalty and betrayal with several twists and turns, and terrific action scenes featuring ancient Indian martial art styles. So far there is only a poor quality Indian DVD release. I don't know if there are any decent condition source elements, but I would love for such a film to come out on a good home video release.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I was curious if there are different versions of the film, but from what I can see it's always been a 28-minute short. If Criterion does a stand-alone release for it, I'd be curious as to what it would entail - more extras, or combined with another feature, or something else?

I feel it would make for a nice bonus to a Carnival of Souls blu-ray, since there is some thematic similarity between them.

I remember seeing it on the big screen at a festival of short films some 2 decades ago. I was floored by it.

[pro-bassoonist]

Breaker Morant Blu-ray REVIEW



The new 4K restoration is outstanding. The audio is also fully remastered and there is an obvious difference. Wonderful Australian film, really. Definitely listen to the entire audio commentary and see The Breaker. Both are very informative.

Have a great Friday, guys

Pro-B

p.s.

I am sorry I could not finish the review yesterday as I said I will, but I had a medical procedure and I could not write for the majority of the day.

[easydreamer]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

So, would Janus releasing this be any different than the version that's on one of the Twilight Zone BDs right now?

Should be different, as the original film has 3 segments (stories), and what was aired on TZ was the last one (and the best, IMO).

[pro-bassoonist]

Soundtracks: FANTASTIC TOPIC, guys

Here are a few of my favorite:

Zbigniew Preisner: Rouge/Red, from Three Colors Trilogy.

"Fashion Show II" - Zbigniew Preisner (Trois couleurs: Rouge - Krzysztof Kieslowski) - YouTube

Gheorghe Zamfir: Picnic at Hanging Rock

Gheorghe Zamfir - Theme From Picnic at Hanging Rock (Doina Sus Pe Culmea Dealului) - YouTube

Nino Rota: Purple Noon

Plein Soleil - Purple Noon - Nino Rota - YouTube

Georges Delerue: Contempt (One of the all-time greatest European composers).

Theme de Camille - Georges Delerue - YouTube

And one of my favorite, not yet in the collection, but hopefully soon we will have a beautiful Blu-ray release:

Philippe Sarde: Les Choses de la Vie

Philippe Sarde - Les Choses de la Vie Soundtrack - Les Choses de la Vie - YouTube

Pro-B

[Arkadin]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Right on.

I was curious if there are different versions of the film, but from what I can see it's always been a 28-minute short. If Criterion does a stand-alone release for it, I'd be curious as to what it would entail - more extras, or combined with another feature, or something else?

I'm just wondering, probably won't find out for a while.

I would think it would be very different--it wouldn't have any references to the TZ at all, as my understanding is that the TZ just took the little film and "made" it into an episode with Rod's voice intro, etc. etc.
So what you would be getting I would think would be just the original film--no mention of anything TZ related at all.
just my guess.

[ShellOilJunior]

The Apu Trilogy - Ravi Shankar
Hiroshima mon amour - Georges Delerue and Giovanni Fusco
La dolce vita - Nino Rota
On the Waterfront - Elmer Bernstein
Last Year at Marienbad - Francis Seyrig
Monterey Pop - Various
The Battle of Aligiers - Ennio Morricone

[adamhopelies]

Georges Delarue's score for Day For Night is one of my favourite soundtracks in the collection. Wes Anderson used it too (in Fantastic Mr. Fox, I think).

Francois Truffaut's La Nuit Americaine Theme - YouTube

Speaking of which, Anderson's soundtracks are always good too.

I'll second the calls for Contempt too. My wife walked down the aisle to the main Camille theme.

The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg is an obvious one, but a good one.

[ccg1978]

Watched Two Days, One Night. Simple but touching story. I really liked how the director left music out of the movie and allowed the actors to create tension in the scenes. 3.5/5

[LPMA]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Right on.

I was curious if there are different versions of the film, but from what I can see it's always been a 28-minute short. If Criterion does a stand-alone release for it, I'd be curious as to what it would entail - more extras, or combined with another feature, or something else?

I'm just wondering, probably won't find out for a while.

I'm not familiar with the short's director, but he's directed 33 titles as per IMDB, perhaps the short could be a bonus feature to one of his films?

Originally Posted by Arkadin

I would think it would be very different--it wouldn't have any references to the TZ at all, as my understanding is that the TZ just took the little film and "made" it into an episode with Rod's voice intro, etc. etc.
So what you would be getting I would think would be just the original film--no mention of anything TZ related at all.
just my guess.

I haven't seen the short or the TZ episode, but from what I read the only differences are an intro and a commercial break, and they dubbed the (minimal) dialogue. Sure, we'd get the original version of the short, but I doubt there's a huge market for a standalone release.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by ravenus

I feel it would make for a nice bonus to a Carnival of Souls blu-ray, since there is some thematic similarity between them.

I remember seeing it on the big screen at a festival of short films some 2 decades ago. I was floored by it.

I seriously need to give Carnival of Souls another viewing. I saw it with the Elvira commentary, so the experience was somewhat different for me.

Originally Posted by easydreamer

Should be different, as the original film has 3 segments (stories), and what was aired on TZ was the last one (and the best, IMO).

Now that I didn't know. Hmmm...

Originally Posted by Arkadin

I would think it would be very different--it wouldn't have any references to the TZ at all, as my understanding is that the TZ just took the little film and "made" it into an episode with Rod's voice intro, etc. etc.
So what you would be getting I would think would be just the original film--no mention of anything TZ related at all.
just my guess.

Originally Posted by LPMA

I'm not familiar with the short's director, but he's directed 33 titles as per IMDB, perhaps the short could be a bonus feature to one of his films?

I haven't seen the short or the TZ episode, but from what I read the only differences are an intro and a commercial break, and they dubbed the (minimal) dialogue. Sure, we'd get the original version of the short, but I doubt there's a huge market for a standalone release.

Yeah, I figure Rod Sterling's intro would be excluded (or perhaps used as an extra feature, if possible).

I also saw that the director had a number of films under his belt. Didn't bother comparing the filmography with the list posted before; perhaps it is an extra for another Robert Enrico film, or could a set of his films be in the works?