The Criterion Collection

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I wonder how Arrows releases will compare with Criterions in term of picture/video quality. (Fassbinder set)

Likely neck to neck, although the screenshot scientists might harp over compression issues on the Criterions and calling it a downright mess
Assuming Criterion releases all the RWF films Arrow is, the boxset at 65GBP will be cheaper than buying individual CC blu's even at 50% off, and comes with a 200-page hardbound book which, unlike Criterion's leaflets and foldouts, will be frickin' awesome!

[oildude]

I watched La Notte this weekend for the first time. Amazing film, though not recommended for the ADD crowd. Leisurely paced and oh so good, great cinematography capturing a juxtaposition of the old and modern Milan, a beautiful jazz score worked into the second half of the film, and terrific acting and dialogue from the leads Marcello Mastroianni, Jean Moreau, and Monica Vitti. I can see how this film was ground breaking in its time and, after viewing L'Avventura last week (another exceptional film), has now cemented Antonioni as one of my favorite directors. An intelligent, honest look at a married couple in crisis, La Notte sticks with you afterward and is one of those luxuriously textured films that makes me glad to be a fan of classic cinema.

The actor who plays the terminally ill friend Tomassino at the beginning of the film is Bernhard Wicki. I kept wondering why his name sounded familiar and so I looked him up online. Turns out he is more known as a director, which is how I know the name. He directed the deeply moving German classic The Bridge, released a couple of months ago on Blu-ray by Criterion.

[schan1269]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

Think of it like blind buying your Hulu subscription

Also even with the regular subscription, there are no ads in all the Criterion catalog, the only downside is many of the SD versions look quite bad on a big enough screen, but a lot of the titles are in HD anyway, they don't seem to be adding that many new films as of recently, but there is already a lot there, so I can't complain.

If Hulu has a Criterion in SD. Fandor likely has it in HD.

[pedromvu]

Just watched A Special Day, another excellent film which I knew nothing about before it was announced, nor did I heard before of its Director, which apparently wrote Il Sorpasso which is another excellent Italian film that surprised me in the same way.

Both performances are amazing, and found all the camerawork very fluid and expressive.

Haven't seen much talk about it, would like to hear some thoughts on it, hopefully Criterion keeps doing releases like this, I mean I really like Fellini, but there are probably a lot of other great Italian films I never heard about.

[happydood]

Hey everybody.

Forgive my late to the party, but which Criterion were the ones that had alleged issues with unplayability/rot/freezing?

I just bought a mint used copy of Lady Vanishes which I'd never seen and it froze and went black with about 4 chapters to go. I'll return it obviously, but was curious if this was one with a wider isdue?

Any insights are greatly appreciated...

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by happydood

Hey everybody.

Forgive my late to the party, but which Criterion were the ones that had alleged issues with unplayability/rot/freezing?

I just bought a mint used copy of Lady Vanishes which I'd never seen and it froze and went black with about 4 chapters to go. I'll return it obviously, but was curious if this was one with a wider isdue?

Any insights are greatly appreciated...

You can search on this thread:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=249210

It doesn't appear on this list:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...5&postcount=68

I believe the only titles affected were released mid 2010 and before, and only first prints.

[happydood]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

You can search on this thread:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=249210

It doesn't appear on this list:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...5&postcount=68

I believe the only titles affected were released mid 2010 and before, and only first prints.

Thanks, that was super helpful. Was also about to invest in a copy of Stagecoach and may try my luck. Fortunately, my local Amoeba will allow an exchange on Lady Vanishes, but it's super annoying when you're really looking forward to a movie you haven't seen and you have kids and limited time and the disk cr#ps out...

[SkyAntoine]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

I must be one of the only people who didnt care for Ali.

I thought the ending was really stupid and forced and that Ali was terribly wooden. On top of all things I wasn't so convinced about the starting of their relationship.

I did really like a lot of things with it too though, as stated the cinematography was terrific and there was some good social commentary going on there as well.

My favorite Fassbinder so far has been The Marriage Of Maria Braun, hopefully get to see the BRD make an appearance at some point in time.

I watched Ali for the first time last night. It was my first Fassbinder film and I had just watched All That Heaven Allows a couple of weeks ago.

I thought everything about the cinematography and editing was wonderful. I cannot wait to watch more Fassbinder. However, the story itself was a letdown. Just not as believable as I expected.

I'm with you that I was never really sold on the relationship. Maybe the leads in Heaven Allows were so attractive that you accepted their love regardless of the circumstances. And, I was expecting more of a "remake" because of all of the comparisons to Heaven Allows. I thought this Harold and Maude without the humor.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by SkyAntoine

I watched Ali for the first time last nare ight. It was my first Fassbinder film and I had just watched All That Heaven Allows a couple of weeks ago.

I thought everything about the cinematography and editing was wonderful. I cannot wait to watch more Fassbinder. However, the story itself was a letdown. Just not as believable as I expected.

I'm with you that I was never really sold on the relationship. Maybe the leads in Heaven Allows were so attractive that you accepted their love regardless of the circumstances. And, I was expecting more of a "remake" because of all of the comparisons to Heaven Allows. I thought this Harold and Maude without the humor.

Interesting. Is it easier to accept a relationship when the people involved are perceived to be attractive?

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Yeah, as usual I didn't see it in the theater, so I picked it up right off the bat. I knew I would probably regret it one day, but I really wanted to check out what all the talk was about.

I missed in the theaters as well, and just ended up getting it from Netflix... but only because Criterion said a bigger edition was coming later. Kind of glad they said that.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Last night, I watched my new Criterion Blu-ray of My Own Private Idaho.

When I first saw My Own Private Idaho back in the 1990s, when I was a college student, I was somewhat freaked out by the subject matter, because I was admittedly more close-minded about the world around me than I am these days. Even back then, though, I empathized heavily with the plight of River Phoenix's character, Mike Waters, and I thought that it was an adept cinematic depiction of people looking for their place in the world.

Upon my viewing last night, with many adult years under my belt, the film resonated with me all the more. More than anything, I miss River Phoenix. A few years after the release of My Own Private Idaho and shortly after the death of River Phoenix, R.E.M. dedicated their 1994 album, Monster, to him. Memories from those days come flooding back, and, in retrospect, I see how My Own Private Idaho was a cultural landmark of the time that stood in as an early 1990s version of Jack Kerouac's On the Road.

The dialogue referencing Shakespeare's Henry IV is quite offbeat, and, in this sense, Keanu Reeves's role in My Own Private Idaho is not as far removed from his work in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure as serious film fans would probably like to think. These Shakespearean sequences crack me up, but they also remind me of Fagan's gang in the Dickens novel, Oliver Twist. (It's tough not to think of Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, Flea, as the Artful Dodger.)

On a less cerebral level, I had a mad crush on Chiara Caselli when I first saw the film, and I still have that crush.

My Own Private Idaho looks exceptional on Blu-ray. I had forgotten how beautiful the cinematography is for this title. I have an on/off relationship with Gus Van Sant's works, but this is one particular film of his where everything works.

My Own Private Idaho caught my attention all those years ago because of the title, which is taken from one of my favorite B-52s songs, "Private Idaho." I still love that song.

I'd love to see a Criterion release of Gus Van Sant's Drugstore Cowboy.

Thanks for the post on this Owl. I'm really looking forward to sitting down with this one and I'm pleased to hear it'll be a great experience.

And I second Drugstore Cowboy!

[monorail91]

For today's announcements --

Wish List:

-Angels in America
-Captain EO
-Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
-Evita
-Forget Me Not
-The Graduate
-Hedwig and the Angry Inch
-Mildred Pierce
-Mommie Dearest
-Ordinary People
-A Place in the Sun
-Repeat Performance
-Simon Killer
-Suddenly, Last Summer
-The Tenant
-Two Women

Plus upgrades for:

-Bicycle Thieves
-I Vitelloni
-The Lady Eve
-Mala Noche
-Summertime
-Written on the Wind

[filmmusic]

Wishlist:

Farewell to my Concubine
Raise the Red lantern
Death in Venice
Cyrano (1990)
Until the End of the World
Indochine
Camile Claudel (1988)
Woman Next Door
Mediterraneo
Il Giovedi
Tree of Life
Faraoh
The Age of Innocence
Reflections in a Golden Eye (both Golden tint version and color version)
An Angelopoulos film
A Cary Grant film
A Hitchcock film
Old hand-drawn animation film (Gandahar,Time Masters or Angel's Egg maybe)
Ifigeneia
Mermaids
Tchaikovsky

Upgrades:
Summertime
Written on the Wind
Magnificent Obsession
The Fugitive Kind

[dsman71]

My hopes for today (?)
Kansas City Confidential
Drums of Jeopardy
Love from a Stranger
Kill Baby Kill
Detour
Cry of the City

Upgrades
Fiend without A Face
Equinox
Devil and Daniel Webster

[prior]

Originally Posted by monorail91

For today's announcements --

Wish List:

-Angels in America
-Captain EO
-Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
-Evita
-Forget Me Not
-The Graduate
-Hedwig and the Angry Inch
-Mildred Pierce
-Mommie Dearest
-Ordinary People
-A Place in the Sun
-Repeat Performance
-Simon Killer
-Suddenly, Last Summer
-The Tenant
-Two Women

Yes to the bolded ones.

In general there should be more Tennessee Williams on Criterion.

[adamhopelies]

My hope for tonight is Paris nous appartient, alongside the now-obligatory call for Jeanne Dielman.

While I'm here; Ali; Fear Eats The Soul is my favourite Sirk, and would make for timely viewing given the current state of the world.

[SkyAntoine]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Interesting. Is it easier to accept a relationship when the people involved are perceived to be attractive?

Although the love was considered taboo in the social circles in All That Heaven Allows, I just meant that it did not seem taboo to me because both leads are so attractive. It seemed understandable why they fell for one another. It was a better love story IMO than Ali. In turn, I don't think Sirk's social commentary was very effective.

I don't think Fassbinder made a great love story with Ali. The relationship was hurried and I never connected, or was sold on their love. However, it was a better social commentary on the taboo of the situation.

I was more convinced by the lead actress' role than Ali. She seemed more genuine. Still I'm not faulting Fassbinder because he was not setting out to make The Notebook.

I think both films are solid 8/10. IMO Harold & Maude is a 9/10.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by prior

In general there should be more Tennessee Williams on Criterion.

I completely agree!!
A box-set would be great!!!

[dana martin]

Wishlist
A Matter of Life and Death
Twentieth Century
Shanghai Express (from Universals recent 4k restoration)
His Girl Friday
The Decalogue
Women in Love
Topper
Talk to Her
Secrets & Lies

Upgrades
My Man Godfrey (from Universals recent 4k restoration)
Early Lean Box (Oliver Twist/Great Expectations)
Pandora’s Box
3 Silent Classics by Josef von Sternberg
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Ugetsu

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

That defeats the totally illogical, irrational purpose of the blind buy.

...but I get what you're saying.

$7.99 a month to watch unlimited movies sounds a hell of a lot better than blind buying ONE film for $19.99 during a BN sale.