The Criterion Collection

[kndy]

OK... my haul (hopefully the final purchase):

[Show spoiler]SETS:
Bergman: Trilogy set
Bergman: Four Masterworks set
Berlin Alexanderplatz set
Eclipse Chantal Akerman set
Eclipse Samuel Fuller set
Eclipse Postwar Kurosawa set
Eclipser Travels of Hiroshi Shimizu
The Only Son/There Was a Father set
Paul Robeson set
Rosselini War Trilogy set

Blu-ray:
Black Narcissus
Days of Heaven
Everlasting Moments

DVD:
A nous la Liberte
Ballad of a Soldier
I Vitteloni
Il Posto
Juliet of the Spirits
The Lower Depths
Make Way for Tomorrow
Metropolitan
Nanook of the North
Pepe Le Moko
Pickup on the South Street
Samurai Rebellion
Sansho the Bailiff
Shock Corridor
Shoot the Piano Player
Summertime
Under the Roofs of Paris

=======================================
Part of my goal aside from getting most of the sets I needed was also going after the silent films available from Criterion. So, for those who are looking for silents on Criterion available now, here are the titles:

Band of Outsiders/4 by Agnes Varda (Cleo from 5 to 7) (Agnes Varda's short silent comedy - "Les Fiances du Pon Mac Donald starring Jean-Luc Godard, Anna Karina and friends)
Brand Upon the Brain (modern silent)
Häxan
Joan of Arc
The King of Kings
Nanook from the North
Pandora's Box
Science is Fiction: 23 Films by Jean Painlevé
WC Fields Six Short Films

Ozu's Early Silents (Eclipse)
Travels with Hiroshi Shimizu (Eclipse)

and others recommended from the silent film fans at nitrateville:

Trouble in Paradise features Lubitsch's 1917 film The Merry Jail as an extra.
Body and Soul is featured in the Paul Robeson Box
A Story of Floating Weeds is included in the Floating Weeds set.

Borderline is also included on the Robeson set.
John Ford's Bucking Broadway is included on the Stagecoach DVD and Blu-ray
René Clair's and Francis Picabia's Entr'acte is on the Clair Á nous la liberté
Clair's Paris qui dort is on the Under the Roofs of Paris dvd.

Originally Posted by neo78956

Has anyone seen The Secret of the Grain? I heard great things. That may end up being my final B&N purchase, since I can always find Red Desert at Best Buy for $30 as opposed to $40 at B&N. Plus I want to have some money left over to get A Prophet on BD next week.

Definitely worth it!

[zedd_117]

Originally Posted by neo78956

Has anyone seen The Secret of the Grain? I heard great things. That may end up being my final B&N purchase, since I can always find Red Desert at Best Buy for $30 as opposed to $40 at B&N. Plus I want to have some money left over to get A Prophet on BD next week.

Secret of the Grain arrived on my doorstep on Monday this week. Sadly I haven't been home to watch it.

(The box is pretty)

[neo78956]

Originally Posted by kndy

OK... my haul (hopefully the final purchase):

[Show spoiler]SETS:
Bergman: Trilogy set
Bergman: Four Masterworks set
Berlin Alexanderplatz set
Eclipse Chantal Akerman set
Eclipse Samuel Fuller set
Eclipse Postwar Kurosawa set
The Only Son/There Was a Father set
Paul Robeson set
Rosselini War Trilogy set

Blu-ray:
Black Narcissus
Days of Heaven
Everlasting Moments

DVD:
A nous la Liberte
Ballad of a Soldier
I Vitteloni
Il Posto
Juliet of the Spirits
The Lower Depths
Make Way for Tomorrow
Metropolitan
Nanook of the North
Pepe Le Moko
Pickup on the South Street
Samurai Rebellion
Sansho the Bailiff
Shock Corridor
Shoot the Piano Player
Summertime
Under the Roofs of Paris

Definitely worth it!

Sweet that's enough to convince me. Of the three BD titles I was debating on, this one stuck out the most. Thanks! The Human Condition will have to wait till later then. Secret of the Grain this week and A Prophet (a balls to the wall fantastic film!) next week!

[zedd_117]

Originally Posted by kndy

OK... my haul (hopefully the final purchase):

[Show spoiler]SETS:
Bergman: Trilogy set
Bergman: Four Masterworks set
Berlin Alexanderplatz set
Eclipse Chantal Akerman set
Eclipse Samuel Fuller set
Eclipse Postwar Kurosawa set
The Only Son/There Was a Father set
Paul Robeson set
Rosselini War Trilogy set

Blu-ray:
Black Narcissus
Days of Heaven
Everlasting Moments

DVD:
A nous la Liberte
Ballad of a Soldier
I Vitteloni
Il Posto
Juliet of the Spirits
The Lower Depths
Make Way for Tomorrow
Metropolitan
Nanook of the North
Pepe Le Moko
Pickup on the South Street
Samurai Rebellion
Sansho the Bailiff
Shock Corridor
Shoot the Piano Player
Summertime
Under the Roofs of Paris

Definitely worth it!

C'mon kndy, you know you're not done yet!

Looks like a nice haul, I'll post mine in a couple days. (Just worked 20 hours OT, guess where some that's going. )

[zedd_117]

I'm thinking of hitting up the B&N in South Hills Village tomorrow after work. Anyone from the Pittsburgh area been there? Can you tell me if there's a video section. (Cranberry is quite the disappointment, huge store, no movies.)

[lDlisturb3d]

My next buys are Che, Paris Texas, M, The third Man.

Ohh Seven Samurai when it comes out.

[zedd_117]

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

My next buys are Che, Paris Texas, M, The third Man.

Ohh Seven Samurai when it comes out.

Awesome picks! Third Man and Seven Samurai are 2 of my favorite Criterions. The Third Man is OOP though, so be prepared. $$$$

[lDlisturb3d]

Originally Posted by zedd_117

Awesome picks! Third Man and Seven Samurai are 2 of my favorite Criterions. The Third Man is OOP though, so be prepared. $$$$

well im going to get it soon, since its still 50% off at Barnes and Noble.

[lDlisturb3d]

never mind. I didnt know OOP stood for out of print. Thanks for the heads up bro.

[BasicGreatGuy]

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

never mind. I didnt know OOP stood for out of print. Thanks for the heads up bro.

"The Third Man" with plastic case is selling for $65.00+ on Ebay. There is one auction ending tomorrow (new) with digipack, that is at $42.99 thus far. I wish you well on your find.

[Maggot]

I am rather new to Criterion titles. I have read critics stating that Criterion titles should be in any "serious" collection. I am finding the whole phrase "serious collector" to be somewhat of a misleading one. The sort of notion that one is not serious unless they have this or that appears to be another "sell" tactic or the sort of "you're not in the "in-crowd" or the "avant garde". While both Days of Heaven of Black Narcissus are beautifully shot movies, I find them some of the most boring titles I have ever seen in my life. So much so, I would never watch them again. Waste of money, but I had to give them a try as I keep hearing Criterions are a must. Granted I also have Criterion's "Bigger than Life", and I find that an excellent movie. I have bought "The Red Shoes" and will watch that next. Hopefully I will enjoy that. Even though I don't think you can get the Criterion version anymore, "The Third Man" looks to be good and there is another version coming. I guess like anything, it's hit and miss depending on your criteria of a movie should be. I also have Stagecoach to watch, which I know I'll love.

[neo78956]

Welcome to the fold, but please for the future post all Criterion related posts here https://forum.blu-ray.com/blu-ray-mo...iscussion.html

[42041]

Originally Posted by Maggot

I have read critics stating that Criterion titles should be in any "serious" collection.

That's a ridiculous notion. Buy movies you like, not movies that make you seem hip

[Maggot]

Originally Posted by 42041

That's a ridiculous notion. Buy movies you like, not movies that make you seem hip

I mearly state that when you are looking to buy movies that you have never viewed before, yet come from a collection that is generally touted as a "MUST" for any serious collector, you at least half expect to end up in agreement with those statements. But again, to each his own.

[neo78956]

Originally Posted by BasicGreatGuy

"The Third Man" with plastic case is selling for $65.00+ on Ebay. There is one auction ending tomorrow (new) with digipack, that is at $42.99 thus far. I wish you well on your find.

Good thing I bought mine back when it was in print. I feel like that film was OOP pretty fast after the blu-ray release. Only a few months right? I think The Third Man was the first Criterion blu-ray I ever purchased. Ironic, since it took me a long time to finally get around to watching it (nearly a year! ) but after I did, I LOVED it. Easily a new all-time favorite for me.

[steve_dave]

The only Criterion titles I own:

Chungking Express (Blu-ray)
Charade (Blu-ray and DVD)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Blu-ray)
Chasing Amy (DVD)
The Royal Tenenbaums (DVD)
Armageddon (DVD)

I have Wings of Desire, Kagemusha, and The Virgin Spring in my Netflix Instant Queue.

I buy the titles I like because critics are not always right. Just because the Dragon Dynasty is considered the best (at least in the US) for Asian cinema does not mean I own everyone of their titles.

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by Maggot

I mearly state that when you are looking to buy movies that you have never viewed before, yet come from a collection that is generally touted as a "MUST" for any serious collector, you at least half expect to end up in agreement with those statements. But again, to each his own.

The problem is that you found two movies you don't like. That happens, it is not a reflection of the quality of the label. It is a reflection of your personal tastes.

I personally could not stand The Princess and the Frog despite the critical acclaim for the film. I literally could not finish the film just like I could not finish I Spit On Your Grave and Whispering Corridors.

[42041]

Originally Posted by Maggot

I mearly state that when you are looking to buy movies that you have never viewed before, yet come from a collection that is generally touted as a "MUST" for any serious collector, you at least half expect to end up in agreement with those statements.

Anyone who's touting every Criterion release as a "must" is a dope or maybe some obnoxious snob. They're just movies, as subject to personal taste as any other movie. Criterion is known for releasing films that are not quite mainstream and that's usually for a reason.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by Maggot

I am rather new to Criterion titles. I have read critics stating that Criterion titles should be in any "serious" collection. I am finding the whole phrase "serious collector" to be somewhat of a misleading one. The sort of notion that one is not serious unless they have this or that appears to be another "sell" tactic or the sort of "you're not in the "in-crowd" or the "avant garde". While both Days of Heaven of Black Narcissus are beautifully shot movies, I find them some of the most boring titles I have ever seen in my life. So much so, I would never watch them again. Waste of money, but I had to give them a try as I keep hearing Criterions are a must. Granted I also have Criterion's "Bigger than Life", and I find that an excellent movie. I have bought "The Red Shoes" and will watch that next. Hopefully I will enjoy that. Even though I don't think you can get the Criterion version anymore, "The Third Man" looks to be good and there is another version coming. I guess like anything, it's hit and miss depending on your criteria of a movie should be. I also have Stagecoach to watch, which I know I'll love.

Hello,



1. Instead of focusing on collecting Criterion titles, focus on collecting/seeing important films.

2. Films are not always meant to be enjoyed.

Pro-B

[P@t_Mtl]

If I can give some idea or advice to you OP. Don't go out and buy all Criterion just because they are suppose to be "the best movies". That statement is too general. Just because they are liked by someone does not mean you will enjoy a movie. Rent them first to discover them, of course and then buy those that you truly enjoy and you will wish to see often. That way you discover new style of movies outside of the typical Hollywood releases without hurting your wallet and have movies sitting on your collection you will never watch again.