The Criterion Collection

[Member-222782]

What are the odds of a Lars Von Trier set? Any hints of one in one of their teasers? Particularly interested in The Element of Crime.

[The Sovereign]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

What are the odds of a Lars Von Trier set? Any hints of one in one of their teasers? Particularly interested in The Element of Crime.

That’s an upgrade I’ve been waiting years for. Whether it’s with a box or not, I hope we see it.

[HillSprinter]

Originally Posted by jw007

I never thought I'd say this but "I'm done upgrading!"

Being done upgrading is incredibly liberating and, I would claim, good for your health.

[regeyer]

Originally Posted by jw007

I never thought I'd say this but "I'm done upgrading!"

We've all said that before. When HD DVD was defeated I said that I'd never go Blu. That lasted about a week.

[Reddington]

I said I was never getting into 4K but have started to do so in a roundabout way for titles I don't have on BD and where there is a 4K release that includes both formats.

I'm sure I may also buy a few favourites on 4K where I do have the BD (like the upcoming release of Jaws), but there is no way I'm buying everything again - especially as so many BD look spectacular to my eyes.

[DaBargainHunta]

Hell's House (1932)



Another late night, so I once again picked one of the shortest movies (of interest to me) - Hell's House. Figured I couldn't go wrong with a pre-code Bette Davis, and I was right!

After a 14-year-old boy's mother dies, he moves in with relatives and gets caught up with a fast-talking bootlegger (Pat O'Brien) who is boarding with them (Davis plays his girlfriend who is sympathetic to the newly-orphaned child). Alcohol never should have been illegal in the first place, but O'Brien plays such a sleaze that you still actively root for his comeuppance. Junior takes the rap for the crime and ends up in kiddie jail, where he's known as "Big Boy." He befriends another boy called "Shorty."

If all of this sounds like coded homosexuality to you, well, it did to me too. A review from a random IMDb user confirms my suspicions, or at least proves that more than one person saw the same subtext. Picture this: A prison scene where one boy holds the other other in his arms, and while in this embrace, they refer to each other longingly as "Big Boy" and "Shorty." No, I don't think I'm seeing things that aren't there.

But the real point of the movie is to examine the horrible treatment juvenile offenders endured in those days. It doesn't come across as gritty and harsh by today's standards, but I imagine it was more shocking for the time period.

The Criterion Channel is using the Kino transfer. The first 10-12 minutes have some minor technical issues (with a warning supplied beforehand), but it looks great after that - or at least as great as such an old movie can look, considering the initial damage.

DaBargainHunta's Decree: At only 73 minutes, Hell's House is quick, engaging, and never overstays its welcome. All of the performances are great, but the child actors are particularly impressive. (Subtitles included? Yes!)

[Sommerswerd]

Originally Posted by hariseldon

Order or pickup directly -- some of the stores are starting to reopen to some traffic an most of the stores have been allowing some sort of Curbside pickup.

If you order this way, would you also get the 10% membership discount.

[repulsed]

Finally, placed my intended order with one added that I definitely I had to have now. Would have had it last B&N sale but the inserts on all of them were flawed at the store I went to.

Leave Her to Heaven
The Circus
The Kid Brother
Polyester

$81 and change
Plus I'm now $30 away from a $50 credit!

[FragnitoM]

La Vie de Jèsus is $15.99 on Amazon. Temp. Out of stock now but I locked in at that price.

Is this one good? Not familiar with this filmmaker, is he comparable to anyone else? Haven’t seen it and figured I’d first watch on Blu instead of the channel

[Member-222782]

Originally Posted by The Sovereign

That’s an upgrade I’ve been waiting years for. Whether it’s with a box or not, I hope we see it.

Element of Crime is such a visually stunning film even if the subject matter is bleak - I think it would lend itself beautifully to HD. I have the DVD but have never watched more than 45 minutes of the disc because I want to savor the whole thing in HD.

[Scottie]

Janus Films is promoting the Bruce Lee films and a 25th Anniversary 4K restoration of La Haine on their website.

[BluLobsta]

What does it mean when "Criterion LD release" is mentioned in the film description?

EDIT: Never mind. LaserDisc. That one flew right over my head. Didn't realize Criterion was around back then.

[edmoney]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Hmm, I guess I’ll need to go back and watch it a second time. When three people have a decidedly different opinion of a release’s quality than my own, it’s pretty clear that I need to reassess. Some people would push back, and defend their opinion to the bitter end. I’m not nearly arrogant enough, or stubborn enough, to do so. The mark of a good critic is that they’re able to remain humble and objective, and willing to admit when they might be wrong. That’s precisely the kind of writer I want to be. My apologies to FragnitoM and Dailyan. I wasn’t looking to be argumentative, but my experience of watching the film was quite different. There was some quality variance obvious between different scenes, but it wasn’t so noticeable where it affected my enjoyment of the movie.

I watched on a 37” Sony Bravia flat screen wall mounted in my bedroom; maybe the quality issues would have been more apparent on a larger screen. We have an LG downstairs (53”, iirc), but it’s just more comfortable for me to watch in bed.

Yes, I do think that screen size makes a difference when it comes to magnifying or hiding flaws in picture quality and can see how a 37" screen can make the picture more agreeable. I viewed on a 65" OLED, and the sharp drops in quality were very noticeable (and I'm not one of those pixel peepers who zoom the image 400% and go over it with a fine-toothed comb). Flaws in sound quality might also be masked if viewing with TV speakers (I have standalone full-size speakers).

However, I also don't want to make someone notice flaws that they aren't otherwise seeing, so if you're able to view without noticing them, enjoy!

[NeoNical]

Originally Posted by Scottie

Janus Films is promoting the Bruce Lee films and a 25th Anniversary 4K restoration of La Haine on their website.

They better re-release La Haine (1995) with that 4K restoration. I believe it was already released a few years ago back in Region B. But I highly doubt they will re-release a movie because of a 4K restoration since most people I'm sure have already owned the older copy instead of the new copy. But if they do, that'll be wonderful.

Just because it has been 4K restored, I still don't believe that this film will get a 4K UHD treatment at all.

EDIT: Never mind, there wasn't a 4K release yet in Region B. But I think StudioCanal will definitely do it in 4K UHD perhaps since they're already releasing 4K movies.

[hariseldon]

Originally Posted by Sommerswerd

If you order this way, would you also get the 10% membership discount.

Depends -- normal online web orders no.

Curbside -- it would depend if you did it as a web order of store pickup or called the store and arranged a set of items reserved for you to pickup.

A web generated ISPU up to now has been considered an Internet Order and hasn't been eligible for the 10% MEMBER discount in the past -- I haven't done any BN orders since they shut down though. I'm not sure if they are still allowing phone in orders -- either pick up at store or ship to home order generated on hte store computer which have been 10% eligible in the past

[NeoNical]

I know this is a weird but perhaps already answered question but what in the world happened to Criterion Contraption? Seems like the highest he went was all the way up to Rififi (Spine #115) and Tanner '88 (Spine #258). It's a shame he only landed up to #115

[hariseldon]

Originally Posted by BluLobsta

What does it mean when "Criterion LD release" is mentioned in the film description?

EDIT: Never mind. LaserDisc. That one flew right over my head. Didn't realize Criterion was around back then.

1984/1985?? was their first releases (Citizen Kane and King Kong) and Laserdisc was basically where they made their reputation -- restored films, commentaries, educational material -- films as art/history and not just to watch for entertainment, OAR presentations, premium packaging, etc.

[Gacivory]

Celine and Julie Go Boating on the Criterion Channel starts with the Criterion logo. Would say it’s a good chance it’s getting a Criterion release!

Also all the Mike Leigh films start with the logo. Maybe a box set? Could see Secrets & Lies get a release, since I just imported the UK release.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by BluLobsta

What does it mean when "Criterion LD release" is mentioned in the film description?

EDIT: Never mind. LaserDisc. That one flew right over my head. Didn't realize Criterion was around back then.

Criterion was not only around back then, but they were instrumental in promoting (a) audio and video extras, (b) letterboxing widescreen films, and (c) getting filmmakers involved in the production and presentation of their films on home video.

It would be difficult to make the argument that these things wouldn't have happened if Criterion hadn't been there to do it. But the fact that these things are so prevalent on home video is the result of Criterion leading the way.

[BluLobsta]

Originally Posted by hariseldon

1984/1985?? was their first releases (Citizen Kane and King Kong) and Laserdisc was basically where they made their reputation -- restored films, commentaries, educational material -- films as art/history and not just to watch for entertainment, OAR presentations, premium packaging, etc.

Wow, I didn't realize that Criterion had such a rich heritage. I wish I would have gotten into film back then, seriously. I'm really becoming enlightened the more that I read and watch. I was more into music at that point and have been in a cycle of school and work since then. I still use my 1984 ADS speakers from my audio system for my rear surrounds Although...I can remember shelling out $700 for a Fisher VCR at that time. I was standing there looking at the VCR and the LaserDisc player side-by-side and ended up going with the VCR since I wanted it for recording as well as playback and didn't know much about LaserDisc. Ah, Blade Runner on a VCR, gotta love it. Man, I would love to get my hands on that Citizen Kane LaserDisc. I would hang that puppy on my wall