The Criterion Collection

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by bonehica

[/spoiler]

First, congrats on becoming a grandfather! Second, if you aren't already a Barnes and Noble member, I highly recommend joining. Especially if you plan on purchasing anything close to that amount. The 25 dollar yearly fee gets you an extra 10% off in store purchases on top of the 50% for the Criterion sale. It's a no brainer if you buy in bulk!

Thanks. It seems like only yesterday that my daughter was being born and now she'll be the one having the baby! My daughter is a B&N member so that'll definitely come in handy. An extra bonus: Oregon doesn't charge sales tax.

[ravenus]

So last night I watched Autumn Sonata on the previous Criterion blu-ray, which a friend had passed on after he plumped for the Bergman caboodle. I'd seen the film previously sometime in the 90's as part of a Bergman retrospective on TV, and while not one of my favorites of his films - those would be Winter Light, Seventh Seal, Persona, Cries & Whispers - this was a welcome re-watch.

Swedish origin Hollywood star Ingrid Bergman, in a role that must have parallels with her own life, plays a famous concert pianist, who has been invited to stay by her daughter Liv Ullman. While they are outwardly cordial and happy, there is also a great deal of anxiety and inner turmoil that bubbles under the surface, and it all comes out in the course of the night when mother and daughter have a scathing all-comes-out about their estranged relationship and the impact it has had on their respective lives. Compared to my favorites, Autumn Sonata seems more cliched and its stagey origins more apparent. But it is a neat little chamber drama with some intense performances from Bergman (who was doing her last feature film and the first Swedish film after her shift to Hollywood) and Liv Ullman (dowdied down, her piercing blue eyes behind a pair of Gandhi glasses).

I don't know if the Bergman box features a much-improved transfer, but this one looks perfectly fine to me, nicely presenting Sven Nykvist's gold and brown visual theme. There are some fine musical pieces which ring clear on the audio. Extras include a gargantuan (3hr+ ) "Making of", a commentary track by Bergman regular Peter Cowie, a nice introduction in which Bergman talks about the film, an interview with Liv Ullman, and the trailer.

[Kyle15]

Current B&N Sale picks:

-Detour
-Klute
-Rumble Fish

I might toss a fourth in there. We'll see.

[Sifox211]

My B&N purchases are much reduced since Criterion UK began their enigmatic operations, but I may plump for these just to keep the flag flying:

• Mikey and Nicky
• Strange Than Paradise
• Night on Earth
• War and Peace
• The BRD Trilogy

Of course, War and Peace almost became a UK release but ended up being the third announcement of theirs to get canned. Will the BRD Trilogy be out in time for the sale?

[The Sovereign]

Originally Posted by Sifox211

Will the BRD Trilogy be out in time for the sale?

Street date is July 9, so it should be. Incidentally, I’m looking at all the ones you listed, and then some.

[u2popmofo]

I moved a few months ago, need to scope out my local B&N to see what their selection is like before the sale. Also need to find where my membership card is.....or do they have an app / other way to find you in their system?

[bsend]

Originally Posted by u2popmofo

I moved a few months ago, need to scope out my local B&N to see what their selection is like before the sale. Also need to find where my membership card is.....or do they have an app / other way to find you in their system?

For my store, I call in titles and they can get them from the warehouse. Then they have them ready behind the register. I browse the media section for any additional impulse criterion purchases, and buy my order.

[bonehica]

Originally Posted by u2popmofo

I moved a few months ago, need to scope out my local B&N to see what their selection is like before the sale. Also need to find where my membership card is.....or do they have an app / other way to find you in their system?

If I forget my card, they always find me in the system by my phone number.

[BenOswald]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Oh yes, next month these shall be mine...

Contemplating:

• Rumble Fish
• War and Peace (would be a blind-buy)

Rumble Fish has had a really good shelf life for me. The PQ, Commentary, and Features really add up to a great release IMO. It seems to get lumped into The Outsiders and as a teen drama, but there's alot more going on than this.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by Reddington

I don't have a copy of Blue Velvet, but as consensus seems to be that the PQ is about the same...I may just pick up the MGM release.

In what bizarre alternate universe is that the consensus???

[Burt Lancaster]

The sale list:

Seconds
all that jazz
young mr. Lincoln
berlin alexanderplatz
house of games
12 angry men
all that heaven allows
lord of the flies
war and peace
the player
short cuts
the samurai trilogy
the devil's backbone
shampoo
watership down
merry christmas, mr. Lawrence
breaking point
rebecca
the man who knew too much
foreign correspondent
notorious
lone wolf and cub
apu trilogy
brd trilogy!!!!!
roberto rossellini war trilogy
roberto rossellini & ingrid bergman three films

Yes. I'm gonna try and get all of these.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

In what bizarre alternate universe is that the consensus???

I typically read reviews on three sites. The same three sites that many here frequent. Brief quotes below.

There are too many films to buy. I am looking for general info/opinion on which to base a purchasing decision. If you prefer more detailed technical/scientific analysis, that's great. Feel free to post links to reviews that indicate the Criterion is a major upgrade. I'm always happy to learn.

This site: "Overall, I think that the main differences are primarily cosmetic."

CriterionForum.org: "I was surprised to see the improvements aren’t all that significant, which ends up speaking well of the old disc."

DVDBeaver: "I tend to prefer the darker MGM image, though the new Criterion Blu-ray has a visible and consistent grain texture and some may prefer the brighter look."

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Feel free to post links to reviews that indicate the Criterion is a major upgrade. I'm always happy to learn.

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=13171&d2=13170&c=5163

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by BenOswald

Rumble Fish has had a really good shelf life for me. The PQ, Commentary, and Features really add up to a great release IMO. It seems to get lumped into The Outsiders and as a teen drama, but there's alot more going on than this.

Cool! I just rented it the other day for my first-time viewing, and I was genuinely floored by the B&W cinematography (and of course the PQ). I'd love to give it another spin to see if my appreciation grows.

And yeah, it feels like an Outsiders sort of movie at first, but I thought the

[Show spoiler]out-of-body experience scene

pushed it way above and beyond. Awesome stuff, reminded me quite a bit of that

[Show spoiler]dream scene in First Reformed, or all of Enter the Void.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=13171&d2=13170&c=5163

Checking out the fullscreen comparisons, there's inherent softness in both presentations. The colour grading is different - but then the reviews I quoted all state that. I've no idea which comes closest to the original theatrical presentation, but colours look more "natural" to me across both releases - depending on the screencap. I also note the lower bitrate on the Criterion.

I buy lots of Criterion releases, but in some cases go elsewhere if the differences are marginal. Is this release a major upgrade? Not to my eyes. Or to those of the reviewers I mentioned. But maybe to yours.

[thebratpackwrangler]

September Predictions

The Eyes Of Orson Welles
Irma Vep
Original Cast Album: Company
Paris Is Burning
Polyester
Taste Of Cherry (Upgrade)

[Gacivory]

I want The Eyes of Orson Welles gets paired with another Welles film, personally I would want The Trial.

[StarDestroyer52]

If we are getting Welles I would much prefer The Trial.

[javy]

I am definitely picking up these titles next month and can't wait to get my hands on them:

A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman
Shame
Panique
Wanda
Japón
Funny Games
Blue Velvet
Sisters
Purple Noon
Foreign Correspondent
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

-------------------‐------------------------------------------------

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I have a confession to make.

There’s no easy way to say this, so i’m just going to come out and say it.

Sometimes the decision to buy and/or sell a Criterion title cums down to whether or not I like the cover art/case design.

Sometimes I don’t even like the picture that much, but the cover is so darn cool that I decide to keep it in my collection, even though I know i’ll never watch it.

...Scanners is such a film.

And it goes both ways. Sometimes i’ll get rid of a title, just because i’m lukewarm about it and the cover art does nothing for me.

Is that wrong?

Does anyone else have any guilty confessions, of which they would care to unburden themselves from?

Like enjoying the dinner scene in Salo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1_s...ature=youtu.be

[EricDent1]

Any updates (IE release news) on the various Godzilla movies that Criterion got a while back?
REALLY interested in updating ALL of my DVD copies of those movies to Blu-Ray.
Especially knowing the sheer awesome stuff that Criterion does with their releases.