The Criterion Collection

[Monty70]

Originally Posted by Todd_Gaines

your recommendation of Pale Flower was spot on. I loved that BD

Check out Black Narcissus and Last Year at Marienbad. The description on the back cover of Marienbad is spot on IMO: "Not just a defining work of the French New Wave but one of the great, lasting mysteries of modern art."

[Darkcritic]

Originally Posted by Todd_Gaines

I am open for some Criterion suggestions. I own Seven Samurai, Paris, Texas, The Night of the Hunter, Pale Flower, Kiss Me Deadly, Fear and Loathing, Bottle Rocket. I have ordered High and Low and Carlos. I already plan on buying Yojimbo/sanjuro and Videodrome at the B&N sale. I like all types of films so I am open to suggestions. And if I don't like a BD i can always trade it.

I would add The Thin Red Line and Days of Heaven to your already great collection of titles. Both of them are great films with exceptional cinematography. The Thin Red Line is demo material, both in video and audio, but the film itself can come as an adquired taste. In the other hand, Days of Heaven is a lot more digestible (In case you are new to Malick's style) and shares the amazing quality with the former. Any of those, especially Days of Heaven, would make a great addition.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by Todd_Gaines

I am open for some Criterion suggestions. I own Seven Samurai, Paris, Texas, The Night of the Hunter, Pale Flower, Kiss Me Deadly, Fear and Loathing, Bottle Rocket. I have ordered High and Low and Carlos. I already plan on buying Yojimbo/sanjuro and Videodrome at the B&N sale. I like all types of films so I am open to suggestions. And if I don't like a BD i can always trade it.

Your choices so far represent a good cross-section of the Criterion Collection available on blu, some real good ones there. Since you seem to like noir, drama, action, and comedy, here are a few of my suggestions:

Ride With the Devil - well acted, intense drama with explosive action sequences, set during the Civil War on the Missouri-Kansas border. Focuses on the Confederate irreguars and guerrillas. It is one of my favorite Criterions that doesn't get much mention around here when people ask for recommendations. It is directed by Ang Lee.

Still Walking - subdued drama, great writing and directing, just a beautiful film about life and family in modern Japan. One of my favorites.

Summer Hours - in the same vein as Still Walking, but French. I got it after I discovered how much I liked Still Walking.

Diabolique
Revanche
Paths of Glory
Charade
Le Cercle Rouge
Sweet Smell of Success
Au Revoir les Enfants
Army of Shadows
M

Thin Red Line - now, I have to admit this is not my favorite, and definitely not my favorite war movie, but it has grown on me and it is a truly spectacular BD. It gets lots of love around here. My problem with it is the heavy use of character voiceovers representing their internal thoughts. It is like WWII fought by angst-ridden philosophy students. Some of it works, a lot of it doesn't, but the movie is still a powerful and exciting experience.

Secret of the Grain - another hidden gem in the collection that rarely gets mentioned in this forum. I plan to post my thoughts on it later, but it is really a beautiful film, colorful and vibrant, just like the blending of the North African-French cultures it portrays. It is especially effective in its subtle unflattering commentary on the arrogance of French bureaucracy and the decline of second and third generation immigrant youth. How anyone starts a business in France is a miracle in itself and a testament to courage.

Chronos - if you like Videodrome, this is worth checking out

Repulsion - ditto, a slow burn psychological thriller that shows the world through the eyes and hallucinations of a mentally unstable woman who is exposed to a series of events that drives her into madness.

Darjeeling Limited - if you liked Bottle Rocket, more quirky dramedy from Wes Anderson. I liked it.

[SpiderBaby]

Off-topic to anything Criterion,

This came out of nowhere:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-n...cord-wi,57655/

[oyboe]

With B&N's B2G1 promo, they have the following Criterions for $27.99 - Using the 10% off code, they would be $50.38 before tax.

Any recommendations which of the 3 I should get?:

Kiss Me Deadly
Black Moon
People on Sunday
Zazie Dans Le Metro

[greekak229]

Originally Posted by oyboe

With B&N's B2G1 promo, they have the following Criterions for $27.99 - Using the 10% off code, they would be $50.38 before tax.

Any recommendations which of the 3 I should get?:

Kiss Me Deadly
Black Moon
People on Sunday
Zazie Dans Le Metro

Kiss Me Deadly for sure. Haven't seen the others, but very interested to see Black Moon and People on Sunday. I'd go with those.

[BluPat]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

July 12th I believe is what everyone is saying.

Yea it's July 12th. I asked the employee dude at my local B&N who was working the movie/music section and he checked their computers and he said yes, their 50% off sale does start on the 12th.

[greekak229]

Looks like Naked might be my first BN sale Criterion, for sure.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

Actually, I was completely wrong about SDH. I just checked the English language Criterions I have, and they all have SDH.

Generally supplements are not subtitled, though, even with SDH. The English version of M would qualify as a supplement.

I remember trying to get thru Henry V without realizing this the first couple of times. I'm no Shakespeare scholar (Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet are pretty much it), and I kind of stumbled my way thru maybe an hour each time around but finally just had to give up. Then the third time was a charm when it had dawned on me to check for subtitles.

At least with Hamlet I knew what to do right away (and was a little familiar with bits of it).

Perhaps I'll finally get around to Edward III this weekend...

[oildude]

My wish list for the B&N sale so far:

Great Dictator
Something Wild
Makkioka Sisters
High and Low
Beauty and the Beast
Naked

On the fence about:

Insignificance
Leon Morin, Priest

The only July release I will not consider a blind buy is The Music Room. I may watch it off Hulu Plus if I sign up, but not so sure even then. I have an appreciation of Indian instrumental music to some extent, and even own some Indian music on Asian world music CDs. This is modernized stuff, and not considered traditional, but I like it.

I have not seen the film, so I checked out a bunch of clips online after several people here greeted it's release with such enthusiasm. I watched clip after clip of people sitting in a large ornately decorated room watching music and dance performances. The music was not bad, but......Oh my God, the singing! I have discovered an effective substitute for waterboarding.

Stated with sincere apologies to all those who eagerly await this film and appreciate it's artistic virtues.

[Bunk123]

I am hoping to get all of these titles but in case I can’t what would be the top ten I should get.
Modern Times
Seven Samurai
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Cronos
Diabolique
The Great Dictator
High and Low
Kiss me Deadly
Mystery Train
Yojimbo/Sanjuro
Solaris
Something Wild
Wages of Fear
Summer Hours
White Material

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

I mostly want dvds from Region 2 companies like Mr Bongo Films (the Rocha films and the 3 Alexander Dovzhenko films), Second Run (the Czech New Wave films like my fav Daisies), BFI (Rivette), Raro Video (Chelsea Girls) and MoC (Funeral Parade of Roses).

So I will try to just find a player that could play DVD/Blu from atleast Region 2 without a problem. Thanks.

If you are mostly interested in standard dvds, you can pick up a hackable player for 50 bucks easily enough. In fact, sometimes it turns out your dvd player can already play PAL if you punch in the right code. My old toshiba sure could.

Here's a list of dvd hack codes. This isn't the only list out there either. A little research goes a long way.

The more you know...

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

After the last complaint about no film talk, I posted a list of Criterion's I'd watched with some comments on each. No conversation at all, including YOU retask and YOU drbikeshorts!

Anyway, if you want conversations about the films, start conversations about the films. Come on. Asking about a disc's tech specs isn't really starting a conversation about a film, is it?

Fair enough, I'll wear that. I've been meaning to add something about the films I've watched recently, but never seem to have the time to write.
But I should because I've been buying a lot of Criterions recently, including blind-buying some, and it might be useful information for others.
Recently bought and watched:
Pale Flower: saw it so long ago, it might as well have been a blind-buy. Loved it. Very cool, 60s Japanese new wave film. I'm now waiting for the Nikkatsu Noir box-set of DVDs to be delivered.
Playtime: saw it and hated it as a 10 year old. As an adult, I love it as a master-class on mise-en-scene and sound. And it's funny, but in an almost dry and intellectual way.
Diabolique: blind-buy. A masterful and suspenseful film, right up until the end. Then it changed gear and completely blew my mind.
Sweet Smell of Success: a blind-buy, but not a risk, considering my love of Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster, not to mention the film's reputation. It far exceeded my expectations and I love Curtis even more now.
Amarcord: a blind-buy. Delightful and strange film that could only be described as Fellini-esque
Army of Shadows: blind-buy, but I already liked Melville a lot and so many people here give it a lot of love. Now I love it too. Worth the price just for Lino Venture's performance and Pierre Lhomme's cinematography.
Blow Out: it had been a long time since I'd seen this and I really bought it because of the inclusion of Murder a la Mod. Blow Out was even better than I remembered, the transfer and sound are great, and Murder a la Mod is a hoot.
Charade: always loved this when I was young and I still do. Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant and a great supporting cast having a lot of fun in Paris.
Chungking Express: another blind-buy, but I love Wong Kar-Wai and Tony Leung. Truly one of the most delightful films I've ever seen.
Summer Hours: a blind-buy, but I love Olivier Assayas' Irma Vep, which led me to blind-buy the UK edition of Carlos, which I now love as well. Summer Hours is a beautiful film about a family dealing with an important transition in their lives. I love this film.
The Leopard: I have the BFI version of this film, which is great. If you don't own it, you should. If you don't love it, you should. This film is my all-time top ten.
Last Year at Marienbad: I have no idea what this film is about, but I love it. Can't wait to re-watch it. Can't wait to re-re-watch it after that.
Pierrot le fou: a blind-buy, which I'm happy to do for the Godard's. Probably not for everyone, but I did enjoy this film a lot.
Senso: another blind-buy, but this one didn't blow me away. However, it did sit with me very well for the next days. Glad I watched it.
Smiles of a Summer Night: a blind-buy I'm very happy with. A lovely, romantic and silly film.
Stagecoach: it had been a long time since I'd seen this, but it was great to re-visit it. Ford, Wayne, Monument Valley. 'Nuff said.
Vivre Sa Vie: my favourite Godard. Anna Karina's performance is great. Her dance around the pool tables in front of the men is one of my favourite scenes in all of cinema.
Yojimbo/Sanjuro: if you like Kurosawa and/or samurai films, this is a must own. I had them on DVD, but as soon as I had a region-free player, I got this set.
Seven Samurai: masterpiece.
Paths of Glory: masterpiece.
The Thin Red Line: masterpiece. In fact, The Thin Red Line coming to Criterion was the final straw that forced me to get a region-free player.
I've got other Criterions waiting to be watched, plus more on the way, so maybe I'll write up more another time.
Anyone looking for suggestions should feel free to use the above list. I can't say I've regretted one of those blind-buys.

[cferreiro]

Close-Up is easily the underrated gem of the Criterion Blu collection. It's an effortless masterpiece that never gets enough love in this forum. For me its one of the few films in the collection that will always stay with me.

[blkhrt]

Originally Posted by oildude

[Show spoiler]Your choices so far represent a good cross-section of the Criterion Collection available on blu, some real good ones there. Since you seem to like noir, drama, action, and comedy, here are a few of my suggestions:

Ride With the Devil - well acted, intense drama with explosive action sequences, set during the Civil War on the Missouri-Kansas border. Focuses on the Confederate irreguars and guerrillas. It is one of my favorite Criterions that doesn't get much mention around here when people ask for recommendations. It is directed by Ang Lee.

[Show spoiler]Still Walking - subdued drama, great writing and directing, just a beautiful film about life and family in modern Japan. One of my favorites.

Summer Hours - in the same vein as Still Walking, but French. I got it after I discovered how much I liked Still Walking.

Diabolique
Revanche
Paths of Glory
Charade
Le Cercle Rouge
Sweet Smell of Success
Au Revoir les Enfants
Army of Shadows
M

Thin Red Line - now, I have to admit this is not my favorite, and definitely not my favorite war movie, but it has grown on me and it is a truly spectacular BD. It gets lots of love around here. My problem with it is the heavy use of character voiceovers representing their internal thoughts. It is like WWII fought by angst-ridden philosophy students. Some of it works, a lot of it doesn't, but the movie is still a powerful and exciting experience.

Secret of the Grain - another hidden gem in the collection that rarely gets mentioned in this forum. I plan to post my thoughts on it later, but it is really a beautiful film, colorful and vibrant, just like the blending of the North African-French cultures it portrays. It is especially effective in its subtle unflattering commentary on the arrogance of French bureaucracy and the decline of second and third generation immigrant youth. How anyone starts a business in France is a miracle in itself and a testament to courage.

Chronos - if you like Videodrome, this is worth checking out

Repulsion - ditto, a slow burn psychological thriller that shows the world through the eyes and hallucinations of a mentally unstable woman who is exposed to a series of events that drives her into madness.

Darjeeling Limited - if you liked Bottle Rocket, more quirky dramedy from Wes Anderson. I liked it.

I agree about Ride with The Devil. Plus, for those that liked the Coen's True Grit, when Cogburn and LeBuef talk about fighting in the war, the people and events they mention are depicted in Ride with The Devil. It's only a brief scene, but it is still a cool connection between the films.

[majorkonig41]

Originally Posted by oyboe

With B&N's B2G1 promo, they have the following Criterions for $27.99 - Using the 10% off code, they would be $50.38 before tax.

Any recommendations which of the 3 I should get?:

Kiss Me Deadly
Black Moon
People on Sunday
Zazie Dans Le Metro

Go for Kiss Me Deadly, Black Moon, and Zazie Dans le Metro. All three are incredible films with high re-watchability.

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

Off-topic to anything Criterion,

This came out of nowhere:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-n...cord-wi,57655/

Oh, I'm not too sure about this... and why does everyone have to pull Lou up to play "Sweet Jane"? Geezus, don't these musicians realize he has an entire catalog of better music that hasn't been played to death?

[Alex DeLarge]

I'm now gonna spin my 180g vinyl of METAL MACHINE MUSIC...to clear my head.

[abbazappaplant]

im pretty sure that clip was from the rock & roll hall of fame induction ceremony... he kinda has to play it at that event.

Originally Posted by ccfixx

Oh, I'm not too sure about this... and why does everyone have to pull Lou up to play "Sweet Jane"? Geezus, don't these musicians realize he has an entire catalog of better music that hasn't been played to death?

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

Oh, I'm not too sure about this... and why does everyone have to pull Lou up to play "Sweet Jane"? Geezus, don't these musicians realize he has an entire catalog of better music that hasn't been played to death?

I agree, and the more I read about this, the less I feel it's going to be heavy Metallica music with Lou Reed vocals. Metallica might be the ones here that switches up their style. I'm atleast interested in it, since this is finally new song material by Lou, which I was doubting would happen again.