The Criterion Collection

[nathan_393]

Originally Posted by Cinemach

I loved both Black Swan and The Social Network; the latter surprised me about how much I liked it as I was really just looking for a bunch of guys sitting around computers. The backstory as read could've been very boring, and what Fincher achieved in finding the movie within and establishing a noirish visual dialogue should've netted him the Best Director Oscar.

But Black Swan is still tops on this decade for me. Drive came close, but I still like Swan just a bit more - it's such an astute study on the pursuit of perfection and the artistic/creative process. And in my opinion, Black Swan>The Red Shoes. <--I come in peace [smiley face]

Black Swan 10/10, The Social Network 9/10.

I feel the same as you about The Social Network - glad I'm not the only one.

Haven't seen Black Swan.

My great regret of 2011 is that I missed seeing Drive in theaters. Such a mistake on my part, from everything I'm told.

[ChuckNorrisHero]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

I think the vast majority of people on this site are more "Techies" than film snobs..... I think there are more people who want "Perfect Image and Sound" and don't care really 'what' the film is. I'd be hard pressed to call those people "Film Snobs"

I disagree with this, or at least hope that you are wrong. I wouldn't so much call myself a 'film snob', more a 'film connoisseur'... but then again I am snobby about films I think are crap too.

Especially on the Criterion section I'd expect that the majority of the people here are cinema lovers and not just techies. I like blu ray because it looks and sounds better, but i dont notice or care about the technical aspects of the video or sound quality.

I hope that most of the people are on this site because of their love of cinema, not their love of techie stuff

[nathan_393]

Originally Posted by ChuckNorrisHero

I disagree with this, or at least hope that you are wrong. I wouldn't so much call myself a 'film snob', more a 'film connoisseur'... but then again I am snobby about films I think are crap too.

Especially on the Criterion section I'd expect that the majority of the people here are cinema lovers and not just techies. I like blu ray because it looks and sounds better, but i dont notice or care about the technical aspects of the video or sound quality.

I hope that most of the people are on this site because of their love of cinema, not their love of techie stuff

90% of the people perusing this site won't know who the man in your DP is. You just happen to be in a thread where I'm sure he's appreciated and adored appropriately.

But don't expect the same treatment in the Star Wars thread or the LOTR thread. Which have been obsessed with tech specs and not the film themselves (although the films have pretty much been beaten like dead horses for years now, so I can understand why they're talking about the Blu quality and not the film themselves). The LOTR thread is the perfect example of a techie-filled thread - green hues, DVDs for extras, etc. Their uproar over it is a little funny, and I think that's what some people have been trying to say with their comments here.

It's a murky area because we all want to see our films given appropriate treatment on home video - but we're also here out of our undying love for the medium. I'm sure that, being a Scorsese fan, you can appreciate real film-making so this won't apply to you, but most people here won't necessarily appreciate The Red Shoes or M or Summer Hours like many of us will (to give some easy examples).

[Darkcritic]

To be completely honest, I didn't find any of the Oscar nominees from last year particularly mind-blowing. The film I enjoyed the most was probably True Grit and that mainly because I love westerns (Can't believe I didn't pull the trigger on Stagecoach this last sale ). In my opinion, most of them were badly overrated. Didn't saw Black Swan or Inception as major revelations to be honest. Above the usual blockbuster quality? Yes. Interesting enough to be remembered for years to come? No . Even thought I may not like it as much as many other films I saw last year, The Social Network was among the most interesting projects I saw. In my mind, it is a film that simply felt new. Of course many of its techniques have been used for years but by blending a fast moving editing with sharp dialogue I think they just hitted the spot .

[blujazz]

Yeah, Black Swan is another fantastic film. I loved how gothic it was, ripe for psychoanalytic analysis, like Psycho. And the

[Show spoiler]lesbian sex scene

is absolutely not gratuitous as

[Show spoiler]it represented the resolve of her paranoid delusions and morphed it into the deconstruction of the id and the ego

Movies, like Inception, that try to demystify dreams will always have an audience. As it is, it's an above average action film that is lifted by its production value and the performances, but generally a safe film.

[SlickDamian]

The Social Network and Black Swan were both amazing films and both worthy of Criterion releases, although, unfortunately, I doubt that will ever happen. The former's dialogue is amazingly written and executed, while the latter's intensity and tension blew me away. Both such great films.

[SlickDamian]

On another note, the following just showed up from th B&N sale:
Still Walking
High & Low
Island of Lost Souls

Looking forward to watching at least one of these over the weekend.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

On another note, the following just showed up from th B&N sale:
Still Walking
High & Low
Island of Lost Souls

Looking forward to watching at least one of these over the weekend.

I hope you enjoy Still Walking as much as I do. The first time I saw it I was really surprised and enlightened, because it is the type of film I normally didn't go for, or at least had to be in a particular mood to watch. I only bought it because I had a gift card and there was nothing else from Criterion in the store I did not already have. Boy was I ever wrong. It introduced me to a whole new genre of films that I now like tremendously.

Because of Still Walking, I went on to pick up The Secret of the Grain, Summer Hours, and A Christmas Tale. Love them all.

[blujazz]

Originally Posted by oildude

Because of Still Walking, I went on to pick up The Secret of the Grain, Summer Hours, and A Christmas Tale. Love them all.

Going by this, Still Walking has moved up the wish list. Loved, loved, loved the three other films you've mentioned.

[TylerDurden]

Just opened my copy of Army of Shadows to watch it and it contained a loose Blu-ray along with the copy inside the case. Looks like they packed two copies of the film. I don't know what to do with the other copy.

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by oildude

I hope you enjoy Still Walking as much as I do. The first time I saw it I was really surprised and enlightened, because it is the type of film I normally didn't go for, or at least had to be in a particular mood to watch. I only bought it because I had a gift card and there was nothing else from Criterion in the store I did not already have. Boy was I ever wrong. It introduced me to a whole new genre of films that I now like tremendously.

Because of Still Walking, I went on to pick up The Secret of the Grain, Summer Hours, and A Christmas Tale. Love them all.

I think I will really enjoy it, I love films like that. Although, I have never seen any of the ones you mentioned, Summer Hours and A Christmas Tale have both been considerations for me for a while, and I'll probably pick up both at some point. You know another (non-Criterion) film of this sort that I enjoy a lot? Rachel Getting Married. A fantastic film. Like the others, does a great job of exploring the complex emotional turmoil within families. Criterion should give it a spine number.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by ChuckNorrisHero

IEspecially on the Criterion section I'd expect that the majority of the people here are cinema lovers and not just techies. I like blu ray because it looks and sounds better, but i dont notice or care about the technical aspects of the video or sound quality.

I hope that most of the people are on this site because of their love of cinema, not their love of techie stuff

Why are they mutually exclusive ChuckNorrisHero? I've had an avid interest in both aspects of the film medium for as long as I can remember, and my collections in every home video format to date have always embraced a wide spectrum of thought and discussion on the subject...including both content and form.

Why must it be one or the other?

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by nathan_393

It's a murky area because we all want to see our films given appropriate treatment on home video - but we're also here out of our undying love for the medium. I'm sure that, being a Scorsese fan, you can appreciate real film-making so this won't apply to you, but most people here won't necessarily appreciate The Red Shoes or M or Summer Hours like many of us will (to give some easy examples).

Actually, Mr. Scorcese is a perfect embodiment of the kind of the kind of auteur/film fan who embraces both aspects of the cinematic experience nathan_393. I doubt few would argue that he has repeatedly demonstrated his creative command of the language of visual storytelling, and yet the man has also approached the highly technical aspects of film restoration with equal savvy and enthusiasm. I can't count how many times he's popped up in special features commenting on the subtext of a particular filmmaker's dreamstate, and then on another disc be just as eloquent discussing the nuances of the dye transfer Technicolor process or some arcane technical tricks of the craft.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

To be completely honest, I didn't find any of the Oscar nominees from last year particularly mind-blowing.

I didn't either. None of my top favorites from last year were part of those nominees. I saw 8 out of the 10 of them, and only really liked 2 of those, disliked the rest (Inception is probably the blind-buy I regret most in my collection).

[nathan_393]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Actually, Mr. Scorcese is a perfect embodiment of the kind of the kind of auteur/film fan who embraces both aspects of the cinematic experience nathan_393. I doubt few would argue that he has repeatedly demonstrated his creative command of the language of visual storytelling, and yet the man has also approached the highly technical aspects of film restoration with equal savvy and enthusiasm. I can't count how many times he's popped up in special features commenting on the subtext of a particular filmmaker's dreamstate, and then on another disc be just as eloquent discussing the nuances of the dye colour process or some arcane technical tricks of the craft.

Oh, I don't disagree. I just meant that most people who really love Scorsese flicks appreciate great film-making like The Red Shoes or M as well; I don't know many fans of Transformers 2 that have seen Taxi Driver or Raging Bull, let alone have any interest in a film belonging to the Criterion Collection.

My point was that fans of Scorsese usually like other high-quality films as well (in my experience).

Scorsese's comments on 3D right now have been pretty interesting - not to mention that the 3D in Hugo was spectacular and well worth seeing (and that's the first time I've said that about a 3D film).

[buffetfroid]

Originally Posted by TylerDurden

Just opened my copy of Army of Shadows to watch it and it contained a loose Blu-ray along with the copy inside the case. Looks like they packed two copies of the film. I don't know what to do with the other copy.

Just sell it on ebay "as is".

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by nathan_393

Scorsese's comments on 3D right now have been pretty interesting - not to mention that the 3D in Hugo was spectacular and well worth seeing (and that's the first time I've said that about a 3D film).

Hugo wasn't dumbed down for kids or continually winking at adults. I agree nathan_393, it's a beautiful film.

All that 'class' was expensive though, so I do hope it finds an audience.

[TylerDurden]

Originally Posted by buffetfroid

Just sell it on ebay "as is".

Hmm I may just give it to a member here who has a damaged copy. Selling it on eBay "as is" wouldn't net much profit especially since the film has no case or inserts.

[Darkcritic]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

I didn't either. None of my top favorites from last year were part of those nominees. I saw 8 out of the 10 of them, and only really liked 2 of those, disliked the rest (Inception is probably the blind-buy I regret most in my collection).

To be honest (And I don't want to beat an already dead-horse), Inception is way overrated and I tend to see people defend it by referring to its originality. I certainly didn't find it all the creative or original, in fact, stories like this one have been in cinema for a long time. Probably not in the same plot but with similar mechanics of sorts .

[tenia]

Originally Posted by trombone dixie

I'm seriously interested in the Sabu Eclipse series. Any other Eclipse series sets worth checking out?

I would go for the Larisa Sheptiko, and the Kurosawa / Ozu / Mizoguchi bosxsets.

This is fairly classic though, and I think Eclipse also have much excentric things to offer. For this, I would go for the Nikkatsu Noir box.