The Criterion Collection

[Bruce Morrison]

Originally Posted by Antonmassacre1

http://www.criterionforum.org/DVD-pa...collection/964

Many thanks - that answers my question.

[greekak229]

Originally Posted by Antonmassacre1

http://www.criterionforum.org/DVD-pa...collection/964

Packaging doesn't get much sexier than that.

[tama]

Originally Posted by joie

I sold Seventh Seal. After watching it several times, I was inclined to agree with David Kehr of The Chicago Reader:

It survives today only as an unusually pure example of a typical 50s art-film strategy: the attempt to make the most modern and most popular of art forms acceptable to the intelligentsia by forcing it into an arcane, antique mold.

If I'm not mistaken, Bergman, himself, repudiated the film. I am not inclined to buy any Bergman films, but have enjoyed several, such as The Magician.

David Kehr is one of the worst film writers and critics I've had the displeasure of reading.

Other then that Seventh Seal is a really good film. Unsure of the replay value for many viewers though. I would recommend to rent it first if possible.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by joie

I sold Seventh Seal. After watching it several times, I was inclined to agree with David Kehr of The Chicago Reader:

It survives today only as an unusually pure example of a typical 50s art-film strategy: the attempt to make the most modern and most popular of art forms acceptable to the intelligentsia by forcing it into an arcane, antique mold.

If I'm not mistaken, Bergman, himself, repudiated the film. I am not inclined to buy any Bergman films, but have enjoyed several, such as The Magician.

As we surmise from Fanny & Alexander, Bergman had a rather repressive Swedish Protestant upbringing (normally Protestants are pretty easygoing compared to the Catholics, but the Nordic countries are the bad neighborhood)--
And Seal was his troubled-childhood athie excuse to associate The Church with medieval plague-era imagery, and complain that it set out to do nothing but scare folks into submission with fears of death and mortality....Umm, yeah. Basically, Bergman meets Bill Maher.

As a piece of cinematography and editing, it would be a classic, if it didn't lose a point for being directed by a petulant whiner.
(Me, the only Criterion Bergman on my shelf is "The Magic Flute", which was mostly his one "un-Bergman" film for a lark, but it's long overdue for a Blu version.)

[IronWaffle]

Originally Posted by nateynate87

Thanks for the post, I'll definitely have to check a couple of those out

Now I'm glad I posted it

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

I hope you will enjoy seeing them

Thanks. From what I hear it's pretty can't miss (unless you are impatient).

[IronWaffle]

Originally Posted by DetroitSquirreL

I want to get a Ingmar Bergman film on BD. I was thinking of starting with 'Seventh Seal'. Good or bad idea? I really would like "Wild Strawberrys' on BD as I really like the cut that I've seen. Plus, any chance his films are released in Sweden on BD? I'm going there in June.

My favorite is Wild Strawberries, but I'd hold out for a possible Blu if you are the type who hates upgrading but does so anyway. Not that such folks linger on these boards.

Blu-wise... Seventh Seal was my first Bergman and the Blu is stellar as is the doc included in the set. So that'd be my main vote.

If you tend to enjoy comedies, I second the vote for Smiles of a Summer Night, which I think is a delightfully spry film and something that surprised me from Bergman. Afterwards, pop in Woody Allen's A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy.

As others have stated, Fanny and Alexander is an easy recommend. I've never seen The Magician, but by all accounts it looks like I need to check it out.

Thank goodness for the film snobs on this board; without 'em, where would I be?

[retablo]

Originally Posted by rezpekt

Ernest Dickerson supervised the colour timing of Universal's Blu-ray and Spike Lee approved it, by the way.

He also approved the color timing of the old Criterion DVD with the different colors. NIce when people flip flop and don't know which one is correct.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by DetroitSquirreL

I want to get a Ingmar Bergman film on BD. I was thinking of starting with 'Seventh Seal'. Good or bad idea? I really would like "Wild Strawberrys' on BD as I really like the cut that I've seen. Plus, any chance his films are released in Sweden on BD? I'm going there in June.

You don't have any Bergman?? Shame on you.

Seventh Seal is his most iconic, and one of his most dense films IMO. In many ways, I prefer Fanny & Alexander. My other favorites of his — Through A Glass darkly, Persona and The Silence — aren't on blu yet.

[horseflesh]

Originally Posted by greekak229

Packaging doesn't get much sexier than that.

But is having spine 76 in a boxset after 606 going to cause some serious OCD freakouts???

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by horseflesh

But is having spine 76 in a boxset after 606 going to cause some serious OCD freakouts???

Depends on the OCD, because a lot of people wish Hearts and Minds, which was an earlier spine #, I think it was in the 200s range, had been included in the BBS set, and they were in the 500s.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by horseflesh

But is having spine 76 in a boxset after 606 going to cause some serious OCD freakouts???

No, because these people will hope for a single blu-ray for Brief Encounter. They'd buy it so they may keep the ordering in place without taking away anything from the box.

[24framesasecond]

Re: the prospects for a stand-alone Blu-ray release of Brief Encounter---Not a sure thing by any means. Depends on the licensing. Still waiting for a single Blu-ray release of The Last Picture Show; may mean the BBS box was licensed as a single entity.

[IronWaffle]

Originally Posted by 24framesasecond

Re: the prospects for a stand-alone Blu-ray release of Brief Encounter---Not a sure thing by any means. Depends on the licensing. Still waiting for a single Blu-ray release of The Last Picture Show; may mean the BBS box was licensed as a single entity.

Speaking naively, Brief Encounter may have a slightly better chance since it is already part of the collection and because Last Picture Show has a few DVD releases by its studio (and because of the licensing point you make).

[Tin Drum]

Just caught Insignificance. It took me a little while to warm up to the film, but I was entirely invested once I settled in. Theresa Russell was pretty hit or miss towards the beginning but she fell right into that "actress" (Monroe) persona after her first meeting with the professor and ran with it. The scene where she makes her decision and gives it to the ballplayer was amazing.

The PQ was particularly gorgeous and served the many camera and color techniques well. The AQ was also above par and really brought out the excellent score. It brought major impact to that beautiful yet brutal final scene even though I still don't entirely understand what was going on there.

Definitely a title I am thinking of picking up just to watch again at the right price.

[greekak229]

Originally Posted by Tin Drum

Just caught Insignificance. It took me a little while to warm up to the film, but I was entirely invested once I settled in. Theresa Russell was pretty hit or miss towards the beginning but she fell right into that "actress" (Monroe) persona after her first meeting with the professor and ran with it. The scene where she makes her decision and gives it to the ballplayer was amazing.

The PQ was particularly gorgeous and served the many camera and color techniques well. The AQ was also above par and really brought out the excellent score. It brought major impact to that beautiful yet brutal final scene even though I still don't entirely understand what was going on there.

Definitely a title I am thinking of picking up just to watch again at the right price.

Insignificance was one of the few Criterions that I've blind-bought and then sold. It just didn't do it for me personally, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. Maybe I need to watch it again at some point.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by DetroitSquirreL

I want to get a Ingmar Bergman film on BD. I was thinking of starting with 'Seventh Seal'. Good or bad idea? I really would like "Wild Strawberrys' on BD as I really like the cut that I've seen. Plus, any chance his films are released in Sweden on BD? I'm going there in June.

ccfixx mentioned a few, which I agree with, but there's also Smiles of a Summer Night. It's more of a comedy and has a much lighter touch than other Bergman films.
I guess it depends on what type of film you're after...
The Seventh Seal is great, but it's much heavier than Smiles of a Summer Night.

[Mooch360]

Originally Posted by billzfan

I finally ordered Pierrot Le Fou on blu-ray. It cost me $28 shipped but I heard it's starting to become scarce.

I got it recently too. I guess it's not very popular; hasn't it been OOP for a couple of years?

[ikari777]

Originally Posted by Mooch360

I got it recently too. I guess it's not very popular; hasn't it been OOP for a couple of years?

It's not as popular or rare as The Third Man or The Man Who Fell to Earth but I'm sure in another year it will be sought after to a much higher degree.

[backslashio]

Can someone take a photo of the Criterion Godzilla bluray case at an angle? (sort of 45 degrees perspective). Just wondering how thick the casing is compared to stuff like Seven Samurai

[DLizzle]

Originally Posted by EricJ

associate The Church with medieval plague-era imagery, and complain that it set out to do nothing but scare folks into submission with fears of death and mortality

You dismiss this idea like it's a completely ridiculous notion. I think I know why someone doesn't like The Seventh Seal...