The Criterion Collection

[rkish]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Fun to be on vacation, time to relax and watch movies

The 39 Steps (1935)

If I need to be straight about my review then I must mention that in reality this was my first time seeing the movie and in a way a blind buy. The reason I don't look at it as a blind buy is because I had seen other versions of the film and knew what the story is about even if each movie as a different adaptation of the story. Now having said that I must now ask a question. Am I the only one that think's young Hitchcock is much better and superior to old Hollywood Hitchcock? Do not get me wrong, I enjoy many of his later movies but feel that many of his silent and B&W movies have a charm that just got lost later on in his bigger Hollywood projects? If you have not seen The 39 Steps, I recommend that you do.

I watched The 39 Steps this past weekend for the first time and really enjoyed it. I had previously seen The Lady Vanishes, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I guess I was claustrophobic, spending all that time on that train.

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

The drawback to PD films is their elements are often not maintained.

Yes, but, comparing the Lib Of Congress/Selznick print of Nothing Sacred to the PD releases by the usual suspects in the Std Def world is where the pleasent surprise comes in...companies that acquire the distribution rights (oxymoronish, I know) get access to better prints.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Fun to be on vacation, time to relax and watch movies

The 39 Steps (1935)

If I need to be straight about my review then I must mention that in reality this was my first time seeing the movie and in a way a blind buy. The reason I don't look at it as a blind buy is because I had seen other versions of the film and knew what the story is about even if each movie as a different adaptation of the story. Now having said that I must now ask a question. Am I the only one that think's young Hitchcock is much better and superior to old Hollywood Hitchcock? Do not get me wrong, I enjoy many of his later movies but feel that many of his silent and B&W movies have a charm that just got lost later on in his bigger Hollywood projects? If you have not seen The 39 Steps, I recommend that you do.

Will do... since I blind bought it during the last Criterion sale from B&N.

I still have so much Hitchcock to watch, but that's a good thing. I own The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, North by Northwest, and To Catch a Thief. The first two were during the last Criterion sale though, so I have yet to watch them.

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

Will do... since I blind bought it during the last Criterion sale from B&N.

I still have so much Hitchcock to watch, but that's a good thing. I own The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, North by Northwest, and To Catch a Thief. The first two were during the last Criterion sale though, so I have yet to watch them.

I recommend the commentary tracks on both the CC releases, well worth the 2nd viewing for me.

[Halation]

Originally Posted by CB0967

Armaggedon, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, The Rock, and The Royal Tenenbaums

This reads like a list of my least desired Criterions.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by TJS_Blu

I recommend the commentary tracks on both the CC releases, well worth the 2nd viewing for me.

Thanks. While I've never been big on commentary tracks, I have gotten the urge to listen to some lately for whatever reason. I'll probably listen to them at some point once I get more caught up on movies.

[Simple Lines]

Ok...

Who's responsible for trying to sell that hardcase copy of The Third Man blu on ebay for $100 without the booklet?

I'll feel sorry for whoever falls for it.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by Simple Lines

Ok...

Who's responsible for trying to sell that hardcase copy of The Third Man blu on ebay for $100 without the booklet?

I'll feel sorry for whoever falls for it.

That guy has been doing that for awhile. If you look at his history he has sold 34 of them like that over the past 2 years. When i was still in the market for one I contacted a bunch of people who had bought it from him, and they all said they thought it was shady but that the disc looked 100% legit. I always figured he bought a ton of the cases from Criterion and was just making copies of the discs, but who knows.

[HyperRealist]

or he swiped them from Netflix

[blujazz]

Just watched Umberto D.

A bit too sentimental for me, to be honest. I blame the soundtrack.

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by TJS_Blu

from the Criterion forum:
That's the '34 Peter Lorre version, in case you're wondering.

Sounds rather suspect don't you think that a title of this caliber is announced in a email? Are there any cases of this happening before? I hope its true, but my BS detector is flashing yellow and making a chirping sound.

Originally Posted by TJS_Blu

I'm wondering where the 'Hitchcock Nine' will land stateside and hoping that some of the best titles will end up at the wacky C ranch.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a Criterion Boxset.

[toddly6666]

More news from the Criterion forum:

Hi toddly,

Thank you for your email. I'm glad you've enjoyed our recent Wes Anderson Blu-ray releases!

We license all of our films - even the ones that might be considered
public domain - directly from the original production companies or
their successors and representatives. By paying royalties to the
owners of the films, we can obtain access to the original and best
materials available and use those materials for our releases.

We'd love to have more Luke Wilson films and I'm happy to say that we'll
be releasing HENRY POOLE IS HERE, ALEX & EMMA, and THE WENDELL BAKER STORY next year and they look great.

Please let me know if you have any further questions, and thank you
for supporting Criterion.

Best,

Jon Mulvaney

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

I know you've been around long enough to know that that's not the official Criterion site, right? The Criterion site doesn't have reviews on it, but they do sometimes post links to reviews from other sites.

Didn't know that actually! haha..I thought it was just a forum connected to the Criterion site. My bad!

[hedliniv]

Any news on upcoming Kurosawa releases? Reading these email replies have created some serious curiosity...

[GoBlu08]

I would like to see Criterion release a movie like A man for all seasons.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

More news from the Criterion forum:

Hi toddly,

Thank you for your email. I'm glad you've enjoyed our recent Wes Anderson Blu-ray releases!

We license all of our films - even the ones that might be considered
public domain - directly from the original production companies or
their successors and representatives. By paying royalties to the
owners of the films, we can obtain access to the original and best
materials available and use those materials for our releases.

We'd love to have more Luke Wilson films and I'm happy to say that we'll
be releasing HENRY POOLE IS HERE, ALEX & EMMA, and THE WENDELL BAKER STORY next year and they look great.

Please let me know if you have any further questions, and thank you
for supporting Criterion.

Best,

Jon Mulvaney

You be trollin'

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by Banned User

Sounds rather suspect don't you think that a title of this caliber is announced in a email?

Not supicious of the title or that an email confirming the title is in the works, but it is pretty forthright and they're generally more circumspect. I guess we'll see.

[Crimson King]

I sure hope the Criterion version of Eating Raoul doesnt have that horrible image stretching that plagued the Columbia DVD.

[ShellOilJunior]

Mulvaney is responding a lot as of late. He replied to me today:

Hi Patrick,

Thank you for your email. I'm glad you've enjoyed our recent Henry Joglam Blu-ray release!

We license all of our films - even the ones that might be considered
public domain - directly from the original production companies or
their successors and representatives. By paying royalties to the
owners of the films, we can obtain access to the original and best
materials available and use those materials for our releases.

We'd love to have more Henry Jaglom films but understand that nobody would buy them unless they were included in a boxed set with other better films!

Please let me know if you have any further questions, and thank you
for supporting Criterion.

Best,

Jon Mulvaney

[jrsl76]

Is that a serious response, because that's very funny.

Re: Jaglom, I've always heard Tracks was pretty good, but who knows?