The Criterion Collection

[lim.davidd]

Originally Posted by jgreenlawjr

So I was able to score a copy of The Third Man on blu-ray from my local library. The disc is in pristine shape, but it didn't come with the case/box art/booklet. I e-mailed criterion and they said they could hook me up with the case and booklet but no box art. Does anybody know where I could possibly find the box art for this?

Thanks!

It's a miracle. Its out of print already.

[ShellOilJunior]

Herzog in the current today:

http://www.criterion.com/current/pos...erzog-s-dreams

[obscurelabel]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/review...20paradise.htm

Pathe DNR'ed the hell out of this release . Can't make a final judgement until I get the disc in my hands but those screen captures look... unsatisfying. My most anticipated release of the year and it seems like they dropped the ball. Criterion should have waited for another restoration. It looks very waxy.

I will preface my comments with the standard disclaimer that DVDBeaver's screencaps are not perfect, and that looking at a screencap is not the same as seeing it in motion, etc. etc. BUT, if someone were to filter all of the grain out of the old Criterion DVD images and then put back a layer of artifical grain in an attempt to make them look more film-like, I imagine that this is exactly what it would look like.

I will also stipulate that I may not know what I'm talking about

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

Give me a call. I can help you with that.

I don't think I've ever laughed harder. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Watched Lonesome last night and one of the special features The Last Performance. Always been a huge Conrad Veidt fan. Sadly a largely forgotten actor. I wish KINO would release some of his movies on Blu like The Man Who Laughs, Hands of Orlac and maybe Waxworks. And of course I wish anyone would release The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in HD. If any film deserves a major restoration effort that would be the one IMO.

Anyway I can understand the comparisons between Lonesome and Sunrise. Its obvious many of Fejo's ideas and some inspiration came from it. Very similar movies in both the story and its arc. Lonesome also takes heavily from the scenes in the city in Sunrise. Though Sunrise IMO is much more of a masterpiece.

Fejo injects a lot of excitement and activity into each and every frame of the film. The movie is colorful both in the sense of the hand painted frames and the plethora use of superimposition. While IMO he is not as skilled as Murnau at both camera placement/movement and staging or nearly as good as Eisenstein at montage he does equally well enough. He is very experimental and there are a lot of great effects he creates.

[Show spoiler]One of my favorites is at the beginning when the screen is shifting side to side showing the two main characters working with the clock superimposed over the whole image

. Also I really didn't find the dialog 'talkie' scenes as awkward as many reviews pointed out.

Very happy I purchased this. Thanks for everyone who recommended it. Its a great value with 3 films. I highly recommend it. This is the kind of movie Criterion exists for IMO. A largely forgotten gem for silent film lovers.

[jaredc]

I'm becoming more and more of a fan of Von Trier. I wish we could get Melancholia on Criterion, but unfortunately it is already released and I'm waiting for The Element of Crime to come out.

[P@t_Mtl]

Second movie from the set Travels With Hiroshi Shimizu

Arigato-san 1936 (Mr. Thank You)

Mr. Thank You is the kindly young driver of a local bus traveling from coastal villages, over the mountains, to the main town. He thanks everybody when they let his bus pass on the narrow road thus the name Arigato san. Among the passengers is a young woman, who flirts with the driver while trying to put the villagers in their place. There is also an embarrassed mother who is taking her young daughter to the train station to be sent to Tokyo to what seem a rather dark future. The bulk of the movie take's place in the bus during the travel and it's only the interraction between some main characters and minor ones who join at different interval. The movie is a pure delight to watch. The way it's done remind's me of 12 Angry Men, not in content but in how it's done. A few characters in close local who only have contact with each other. The video quality was fine but I would recommend the movie for anyone looking for a different feel and where the plot are the characters.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by jaredc

I'm becoming more and more of a fan of Von Trier. I wish we could get Melancholia on Criterion, but unfortunately it is already released and I'm waiting for The Element of Crime to come out.

Certainly not a disappointing release, though.. it's not like it could look any better, as I think it looks pretty perfect already. They couldn't make much of an improvement if they re-released it at all.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Banned User

Watched Lonesome last night and one of the special features The Last Performance. Always been a huge Conrad Veidt fan. Sadly a largely forgotten actor. I wish KINO would release some of his movies on Blu like The Man Who Laughs, Hands of Orlac and maybe Waxworks. And of course I wish anyone would release The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in HD. If any film deserves a major restoration effort that would be the one IMO.

The inclusion of The Last Performance and Broadway were both treats for me too Banned User. In fact, watched that entire Lonesome disc and all its features in one completely enthralled sitting.

As for the title feature:

Originally Posted by Banned User

Fejo injects a lot of excitement and activity into each and every frame of the film. The movie is colorful both in the sense of the hand painted frames and the plethora use of superimposition. While IMO he is not as skilled as Murnau at both camera placement/movement and staging or nearly as good as Eisenstein at montage he does equally well enough. He is very experimental and there are a lot of great effects he creates.

[Show spoiler]One of my favorites is at the beginning when the screen is shifting side to side showing the two main characters working with the clock superimposed over the whole image

. Also I really didn't find the dialog 'talkie' scenes as awkward as many reviews pointed out.

Ditto re: your spoiler. That was a breathtaking montage Banned User. I've never seen anything quite like it in terms of complexity, timing, and duration.

I was also struck by the AQ during the sound inserts. What on earth were those passages originally recorded with to survive with such clarity? Even with digital clean-up you can only go so far. The sound was amazing.

Originally Posted by Banned User

Very happy I purchased this. Thanks for everyone who recommended it. Its a great value with 3 films. I highly recommend it. This is the kind of movie Criterion exists for IMO. A largely forgotten gem for silent film lovers.

Yes indeed. Like Phantom Carriage, Fejo's Lonesome was another previously obscure passage in early filmmaking illuminated magnificently by Criterion. They did a masterful job with the entire package.

I was entertained and educated.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/review...20paradise.htm

Pathe DNR'ed the hell out of this release . Can't make a final judgement until I get the disc in my hands but those screen captures look... unsatisfying. My most anticipated release of the year and it seems like they dropped the ball. Criterion should have waited for another restoration. It looks very waxy.

VERY! I'll also reserve judgment until I see the Blu-ray in motion, but this does not look promising.

[bdmartin134]

Heading over to B&N later with some coups.. I'm already going to get Black Narcissus.. Which other one title should I grab out of these:

Repulsion - seen, def needs a rewatch, very interesting movie
The Wages of Fear - blind, heard a lot of positive comments on this one
Yojimbo - blind, I have Sev. Sam and High and Low
Amarcord - blind, I have 8 1/2 and La Strada, seen La Dolce Vita

Thanks for the suggestions

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

I was also struck by the AQ during the sound inserts. What on earth were those passages originally recorded with to survive with such clarity? Even with digital clean-up you can only go so far. The sound was amazing.

Another interesting thing I noticed is the image quality actually changes when they speak on the beach and looks a lot sharper and cleaner. Since this transfer came from one nitrate print I'm curious why those scenes look much cleaner then the rest of that segment or the rest of the film for that matter.

Originally Posted by bdmartin134

Heading over to B&N later with some coups.. I'm already going to get Black Narcissus.. Which other one title should I grab out of these:

Repulsion - seen, def needs a rewatch, very interesting movie
The Wages of Fear - blind, heard a lot of positive comments on this one
Yojimbo - blind, I have Sev. Sam and High and Low

Thanks for the suggestions

You're in for a real treat with those films. I'm always amazed that many people don't like Black Narcissus as much as The Red Shoes. Its one of my favorite films. Wish we would get some more Powell and Pressburger Criterions.

[Darkcritic]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

I know how most of you feel about David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, and Wes Anderson. So I was wondering what Modern American Filmmaker should be presented in the collection in your guys opinion? Obviously the three mentioned aren't very popular in this forum so I'm curious to know which you guys think is, oh I hate to say this, Criterion worthy? Also I am aware Nolan is not American so let's just say American/British.

Interesting question ! Most contemporary American filmmakers are pretty well represented already. If I had to chose, I would go the experimental/avant-garde route. I would like to see Criterion releasing all the shorts from Sadie Benning. Would like them to release Another Girl, Another Planet from Michael Almereyda too.

[AgentOrange]

Originally Posted by bdmartin134

Heading over to B&N later with some coups.. I'm already going to get Black Narcissus.. Which other one title should I grab out of these:

Repulsion - seen, def needs a rewatch, very interesting movie
The Wages of Fear - blind, heard a lot of positive comments on this one
Yojimbo - blind, I have Sev. Sam and High and Low
Amarcord - blind, I have 8 1/2 and La Strada, seen La Dolce Vita

Thanks for the suggestions

You should not only get Yojimbo, but might as well get the Yojimbo/Sanjuro double pack. There is nothing special about getting them together (no extra content), but it knocks $10 off the combined MSRP for the same two individual blu-rays bundled together in a box.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Banned User

Another interesting thing I noticed is the image quality actually changes when they speak on the beach and looks a lot sharper and cleaner. Since this transfer came from one nitrate print I'm curious why those scenes look much cleaner then the rest of that segment or the rest of the film for that matter.

My first thought was that was those sound scenes were shot on larger guage film. I mean, Fox Grandeur 70mm dates from the same period. I don't know whether that's the case, but yes, you're right, those shots did look much cleaner, sharper, and less grainy.

Is it possible that most of Lonesome was mastered from a hand-tinted print, but the sound inserts came from another archival source closer to the original neg?

[Simon_LDT]

Originally Posted by bdmartin134

Heading over to B&N later with some coups.. I'm already going to get Black Narcissus.. Which other one title should I grab out of these:

Repulsion - seen, def needs a rewatch, very interesting movie
The Wages of Fear - blind, heard a lot of positive comments on this one
Yojimbo - blind, I have Sev. Sam and High and Low
Amarcord - blind, I have 8 1/2 and La Strada, seen La Dolce Vita

Thanks for the suggestions

Definitely go for Wages of Fear if you like thrillers with great drama and suspense. Really superb film. I blind bought it too recently and loved it.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by bdmartin134

Heading over to B&N later with some coups.. I'm already going to get Black Narcissus.. Which other one title should I grab out of these:

Repulsion - seen, def needs a rewatch, very interesting movie
The Wages of Fear - blind, heard a lot of positive comments on this one
Yojimbo - blind, I have Sev. Sam and High and Low
Amarcord - blind, I have 8 1/2 and La Strada, seen La Dolce Vita

Thanks for the suggestions

Can't go wrong with any of those. Go for the box set of Yojimbo/Sanjuro, too.

[EddieLarkin]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/review...20paradise.htm

Pathe DNR'ed the hell out of this release . Can't make a final judgement until I get the disc in my hands but those screen captures look... unsatisfying. My most anticipated release of the year and it seems like they dropped the ball. Criterion should have waited for another restoration. It looks very waxy.

My understanding is that Pathe handle the scanning/restoration, and the various distributors take care of digital cleanup? Meaning if the look of this release is down to DNR (which I personally don't think it is), it would be due to Criterion's own tinkering, no one elses.

If you look at the first Beaver cap even the subtitles look unusually soft, like they have some sort of sheen over them. This would lead me to believe the caps themselves are completely unrepresentative of the image.

[I KEEL YOU]

DVDbeaver's screencaps still suck. Look at the cap with the subtitles. The subtitles are not that soft and blurry, I am sure of that.

Their screencaps should always be taken with some grain.

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

My first thought was that was those sound scenes were shot on larger guage film. I mean, Fox Grandeur 70mm dates from the same period. I don't know whether that's the case, but yes, you're right, those shots did look much cleaner, sharper, and less grainy.

Is it possible that most of Lonesome was mastered from a hand-tinted print, but the sound inserts came from another archival source closer to the original neg?

From what I can find so far is those seqments were shot after the films completion by Universal in a studio in order to record the sound elements. Which is why they don't match up perfectly with those shot on location. The quality may have more to do with not being outside and having better control of the elements and lighting. Not sure how the music and other sound effects were added, but its possible inferior equipment and a lower budget were used compared to the equipment/budget used for the talking moments.

[Snicket]

I picked up a copy of Rosetta today from B&N, can't wait to check it out.


If anybody wants to check out Le Havre I have a sealed copy for $20 shipped.