The Criterion Collection

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

That's a great "less serious" Bergman movie. Any rabid horror fan should seek it out (as well as The Magician, of course)

Indeed! I already own The Magician on Criterion blu and it is a gem!

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by JJJ225

I'm not familiar with this movie, but this looks amazing. Probably worth a blind buy.

I personally recommend that people read the superb John Le Carre novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, before watching this adaptation. The movie is a faithful treatment of the novel, but it's fun to go through having already read the book.

When Criterion announced the DVD years ago, I went straight to the used bookstore for the John Le Carre book. Glad that I did.

[Oscar Rothman]

Originally Posted by joie

When the Internet goes gaga over a release, Dave Kehr may provide some perspective. Here's his Rotten Tomato for Persona: "Ingmar Bergman's best film, I suppose, though it's still fairly tedious and overloaded with avant-garde cliches." His Rotten Tomato for Seventh Seal is especially good: "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."

You're quoting David Kehr, again. So, you don't have your own opinion. Bravo!

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

Indeed! I already own The Magician on Criterion blu and it is a gem!

I will own this. I will also own Smiles of a Summer Night. Not sure if I'll get them before the next sale, but they will be mine.

[Mr.Pacino]

Videodrome no matter the case. Its an absolute must own, and one of a kind in the body horror genre. It will grow on you with each passing day, and gets better with every viewing. Also the Magician is one of my favorites from the master. Cheers hope this helped!

[SidneyFalco]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Actually I was a bit bummed by the news because I was hoping MGM could do a HD upgrade of their excellent Bergman collection set, with all the extras and stuff. The only thing that set was short of to be called a Criterion release was a wacky 'C' logo

MGM farms out most of their catalog titles now, so it's not out of the question that Criterion could have picked up all the Bergman films. MGM just gave Twilight Time about 60 more films (Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia, for one), but I don't see them releasing too many titles like Bergman. And I don't see MGM caring enough to do it, so the obvious choice would be Criterion.

[SilentDawn]

Well I watched Paths of Glory for the first time yesterday....

I sat in silence for about 10 minutes after it finished, the ending is that powerful and poignant. The cinematography is excellent, Kirk Douglas is gripping and the direction is Kubrick at his finest.

I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it, It grabbed me from the first frame to the last and I didn't even notice I had tears rolling down my face by the end of it.

10/10 for me, It instantly became one of my favorite Kubrick films.

[Yami]

I'm pretty sure that the rights for Persona reverted back to Svensk Filmindustri from MGM

[joie]

Originally Posted by Oscar Rothman

You're quoting David Kehr, again. So, you don't have your own opinion. Bravo!

I do have my own opinion. After seeing Seventh Seal four times it was sold. People go on about the cinemaphotography, and, yes, the Queen of Heaven gliding across the grass is memorable, but because it's memorable I don't need to keep the movie around.

[The Great Owl]

The Wicker Man (1973) is coming to U.S. theaters in its final cut from Rialto Pictures.

This would be a fun Criterion title, y'all. I know that Criterion has picked up other Rialto releases as titles in the past, but I'm uneducated about the rights of this particular film.

Thoughts?

[Yami]

The rights are with Studio Canal so there's no chance of a Criterion release

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Yami

The rights are with Studio Canal so there's no chance of a Criterion release

Ah, that's right.

I wonder if we'll get a Region A Blu-ray release, since the movie is being shown in theaters around here. I hope so, because we deserve it.

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Ah, that's right.

I wonder if we'll get a Region A Blu-ray release, since the movie is being shown in theaters around here. I hope so, because we deserve it.

I strongly agree! I am still waiting patiently for the release of another British 1970's horror film, Don't Look Now.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

I strongly agree! I am still waiting patiently for the release of another British 1970's horror film, Don't Look Now.

I'm dying to upgrade my DVD of Don't Look Now. It's one of the best horror films ever made, and I know that Criterion likes the Nicholas Roeg films.

The 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale, has an amazing homage to Don't Look Now during the last part. Most people around here did not seem to pick up on it, but I realized it during my first viewing.

[Sherlock_Jr]

Originally Posted by joie

I do have my own opinion. After seeing Seventh Seal four times it was sold. People go on about the cinemaphotography, and, yes, the Queen of Heaven gliding across the grass is memorable, but because it's memorable I don't need to keep the movie around.

I guess none of the movies you own are memorable then, by that logic.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by joie

I do have my own opinion. After seeing Seventh Seal four times it was sold. People go on about the cinemaphotography, and, yes, the Queen of Heaven gliding across the grass is memorable, but because it's memorable I don't need to keep the movie around.

Yeah, sans the "Faith Trilogy", I am starting to gravitate more to his "less pretentious" movies. I don't think his films mean all that much anymore in the way Tarkovsky's for example still do. In Tarkovsky I see someone whom was genuinely interested in exploring the human condition, in Bergman I see someone more concerned with his human condition.

If nothing else, Bergman's films will always be superb visual experiences. Even if the content lands with a portentous thud.

[joie]

Originally Posted by Sherlock_Jr

I guess none of the movies you own are memorable then, by that logic.

There was only one memorable shot in Seventh Seal.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by joie

There was only one memorable shot in Seventh Seal.

Yeah. The shot is 96 minutes long.

(Sorry, but I personally love the movie.)

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by JJJ225

I'm not familiar with this movie [The Spy Who Came in from the Cold], but this looks amazing. Probably worth a blind buy.

If you're familiar with, and like, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (either the TV version with Alec Guinness or the relatively recent theatrical version with Gary Oldman) you'll probably like this one as well. Same source author (John Le Carré). And George Smiley (from Tinker) is a supporting character.

[joie]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Yeah. The shot is 96 minutes long.

(Sorry, but I personally love the movie.)

I don't mind if you love the movie, but there are cuts in it. It's not one continuous shot. Something like Russian Ark may be one shot. The Turin Horse has just a few lengthy shots.

If Ozu could see The Turin Horse, he might be envious.