The Criterion Collection

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

There hasn't been much in the way of PQ reviews on the Lifeboat disc and that (for the moment) has kept me only mildly interested. If you get it, please do comment. I'm pretty sure that Owl liked it.

I like the region free imports - provided that the discs have met with good reviews. It gives an alternative to either higher priced U.S. releases (ITV's Black Narcissus) or OOP titles such as Chungking Express, Last Year at Marienbad and Pierrot Le Fou. Going to pick up the Godard film some time soon. $25 beats the $75 that you'd have to pay on ebay.

I'd imagine the Life Boat blu isn't exactly demo material? It's been several years since I saw the film but I recall most of it being done with rear screen projection.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I'd imagine the Life Boat blu isn't exactly demo material? It's been several years since I saw the film but I recall most of it being done with rear screen projection.

yes, that's what scares me. I mentioned it the other day - I'm rather disappointed w/ many of the Hitch releases and I think a lot of them suffer because of the rear screen projection. He is my favorite director, but the more I learn and the more I am exposed to other great directors, I can say w/ critical certainty that he definitely should have abandoned using it later in his career.

thanks for the scoop, btw, for A Place In the Sun.

[tylerdurden10]

My copy of Blue Is The Warmest Color just shipped from blowitoutahere.com, should have it on or before release day.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I'd imagine the Life Boat blu isn't exactly demo material? It's been several years since I saw the film but I recall most of it being done with rear screen projection.

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

yes, that's what scares me. I mentioned it the other day - I'm rather disappointed w/ many of the Hitch releases and I think a lot of them suffer because of the rear screen projection. He is my favorite director, but the more I learn and the more I am exposed to other great directors, I can say w/ critical certainty that he definitely should have abandoned using it later in his career.

There are any number of older films (and some newer ones) whose flaws become noticible with higher quality video presentations. Kind of like clearly seeing the wires holding up the Martian war machines in The War of the Worlds, which I never noticed the dozens of times I'd seen the film on TV as a kid. These kind of things really don't bother me.

However the visual flaws caused by the rear projection in Lifeboat (and other films) might become more obvious on Blu-ray, they would've been just as obvious in a 35mm projection back in 1944. I'd rather have an HD picture that showed off the flaws than a lower definition picture that hid them. Assuming that everything else about the transfer is aces, a Blu-ray is going to be (for a while, at least) the closest thing you're going to get to the way it was originally seen in theaters. That works for me.

[thecalm_7]

I was going to order Nashville CC from amazon and they weren't selling it thru amazon. It had a disclaimer saying there were problems with it and it was under review. Anybody know what it is or whether a copy elsewhere is safe to buy?

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by thecalm_7

I was going to order Nashville CC from amazon and they weren't selling it thru amazon. It had a disclaimer saying there were problems with it and it was under review. Anybody know what it is or whether a copy elsewhere is safe to buy?

It may be an issue with the packaging. I've noticed that Amazon is shipping a lot of books and blu rays lateley in bubble mailers instead of boxes. They (Amazon) may have had complaints about the digipak getting dinged or damaged in the mail. I will say that my copy of Nashville from Barnes and Noble came in a box and there was nothing wrong with the digipak or the blu ray (although I haven't watched all of the extras yet).

edit: having perused Amazon, it looks like other CC digipaks are still being sold by Amazon, so yeah, I don't know. Be curious to find out if it's something else.

[hustlermane]

Originally Posted by Meek12345

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on Rififi.
On the blu-ray.com forum for The Swimmer a few members complained about Grindhouse Films releasing the blu instead of Criterion. I don't own any releases by Grindhouse films, but they seem to have a decent reputation. By the way, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral will be released on blu the same day as The Swimmer! Maybe you can get a good deal and pick up both titles. P.S. I have only seen 13 Lancaster films. Hope to catch up with you soon.

It looks like Seven Days in May hasn't been released on blu yet. That's another title I need to suggest to Criterion. It could be their third Frankenheimer after Seconds and Days of Wine and Roses in The Golden Age of Television set.

Yeah I saw those comments about Grindhouse as well. Sure, I'd be thrilled if Criterion got this film, but by the same token, the last thing any of us should want would be for Criterion to handle every cool arthouse/cult/foreign film. That sort of monopoly would almost undoubtedly lead to complacency - there are so many great dedicated labels out there providing competition that makes Criterion step it's game up as well. So begrudging a company for handling a film before they've even released it seems unfair to me. Not that I'm familiar with the label, but by all accounts The Big Gundown was a stellar release. Love Criterion, but they're not the only company in the world that could put out a killer disc (although arguably they are the biggest and most consistent).

And Seconds is so great. Frankenheimer is awesome. As another poster said, Birdman of Alcatraz would be a great blu also.

[Oblivion138]

Originally Posted by jayembee

There are any number of older films (and some newer ones) whose flaws become noticible with higher quality video presentations. Kind of like clearly seeing the wires holding up the Martian war machines in The War of the Worlds, which I never noticed the dozens of times I'd seen the film on TV as a kid. These kind of things really don't bother me.

However the visual flaws caused by the rear projection in Lifeboat (and other films) might become more obvious on Blu-ray, they would've been just as obvious in a 35mm projection back in 1944. I'd rather have an HD picture that showed off the flaws than a lower definition picture that hid them. Assuming that everything else about the transfer is aces, a Blu-ray is going to be (for a while, at least) the closest thing you're going to get to the way it was originally seen in theaters. That works for me.

Exactly. And really, that's what it's all about...preserving the original image. Steven Spielberg also brought up the strings in War of the Worlds (which he clearly recalls seeing when he watched the film as a child) as something that he feels is actually important to the film, and how he would be upset if they were digitally removed.

Rear projection issues or no, my BD of Lifeboat is on its way as we speak, and I can't wait to get it and watch it in HD.

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

Looks like the italian bluray of third man is using the criterion naster. Awesome news. Price is 1/10 of the criterion

Is it English friendly/region free?

[bluesilo]

After having just watched it, can someone more astute than I tell me how 'The 39 Steps' is the fourth best British film ever?

Oh I really enjoyed it, but its no where near his best and the parameters for the BFI 100 seem to make very little sense.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

Looks like the italian bluray of third man is using the criterion naster. Awesome news. Price is 1/10 of the criterion

Originally Posted by smoss469

Is it English friendly/region free?

The page for it at this site says that it's region free.

As for "English friendly", I suppose that depends on what you mean. It has a lossless English audio track (and a lossy Italian track), but it only has Italian subtitles.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Assuming that everything else about the transfer is aces, a Blu-ray is going to be (for a while, at least) the closest thing you're going to get to the way it was originally seen in theaters. That works for me.

Originally Posted by Oblivion138

Exactly. And really, that's what it's all about...preserving the original image. Steven Spielberg also brought up the strings in War of the Worlds (which he clearly recalls seeing when he watched the film as a child) as something that he feels is actually important to the film, and how he would be upset if they were digitally removed.

Rear projection issues or no, my BD of Lifeboat is on its way as we speak, and I can't wait to get it and watch it in HD.

good points made here... I certainly don't want any digital manipulation either.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by bluesilo

After having just watched it, can someone more astute than I tell me how 'The 39 Steps' is the fourth best British film ever?

Oh I really enjoyed it, but its no where near his best and the parameters for the BFI 100 seem to make very little sense.

I am not THAT big of a fan either, but as far as British cinema goes, there is David Lean, Powell & Pressburger, pre 1940 Hitch, and who else? Ken Loach and Terrence Davies? Certainly they (Loach and Davies) never made anything better than The 39 Steps.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jayembee

The page for it at this site says that it's region free.

As for "English friendly", I suppose that depends on what you mean. It has a lossless English audio track (and a lossy Italian track), but it only has Italian subtitles.

Mansinthe asked the most important question on another thread and that is "Can you remove the Italian subtitles?" As great as this sounds, if you can't do that, then it'll be a 'no sale'.

[Mansinthe]

Subs can be removed.
Someone else.just confirmed it

[thecalm_7]

Originally Posted by belcherman

It may be an issue with the packaging. I've noticed that Amazon is shipping a lot of books and blu rays lateley in bubble mailers instead of boxes. They (Amazon) may have had complaints about the digipak getting dinged or damaged in the mail. I will say that my copy of Nashville from Barnes and Noble came in a box and there was nothing wrong with the digipak or the blu ray (although I haven't watched all of the extras yet).

edit: having perused Amazon, it looks like other CC digipaks are still being sold by Amazon, so yeah, I don't know. Be curious to find out if it's something else.

Thanks! I had never seen that but with Leon Morin, Priest right before it went oop.

[blkhrt]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

Looks like the italian bluray of third man is using the criterion naster. Awesome news. Price is 1/10 of the criterion

Interesting. Where did you see this confirmed?

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by tylerdurden10

My copy of Blue Is The Warmest Color just shipped from blowitoutahere.com, should have it on or before release day.

I really want to order this one, but not sure I want to double dip later ... and I know I'll want the SE that comes out later with features. Thinking I'll wait, but looking forward to reviews of those who get this release.

[blkhrt]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

I really want to order this one, but not sure I want to double dip later ... and I know I'll want the SE that comes out later with features. Thinking I'll wait, but looking forward to reviews of those who get this release.

If you have Netflix instant, Blue is the Warmest Color will be streaming starting on February 25th. I am planning on watching there first, and waiting until the full release, if I decide to buy it.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by blkhrt

If you have Netflix instant, Blue is the Warmest Color will be streaming starting on February 25th. I am planning on watching there first, and waiting until the full release, if I decide to buy it.

Awesome... I had not seen that yet, thanks for the heads up! I was going to check Hulu since they have the Criterion section.