The Criterion Collection

[RandyK]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Wages of Fear is my most watched CC film. In fact, I'm going to put it on tonight.

Watched it today. It was very good although the ending was kinda meh. I'd take Diabolique over it by a hair.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by tisdivine

Is Fanny & Alexander really that good?

It's better.

[smoss469]

Next Tuesday, 7/29, TCM is showing some Bergman films in a row.

Smiles of a Summer Night
Wild Strawberries
Seventh Seal
Through a Glass Darkly
Winter Light
The Silence

[spargs]

Originally Posted by bstv69

If you had to pick one and only one criterion blu-ray to watch for the rest of your life which would it be?
Mine would be Vivre sa Vie. I think that it is the most beautiful film I have ever seen.

Seven Samurai. My introduction to Kurosawa, foreign films, and hence essentially the Criterion Collection, and one of my favorite films of all time.

[ultlife2013]

The criterion I would choose would be A Hard Day's Night since I don't have a lot yet and it's a classic to me.

[olivianewtonyawn]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Seconds is awesome in every sense of the word.

It's a great Twilight Zone-esque story that veers into dark territory in both philosophical and literal terms. The cinematography is wonderfully claustrophobic and the black-and-white images look amazing on the Criterion Blu-ray. I cannot recommend it enough.

I wrote a long User Review for Seconds that is linked on the movie page on this site, and I go into a lot more detail about it there.

What's up with your username, though? Olivia Newton John was my first childhood crush. I was crazy about her when I was 8 or 9 years old back in the early 1980s when her songs were popular and when Grease reruns used air on primetime television. She was so lovely back then, and she never stopped being lovely after that. Criterion totally needs to release Xanadu.

Don't hate me... but I used to be in this band with some friends in college and the bass player always wanted to do covers of Olivia Newton John songs. One time at practice, I had had enough and blurted out "More like Olivia Newton Yawn." It has been a running joke with my friends ever since. I do love Xanadu though.

[ultlife2013]

Grease? More like "Yeash", amiright?!

[DaveyJoe]

Originally Posted by bstv69

If you had to pick one and only one criterion blu-ray to watch for the rest of your life which would it be?
Mine would be Vivre sa Vie. I think that it is the most beautiful film I have ever seen.

Harakiri, the story, directing, and acting is incredible, and the way the film carefully reveals the plot is just masterful.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by bstv69

If you had to pick one and only one criterion blu-ray to watch for the rest of your life which would it be?
Mine would be Vivre sa Vie. I think that it is the most beautiful film I have ever seen.

I'd go with Army of Shadows.

At least until Le Samouraï gets a Blu-ray upgrade.

[JJJ225]

Originally Posted by bstv69

If you had to pick one and only one criterion blu-ray to watch for the rest of your life which would it be?
Mine would be Vivre sa Vie. I think that it is the most beautiful film I have ever seen.

Last Year at Marienbad

[Scottie]

I just finished watching Insomnia.

I have seen the Christopher Nolan remake several times, but tonight was the first time that I had seen the original film.

I was very apprehensive going into it due to already knowing the story, as well as the turn of events, and I figured that I would not think much of this version. To my surprise, I found it to be great and a lot better pacing compared to the remake, which I think is quite decent. I think my favorite thing about the film was the more psychologically engaging aspect of the film when the insomnia is really sinking in.

[The Great Owl]

The Criterion Blu-ray upgrade of Erik Skjoldbjerg's 1997 Norwegian neo-noir, Insomnia, shows the most substantial picture quality improvement over a previous DVD edition that I have ever seen in the format. The 1999 Criterion DVD of this film was an impressive package upon its release, but those familiar with that edition will likely be astounded at how this new 4K scan of the original negative brings a newfound splendor to a film that has always drawn its strengths from a muted color spectrum, with an end result that enhances the clinical atmospherics of the visuals in a faithful manner. To use a comparison rather unbecoming of the movie plot, the difference is like night and day.

Like most American fans, I discovered Skjoldbjerg's Insomnia after seeing the undeniably competent 2002 remake that was directed by Christopher Nolan. I was so taken with this 1997 original that it instantly overpowered my already-favorable impressions of that Nolan interpretation. This Norwegian film is one of the finest contemporary updates of the classic-era film noir genre, thanks to Stellan Skarsgard's brilliantly icy antihero role and to cinematography that utilizes an unmercifully bright intensity as a counterpoint to the mundane look of the story setting.

Stellan Skarsgard plays a Swedish detective who is sent to a rural town above the Arctic Circle to investigate a murder after suffering an apparent career disgrace in his home city. The film's opening, which features crude 8-millimeter footage of the killing along with Geir Jenssen's score, may lead viewers to believe that they are in for a brutal David Fincher-esque thriller with edgy visuals and edgier sounds, but Insomnia has more subtly insidious plans up its sleeve. Like many classic-era noirs before it, this is a film that uses a murder mystery as a backdrop to showcase the dark aftermath wreaked on the psyche by one's conscience.

Along with the spectacular video and audio presentations of this Blu-ray transfer, this Criterion title now includes a five-star supplement package. A newly-recorded 20-minute conversation between Erik Skjoldbjerg and Stellan Skarsgard is both hugely informative and endearingly low-key. Skjoldbjerg's 1993 short film, Near Winter, is a well-paced, but rather heartbreaking story that hits home with me right now, when I find myself driving out of town more often to check up on my elderly parents. A second short film, Close to Home, from 1994, is an oddly riveting crime story that offers an early hint of the director's talent for delving into the sinister peripheries of an everyday man's personality.

[bugsy_pal]

Originally Posted by CorleyOnTheShore

Jules and Jim

Me too for Jules and Jim! Amazing film.

[vertigo12314]

Originally Posted by bstv69

If you had to pick one and only one criterion blu-ray to watch for the rest of your life which would it be?

39 Steps

[Thebunk]

Originally Posted by Thebunk

Ok so I have bought the following from the sale:

Pale Flower (blind)
Hard Days Night (blind)
8.5 (blind except first 20 mins which I saw)
Paris, TX
Au Revois Les Enfants (blind)
Summer Hours (blind - big fan of family dramas and Jeremy Rennier and Binoche)

Now still humming and hawing over the Cassavetes set. So here is what I am thinking of:

Cassavetes set

Vs.

3 single releases with thshort list being Night of the Hunter, Late Spring (have Tokyo Story but have not watched it yet), Scanners, Close Up, (open to other suggestions). Was looking for Yi Yi and Nasville but the location I will be at does not have them. A few things to note:

- Fav directors in the collection for me is Kieslowski and the Dardennes brothers
- Fav actor in the collection is Binoche
- I HATE dated /theatrical acting so please no Kurasowa films that use that (but I LOVE High and Low).
- Only a so so fan of Samurai flicks.

Thanks in advance!

Bump. Plus I think I would add Diabolique as a potential blind buy as well. Thoughts?

[billzfan]

Just picked up Red River. Wow! What a set! Gorgeous packaging and a boatload of extras. Highly recommend to anyone on the fence.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The Criterion Blu-ray upgrade of Erik Skjoldbjerg's 1997 Norwegian neo-noir, Insomnia, shows the most substantial picture quality improvement over a previous DVD edition that I have ever seen in the format. The 1999 Criterion DVD of this film was an impressive package upon its release, but those familiar with that edition will likely be astounded at how this new 4K scan of the original negative brings a newfound splendor to a film that has always drawn its strengths from a muted color spectrum, with an end result that enhances the clinical atmospherics of the visuals in a faithful manner. To use a comparison rather unbecoming of the movie plot, the difference is like night and day.

Like most American fans, I discovered Skjoldbjerg's Insomnia after seeing the undeniably competent 2002 remake that was directed by Christopher Nolan. I was so taken with this 1997 original that it instantly overpowered my already-favorable impressions of that Nolan interpretation. This Norwegian film is one of the finest contemporary updates of the classic-era film noir genre, thanks to Stellan Skarsgard's brilliantly icy antihero role and to cinematography that utilizes an unmercifully bright intensity as a counterpoint to the mundane look of the story setting.

Stellan Skarsgard plays a Swedish detective who is sent to a rural town above the Arctic Circle to investigate a murder after suffering an apparent career disgrace in his home city. The film's opening, which features crude 8-millimeter footage of the killing along with Geir Jenssen's score, may lead viewers to believe that they are in for a brutal David Fincher-esque thriller with edgy visuals and edgier sounds, but Insomnia has more subtly insidious plans up its sleeve. Like many classic-era noirs before it, this is a film that uses a murder mystery as a backdrop to showcase the dark aftermath wreaked on the psyche by one's conscience.

Along with the spectacular video and audio presentations of this Blu-ray transfer, this Criterion title now includes a five-star supplement package. A newly-recorded 20-minute conversation between Erik Skjoldbjerg and Stellan Skarsgard is both hugely informative and endearingly low-key. Skjoldbjerg's 1993 short film, Near Winter, is a well-paced, but rather heartbreaking story that hits home with me right now, when I find myself driving out of town more often to check up on my elderly parents. A second short film, Close to Home, from 1994, is an oddly riveting crime story that offers an early hint of the director's talent for delving into the sinister peripheries of an everyday man's personality.

I always enjoy reading your reviews. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on 3 Women which I've watched three times this week alone. I notice it's not in your collection. Is there a reason you haven't picked it up?

[zoodermin]

Originally Posted by bstv69

If you had to pick one and only one criterion blu-ray to watch for the rest of your life which would it be?
Mine would be Vivre sa Vie. I think that it is the most beautiful film I have ever seen.

Three Colors! or Seven Samurai.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on 3 Women which I've watched three times this week alone. I notice it's not in your collection. Is there a reason you haven't picked it up?

The only Robert Altman film in my collection is Nashville, and, quite honestly, it's my least favorite Criterion title that I own. I'm keeping it around, because the movie has its moments, and because Criterion did an incredible job with the whole package, but my revisits to the film will probably be few and far between in the future.

I do plan to grab Altman's The Long Goodbye when it is released this fall, because of the noir aspects of that movie, but I'm not compelled to delve farther than that into Altman's catalogue at present. I may be missing out, but I've got bigger fish to fry in terms of releases on my wishlist.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The only Robert Altman film in my collection is Nashville, and, quite honestly, it's my least favorite Criterion title that I own. I'm keeping it around, because the movie has its moments, and because Criterion did an incredible job with the whole package, but my revisits to the film will probably be few and far between in the future.

I do plan to grab Altman's The Long Goodbye when it is released this fall, because of the noir aspects of that movie, but I'm not compelled to delve farther than that into Altman's catalogue at present. I may be missing out, but I've got bigger fish to fry in terms of releases on my wishlist.

Believe me when I say, 3 Women is NOTHING like Nashville. They couldn't be further apart. 3 Women is more like Persona or Mulholland Drive (all three films deal with women and identity issues). I personally feel 3 Women is the best of those three, and has the highest replay value of any film in the collection. I don't like to tell people what to do with their money, but strongly reconsider purchasing this.