The Criterion Collection

[cdnchris]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I post over there on occasion. They're not too bad. A few things I keep in mind:

1. Don't take anyone too seriously.

2. Even though they get tired of people wanting a blu-ray of a particular film---ignore them. Keep pulling for the blu-ray

3. Take their dispassionate reviews with a grain. Much of the time the reviewer doesn't like the director of the film being reviewed (see 8 1/2 review). Not to mention the penchant for the phrase "a touch of".

1. Can't argue with that.

2. There are actually a lot of Blu-ray fans on the site. The anti-BD people are more vocal.

3. I don't comment on the films usually but have done so at times, and it usually bites me in the ass. But of the Blu-rays I've only said I'm not a huge Fellini fan and I HATE Merchant Ivory films, so I wouldn't say that I don't like the director "much of the time." And yes, I'm the worst self-editor in the world. That I'm aware of.

[italy12]

Originally Posted by kndy

Hehe...don't get me started...

I love "Playtime"!!!!

The first thing that I found surprising is the attention to detail as the unbelievable set Tati’s company had created was just fantastic. The buildings look modern, the set looks like a major section of Paris with all the people, buildings and vehicles. And sure enough, “Playtime” is a film that utilizes everything on screen to show how modern technology has literally chanted the landscape. Some who embrace the changes and convenience of modernization and some who feel they are left behind and are literally lost.

What makes this film work outside of its incredible set is that Tati is a perfectionist. He literally directs each person in the film. Everyone has an import part to play. May it be how characters have this choreographed walk as they go off in several directions to characters at a restaurant as we see people dancing on the dance floor, each person dancing differently. While servants are trying to get the food out and you see visual gags as one servant clearly has their eyes on something inside the club, while another is attentive to the female patrons and those who are desperately trying to get their food out. It may seem chaotic, but Tati knows what he wanted to get onscreen and succeeds.

“Playtime” features absolutely beautiful cinematography as we see bungalows on the work floor which work almost like a maze. We see buildings that appear to be metallic and the lighting automatically synchronizing when they turn on. We see vehicles move almost in sync with other vehicles.

We see people throughout the city in similar routines at work, we see people promoting the latest in modern technology ala the late 60’s and what is most amazing is that there is hardly any dialogue. It’s like you are given an upfront look at how life is in the city and seeing how various people react to each other.

The film plays out quite interesting as the first half is dedicated to various characters such as M. Hulot who has a business meeting but ends up getting lost in all the modern settings. Barbara is a tourist who has accompanied several American women to Paris and finds the city to be quite breathtaking. We see Monsieur Hulot getting lost in offices from buildings that look alike.

But then the second half of the film focuses on a nightclub known as The Royal Garden that is opening and yet not ready. We see how the builders and the restaurant staff prepare for their major night despite the nightclub not yet ready. Where the first half was quite visual, the second half focuses more intimately on the people of the nightclub and the film becomes more gag-driven but yet with so many people in the film, Tati did a wonderful job in making sure each character had some part in the film and contributed in some fun or hilarious way.

A visual film without dialogue may seem boring and monotonous but fortunately Jacques Tati included a good number of gags to make the whole 124 minutes a bit lively. I did feel the film went a little long and that scenes could have been cut but with Jacques Tati putting all his energy into this film, I understand how difficult it was for him to even cut any scene out. But I do feel that the film could have been much shorter but then again, I would have been curious to see Tati’s original, longer cut.

I’ve heard that the film is a statement by Tati of how much society has changed along with the city he has loved. The modernization with the use of electronics in buildings and restaurants and just making sure he has enough gags to make the audience laugh. If only Tati can see how much has changed today, that would definitely be an entertaining script.

A film that showcases beauty in various ways. This is absolute a film that was the highlight of Jacques Tati’s career and despite how this film may have done in the box office, anyone watching now and seeing what the director was able to accomplish with no discernible plot and very little dialogue is fantastic. And again, the visuals are just fantastic. I was really blown away with how beautiful and intricate of a film “Playtime” truly is.

And the Criterion Blu-ray release is simply....fantastic!

Watched Playtime last night....brilliant!! The Blu looks amazing. The sound was a little quirky, though. I watched the Original French version. It had some nice stereo seperation on the LPCM track, but some of the sound effects felt like they were dropped in later.

Many scenes made me chuckle...and the direction by Tati was nothing short of mesmerizing!

-Dave

[rkish]

A question for anyone NetFlix streaming through a blu-ray player. I know that there are supposedly HD movies that you can stream. If you are connected with an HDMI cable, how is the PQ?

I am currently using a Wii that is connected via composite cables and the PQ is decent...but somewhere in-between DVD and HD TV quality.

Is the PQ any better using a BD player with HDMI? I'm considering a purchase of a cheap BD player on EBay that streams NetFlix.

Oh...and...if the player is using a digital co-ax/TOS-link, do you get at least DD 5.1?

THANKS!

Rich

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by bluskies

ccfixx, no fair backediting your post to include the news I listed first below you. LOL.

Hahaha. We all know you were first.

CC

[Banned User]

No BluRay treatment of Criterion's new release Carol Reed's Night Train to Munich? What a shame!

On the good side though maybe their loss of Kind Hearts and Coronets will result in a StudioCanal Bluray release. Although I'd prefer a Criterion BR version.

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by rkish

A question for anyone NetFlix streaming through a blu-ray player. I know that there are supposedly HD movies that you can stream. If you are connected with an HDMI cable, how is the PQ?

I am currently using a Wii that is connected via composite cables and the PQ is decent...but somewhere in-between DVD and HD TV quality.

Is the PQ any better using a BD player with HDMI? I'm considering a purchase of a cheap BD player on EBay that streams NetFlix.

I stream through my PS3 over a wi-fi connection and the Netflix HD content is up to par with actual DVD quality, in my opinion.

CC

[Beta Man]

Netflix streaming quality is also dependent on your internet connection........ hence the quality for me is terrible

[capnnarcolepsy]

the times that i have streamed through my bluray player or ps3, i would agree with CC that its about as good as a dvd. with netflix through my xbox, though, some of the hd movies/shows i've watched have looked really good. about as good as HD tv channels in some cases. granted, as beta pointed out, it is based off of your connection, so while it can be looking good an entire movie it has the possibility of dropping out and looking like junk.

[Brad1963]

Rumor: Criterion To Release New Hollywood Box Set This November
By Ryan Gallagher on June 2, 2010, 9:43 pm

Exciting news from the rumor mill! A trusted source buried deep in the business tells me that we should expect another box set this holiday season from the Criterion Collection.

This is still a rumor, and after digging around on the CriterionForum, it’s one that has been kicking around since at least last year, so keep that in mind. I’m told that Criterion has just recently acquired the rights to several films from the producing duo: Bert Schneider (producer of Hearts and Minds and Days of Heaven) and Bob Rafelson, specifically Easy Rider and The Last Picture Show. With the recent passing of Dennis Hopper, it’ll be great to have him in one more film in the Collection.

This will most likely be a box set (5-7 films) from the New Hollywood era, produced by Schneider & Rafelson, so it’s safe to assume that Five Easy Pieces will most likely be a part of this set.

Some other tidbits that I was able to pry out of this rumor:

The box set (again, 5-7 films) will be released around November for a Holiday release (similar to Criterion’s mega Kurosawa set last winter)
The films will definitely be a Criterion release (not Eclipse) as there will be lots of supplemental materials included.
There will be a Blu-ray and DVD version of the set.
The films will not be available individually, only as the set.
So again, this is all just a rumor, but a very exciting rumor at that. With this release, Criterion is proving yet again, that collectible physical media is an important part of our modern culture, especially in terms of film appreciation. Yesterday we wrote about the Redbox CEO finding Netflix’s large library irrelevant and unnecessary, I would hate to hear his thoughts on a box set release like this.

What are your thoughts on this proposed set? Which films do you think will also be included?

[Update 6/7/10 - According to a user on CriterionForum.org, this rumor is indeed true. They claim the titles will be: Five Easy Pieces/ Head/ King of Marvin Gardens/ The Last Picture Show/ Easy Rider/ A Safe Place/ Drive, He Said. Read the thread here.]

[JediFonger]

that's exciting... good thing i didn't grab easy rider =)

[biglou114]

Originally Posted by nablock

Also, I'm guessing the bunny rabbit means that Easter time is when we can expect the BD?

I sincerely hope that that's not true (though you're probably right). I was hoping that we'd get it by the end of the year.

[SpiderBaby]

Wow, I never heard about that New Hollywood Boxset before.......

[retablo]

Originally Posted by KENTA

That's awesome news.
I've been waiting for a Night of the Hunter Blu ever since I found out that Criterion acquired the license

They had the license before. I had the Criterion Night of the Hunter laserdisc back in the day.

[Volume11]

Originally Posted by CassavetesGodard

Wow, I never heard about that New Hollywood Boxset before.......

Whats a "boxset"

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by CassavetesGodard

Wow, I never heard about that New Hollywood Boxset before.......

Are you sure about that? I thought I remember reading something about that five pages back.

CC

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

Are you sure about that? I thought I remember reading something about that five pages back.

CC

When we are done with a page, everyone knows it disappears along with what is written on it.

But to be serious, I had to of posted something about that boxset 30 times now.

[whbinder]

Just to add a very small bit to the streaming issue. As mentioned, it depends on a lot of variable, most noticeably connection speed. But also, Microsoft - as is often the case - has to do things there own way. Streaming over Bravias, PS3s. Wiis, Rokus and most Blu-ray players uses Flash. XBox uses Silverlight meaning your watching a different actual file. So I've seen some movies look better on XBox and some that look better on PS3.

As to your original question, I've got a 20Mb connection and films look very nice, if not quite Blu-ray.

When Bravia occasionally streams a movie in 720p, those look like 720p.

[Volume11]

Of the few HD Criterion titles I've streamed via Netflix on my PS3, all look HD quality and are very close to the retail Blu version save compression artifacts and other cable-like HD negatives. The SD stuff, however, looks like VCD quality and in most cases I can't even watch.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Brad1963

[Update 6/7/10 - According to a user on CriterionForum.org, this rumor is indeed true. They claim the titles will be: Five Easy Pieces/ Head/ King of Marvin Gardens/ The Last Picture Show/ Easy Rider/ A Safe Place/ Drive, He Said. Read the thread here.]

Isn't that the same as saying "There is some random dude who also believes this rumor" ??

Update.... 6/17/10 User "Beta Man" from Blu-ray.com states that in fact, the box set will include 6 and 1/2 films, not 5 or 7..... as only the first 49 minutes of Five Easy Pieces will be included, with the final 49 minutes to be included on a set that Beta Man confirms for release in 2017"

see.... I can do it too.....

[SpiderBaby]

Why don't someone post the rumor of that set on their facebook page and see if you get a response?