The Criterion Collection

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by monorail91

Nah Orpheus I wasn't really feeling. Beauty and the Beast is way better IMO.

Though Black Orpheus (totally different film) is fantastic!

Always fun to see different reactions to the same films. I appreciated the effects in Beauty and The Beast, but was pretty luke warm about the actual film. Orpheus however I liked a lot and am really looking forward to watching again.

As someone who was previously unfamiliar with the Orpheus story in general, both Orpheus and Black Orpheus helped me to enjoy the latest Arcade Fire album all the more.

[Scottie]

I would rate Black Orpheus as significantly better than both Beauty and the Beast and Orpheus, although I like both, as well.

[nondiatonic]

Watched Love Streams last night. Cassavetes strikes again. I felt like it stalled a couple times, but it really came on strong in the third act and maintained that level through the powerful final shot. Highly recommended.

[Rich Pure Doom]

I watched L'Atalante last night from the Complete Jean Vigo set, and while I'd seen it before, I wanted to recognize it in a thread where it is usually completely absent from discussion. Simply put: L'atalante is one of the most essential films to own in the collection and a masterpiece on every level. The influence of Sunrise is obvious but this film also pushes forward and lays the tracks for both Renoir and the New Wave moment simultaneously. The performance of Michel Simon as Pere Jules is one for the ages. The film is alive and fresh 80 years later and has endless re-watchability. Please make this a purchase priority if you haven't already.

[Marlow27]

Originally Posted by Clare2904

Snap. Which version did you watch first? I watched the 1925 one and I'm watching 1942 now then the Extras.

I watched the 1942 first, and then I watched the ending of the 1925 as well as a couple of different scenes that contained different content. I'll watch the 1925 the next time I watch it, which I'm sure won't be long, as it's a very, very watchable film!

[fdm]

Originally Posted by jw007

Bela Tarr's The Turin Horse comes to mind as another terribly bleak and depressing film.

Haven't seen that one just yet, but while I had my free Hulu Plus trial I streamed Camille Claudel 1915. Think it qualifies. Are other Bruno Dumont films like this?

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Bad Sleep well is my upgrade of choice.

I would love that as an upgrade. The visuals are so strong and the story is so strong and punishing. It never lets up.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

High and Low is also a rare instance where the film is so much better than the source novel.

I have to agree. I hadn't read the McBain novel until a few years ago when I started plowing my way through the 87th Precinct series. I love the series overall, but King's Ransom was one of the weaker ones.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Drunken Angel is a great Japanese film noir. I'd love to see Criterion upgrade this one to Blu-ray, so thanks for taking one for the team.

I never really thought of it as noir. It is, however, my very favorite Kurosawa film.

[Polaroid]

Not really Criterion related but a cool trailer showing 1001 film to see before you die, including a lot in collection

http://vimeo.com/110845859

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I would rate Black Orpheus as significantly better than both Beauty and the Beast and Orpheus, although I like both, as well.

I wouldn't. Of those three, I'd rate Beauty and the Beast the highest. I thought it was an astonishingly inventive film, especially for its time. I loved showing it to my wife (who hadn't seen it before) when I picked up the Blu-ray back when it was released. She was blown away.

Black Orpheus is not that far behind, though. It was one of my earliest Criterion blind buys, back in the laserdisc days, and I was captivated.

[orbital]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Not really Criterion related but a cool trailer showing 1001 film to see before you die, including a lot in collection

http://vimeo.com/110845859

Thanks for sharing. Great fun.

[Roninblues]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Aren't you confusing this with Red River? That's the release that has the two versions and the original novel (and the DVD version).

Got me (I have both)

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by Roninblues

Got me (I have both)

I see MDC has two cuts like RR, but it doesn't come with a novel, according to CC and this site.

[Roninblues]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

With my purchase of the Drunken Angel dvd this morning, I now own all 30 Kurosawa films (plus a few odds and ends).

So good news! Expect a ton of Kurosawa upgrades from Criterion this year!

Lets hope that someone does great upgrades for the hard three: Dreams, Dersu Uzala and Rhapsody In August.

[bwdowiak]

I decided to start my Mr. Arkadin adventure by reading the novel first. I know next to nothing about the history of this film and the troubles Welles had filming it. The novel is a good read. Not great, but good. I understand that the film is pretty “out there” stylistically. Unless someone would like to talk me into starting with a different version, I’ll be watching the “comprehensive version” some time very soon.

I also watched L’Eclisse while on my vacation... what a snooze-fest! Maybe someone has some insight as to how some of the ideas are connected. I couldn’t make much sense out of it. I’m sure it requires a bit of effort, which is fine… I guess I wasn’t willing to put in the effort because it wasn’t all that interesting. The worst of the 3, IMO. I had higher hopes for it.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

I watched L'Atalante last night from the Complete Jean Vigo set, and while I'd seen it before, I wanted to recognize it in a thread where it is usually completely absent from discussion. Simply put: L'atalante is one of the most essential films to own in the collection and a masterpiece on every level. The influence of Sunrise is obvious but this film also pushes forward and lays the tracks for both Renoir and the New Wave moment simultaneously. The performance of Michel Simon as Pere Jules is one for the ages. The film is alive and fresh 80 years later and has endless re-watchability. Please make this a purchase priority if you haven't already.

Thank you so much for your post! Because guess what I bought this morning as a blind buy using my 25% off Cyber Monday coupon?! I vaguely remembered that L'atalante had been chosen as one of the Top Ten Films of All Time in one of the old Sight and Sound surveys, and that Zéro de Conduite had been a runner up on that same list. (It was the 1962 survey.) Still, I was torn between The Complete Jean Vigo and Sundays and Cybele ... I only chose the Vigo set because it's been around longer and I figured it was more likely to go OOP before the next sale.

You've not only affirmed my choice, but have made me more eager than ever to watch the four treasures on this disc. Merci!

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I also watched L’Eclisse while on my vacation... what a snooze-fest! Maybe someone has some insight as to how some of the ideas are connected. I couldn’t make much sense out of it. I’m sure it requires a bit of effort, which is fine… I guess I wasn’t willing to put in the effort because it wasn’t all that interesting. The worst of the 3, IMO. I had higher hopes for it.

Their entire relationship was empty. A large part of it stems from their own personal ambitions outweighing any commitment to one another.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

That was my blind buy for my final one, too! It was actually recommended to me by a guy I saw pick up a couple of Fellini movies, so I figured his taste in movies couldn't be too bad Worst case scenario, I spent $15.32 on an "average" Kurosawa movie, which is still miles above most directors' best.

Luckily I was able to use the 30% coupon and bought High and Low for $12.47 which is a great deal for a blind buy...and hey its Kurosawa. Very ironic that it was both our final one...

BUT WAIT... it might not be my final one because of the 25% Cyber Monday coupon I just received earlier today.

So what title should I use it on? hmmmm... I'm thinking either The Complete Jean Vigo or F for Fake.

[jw007]

By the way, this site was totally down for almost half a day...glad to see it back up again so I could post stuff again. I didn't realize how much I miss this site until now.