The Criterion Collection

[CHEЯNOБLY!]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I own and love all of the Chaplin films in the Criterion Collection. I'd also like to have Chaplin's Mutual Comedies, but not enough to pay what they're asking now. I'm also inclined to wait until Flicker Alley starts selling them in regular cases instead of steelbooks.

It's $39.95 on their website, and you get 400 mins and 12 films. Sounds like a pretty reasonable price to me...Criterion's web store typically prices single film releases at $32 or so.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

I'm certainly enjoyin' it! Bit the bullet yesterday when it was in the $60 range on Amazon. Some of the artwork they didn't use is stunning.

Dang, I hate I missed that price. I need to setup some price tracking for it...

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by nondiatonic

I just watched Late Spring for the third time.

[Show spoiler] Although she is long gone before the movie begins, Noriko's mother/Shukicki's wife has such a strong presence in every scene. The two cuts to the urn late in the movie when Noriko and her father are in bed on their final vacation together are incredible.
It's a movie about the understanding and desire of happiness for others. I used to be slightly annoyed by the over abundance of smiling throughout the film, but now I understand it. It's part of the happiness theme. Noriko and her father both push for the happiness of the other, and in an ironic way they sacrifice their own happiness for which the other wants to promote so strongly.
And, even after seeing it multiple times, that last shot.... damn.

I love the bicycle sequence. One of the few times Ozu's camera moves.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I'm good for Limelight.

Although I prefer Buster Keaton's brand of silent comedy, I do love the earnest emotional catharsis provided by the Charlie Chaplin films.

I own and love all of the Chaplin films in the Criterion Collection. I'd also like to have Chaplin's Mutual Comedies, but not enough to pay what they're asking now. I'm also inclined to wait until Flicker Alley starts selling them in regular cases instead of steelbooks.

I gotta second what a couple others have said: The Flicker Alley Chaplin set is well priced. It is really a deluxe package when you see it in person with a very classy booklet. For the amount you get, it's more than fair, and not likely to ever be cheaper.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

You are a gentleman, sir.

Several references to "The Horse Soldiers"...one of my favorite westerns ("The Searchers" and "The Big Country" tying for number one!) but I've been hesitant about a purchase in view of Casey Broadwater's 3.5 star pq rating. Anyone not happy with their purchase?

It isn't perfect but I thought it looked great and very filmic. By a huge margin the best it's ever looked. Check out these screenshots for proof:

http://caps-a-holic.com/hd_vergleich...ess=#vergleich

[lordmorpheus72]

Quick question because i'm having a touch time searching the thread today...

I picked up Howard's End about a year ago, and I'm assuming I have a later pressing, but I can't find the code on the disc. I checked my other discs and found the codes there and they all seem ok, but wondering if there is any other way to tell if my disc is effected before it starts to bronze or has issues in play back.

Thanks all!

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The thread discussion compelled me to take advantage of the Barnes & Noble 40% off sale to purchase the last three John Ford films that I do not yet own on Blu-ray, since I probably will not find them at a cheaper price any time soon.

Fort Apache
The Horse Soldiers
The Sun Shines Bright

I plan to watch My Darling Clementine this weekend, and possibly some of my other holdouts in my unwatched stack (Rio Grande, How Green Was My Valley, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance).


I'm thinking that, in 2015, I might limit myself to $150 a month for Blu-ray purchases for several months. This will allow me to catch up on my still-unwatched Blu-ray stack, but also give me plenty of funds to buy limited-edition discs or priority movies.

I love Fort Apache, it was the second western I watched as an adult. Saw it and The Man who Shot Liberty Valance in a film class a colleague was teaching. I was surpised at how much I loved the film, and how wonderful it looked. It really turned my head and gave me a great appreciation for John Ford and how amazing a director he was.

And I remember the days of being able to spend more than $100 on discs, but those days are long gone... buying a home and getting married put a dent in my blu-ray budget.

[nondiatonic]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I love the bicycle sequence. One of the few times Ozu's camera moves.

Camera follows the bikes, but can't keep up as they gradually pull away. Brilliant.

[jayembee]

Apparently BFI in the UK are planning a BD box set of four films by Carl Theodor Dreyer which will include Master of the House, Day of Wrath, Ordet, and Gertrud.

Criterion has released the first on BD, and the other three form the DVD set that Criterion released back in 2001. I wonder if this bodes well for Criterion upgrading the DVD set.

[WonderWeasel]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I'm partial to Monsieur Verdoux. Maybe it's the cynicism or the dark comedy that appeals to me.

That is definitely a dark comedy!

[RojD]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I have not seen it yet.

I've got the Olive Films Blu-ray of Orson Welles's Macbeth coming to me in the mail from Amazon, since I ordered it shortly after enjoying a rocking double feature of Roman Polanski's Macbeth and Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood a couple weeks back. Amazon sat on the order for a long while, for some reason, but it should be arriving any day now.

I've come to enjoy Welle's brand of overwrought performances, and I love my Blu-rays of The Third Man, Touch of Evil, The Lady from Shanghai, Jane Eyre, Citizen Kane, and The Stranger. I even don't mind his appearance in A Safe Place that much.

That said, I'm not really feeling F is For Fake right now, so that will probably wait until a future Criterion sale.

Watched Welles' Macbeth on DVD as part of a series, just like you. Er, don't get your hopes up too much for the Welles. Of course, he's up against some heavyweights.

Ordered the Chaplin Mutual set from a local BN, and if it gets here by Wednesday, it'll be just under $27 with the 30% coupon. Might be worth a jog down for that.

[jw007]

I watched Andrew Haigh's Weekend last night on a Criterion DVD I borrowed from the library. This is not a film I wanted to own but was curious about the film, so after having watched it, I have to say its the most sincere and realistic film on gay relationship culture I've ever seen, and it was devoid of cliches and stereotypes. As an adventurous film viewer, I am open to watching any film, regardless of the subject matter.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

Quick question because i'm having a touch time searching the thread today...

I picked up Howard's End about a year ago, and I'm assuming I have a later pressing, but I can't find the code on the disc. I checked my other discs and found the codes there and they all seem ok, but wondering if there is any other way to tell if my disc is effected before it starts to bronze or has issues in play back.

Thanks all!

Morpheus, I think we're probably okay.

I had the same question about my copy of Howards End, which I ordered in June 2013 from Amazon, when they offered it for 50% off. I did a lot of research (and posed the same question here in this forum), and the general consensus is that the bad copies were pressed circa 2009-2010. Unless you bought yours used, or from a retailer whose inventory turns very slowly, your copy should be good.

The transfer is not one of Criterion's best, and there's quite a bit of banding and speckling in certain parts of the film ... but from everything I've read, those minor flaws have nothing to do with the bronzing issue.

I hope that helps!

P.S. I found a discussion of this issue dating back to 2010. Here's the link:

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/...hp?f=2&t=13376

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

I love Fort Apache, it was the second western I watched as an adult. Saw it and The Man who Shot Liberty Valance in a film class a colleague was teaching. I was surpised at how much I loved the film, and how wonderful it looked. It really turned my head and gave me a great appreciation for John Ford and how amazing a director he was.

And I remember the days of being able to spend more than $100 on discs, but those days are long gone... buying a home and getting married put a dent in my blu-ray budget.

Indeed! What's worse is that I remember routinely (and cheerfully!) shelling out $30 and $40 each ... and even as much as $70 for some titles like The Egyptian ... back in my LaserDisc-crazed youth. And, believe it or not, I thought those were bargains compared to some of the high prices they charged for VHS and Beta tapes when those formats were first introduced. The mind reels ...

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by CHEЯNOБLY!

It's $39.95 on their website, and you get 400 mins and 12 films. Sounds like a pretty reasonable price to me...Criterion's web store typically prices single film releases at $32 or so.

That actually is a fair price.

In all honesty, though, it's also a lot easier for me to get excited about buying a feature-length film than it is for me to get excited about 400 minutes of short films. With the big Buster Keaton set, the short films were quite amusing and even spectacular in some cases, but, for some reason, the idea of sitting through a bunch of them almost felt like a chore, as opposed to zipping through the feature-length movies one after another. I feel the same way about the Chaplin shorts and the Lloyd shorts on their respective Criterion discs...I find them amusing, but it's a lot easier for me to get invested in the main features.

I'll buy Chaplin's Mutual Comedies someday in 2015, probably, but the idea of having 400 minutes of short films in front of me to watch seems like a daunting project.

[GenPion]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

That actually is a fair price.

In all honesty, though, it's also a lot easier for me to get excited about buying a feature-length film than it is for me to get excited about 400 minutes of short films. With the big Buster Keaton set, the short films were quite amusing and even spectacular in some cases, but, for some reason, the idea of sitting through a bunch of them almost felt like a chore, as opposed to zipping through the feature-length movies one after another. I feel the same way about the Chaplin shorts and the Lloyd shorts on their respective Criterion discs...I find them amusing, but it's a lot easier for me to get invested in the main features.

I'll buy Chaplin's Mutual Comedies someday in 2015, probably, but the idea of having 400 minutes of short films in front of me to watch seems like a daunting project.

Sounds like you're just more of a feature-length film fan and not as invested in short films. That's OK. It's just a matter of preference. I too hope to get the Chaplin set eventually but haven't picked it up yet myself.

[jrsl76]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I'm partial to Monsieur Verdoux. Maybe it's the cynicism or the dark comedy that appeals to me.

This is my favorite of the Chaplin's I've seen. Just hilarious.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

That actually is a fair price.

In all honesty, though, it's also a lot easier for me to get excited about buying a feature-length film than it is for me to get excited about 400 minutes of short films. With the big Buster Keaton set, the short films were quite amusing and even spectacular in some cases, but, for some reason, the idea of sitting through a bunch of them almost felt like a chore, as opposed to zipping through the feature-length movies one after another. I feel the same way about the Chaplin shorts and the Lloyd shorts on their respective Criterion discs...I find them amusing, but it's a lot easier for me to get invested in the main features.

I'll buy Chaplin's Mutual Comedies someday in 2015, probably, but the idea of having 400 minutes of short films in front of me to watch seems like a daunting project.

I believe the last dvd I bought was back in '12 and was Laurel & Hardy: The Essential Collection which, like the Keaton set, is a mix of shorts and features. Now that's a set I would like to see upgraded.

[jw007]

I just watched an awesome Werner Herzog documentary for the very first time: Cave of Forgotten Dreams. Borrowed it from the local library on DVD. It's pretty good, and pretty amazing to see human artwork from over 32,000 years ago.

[malakaheso]

Is it true that Criterion are releasing a boxset of Harold Lloyd talkies in the future? Not sure why they are bothering if that's the case. His talkies are nowhere near as popular or as well regarded as his silent films.

As for Limelight, it's ok, but I would much prefer Criterion to release The Kid.