The Criterion Collection

[The Sovereign]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

The "Darkest Hour" one, that is a dead ringer for a Criterion release.

I was thinking that for The Shape of Water & Phantom Thread (minus the stars names). Like all Criterion covers, they're hit & miss, depending upon taste.

[Bronson13]

Wow hire this guy Criterion.

[jw007]

Wow, those covers for 3 Billboards and The Florida Project are stunning... actually everything is, except Get Out and Ladybird.

[senseabove]

Too bad The Florida Project wasn't actually nominated for Best Picture...

[jw007]

Originally Posted by senseabove

Too bad The Florida Project wasn't actually nominated for Best Picture...

I think its due to that contrived ending. I honestly loved the entire movie up until the very last couple of minutes when it just got so contrived with that scene! Wouldn't you agree? I felt like the director/writer (Sean Baker) didn't know how to end this thing.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Jlouisbarrett

I was thinking it was more about

[Show spoiler]the taxidermy deer head that’s in the “preparation room” near the end of the film, not only the car accident. Idk, the deer imagery is pretty central to the themes of the film.

not so central as to have the deer stand alone without even so much as the title of the film on the cover.

TFP and TDH look good, though.

[minister_x]

The title is on the cover - look closer at the antlers...

[Mike0284]

Originally Posted by minister_x

The title is on the cover - look closer at the antlers...

That's clever.

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by jw007

I think its due to that contrived ending. I honestly loved the entire movie up until the very last couple of minutes when it just got so contrived with that scene! Wouldn't you agree? I felt like the director/writer (Sean Baker) didn't know how to end this thing.

No, I don't think a contrived ending had anything to do with why it wasn't nominated. I think it was more that the movie had no money behind the Oscar campaign. Just look at some of the other movies they nominated the last few years!

I don't get why it was in that post, though. And yeah, that Get Out cover is funny, it looks like an early photoshop of a deer being pasted onto a black background, you can almost see the pixellated edges!

Originally Posted by Bronson13

Wow hire this guy Criterion.

But if you do, make sure you have some other artists on staff for when he occasionally falls on his face

I think the Lady Bird one would be fine if you could clearly read the title. Maybe separate the letters a bit, or something.

[senseabove]

Originally Posted by jw007

I think its due to that contrived ending. I honestly loved the entire movie up until the very last couple of minutes when it just got so contrived with that scene! Wouldn't you agree? I felt like the director/writer (Sean Baker) didn't know how to end this thing.

Not sure this is the place, buuuut...

[Show spoiler]I completely disagree. The ending is really what put the movie over the edge for me. My knee-jerk reaction, sitting in the theater, was the same as yours, but the more I thought about it, the more I fell for it, and hard. I think it's brilliant now. It pushes the movie past an effective and amazingly well-balanced social issue picture into something much greater, by retroactively highlighting how the need for and guilt over fantasy/self-delusion in the face of life runs through the lives of both the children and the adults throughout the picture, how fantasy differs between children and adults (free-wheeling vs reactionary), how the childhood fantasy and adult fantasy impinge on each other, and how we—adults or children—cope when those fantasies are insufficient.

Whether it's a "real" fantasy (the kids run to a theme park, built by adults, to escape Moonie's problem) or a childish imagined fantasy (the kids could never have gotten through park security, so it must be some kind of cooperative imagination, the children playing a last, desperate game), the ending sticks a landing I didn't even realize it was setting up.

[WeeBey]

Just got my Criterion sale shipment. Sixteen days to ship to Canada.

[starman15317]

I received my flash sale shipment, but I ended up getting a wrong disc. I ordered Following, but Criterion sent me the Blu-Ray of A Brighter Summer Day instead. I'm hearing incredible things about it, however, so I might just hang on to it instead. Thoughts?

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by starman15317

I received my flash sale shipment, but I ended up getting a wrong disc. I ordered Following, but Criterion sent me the Blu-Ray of A Brighter Summer Day instead. I'm hearing incredible things about it, however, so I might just hang on to it instead. Thoughts?

Contact Criterion. In all likelihood they'll send you Following like you ordered and let you keep A Brighter Summer Day gratis.

[CrossRhodes94]

I finally watched Seven Samurai on FilmStruck. I was a bit worried that it wouldn’t live up to it's praise but it really did. It’s a bit long so I can’t see it being one I watch all the time. But maybe twice or so a year it’d be great to watch. Definitely want to have it in my collection.

Also, the other day I watched Alambrista.. really enjoyed that as well! So l will definitely add that to my collection!

[Poya]

Originally Posted by CrossRhodes94

I finally watched Seven Samurai on FilmStruck. I was a bit worried that it wouldn’t live up to it's praise but it really did. It’s a bit long so I can’t see it being one I watch all the time. But maybe twice or so a year it’d be great to watch. Definitely want to have it in my collection.

Also, the other day I watched Alambrista.. really enjoyed that as well! So l will definitely add that to my collection!

It’s an achievement when a movie is 3 hours long yet keeps you interested throughout it. Seven Samurai is one of those. Far surperior to any of the Magnificent Seven films.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by CrossRhodes94

I finally watched Seven Samurai on FilmStruck. I was a bit worried that it wouldn’t live up to it's praise but it really did. It’s a bit long so I can’t see it being one I watch all the time. But maybe twice or so a year it’d be great to watch. Definitely want to have it in my collection.

Also, the other day I watched Alambrista.. really enjoyed that as well! So l will definitely add that to my collection!

It's easily my favorite film. It's one of those 3+ hour films that keeps you entertained from beginning to end. I usually pop my Blu in 2 or 3 times a year. Not to mention the extras give even more great insight to Seven Samurai.

[BluCollector13]

Originally Posted by jacobsever

/u/herky140 on Reddit made Criterion Covers for all the Best Picture nominees (plus Florida Project). They're amazing.

[Show spoiler]

WOW.

If Criterion were to ever do "Phantom Thread" and "Call Me by Your Name", I'd sincerely hope they hire this designer and use his work.

* although, personal taste, keep the original "CMBYN" text. And if the "Phantom Thread" Blu were to involve the actors' names on the cover, don't forget Lesley Manville.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by senseabove

Not sure this is the place, buuuut...

[Show spoiler]I completely disagree. The ending is really what put the movie over the edge for me. My knee-jerk reaction, sitting in the theater, was the same as yours, but the more I thought about it, the more I fell for it, and hard. I think it's brilliant now. It pushes the movie past an effective and amazingly well-balanced social issue picture into something much greater, by retroactively highlighting how the need for and guilt over fantasy/self-delusion in the face of life runs through the lives of both the children and the adults throughout the picture, how fantasy differs between children and adults (free-wheeling vs reactionary), how the childhood fantasy and adult fantasy impinge on each other, and how we—adults or children—cope when those fantasies are insufficient.

Whether it's a "real" fantasy (the kids run to a theme park, built by adults, to escape Moonie's problem) or a childish imagined fantasy (the kids could never have gotten through park security, so it must be some kind of cooperative imagination, the children playing a last, desperate game), the ending sticks a landing I didn't even realize it was setting up.

I'll check out that film again, but all I know is that Willem Dafoe sold that film, and he's been rightly nominated for Best Supporting Actor in that one.

No doubt, that ending came out of left field completely. Who knows, it might be brilliant after all.

[Arawn]

Originally Posted by CrossRhodes94

I finally watched Seven Samurai on FilmStruck. I was a bit worried that it wouldn’t live up to it's praise but it really did. It’s a bit long so I can’t see it being one I watch all the time.

Originally Posted by Poya

It’s an achievement when a movie is 3 hours long yet keeps you interested throughout it.

Originally Posted by StarDestroyer52

It's easily my favorite film. It's one of those 3+ hour films that keeps you entertained from beginning to end.

I have to say, if for some hypothetical reason I was forced to cut it, I pretty much know where I would cut. There's a part where it drags. Kurosawa has those.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by starman15317

I received my flash sale shipment, but I ended up getting a wrong disc. I ordered Following, but Criterion sent me the Blu-Ray of A Brighter Summer Day instead. I'm hearing incredible things about it, however, so I might just hang on to it instead. Thoughts?

ABSD is incredible. The film evokes its time and place over its epic run time about as well as the first two Godfather films.

On my short list of CC's best releases.