The Criterion Collection

[jw007]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Not Criterion (yet, but it should be!) did you ever see 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days? That's a brutally realistic film, part of the Romanian New Wave, that just grabs your heart, rips it out, and stomps on it. It's one of my "favorite" films of recent years, but it is just horrible.

That's one film I would like to see Criterion take on.

I just watched the official trailer and it looks gripping and dark...I'd watch it for sure but I'm not sure if I'd want to own it (I might watch it once and that's it).

[PipesDonatello]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Aside from Robert Mitchum's performance, which is outstanding, The Friends of Eddie Coyle isn't that great imo.

It's good...but nothing special.

I agree. Robert Mitchum stood out, but everyone else was just servicable. The script was good enough, but stylistically the film just lacked something that could have set it aside from other crime films of the same era. Overall just a ho-hum movie.

[BoydR12]

Could you guys please suggest a few criterion film noir titles? I'm very new to the genre so all recommendations are welcome. Thanks!!

[mja345]

Originally Posted by BoydR12

Could you guys please suggest a few criterion film noir titles? I'm very new to the genre so all recommendations are welcome. Thanks!!

On Blu-Ray and In Print:

The Killing
Kiss Me Deadly
Night and the City
Rififi
Odd Man Out
Ride the Pink Horse
The Killers (both 46 and 64)
High and Low
Pale Flower

[stlcards]

Originally Posted by 812crew

Does every criterion release have the official blue sticker on it? Because I ordered a bunch of criterions from the B&N black friday sale. All had the sticker except Ace in the Hole and L'eclisse.
So I scheduled a store to hold those titles so I could exchange mine.
When I arrived, the ones they pulled for me didn't have the sticker either. The lady assured me I was sent new copies.
So I went home with my original two.
When I got home and opened them, both were scratched. Not heavily, but I could tell these weren't new discs.
So I ordered replacements from B&N.com.
They accidentally sent me 2 of each.
And all 4 of those didn't have the sticker either.
So out of 8 blu-rays (4 Ace in the Hole & 4 L'eclisse), none of them had the sticker.
Did I just happen to open the two bad ones that might have been resealed? I opened one set of my replacements and they look totally fine.
Sorry for the long story, just really curious now.

I ordered My Darling Clementine from them during the 50% sale. The copy did not have a sticker on it. It wasn't in very good shape as far as packaging so I did an exchange. The new copy arrived Friday and it had no sticker and was in slightly better shape.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by BoydR12

Could you guys please suggest a few criterion film noir titles? I'm very new to the genre so all recommendations are welcome. Thanks!!

The Killers and Odd Man Out are essentials.

If you ever find a copy of The Third Man, you shouldn't hesitate to pick it up.

[Sifox211]

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

You mean the 'Warner Blue-Line' release available on Amazon? Although the notoriously inaccurate Amazon 'product details' section lists this as 'all regions', the product title bar specifically states that the release is a 'non-USA format, Reg. B import" and one of the third-party sellers (the only option evidently available) states that, in regards to this release, "You have to be able to play zone 2 with a multizone player or zone 2 player or a computer." ...

Sorry - my mistake. I just checked in my region A player and the disk is indeed locked to B. I was sure I read somewhere it was region free and of course only played it in my region B player

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by jw007

I just watched the official trailer and it looks gripping and dark...I'd watch it for sure but I'm not sure if I'd want to own it (I might watch it once and that's it).

I'd like to own it just to own it, if you know what I mean. I have Irreversible on DVD. I never plan on re-watching that, either.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by mja345

On Blu-Ray and In Print:

The Killing
Kiss Me Deadly
Night and the City
Rififi
Odd Man Out
Ride the Pink Horse
The Killers (both 46 and 64)
High and Low
Pale Flower

I watched Night and the City last night.

It's really good, but not on the same level as The Third Man, Double Indemnity, Out of the Past and some of my other favorite film noirs.

It's unusual to have the main character in a film noir be such an incompetent dunce.

Still highly recommended as a Criterion buy.

...the cover art is just marvelous.

[jdw89]

One thing I find to be a bit annoying is the booklets on the inside of the Criterion releases always seem to have a bent corner at the bottom in every release I have ever received from them, I assume this is normal, maybe just the way it is put in there, but it is annoying.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by jdw89

One thing I find to be a bit annoying is the booklets on the inside of the Criterion releases always seem to have a bent corner at the bottom in every release I have ever received from them, I assume this is normal, maybe just the way it is put in there, but it is annoying.

I just bought a copy of The Big City at Barnes and it had obviously been rewrapped.

But after I took the wrapping off I was shocked at how bad the condition of the case was in. There's dents on the case and markings on the case. The disc is in perfect condition though.

I couldn't in good conscience try to resell this thing on the Criterion trade forum and list it in "like new" condition.

...but apparently Barnes and Noble had no problem with it.

I may try to return it.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by jdw89

One thing I find to be a bit annoying is the booklets on the inside of the Criterion releases always seem to have a bent corner at the bottom in every release I have ever received from them, I assume this is normal, maybe just the way it is put in there, but it is annoying.

Even Breathless?

[SkyAntoine]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I watched Night and the City last night.



It's really good, but not on the same level as The Third Man, Double Indemnity, Out of the Past and some of my other favorite film noirs.



It's unusual to have the main character in a film noir be such an incompetent dunce.



Still highly recommended as a Criterion buy.



...the cover art is just marvelous.

One of the best cast of characters I've seen. Fun flick.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

I'd like to own it just to own it, if you know what I mean. I have Irreversible on DVD. I never plan on re-watching that, either.

I think I know what you mean.... but what drives us human beings to want to own something that we may never enjoy after an initial period of excitement?

[ShellOilJunior]

A reminder that the year end poll voting is open. For details please see this post:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...stcount=139030


If you're not ready you've got a few weeks to get in your ballot. I have about 5-6 releases to still get through myself. If needed the 12/31 deadline can be extended if people need more time. There should be no rush in enjoying these films.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by iScottie

The Killers and Odd Man Out are essentials.

If you ever find a copy of The Third Man, you shouldn't hesitate to pick it up.

Have you seen Night and the City?

If so, how would you compare it to Odd Man Out?

...better, worse or equally good?

[mja345]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I watched Night and the City last night.

It's really good, but not on the same level as The Third Man, Double Indemnity, Out of the Past and some of my other favorite film noirs.

It's unusual to have the main character in a film noir be such an incompetent dunce.

Still highly recommended as a Criterion buy.

...the cover art is just marvelous.

I love "Night and the City" and think Widmark does a great job at playing a guy who is, let's face it, both a colossal moron and a-hole. But the unrealistic part of that film is that he has the ridiculously beautiful Gene Tierney on lock while, one, never seeing her and, two, treating her like complete garbage on the rare occasions when he does see her.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by mja345

I love "Night and the City" and think Widmark does a great job at playing a guy who is, let's face it, both a colossal moron and a-hole. But the unrealistic part of that film is that he has the ridiculously beautiful Gene Tierney on lock while, one, never seeing her and, two, treating here like complete garbage on the rare occasions when he does see her.

It's not a perfect movie like Double Indemnity, The Third Man or Out of the Past imo.

Some of the secondary characters aren't developed very well...or at all.

There's never any real substantive justification provided as to why Gene Tierney would be hopelessly in love with such a weak, pathetic loser. There's no scene in the film where I thought to myself, "Okay, despite all his obvious flaws, I get why she loves him."

And the other guy, the nice-guy artist who overcooks the pasta in the beginning--I don't even know why he's in the movie. He's not integral to the plot in any way and you never really learn anything about him.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Have you seen Night and the City?

If so, how would you compare it to Odd Man Out?

...better, worse or equally good?

I have and I would say it's vastly inferior to Odd Man Out.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

It's not a perfect movie like Double Indemnity, The Third Man or Out of the Past imo.

Some of the secondary characters aren't developed very well...or at all.

There's never any real substantive justification provided as to why Gene Tierney would be hopelessly in love with such a weak, pathetic loser. There's no scene in the film where I thought to myself, "Okay, despite all his obvious flaws, I get why she loves him."

And the other guy, the nice-guy artist who overcooks the pasta in the beginning--I don't even know why he's in the movie. He's not integral to the plot in any way and you never really learn anything about him.

Oh, I agree. The film has flaws. It's probably about an 8/10 for me, if we're going on the Imdb scale. Those other films you mentioned are absolute masterpieces, so it's certainly not on that level. But the positives (Widmark, the performance of Francis L. Sullivan as the nightclub owner, the performance of the ex-wrestler who plays Gregorious, the London setting) make it a very effective film noir. But the fact that Gene Tierney's character is so in love with a guy with absolutely no redeeming qualities is inexplicable.