The Criterion Collection

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Alex82

Honestly, I wouldn't dare to pick just one actresss as the Most Beautiful Woman Ever.

Thanks to cinema, young, prime versions of beauties such as Ava, Rita, Grace Kelly, Liz Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Audrey Hepburn, Anna Karina, plus many others are forever trapped on celluloid.

There are so many to choose from when it comes to classic cinema. Rita Hayworth, Gene Tierney, Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall, Monica Vitti, Claudia Cardinale, Ida Lupino, Raquel Welch, Marilyn Monroe, Lana Turner, Jane Greer, Rhonda Fleming, Veronica Lake, Kim Novak, Maureen O'Hara, Ava Gardner, Audrey Hepburn, Olivia de Havilland, Ursula Andress, Carole Lombard, and so on...

If I had to pick one actress whom I've like to watch forever on a desert island, then I would probably pick Ingrid Bergman, because of her beauty, her acting prowess, and her overall presence.

I think that the the most beautiful contemporary actresses are Olga Kurylenko, Alicia Vikander, Imogen Poots, and Scarlett Johansson, but, then again, there are too many to list.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by orbital

Men beyond their "prime" start listing their "young, prime versions of beauties"... time to leave this thread and come back two pages later I guess.

You, sir, will not be missed.

[Show spoiler]

Always beautiful.

[MifuneFan]

Sure many of the ones listed are your typical bombshells, but Teresa Wright was wifey material

[jmclick]

Yesterday I watched Criterion's newly released blu-ray edition of Alain Resnais' acclaimed Night and Fog. This morning, I'm still in shock. The new transfer is simply amazing, on every level. This could not have been an easy film to remaster, because of the film's structure: it intercuts lovely color footage of the abandoned Nazi concentration camps shot in 1955 that is supposed to represent "now" with archival, gritty black-and-white footage of the camps shot in the early 1940's, which was "then". The contrast between the intervening 10 to 14 years is one of the things that gives the film its undeniable power. Of course, during the past 6 decades since 1955, all the footage had deteriorated, both color and black-and-white; the challenge was to completely restore the color footage, but to selectively restore the archival black-and-white footage so that the original contrast between "now" and "then" would be properly preserved.

The restoration team has done a phenomenal job, and the Criterion transfer is perfection. The color footage is pristine; the black and white footage has had all the dirt and debris cleared away, but the original artifacts that were inherent in the original film (some ghosting, some scratches, etc.) have been untouched. The soundtrack (which consists of narration and a musical score) has been cleaned up, and the English subtitles have been redone: they are now easier to read and in some cases, the translation has been altered to better reflect the nuances of the original script. I own the original Criterion release of the film on DVD, which I screened immediately after watching the new blu-ray, and the upgrade in quality is so great that it can hardly be quantified. Watching Night and Fog on DVD was always an emotionally unsettling and intellectually challenging experience for me; the blu-ray is infinitely more powerful.

I do wish the blu-ray had more supplements. The radio interview with Alain Resnais has been ported over from the DVD, and there is an extraordinary on-camera interview with director Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing) that was filmed earlier this year. Oppenheimer's insights into Night and Fog in particular, and filmmaking in general, are both fascinating and thought-provoking. I was very much looking forward to the 2009 documentary about the film and its making, Face aux fantômes, but found it to be somewhat disappointing: it's actually a very un-cinematic "talking heads" feature film that, despite some excellent information, was a bit of a chore to sit through. I much preferred the short essay printed on the fold-out booklet that was written by Colin MacCabe.

Irregardless of the supplements, I cannot recommend Criterion's new edition of Night and Fog more highly. At 31 minutes, the film is short (it was Resnais' last short film; he would make his first feature film, Hiroshima, mon amour a few years later), but its running time is not a reflection of its quality, its impact, or its historical importance. Francois Truffaut once called Night and Fog "the greatest film ever made", and it placed fourth on Sight and Sound's 2014 poll of the greatest documentaries ever made. See it, and understand.

[senseabove]

Can we at least talk about some lesser-known bombshell boys as well? Watched Sirk's A Time to Love... the other night and remembered how willingly I'd watch John Gavin read the proverbial phone book. But to keep it at least semi-Collection-related:

[Show spoiler]

Made me seriously consider picking up the French blu of the OSS 117 movie he was in (in nothing but a bedsheet ), even though the audio's only in French. Which makes me wonder—does Gavin speak French in the movie? I might have to swoon even more...

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by jmclick

Yesterday I watched Criterion's newly released blu-ray edition of Alain Resnais' acclaimed Night and Fog. This morning, I'm still in shock. The new transfer is simply amazing, on every level. This could not have been an easy film to remaster, because of the film's structure: it intercuts lovely color footage of the abandoned Nazi concentration camps shot in 1955 that is supposed to represent "now" with archival, gritty black-and-white footage of the camps shot in the early 1940's, which was "then". The contrast between the intervening 10 to 14 years is one of the things that gives the film its undeniable power. Of course, during the past 6 decades since 1955, all the footage had deteriorated, both color and black-and-white; the challenge was to completely restore the color footage, but to selectively restore the archival black-and-white footage so that the original contrast between "now" and "then" would be properly preserved.

The restoration team has done a phenomenal job, and the Criterion transfer is perfection. The color footage is pristine; the black and white footage has had all the dirt and debris cleared away, but the original artifacts that were inherent in the original film (some ghosting, some scratches, etc.) have been untouched. The soundtrack (which consists of narration and a musical score) has been cleaned up, and the English subtitles have been redone: they are now easier to read and in some cases, the translation has been altered to better reflect the nuances of the original script. I own the original Criterion release of the film on DVD, which I screened immediately after watching the new blu-ray, and the upgrade in quality is so great that it can hardly be quantified. Watching Night and Fog on DVD was always an emotionally unsettling and intellectually challenging experience for me; the blu-ray is infinitely more powerful.

I do wish the blu-ray had more supplements. The radio interview with Alain Resnais has been ported over from the DVD, and there is an extraordinary on-camera interview with director Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing) that was filmed earlier this year. Oppenheimer's insights into Night and Fog in particular, and filmmaking in general, are both fascinating and thought-provoking. I was very much looking forward to the 2009 documentary about the film and its making, Face aux fantômes, but found it to be somewhat disappointing: it's actually a very un-cinematic "talking heads" feature film that, despite some excellent information, was a bit of a chore to sit through. I much preferred the short essay printed on the fold-out booklet that was written by Colin MacCabe.

Irregardless of the supplements, I cannot recommend Criterion's new edition of Night and Fog more highly. At 31 minutes, the film is short (it was Resnais' last short film; he would make his first feature film, Hiroshima, mon amour a few years later), but its running time is not a reflection of its quality, its impact, or its historical importance. Francois Truffaut once called Night and Fog "the greatest film ever made", and it placed fourth on Sight and Sound's 2014 poll of the greatest documentaries ever made. See it, and understand.

I have the DVD of this, and agree with everything you said about the film. We had to watch it a couple times for a class about films from that period (along with some other odd works which still cry out for a US release, particularly Hitler: A Film from Germany). The first time I was just kind of like "what is going on," but the repeat viewings and the analysis of it made me really appreciate it. There are a couple images in there that are really hard to shake and create a horrific narrative in the viewer's mind, particularly the one of the guy carrying the nude woman's corpse on his back. She is horrifically skinny, and the way her limbs swing is just a terrifying picture of mortality - she's like a gruesome puppet, an object. It causes you to think things like "was this someone he knew? Does death turn people into objects?" It gives no explanation or implication. It's deeply disturbing.

(these last few sentences go well with this stream of posts about how hot actresses are)

I'm not sure if it's the kind of thing I'm going to revisit, though, so I dunno about upgrading. I think everyone needs to see the film at least once, though, so if you don't have the DVD, go for it.

[CraigThom]

Originally Posted by oildude

As far as popular music in soundtracks, that is one thing Tarantino gets right most of the time, and also Linklater.

I think Dazed and Confused has the most awesome soundtrack of rock tunes in a film, like the theme songs to a generation of late 1970s high schoolers.

I think it helps that I graduated from high school in 1978.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Sure many of the ones listed are your typical bombshells, but Teresa Wright was wifey material

As was Donna Reed (It's a Wonderful Life, From Here to Eternity)

As far as lesser-known bombshells go, don't get me started on Lisa Langlois, who appears in many of my favorite 1980s horror movies.

"This movie has a 1.9 rating on the Internet Movie Database? ...Wait...hold on a minute... It stars Lisa Langlois. I'm definitely buying the Blu-ray!"

[Ray Jackson]

Despite my earlier proclamation about Ava Gardner's GOATness, I've reconsidered my position and decided that Lady Snowblood destroys all.

I've made my decision and my decision is final.

...Ava is a close second.

[Show spoiler]

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I've reconsidered my position and decided that Lady Snowblood destroys all.

If you like Meiko Kaji, then you may want to check out the dedicated thread for the Arrow Blu-ray set of Female Prisoner Scorpion: The Complete Collection.

A lot of folks are canceling their orders due to a blue teal controversy, but many of us are still in for the set, and eagerly awaiting seeing these films at long last.

You should have no trouble finding the thread, since it's always near the top of the queue on the forum page.

[cakefactory]

She looks way better in the Female Prisoner Scorpion movies than Lady Snowblood (especially 2), but I'm anti-bouffant.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

If you like Meiko Kaji, then you may want to check out the dedicated thread for the Arrow Blu-ray set of Female Prisoner Scorpion: The Complete Collection.

A lot of folks are canceling their orders due to a blue teal controversy, but many of us are still in for the set, and eagerly awaiting seeing these films at long last.

You should have no trouble finding the thread, since it's always near the top of the queue on the forum page.

God almighty...it never ends.

I'm legitimately terrified about the 4k remaster of Heat that's apparently in the pipeline even as we speak. I have an awkward feeling that the debate over the color scheme will be unprecedented in its length and divisiveness.

Lives will be ruined.

Friendships will be destroyed.

Accounts will be perma-banned by the dozens.

...nothing will ever be the same.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by Old Geezer

You sir have impeccable taste! However, I believe the lady in my avatar, Veronica Lake, belongs in any discussion of beauty.

Thank you. I would agree that Veronica should be included in the discussion. She popped into my head while I was looking through pictures, but I forgot to include her. She wasn't my only omission; I'd also include Audrey Hepburn, Juliette Binoche, Anne Baxter and several others if I took more time to think about it.

Originally Posted by orbital

Men beyond their "prime" start listing their "young, prime versions of beauties"... time to leave this thread and come back two pages later I guess.

I'm enough "in my prime" that my last girlfriend was a runway/print model for the Ford Modeling Agency.

Maybe lighten up just a little bit? Or, even better, if you want to move the discussion back to Criterion and film releases, contribute something substantive, instead of just complaining/acting like the thread police.

[theater dreamer]

Night and Fog, and Shoah, are two documentaries I want to watch, and I will own both, but I'm working up the courage to do so. The subject matter is deeply personal to me, as my family on my father's side come from Warsaw, Poland.

Have you seen Kitty Hart-Moxon's documentary One Day in Auschwitz? It debuted on Showtime in July, and was aired directly after showings of Schindler's List; it's one of the most powerful things I've ever seen.

Originally Posted by jmclick

Yesterday I watched Criterion's newly released blu-ray edition of Alain Resnais' acclaimed Night and Fog. This morning, I'm still in shock. The new transfer is simply amazing, on every level. This could not have been an easy film to remaster, because of the film's structure: it intercuts lovely color footage of the abandoned Nazi concentration camps shot in 1955 that is supposed to represent "now" with archival, gritty black-and-white footage of the camps shot in the early 1940's, which was "then". The contrast between the intervening 10 to 14 years is one of the things that gives the film its undeniable power. Of course, during the past 6 decades since 1955, all the footage had deteriorated, both color and black-and-white; the challenge was to completely restore the color footage, but to selectively restore the archival black-and-white footage so that the original contrast between "now" and "then" would be properly preserved.

The restoration team has done a phenomenal job, and the Criterion transfer is perfection. The color footage is pristine; the black and white footage has had all the dirt and debris cleared away, but the original artifacts that were inherent in the original film (some ghosting, some scratches, etc.) have been untouched. The soundtrack (which consists of narration and a musical score) has been cleaned up, and the English subtitles have been redone: they are now easier to read and in some cases, the translation has been altered to better reflect the nuances of the original script. I own the original Criterion release of the film on DVD, which I screened immediately after watching the new blu-ray, and the upgrade in quality is so great that it can hardly be quantified. Watching Night and Fog on DVD was always an emotionally unsettling and intellectually challenging experience for me; the blu-ray is infinitely more powerful.

I do wish the blu-ray had more supplements. The radio interview with Alain Resnais has been ported over from the DVD, and there is an extraordinary on-camera interview with director Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing) that was filmed earlier this year. Oppenheimer's insights into Night and Fog in particular, and filmmaking in general, are both fascinating and thought-provoking. I was very much looking forward to the 2009 documentary about the film and its making, Face aux fantômes, but found it to be somewhat disappointing: it's actually a very un-cinematic "talking heads" feature film that, despite some excellent information, was a bit of a chore to sit through. I much preferred the short essay printed on the fold-out booklet that was written by Colin MacCabe.

Irregardless of the supplements, I cannot recommend Criterion's new edition of Night and Fog more highly. At 31 minutes, the film is short (it was Resnais' last short film; he would make his first feature film, Hiroshima, mon amour a few years later), but its running time is not a reflection of its quality, its impact, or its historical importance. Francois Truffaut once called Night and Fog "the greatest film ever made", and it placed fourth on Sight and Sound's 2014 poll of the greatest documentaries ever made. See it, and understand.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Night and Fog, and Shoah, are two documentaries I want to watch, and I will own both, but I'm working up the courage to do so. The subject matter is deeply personal to me, as my family on my father's side come from Warsaw, Poland.

Have you seen Kitty Hart-Moxon's documentary One Day in Auschwitz? It debuted on Showtime in July, and was aired directly after showings of Schindler's List; it's one of the most powerful things I've ever seen.

No, I have not seen One Day in Auschwitz, but I thank you for pointing it out to me. I am definitely interested in seeing it; perhaps it will eventually be released on blu-ray?

Another worthwhile documentary pertaining to the Holocaust is the 1998 film that won the Best Documentary Feature Oscar: The Last Days, which was directed by James Moll and executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Released on DVD, it hasn't been released on blu-ray yet, although it deserves to be. It's a harrowing record of the Nazi's campaign against Hungarian Jews during the final months of World War II.

By the way, I was touched by your mention of your family's personal connection to the Holocaust and the war. Thank you for sharing that with us.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

God almighty...it never ends.

I'm legitimately terrified about the 4k remaster of Heat that's apparently in the pipeline even as we speak. I have an awkward feeling that the debate over the color scheme will be unprecedented in its length and divisiveness.

Lives will be ruined.

Friendships will be destroyed.

Accounts will be perma-banned by the dozens.

...nothing will ever be the same.

...a disaster of Biblical proportions
...real wrath of God type stuff
Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!
Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes...
The dead rising from the grave!
Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!


Actually, I'm perfectly happy with my existing Blu-ray of Michael Mann's Heat, and I've never understood the disdain for that disc in this forum.

I love the film so much that I'll gladly pull the trigger on the upcoming 4K transfer if the virtues of that release prove to be worthy of a purchase, but I'd never have thought to question the current Blu-ray had I not read the reviews on this forum. (I tend to feel this way about 99% of the Blu-rays in my collection, actually.)

I'm delighted that there are people in this forum who call out Blu-ray releases for technical flaws, but I'm personally content whenever I see something that looks better than my old DVDs or VHS tapes. (This is also why I'm not cut out to be a real reviewer on this site, but that's cool.)

[Roninblues]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

If you like Meiko Kaji, then you may want to check out the dedicated thread for the Arrow Blu-ray set of Female Prisoner Scorpion: The Complete Collection.

A lot of folks are canceling their orders due to a blue teal controversy, but many of us are still in for the set, and eagerly awaiting seeing these films at long last.

You should have no trouble finding the thread, since it's always near the top of the queue on the forum page.

As well as the Stray Cat Rock set!

[starman15317]

I know I'm a little late in posting, but here's my haul from the B&N sale. Nine titles is actually a new record for me.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

If you like Meiko Kaji, then you may want to check out the dedicated thread for the Arrow Blu-ray set of Female Prisoner Scorpion: The Complete Collection.

A lot of folks are canceling their orders due to a blue teal controversy, but many of us are still in for the set, and eagerly awaiting seeing these films at long last.

You should have no trouble finding the thread, since it's always near the top of the queue on the forum page.

Even the box is blue. I'm surprised anyone is buying that thing.

[lemonski]

Ever since reading the site review for Chandu the Magician, I have been smitten by June Lang...so much so that I feel the need to buy the Blu-ray. Is this wrong?