The Criterion Collection

[silentblu]

Originally Posted by BasicGreatGuy

While the Chaplin cover is in your face red, I believe it fits with the theme of the movie very well. I am looking forward to it, amongst some of the others.

Yeah. Red the color of National Socialists.

[ShellOilJunior]

Criterion has released around 100 blu-rays. Looking at the list of titles I'm realizing just how spoiled we are with these films.

People complain about the cover art and packaging but Criterion has more than delivered since committing to blu-ray. From a mere 2-3 films a month and worrying a film would only get a dvd transfer to SEVEN films in May!

With this said, the best is yet to come

[rkish]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

When the director doesn't speak English, or the film was from the 30's etc.... perhaps it comes down to a situation where the commentaries they CAN get, may not be something they feel is important enough to use....

That's just a theory of course.

What's disappointing to me is, that this will be the second Bergman release in a row with no commentary track. And Peter Cowie (who is a Bergman biographer) has done commentaries and supplements in the past and is quite knowledgeable and a pleasure to listen to.

I know that he does a supplement on "Smiles", but the last commentary I heard Cowie do, was on the DVD of "Sawdust and Tinsel".

[stobbart]

Just picked up Still Walking for $20 :]

[trombone dixie]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Criterion has released around 100 blu-rays. Looking at the list of titles I'm realizing just how spoiled we are with these films.

People complain about the cover art and packaging but Criterion has more than delivered since committing to blu-ray. From a mere 2-3 films a month and worrying a film would only get a dvd transfer to SEVEN films in May!

With this said, the best is yet to come

I agree completely. As the popularity of Blu-ray grows, I imagine Criterion going above and beyond.

[trombone dixie]

Originally Posted by stobbart

Just picked up Still Walking for $20 :]

where???

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by jcs913

I hear all the talk of the Great Dictator cover. I just hope people understand it before they slam it. I think if you have seen the film, you would think it is basically a great description of the film through the cover art.

I've seen the film, and I understand the cover...
That is, however, not the same thing as to say, quote, "O-KAY!...We GET it!: You thought the Topsy Turvy cover was clever! A gold star and a cookie for you...Now can you freakin' let it GO already??? "

(It's starting to become a deliberate war with the fans:
Criterion wants to show how they're not doing the covers for "commercialism", they're trying to show how they can "pay tribute" to the "spirit" of the movie and that only those who "understand" the movie will even fathom the cover...
Okay, but wouldn't you, y'know, like to be able to sell some copies to OTHER people, who, like, haven't seen the movie before, and are likely going to be staring at the covers like some obscure Mondrian painting? The fans are more tolerant of "commercialism" than you think, when it comes to evangelizing a few newbies into seeing the movie for their own cultural good.
I'd joked that the Modern Times cover "looked like some weird Communist-Polish movie poster"; now it isn't even funny anymore. Would it have been too much to ask for a Blow-Out cover that at least looked like a thriller, rather than a Jonathan Demme documentary? )

[stobbart]

Originally Posted by trombone dixie

where???

https://forum.blu-ray.com/movie-tv-d...-bd-deals.html

Just use that deal, and with shipping it comes out to a little less then $20

[Sabzi_Nic]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

No it is not a shame. Isn't anyone tired of the same ol' basics? Seventh Seal, Breathless, Seven Samurai, suck suck suck! Is it because you are beginning to see these films? Because the people who yawn at the Seven Samurai upgrades or the soon to be Wild Strawberries is because we have seen them for years. Little titles are not a "shame" because you haven't seen them. It's a shame that people throw them away because lists and critics didn't blow them while talking Seventh Seal.


This is why I am bored with Criterion as we speak. Same ol' crap. It's cool for the ones who hasn't seen these, but you also have to consider the long fans of these that are tired of seeing the same crap over and over.

BUT they would never re-release a lot of these films if weren't for the Bluray format. They are only doing what their fans want - the essentials like Seven Samurai upgraded to a better format. That's why we are seeing so many titles that we already own on dvd or are much discussed films. If you are bored, blame it on Bluray or the fact that you are now an informed cinephile..even a film like 'Kes' is well known which hasn't been released by Criterion before BUT it's well known to film buffs. Not Criterion's fault...with the availability of the internet...we are all just more informed about the films. In any case, there's lots of other dvd companies now...BFI,Masters of Cinema, Kino that will feed your film appetite.

[Sabzi_Nic]

Originally Posted by Pyoko

The collection being invaded by things like Broadcast News and Something Wild leads me to believe they've already released everything good they could get their hands on. So that's it, the Criterion Collection is done, over, nothing more to see. From now on it will just be the same titles being re-released over and over again in cycles.

I don't believe that one bit.

Thats why they are releasing Pale Flower, Kes, Senso, Fish Tank, Thin Red Line, Close-Up, Topsy Turvy, White Material,America Lost and Found,Blow-Out, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, Revanche, Hunger,Lola Montes,Crumb? Is that the same thing over and over again? Those are all NEW titles to the collection. And alot of them are GOOD FILMS.

And what's wrong with Broadcast news? it's a good little film, much better than most romantic comedies. Don't we all want the collection to be more diverse? No one is going to like EVERY film in the collection but having more of a variety or releasing films they wouldn't have released before is a good step forward.

[greekak229]

I'm actually very much looking forward to Pale Flower. That seems very interesting. I think I'm most excited for Diabolique however.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Sabzi_Nic

And what's wrong with Broadcast news? it's a good little film, much better than most romantic comedies. Don't we all want the collection to be more diverse? No one is going to like EVERY film in the collection but having more of a variety or releasing films they wouldn't have released before is a good step forward.

It was up for Best Picture, after all--Think they wanted to do a "James L. Brooks" collection, but studios weren't letting go of "Terms of Endearment" or "As Good As It Gets", and he never did another good one after that.
Sort of a representative Brooks, rather than see it disappear into Fox's backbin of "Catalog romantic-comedies that don't sell because guys buy Blu-rays".

(And oddly enough, they didn't even screw up that cover. Much.)

[Josh5890]

Some people say that Criterion has reached it's full potential and it's all re-releases from here on out. Even if it is true, it doesn't bother me one bit. I am only 20 and I am begining to enjoy the world of Criterion. Minus the horror genre, (I've never been able to enjoy it, it's just not for me) and the chickiest of chick flicks, I'll watch just about anything. From reading small reviews and watching trailers, I already have a list of about 10 films I want to watch. And that is with just a littl research.

[jacobsever]

Don't know if I like the Criterion.com facelift or not.

[silentblu]

Originally Posted by jacobsever

Don't know if I like the Criterion.com facelift or not.

At first glance I wasn't sure, but quickly using it I like it. Finding things will be a lot easier.

[PowellPressburger]

Really wish you could click on just a list of OOP titles. You still have to search them one by one.

[bugsy_pal]

Originally Posted by s00perd00per

I'm sure some of the people who have commented on how terrible the cover is has seen the film and understand where it's coming from. I hate the cover too. It's just bland and as Pyoko stated, the Topsy Turvy Cover did it better. There are elements in the film that they could have used to good effect such as the Double Cross logo or the globe with possibly some Constructivist design. Well, the cover sure won't stop me from getting it.

I must confess that I have never seen the film in it's entirety - but I still don't care for the cover. It just doesn't do it for me visually - the type seems too small and mean. But it won't stop me from buying the disc, no way...

I feel very differently about the Marienbad digibook cover - I think that is brilliant and relates to the look and feel of the film.

I think the package design is a very important part of the total Criterion product. It's just nice to get a beautifully designed and produced product when so many pressed discs these days are coming out in super cheap packages with no printed info and quick-and-dirty ugly graphics.

Just today I received by BBS set from B&N (after a 6 week delivery time!) and it's a magnificent looking set. I also really like the recent designs for The Thin Red Line, Crumb...

[SpiderBaby]

Since we talked about this, Sweet Smell of Success is a wonderful digi. Pics at CriterionForum.org like always.

[plattopus]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

however, i would still enjoy a commentary of some sort - professional reviewers, historians, newer actors / actresses reviewing a film that influenced them (like Clooney, Pitt, Streep or others) or something like that, to be done.

This. One of my favourite commentaries is Roger Ebert's for Citizen Kane. Having contemporary film industry insiders revisit older works would be fantastic.

But please, not Tarantino. I can't stand the way he talks.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

Since we talked about this, Sweet Smell of Success is a wonderful digi. Pics at CriterionForum.org like always.

As a rule I tend to prefer the plastic cases but I agree about the interior art - it's outstanding and would have been wasted behind a spindle.

(and to be fair, I think my aversion to digi packaging stems almost entirely from the original The Third Man slipcase - Seven Samurai, Night of the Hunter and Breathless are all pretty nicely done)