The Criterion Collection

[JHas]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Unrelated, but which film did you end up seeing yesterday? Heaven's Gate?

I ended up with a long period of free time beginning in the afternoon. So I went with Heaven's Gate. Was very impressed with it, I love epics and my fear that the movie would be one long "wedding celebration" scene from The Deer Hunter was unfounded. There were times in the middle of the film that dragged a bit, but was happy with my purchase and plan to revisit the film again soon.

Tonight, I think I will go with On The Waterfront, I haven't seen in about 10 - 15 years ago in Highschool film study, I have a inkling that I will get a lot more out of it on this viewing.

[shortmartin]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Are you a fan of all the films included in the set? I can't see myself returning to Drive He Said and A Safe Place?

can't speak for Owl, but I've got the set and I find Easy Rider, Last Picture Show, Five Easy Pieces, and Head to be worth the price alone. The others in the set are gravy.

[bluesilo]

Finally watched Brazil last night. Really enjoyed it. I'd try to classify it as a Film-Noir/fantasy/SciFi, although its really hard to put it into a specific genre. I love how Brazil plays with expectations by having happy scenes immediately followed by incredibly sad scenes.

I can't imagine how the abridged version plays, but I'd imagine it doesn't come close to capturing the vision of the original. I found a lot of the ideas that the film throws out are scarily in place today (sadly the frequent bombings and our data completely in the web). Overall it was a wonderful suggestion and I believe the film holds up wonderfully.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by JHas

I ended up with a long period of free time beginning in the afternoon. So I went with Heaven's Gate. Was very impressed with it, I love epics and my fear that the movie would be one long "wedding celebration" scene from The Deer Hunter was unfounded. There were times in the middle of the film that dragged a bit, but was happy with my purchase and plan to revisit the film again soon.

Tonight, I think I will go with On The Waterfront, I haven't seen in about 10 - 15 years ago in Highschool film study, I have a inkling that I will get a lot more out of it on this viewing.

Excellent, I too love epics. Heaven's Gate could certainly be a bit more focused, but if you adjust yourself to the herky jerky structure, it's one damn spectacular film. The indulgent expenses Cimino took, like shipping a train (I believe) across the country, were definitely appreciated by me.

I wish the set had more in the way of supplementary material. It was worth every penny of the $25 I paid for it

[shortmartin]

Originally Posted by bluesilo

Finally watched Brazil last night. Really enjoyed it. I'd try to classify it as a Film-Noir/fantasy/SciFi, although its really hard to put it into a specific genre. I love how Brazil plays with expectations by having happy scenes immediately followed by incredibly sad scenes.

I can't imagine how the abridged version plays, but I'd imagine it doesn't come close to capturing the vision of the original. I found a lot of the ideas that the film throws out are scarily in place today (sadly the frequent bombings and our data completely in the web). Overall it was a wonderful suggestion and I believe the film holds up wonderfully.

I remember reading somewhere, Gilliam wryly said that more people live the conditions described in the film than have seen the film.

[shortmartin]

^^

"Brazil was made by a bunch of young people who didn’t know any better. They are older and wiser now, but it seems America isn’t. It’s a pity that George W. and Dick Cheney aren’t still running the show. I was tempted to sue them for the illegal and unauthorized remake of Brazil. Just think . . . more people are living my movie than ever went to see it."

This quote from Gilliam is from Edgar Wright's Top 10 on the Criterion page (http://www.criterion.com/explore/161...right-s-top-10).

[bluesilo]

Great quote! thanks.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Are you a fan of all the films included in the set? I can't see myself returning to Drive He Said and A Safe Place?

I loved watching all of the DVDs in my old set except for A Safe Place, which is vastly inferior to the rest.
I actually like Drive He Said quite a lot. Probably because I played sports quite a bit when I was younger, and my father was a coach and an athletic director. It's a fun random Criterion to revisit ever so often.

Originally Posted by Snicket

I was browsing through FYE yesterday and stumbled upon a used copy of The Ballad of Narayama that was mislabeled as a DVD with a $10 price tag. Tempted to jump on it but I passed, my Criterion love hasn't gotten that out of hand (though it was only $10).

I'm always happy to see Criterions on the used rack. I saw Bergman's Summer Interlude at a used store here for $15. I kicked myself in the rear a couple of times for passing that up, but I'm in no big hurry. I also saw Monsoon Wedding on the used rack, but had no real interest in that one.

Originally Posted by sethdlh

Just got Letter Never Sent in the mail. After $10 in Reward Zone coups it was $5. I'll take any CC blu for $5

Letter Never Sent was the unsung hero of the 2012 Criterion titles. It's such a beautifully haunting work that comes across well on Blu-ray. You'll probably never look at fire the same way again after that movie. For a few months after watching that movie, I was extra careful camping out or cooking in my kitchen.

[shortmartin]

Originally Posted by JHas

I ended up with a long period of free time beginning in the afternoon. So I went with Heaven's Gate. Was very impressed with it, I love epics and my fear that the movie would be one long "wedding celebration" scene from The Deer Hunter was unfounded. There were times in the middle of the film that dragged a bit, but was happy with my purchase and plan to revisit the film again soon.

Tonight, I think I will go with On The Waterfront, I haven't seen in about 10 - 15 years ago in Highschool film study, I have a inkling that I will get a lot more out of it on this viewing.

Nice. One of my favorite movies, an epic of unthinkable scale and design. Watching the extra features, Cimino talks about the lengths they went to in order to reconstruct set features and props according to historical accuracy and specificity, including a prolonged effort at reconstructing an original horse-and-buggy, the cart that they ride in along the river. It's amazing because, I imagine, a viewer wouldn't be able to tell the difference as to whether the buggy were original or not, but to Cimino and his conspirators it really mattered.

I can't believe I just used the word "buggy," not something I do a lot, makes me feel like my three-year-old son for some reason.

[The Great Owl]

The Blu-ray box set of America Lost and Found: The BBS Story is mine for $61. I bought a perfect-condition copy at Barnes & Noble on the way home. I wanted to squeeze the last bit of juice out of the 40% off sale, and the use of a gift card came in handy. I've been thinking about upgrading this box set since I first bought my Blu-ray player, and this will free up my July budget for other Criterion movies when the July sale happens.

I am quite overjoyed at the fact that I bought the America Lost and Found set on the same day that I bought National Lampoon's Vacation. These purchases fit quite well together in a uniquely offbeat sort of way. Gotta love this country in all its nuances and amusing characters.

I am particularly glad that I am reunited with Five Easy Pieces, my favorite film in the America Lost and Found set. Five Easy Pieces and Melville's Le Samouraï go well together for a double-feature. Both are fascinating takes on willful solitude.

[Indyjones]

Originally Posted by blkhrt

Often, when something goes out of print it takes a long time before the existing copies disappear. There are probably some still out there, which is how Amazon and other retailers can still sell the title.

Here's hoping amazon gets more copies of Chungking Express and Last Year at Marienbad.

[The Great Owl]

Did y'all see the heads-up in the main forum about Thunderbolt and Lightfoot coming to the Criterion Collection?

We will finally have Clint Eastwood in the Collection. Great great news!

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Did y'all see the heads-up in the main forum about Thunderbolt and Lightfoot coming to the Criterion Collection?

We will finally have Clint Eastwood in the Collection. Great great news!

Considering how prolific his career has been as both an actor and a director, he should be represented in the Collection. I would have thought Play Misty for me would have been the one to do it, though.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Snicket

I was browsing through FYE yesterday and stumbled upon a used copy of The Ballad of Narayama that was mislabeled as a DVD with a $10 price tag. Tempted to jump on it but I passed, my Criterion love hasn't gotten that out of hand (though it was only $10).

I just watched it last week and absolutely loved it, much more than I expected to. It's very well worth the $10.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Considering how prolific his career has been as both an actor and a director, he should be represented in the Collection. I would have thought Play Misty for me would have been the one to do it, though.

I've always thought that The Beguiled would make an excellent Criterion title. I can definitely imagine Play Misty for Me in the Collection as well.

Before I unloaded most of my DVD collection, I owned a four-movie Clint Eastwood set with Play Misty for Me, The Eiger Sanction, Coogan's Bluff, and The Beguiled. The Eiger Sanction was one of the best adventure films in Clint Eastwood's acting canon, but it does not receive a lot of attention these days.

[bluthx]

I just bought and watched the criterion edition of "Two Lane Blacktop". I am really happy to have this in my collection. I also own the anchor bay DVD of this title but the criterion BD really blows that version out of the water.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by bluthx

I just bought and watched the criterion edition of "Two Lane Blacktop". I am really happy to have this in my collection. I also own the anchor bay DVD of this title but the criterion BD really blows that version out of the water.

Two-Lane Blacktop looks remarkable on the Criterion Blu-ray edition. One of the best examples of a film from that era presented in high definition.

[bluthx]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Two-Lane Blacktop looks remarkable on the Criterion Blu-ray edition. One of the best examples of a film from that era presented in high definition.

I AGREE 100%. Im so glad that criterion was able to release this on blu. I wasn't even sure this was gonna get a Blu release. That's why I hung on to my DVD version like it was gold.

[Scottie]

Excited for Thunderbolt and Lightfoot! Woot!

[prinmac]

Originally Posted by blkhrt

Often, when something goes out of print it takes a long time before the existing copies disappear. There are probably some still out there, which is how Amazon and other retailers can still sell the title.

They have copies of Playtime and Army of Shadows in stock at Target.com for $27.59