The Criterion Collection

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by andyk69

From Powelll/Pressburger Black Narcissus, I cannot overcome that film at it's moody atmosphere, I rewatch that film at least once a month. When sister Ruth appears behind sister Clodagh in that red dress and crazy eyes, my lord, cinematic bliss!

When I first saw the scene where Ruth was applying the lipstick, I thought to myself, "This is what Blu-ray high definition is all about." That Technicolor restoration is for the ages.

I love the matte paintings in Black Narcissus. Let's kick computer-generated effects to the curb and bring back matte paintings.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jw007

I own the Warner digibook edition and it is fabulous. As much as I love this film, this is a catalog title from Warner Bros., so I have my utmost doubts this will ever be in the Criterion Collection. But if it ever makes it, I will be the first person to buy it. I could already imagine the front cover artwork.... ahhhh.

Incidentally, if you're in the market for a new avatar from a Sophia Coppola film, I might helpfully suggest using Emma Watson from screenshot # 11 in the Blu-ray.com review of The Bling Ring that was just posted today.

I'm just doing my part to help promote interest in high definition among fellow Blu-ray fans, yes I am.

Just to keep this somewhat in the realm of Criterion-related topics, I would love to see an announcement of Lost in Translation tomorrow. It won't happen, but I'd love to see it anyway.

[andyk69]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

When I first saw the scene where Ruth was applying the lipstick, I thought to myself, "This is what Blu-ray high definition is all about." That Technicolor restoration is for the ages.

I love the matte paintings in Black Narcissus. Let's kick computer-generated effects to the curb and bring back matte paintings.

That hanging cliff bell tower painting is breathtaking! and what about : "Sister Ruth, Sister Ruth!"

Just to keep this somewhat in the realm of Criterion-related topics, I would love to see an announcement of Lost in Translation tomorrow. It won't happen, but I'd love to see it anyway.

I will pick that one for sure,

My dream for the Dec announcement will be Suspiria or Room with a view...

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by andyk69

That hanging cliff bell tower painting is breathtaking! and what about : "Sister Ruth, Sister Ruth!"

Yes!

I'm still marinating on this, but, out of the three Powell/Pressburger films that I've seen (The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes), I think that I like The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp the best by a small margin.

All three of the movies are perfect 10 movies on a scale of 10, though. I'm not exaggerating. I have been utterly blown away by each one.

I'm in awe of the ballet performance sequence in The Red Shoes. I love how the dreamlike fantasy elements blend in (the shoes tying themselves, etc.), and I love the absence of the audience during most of the performance.

[andyk69]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Yes!

I'm still marinating on this, but, out of the three Powell/Pressburger films that I've seen (The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes), I think that I like The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp the best by a small margin.

All three of the movies are perfect 10 movies on a scale of 10, though. I'm not exaggerating. I have been utterly blown away by each one.

I'm in awe of the ballet performance sequence in The Red Shoes. I love how the dreamlike fantasy elements blend in (the shoes tying themselves, etc.), and I love the absence of the audience during most of the performance.

I am hunger now for good cinema!
I have to add "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" to my "to watch" list, haven't seen it

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

If we're talking about a wishlist for tomorrow, I'd love to see John Boorman's Point Blank, starring Lee Marvin.

I am a fan of Boorman, but I have yet to see Point Blank. Excalibur is an outstanding film, and with the exception of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, is my favorite film dealing with the Arthurian Legend. However Deliverance is my favorite of his, so far.

I am thinking that, with Christmas being in the month of this week's announcement, Bringing Up Baby would make an ideal addition.

[andyk69]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Yes!

I'm still marinating on this, but, out of the three Powell/Pressburger films that I've seen (The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes), I think that I like The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp the best by a small margin.

Have you seen, "I know where I'm going"? I love that one too,
I have a soft spot for romance on the Scottish isles

[exolstice]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Yes!

I'm still marinating on this, but, out of the three Powell/Pressburger films that I've seen (The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes), I think that I like The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp the best by a small margin.

All three of the movies are perfect 10 movies on a scale of 10, though. I'm not exaggerating. I have been utterly blown away by each one.

I'm in awe of the ballet performance sequence in The Red Shoes. I love how the dreamlike fantasy elements blend in (the shoes tying themselves, etc.), and I love the absence of the audience during most of the performance.

You still haven't seen the best one: A Matter of Life and Death.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Incidentally, if you're in the market for a new avatar from a Sophia Coppola film, I might helpfully suggest using Emma Watson from screenshot # 11 in the Blu-ray.com review of The Bling Ring that was just posted today.

I'm just doing my part to help promote interest in high definition among fellow Blu-ray fans, yes I am.

Just to keep this somewhat in the realm of Criterion-related topics, I would love to see an announcement of Lost in Translation tomorrow. It won't happen, but I'd love to see it anyway.

Thanks man. I haven't seen The Bling Ring yet but I just read the review here on the site a minute ago. I will most likely be checking this one out soon though. I guess I just have a thing for Lost in Translation, so though you are trying to be helpful in getting me to change my avatar, that will not be so easy. It goes beyond the characters, setting and soundtrack but into the inner core of my life, a time when I was greatly in love, as I saw this film with someone, only to see that time end sooner than expected. That film resounds to me on an intangibly spiritual level I just cannot define right now.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

Has Criterion or any other label hinted at releasing Greed? I've not seen it yet, but I'd really like to, and from the looks of it, the film hasn't even been given a DVD release.

Warner owns Greed. I have a 133 minute cut on laserdisc that came out in 1990. In 1999 TCM, however, aired a 4-hour reconstruction (using a lot of production stills to fill in missing scenes). Why it wasn't released by Warner on DVD is beyond me.

I never managed to catch up with that 4-hour version, so I don't know if the quality is up to snuff. Cinephiles seemed to gush over it, but as long as it was better than the film had ever looked before, they'd be happy (as would I, to tell the truth).

I haven't heard of any newer restoration work being done to the film, so I don't know what the state of their source would be for a current release on Blu-ray.

I watched The Rules of the Game last night and fell in love with it. I loved the satire of the upper class, but even more so, I loved Renoir's ability to flawlessly blend tragedy into a film that is mostly a farce. I'm going to have to pick up the Studio Canal release of Grand Illusion.

Rules was one of many films I saw for the first time on Criterion LD, and loved. And I've been upgrading it ever since (got their 2004 DVD release, and then their Blu-ray).

I need to order me Grand Illusion, too. That's a film like Greed where I've been happy with each improvement. Like Rules, I saw it for the first time on Criterion LD. And then their DVD was like day following night. I was sorry that they lost the rights to it before they could get it out on Blu, but the review here at blu-ray.com of the StudioCanal release sounds great.

I might be on a bit of a Criterion break for a week or so now

I've had a bit of a "Criterion break" myself. I've been meaning to get to the local B&N to take advantage of the B2G1 sale, but things seem to keep getting in my way. I ended up ordering some BDs from Amazon that I've been meaning to order for a while now, and can't find locally: Tarkovsky's The Sacrifice, Tran's The Scene of Green Papaya, and Tavernier's Death Watch.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by andyk69

From Powelll/Pressburger Black Narcissus, I cannot overcome that film at it's moody atmosphere, I rewatch that film at least once a month. When sister Ruth appears behind sister Clodagh in that red dress and crazy eyes, my lord, cinematic bliss!

This whole sequence is one of the most disturbing in cinema. I don't know if someone's descent into madness has ever been more realistically captured on film. It actually brings a horror element into the film. Let's face it-Sister Ruth is frightening.

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I need to order me Grand Illusion, too. That's a film like Greed where I've been happy with each improvement. Like Rules, I saw it for the first time on Criterion LD. And then their DVD was like day following night. I was sorry that they lost the rights to it before they could get it out on Blu, but the review here at blu-ray.com of the StudioCanal release sounds great.



I've had a bit of a "Criterion break" myself. I've been meaning to get to the local B&N to take advantage of the B2G1 sale, but things seem to keep getting in my way. I ended up ordering some BDs from Amazon that I've been meaning to order for a while now, and can't find locally: Tarkovsky's The Sacrifice, Tran's The Scene of Green Papaya, and Tavernier's Death Watch.

Be aware that the Lionsgate LA GRANDE ILLUSION is one of their very few Criterion-quality releases. Simply stunning picture quality and a wonderful selection of bonus features. If only their other releases were up to this standard, I wouldn't mind them taking the rights from Criterion so much.

Oh, and THE SCENT OF GREEN PAPAYA looks gorgeous on Kino's Blu-ray.

[GentleGiant]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Just to keep this somewhat in the realm of Criterion-related topics, I would love to see an announcement of Lost in Translation tomorrow. It won't happen, but I'd love to see it anyway.

Couldn't agree more. Great, great film.

[lim.davidd]

Originally Posted by exolstice

You still haven't seen the best one: A Matter of Life and Death.

You are right, this is the best Powell and Pressburger ever

[jw007]

Tonight I took my first Criterion break in weeks and watched the excellent film The Lookout (2007). What a great heist film, but even better, a great script with greatly flawed characters making it a very believable story. Superb! 3 thumbs up.

[Thebunk]

So tomorrow is the last release day for 2013. Looking back at the 2013 new years drawing, I think we have the following that we're hinted but not announced or released yet:

- Scanners
- Eraserhead
- The Tenant (or maybe/hopefully The Dekalog based on the apartment building as the clue.
- Le Samurai (don't think this was a clear cut clue unlike Erasrhead or Scanners)

Also in terms of newsletter hints, I think we have the following:

- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
- Persona

Am I missing any and/or did get any wrong from the ones above?

[jrsl76]

Originally Posted by Thebunk

So tomorrow is the last release day for 2013. Looking back at the 2013 new years drawing, I think we have the following that we're hinted but not announced or released yet:

- Scanners
- Eraserhead
- The Tenant (or maybe/hopefully The Dekalog based on the apartment building as the clue.
- Le Samurai (don't think this was a clear cut clue unlike Erasrhead or Scanners)

Also in terms of newsletter hints, I think we have the following:

- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
- Persona

Am I missing any and/or did get any wrong from the ones above?

There is still the old newsletter hint of Grey Gardens as well.

[joie]

Does anyone know that Studio Canal took rights from Criterion? Perhaps Criterion gave up rights by failing to renew them.

[Mansinthe]

Scanners and The Brood got already a really good UK and AU release.

so i would prefer Persona and Le Samurai/Eraserhead. but i dont think criterions does care much what the fans want , since they will buy the movies anyway


are there already some news if breathless and 400 blows is OOP?

[GentleGiant]

I watched the Criterion DVD of Eric Rohmer's Claire's Knee last night and was really surprised by how much I loved it. Gorgeous cinematography by Nestor Almendros, beautiful landscape settings and atmosphere - everything about it was great.
This is a perfect candidate for a Criterion Blu-ray upgrade. But regardless, I must say that the DVD is fantastic and highly recommended.