The Criterion Collection

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Wonder if anyone else caught the Tennessee Tuxedo paraphrase?

Originally Posted by EricJ

Octagon did NOT fail!

While reading it; all I could think of was Don Adams voice.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Looking forward to your commentary on the transfer itself and how it compares to the Studio Canal release!

Originally Posted by Page14

If it wouldn't be too much of a hassle, I'd love to hear your thoughts on how the Criterion bluray stacks up to the StudioCanal version (as well as the Criterion DVD [which I own]). I've been tempted to pull the trigger on the StudioCanal version during the current B&N B2G1 sale, but not sure if the difference is great enough.

After watching the Criterion Blu-ray of The Third Man tonight, here's how I call it...

Criterion Blu-ray > Studiocanal Blu-ray > Criterion DVD

The Criterion Blu-ray is the clear winner across the board with better picture quality, better sound, and better supplements.

All three of these packages are well-presented, though, and I still believe that the Studiocanal Blu-ray of The Third Man is a great purchase for the $10 price that you can usually find it for on Amazon and other sites. Most people who watch the Criterion Blu-ray after watching the Studiocanal Blu-ray will probably not be thinking, "I can finally enjoy this movie now." There's no need for most people to shell out a lot of money for the out-of-print Criterion Blu-ray unless they are big fans of the movie, like I am. If you own the Criterion DVD and are wondering whether or not to shell out a few dollars for the Studiocanal Blu-ray, I'd say that the Studiocanal Blu-ray is worth having simply because its 1080p presentation does look better than the standard definition DVD release.

The Criterion Blu-ray is the best available edition of The Third Man out there right now, though, and I'm immensely satisfied with my decision to shell out $76 for my copy this week.

Why is the Criterion Blu-ray better than the Studiocanal Blu-ray?

1. The black levels are noticeably better on the Criterion Blu-ray, and, as everyone who has seen The Third Man will agree, the black levels are a big deal with this film.
2. The Criterion Blu-ray has less print damage. The Studiocanal Blu-ray does a good job of removing the print damage, but it's still not on par with the restoration on the Criterion release.
3. The Criterion Blu-ray looks slightly more filmic than the Studiocanal Blu-ray. Because of my modest-sized television, I've never been an extremist against digital noise reduction (DNR), and I thought that the Studiocanal Blu-ray looked fine in this regard. The Criterion Blu-ray, however, has a natural grainy filmic look with just a little bit more "oomph" to it than the Studiocanal release.
4. The Criterion Blu-ray has English subtitles. Enough said. You really don't need them, though, because the dialogue is clear.
5. The audio presentation of the Criterion Blu-ray is slightly better than the nonetheless impressive Studiocanal Blu-ray. When I watched my Studiocanal Blu-ray last month, there seemed to be a slight distortion during a funeral sequence at the end of the film, but I did not notice any such distortion on the Criterion Blu-ray tonight.
6. The Criterion Blu-ray (and DVD) both have the clear edge over the Studiocanal Blu-ray as far as supplements go.

I hope that this helps!

I dearly love The Third Man, and, although I've seen the film a dozen or so times, I still notice new things with each subsequent viewing. This movie has some of the coolest visuals ever brought to screen, and it's a milestone in black-and-white cinematography.

The Third Man earns serious coolness points for having at least two clear relations to the James Bond 007 franchise. Bernard Lee, who played M in the early Bond films, played Sergeant Paine in The Third Man. Guy Hamilton, the director of Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun, worked as the assistant director on The Third Man.

From my standpoint as a film noir buff, this Criterion Blu-ray was worth every penny of the $76 that I paid.

It feels great to have this Criterion Blu-ray in front of me at last, so that I don't have to think about this issue anymore. The itch has been scratched, and it's now just a matter of revisiting this Blu-ray a great many times in the future.

DVDBeaver has a great comparison of the existing editions of The Third Man, for anyone who wants a closer look. The DVDBeaver review and this site's review get it right on the button, although I'd probably be a little kinder to the Studiocanal Blu-ray picture quality than this site review is.f

[jrsl76]

Originally Posted by Ausjdm

SLC Punk 2 are you kidding me wth!? I'm googling now. That's crazy never would of guessed that sequel. The original was awesome!

On the punk theme anyone own Sid & Nancy CC? Heard it has great bonuses but very expensive disk...

I own it, but it's been a while since I popped in the disc.

[jw007]

I watched Thief for the first time last night and I totally enjoyed it!

This is Michael Mann's first film but he already had the same style in this film that I've seen in countless other films of his. In many ways, the main character played by James Caan reminded me of DeNiro's character who was also a Thief, in Heat. The scenes with Caan and Tuesday Weld reminded me of Robert DeNiro and Amy Brenneman's relationship with one another too. This film wasn't nearly as polished as Heat though but I give it 3.2 stars for the story and directing. I really think the music by Tangerine Dream is what stands out and makes this film totally unique. It is what separates this movie from the 1970s with the unique score and makes it totally 80s and original.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jw007

I watched Thief for the first time last night and I totally enjoyed it!

This is Michael Mann's first film but he already had the same style in this film that I've seen in countless other films of his. In many ways, the main character played by James Caan reminded me of DeNiro's character who was also a Thief, in Heat. The scenes with Caan and Tuesday Weld reminded me of Robert DeNiro and Amy Brenneman's relationship with one another too. This film wasn't nearly as polished as Heat though but I give it 3.2 stars for the story and directing. I really think the music by Tangerine Dream is what stands out and makes this film totally unique. It is what separates this movie from the 1970s with the unique score and makes it totally 80s and original.

Thanks for the review! I'm fired up about watching Thief for the first time tomorrow.

I'll be waking up early tomorrow to meet my training group for a long run, but I'll likely be sprawled out on my sofa for the rest of the day to stay out of the cold. I plan to watch Thief at some point in the afternoon and then go through the extras. If I have enough time, I'm going to chase Thief down with Michael Mann's Miami Vice, which I finally upgraded to Blu-ray this week.

Here's to a killer Michael Mann Saturday.

[smoss469]

I just started on Yojimbo and got side tracked, I noticed that it's the first Criterion that I own that didn't give me the option to resume play after the BD player timed out. Is that something rare? Normally I don't stop the movies intentionally but this time it sat on pause for so long it basically idled out.

Great movie so far though!

[jw007]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Thanks for the review! I'm fired up about watching Thief for the first time tomorrow.

I'll be waking up early tomorrow to meet my training group for a long run, but I'll likely be sprawled out on my sofa for the rest of the day to stay out of the cold. I plan to watch Thief at some point in the afternoon and then go through the extras. If I have enough time, I'm going to chase Thief down with Michael Mann's Miami Vice, which I finally upgraded to Blu-ray this week.

Here's to a killer Michael Mann Saturday.

A "Michael Mann Saturday". Sounds great Owl! I wish my review could have been more complete or elaborate but I just wanted to post my thoughts on this film as soon as I could (or when it was still relatively fresh in my mind). I'm going to watch the hour of supplements pretty soon and might even watch this movie again tonight with the commentary track on.

You're going to love Miami Vice too. I would have to say though that Thief is a great pairing with Heat! I'd say Heat is the only film I could think of that has something in common with Thief. I think Mann might have shot Heat with a lot of the characters/themes from Thief in mind! And oh, a bit of Collateral (with Jamie Foxx's character in contrast with Tuesday Weld) also comes to mind.

Enjoy... and good luck with that run.

[fahrenheit290]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

After watching the Criterion Blu-ray of The Third Man tonight, here's how I call it...

Criterion Blu-ray > Studiocanal Blu-ray > Criterion DVD

The Criterion Blu-ray is the clear winner across the board with better picture quality, better sound, and better supplements.

All three of these packages are well-presented, though, and I still believe that the Studiocanal Blu-ray of The Third Man is a great purchase for the $10 price that you can usually find it for on Amazon and other sites. Most people who watch the Criterion Blu-ray after watching the Studiocanal Blu-ray will probably not be thinking, "I can finally enjoy this movie now." There's no need for most people to shell out a lot of money for the out-of-print Criterion Blu-ray unless they are big fans of the movie, like I am. If you own the Criterion DVD and are wondering whether or not to shell out a few dollars for the Studiocanal Blu-ray, I'd say that the Studiocanal Blu-ray is worth having simply because its 1080p presentation does look better than the standard definition DVD release.

The Criterion Blu-ray is the best available edition of The Third Man out there right now, though, and I'm immensely satisfied with my decision to shell out $76 for my copy this week.

Why is the Criterion Blu-ray better than the Studiocanal Blu-ray?

1. The black levels are noticeably better on the Criterion Blu-ray, and, as everyone who has seen The Third Man will agree, the black levels are a big deal with this film.
2. The Criterion Blu-ray has less print damage. The Studiocanal Blu-ray does a good job of removing the print damage, but it's still not on par with the restoration on the Criterion release.
3. The Criterion Blu-ray looks slightly more filmic than the Studiocanal Blu-ray. Because of my modest-sized television, I've never been an extremist against digital noise reduction (DNR), and I thought that the Studiocanal Blu-ray looked fine in this regard. The Criterion Blu-ray, however, has a natural grainy filmic look with just a little bit more "oomph" to it than the Studiocanal release.
4. The Criterion Blu-ray has English subtitles. Enough said. You really don't need them, though, because the dialogue is clear.
5. The audio presentation of the Criterion Blu-ray is slightly better than the nonetheless impressive Studiocanal Blu-ray. When I watched my Studiocanal Blu-ray last month, there seemed to be a slight distortion during a funeral sequence at the end of the film, but I did not notice any such distortion on the Criterion Blu-ray tonight.
6. The Criterion Blu-ray (and DVD) both have the clear edge over the Studiocanal Blu-ray as far as supplements go.

I hope that this helps!

I dearly love The Third Man, and, although I've seen the film a dozen or so times, I still notice new things with each subsequent viewing. This movie has some of the coolest visuals ever brought to screen, and it's a milestone in black-and-white cinematography.

The Third Man earns serious coolness points for having at least two clear relations to the James Bond 007 franchise. Bernard Lee, who played M in the early Bond films, played Sergeant Paine in The Third Man. Guy Hamilton, the director of Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun, worked as the assistant director on The Third Man.

From my standpoint as a film noir buff, this Criterion Blu-ray was worth every penny of the $76 that I paid.

It feels great to have this Criterion Blu-ray in front of me at last, so that I don't have to think about this issue anymore. The itch has been scratched, and it's now just a matter of revisiting this Blu-ray a great many times in the future.

DVDBeaver has a great comparison of the existing editions of The Third Man, for anyone who wants a closer look. The DVDBeaver review and this site's review get it right on the button, although I'd probably be a little kinder to the Studiocanal Blu-ray picture quality than this site review is.f

Thanks for your write-up! I was one of those people who said I feel I've never truly seen this movie. I watched the DVD and saw the film on TCM (but they don't show films in HD). I wish my school had shown it in 35mm, but I had the chance to see other great films, so I can't complain. It seems like The Third Man Criterion Blu was great to get your hands on, as a fan of the film. I too love the mise-en-scene and the wonderful cinematography. Some of the most dramatic scenes, the reveal of Harry, the corridors of Vienna, and the sewers, must have looked fantastic. I just bought the StudioCanal version of Grand Illusion, but that's a film that unfortunately didn't see a Criterion Blu before the switch to a different distributor for the BD.

[StLouisRibs]

Amazon has dropped The Great Beauty and A Brief History of Time to $24.99, something they seem to be doing to two Criterion titles a month this year...

[SilentDawn]

Here is my write-up on Michael Mann's Thief.

Well seeing Thief on a Blu-ray disc by The Criterion Collection is a dream come true.

Those dark rainy streets, the sparks of a vault, the neon reflecting off of a black car; just the NEON in general makes this film. The vibrancy and beauty in the cinematography is unparalleled, it's pure magic.

But behind the colors, the perfect composition and the SPECTACULAR soundtrack by Tangerine Dream is a great story.

Michael Mann writes characters like no one else; with existentialism bursting out of many of his protagonists, he tells moral dilemmas with urgency and power.

This might be in my top 3 Blu-rays of all time. It's up there with the Blu of Blade Runner and The Night Of The Hunter. (which Criterion also did) That's based on the transfer and sound quality alone, I haven't even dug into the supplements yet.

Criterion should be applauded for what they did with Thief; they rejuvenated a film that shouldn't have been forgotten in the first place.

[Page14]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

After watching the Criterion Blu-ray of The Third Man tonight, here's how I call it...

Criterion Blu-ray > Studiocanal Blu-ray > Criterion DVD

The Criterion Blu-ray is the clear winner across the board with better picture quality, better sound, and better supplements.

[Show spoiler]All three of these packages are well-presented, though, and I still believe that the Studiocanal Blu-ray of The Third Man is a great purchase for the $10 price that you can usually find it for on Amazon and other sites. Most people who watch the Criterion Blu-ray after watching the Studiocanal Blu-ray will probably not be thinking, "I can finally enjoy this movie now." There's no need for most people to shell out a lot of money for the out-of-print Criterion Blu-ray unless they are big fans of the movie, like I am. If you own the Criterion DVD and are wondering whether or not to shell out a few dollars for the Studiocanal Blu-ray, I'd say that the Studiocanal Blu-ray is worth having simply because its 1080p presentation does look better than the standard definition DVD release.

The Criterion Blu-ray is the best available edition of The Third Man out there right now, though, and I'm immensely satisfied with my decision to shell out $76 for my copy this week.

Why is the Criterion Blu-ray better than the Studiocanal Blu-ray?

1. The black levels are noticeably better on the Criterion Blu-ray, and, as everyone who has seen The Third Man will agree, the black levels are a big deal with this film.
2. The Criterion Blu-ray has less print damage. The Studiocanal Blu-ray does a good job of removing the print damage, but it's still not on par with the restoration on the Criterion release.
3. The Criterion Blu-ray looks slightly more filmic than the Studiocanal Blu-ray. Because of my modest-sized television, I've never been an extremist against digital noise reduction (DNR), and I thought that the Studiocanal Blu-ray looked fine in this regard. The Criterion Blu-ray, however, has a natural grainy filmic look with just a little bit more "oomph" to it than the Studiocanal release.
4. The Criterion Blu-ray has English subtitles. Enough said. You really don't need them, though, because the dialogue is clear.
5. The audio presentation of the Criterion Blu-ray is slightly better than the nonetheless impressive Studiocanal Blu-ray. When I watched my Studiocanal Blu-ray last month, there seemed to be a slight distortion during a funeral sequence at the end of the film, but I did not notice any such distortion on the Criterion Blu-ray tonight.
6. The Criterion Blu-ray (and DVD) both have the clear edge over the Studiocanal Blu-ray as far as supplements go.

I hope that this helps!

I dearly love The Third Man, and, although I've seen the film a dozen or so times, I still notice new things with each subsequent viewing. This movie has some of the coolest visuals ever brought to screen, and it's a milestone in black-and-white cinematography.

The Third Man earns serious coolness points for having at least two clear relations to the James Bond 007 franchise. Bernard Lee, who played M in the early Bond films, played Sergeant Paine in The Third Man. Guy Hamilton, the director of Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun, worked as the assistant director on The Third Man.

From my standpoint as a film noir buff, this Criterion Blu-ray was worth every penny of the $76 that I paid.

It feels great to have this Criterion Blu-ray in front of me at last, so that I don't have to think about this issue anymore. The itch has been scratched, and it's now just a matter of revisiting this Blu-ray a great many times in the future.

DVDBeaver has a great comparison of the existing editions of The Third Man, for anyone who wants a closer look. The DVDBeaver review and this site's review get it right on the button, although I'd probably be a little kinder to the Studiocanal Blu-ray picture quality than this site review is.f

Thank you very much Owl! Your thoughtfulness and thoroughness is appreciated.

[mikevieira]

I gotta pick up Thief, im a huge Michael Mann fan. His style is all his own... watch The Insider, the scenes of just pure music and beautiful panning shots... the scenes in Cuba in Miami Vice with Collen Farrel and Gong Li... listen to his commentaries. He's fascinating to listen to. There's so much depth to his characters that you never really noticed.

[shane01]

Originally Posted by jw007

I watched Thief for the first time last night and I totally enjoyed it!

This is Michael Mann's first film but he already had the same style in this film that I've seen in countless other films of his. In many ways, the main character played by James Caan reminded me of DeNiro's character who was also a Thief, in Heat. The scenes with Caan and Tuesday Weld reminded me of Robert DeNiro and Amy Brenneman's relationship with one another too.

They're also both thieves who take cream with their coffee!

I really like the way Mann writes his criminals. They're not petty, sloppy criminals but the best at what they do. They wear expensive clothes and are refined and clever. His poor cop characters are always one step behind in their cheap suits and "tough guy" acts. He can describe complex alarms and heists in entertaining ways. The head bosses and business associates are also always very cool! Leo from Thief, Jon Voight in Heat, John Ortiz in Miami Vice, and Javier Bardem in Collateral are great!

[Clare2904]

Before I pull the trigger on the B2G1 sale @ B&N let me make sure I have this right - the next Criterion sale will be their website flash sale at some point next month?

Films are working out at $29 each with delivery to Canada, a little steep.

[K1NG J0RDAN]

Reading through the last couple of pages settles it for me... Watching Thief today. Cannot wait!

[Meek12345]

Finally watched Le Beau Serge and Les Cousins a couple days ago. Chabrol is now my favorite French New Wave director. Although, I can only compare Chabrol to Godard and Truffaut. I haven't seen films by Malle, Rohmer, Resnais, and Varda (etc.). So, I'm still at the tip of the iceberg.

I'm guessing that my opinion on the French New Wave so far won't be popular. I have watched quite a few films by Godard (Breathless, Vivre Sa Vie, Contempt, and Band of Outsiders), and Truffaut (Jules and Jim, The Adventures of Antoine Doinel, and Shoot the Piano Player). However, I don't connect/sympathize with the characters in Godard and Truffaut films as much as Chabrol films. Also, I think I may have raised my expectations too high for the Godard and Truffaut films. I have never heard much about Chabrol, so I was pleasantly surprised by his films. I have a TCM recording of Cleo from 5 to 7(Varda) to watch next.

I also want to throw in my two cents on the title announcements earlier this week. When are we going to get The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, In a Lonely Place, and Gilda???!!!! I'm kidding. From what I have read on this board, I'm not crazy to expect that The Umbrellas of Cherbourg might be announced by Criterion sometime this year.

I'm with the group of people that finds something interesting in every monthly announcement while hoping that eagerly awaited titles will soon be released. By the way, do you all think Il Sorpasso would be a good blind buy? I'm trying to expand my collection of Italian films. I only have two right now(Cinema Paradiso and Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion).

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by fahrenheit290

I just bought the StudioCanal version of Grand Illusion, but that's a film that unfortunately didn't see a Criterion Blu before the switch to a different distributor for the BD.

I have the StudioCanal Blu-ray of La Grande Illusion, and it is excellent. The picture quality is out of this world, and the extras are quite nice. I used to have the Criterion DVD of this film, and I was astonished at how much better the high definition transfer is on the StudioCanal Blu-ray.

Fortunately, StudioCanal stepped up to the plate in this instance.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Ausjdm

On the punk theme anyone own Sid & Nancy CC? Heard it has great bonuses but very expensive disk...

Yep, I have both the LD and the DVD.

Originally Posted by demonknight

Chasing Amy (which I rewatched last night, my least favorite of the Askewniverse flicks)

Really? It's my favorite out of the bunch. But seriously, you like it less than Mallrats?

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

No, no...I'm not against the dual format releases, it's just that we're starting to see stuff that they've previously released on Blu-ray getting re-released as dual formats as if they are "new" releases. I think it's lame that the only "upgrade" we got this month was The 400 Blows...how is that an upgrade? Anyway, I was just venting.

They never claimed that The 400 Blows (or Breathless, for that matter) was an upgrade. It's not an upgrade, and was never meant to be considered one. That's a label that you are putting on it.

There have been two repackagings announced so far. In one case, there was also an upgrade announced. In the other case, there wasn't. There's not enough data to determine any kind of pattern. The lack of an upgrade this month could be for no other reason than nothing in the upgrade queue was ready for release.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Meek12345

I'm with the group of people that finds something interesting in every monthly announcement while hoping that eagerly awaited titles will soon be released. By the way, do you all think Il Sorpasso would be a good blind buy? I'm trying to expand my collection of Italian films. I only have two right now(Cinema Paradiso and Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion).

I haven't seen Il Sorpasso, and the clips I've seen from it make me suspect that it won't be my thing, so it'll probably be low priority for me.

Anyway, with respect to expanding your collection of Italian films, you've got two really good ones there. Fellini can be hit or miss with people. I like his films, but he's not one of my favorites. I like Antonioni better over all, but there are folks who don't go for him, either. And Vittorio De Sica is always a good bet.

Another really good film by Tornatorre (Cinema Paradiso) is Malèna. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be on Blu-ray...at least here in the US. I caught it on Netflix. I'd also recommend films by Silvio Soldini. All three films of his that I've seen -- Bread & Tulips, Days and Clouds, and Agata and the Storm -- have been treats.