The Criterion Collection

[Alex DeLarge]

Originally Posted by jlk5844

About time someone mentioned this set that I've had an interest in! That's cool! And yeah it makes me wish Criterion had released them on BD. Maybe the Eclipse sets, most of them anyway, just don't sell that well?

The Eclipse sets are some of my favorite releases and I rarely buy dvds anymore. The Oshima set is one of my favorite releases ever by Criterion! I'm also really looking forward to the Kinoshita Eclipse set. I read a book about the Japanese film industry during the war and I'm eager to watch these propaganda melodramas. Even Kurosawa's THE MOST BEAUTIFUL is historically interesting though not highly regarded in his oeuvre. I kept thinking of these workers and their idealism as they struggle to reach their quota...which ultimately means more Americans killed. I cannot recommend the Early Kurosawa Eclipse set enough!! Having a brief understanding of Japanese history/politics/philosophy really helps in appreciating these film even more. Which leads to the post-war cynicism that bred some of my favorite filmmakers like Oshima Nagisa, Shohei Imamura, Kon Ichikawa, and Kaneto Shindo to name only a few.

My only slight Criterion criticism is for totally selfish reasons: I wish that Masters of Cinema, BFI, Arrow (or other UK companies) and Criterion would stop releasing the same films. Since I'm region/code free (as every Cinephile should be) I want access to as many different films on BD as possible! I always feel a bit let down when the announcements include films I already own even though it may be a slight upgrade in quality. I believe Criterion (and the other companies) would sell more discs because some of us only occasionally double-dip.

Clayton's THE INNOCENTS is a great example: the BFI was good but Criterion's makes it look like an upscale! This one I'll purchase again. I just wish (I know, it's not reality) that every company could release the absolute best quality and would stop repeating titles.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Are there any other gothic horror films in collection other than Beauty and the Beast, The Uninvited and The Innocents?

Not sure if I'm missing any I already own, mostly looking for blurays but if there's and Criteriom DVDs that fit this genre that's great.

Had quick search and apparently Rosemarys Baby fits that genre? Same for Rebecca? I thought Rebecca was a Romantic film? Looks like Masters of Cinema has the biggest gothic horror films, Nosfaratu etc

Thanks!

Well, I suppose it depends on how one defines "gothic horror" (I wouldn't, for example, consider Beauty and the Beast such). I've found that trying to define a given genre has the potential to lead into a religious war. Still, these are titles I would consider to fit that genre (or sub-genre):

BDs:
Rosemary's Baby
Cronos
The Devil's Backbone
The Phantom Carriage
Island of Lost Souls (questionable; some may think of this more as science fiction than gothic horror, and it doesn't have any actual supernatural element, which I think is a defining characteristic of the genre, but tonally it feels like one)

DVDs:
Kwaidan
Vampyr
Häxan (questionable)

[dwk]

Yesterday, Criterion posted the following on their instagram account: http://instagram.com/p/tMAs6fyzdr/?modal=true

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Well, I suppose it depends on how one defines "gothic horror" (I wouldn't, for example, consider Beauty and the Beast such). I've found that trying to define a given genre has the potential to lead into a religious war. Still, these are titles I would consider to fit that genre (or sub-genre):

BDs:
Rosemary's Baby
Cronos
The Devil's Backbone
The Phantom Carriage
Island of Lost Souls (questionable; some may think of this more as science fiction than gothic horror, and it doesn't have any actual supernatural element, which I think is a defining characteristic of the genre, but tonally it feels like one)

DVDs:
Kwaidan
Vampyr
Häxan (questionable)

Originally Posted by Deep

Eyes Without a Face would be another.

-D

Ah forgot about all those haha - only ones I need are Haxan and Kwaidan, have wanted Haxan as it seems so fascinating but wanna wait for upgrade - never heard of the other.

I want Carnival of Souls upgrade tooooooo

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by jw007

I've been watching too many Ken Burns documentaries lately (The Dust Bowl)...need to get back into Criterion again! Arghh!

Yep, take a drink of water, shake off the dust and come back to the CC.

I can't really talk since today was my first Criterion Blu-ray in a while-A Hard Day's Night (I have been watching some titles on Hulu) I've been dividing my viewing between going through the entire set of Star Trek:TOS and watching recordings of the pre-codes TCM has been showing.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Yep, take a drink of water, shake off the dust and come back to the CC.

I can't really talk since today was my first Criterion Blu-ray in a while-A Hard Day's Night (I have been watching some titles on Hulu) I've been dividing my viewing between going through the entire set of Star Trek:TOS and watching recordings of the pre-codes TCM has been showing.

Oh man, I went through the entire Star Trek: The Original Series tv show on Blu-ray about 3 years ago when it first came out. I couldn't wait until it went down in price and spent the full amount for it ($180 I think it was). This set was actually my first blu-rays in general. It took me 2-3 months to get through all 80 or so episodes I think. Do you like TNG too? It will prob. take me a year to get through all 7 seasons (still holding out for the entire show in a blu-ray box set).

So yes, time to shake off the dust... lets see... maybe I'll watch Riot in Cell Block 11 tonight.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jw007

Oh man, I went through the entire Star Trek: The Original Series tv show on Blu-ray about 3 years ago when it first came out. I couldn't wait until it went down in price and spent the full amount for it ($180 I think it was). This set was actually my first blu-rays in general. It took me 2-3 months to get through all 80 or so episodes I think. Do you like TNG too? It will prob. take me a year to get through all 7 seasons (still holding out for the entire show in a blu-ray box set).

So yes, time to shake off the dust... lets see... maybe I'll watch Riot in Cell Block 11 tonight.

I really enjoyed Riot in Cell Block 11. It's an engaging "social noir", and Don Siegel never disappoints.

I've been taking a break from Criterion titles lately. I spent this entire weekend watching Kino Lorber titles and such (The Great Train Robbery, Across 110th Street, Juggernaut, Avalanche, Meteor).

Since I had so much fun revisiting Avalanche, though, I might delve into my unwatched stack of Criterion Collection titles tonight to watch another Rock Hudson flick, All That Heaven Allows.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I really enjoyed Riot in Cell Block 11. It's an engaging "social noir", and Don Siegel never disappoints.

I've been taking a break from Criterion titles lately. I spent this entire weekend watching Kino Lorber titles and such (The Great Train Robbery, Across 110th Street, Juggernaut, Avalanche, Meteor).

Since I had so much fun revisiting Avalanche, though, I might delve into my unwatched stack of Criterion Collection titles tonight to watch another Rock Hudson flick, All That Heaven Allows.

There's another one (All That Heaven Allows) I was about to open up but I just borrowed it from the library a few months ago and the movie is still fresh in my mind! I will let you and everyone else know about Riot though.

[ShellOilJunior]

I watched A Brief History of Time yesterday. I enjoyed it. I see it as a primer for the book which I will be getting from the library soon. Sadly, the interview with Morris would not play (library blu-ray).

Currently unwinding listening to Nino Rota's score for La Dolce Vita.

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by jw007

I just borrowed it from the library

You do seem to have a very good local library

I have recently moved to the next town up but now have access to the whole of the Montreal library collection. Whilst I will not necessarily look for Criterion, I do hope it allows me to expand my viewing

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by jw007

Oh man, I went through the entire Star Trek: The Original Series tv show on Blu-ray about 3 years ago when it first came out. I couldn't wait until it went down in price and spent the full amount for it ($180 I think it was). This set was actually my first blu-rays in general. It took me 2-3 months to get through all 80 or so episodes I think. Do you like TNG too? It will prob. take me a year to get through all 7 seasons (still holding out for the entire show in a blu-ray box set).

So yes, time to shake off the dust... lets see... maybe I'll watch Riot in Cell Block 11 tonight.

I also really like Riot in Cell Block 11. Neville Brand was always a memorable bad guy (check him out in Cry Terror!, really creepy! )

I resisted getting TOS for a long time, even when it was selling for $70-80, finally got it in June when Amazon had it for $60. Surprisingly, I never got into TNG for some reason.

[duggie walker]

Rather tragically, it seems that George Sluizer, the director of both iterations of THE VANISHING (both upcoming on Blu-ray) has just died.

[jayputter]

Originally Posted by dwk

Yesterday, Criterion posted the following on their instagram account: http://instagram.com/p/tMAs6fyzdr/?modal=true

Of course they did. I just broke down and bought the studio canal blu last month! You're welcome, everyone!

[octagon]

I bought the Studio Canal two years ago and it's still in the plastic

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Clare2904

You do seem to have a very good local library

I have recently moved to the next town up but now have access to the whole of the Montreal library collection. Whilst I will not necessarily look for Criterion, I do hope it allows me to expand my viewing

It's probably not nearly as good as Montreal's. Now THAT is a real city.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I also really like Riot in Cell Block 11. Neville Brand was always a memorable bad guy (check him out in Cry Terror!, really creepy! )

I resisted getting TOS for a long time, even when it was selling for $70-80, finally got it in June when Amazon had it for $60. Surprisingly, I never got into TNG for some reason.

You might just love TNG more if you decide to start watching it. Esp. if you grew up in the 80s and 90s like I did. ;-)

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by duggie walker

Rather tragically, it seems that George Sluizer, the director of both iterations of THE VANISHING (both upcoming on Blu-ray) has just died.

Well, that's too bad. Odd that the only place (other than here) that I've seen it mentioned is in his Wikipedia entry.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jw007

You might just love TNG more if you decide to start watching it. Esp. if you grew up in the 80s and 90s like I did. ;-)

I grew up in the 60s. Watched TOS religiously at the time, and in syndication over the next couple of decades. I find it hard to watch most episodes these days without groaning.

TNG, for me, is a bell curve. I thought the first two seasons were poor overall, the third and fourth seasons were terrific, the fifth season was mostly still good, but not as good as the previous two, and the last two seasons were rather forgettable. DS9 is the only Trek series I can still watch all the way through.

As for the movies, I like maybe half of them, though it seems that some of the ones I like other people dislike (The Motion Picture and Insurrection) while ones that other people like, I don't (The Search for Spock and The Voyage Home). Love both of the JJ Abrams films, though.

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I really enjoyed Riot in Cell Block 11. It's an engaging "social noir", and Don Siegel never dissapoints.

I love Riot In Cell Block 11. Very underrated.

[SlickDamian]

I'm currently in Louisiana for work for a couple of weeks. Living on an old oil rig that's tied up at a dock, training for my job offshore. Very interesting culture here. I can't wait to check out New Orleans next weekend.

Anyone know of any Criterions (preferably blu-ray) that were filmed or set in Louisiana?