The Criterion Collection

[bergman864]

Here's the final damage for the B&N sale. I had initially planned on buying only one item (Fellini). Technically it's the only item I bought from Barnes & Noble. I'll await the next flash sale to attack more of my Wish List.

[Bn43]

Originally Posted by Psychosmeg

Is there anyone else still waiting for their Shipping Notification for Essential Fellini from Amazon US, I am hoping it's fairly soon as seeing everyone getting theirs early from B&N is making me a little Jealous.

My B&N order shipped a few days ago, but I'm not getting it early, since it's arriving on Tuesday, which is the release date. I live in Utah. Pretty sure my cancelled Amazon order would have been late, but then I always use free shipping.

[bergman864]

Originally Posted by Bn43

My B&N order shipped a few days ago, but I'm not getting it early, since it's arriving on Tuesday, which is the release date. I live in Utah. Pretty sure my cancelled Amazon order would have been late, but then I always use free shipping.

You inspired me to change my order from Amazon to B&N. Thanks.

[TheHistorian]

Originally Posted by joy-division

So I finally opened up my Godzilla boxset a year after getting it after watching the Eureka MoC release of Mothra(awesome & grab it while you can with the box & booklet)
Got disc 3 out which was heavily wedged in there & just noticed what I am pretty sure is adhesive on the side of the disc(not top or bottom) just short of an inch

Is this safe to play? Is there any way to remove it without damaging the disc or is replacthe way to go?

If it's truly just on the edge, then it should be okay to leave there, as nothing touches the disc there.

Any of the standard tricks (hair dryer, lighter fluid, Goo Gone, etc.) for getting sticky stuff off a surface could work, but I couldn't guarantee any of them wouldn't be damaging.

[Psychosmeg]

Originally Posted by bergman864

I cancelled my Amazon order for that reason.

EDIT: I placed my order Wednesday, received a shipping notification Friday, and it was delivered today, Saturday.

Wow, thats fast delivery.

I would had ordered from B&N in the first place, but notice for some reason they wouldn't ship internationally.

[ravenus]

In a certain sense, I am probably the ideal audience for When We Were Kings, a documentary that covers the event of Muhammad Ali fighting George Foreman in Zaire, Africa. I have the most peripheral interest in boxing as a sport (and regard pro boxing as barely disguised barbaric Roman era gladiatorial sport) and I had no foreknowledge of how it would play out. What it does for me is provide a fascinating profile of Ali as a showman - the bombast, the constant jiving, the almost child-like need for adulation. In one press conference, he raps out "I've done something new for this fight. I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick; I'm so mean I make medicine sick."

Ali's chatter makes what is essentially a big money event (the bout carried a $5 million purse for each fighter, paid out of Zaire's state coffers as a publicity exercise for the Joseph Mobutu government) into a larger expression of independence for the black people. At one time a member of the Nation of Islam movement, Ali talks about "going home to his brothers" and marvels at the advancement of blacks in Africa over blacks in America. He's a born public leader and one suspects it's only the ravages of motor injuries brought on by his boxing career that stymied a political career. The fight was attached with a concert by the cream of popular Afro-American music, BB King and James Brown (which was released as a separate film called Soul Power).

The arranger of this whole shindig was Don King, a controversial figure in sport, here seen as a man that could negotiate his way with the toughest, and Zaire's president Mobutu was one of the toughest: A dictator so intent on announcing Zaire to the world, he apparently had thousands of criminal elements rounded up and summarily killed beforehand so there would be no trouble during the event. Regardless of the outcome, the event was a memorable one and When We Were Kings is a constantly engaging capture of this moment in time.

Criterion's blu-ray hosts a strong presentation. While image quality is variable on account of the myriad sources, including 35 and 16mm film, and varied lighting conditions, it can in its best parts be stunning. The sound, presented as 5.0 DTS-HDMA, is clear and alive. I saw the brief (6 min?) interview with director Leon Gast and the longer interview with producer David Sonenberg, which had some interesting revelations about how the project came together.

The Soul Power concert is included as a bonus feature on this release, no idea how it stacks up to the standalone Sony disc.

[SeanJoyce]

Originally Posted by ravenus

In one press conference, he raps out "I've done something new for this fight. I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick; I'm so mean I make medicine sick."

This is one of the all-time great speeches by a historical figure, and Ali was an early influence on hip-hop.

[Bn43]

Watched the first of the six moral tales. The moral should have been not to litter. Jerk nonchalantly dropped his trash on the street or in the sewers every few minutes. Is that normal in Paris? Wow.

[Sifox211]

Originally Posted by Psychosmeg

Is there anyone else still waiting for their Shipping Notification for Essential Fellini from Amazon US, I am hoping it's fairly soon as seeing everyone getting theirs early from B&N is making me a little Jealous.

I’m still waiting too - would have bought it from B&N but they no longer allow European orders, or WowHD, but their prices have skyrocketed. Importing is a tough business these days

[bergman864]

Originally Posted by Psychosmeg

Wow, thats fast delivery.

I would had ordered from B&N in the first place, but notice for some reason they wouldn't ship internationally.

I was surprised myself. My state is next to the distribution center in Kentucky. They didn't waste any time.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by Bn43

Watched the first of the six moral tales. The moral should have been not to litter. Jerk nonchalantly dropped his trash on the street or in the sewers every few minutes. Is that normal in Paris? Wow.

In Ozu's great 1960 film LATE AUTUMN, a businessman comes home from work, takes off his suit coat and just lets it drop on the living room floor for his wife to pick up. Hey, I know it's Japan and a different culture, but come on. If I were that dude's wife I would hold a Samurai sword to his throat and make him pick up his own effing coat.

[BluLobsta]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

In Ozu's great 1960 film LATE AUTUMN, a businessman comes home from work, takes off his suit coat and just lets it drop on the living room floor for his wife to pick up. Hey, I know it's Japan and a different culture, but come on. If I were that dude's wife I would hold a Samurai sword to this throat and make him pick up his effing coat.

I know, right? Watch the first season of Mad Men sometime. America wasn't much better.

Still want to pick up Late Autumn. Ah, Setsuko Hara. I wish we had a 4K scan of it. I picked up a 4K scan of Late Spring in Japan and I may go the same route with Late Autumn (and other Ozu films that are not in 4K at Criterion. They are all 4K scans in Japan). I will be loyal to Criterion when I can, however. Discretion is the better part of valor.

[bergman864]

A few thoughts on Variety Lights (1950).

The first introduction of Fellini as a director. Having cowrote a few neorealist films in the 40s you'd expect him to begin that way. Not so much. It follows a traveling troupe of performers and fits right alongside what you'd expect from him going forward. I'm less familiar with the work of co-director Alberto Lattuada so I can't say who inspired what but it's clear even from the beginning the subject matter is pure Fellini.

The three leads are, in many ways, an inverse of those in La Strada. While the story doesn't unfold the same, I was instantly reminded of that group and the way they related to one another.

Without going into spoilers I enjoyed the progression of the story. A great exercise for the non-acting talents of its cast. A few colorful side characters add to the charm. While not a great film per se, its a good start for Fellini.

[jshaide]

I want to order a disc on Amazon that is 22.97---is there a way to get it for 19.99 through a BN price match? I've never done this before.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by jshaide

I want to order a disc on Amazon that is 22.97---is there a way to get it for 19.99 through a BN price match? I've never done this before.

Amazon won't price match a specific retailer/product. They may do it on a more general basis (e.g., to compete with an ongoing sale by another retailer).

[Reddington]

Beaver's take on the new restoration of 8 1/2 in the Fellini set:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-r....5_blu-ray.htm

[JackSkellington]

I have quite a few titles I want to get during the current sale, but with money being tight, I opted for these right now from B&N:



Can't wait for delivery.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by JackSkellington

I have quite a few titles I want to get during the current sale, but with money being tight, I opted for these right now from B&N:

[Show spoiler]

Can't wait for delivery.

Can’t go wrong with Chaplin.

[drownsoda]

I've had some extra spending money saved up as of late, so I've been going buck wild on the weekends with this sale. I went and got a bunch more on Friday—clearly in an "old Hollywood" kind of mood right now.

[jcs913]

Was going to wait to pick up the Fellini set, but I caved and ordered it with a few other goodies from Barnes. I've been waiting so long for CC to drop Cabiria on us that it had to be done. Curious of others that have the set, is it a nice upgrade from the dvd? Anyone that received the set, which I know comes in that custom brown shipment box, like the Bergman set did, also order other items? Curious to hear if they used a bigger box to put the set and other titles in and padded it nicely???