The Criterion Collection

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by jshaide

I also end up putting them atop my shelves, so in a way they kinda save me space in the grand scheme.

I did the same until we had a 6.9 magnitude earthquake here that had my boxsets acting like lemmings on a cliff.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I did the same until we had a 6.9 magnitude earthquake here that had my boxsets acting like lemmings on a cliff.

Yeesh!

I'm just about out of top shelf room anyway----I've had to start stacking my Indicator sets. The Arrows are next. It's totally screwed up.

[Bn43]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I did the same until we had a 6.9 magnitude earthquake here that had my boxsets acting like lemmings on a cliff.

Yeah, I had my big fancy Star Wars trilogy artbook standing on top of my cabinet. Then a 5.7 earthquake hit, the biggest one here in thirty years, and it fell. Everything either goes inside the cabinet now or lies flat.

[tatterdemalion]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I did the same until we had a 6.9 magnitude earthquake here that had my boxsets acting like lemmings on a cliff.

And you were farther away from the epicenter than I was. It was about 5 miles from me. The only things that went down were myself and a light fixture. The funny part is I was online chatting with a geologist on FB about the earlier precursor quake. I was able to type "oh crap! Big quake..." then dived for cover.

Anyway, I also am waiting for the next Kurosawa releases, Cant afford box sets so please keep individual releases coming for those who can't afford them. Also hoping to get that Arrow Imamura set with Black Rain in it and being impatient for Christmas so I can open my Buster Keaton The Cameraman gift.

[drownsoda]

I tend to not like box sets as a rule, but I do find the Bergman set to be very economical, both monetarily and space-wise, to the point that I can't fault it. The Bergman set contains 39 films on 30 discs, which, if each housed in standard cases, would take up a significantly greater amount of space; though on the tall side, it's about the same thickness as 3 or 4 standard Blu-ray cases. As long as you keep the set standing up and not lying flat, I don't see how the discs could sustain any damage. Maybe if you let it lie flat for a significant amount of time, the pressure/weight could warp or damage the discs, but I suspect that'd take awhile.

You also just get a major bang for your buck; with the set costing around $200, that averages around $6 per disc, and even less per film. If you get it during the Barnes & Noble 50% off sale, it's even less. They also didn't strip the discs of bonus materials like they did with their "Essential Art House" editions—you get all the bells and whistles that the standalone versions have, aside from a few extras that came with the standard Blu-ray edition of Fanny and Alexander on a bonus disc. Alternately, if you were to pay the average running price for a standalone Criterion Blu-ray, which is usually around $30, to buy each film in the set individually would run you well over $1,000.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

There are only a few Kurosawa's that I would say I really want on Blu-ray. The main ones I want are DRUNKEN ANGEL, THE BAD SLEEP WELL, DERSU UZALA, and a RAN release that's better than the Lionsgate one and doesn't have the horrible color timing of the Studio Canal release.

Regardless of whether or not it matches with the film's original grading, the SC master was approved by one of the DoP's on the film, and I certainly don't see Criterion, which accepted Storaro's butchering of The Last Emperor OAR, and Michael Mann's grading of Thief, going against that approval. Criterion's own release of Fantastic Planet has been accused of having an overly blue/teal tint.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Regardless of whether or not it matches with the film's original grading, the SC master was approved by one of the DoP's on the film, and I certainly don't see Criterion, which accepted Storaro's butchering of The Last Emperor OAR, and Michael Mann's grading of Thief, going against that approval. Criterion's own release of Fantastic Planet has been accused of having an overly blue/teal tint.

Yeah, if Criterion were to release it, it probably would still have the teal color as they seem to be ok with revisionism. We'll see how they handle the Wong Kar-wai boxset, but it's not looking good.

[ravenus]

Last night I watched Holiday, the 1938 George Cukor film with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. This was a fine social satire meets comedy of manners. A young maverick Cary Grant rushes to the home of the girl he fell in love with on vacation only to find that she belongs to a wealthy high-society family. The father's a proper prig who values money and privilege above all, and her brother whose creative interests were cut short by dad, has become a depressed drunk (in the old-skool Hollywood manner, meaning he pleasantly slurs out what the other characters demur from openly saying). But all is not gloomy, there's the lively sister (Hepburn) who refuses to abide by the house rules, and is one of the few who understands Grant's desire to concentrate on making life meaningful rather than slog for money and possessions.

Right from the early setup we know how this is going to turn out; we have no doubt that Grant and Hepburn are made from each other, and since it's not a David Lean film, it won't end in a bittersweet parting. Such predictability does not however reduce the fun. The script has the efficiency of clockwork and characters are written and acted in a hugely likable manner, even the snobs (I do feel for poor Henry Daniell, served up with a caricature similar to the Belknap-Johnson role from Ruggles of Red Gap, and unworthy of that actor's brilliance). The repartee is snappy and the chemistry is hot. Heck, Grant even turns cartwheels and Hepburn does a tumble trick, that's value for money right there. It helps that even though Grant's character wants to please his bride-to-be's family, he is at no point willing to be a doormat.

Hepburn's otherwise feisty character is less believable when she's suppressing her own emotions to try and get her obviously less interested sister together with Grant, and the climax could have been in less of a tearing hurry to get our leads to kiss behind the 'The End' titles, but these are minor quibbles for such an giddily charming film.

As may be expected, the video presentation (based on a Sony restoration) is handsome, with good contrast and fine details of the opulent sets and fashionable costumes. Some scenes appear to have a more heavy grain field than others. Dialog is clear and crisp, which is exactly what you want in a film like this. There's a previous (1930) film version of the play included as an extra, which I have yet to see, but I did go through the George Cukor audio discussion (where he talks about Holiday and makes some awkward remarks about mounting an interracial romance comedy) and the video discussion between two critics discussing both the 1938 and 1930 versions of the play.

[wiNd]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I might finally buy a t-shirt and coffee mug.

Anyone own a CC t-shirt?

...how’s the material/fit?

does anyone know if the current price (tshirt $16+) is already 30% off / discounted?

[Xtempo]

Originally Posted by wiNd

does anyone know if the current price (tshirt $16+) is already 30% off / discounted?

I don't think so but haven't check the shirts in awhile. it might show the discounts when you check out.

[wiNd]

Originally Posted by Xtempo

I don't think so but haven't check the shirts in awhile. it might show the discounts when you check out.

im at the checkout page, price remains as $16.10 ..i guess this is the sale price

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by wiNd

im at the checkout page, price remains as $16.10 ..i guess this is the sale price

They’re normally 20 something dollars.

..so I believe that’s the sale price.

[ilenewoodsfan99]

Tempted to get that Olympic box set at some point, but I'm not sure it will be worth (mostly, save for one) blind buying at set that big at the risk of not liking some of the movies. I know Tokyo Olympiad has a stand alone blu ray, but should I want for Olympia to get one as well?

[Jr7936]

the world of wong kar wai is on there for 130 pre tax after discount and $150 after discount

it looks very nice and am tempted by it even though I want the 4k set from novamedia if they release it

https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/41...t=mar-2021-wkw

[PBateman87]

Release date March 23, 2021! No Ashes of Time though...

[bsend]

Will definitely be getting the Wong Kar Wai set. So excited it was announced!

[DukeTogo84]

Really curious if we'll get any sort of New Years clue for the next 12 months. All the boxsets are now out, so I'm wondering what boxset might be coming in the next year.

Crossing fingers for a Akira Kurosawa and John Woo set.

[jshaide]

Wil def. get the. WKW set-----wondering if it'll coincide with the usual March flash sale. . .

[ilenewoodsfan99]

Speaking of box sets, that's now the 4th or 5 one I want to own.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Really curious if we'll get any sort of New Years clue for the next 12 months. All the boxsets are now out, so I'm wondering what boxset might be coming in the next year.

Crossing fingers for a Akira Kurosawa and John Woo set.

I def. have been loving the box set pivot in 2020.