The Criterion Collection

[jkoffman]

Originally Posted by dvining

Better or worse than the "when is Criterion going 4K" conversations of yesteryear?

I already shudder to think of the forthcoming complaints once the 4Ks are actually released.

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

This is honestly the kind of snobbish buffoonery that makes the Criterion thread a laughingstock and punching bag everywhere else on Blu-ray.com. I personally don't own any VS releases, nor do I have interest in most of them, but calling them a "sleazy label" is just silly elitist nonsense.

I currently only have about 3 Vinegar Syndrome releases in my collection - I used to have more but they just weren't titles I was interested in keeping - but as a company they are absolutely impeccable. Because they are a restoration house as well as a label, they put the greatest amount of care and attention into their releases. Those sleazy porn titles they release are given much better treatment and respect than most high profile studio releases are by the companies that actually produced them, and their customer relations and service are second to none.

[Kyle15]

Originally Posted by jzbadblood

Sweet Movie is more disgusting and repugnant than anything VS has ever put out.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Kyle15

[Show spoiler]

LMFAO. I'm saving this for later use.

[Kyle15]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

LMFAO. I'm saving this for later use.

Applicable as a reaction to every other thread here every day, tbh...

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

This is honestly the kind of snobbish buffoonery that makes the Criterion thread a laughingstock and punching bag everywhere else on Blu-ray.com. I personally don't own any VS releases, nor do I have interest in most of them, but calling them a "sleazy label" is just silly elitist nonsense

I pretty much only care for the adult titles when it comes to VS. Nothing wrong with sleaze!

The VS has a better transfer it seems and it's the clear winner if you're only interested in that film, but I'm glad I went for the Criterion for the value added of four other films.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Jr7936

menace ii society 4k is cheaper on amazon then on bn

The Blu-Ray is half off of $40. The 4K is still showing as $34.99.

[Jr7936]

i just realized that after I cancelled my bn order

Originally Posted by Gacivory

The Blu-Ray is half off of $40. The 4K is still showing as $34.99.

[meckel]

Originally Posted by Jr7936

menace ii society 4k is cheaper on amazon then on bn

Do you have a link? I’m still seeing $34.99 for the 4K on Amazon

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Jr7936

i just realized that after I cancelled my bn order

I saw it too and clicked on it, only to be met by disappointment. Good thing you caught it before they shipped it.

[Jr7936]

now if i place the order again at bn I have to pay for shipping since i combined with my citizen kane 4k, which is surprisingly saying preparing shipment, so I might just have to wait for amazon for the menace ii society 4k

Originally Posted by Gacivory

I saw it too and clicked on it, only to be met by disappointment. Good thing you caught it before they shipped it.

[jkoffman]

Originally Posted by Jr7936

menace ii society 4k is cheaper on amazon then on bn

You posted this in multiple threads and it’s wrong. Why not delete it before others accidentally order it as well?

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by yoloswegmaster420

At this point, I'd rather see posts from people who unironically ask how much a title will be on sale during a B&N/Criterion Flash sale.

It happens.

[Show spoiler]

[Mushi Minion]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

It happens.

[Show spoiler]

Where do they sell the big print Criterions? My discs have been too small since I got a big TV.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by Jr7936

menace ii society 4k is cheaper on amazon then on bn

Originally Posted by Gacivory

The Blu-Ray is half off of $40. The 4K is still showing as $34.99.

Damn! I got excited for a minute...

I am pretty sure I already have the older (obviously not 4K) Blu-ray release though.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by Dankk

[Show spoiler]I'm not as big of a videophile as some other folks on this forum; however, I'm just enough of a snob to know that Criterion does indeed tend to use relatively poor compression quality for most of their releases, and the screencap comparison that needlebreesh posted up above is a very textbook example of this (IMO).

Comparing the Criterion vs. the VS release, the VS release appears to have a tighter and more defined grain structure, whereas the Criterion version looks more "splotchy" and poorly defined. Another way to put it is that the Criterion version has a more harsh, more "digitized" look to it, whereas the VS version looks a little more film-like and organic. The VS version overall appears "smoother", retaining the natural film grain without blurring out everything else.

You honestly should be able to see this difference very easily if you use the Zoom mode on capsaholic (which I believe needlebreesh's link links to by default).

Someone in another thread (I think it was Geoff D) put it very well: I think the reason why Criterion has gotten away with this for so long, is

because while the majority of their audience is cinephiles, a much smaller subsection of that group are also videophiles. Obviously there is some overlap between the two, but in the Criterion community, that delta appears to be much larger for some reason. The Criterion community obviously loves the Criterion Collection for its content, but they don't seem to be great at noticing/evaluating the technical quality of that content.

[Show spoiler]I know this is obviously a Criterion thread, and by posting this here I'm inevitably inviting myself to get blasted for criticizing Criterion's release quality (something they're known for); however, just because YOU can't see the difference, doesn't mean everyone else can't as well. Also: There is absolutely nothing wrong with putting a company's feet to the fire and encouraging them/pressuring them to fix or improve the quality of their releases. It's in everyone's best interests, is it not?

I've always thought of it as unfortunate, because everything else that Criterion does, restoration-wise, is honestly incredible. It's just their final encoding pass for their BDs that happens to be substandard and slightly diminish the quality of their otherwise fantastic releases. I really wish they would use another encoding company, like Fidelity in Motion or something, but who knows if that will ever happen.

I'm firmly in the "cinephile" camp, but also agree with your summation. However, while I want the best technical presentation - and have a firm grasp of "videophile" concepts - what I'm really interested in is how a film looks in motion. I respect the demand for better compression, but question what poring over caps blown up to 200% (or more) really adds to the ultimate enjoyment of the viewing experience.

[knuckles96]

Originally Posted by Casual_G4m3r

I have a question for the Tarkovsky fans here.

What would you all suggest is the best starting point for his films?

I was thinking Solaris, as it's the one I have heard talked about the most, however, I wasn't sure if that film would be a great example of his typical style.

I am under the impression that Tarkovsky has an "every frame a painting" type of visual style. Am I correct about that?

Anyone care to give me a quick and dirty on his work, and where to start?

Stalker is probably the best place to start. Solaris was my first Tarkovsky, but I wouldn't say it's his best (still pretty damn good though, just a lot slower than his other works imo).

but honestly, im just envious about anyone who hasn't seen a tarkovsky yet. really incredible filmmaker. hope nostalgia and the sacrifice make their way to the collection eventually

[ybinahmadfuz]

can anyone help me suggest titles that have strong philosophical themes? like seventh seal.

[Casual_G4m3r]

Originally Posted by tatterdemalion

I would just go in order of release. Ivan's Childhood will introduce you to his visual style while having a plot that's pretty straight forward. Once you get to Andrei Rublev and afterwards his story telling becomes more elliptical and amorphous, with the visual images becoming more important.

His images are painterly and can be very surreal and dreamlike;

[Show spoiler]he seems to love water and other objects falling indoors and people that seem to float in air;

but he's best known for long takes, so you have to be very patient with his films. Stalker starts off with a long shot that lasts, from memory here, I believe between 8-9 minutes. Most modern films have more edits in the first 20-30 minutes than that entire film has in 2hr 40m.

He pretty much personifies what art-house films are. Unlike Bergman and Kurosawa, and even Fellini, he never made a comedy or commercial type of film. Ivan's Childhood is the closest he ever came to being commercial.

Originally Posted by ravenus

Solaris is actually an archetype example of his style. Once you see Solaris, for good or for bad, you know what to expect from a Tarkovsky feature.

Originally Posted by knuckles96

Stalker is probably the best place to start. Solaris was my first Tarkovsky, but I wouldn't say it's his best (still pretty damn good though, just a lot slower than his other works imo).

but honestly, im just envious about anyone who hasn't seen a tarkovsky yet. really incredible filmmaker. hope nostalgia and the sacrifice make their way to the collection eventually

Thank you all for the information and insight into Tarkovsky's work.

I am planning to stream what they have on HBO Max from his catalogue. I looked last night, and there were only two titles from him. Solaris, and Stalker.

Needless to say, my selection is very limited, so in the interest of going in chronological order, I am planning to start with Solaris and then watching Stalker after that.

Maybe not back to back, but if I really like Solaris a lot, then I'll probably be compelled to watch Stalker sooner, rather than later.

Thanks again, and I hope I didn't make you feel like you wasted your time with your helpful answers/responses. I didn't realize these were the only two available on there, when I posed the question.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by ybinahmadfuz

can anyone help me suggest titles that have strong philosophical themes? like seventh seal.

Bergman films like Winter Light, Cries & Whispers
Tarkovsky films like Solaris, Sacrifice
Kurosawa - Dreams
Kiarostami - Taste of Cherry
Nuri Ceylan - Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
Wim Wenders - Wings of Desire