The Criterion Collection

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Casual_G4m3r

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.

My suggestion is to watch Stalker first, it's more accessible than Solaris, especially in the first half, and is probably a better entry point. Once you see Stalker in full, you will be more prepared for Solaris.

[Mike0284]

Originally Posted by Reddington

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.

[mmarczi]

Originally Posted by ybinahmadfuz

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

Originally Posted by ravenus

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

This is an excellent list, and sticking with Criterion (which the above is other than Ceylan), I would add:

Alain Resnais - Hiroshima mon amour, Last Year at Marienbad (OOP; available through Kino)
Akira Kurosawa - Ikiru
Masaki Kobayashi - Harakiri
Mike Leigh - Naked, Secrets & Lies
Edward Yang - Yi Yi
Krzysztof Kieślowski - The Double Life of Véronique, The Colors trilogy, Blind Chance
Luis Buñuel - The Exterminating Angel
Louis Malle - My Dinner With Andre (literally two guys philosophizing over dinner for 98% of the movie)
Spike Jonze - Being John Malkovich
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne - Two Days, One Night
Keisuke Kinoshita - The Ballad of Narayama
Robert Bresson - A Man Escaped, L'argent, Pickpocket, Au hasard Balthasar
Satyajit Ray - Charulata, The Big City
Nagisa Oshima - Death by Hanging
Luchino Visconti - Death in Venice
Jan Němec - Diamonds of the Night
Michael Haneke - Funny Games
Kelly Reichardt - Old Joy
Juraj Herz - The Cremator (really, films from the Czechoslovak New Wave in general)
Eric Rohmer - Six Moral Tales (and basically everything else he's done)

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by mmarczi

Alain Resnais - Hiroshima mon amour, Last Year at Marienbad (OOP; available through Kino sourced from a new 4k restoration that blows away the previous release)

Fixed that for ya

That's a damn good list. I don't so much regard the Satyajit Ray films or Secrets and Lies as deeply philosophical, they are primarily interesting character dramas exploring certain trends. My personal view is that for a film to be called deeply philosophical, the theme should achieve a level of abstraction and you are not thinking about it from the perspective of its characters and their emotions.

[taymo016]

Originally Posted by Casual_G4m3r

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.

If you're interested in seeing more than those two, Criterion Channel has: The Steamroller and the Violin (Short), Ivan's Childhood, Andrei Rublev, Mirror, plus the two (Solaris & Stalker) already mentioned.

[lildemon666]

now that Criterion is on board with 4K will you still take advantage of the sale or wait it out and see if said title will get released on 4K?

I want to get films but I don't wanna pay 20 and come next year and then buy it again on 4k.

I want Blow out as i never seen it and heard it's De Palma's best and I can wait but that's it it will get a 4k release soon?

[randian]

Originally Posted by lildemon666

I want Blow out as i never seen it and heard it's De Palma's best and I can wait but that's it it will get a 4k release soon?

Considering that Kino Lorber is releasing 4k discs of The Great Escape and Dressed to Kill it wouldn't surprise me if they also acquired 4k rights to Blow Out.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by randian

Considering that Kino Lorber is releasing 4k discs of The Great Escape and Dressed to Kill it wouldn't surprise me if they also acquired 4k rights to Blow Out.

Blow Out comes from a 2K scan, so probably not, unless there's been a newer 4K scan out there. I haven't seen anything about that though.

[randian]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Blow Out comes from a 2K scan, so probably not, unless there's been a newer 4K scan out there. I haven't seen anything about that though.

Ok. I was thinking more about Kino doing 4k releases that Criterion has in-print BDs of. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Kino doing more of that.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by randian

Ok. I was thinking more about Kino doing 4k releases that Criterion has in-print BDs of. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Kino doing more of that.

Yeah, they definitely have more Criterion licensed from MGM titles coming . If I had to guess, I would say Kino possibly has In the Heat of the Night, and The Graduate. We don't really know how many they got, but I have a feeling it's quite a bit. Kino Insider has been pretty coy about how they got the deal, so though it's highly speculative, I think it's possible MGM offered it to them first, rather than Kino simply beating Criterion to the punch. MGM benefits more from Kino than they do Criterion.

[SmackedTorrance]

Originally Posted by lildemon666

now that Criterion is on board with 4K will you still take advantage of the sale or wait it out and see if said title will get released on 4K?

I want to get films but I don't wanna pay 20 and come next year and then buy it again on 4k.

I want Blow out as i never seen it and heard it's De Palma's best and I can wait but that's it it will get a 4k release soon?

I watched it this year for the first time and it was 5/5 stars for me. You should just rent it VOD in the mean time. I’m sure it’ll get a 4k release eventually but no point in waiting possibly years to see the movie for that.

Love what these 4Ks seeming to have unlimited stock means going forward. Criterion is making that $$$ and it’s safe to wait for sales. Assuming sales aren’t lacking.

[TenYearLurker]

Originally Posted by randian

Considering that Kino Lorber is releasing 4k discs of The Great Escape and Dressed to Kill it wouldn't surprise me if they also acquired 4k rights to Blow Out.

I believe Kino very recently confirmed that they do not have the 4K rights to Blow Out. Which means we'll probably get it from Criterion at some point.

[RojD]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Fixed that for ya

That's a damn good list. I don't so much regard the Satyajit Ray films or Secrets and Lies as deeply philosophical, they are primarily interesting character dramas exploring certain trends. My personal view is that for a film to be called deeply philosophical, the theme should achieve a level of abstraction and you are not thinking about it from the perspective of its characters and their emotions.

Totally agree that mmarczi's list of philosophical films is great. And I smiled at this comment because I thought the same thing about Satyajit Ray (and Secrets and Lies) not so much falling into this category. And for the same reason as ravenus. Seventh Seal is a lot more philosophical than Wild Strawberries, the latter being more about an older guy's thinking back on his life experiences and decisions.

I'd also say not to shy away from some experimental movies, whose very form is philosophical. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Chantel Ackerman) and Sans Soleil (Chris Marker) are two Criterions like that.

I think every Terrence Malick film is philosophical. Tree of Life is the on-the-nose exposition of his Way of Grace/Way of Nature philosophy, but I see that same dichotomy working in every one of his films, even the more recent. I'm solidly in the pro-The New World camp because of it. And the beauty of all his movies is part of his philosophy (the grace part). I don't have a spiritual bone in my body, but for the running time of whatever Malick film I'm watching, I believe.

And Antonioni comes to mind as a philosophical filmmaker. I haven't seen all his movies, but Red Desert and L’avventura are certainly philosophical, and the form of his movies, too, is an important part of its expression. Watching them, I don't believe in a damn thing.

[Lannister1098]

Birthday haul came in a couple days ago!

[mmarczi]

You may wish you were never born if you end up marathoning them.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by mmarczi

You may wish you were never born if you end up marathoning them.

Because you can’t stop touching yourself? Just take a break and let everything rest.

[gbm82]

Originally Posted by mmarczi

You may wish you were never born if you end up marathoning them.

Yeah, I can only take so much upbeat stuff in one siting...

[gbm82]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

Because you can’t stop touching yourself? Just take a break and let everything rest.

Next your'e going to tell me to change my pants or something..

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by gbm82

Next your'e going to tell me to change my pants or something..

You’re wearing pants while watching? Flicks out with your Richard’s out!

[gbm82]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

You’re wearing pants while watching? Flicks out with your Richard’s out!