The Criterion Collection

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

There are way too many Criterion titles in my collection that are favorites to try and compile a list like this. But I would say, off the top of my head, the best time I ever had watching a Criterion release would probably be THE BLOB. And THE BREAKING POINT and THE BAD SLEEP WELL running a close second.

Yeah, I have a ridiculous amount of titles and I couldn’t even begin to compile a top 40. But I do think often of titles that surprised and delighted me out of left field: TRUE STORIES (which I think as proto-Lynchian), LONESOME, THE AWFUL TRUTH, much of the ZATOICHI set, CLAUDINE, A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. And my early LD experiences too, like THE GRADUATE and COLONEL BLIMP. I still have my CLOSE ENCOUNTERS LD, and that’ll always be particularly special to me.

[dwk]

Originally Posted by Watershipdownisgood

So far I haven't bought a single Criterion Collection box set at all. However, if a Kurosawa one gets announced which will most likely include upgrades of Stray Dog, The Bad Sleep Well, and Drunken Angel it'll be a day one purchase for me. Their box sets are just too pricy and way too bulky for my shelves so that's why I haven't bought a single one so far.

The Bergman set is an absolute steal, especially for $150 during the 50% off sales

[HenryHill]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

I love this idea, but I think Criterion would feel embarrassed if the winner turned out to be a middle age, heterosexual caucasian alpha male.

I'm pretty sure that's 90% of their customers.

I couldn't begin to pick a top 40 Criterion list because my tastes are mercurial, but of the movies I first encountered as Criterion releases, I'd say I was most impressed by Ikiru, a movie that shows me something new as I grow older; The Passion of Joan of Arc, a profoundly emotional experience with Maria Falconetti delivering one of the greatest performances in film history; The Ruling Class, a wildly brutal satire of Britain in decline; and Carlos Saura's Blood Wedding, just because I love flamenco.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by HenryHill

I'm pretty sure that's 90% of their customers.

Maybe, but I’m guessing they wouldn’t want that publicized.

[Watershipdownisgood]

Originally Posted by dwk

The Bergman set is an absolute steal, especially for $150 during the 50% off sales

Honestly, if there's one box set I want to get it's that Ranown Westerns set it's not that big, but a bit pricier than that Freaks 3 film set, and also that Red Balloon set too. Other than that there's really nothing else box set wise I want as that Bergman set is massive and honestly doesn't fit on the shelf I'll get it eventually, but for me it's a very low priority. As I'd probably put it on the very top of my big clothing and Blu-Ray closet.

[rezpekt]

Originally Posted by jw007

CC40 can mean two things to me:

Criterion Collection 40

or

Criterion Closet 40



PS. Wait, how long has the closet been around for? Definitely not 40 years. But maybe 10?

It means Criterion Closet 40. That is how it is introduced by Peter Becker.

[MifuneFan]

CC40 is now up at B&N, which means it'll be $400 on day one during the November sale, unless they decide to exclude it.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dvd...=0715515302012

[regeyer]

For the price of the CC40, you'd think they'd let the buyer actually enter the closet and chose the 40 he/she wants.

[GaragePoet]

now THAT would be an interesting and amazing idea, is allowing a grab-bag type of selection. perhaps not even ALL titles but to allow people to select 40 out of 100 available titles to create their own box

[MifuneFan]

I just realized, if you do buy it from Criterion, it should net you a $50 certificate right? So I suppose that also adds to the net value of the set if you prefer to buy it direct. B&N would still be the best deal come Nov. though (again, assuming it's not excluded)

[dwk]

Originally Posted by Watershipdownisgood

Honestly, if there's one box set I want to get it's that Ranown Westerns set it's not that big, but a bit pricier than that Freaks 3 film set, and also that Red Balloon set too. Other than that there's really nothing else box set wise I want as that Bergman set is massive and honestly doesn't fit on the shelf I'll get it eventually, but for me it's a very low priority. As I'd probably put it on the very top of my big clothing and Blu-Ray closet.

I have it sitting on top of a filing cabinet alongside other weirdly shaped sets (Essential Fellini, ShawScope Vol. 1 & 2, Gamera , and Godzilla: The Show Era - discs removed because of the slippage issue.)

[rezpekt]

I think the price for the CC40 boxset is perfectly fine. At $800 MSRP it is less than half of the combined MSRP of the titles included, given that there are a handful of 2-disc releases which carry MSRP of $50 instead of the regular $40.

I would not call it a cash grab in any way either. I don't know if any of the discs is completely newly re-authored for the boxset, but at least they are newly printed with special artwork for the collection. They did not just grab whatever they had laying around in the warehouse.

I'm not even too disappointed in the content itself, per se, bu rather the principles used for the selection, and how much emphasis they are putting on the closet picks.

Imagine if the Criterion staff hand-picked 40 titles they deemed the most important in the history of the company, even if they were limited to the currently in-print BD releases. Imagine if they had recorded new video introductions/appreciations for each title, going over why it was important for the collection and why it was picked for the boxset. Imagine if instead of the "best of closet picks" highlights disc, they commissioned a new full-length documentary about the 40-year history of the company.

Sure, that would have taken a lot more time, money and effort, but it would have been a more genuine anniversary celebration. As it stands, this boxset truly is just just "40 random picks from the Criterion Closet" and not "40th anniversary of Criterion Collection".

[GenPion]

I like the Criterion Closet “pick your own 40” grab bag box set idea. That sounds incredible. I wonder how it would work if it could even be executed?

Sounds nice in theory.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by Watershipdownisgood

Honestly, if there's one box set I want to get it's that Ranown Westerns set it's not that big, but a bit pricier than that Freaks 3 film set, and also that Red Balloon set too. Other than that there's really nothing else box set wise I want as that Bergman set is massive and honestly doesn't fit on the shelf I'll get it eventually, but for me it's a very low priority. As I'd probably put it on the very top of my big clothing and Blu-Ray closet.

I personally would say you should really consider the ZATOICHI set, which is really as close to non-stop exciting entertainment as you can get from a dedicated films on disc collection.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by rezpekt

I'm not even too disappointed in the content itself, per se, bu rather the principles used for the selection, and how much emphasis they are putting on the closet picks.

Imagine if the Criterion staff hand-picked 40 titles they deemed the most important in the history of the company, even if they were limited to the currently in-print BD releases. Imagine if they had recorded new video introductions/appreciations for each title, going over why it was important for the collection and why it was picked for the boxset. Imagine if instead of the "best of closet picks" highlights disc, they commissioned a new full-length documentary about the 40-year history of the company.

Sure, that would have taken a lot more time, money and effort, but it would have been a more genuine anniversary celebration. As it stands, this boxset truly is just just "40 random picks from the Criterion Closet" and not "40th anniversary of Criterion Collection".

Why do you think the employees of the label would have more credibility than the invited guests to the closet? Maybe you're right, but I'm curious how you come to that conclusion?

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I just realized, if you do buy it from Criterion, it should net you a $50 certificate right? So I suppose that also adds to the net value of the set if you prefer to buy it direct. B&N would still be the best deal come Nov. though (again, assuming it's not excluded)

Have any previous special edition box sets ever been excluded from the 50% off sales at either site? I'm curious. I bought the Bergman box from dreaded Amazon, but now I don't remember why?

The $50 incentive to order direct from Criterion makes it a more appealing prospect than B&N, I would think. Also, I'm guessing Criterion themselves would have the best ideas on secure packing for shipping it out? Why do you say that B&N would be the best deal?

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by New To You

Criterion.com: $639.96 gets you a $50 GC

B&N Nov. 50% off sale: $400

I see. I thought the comparison was between both sites offering 50% off. Math not my retirement nest egg.

[Watershipdownisgood]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

I personally would say you should really consider the ZATOICHI set, which is really as close to non-stop exciting entertainment as you can get from a dedicated films on disc collection.

I completely forgot about that one that set is so nice it's fire 🔥 like so so so freaking good. It's very neat I would love to get it at some point next year.

[GenPion]

Originally Posted by GaragePoet

now THAT would be an interesting and amazing idea, is allowing a grab-bag type of selection. perhaps not even ALL titles but to allow people to select 40 out of 100 available titles to create their own box

I love this idea. I've been thinking about it some more. Criterion could produce a "limited edition" set similar to the currently announced CC40 box set. You'd get a bigger book with all the written contents of, say, 100 films or so (as you mentioned) available to be selections from the "Criterion Closet" -

Then no one misses any of the essay contents (just print a bigger book). Non-labeled disc slots (without specific titles underneath the slots). Packaging showing the titles of "Criterion Closet" grab-bag box releases that can be picked/selected for the set (all films that were available to be selected).

You submit the list of selected films with your box-set order.

You buy the box-set of Criterion Closet titles exclusively on the Criterion Collection website, and Criterion hand-packages each individually numbered limited edition box-set with each of the titles you selected as your "Criterion Closet" picks. In other words, the packaging can cover all the bases, but the discs can be easily interchangeable and hand-inserted into each package so buyers can pick the "closet" picks that sound best to them.

I'd buy that in a heartbeat.

[saltburn]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

The restoration is for a B&W version only as far as I know. Julian Schnabel supervised it a few years back, and it screened at MoMA in 2021.

The original camera negative would have the color though, right? Would you not need to restore the color version before you created the black and white version? (not familiar with how camera negative colors work)

don't know if the version on the channel is the restoration, but it definitely looks a heck of a lot better/sharper than my old dvd. I really hope they don't do something stupid like only release a black and white version on disc.