The Criterion Collection

[BasicGreatGuy]

Originally Posted by stobbart

Mine were

The River (Tsai Ming Liang's version not the Criterion)
The Cover
The Good Earth
The Good The Bad The Weird

I watched "The Good Earth" when it was on TCM recently, and found it hard to stay focused on the film (overall). It was my first time seeing it, so a second viewing at some point, may produce different results for me.

[stobbart]

Originally Posted by BasicGreatGuy

I watched "The Good Earth" when it was on TCM recently, and found it hard to stay focused on the film (overall). It was my first time seeing it, so a second viewing at some point, may produce different results for me.

This was my first time viewing it as well. I find it interesting watching old Hollywood films in context of when they were made. For this particular film it was enjoyable to me to see Hollywoods (and in turn Americas) attitudes towards the Chinese.

[Icemouth]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

We all have our bad days, and I don't take meds. I said a movie is on T.V. and I get s***, so f yeah I'm going to go off. So sorry for me telling someone a film is on T.V.! I must be dumb to not think he just wants it being a Criterion and not because of the film.

The problem is he didn't say "wow I've never seen this movie I absolutely cannot wait to ever see it", he said "I cannot wait for this release". YOU volunteered "it's on TV all the time" and then get upset when he questioned your comment. Lots of the movies I buy I have seen multiple times, that doesn't mean I'm not excited for the release.

Basically you got butthurt over your own assumptions.

[rkish]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

first and foremost: why do all the spammers seem to post in this thread? just now there was another spammer from a new account posting gibberish. this is like the fourth time in a few weeks i've seen this in this thread, but i don't see it happen nearly as much in other threads

second: dammit Criterion! i didn't read the reviews of Fish Tank and Veronique, but i read about the stories and they interest me, so chances are they will be on my "to get list" come the next B&N sale. however, once i start my netflix account in a few weeks my main goal is to get through all the Criterion titles on my wishlist (blind buy wishlist) to see if i should actually buy them or not.

third: i think ALL Criterion's require at least two viewings to appreciate fully and truly decide if i should add it to my collection. sure, a few right away i knew i'd want to add (Revanche), but some i liked, but not enough to buy, but maybe on repeat viewings i would like it more and buy it (Walkabout).

Bravo bearcat...Bravo!!! This is exactly my philosophy on collecting films/NetFlix and "blind buying". If I don't like a film, then why take a chance and spend money on it...no matter how good it may look.

I had to watch The Red Shoes and The Seventh Seal two to three times to appreciate them. I then bought both of them and have checked out other Bergman and Powell films (via NetFlix).

I developed my current passion for Ozu films the very same way...watching Tokyo Story and then checking out his other films via NetFlix.

I just don't see the reason for purchasing anything that I might not like. Streaming might not give you the best PQ, but at least you can tell if you like a film or not.

[rkish]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

So the only people that should be on this board are people that gets wet over "C-only" releases and shouldn't watch movies pre-Criterion? Oh and don't forget to circle jerk our collections and hauls, because you know, films are about how many we can stack!

Don't ask why am I on this board. The FAB over Criterion blu-ray is lame (not everyone), to the point of collecting just to collect them. I see the people on here that buys them because it's something to collect and end up on the sales thread un-open because they never really wanted them in the first place. There are people that starts slipcover threads on here. SLIPCOVER THREADS! Let that sink in for a min. Don't act like I'm a troll or spammer or whatever because I replied to someones' boner for a C release, when what matters should be the film. I don't care what my "Rep" is on here, and others can keep posting youtube links with 3 Stooges songs, because that is your waste of time. I should be doing the 3 Stooges song to every thread that has a "Got EM!" or "SLIPCOVER FANS '11" or "What is your fav boobshot?" or "Packages is what I buy, not films. I'm sending this purchase back!" crap.

Now you all got something to chew on tonight. Make it good. Tell me how much I am a troll and I hate on people even though I'm replying towards the same crap of what you will all say I am. This rant is either what you all wanted anyways or it's getting in the way of collections posts and if a film arrived in "mint condish!". Either way, it's something to hate SB/CG about.

As far as I'm concerned...this is ALL that matters...as per my last post.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by rkish

Bravo bearcat...Bravo!!! This is exactly my philosophy on collecting films/NetFlix and "blind buying". If I don't like a film, then why take a chance and spend money on it...no matter how good it may look.

I had to watch The Red Shoes and The Seventh Seal two to three times to appreciate them. I then bought both of them and have checked out other Bergman and Powell films (via NetFlix).

I developed my current passion for Ozu films the very same way...watching Tokyo Story and then checking out his other films via NetFlix.

I just don't see the reason for purchasing anything that I might not like. Streaming might not give you the best PQ, but at least you can tell if you like a film or not.

thanks rkish!

for some reason though, there are few things more exciting to me than a blind buy. opening a brand new blu-ray, soaking in the images on the cover and / or the booklet for some releases and then diving in with great PQ and AQ...

and while all that is great. there also is nothing worse than spending $15+ or something and ending up absolutely loathing the film you just spent money on when that money could have gone to something i have already seen and love (even though for some releases that may seem "boring"). so i've really cut down on blind buys lately and won't spend more than $10 on a blind buy. and the last few blind buys have been pretty damn good (Dog Day Afternoon, Hotel Rwanda, Out of Sight, Let Me In, 3:10 to Yuma among others) but for Criterion titles, $20 or so (when on sale) is just too much to risk.

and i love how netflix seems to have a lot of Criterion titles on instant streaming which is very nice and even though i enjoy great PQ and AQ, it effects my judgment or feelings on a film in no way whatsoever. so i tend to watch a lot of films via streaming (or dvd if that's the only way) with no complaints. that's how i watched Antichrist, and i can already tell when i rent / buy the blu, it's gonna be a glorious looking disc

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

I just did a search on "boobshot" to, erm, investigate your point and the only thread that came up was this one!

I watched Paths of Glory for the first time on Netflix streaming the other night and while it's a fantastic film I don't think I need to see it again any time soon. I can see Greek's point, though. I'm interested in seeing The Thin Red Line again and I know it's streaming but I'd really rather wait and watch it on the Criterion Blu-ray edition instead. That said, I've never liked a film purely or primarily because of it's Blu-ray presentation. Rubbish with glorious PQ and AQ is still rubbish, and a great film is still a great film on fifth generation VHS dub on a 13" CRT.

exactly my thoughts
of course i love blu-ray, but if i have to watch a film and the only way is VHS (let's say) i would be perfectly fine with that. i know a few members who refuse to watch anything not on blu-ray (or shown on tv in hi-def), and that always boggles my mind as they're missing out on soooo much.

One week till May announcements. I'm thinking Carlos and Y Tu Mama Tambien. Hoping for Solaris on Blu-ray ASAP.

i would love to see Solaris get a release date very for sometime soon in 2011

[BasicGreatGuy]

Originally Posted by stobbart

This was my first time viewing it as well. I find it interesting watching old Hollywood films in context of when they were made. For this particular film it was enjoyable to me to see Hollywoods (and in turn Americas) attitudes towards the Chinese.

To that light, I think the movie did a good job, from the parts I could focus on.

As to Hollywood classics, I am excited to see "The Sweet Smell of Success" coming out. I hope it is a taste of things to come, in regards to Hollywood classics and Film Noir.

I would really like to see Criterion tackle "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930). I think it would win even more people over to the niche of Criterion.

[jcs913]

Originally Posted by rkish

As far as I'm concerned...this is ALL that matters...as per my last post.

That's the essence of it all rkish. Unfortunately for some, unless it has the label or format, it's not an 'experience.' I think that was really what CG was trying to get at... Anyways, I know that one of my favorites Bergmans, will be on the docket on the 15th, right?? If we say it was rumored in that picture, then it must be right..

[rkish]

Originally Posted by jcs913

That's the essence of it all rkish. Unfortunately for some, unless it has the label or format, it's not an 'experience.' I think that was really what CG was trying to get at... Anyways, I know that one of my favorites Bergmans, will be on the docket on the 15th, right?? If we say it was rumored in that picture, then it must be right..

We can only hope my friend...we can only hope!

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by jcs913

That's the essence of it all rkish. Unfortunately for some, unless it has the label or format, it's not an 'experience.' I think that was really what CG was trying to get at... Anyways, I know that one of my favorites Bergmans, will be on the docket on the 15th, right?? If we say it was rumored in that picture, then it must be right..

It's what I was getting at in that aspect, but yes, I went off on other things relating to the "Why are you even on this board?", and in that is what really got me pissed.

To kind of get everything in one post, Icemouth, it wasn't Greek's response that set me off or playing victim. Far from it. Greek is one of the posters I like on here, and his response to me was a direct answer.

[42041]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

Rubbish with glorious PQ and AQ is still rubbish, and a great film is still a great film on fifth generation VHS dub on a 13" CRT

The essential quality of the film might still be there, but for my tastes, the visual and audio components are inseparable from the overall effect of a film. Somehow I doubt watching "2001" on my iphone would be quite the same experience as seeing it on a 70mm screen, or at least my home theater

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by jcs913

Anyways, I know that one of my favorites Bergmans, will be on the docket on the 15th, right??

Instead of just ONE Bergman film on blu-ray from Criterion, I'd much rather have a 2nd Eclipse set of titles that haven't been released on DVD in the US or UK... i.e. It Rains On Our Love, A Ship To India, Dreams, Brink Of Life, and High Tension, of which I can't find any DVD release. If Criterion were to give me those, I could hold out forever on seeing Wild Strawberries on blu-ray since their DVD is perfectly fine.

CC

[dag]

Well, the good news is that I was able to watch a Criterion BD tonight. I had recently complained here that Zip.ca was late in making new titles available for rent. The bad news is it was Shock Corridor. Truly an overwrought melodrama plagued by awful cliches, and I had to laugh out loud when

[Show spoiler]the protagonist was "attacked" by nymphos!

I also have The Naked Kiss and Broadcast News (which I saw on video many many years ago) coming to me in the mail. I hope to get more in the near future.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by Hal_M

I have to say, I just went back and did a side by side comparison and I still come out in favor of the Criterion. To me, it is a much more detailed image. Colors hold together better. The AE, while still very nice, is softer in a way I don't remember the film being when I've seen it projected. The richer colors and deeper blacks of the Criterion are, if nothing else, more pleasing to my eye. The softer look of the AE transfer is not. The sharper image of the Criterion also does not feel manipulated, but quite natural. It does not feel a product of edge-enhancement. Of course, all transfers are manipulated, but the Criterion still feels more film-like to me. And noise seems to be at a minimum to my eye. To me, it looks more like grain than noise in almost all cases, though there seems to be slight noise in both transfers if one looks closely enough. The Criterion transfer also exhibits more depth. Compare the close-up of the red box containing the marionettes when first revealed. As it turns, the fabric, the trim... Or when Veronique drives past the church which looms in the foreground. Or the walk out of the train station toward the blown-up car. Notice the color and light differences here between the two, how they play on fabrics, surfaces. And the level of detail. The Criterion is, again, how I remember the film. And, for me personally, how I prefer it. Though both transfers honor the film well. Just somewhat differently.

We will have to agree to disagree then, and you should certainly keep whichever version pleases you the most. But allow me to make a few comments:


1. With all due respect, claiming that you actually remember how the film looked in the theater where you last saw it is a very weak argument to use in this discussion because a) your source of reference is actually that particular theater's set-up and the projectionist's performance and b) no one can accurately recall the type of details we are discussing here. Simply put, it is not humanly possible.

2. The two discs have identical color-schemes, without any hue or depth discrepancies. There was once a small color discrepancy when MK2 released their special SDVD release a few years back, and the Criterion SDVD did not match its color-scheme perfectly:



...but this time around Criterion's (HD) transfer is indeed as it should be (considering the source; again MK2).

3. Grain - as I mentioned before, what some have insisted is grain is indeed noise, and it is extremely easy to tell. If you enlarge screencapture #3 and look at the bottom right, the face of the young boy is covered with (resembling tiny stains) various large dots. Healthy film grain does not resolve like that. You are probably misinterpreting it because it constantly shifts, just like grain typically does, but on a screen larger than 50-55' you should clearly be able to see that this is noise because it tends to pulsate quite awkwardly. With other words, there is absolutely no way that a more "film-like" transfer could have these stain-like dots. (As I mentioned to you earlier, a new 4K scan and consequently BD release will most certainly completely eliminate them, producing a tighter, smoother image with a near perfectly resolved grain).

4. Depth - I don't see more depth on the Criterion release either. Again, I see the light noise I mentioned before.

Take a look at this panoramic shot from the AE release - pay attention to the sky on the upper left side:
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...567&position=2

...now take a look at the Criterion shot:
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...924&position=2

I personally don't see more depth, but you should clearly be able to see the noise, unevenly distributed all over the lake, mountains. And I assume that in motion this is what you are interpreting as grain, which it is clearly not.

All of this being said, these details that we are discussing here are next to impossible to see in motion (unless you have a 100+ screen and know exactly where to look for them), which is why I never judge a transfer based on screencaptures. No two film frames are identical. Naturally, film grain constantly evolves (as it is part of the moving image), and in this case the light noise that covers it is also constantly shifting with it.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the Criterion release. It looks very good, and the supplemental features are very informative as well.

Pro-B

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by 42041

Somehow I doubt watching "2001" on my iphone would be quite the same experience as seeing it on a 70mm screen

70 mm = 2 and 3/4 inches

The iPhone 3G LCD display is 5 cm wide (1,9 in) and 7 cm tall (2,76 in) and displays 480 x 320 pixels at a 3:2 aspect ratio. The resolution is 163 ppi (pixels per inch).

Vastly different indeed.....

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

I just did a search on "boobshot" to, erm, investigate your point and the only thread that came up was this one!

You should try "google" You'll get much more favorable results...


Based on Dag's post.... I'm going to throw in "Shock Corridor" now..... Sometimes I read back pages, or even select a random page (like... oh... what's on page 124 of the Criterion Thread) and see what film(s) are being debated/discussed/announced/etc.... and then watch one of those. It makes my indecisive personality more manageable

[RetroGamer]

Originally Posted by basicgreatguy

i would really like to see criterion tackle "all quiet on the western front" (1930). I think it would win even more people over to the niche of criterion.

+1!

[Hendershot737]

Just watched Pelle the Conquerer for the first time (a fine flick indeed - but I must say that blu has spoiled me too much...the picture was pretty horrid)...but it occurred to me that perhaps the strawberry bush(?) patch (?) in Criterion's "New Year Drawing Tease" was referring to the strawberries planted by Pelle and Lasse. Just a thought, and not sure if such a hypothesis had been tossed around yet. Of course, Wild Strawberries is the go-to answer, but I can see Pelle fitting into the Criterion canon quite comfortably. And Pelle definitely reminded me of The White Ribbon (only because I watched The White Ribbon before Pelle)...not that The White Ribbon is a Criterion release or anything, just a simPle observation.

[Guitar Joe]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

Based on Dag's post.... I'm going to throw in "Shock Corridor" now..... Sometimes I read back pages, or even select a random page (like... oh... what's on page 124 of the Criterion Thread) and see what film(s) are being debated/discussed/announced/etc.... and then watch one of those. It makes my indecisive personality more manageable

Sometimes I have problems deciding on what to watch, too. When I have something specific in mind that makes me want to watch a movie it is easy, but sometimes I simply know I want to watch a movie. It's then that I will sometimes stand there staring at my collection for a long time unable to decide. Sometimes it takes so long that I end of up doing something else because I can't decide.

[SpiderBaby]

CC, you ever got around to watching Brass' The Howl yet?


Also, sorry to all about yesterday.

[GunRanger]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

It's on T.V. all the time.

Do you live in America? That movie is never on any of the movie channels.