The Criterion Collection

[wilky61]

I posted here a few days ago with a list of about a dozen Criterions, and I decided to splurge on most of them for about $23 a pop (Seven Samurai/400 Blows/Breathless/Red Shoes/Thin Red Line/Days of Heaven/Army of Shadows/Cercle Rouge). Also, I decided to pick up Pierrot Le Fou, but that one was closer to $36. So I think I'm done buying Criterions for now until I watch all of these!

But of course, I'm already eyeing some others and looking for which titles to add to the wishlist to fill the vaccuum. Which of these do you think are "must-owns"? How would you rank/prioritize these six CC blus?

The Leopard - started to watch it once and gave up :/
Amarcord - never seen a Fellini film I liked, but something tells me this could be the one?
Stagecoach - seen it once, must-own? how's it look?
Playtime - looks pretty interesting...though I've never seen a Tati
Last Year at Marienbad - ditto...and I did like Hiroshima
Black Narcissus - yep, I'm still on the fence about this one, never seen a P&P

Also, having seen both of these films, I don't think I need to ask to decide that Wages of Fear/Paths of Glory are must-owns that I'll eventually get around to.


Thanks for being patient with my questions.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by wilky61

I posted here a few days ago with a list of about a dozen Criterions, and I decided to splurge on most of them for about $23 a pop (Seven Samurai/400 Blows/Breathless/Red Shoes/Thin Red Line/Days of Heaven/Army of Shadows/Cercle Rouge). Also, I decided to pick up Pierrot Le Fou, but that one was closer to $36. So I think I'm done buying Criterions for now until I watch all of these!

But of course, I'm already eyeing some others and looking for which titles to add to the wishlist to fill the vaccuum. Which of these do you think are "must-owns"? How would you rank/prioritize these six CC blus?

The Leopard - started to watch it once and gave up :/
Amarcord - never seen a Fellini film I liked, but something tells me this could be the one?
Stagecoach - seen it once, must-own? how's it look?
Playtime - looks pretty interesting...though I've never seen a Tati
Last Year at Marienbad - ditto...and I did like Hiroshima
Black Narcissus - yep, I'm still on the fence about this one, never seen a P&P

Also, having seen both of these films, I don't think I need to ask to decide that Wages of Fear/Paths of Glory are must-owns that I'll eventually get around to.


Thanks for being patient with my questions.

I bought The Leopard during the last B&N sale, but have yet to watch it. Stagecoach looks great for when it was made. One of my favorite westerns. I would say it's a must-own. Last Year at Marienbad.. I owe that another watch. I was expecting something different entirely. I did watch Hiroshima, Mon Amour a few weeks after and loved it (obviously), so I'm kind of itching to give Marienbad another viewing. It's certainly not for everyone. Aside from the impressive visuals, I didn't care very much for Black Narcissus.

[herzog4life]

Originally Posted by wilky61

I posted here a few days ago with a list of about a dozen Criterions, and I decided to splurge on most of them for about $23 a pop (Seven Samurai/400 Blows/Breathless/Red Shoes/Thin Red Line/Days of Heaven/Army of Shadows/Cercle Rouge). Also, I decided to pick up Pierrot Le Fou, but that one was closer to $36. So I think I'm done buying Criterions for now until I watch all of these!

But of course, I'm already eyeing some others and looking for which titles to add to the wishlist to fill the vaccuum. Which of these do you think are "must-owns"? How would you rank/prioritize these six CC blus?

The Leopard - started to watch it once and gave up :/
Amarcord - never seen a Fellini film I liked, but something tells me this could be the one?
Stagecoach - seen it once, must-own? how's it look?
Playtime - looks pretty interesting...though I've never seen a Tati
Last Year at Marienbad - ditto...and I did like Hiroshima
Black Narcissus - yep, I'm still on the fence about this one, never seen a P&P

Also, having seen both of these films, I don't think I need to ask to decide that Wages of Fear/Paths of Glory are must-owns that I'll eventually get around to.


Thanks for being patient with my questions.

Of I was forced at gunpoint to rank them I'd go:
1. Playtime
Black Narcissus
The Leopard
Last Year at Marienbad
Stagecoach
Amarcord

I own the first five and enjoy them all a lot. Not an Amarcord fan even though I like Fellini. Hmmm.

[octagon]

I don't know if Stagecoach is a must own but it looks really, really good.

It's not as pristine as The Third Man (or even M, really, which says a hell of a lot about M now that I think about it...but I digress). Their source was pretty beat up and that shows through at times but not in a distracting way and the end result is exponentially better than any previous incarnation.

[Hendershot737]

I can only vouch for Amarcord. A wonderful film all around, and absolutely hilarious.

[BasicGreatGuy]

Originally Posted by wilky61

I posted here a few days ago with a list of about a dozen Criterions, and I decided to splurge on most of them for about $23 a pop (Seven Samurai/400 Blows/Breathless/Red Shoes/Thin Red Line/Days of Heaven/Army of Shadows/Cercle Rouge). Also, I decided to pick up Pierrot Le Fou, but that one was closer to $36. So I think I'm done buying Criterions for now until I watch all of these!

But of course, I'm already eyeing some others and looking for which titles to add to the wishlist to fill the vaccuum. Which of these do you think are "must-owns"? How would you rank/prioritize these six CC blus?

The Leopard - started to watch it once and gave up :/
Amarcord - never seen a Fellini film I liked, but something tells me this could be the one?
Stagecoach - seen it once, must-own? how's it look?
Playtime - looks pretty interesting...though I've never seen a Tati
Last Year at Marienbad - ditto...and I did like Hiroshima
Black Narcissus - yep, I'm still on the fence about this one, never seen a P&P

Also, having seen both of these films, I don't think I need to ask to decide that Wages of Fear/Paths of Glory are must-owns that I'll eventually get around to.


Thanks for being patient with my questions.

As octagon mentioned, "Stagecoach" does not look pristine. It does show its age. That being said, it does look the best it ever has. Given that the original negative was lost years ago, I doubt we will see any better than the Criterion release. I don't know about "must own," but, if you like John Wayne or westerns in general, you won't be disappointed.

[Belloche]

Originally Posted by wilky61

I posted here a few days ago with a list of about a dozen Criterions, and I decided to splurge on most of them for about $23 a pop (Seven Samurai/400 Blows/Breathless/Red Shoes/Thin Red Line/Days of Heaven/Army of Shadows/Cercle Rouge). Also, I decided to pick up Pierrot Le Fou, but that one was closer to $36. So I think I'm done buying Criterions for now until I watch all of these!

But of course, I'm already eyeing some others and looking for which titles to add to the wishlist to fill the vaccuum. Which of these do you think are "must-owns"? How would you rank/prioritize these six CC blus?

The Leopard - started to watch it once and gave up :/
Amarcord - never seen a Fellini film I liked, but something tells me this could be the one?
Stagecoach - seen it once, must-own? how's it look?
Playtime - looks pretty interesting...though I've never seen a Tati
Last Year at Marienbad - ditto...and I did like Hiroshima
Black Narcissus - yep, I'm still on the fence about this one, never seen a P&P

Also, having seen both of these films, I don't think I need to ask to decide that Wages of Fear/Paths of Glory are must-owns that I'll eventually get around to.


Thanks for being patient with my questions.

If you didn't like the Fellini films you've seen (which ones?) Amarcord probably won't change your mind. I really enjoy his work, but I can imagine it's not for everyone. If I had to pick one to try to sell somebody on Fellini I would probably suggest Nights of Cabiria or La Strada.

Black Narcissus is my favorite from your list and a must-own in my opinion.

[retask]

Collection Criterions without watching them is like fishing then throwing the fish back out again.

[Cocophone]

Originally Posted by puffyrock2

Well, the movie is not about hunting but there are many scenes where hunting takes place. I was just pointing out that it's not for sensitive viewers.

Life itself is not for sensitive viewers.

[octagon]

Did we just get merged with a fortune cookie thread or something?

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by wilky61

I posted here a few days ago with a list of about a dozen Criterions, and I decided to splurge on most of them for about $23 a pop (Seven Samurai/400 Blows/Breathless/Red Shoes/Thin Red Line/Days of Heaven/Army of Shadows/Cercle Rouge). Also, I decided to pick up Pierrot Le Fou, but that one was closer to $36. So I think I'm done buying Criterions for now until I watch all of these!

But of course, I'm already eyeing some others and looking for which titles to add to the wishlist to fill the vaccuum. Which of these do you think are "must-owns"? How would you rank/prioritize these six CC blus?

The Leopard - started to watch it once and gave up :/
Amarcord - never seen a Fellini film I liked, but something tells me this could be the one?
Stagecoach - seen it once, must-own? how's it look?
Playtime - looks pretty interesting...though I've never seen a Tati
Last Year at Marienbad - ditto...and I did like Hiroshima
Black Narcissus - yep, I'm still on the fence about this one, never seen a P&P

Also, having seen both of these films, I don't think I need to ask to decide that Wages of Fear/Paths of Glory are must-owns that I'll eventually get around to.


Thanks for being patient with my questions.

I'd rank them as follows:

1) Last Year at Marienbad (beautifully filmed with tracking shots and a very complex film that draws you in...love it)

2) Playtime (such a joy watching this film and it has great replay value, trying to catch all the gags)


THE ABOVE TWO ARE MUST OWNS, IMO. THE REST ARE NOT.

3) The Leopard (the set design is as good as I've seen. I definitely like the film and I'm glad I own it, but it's not one of my favorites that I have. Not a must own imo, but still worth owning)


I'D STILL BUY THE LEOPARD


I would never buy Stagecoach (which I think is mediocre, albeit an influential film), Black Narcissus (I HATED it, and I generally like P and P). I'm not giving an opinion on Amarcord because I don't remember it well, but I love 8 1/2. If you didn't like that, I suspect you won't like Amarcord.

Nice haul btw! I'll never buy The Red Shoes, but the others are all must owns imo.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by The Theory

There's a big difference between a review and a thread conversation about a specific title. Why do any title-specific threads exist if they could simply be linked to the official review?

Come to think of it, I typically avoid film specific threads, at least until after I've seen a film. Too often there are spoilers galore. (My spoiler threshold is pretty low.)

[arcadeforest]

Has anyone seen Topsy-Turvy? I just pre-ordered this off Amazon as it looks like a movie I would enjoy. Just looking to see what others here who have seen it think without giving anything away.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by wilky61

I posted here a few days ago with a list of about a dozen Criterions, and I decided to splurge on most of them for about $23 a pop (Seven Samurai/400 Blows/Breathless/Red Shoes/Thin Red Line/Days of Heaven/Army of Shadows/Cercle Rouge). Also, I decided to pick up Pierrot Le Fou, but that one was closer to $36. So I think I'm done buying Criterions for now until I watch all of these!

But of course, I'm already eyeing some others and looking for which titles to add to the wishlist to fill the vaccuum. Which of these do you think are "must-owns"? How would you rank/prioritize these six CC blus?

The Leopard - started to watch it once and gave up :/
Amarcord - never seen a Fellini film I liked, but something tells me this could be the one?
Stagecoach - seen it once, must-own? how's it look?
Playtime - looks pretty interesting...though I've never seen a Tati
Last Year at Marienbad - ditto...and I did like Hiroshima
Black Narcissus - yep, I'm still on the fence about this one, never seen a P&P

Also, having seen both of these films, I don't think I need to ask to decide that Wages of Fear/Paths of Glory are must-owns that I'll eventually get around to.


Thanks for being patient with my questions.

I think Marienbad is the must own in your list. I like Leopard too, you should give it another shot, must own-ish as well. Amarcord is pretty good, but not really a favorite, Playtime is probably a good Tati to start with (Mon Oncle is really the only other Tati I like, perhaps even more), Black Narcissus is pretty good too, but definitely P&P, suggest checking out Red Shoes first maybe to get a better idea beforehand of what they're about.

[Jr7936]

I am waiting on a used copy of charade from fye and then the preorder of Au revoir les enfants both which I got with fye gift card

[silentblu]

Originally Posted by wilky61

I posted here a few days ago with a list of about a dozen Criterions, and I decided to splurge on most of them for about $23 a pop (Seven Samurai/400 Blows/Breathless/Red Shoes/Thin Red Line/Days of Heaven/Army of Shadows/Cercle Rouge). Also, I decided to pick up Pierrot Le Fou, but that one was closer to $36. So I think I'm done buying Criterions for now until I watch all of these!

But of course, I'm already eyeing some others and looking for which titles to add to the wishlist to fill the vaccuum. Which of these do you think are "must-owns"? How would you rank/prioritize these six CC blus?

The Leopard - started to watch it once and gave up :/
Amarcord - never seen a Fellini film I liked, but something tells me this could be the one?
Stagecoach - seen it once, must-own? how's it look?
Playtime - looks pretty interesting...though I've never seen a Tati
Last Year at Marienbad - ditto...and I did like Hiroshima
Black Narcissus - yep, I'm still on the fence about this one, never seen a P&P

Also, having seen both of these films, I don't think I need to ask to decide that Wages of Fear/Paths of Glory are must-owns that I'll eventually get around to.


Thanks for being patient with my questions.

Stagecoach is must own. John Ford. John Wayne. I'd say it is the best on the list. The rest I can leave. If you're a fan of westerns and/or John Ford get Stagecoach. It also has Bucking Broadway; a John Ford silent which is fun and looks good.

[majorkonig41]

Originally Posted by wilky61

I posted here a few days ago with a list of about a dozen Criterions, and I decided to splurge on most of them for about $23 a pop (Seven Samurai/400 Blows/Breathless/Red Shoes/Thin Red Line/Days of Heaven/Army of Shadows/Cercle Rouge). Also, I decided to pick up Pierrot Le Fou, but that one was closer to $36. So I think I'm done buying Criterions for now until I watch all of these!

But of course, I'm already eyeing some others and looking for which titles to add to the wishlist to fill the vaccuum. Which of these do you think are "must-owns"? How would you rank/prioritize these six CC blus?

The Leopard - started to watch it once and gave up :/
Amarcord - never seen a Fellini film I liked, but something tells me this could be the one?
Stagecoach - seen it once, must-own? how's it look?
Playtime - looks pretty interesting...though I've never seen a Tati
Last Year at Marienbad - ditto...and I did like Hiroshima
Black Narcissus - yep, I'm still on the fence about this one, never seen a P&P

Also, having seen both of these films, I don't think I need to ask to decide that Wages of Fear/Paths of Glory are must-owns that I'll eventually get around to.


Thanks for being patient with my questions.

I would say The Leopard is the only must own. The rest are good, except for Black Narcissus which is terrible imo, but are not must own unless you like them. Also don't wait around to get Paths of Glory. Incredible movie, transfer, and extras. Get it before any of the others.

[wilky61]

Originally Posted by Belloche

If you didn't like the Fellini films you've seen (which ones?) Amarcord probably won't change your mind. I really enjoy his work, but I can imagine it's not for everyone. If I had to pick one to try to sell somebody on Fellini I would probably suggest Nights of Cabiria or La Strada.

Black Narcissus is my favorite from your list and a must-own in my opinion.

I can't decide which I hated worse. I guess La Strada on account of the fact that I turned it off without even finishing it. Then again, I'm pretty sure I sped through segments of Cabiria.

That blonde chick, Fellini's wife, is the most grating actress of all-time. I ****ing CANNOT stand her.


Judging by the mixture of replies I'm receiving and the lack of a consensus favorite, I guess I'm going to have to rent each of those six to see if they're my style.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by repete66211

Walkabout is also one of the first movies in what is IMO one of the greatest (and most overlooked) eras of filmmaking--Australian cinema of the 70s and early 80s.

Amen, brother. I have heard this era referred to as the Australian New Wave and have seen a few films from this time, mostly on late night TV or early generation DVD transfers. All have been great movies. I wish Criterion would get the rights to Gallipoli. Talk about a memorable and haunting movie. Haven't seen it in years and it still sticks with me. Peter Weir is one of my favorite directors.

A few others I have seen and really liked from this era are The Coca-Cola Kid, The Lighthorsemen, The Year of Living Dangerously, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Man from Snowy River, Picniic at Hanging Rock, Mad Max, Breaker Morant , and, of course, Crocodile Dundee.

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by oildude

Amen, brother. I have heard this era referred to as the Australian New Wave and have seen a few films from this time, mostly on late night TV or early generation DVD transfers. All have been great movies. I wish Criterion would get the rights to Gallipoli. Talk about a memorable and haunting movie. Haven't seen it in years and it still sticks with me. Peter Weir is one of my favorite directors.

A few others I have seen and really liked from this era are The Coca-Cola Kid, The Lighthorsemen, The Year of Living Dangerously, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Man from Snowy River, Picniic at Hanging Rock, Mad Max, Breaker Morant , and, of course, Crocodile Dundee.

Pfffft... Crocodile Dundee is the Wages of Fear of Paul Hogan movies. That's like saying you like Seven Samurai or Rushmore.

All the cool kids know that Lightning Jack is the only Australian movie we need on BD!