The Criterion Collection

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Hunk Golden

For anyone who cares to rank the following...I'd love to know what film buffs think. I'm considering them on Amazon. How would you rank them (#1 being the best, and so on). I haven't seen a single one at this point. I suspect many Criterion titles are too "niche" (or whatever) for me. I love all the features though.

Blow Out
Sweet Smell Of Success
Paths Of Glory
Au revoir les enfants
The Red Shoes
Le Cercle Rouge
Modern Times
M
Breathless
8 1/2

It's really hard to rank these.

If pressed, my choice is THE RED SHOES. I think it should be in anyone's collection even remotely interested in classical cinema. Then again, every title you've listed I THINK is an essential. Can't go wrong with any of those!

[BohemianGraham]

Augh, Charade, Fear & Loathing, and Sweet Smell of Success have been sitting in Halifax since Sunday, and Amazon said they would be delivered yesterday. My other orders are sitting still too! Another in Halifax that was supposed to come yesterday, and one in Missasauga that was supposed to come today. Grrr.

Edit: They all just arrived.

[tfunk]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Augh, Charade, Fear & Loathing, and Sweet Smell of Success have been sitting in Halifax since Sunday, and Amazon said they would be delivered yesterday. My other orders are sitting still too! Another in Halifax that was supposed to come yesterday, and one in Missasauga that was supposed to come today. Grrr.

Edit: They all just arrived.

Sometimes that's just how it is. The second you complain about something, karma says 'I'm gonna make you look like a jag now.' It's ok, it basically happens to everyone, and we don't really think you're a turd.

By the way, EXCELLENT choices. Lead off with Charade, you won't be disappointed.

[italy12]

Originally Posted by silentblu

I guess you could contact Criterion and find out.

I was thinking that even newer receivers still had both. I guess not. I wonder if there is a big enough difference between PL and PLII, etc. to actually matter.

I watched Blow Out last night with DPLII enabled and it sounded fantastic. I will email Criterion to see what the deal is...

Thanks for the feedback...

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by Hunk Golden

For anyone who cares to rank the following...I'd love to know what film buffs think. I'm considering them on Amazon. How would you rank them (#1 being the best, and so on). I haven't seen a single one at this point. I suspect many Criterion titles are too "niche" (or whatever) for me. I love all the features though.

Blow Out
Sweet Smell Of Success
Paths Of Glory
Au revoir les enfants
The Red Shoes
Le Cercle Rouge
Modern Times
M
Breathless
8 1/2

Its was tough but here is my order of these titles.

The Red Shoes
Sweet Smell of Success
M
Modern Times
Paths of Glory
Breathless
8½
Blow Out
Le Cercle Rouge

Have never seen "Au revoir les enfants"

What is everyone's take on Senso ? I'm on the fence about it.

Originally Posted by tfunk

By the way, EXCELLENT choices. Lead off with Charade, you won't be disappointed.

Excellent taste there. And might I add the quality difference of this Bluray was miles above the DVD release. I was amazed how good it looked. Also at this point this is the closest thing we have to a Criterion Bluray Hitchcock film. Although I would love to see them release Rebecca or one of the other titles they have released in the past.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by tfunk

Sometimes that's just how it is. The second you complain about something, karma says 'I'm gonna make you look like a jag now.' It's ok, it basically happens to everyone, and we don't really think you're a turd.

By the way, EXCELLENT choices. Lead off with Charade, you won't be disappointed.

I'm looking forward to seeing a "proper" version of Charade, as I currently have a cheap public domain copy paired up with The Last Time I Saw Paris on a single DVD. I'd like to thank Robert Osbourne for introducing the film to me, Ditto for Sweet Smell of Success. TCM is awesome. Paths of Glory is going to ship in a week. My Dad's already been given my MGM DVD release.

[herzog4life]

Originally Posted by Hunk Golden

For anyone who cares to rank the following...I'd love to know what film buffs think. I'm considering them on Amazon. How would you rank them (#1 being the best, and so on). I haven't seen a single one at this point. I suspect many Criterion titles are too "niche" (or whatever) for me. I love all the features though.

Blow Out
Sweet Smell Of Success
Paths Of Glory
Au revoir les enfants
The Red Shoes
Le Cercle Rouge
Modern Times
M
Breathless
8 1/2

Here's my ranking

Blow Out
Modern Times
Sweet Smell of Success
Paths of Glory
The Red Shoes
M
Le Cercle Rouge
Breathless
8 1/2
Au revoir les enfants

I own all but the last one.

[Der Spieler]

Watched Senso last night and must admit I was bored through most of it. But then came the last scene, which I found extremely powerful, and the downbeat ending who also blew me away. I watched the extras and they shed a new light on the movie. I think I'll probably return quite often to this one.

But is it just me or were the colors strange? They "pulsated" fairly often, though it was mostly light but there was an "unreal" quality about the overall photography. Might have to do with the Technicolor process they used.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

I'm looking forward to seeing a "proper" version of Charade, as I currently have a cheap public domain copy paired up with The Last Time I Saw Paris on a single DVD. I'd like to thank Robert Osbourne for introducing the film to me, Ditto for Sweet Smell of Success. TCM is awesome. Paths of Glory is going to ship in a week. My Dad's already been given my MGM DVD release.

You will be very please with the Blu-ray of Charade from Criterion, seen it a good 5 times since I first got it

[JediFonger]

added 3 more this mornin:
-le circle moulin rouge
-white material
-fish tank

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by Der Spieler

Watched Senso last night and must admit I was bored through most of it. But then came the last scene, which I found extremely powerful, and the downbeat ending who also blew me away. I watched the extras and they shed a new light on the movie. I think I'll probably return quite often to this one.

But is it just me or were the colors strange? They "pulsated" fairly often, though it was mostly light but there was an "unreal" quality about the overall photography. Might have to do with the Technicolor process they used.

thanks for the impressions. Was the color pulsation like the issue with The Red Shoes? Where the colors seem to shift.

[Yami]

What's Criterion's e-mail? I need to request Abel Gance's Napoleon.

It has a weird aspect ratio - can a TV handle it's OAR of 4.00:1?

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by Yami

What's Criterion's e-mail? I need to request Abel Gance's Napoleon.

It has a weird aspect ratio - can a TV handle it's OAR of 4.00:1?

mulvaney@criterion.com

Never happen while Coppola's alive though (I assume you want the long version and not his truncated mess).

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Yami

What's Criterion's e-mail? I need to request Abel Gance's Napoleon.

It has a weird aspect ratio - can a TV handle it's OAR of 4.00:1?

I think MGM as the rights for North America. There is a region 2 DVD release but I never seen what it look like due to the wide very wide aspect ratio

[Yami]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

mulvaney@criterion.com

Never happen while Coppola's alive though (I assume you want the long version and not his truncated mess).

Indeed. I've said it before but I can't understand why Coppola, as a filmmaker, would suppress a masterpiece due to his father's inferior score. Thanks for the e-mail, it's worth a shot.

[Der Spieler]

Originally Posted by Banned User

thanks for the impressions. Was the color pulsation like the issue with The Red Shoes? Where the colors seem to shift.

I haven't seen Red Shoes. I'm no specialist but I thought Senso sometimes looked almost like a colorized movie. The overall look is pretty good but it took me a while to get used to.

[Hunk Golden]

Thanks for the rankings gents. I really appreciate them!!

I've been interested in "Charade" too, despite the high price. Since it's not included in this sale, I think I'll wait for B&N's (hopefully) July 50% off Criterion. Last month I ordered a 2-pack DVD of "Truth About Charlie"/"Charade" to tide me over.

[SpiderBaby]

^ Yeah, don't request to John M. Re-word it. Instead of "I want to request Napoleon", say "Any truth to a Napoleon release rumors I heard". That way you can say you didn't request.

[octagon]

Why couldn't you have posted that before I fired off my Charley Varrick suggestion a couple hours ago?

[Yami]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

Don't clog Mulvaney's inbox with a request. He's got plenty of other crap to deal with.

Email suggestions@criterion.com (per their website).

Someone should invent an e-mail cancellation system :P I did go into full rant at Coppola mode in the e-mail though... a bit OTT maybe XD