The Criterion Collection

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

Just as a general note, the name of the movie is Howards End. It doesn't have an apostrophe.

That was me

Force of habit I guess

[sawzalot]

Quick question about one of the criterion sets: Monterey Pop comes in blu and standard dvd and they are both 50% off on , I think Tues., I had read somewhere before ,searched and could not find it,that the standard actually has a better soundtrack than the blu version also the standard is about 8 dollars more, is there some truth to this or is the blu surely the better soundtrack, thanks sawz..

[doctorsteve]

OK then, so I'd like to hear about Fishing with John from all you Criterion Cheerleaders out there. When you watched it, was it "WTF?" or "This is Awesome!"

Your thoughts please...

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by sawzalot

Monterey Pop comes in blu and standard dvd and they are both 50% off on , I think Tues., I had read somewhere before ,searched and could not find it,that the standard actually has a better soundtrack than the blu version

First of all, please define what you mean by the standard DVD release of "Monterey Pop" having a "better soundtrack" than the blu-ray version. As far as the actual soundtrack, it's the same film so the DVD and blu-ray are going to have the same soundtrack. As far as audio codecs go, though, the DVD only supports lossy Dolby Digital while the blu-ray supports the superior lossless DTS-HD Master. So, if you can clarify what exactly it is that you've read, then please do.

CC

[digitalbabe]

Kndy-thanks for the list!

[sawzalot]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

First of all, please define what you mean by the standard DVD release of "Monterey Pop" having a "better soundtrack" than the blu-ray version. As far as the actual soundtrack, it's the same film so the DVD and blu-ray are going to have the same soundtrack. As far as audio codecs go, though, the DVD only supports lossy Dolby Digital while the blu-ray supports the superior lossless DTS-HD Master. So, if you can clarify what exactly it is that you've read, then please do.

CC

Thanks for the reply I did in fact search out the forum that I read this on and have yet to find the quote, however I apologize for not being more clear with my question I was in fact referring to the codecs as I know the soundtrack is the same, my question was in fact about the audio codecs and exactly what differences would make one copy sound better than the other, I think if I remember correctly the op I was speaking of was talking about a more accurate sound available only on the standard release dvd but I cant find the quote so I can not verify what he was posting.I guess if I were to get a copy the blu is the way to go,thanks,sawz..

[#Darren]

There was a UK and a US release, each of which had unique different extras, and I think this has all the extras from both

Originally Posted by BillyJack

Does the Wings of Desire 2009 Criterion have any of the great suppliments from the 2003 MGM disc?

[zedd_117]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

Yeah, the PS3 has been Criterion's choice for a blu-ray player since their venture into high-definition releases. There was a great article in Sound & Vision magazine back in September 2008 about their theater makeover with the help from Joe Kane. Here's the link... it's a good 5-page read, and it also lists all the components they're using.

Also, it's a bit sad because on the second page of the article, there is mention of Criterion's forthcoming blu-ray release of "Contempt," which we all now know was never able to be released due to licensing.

CC

Yeah CC I read that article back in the day too, part 2 was nice too, where they showed the finished product, which I think was somewhere around feb or march of this year.
I had just forgotten that they used a PS3 until I read it again in the Criterion Newsletter announcing the winner of the contest.
Sound and Vision is both a gift and a curse. A gift because it's so well written and provides so much info, a curse because it makes you want more and more stuff.

[banned user105]

Probably not.

[Elvis]

Originally Posted by doctorsteve

OK then, so I'd like to hear about Fishing with John from all you Criterion Cheerleaders out there. When you watched it, was it "WTF?" or "This is Awesome!"

Your thoughts please...

I thought is was "ok" there were some funny parts like William Dafoe (ice fishing) and Dennis Hopper had a few moments but overall it's not one that I thought was a keeper. I use to own this on DVD (back in my lets buy everything criterion day's) but sold it along time ago. Not one I would buy on blu.

It's been a long time since I have seen it though....like 6 years or more.

On another note: It's nice to see Howard's End released but I thought "Remains of the Day" was so much better. Hopefully Criterion will get this James Ivory film as well.

[kndy]

No problem...hopefully the list can help others especially with the upcoming sale. For the last two weeks, I guess you can say that I've done my research with this B&N sale, what I see on eBay and what I see on Amazon.

This is for those who are going to go Criterion crazy not just on Blues but on the DVD's as well.

After looking at prices closely within the two weeks (actually in the past month) and what people were trying to sell and what people are bidding for, it's the expensive box sets that the Criterion folks will want to target. There are just too many titles that I don't see Criterion releasing on Blu-ray and so, it's a good time to take advantage of the sets with this B&N sale. [Please note: I'm going off non-member pricing]

The Adventures of Antoine Doinel
For those who enjoyed "The 400 Blows Blu-ray"...you're definitely going to want this set. Online price is $89.99, I assume it will go down to around $45? The lowest I have seen it in the past month for a used copy is $64. One time I saw it for $59 but reacted too late to get it.

Eisenstein: The Sound Years
I have wanted this set for a long time but lowest is always in the low $50's (used). With this sale, if it's around $36...that's a great deal.

Carl Theodor Dryer Box Set
Similar to Eisenstein, I have wanted this set and also tends to get in the low $50's (used). With this sale, if it's around $36...another great deal.

The Complete Monterey Box Set
Blu-ray set for $25-$27...that's wonderful!

The Brd Trilogy
Lowest I've seen it is around $54, so if you can get it for $36...another great deal.

A Film trilogy by Ingmar Bergman
I've seen this trilogy down to the mid-to-high $40's but if you can get it for $36, a great deal

Stage and Spectacle: Jean Renoir
I've seen this down in the $40's but similar to the others, $36 is a great deal (new).

John Cassavetes: Five Films
I've seen this in the mid-$60's for used. But this is one of the most expensive Criterion sets and if you can get it for $58-$65 new....that would be great.

Andrzej Wajda: Three War Films
The lowest I have seen is around $50. But if you can get it for $36, this is a great deal.

3 Films by Louis Malle
I've seen this one in the high $40's and low $50's. If you can get it new for $36, a good deal.

Six Moral Tales
I've wanted this one but lowest I've seen is the low $50's. If you can get this for around $45...a good deal.

Paul Robeson: Portraits of the Artist
Lowest I have seen is the low $50's but if you can score a new copy for $45, that's pretty good.

Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara
Lowest I have seen is in the $40's...but if you can get it for $36 (new), a good deal.

4 By Agnes Varda
This is one set I wanted but it was always hovering to $54-$60's but if you can get it for $45, a very good deal.

Pigs, Pimps and Prostitutes by Shohei Imamura
You can find this set in the low $40's at times but if you can get it for $36 (new), a good deal.

Note: "Fanny and Alexander", "I A Curious", "Monsters and Madmen" and "Grey Gardens" sets you can find cheap online.

And if you are an Eclipse Collector, your going to have a field day with this sale as you can get most of titles for $25-$35. Ones that I'm eyeing are the Early Bergman, Late Ozu, Delirious Fictions of William Klein, Silent Ozu, Aki Kaurismaki and Hiroshi Shimizu.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by doctorsteve

OK then, so I'd like to hear about Fishing with John from all you Criterion Cheerleaders out there. When you watched it, was it "WTF?" or "This is Awesome!"

Your thoughts please...

Being a jazz fan at the time I got it, was delighted to get to know something more about John (had a couple of his CDs, perhaps a Lounge Lizards title or two). Had never heard of it beforehand. No WTF, not quite awesome either, but worthwhile all in all.

[whbinder]

Originally Posted by doctorsteve

OK then, so I'd like to hear about Fishing with John from all you Criterion Cheerleaders out there. When you watched it, was it "WTF?" or "This is Awesome!"

Your thoughts please...

I'll go with "This is awesome" but it's definitely not a mainstream success or a film everyone will be in the mindset for. I guess that's kind of the point of Criterion. I won't go into a big review of his dadaist fishing show, but I appreciated what he was going for.

On a larger scale I think it's healthy to remember that for Criterion as a whole. Many of us love film as art and are curious to see all Criterion films to appreciate what they are, how they use film as art. But that doesn't mean we have to enjoy all of them anymore than an art lover can not like Salador Dali. It doesn't mean they don't appreciate art or that Dali isn't art.

I for one didn't enjoy "Walkabout", but I respect it. (Also, I'm not a fan of the non-Criterion title "Easy Rider", but I fully understand it's relevance).

[aggienader08]

Originally Posted by horseflesh

I'm going to buy Howards End and Wings of Desire, I also usually buy from Amazon, but being able to get one title for $18 and one for $13 (plus they take Paypal) is too good to miss.
The only thing I'm wondering is whether Gomorrah will be available at 50% off; apparently the sale ends on the 24th at 2:59am so theoretically it should be available to order for 2 hours 59 minutes

The guy at B&N told me that the sale ended on the 23rd. I was disappointed that Gomorrah wasn't going to make it to the sale.

[banned user105]

SALE HAS BEGUN TO GO LIVE

So far only DVD's are showing up 50% off, but Blu-Rays should follow soon. I'm about to run out to the store to see if the sale is effective there too.

http://video.barnesandnoble.com/u/DV...linkid=1402269

[nablock]

Keep us posted about the in-store prices. It would be great to be able to pick up a couple today!

[banned user105]

Just got back. Still not live in-store, so it probably won't be til tomorrow. One thing I did notice though is that they seriously beefed up their stock. A few days ago they only had about 1 copy per title, and now they have at least 3.

[banned user105]

I just called customer service and was told that the reason the sale is already effective online is because any orders placed now won't be processed until tomorrow anyway. So there you have it. Order now if you're impatient, or wait until tomorrow to get an extra $5 off per title.

[retablo]

Its funny that B&N charges sales tax, where most other sites do not. Pretty much negates alot of the savings from the coupons/membership, so its really not a great deal. I'll wait for DeepDiscount's 50% off sale.

[banned user105]

Originally Posted by retablo

Its funny that B&N charges sales tax, where most other sites do not. Pretty much negates alot of the savings from the coupons/membership, so its really not a great deal. I'll wait for DeepDiscount's 50% off sale.

$13 or $8.50 per title (plus sales tax) isn't a great deal Sure beats the hell out of DD's sale prices.