The Criterion Collection

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by rkish

Hey CCFixx...catch this lil' nugget?

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=8098

I sure did! I'm on it like stink on $hit!

Originally Posted by rkish

Where else have you seen the other releases in this box set? Criterion? Tartan?

The other four films are pretty much the only Bergman films on DVD somewhere in the world that I don't actually own. I only know of them to have Australian and Swedish DVD releases, and I've never brought myself to spend the money to import them. So, I'm stoked to have them released on blu-ray from a reputable company like Artificial Eye.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

It is funny yes, since so far the only one to have sold out is Fright Night which is their most regular mainstream release yet. I am actually surprise and yet not so surprise that Mysterious Island as not sold out.

In part, due to the state of denial among some fans vainly holding out for another Harryhausen box set. Blu-ray sales of the Harryhausen classics have been soft so far - even 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts in standalone form - so Columbia/Sony's bean counters can't justify releasing any more of them while the Blu-ray market remains stalled between 20% - 25%. Maybe in 3 or 4 years. Maybe never.

In the meantime, this is why Columbia/Sony seems to be licensing off their catalogue as fast as the lawyers can write up agreements. The studio already has wonderful Grover Crisp supervised high def masters of many (if not most) of its catalogue available for cable and streaming, but they're just gun-shy about running the retail gauntlet with them anymore as hard media, especially since such niche appeal titles typically take longer to sell though, thus are more likely to be deeply discounted before they can sell out. Any major studio's overhead alone makes 5000 to 10000 runs totally unprofitable.

One could argue that Criterion - although a more established cottage label - faces the same challenges with sales of its collection at the retail level. I mean, how many here buy only when these titles are on sale? And only from Amazon? Or only from B&N? Big box retail and obscure/niche/premium content on Blu-ray don't seem to be mixing very well these days. So is it such a stretch to imagine some point in a couple of years or so when Criterion Blu's will be mail-order only? With discounts more like a Rewards program?

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Some do get attracted by "the limited releases" and bit on them without liking or actually wanting the movie. Not for selling it later but just for the fact that it's a limited release and "their collector alarm" goes off. I mean it's not rare to find Criterion collector wanting them mostly for the spine number and not the fact that they just happen to like every single movie released by Criterion. It's possible that some actually do but I find it a bit of a stretch

All I can say is...I've been enjoying...every...blessed...single...one.

[jcs913]

Originally Posted by rkish

I hear ya...I might opt to cancel the Czech New Wave and wait until July and get it for 50% off...

Wings was purchased with part of a gift card...the other half was used on 12 Angry Men...

Silent films have become a personal priority for me...hence my excitement for one particular MoC release coming up in 2013...

Rich, did you order anything from MOC during this sale? I am curious how quickly they shipped. My Melville should be on its way.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

All I can say is...I've been enjoying...every...blessed...single...one.

Like I said, it's possible but .....

[jcs913]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

I sure did! I'm on it like stink on $hit!



The other four films are pretty much the only Bergman films on DVD somewhere in the world that I don't actually own. I only know of them to have Australian and Swedish DVD releases, and I've never brought myself to spend the money to import them. So, I'm stoked to have them released on blu-ray from a reputable company like Artificial Eye.

CC, will you have all the Bergman films now after these come out or will you still be missing any?

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by jcs913

CC, will you have all the Bergman films now after these come out or will you still be missing any?

Unfortunately, no. Including the major TV films, I'm still gonna be missing about 13 films that Bergman directed. I have a nice little spreadsheet that I use to keep up with them. According to my list, there were 53 notable productions that Bergman directed, which does include TV productions. Currently, I only have 36 on disc and the four being released by Artificial Eye will give me 40. For those counting, Criterion has only released 19 of his films.

Plus, I'm missing 8 of the 11 films that Bergman wrote the screenplays for but were directed by other people. If I wanna see them all, I'm probably gonna have to go through the downloading route or bootlegs, I suppose.

[jcs913]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

Unfortunately, no. Including the major TV films, I'm still gonna be missing about 13 films that Bergman directed. I have a nice little spreadsheet that I use to keep up with them. According to my list, there were 53 notable productions that Bergman directed, which does include TV productions. Currently, I only have 36 on disc and the four being released by Artificial Eye will give me 40. For those counting, Criterion has only released 19 of his films.

Plus, I'm missing 8 of the 11 films that Bergman wrote the screenplays for but were directed by other people. If I wanna see them all, I'm probably gonna have to go through the downloading route or bootlegs, I suppose.

40 seems more than enough to keep you busy, but I assume the completist in you will not be satisfied. It is good news about AE releasing that set. That will be a must buy import.

[rkish]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

I sure did! I'm on it like stink on $hit!



The other four films are pretty much the only Bergman films on DVD somewhere in the world that I don't actually own. I only know of them to have Australian and Swedish DVD releases, and I've never brought myself to spend the money to import them. So, I'm stoked to have them released on blu-ray from a reputable company like Artificial Eye.

I'll assume that you've seen all five films...I've only seen Sawdust and Tinsel. What can you tell me about the other four films?

Wonder when this wil be available for a preorder?

[rkish]

Originally Posted by jcs913

Rich, did you order anything from MOC during this sale? I am curious how quickly they shipped. My Melville should be on its way.

Hey John! Yes...I ordered the Melville as well. I would have ordered it, no matter what it cost, but how could you go wrong for 10.99 BSP shipped. I had originally ordered from Amazon UK, but it was around $5 more with the shipping.

Eureka/Masters of Cinema and Amazon UK both use Royal Mail and shipping times to the US are about the same...maybe a tad better with MoC. I've gotten BDs in as little as 4-5 days and definitely no more than a week to ten days at the very most. I ordered mine last Thursday afternoon and hope to have it by the weekend.

I finally set up my own PayPal account after having used my wife's for previous purchases...

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

Yeah, you'd only be waiting 5 or 6 weeks extra for it if you did.

As a show of restraint I'm arbitrarily trying to limit myself to no more than 3 Blu-ray titles per month this year. When I tell people in the real world that, they can't believe I buy that many, but last year it was something like 6 per month on average due to some cheap deals, a brief stint with Columbia House, etc.

Anyway, I am currently at 10 so far for the year (including three pre-orders that I will not be canceling), and I still haven't picked up Belle de jour (which I had pre-ordered but canceled) or Punishment Park, and Drive is out next week...and The Conformist is out next month...

And then there's the $55 Czech New Wave Eclipse set that I've pre-ordered...

So yeah, Wings will definitely have to wait.

And I'm right there with you regarding Passion. If Criterion manages to scoop MoC on that title I won't complain, but it's nice to know it's going to be coming sometime in the foreseeable future from someone.

Incidentally I thought of you the other day when I found Floating Weeds at the library. I'm hoping to watch it this weekend. Thanks for the recommendation!

My goal was 2, though I may have to bump it to 3 beginning in March/April. B&N sales months, and my birthday in August will be major exceptions. I only bought one for January, and that was Gojira. I have Lady and the Tramp and Anatomy of a Murder on pre-order for February, and Hugo doesn't seem to have a concrete release date, so I'm counting it as more of a March release. I'm looking at The Muppets for March as well, and my mother offered to buy Sherlock Holmes as a thanks for helping her with work and such. April's gone with The Organizer and Harold and Maude. Gonna have to get TinTin, Chinatown, World on a wire, Letter Never Sent, other Criterions on my backlog, and the Three Musketeers (trashy good fun!) sometime later. I don't buy too often, only when there's a huge influx of interesting releases, or B&N 50% off sales.

Gojira is in Halifax, here's hoping it shows up in central NS, only to go back to Halifax via my parents tomorrow night.

Did you get both versions of Floating Weeds? TCM had them on back to back a week and a half ago. I enjoyed both, but I enjoyed the updated version a bit more than the original.

[rkish]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

Yeah, you'd only be waiting 5 or 6 weeks extra for it if you did.

As a show of restraint I'm arbitrarily trying to limit myself to no more than 3 Blu-ray titles per month this year. When I tell people in the real world that, they can't believe I buy that many, but last year it was something like 6 per month on average due to some cheap deals, a brief stint with Columbia House, etc.

Anyway, I am currently at 10 so far for the year (including three pre-orders that I will not be canceling), and I still haven't picked up Belle de jour (which I had pre-ordered but canceled) or Punishment Park, and Drive is out next week...and The Conformist is out next month...

And then there's the $55 Czech New Wave Eclipse set that I've pre-ordered...

So yeah, Wings will definitely have to wait.

And I'm right there with you regarding Passion. If Criterion manages to scoop MoC on that title I won't complain, but it's nice to know it's going to be coming sometime in the foreseeable future from someone.

Incidentally I thought of you the other day when I found Floating Weeds at the library. I'm hoping to watch it this weekend. Thanks for the recommendation!

I've got a similar philosophy as you...but I weigh two factors. How much of a priority a release is and depending on when it will be released, how my money situation is. Lately, I've been making silents on blu a priority...but a great price on any film is always a factor. As much as I agree and won't pay the extra cash for a NetFlix disc rental option...it did allow me to rent a number of Criterion and some great classic films and saved me a lot of money. This is how I discovered and learned a lot about Ozu, Naruse, Melville, etc...etc...etc...

With the recent announcements at MoC, I've had to rethink my future purchases. I should probably consider the Mizoguchis, but as with Kurosawa, I prefer his non-Samurai/Period films...though I still love Seven Samurai, Redbeard, and the Hidden Fortress.

I watched a good deal of "Passion" when I as able to stream it on NetFlix, but he quality was so bad, that I opted to wait and be patient, with the hope that Criterion or some other company (like MoC) would eventually release it on blu...I'm glad that the wait paid off...

It's great that you are able to borrow Criterion and other quality films from your library...I'm jealous! Glad you opted to borrow Floating Weeds...though not my favorite Ozu film, it's a good film nonetheless. If you see any films by Naruse...give them a watch...I think you might enjoy them. Let me know what you think about Floating Weeds...

ENJOY!

[ikari777]

I picked up Godzilla CC today and can tell everyone that the transfer and overall packaged is superb! It's a revelation when compared to any other home release including the earlier blu-ray. My Review will be up tomorrow night!

[jcs913]

Originally Posted by rkish

Hey John! Yes...I ordered the Melville as well. I would have ordered it, no matter what it cost, but how could you go wrong for 10.99 BSP shipped. I had originally ordered from Amazon UK, but it was around $5 more with the shipping.

Eureka/Masters of Cinema and Amazon UK both use Royal Mail and shipping times to the US are about the same...maybe a tad better with MoC. I've gotten BDs in as little as 4-5 days and definitely no more than a week to ten days at the very most. I ordered mine last Thursday afternoon and hope to have it by the weekend.

I finally set up my own PayPal account after having used my wife's for previous purchases...

Good to hear on the shipping with Royal Mail as this is the first order I placed direct with MOC. I always opt for Amazon Uk and order 3 or so titles so shipping isn't hurting, but the direct MOC price was too good to pass up.

[octagon]

Heh, I've been trying to figure out a way to say 'so what kind of turnaround can I expect' without sounding like an impatient douche.

Thanks

[Oblivion138]

As an aside, has anyone received word on the replacement discs for Carlos? I would like to get the corrected discs for both Carlos and White, but I'm holding off on White so that I can send them out together.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

Just the remake, the Essential Art House edition. But I'm pretty sure I've seen the Criterion double feature in the library system before so I'll get around to the original someday.

Like I said, I'm fortunate enough to get TCM Canada SD as part of basic cable. It took me a week to clear them off my PVR, but I did watch them recently. I just finished with The Earrings of Madame De... before I came to work this morning. I still have PVRs from the beginning of January to go through, such as My Life as a Dog. Next month is going to kill me, or blow up my desktop as it's 31 Days of Oscar. I still need to squeeze in the time to watch the Best Picture noms, Gojira, Lady and the Tramp, Anatomy of a Murder, and Criminal Minds once a week.

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

I'm hoping things will level out but the next few months are really going to screw up my 3-per-month system.



Money's always an issue for me, too. I imposed this restriction on myself both to contain my impulse buys and to keep my collection from mushrooming with stuff that I'm not really going to watch too much. So as of now, I pretty much know what I'm buying through June!

Money is my big driving factor too. Once I get my MVI sticker tomorrow, I'm saving up for a new car, as I've sank 1000 bucks worth of repairs into it, so it's time to get a new one. The MVI's good for 2 years. I also still have quite a bit of student debt to pay off. My insurance for my car is also due in April, as well as my registration. I'm also looking at retiring my PoS Compaq laptop that's 4 years old.

I agree with you that the next few are going to screw up everything. I'm going to cancel that restriction for the July sale, and my bithday in August (I get Birthday cash), but it doesn't really help with all the good titles coming out. Disney has a bunch of great ones coming out in the summer too. There are at least 10 Criterions (all of my first tiers, Fanny and Alexander and World on a Wire from my second tier) in my backlog that I'm going to pick up during the sale (some may be replaced once we hear what comes out in May, June, July, or depending on finances, I may add a few more as well).

[octagon]

This is driving me crazy.

I just finished Insignificance and I know I've heard the opening song - When Your Heart Runs out of Time - in another film but I can't find any references other than the Roy Orbison Wild Hearts Run out of Time.

I kind of remember it over closing credits and the movie could have been a lighter movie about family or kids, maybe a Tom Hanks/High Grant type rom com or it could have been in a heavier drama ala An Officer and a Gentlemen but it was very mainstream and very popular.

I'm also getting flashes of Kenny Rogers but then who doesn't, right?

[octagon]

Tangent Alert: Speaking of An Officer and a Gentleman 2012 is its 30th anniversary and Paramount is celebrating their 100th - that could actually drop this year, couldn't it?

God, I can't even keep up with the real releases this year, I don't need to start dreaming them up.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by octagon

This is driving me crazy.

I just finished Insignificance and I know I've heard the opening song - When Your Heart Runs out of Time - in another film but I can't find any references other than the Roy Orbison Wild Hearts Run out of Time.

I kind of remember it over closing credits and the movie could have been a lighter movie about family or kids, maybe a Tom Hanks/High Grant type rom com or it could have been in a heavier drama ala An Officer and a Gentlemen but it was very mainstream and very popular.

I'm also getting flashes of Kenny Rogers but then who doesn't, right?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_Br%C3%BCcken - look at her singles. IMDB is wrong.

The soundtrack to the film was released on the British label ZTT Records. It featured a diverse selection of professional artists and composers including movie composer Hans Zimmer, Glenn Gregory, Claudia Brücken, Stanley Myers, Midge Ure (occasional guitar) and Roy Orbison. In addition, Gil Evans and his orchestra contributed with an interpretation of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony.

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insignificance_%28film%29

Glenn Gregory and Claudia Brücken released it as a single in 1985, but I'm not finding any other films with it.

Edit: Will Jennings version is only for the film, BTW. the actual soundtrack has the Glenn and Claudia recording.