The Criterion Collection

[bugsy_pal]

Originally Posted by Norbie

Of the nine BD I got from the B&N sale only one arrived before Christmas eve here in Oz.


be nice

I'm in Oz too. I made 3 separate orders of about 9 discs, and as usual they were split into about 6 different deliveries. I have received about half of the discs now.

I don't know why their deliveries take so long... on the plus side, nothing from them I've bought has ever arrived damaged. They're always well packed.

[dsman71]

I liked Ministry of Fear, it started out really well with a great chase through a foggy area ( Im always into fog scenes) and for me it became an interesting mystery story..I thought it was fun, but Ill agree that M is better as is Lang's Dr Mabuse movies

[octagon]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Are there any Criterion Collection offerings that you are not inclined to purchase?

Disclaimer: I would probably grab any Criterion BD if I saw it used for like ten or less. That said, the stuff that I'm disinclined to buy (as opposed to simply not interested in) would include...

The Hollis Frampton set
The Spalding Greys
Traffic
Robinson Crusoe
Wes Anderson
The two Stillmans
Brakhage
Qatsi

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Scooter1836

How is "Ministry of Fear"?

I really liked "The Big Heat" which Fritz Lang also directed, but I have never seen "Ministry of Fear" so it would be a blind buy.

This is about as left-handed as compliments will get but I've watched half of it twice and warmed it up to it quite a bit more the second time. Not enough to finish it but enough to put it on my B&N radar.

It's got an early Hitchcock feel particularly with regard to suspension of disbelief. If you want a plausible, tightly written plot you should probably look elsewhere. If you're willing to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the atmosphere it can be a pretty fun ride.

The first half, anyway

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by octagon

Disclaimer: I would probably grab any Criterion BD if I saw it used for like ten or less. That said, the stuff that I'm disinclined to buy (as opposed to simply not interested in) would include...

The Hollis Frampton set
The Spalding Greys
Traffic
Robinson Crusoe
Wes Anderson
The two Stillmans
Brakhage
Qatsi

Traffic is one of my all time favorite movies.

[ZooTv]

Originally Posted by iscottie

Traffic is one of my all time favorite movies.

+1

[Sukuri]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

I purchase them all, more for the "This is a sample-set of films this particular company feels are 'important' for one reason or another, and I find myself agreeing a large percentage of the time, and while I enjoy them all, I find redeeming qualities in all of them" sort of way

I'm pretty much the same way. Movies that I wasn't fond of definitely grew on me the second times around (The man who fell to Earth, Kes (especially after putting subtitles on), Last year at Marienbad, to name a few).

That's not to say I enjoyed them all, and it would be a lot smarter and cheaper to what them online or something first, but I've always been a collector of sorts. Worst case scenario I can trade or sell them and make back what I spent.


Unrelated: I had a B&N package consisting of one film ship the 18th and show up today (23rd... and sunday =o ), while others (Rashomon for example, also thanks BG for the return info, got 'most' of my funds back) took a little over a month. Crazy how some things work.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The amusing conversation here about The Last Days of Disco has me thinking.

Are there any Criterion Collection offerings that you are not inclined to purchase?

I guess that I'll get the ball rolling here...

Bottle Rocket
Rushmore
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Life Aquatic
(I don't "get" Wes Anderson movies. I laughed a few times during Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, but I just did not feel immersed or even welcomed in any way. For me, watching a Wes Anderson movie is like being at a party where nobody knows me, but they all know one another intimately and they're all sharing inside jokes with one another while I'm standing around. Maybe that's the point, but it's the same end result.)

Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom
Antichrist
(I'm too much of a chicken to watch these. Well, I'm admittedly intrigued in that slow-down-to-look-at-a-car-accident sort of way, but I just don't see these being the types of films that I will want to watch more than once, hence the non-purchase.)

Life During Wartime
Kicking and Screaming
(Same sort of reason that I gave for the Wes Anderson films. I've picked these up in the store a time or two, but they just don't quicken my pulse.)

I won't say "never", because many of the Criterion flicks end up spurring a belated interest with me if I hear enough about the film, but the above ones just do not interest me at this point enough for a purchase.

Agree on all the Wes Anderson
Fat Girl
Tiny Furniture
Already bought, watched & sold Pale Flower, Branded To Kill, Alambrista, El Norte, Sunday Bloody Sunday...

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by GoldMotel

Bought Fanny and Alexander as a blind buy at B&N's 50% off all blu-ray christmas sale.

Any thoughts on the film?

I like Ingmar Bergman as a director, so I have high hopes.

It's absolutely brilliant. I strongly recommend watching the 5-hour television version. You can watch them in 4 parts. I recommend doing 2 parts one night, 2 the next night. You will not be disappointed.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

It's absolutely brilliant. I strongly recommend watching the 5-hour television version. You can watch them in 4 parts. I recommend doing 2 parts one night, 2 the next night. You will not be disappointed.

I watched all 5 hours at once the first time, and then regretted it. I liked the first half, but by the time I got to the second half I was sort of tired of watching...which was a bad thing because I found the second half so much better than the first (and felt I should have split the viewing in two so I could fully appreciate those later parts I liked more).

[Takeshi666]

Gah, I wasn't counting on Criterion to release the Pasolini trilogy.

Is there any incentive outside extras for me to buy them? I already have the BFI discs and I don't want to burden myself with more region A discs than I have to...

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by MacEachaidh

What would you call Body Heat, then? (And Red Rock West, for that matter, though it hasn't come to Blu-ray yet?)

I believe they're generally considered "neo-noir". That may be a dated observation.

[MacEachaidh]

Originally Posted by TJS_Blu

I believe they're generally considered "neo-noir". That may be a dated observation.

Yes, but the term "neo-noir" doesn't really seem to mean anything other than "noir that wasn't made in the 40s and 50s". It doesn't seem to have clear distinctions from "noir", other than the date-stamp. So I guess it comes down to whether you consider noir a self-sufficient genre, with its internal themes and patterns, or whether it has to be from a certain period and as a response to patterns in society at a specific time. That's the question I was raising. And I'm not certain myself which way my own thoughts fall.

[Kevin Holly]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Are there any Criterion Collection offerings that you are not inclined to purchase?

Are you asking if they were giving away Criterions for free, which I would still say no to (assuming I couldn't resell them)?

Offhand, Days of Heaven, and the Wes Andersons, and Chasing Amy.

[Abdrewes]

Blu rays I'm not inclined to buy:
Life During Wartime
Fat Girl (tempted to nab this for cheap)

Blu rays I kinda-sorta regret:
Darjeeling Limited
Forgiveness of Blood (hugely respectable film though)

[tylergfoster]

The only Criterion Blu-Rays I would actively be inclined not to purchase are films I've seen and disliked, or films that don't look interesting to me (the same as any Blu-Ray or DVD). However, when I have only a little cash during the sales I am inclined to go with films I have not seen over those I have, and those with more extras rather than less (I want to get the most for my money).

I would like them to upgrade more Suzuki, namely Youth of the Beast, although I'm not sure how "popular" that title is and therefore how likely it is that it's in line for an upgrade. I've also had my fingers crossed they'll pick up Cutter's Way from MGM. No dice yet.

[Freeza]

Originally Posted by octagon

Disclaimer: I would probably grab any Criterion BD if I saw it used for like ten or less. That said, the stuff that I'm disinclined to buy (as opposed to simply not interested in) would include...

The two Stillmans

Blasphemy!

[Norbie]

Originally Posted by bugsy_pal

I'm in Oz too. I made 3 separate orders of about 9 discs, and as usual they were split into about 6 different deliveries. I have received about half of the discs now.

I don't know why their deliveries take so long... on the plus side, nothing from them I've bought has ever arrived damaged. They're always well packed.

Well....well...well...spank me silly

The delivery man knocked on my door at 21:30 24th December and dropped off four more blurays from the B&N November sale.

The 39 Steps, Children of Paradise, Godzilla, and Rashomon. He also dropped off Night of the Living Dead from cdJapan.

Only four more to go...



be nice

[EddieLarkin]

Originally Posted by Takeshi666

Gah, I wasn't counting on Criterion to release the Pasolini trilogy.

Is there any incentive outside extras for me to buy them? I already have the BFI discs and I don't want to burden myself with more region A discs than I have to...

Much improved image.

[Ndume]

Criterion blu rays I am not in any hurry to buy (but will eventually purchase anyway):

The Forgiveness of Blood (a far cry from Marston's Maria Full of Grace)
And Everything is Going Fine/Gray's Anatomy (not particularly interested)
Life During Wartime (not bad, but Happiness was far superior)
Metropolitan (a good film, but not something I'm likely to watch repeatedly)