The Criterion Collection

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by SilentxStatik24

Hey everyone!

I was going to pick up Days of Heaven tomorrow but I was also looking at some other criterion blu-rays. I am looking to buy:

8 1/2
The Seventh Seal
Fanny and Alexander
The Wages of Fear

I was wondering if Days of Heaven is worth the blind buy considering I loved The Tree of Life and The Thin Red Line or if any of these other choices would be any better? I can only get one at the moment, so the ones that I don't get will have to wait for a sale.

Any help would be greatly appreciated,

Silent

I have all 5 films and consider them to all be outstanding films. I would highly recommend all of them.
Having said that, I'd say your love of both Tree of Life and The Thin Red Line should make you pretty confident in getting Days of Heaven.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Just curious, have you seen them?

I have not seen Trilogy of Life or Salo, but I have researched the titles by way of reading online reviews. Nothing that I have read about these movies even remotely indicates that these are films that I will want to watch once, let alone repeatedly.

Most Criterion titles are blind buys for me, because of the very nature of the company's reputation for picking up films previously unavailable anywhere else, but I have to do my homework online to see if it's a film that intrigues me.

I can tell, for instance, that A Man Escaped will probably be a good blind buy, since I like prison escape films and films about the French Resistance.

[metaridley]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I have not seen Trilogy of Life or Salo, but I have researched the titles by way of reading online reviews. Nothing that I have read about these movies even remotely indicates that these are films that I will want to watch once, let alone repeatedly.

Most Criterion titles are blind buys for me, because of the very nature of the company's reputation for picking up films previously unavailable anywhere else, but I have to do my homework online to see if it's a film that intrigues me.

I can tell, for instance, that A Man Escaped will probably be a good blind buy, since I like prison escape films and films about the French Resistance.

Blind buying: You're doing it right.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by SilentxStatik24

I was going to pick up Days of Heaven tomorrow but I was also looking at some other criterion blu-rays. I am looking to buy:

8 1/2
The Seventh Seal
Fanny and Alexander
The Wages of Fear

I was wondering if Days of Heaven is worth the blind buy considering I loved The Tree of Life and The Thin Red Line or if any of these other choices would be any better? I can only get one at the moment, so the ones that I don't get will have to wait for a sale.

I love The Thin Red Line and was wowed when I first saw Tree of Life at the cinema...although now I'm beginning to think it's just a load of Malick-brand new age pap set to gorgeous imagery and music. Days of Heaven again looks great but I thought the story was spread out way too thin so it's not a film I'll be revisiting many times.
Actually if you can get only one now I suggest 8 1/2, because it looks fantastic and Fellini seems to be having a ball with the freeform story of a celebrated auteur having trouble with his latest film and also going back over his relationships. Seventh Seal is another fantastic movie with several memorable and gripping moments. Wages of Fear is a damn good thriller but not as awesome as these previous movies. I'd leave F&A for a sale because it might be more expensive than a normal CC blu-ray and it's likely a disc that you might leave for "watching on some rainy day" because it is 5 1/2 hours long in its entirety .

[rkish]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

I've never ordered from Import CDs, but I might have to follow up on this - I'm not seeing many discounts for some of the other speciality labels on Amazon...
Yikes! I've been waiting for Les Vampires to drop in price at Amazon and I see that Import CDs has it for less than $22!
I'm holding you solely responsible for my next spending spree!

I bought Les Vampires at a B & N in NYC, when they had a sale and I had a coupon...I loved it! Got me to buy Fantomas, which I'm finishing up now and Judex, which I'll likely get from Fedex today...great stuff!

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by *PREACHER*

Pacino, Arkin, Walken? How had I never heard of this film...now I have to see this!!!

Thanks Abdrewes...was the movie on a whole at least worth seeing once, then maybe I'll sneak a peak!

I posted a mini review of Stand Up guys in the Movie Review Discussion thread, but to cut to the chase: it's very lackluster. Considering it may be the Last film for one of those guys, it may be worth a look. But lem me tell you, it's not 'The Shootist.'

[metaridley]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I posted a mini review of the film in the Movie Review Discussion thread, but to cut to the chase: it's very lackluster. Considering it may be the Last film for one of those guys, it may be worth a look. But lem me tell you, it's not 'The Shootist.'

Isn't this the movie that bankrupted United Artists, effectively destroyed Michael Cimino's career and served as a prime example that giving the auteurs of the 70s free reign ended up being a Bad Idea and that period of Hollywood history had come to an end?

A+ avatar, btw.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I have not seen Trilogy of Life or Salo, but I have researched the titles by way of reading online reviews. Nothing that I have read about these movies even remotely indicates that these are films that I will want to watch once, let alone repeatedly.

Most Criterion titles are blind buys for me, because of the very nature of the company's reputation for picking up films previously unavailable anywhere else, but I have to do my homework online to see if it's a film that intrigues me.

I can tell, for instance, that A Man Escaped will probably be a good blind buy, since I like prison escape films and films about the French Resistance.

Let's just say, A Man Escaped is not The Great Escape.

I don't see how it hurts to see a film once, especially a CC/Kino/MOC...release. I can understand simply staying away because of the graphic nudity, frequent sex, torture. They certainly arent "easy watches." I've said it before, but the Pasolini Blu-rays MUST be rented beforehand. Blind buys are simply crazy for those titles.

Speaking of "explicit" Criterion releases, I hope everyone has given/will give In the Realm of the Senses a Chance. It's a pretty phenomenal film and only roots itself deeper in the mind as time goes by.

Here's Dana Steven's recent review of the film:
http://mobile.slate.com/articles/art...a_stevens.html

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by metaridley

Isn't this the movie that bankrupted United Artists, effectively destroyed Michael Cimino's career and served as a prime example that giving the auteurs of the 70s free reign ended up being a Bad Idea and that period of Hollywood history had come to an end?

A+ avatar, btw.

Oh sorry I was talking about Stand Up Guys.

But yes, that's the film.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I posted a mini review of Stand Up guys in the Movie Review Discussion thread, but to cut to the chase: it's very lackluster. Considering it may be the Last film for one of those guys, it may be worth a look. But lem me tell you, it's not 'The Shootist.'

I've been hearing Stand Up Guys is pretty mediocre, which is a huge shame because these three actors in the same film should be the greatest thing ever.
Oh well, if anyone needs a dose of recent Walken, Seven Psychopaths is the place to go. Not nearly as great as In Bruges, but it was the most fun I had in the cinema last year

[drbikeshorts]

I bit the bullet and order from Import CDs - hopefully won't take too long for delivery to Australia.
Laura
Les Vampires
Thief Of Bagdad
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Body & Soul (1947)
Letter From An Unknown Woman (1948)

I also strongly considered a few of the Buster Keatons, because they're also noticeably cheaper than at Amazon. Next time...

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

I bit the bullet and order from Import CDs - hopefully won't take too long for delivery to Australia.
Laura
Les Vampires
Thief Of Bagdad
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Body & Soul (1947)
Letter From An Unknown Woman (1948)

I also strongly considered a few of the Buster Keatons, because they're also noticeably cheaper than at Amazon. Next time...

You should have picked up the Keaton Box set from DeepDiscount last week, it came out to $137 after the 10% coupon.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

You should have picked up the Keaton Box set from DeepDiscount last week, it came out to $137 after the 10% coupon.

Nah, I've already got a few Keatons, so I'll just pick up the rest individually as I want them.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Let's just say, A Man Escaped is not The Great Escape.

I don't see how it hurts to see a film once, especially a CC/Kino/MOC...release. I can understand simply staying away because of the graphic nudity, frequent sex, torture. They certainly arent "easy watches." I've said it before, but the Pasolini Blu-rays MUST be rented beforehand. Blind buys are simply crazy for those titles.

Speaking of "explicit" Criterion releases, I hope everyone has given/will give In the Realm of the Senses a Chance. It's a pretty phenomenal film and only roots itself deeper in the mind as time goes by.

Here's Dana Steven's recent review of the film:
http://mobile.slate.com/articles/art...a_stevens.html

I'm definitely expecting A Man Escaped to be a challenging film and not a "crowd pleaser", but it looks up my alley from what I've read.

The explicitness of the above-mentioned Criterions does not bother me, because I'm generally a no-boundaries type of guy. The movies just do not look all that fun to me in the way that other Criterions are. My guess is that I would watch both of them and think, "What's the big deal?", as I do with a lot of other hyped-up supposedly disturbing movies, but I also have a feeling that they would not be high on the re-watch scale.

My Criterion Blu-ray purchases are all movies that I believe will merit re-watching. (Well, actually, most of my Criterion Blu-ray purchases so far are movies that I know will be good for repeat viewing, since I owned them on DVD beforehand and am simply upgrading, but you get the idea.)

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

I bit the bullet and order from Import CDs - hopefully won't take too long for delivery to Australia.
Laura
Les Vampires
Thief Of Bagdad
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Body & Soul (1947)
Letter From An Unknown Woman (1948)

I also strongly considered a few of the Buster Keatons, because they're also noticeably cheaper than at Amazon. Next time...

I want Les Vampires. That series looks right up my alley.

You'll love On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Of all the Bond films, that is one that I could actually imagine getting Criterion treatment one day. It's a beautiful Fleming-faithful story that gets better with age. It also has one of the very best Bond girls. George Lazenby was so much better as Bond than most people give him credit for.

[tenia]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Speaking of "explicit" Criterion releases, I hope everyone has given/will give In the Realm of the Senses a Chance. It's a pretty phenomenal film and only roots itself deeper in the mind as time goes by.

I still prefer Empire of Passion, which I find much more interesting from a story perspective.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Pondosinatra

Just finished Belle De Jour.

Thought it was terrific! Also watched Repulsion lately. I officially now have a major crush on Catherine Deneuve

You may want to give Mississippi Mermaid a look.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

Basically, Monica Bellucci and Sophie Marceau in the same film is pornographic.
As for being past their prime, I say they're like fine wine

Monica Bellucci is the only thing I remember about the 2nd Matrix film.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Monica Bellucci is the only thing I remember about the 2nd Matrix film.

Now that's just crazy talk. Some of the action sequences were absolutely stellar (the highway ones).

On a serious note, has she ever given a multilayered performance. I think she has been well utilized in some of her best films (Irreversible), but that hardly constitutes range. She's just a gorgeous woman

Edit: I haven't seen Malena though.

[Jr7936]

just got quadophonic yesterday through a trade
have to say that would be a recommended buy and one of the easier criterions to get though also the audio of the songs is amazing