The Criterion Collection

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

I noticed the novel won the Nobel Prize for literature, and although the film didn't appeal to me as much as I anticipated, it did compel me to read the novel. It's on my list once I finish The Book of Merlyn by TH White, the 5th book of The Once and Future King.

The Once and Future King is one of my favourite books. I first read it when I was about 12 years old.
It was years later that I found out about the fifth book and was able to read it.
Current editions of the book have all five parts included.
Apparently, Disney's The Sword in the Stone is based on one of the parts, but I don't think I've ever seen it.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by DarkRyder

What does that say for a US release? Possible, but be prepared to pay big bucks for it, as the Japanese version is already $250. And, who knows how good the transfer is/will be.

Japanese prices for blu-rays are usually a poor comparison since they sell single blu movies for $90 over there.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Have fun. I like your new avatar.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by ZooTv

Looking forward to hearing where you'd rank it among Malick's other films.

I am curious as well. I will let you know and I'll give you my take on the film, as well.

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

You went from Irene Jacob to Jessica Chastain. You have wonderful taste, good sir.

Haha thank you. I tend to think I have a pretty good taste, as well.

Nothing like a beautiful woman

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by octagon

I suppose they could try to market a BD set to the several hundred million people in the US alone who don't have Berlin Alexanderplatz on DVD.

I'd certainly give it a look.

Yup. I don't have the DVD and the possibility of an upgrade is enough reason for me to wait and see if it happens...

[Edward J Grug III]

I think Badlands will have to be a try-before-I-buy for me, as I couldn't STAND Tree of Life. I know this is his earliest and most straight forward film, but so far, Malick=alarm bells for me :P

[drbikeshorts]

All this talk of Berlin Alexanderplatz sent me to that other website for a review and some screenshots.
It's interesting that it was (apparently) shot on 16mm at 25fps and therefore the Criterion DVDs are slowed down by 4% (rather than the usual PAL DVDs sped up by 4%).
The Criterion DVDs are picture-boxed (an unfortunate trend they persisted with on many of their Eclipse DVDs), however they have more information on all sides compared to the Second Sight DVD box-set.
Judging by the screenshots, the picture on the Criterion looks to have nicer contrast.
I'm in no hurry, so I'll definitely wait for an upgrade...

[retablo]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

I very much doubt it'll happen. For starters, the master used for the DVD was a 2K scan of the 16mm elements. That's not to say there won't be a noticeable improvement at 1080p, but it's not going to blow anyones socks off.

16mm still has more resolution than blu-ray (around 3-4K, depending if it was regular 16 or Super 16), so there would still be a noticeable improvement. Everlasting Moments is a beautiful Criterion disc mastered from 16mm elements.

[starman15317]

I decided to order Brazil. I can't pass up the $19.99 price. I'll probably wait a couple of weeks (maybe during Best Buy's U&S deal) to buy Badlands.

[KRW1]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

I am an international Region A capable Criterion fan, I own Berlin Alexanderplatz on DVD, I wouldn't upgrade it to Blu-ray.

I'm an international Region A capable Criterion fan, I do not own Berlin Alexanerplatz on DVD, I would buy the bluray. I am contemplating the Japanese version.

I bet you were one of those who said exactly the same thing about By Brakhage, weren't you? That's a great release. One of my favourite upgrades.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Can't wait to put on Badlands in 10 minutes!

My prediction: You'll like it.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

I think Badlands will have to be a try-before-I-buy for me, as I couldn't STAND Tree of Life. I know this is his earliest and most straight forward film, but so far, Malick=alarm bells for me :P

I won't go so far as to say they're polar opposites from ToL but his first two films are the easiest to get into. Ignore the alarms.

[mrjohnnyb]

Safety Last!
When you take a look at what you get in the supplements and consider the price, this release is the bargain of the year!

[drbikeshorts]

Here's a question for those that are region-free: which version of Gate of Hell?
That other website has a comparison and screenshots. As usual, it looks like the Criterion has a slightly boosted contrast over the Masters of Cinema version.
On this website, Pro B also finds them mostly indistinguishable and doesn't seem to have a preference.
Obviously, I have no idea which is more accurate.
Both are light on supplements, but the MoC has a 24-page booklet with a couple of essays, whereas the Criterion has "Liner Notes with an Essay".
I think I'm leaning towards the MoC...

[RandyK]

Just pre ordered Naked Lunch!

Was gonna get Brazil but decided otherwise.

[*DrStrangelove*]

I already own all the titles on sale so I ordered Badlands. I'm excited to finally watch it. Everyone here seems to love this film, hope I'm not let down...And now I wait....

[PowellPressburger]

Richard III BLU anyone else dying for an early review! Pro-B please say it looks great in HD. first time I watched the film on DVD it looked like an animated film with the color. Now with an HD transfer for BLU it should look wonderful.

I did notice this film is on film foundations list of films they are taking donations for restoration. Interesting since we have a BLU release. I suppose actual film restoration is different than doing a nice HD digital release.

I wish Criterion still owned Tales of Hoffmann and a restoration was taking place much like the one for The Red Shoes and the Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.

[Edward J Grug III]

I ordered The Royal Tenenbaums (I'm one of those Wes Anderson lovers).

[Scottie]

I just finished Terrence Malick's Badlands and I am completely taken aback by how fantastic it was. I'm having a hard time believing that somebody out there could NOT like this film.

This was Terrence Malick's breakout film and it will go down in history with him. A lot of the concepts, themes, and techniques that he employed in later films were first utilized in this film. Two things that immediately come to mind are the narration and the great directing of the nature and landscapes.

Badlands follows two unique individuals. Holly is a naive and innocent girl who lives with her authoritarian father. She does everything by the book and seems to be mostly to herself. After she makes her only friend, Kit, a rebel who feels that the world is out to get him, the two set off together on the road, leaving behind a perfect blend of love and dead bodies wherever they go.

The sad thing about the film is how Kit was a nobody all of his life and the only way he could make a name for himself was by murdering numerous individuals. The relationship between these two characters was based on the loneliness that they both embedded. One of the best scenes in the entire movie, in my opinion, is when the two are dancing at night. It was the only normal thing that these two did in the entire movie and it was a very special moment for the viewer. We were shown a more humane and normal side to two individuals who were the furthest thing from normal. The parties involved in this film made one big mistake and that was taking Kit as a simpleton. Kit was no dummy and he proved that time and time again.

While I haven't seen Terrence Malick's "The New World" yet, I would rank his other four films in the following manner:

1. Badlands
2. The Tree Of Life
3. The Thin Red Line
4. Days Of Heaven

I loved "Badlands" the most because it was a unique film and an excellent character study into the lives of two lonely individuals. A lot of us can relate to them, but not in the same way. I liked "The Tree Of Life" secondly because it was a beautiful film and it had a lot of great messages that one could make out from simple shots of the environment. "The Thin Red Line" was the third Malick film I liked because it was an excellent war story and it was very realistic. It had a lot of great moments throughout the film, specifically the interactions between the band of brothers. Lastly, "Days Of Heaven" was the film I loved the least. It resembled Badlands in many ways, but it wasn't as dark and gritty, in my opinion.

I really recommend Badlands. It was my most anticipated film of the month and I don't regret it for one moment. The picture quality was great, but I felt that the audio quality was lacking just a smidge. Overall, a great release from the great Criterion Collection! The fact that it was inspired by a true story makes it all the better. 10/10

[ZooTv]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I just finished Terrence Malick's Badlands and I am completely taken aback by how fantastic it was. I'm having a hard time believing that somebody out there could NOT like this film.

[Show spoiler]
This was Terrence Malick's breakout film and it will go down in history with him. A lot of the concepts, themes, and techniques that he employed in later films were first utilized in this film. Two things that immediately come to mind are the narration and the great directing of the nature and landscapes.

Badlands follows two unique individuals. Holly is a naive and innocent girl who lives with her authoritarian father. She does everything by the book and seems to be mostly to herself. After she makes her only friend, Kit, a rebel who feels that the world is out to get him, the two set off together on the road, leaving behind a perfect blend of love and dead bodies wherever they go.

The sad thing about the film is how Kit was a nobody all of his life and the only way he could make a name for himself was by murdering numerous individuals. The relationship between these two characters was based on the loneliness that they both embedded. One of the best scenes in the entire movie, in my opinion, is when the two are dancing at night. It was the only normal thing that these two did in the entire movie and it was a very special moment for the viewer. We were shown a more humane and normal side to two individuals who were the furthest thing from normal. The parties involved in this film made one big mistake and that was taking Kit as a simpleton. Kit was no dummy and he proved that time and time again.

While I haven't seen Terrence Malick's "The New World" yet, I would rank his other four films in the following manner:

1. Badlands
2. The Tree Of Life
3. The Thin Red Line
4. Days Of Heaven

I loved "Badlands" the most because it was a unique film and an excellent character study into the lives of two lonely individuals. A lot of us can relate to them, but not in the same way. I liked "The Tree Of Life" secondly because it was a beautiful film and it had a lot of great messages that one could make out from simple shots of the environment. "The Thin Red Line" was the third Malick film I liked because it was an excellent war story and it was very realistic. It had a lot of great moments throughout the film, specifically the interactions between the band of brothers. Lastly, "Days Of Heaven" was the film I loved the least. It resembled Badlands in many ways, but it wasn't as dark and gritty, in my opinion.

I really recommend Badlands. It was my most anticipated film of the month and I don't regret it for one moment. The picture quality was great, but I felt that the audio quality was lacking just a smidge. Overall, a great release from the great Criterion Collection! The fact that it was inspired by a true story makes it all the better. 10/10

Success!

[EddieLarkin]

Originally Posted by octagon

I suspect you belong to an even tinier proportion than myself - ie those who own BA on DVD. I suspect you're a sliver of a sliver of a sliver and while double-dippers are always welcome my impression - and that's all it is, an impression - is that in this particular case the prospect of DVD owners double-dipping isn't a major concern simply because there probably aren't that many of you to begin with.

I don't agree. You think there are more people out there interested enough in BA to wait for a Blu-ray, then there are who already have it?

Let's not get mixed up, I'm sure people interested in BA is a number that grows and grows over time as more and more people discover films like it, and they do indeed outnumber owners of the set, but I expect the majority will be happy to just buy the DVD anyway.

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

Yup. I don't have the DVD and the possibility of an upgrade is enough reason for me to wait and see if it happens...

Which is fine, and something I do with most DVD releases. But the chances when it comes to BA seem exceptionally slim, so before you know it it's 2020 and you've still not seen it.

And the thing is, you have nothing to lose really. You could pick up the BA set for $60 in July and if it did get upgraded, sell it for that much on eBay anyway (auctioned copies have sold for that price recently). Criterion titles hold their value far more than other labels.

Originally Posted by retablo

16mm still has more resolution than blu-ray (around 3-4K, depending if it was regular 16 or Super 16), so there would still be a noticeable improvement. Everlasting Moments is a beautiful Criterion disc mastered from 16mm elements.

The post you quoted had me stating there would be a noticeable improvement, so we are in agreement.

Originally Posted by KRW1

I bet you were one of those who said exactly the same thing about By Brakhage, weren't you? That's a great release. One of my favourite upgrades.

Different scenario, as it wasn't just an upgrade. Vol 2 was a brand new spine, making its debut as a Blu-ray, so it made sense to upgrade Vol 1 and box them together. If Vol 2 had never been done, my money would be on Vol 1 still being DVD only. I can't think off the top of my head of a 16mm sourced title getting a lone upgrade yet.