The Criterion Collection

[Member-167298]

Originally Posted by iScottie

For those who HAVE seen the remakes, I'm sure that this one is still the best version. I will never know, though, until I see them for sure.

I am a Philistine compared to some that post in this thread, but I enjoyed both Purple Noon and The Talented Mr. Ripley as two slightly different takes on the same source material. As a general rule you can't top Alain Delon, but the American version is very well made and surprisingly darker in tone in some respects than the original film.

As far as Ripley's Game, I watched it years ago and remember enjoying it at the time but can't remember too much beyond that. If you like the character and John Malkovich, chances are you will find something to like.

I still need to see The American Friend.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Thanks! Breathless is just one of those movies that goes to the epitome of "cool." I would say that it's the cinematic equivalent of Miles Davis - Milestones, but Louis Malle's Elevator to the Gallows wins that award.

This! That would likely be my choice.

[brandon_260]

Still Walking was fantastic. This one is going to be sitting with me for a while. Didn't get around to the supplements yet, but they look fairly light, unfortunately. I'm really starting to appreciate these family dramas more, and it makes me want to re-evaluate A Christmas Tale.

As one of my main passions is food (I'm just about finished studying it in college), I really appreciate the handful of recipes included in the booklet. I think that's an awesome little bonus. I definitely plan on trying a few of them out. Has anyone else tested them?

While I really appreciate the classic films Criterion releases, I think they have a fantastic eye for new releases, whether it be highlighting an up-and-comer or putting out fantastic films from "veterans."

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

This! That would likely be my choice.

There's a nice nod to the film in Broken Embraces if I'm not mistaken.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

There's a nice nod to the film in Broken Embraces if I'm not mistaken.

There sure is I hadn't yet seen Elevator at the time and it became more of a priority after that.

[shadedpain4]

A question for those who have, and have watched, Criterion Blu copies of Colonel Blimp. My copy gets all blocky and choppy right at the part where

[Show spoiler]Candy is in his foyer and learns that Theo is a prisoner of war

. Does anyone else have a copy that does this? Just wondering if it's a widespread issue or if it's just my individual copy.

Thanks in advance!

[Kevin Holly]

Originally Posted by WeeBey

Can anyone verify whether this is a complete list of all OOP Criterion Blu-rays?

Playtime
Army of Shadows
Le Cercle Rouge
Chungking Express
Last Year At Marienbad
Leon Morin, Priest
The Man Who Fell To Earth
Pierrot Le Fou
The Third Man

Is anything missing?

Thanks for this.

I crossreferenced your list with Wikipedia's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...u-ray_releases), and you're not missing anything from them. In fact, they have yet to list the latest batch of OOPs titles as such, so you are more accurate than them right now.

I thought that Salo was OOP as well, but I guess I was wrong about that, as neither you nor Wikipedia notes it as such.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Kevin Holly

I thought that Salo was OOP as well, but I guess I was wrong about that, as neither you nor Wikipedia notes it as such.

The original release is OOP and very rare, not the re-release.

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Thanks! Breathless is just one of those movies that goes to the epitome of "cool." I would say that it's the cinematic equivalent of Miles Davis - Milestones, but Louis Malle's Elevator to the Gallows wins that award.

I made a double-feature night of Breathless and Elevator to the Gallows a couple years ago. They were a perfect fit together.

Miles Davis, the jazz protean genius. By the way Elevator to the Gallows is my favorite jazz film score. Duke Ellington's Anatomy of a Murder is my second favorite jazz score, and my main reason to purchase the blu ray.

Miles Davis also played in the soundtrack The Hot Spot, which is sublime.

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

There's a nice nod to the film in Broken Embraces if I'm not mistaken.

There is also nod to 8 1/2 in the same scene.

Sorry could not let that get by.

[Kevin Holly]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

The original release is OOP and very rare, not the re-release.

Ah yeah thanks for the reminder.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

There is also nod to 8 1/2 in the same scene.

Sorry could not let that get by.

Damn, how could I have missed that. Was it just name checked or was it a DVD on his shelf?

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

[Show spoiler]I just finished watching Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless (À bout de souffle). Like Last Year at Marienbad, this is another Blu-ray that I purchased a couple months ago, and finally got around to revisiting to compare with my old DVD copy. My second Criterion review in one day...



I first saw Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless years ago, and my first reaction during that initial viewing was to think that this must have been quite the "too cool for school" movie back in 1960. I can imagine this movie redefining the limitations of cinema for 1960 audiences in the same way that Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction redefined the medium for my generation in 1994. Every still frame of Breathless exudes an air of coolness that leads me to believe that everything about the movie, from the dismissive dialogue to the extended camera takes to the close-ups to the jazz soundtrack to the breaking of the fourth wall by the actors to scenes that were intimate for the time, dropped on 1960 culture like a bomb.

Jean-Paul Belmondo's Michael may just be a thug with an excess of charm, but his wisecracks, his live-for-the-moment vibe, and his overall style are nonetheless endearing enough to command our attention. Jean Seberg's beautiful Patricia is looking for love, but possesses an undercurrent of self-preservation that makes us wonder what she is really thinking when we look into her entrancing eyes.

Breathless is a fast-paced and riveting film even by today's standards. The movie may not come across quite as shocking these days, but its style is still undeniable, just like the jazz that plays in the background of Patricia's small apartment while Michael's cigarette smoke lingers in front of the camera.

The Blu-ray picture quality is perfectly suited for the vibe of this particular film, with a stock newsreel look that somehow accentuates the beauty of Jean Seberg's face or the streetlight haze of Paris. The audio hits the mark with clarity of the dialogue and music.

Breathless remains one of my favorite offerings by The Criterion Collection, and even more so with this Blu-ray presentation.

It is mine as well. It's one of those films that I only grow to appreciate more and more as time goes on, the more I learn about it the more I love it. I love the line at the press conference, "To become immortal...and then die."

Breathless is the number 1 art film in the collection I recommend to people.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Snicket

It is mine as well. It's one of those films that I only grow to appreciate more and more as time goes on, the more I learn about it the more I love it. I love the line at the press conference, "To become immortal...and then die."

Breathless is the number 1 art film in the collection I recommend to people.

Mine is Red Desert.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Mine is Red Desert.

What counts as an 'art film' in this sense, though? Can an American film be an 'art film'?

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Damn, how could I have missed that. Was it just name checked or was it a DVD on his shelf?

What I recall,

[Show spoiler]his son asks him if he wants to watch 8 1/2, but decides to watch Elevator to the Gallows instead

Pedro Almodovar is one of few directors that still can make an awesome drama.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

What counts as an 'art film' in this sense, though? Can an American film be an 'art film'?

I wasn't thinking in terms of art film or commercial, thats my most treasured Criterion release.

[metaridley]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

Still Walking was fantastic. This one is going to be sitting with me for a while. Didn't get around to the supplements yet, but they look fairly light, unfortunately. I'm really starting to appreciate these family dramas more, and it makes me want to re-evaluate A Christmas Tale.

As one of my main passions is food (I'm just about finished studying it in college), I really appreciate the handful of recipes included in the booklet. I think that's an awesome little bonus. I definitely plan on trying a few of them out. Has anyone else tested them?

While I really appreciate the classic films Criterion releases, I think they have a fantastic eye for new releases, whether it be highlighting an up-and-comer or putting out fantastic films from "veterans."

Glad to hear it! Still Walking is an excellent, excellent movie. Now make sure to check out Hirokazu Koreeda's other films: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0466153/

He's one of my favorite directors working today.

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

What counts as an 'art film' in this sense, though? Can an American film be an 'art film'?

I believe so. The phrase gets thrown around in so many contexts that it is really hard to give a concrete definition.

Many consider Texan(???) Terrence Malick's films as art films.

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Mine is Red Desert.

Hmm, I need to check that out.

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

What counts as an 'art film' in this sense, though? Can an American film be an 'art film'?

Terrence Malick thinks so. I think the term can be applied pretty subjectively, I would call There Will Be Blood, Drive and Winter's Bone art films. I'm sure other people would not though.