The Criterion Collection

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by JackTwist

Today was a good day. After months of searching and a recent purchase that ended up being a mangled copy with a printer re-print cover, I finally got a brand spanking new copy of Diary of a Country Priest with a won bid equivalent to the original price!!

Now I don't even want to open it...

I'm excited to see it, as a I just saw the new Criterion blu-ray of A Man Escaped and after watching I said to myself: "I've seen the face of God. His name is Robert Bresson."

Is A Man Escaped your first Bresson film that you have watched?

He is considered the most Christian of all film makers, although he is a proclaimed atheist. His film editing is flawless. Pipolo's essay is right on when mentions that Bresson's main actor is the action.

[JackTwist]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Is A Man Escaped your first Bresson film that you have watched?

He is considered the most Christian of all film makers, although he is a proclaimed atheist. His film editing is flawless. Pipolo's essay is right on when mentions that Bresson's main actor is the action.

It was indeed the first and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I pre-ordered the Artificial Eye blu-ray releases coming up next month before I had even seen it based on the Sight and Sound poll. Now the anticipation is killing me.

I'm excited to see Diary... as almost a companion to Bergman's Winter Light, a film who's agnosticism and questions on life I found to be incredibly moving and unforgettable. It probably had a greater impact on me than I realize.

[Sherlock_Jr]

Originally Posted by sc1957

I thought Ministry of Fear was a rather simplistic film the first time I watched it (perhaps I paid too much attention to the "paranoia" sales hype), but I enjoyed it the second time.

Cheesy endings, though... I wonder where they started? Lang didn't end Metropolis or Die Niebelung with cheesy lines. (Yeah, yeah... I know they're silent.) Of course, it's not just Lang... Seems like there was a whole period of cheesy endings in American film. That trend seems to have died off, though.

That was possibly due to the Breen code. Hitchcock had to change several endings, as well as many other filmmakers, to get their films passed for distribution.

[lim.davidd]

Finally, got my Black Orpheus

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by JackTwist

It was indeed the first and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I pre-ordered the Artificial Eye blu-ray releases coming up next month before I had even seen it based on the Sight and Sound poll. Now the anticipation is killing me.

I'm excited to see Diary... as almost a companion to Bergman's Winter Light, a film who's agnosticism and questions on life I found to be incredibly moving and unforgettable. It probably had a greater impact on me than I realize.

Pickpocket was the first film I saw by Bresson. Pickpocket and A Man Escaped are my favorites so far. The other films that I have seen are:

Au hasard Balthazar
L'Argent
Diary of a Country Priest

This is Tarkovsky's response to Bresson

Quote:

"I am only interested in the views of two people: one is called Bresson and one called Bergman"

End quote.

[JackTwist]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Quote:

"I am only interested in the views of two people: one is called Bresson and one called Bergman"

End quote.

How appropriate then. Bergman is a filmmaker who's films I've barely seen and I can't wait to see more. With the amazing film-like capabilities of blu-ray it makes it hard to not want to wait a bit longer to see if a re-release is produced before seeing it for the first time on a dated transfer. Persona and Winter Light are absolutely my favorites so far. I own Fanny and Alexander and plan to make that the next pick.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Sherlock_Jr

That was possibly due to the Breen code. Hitchcock had to change several endings, as well as many other filmmakers, to get their films passed for distribution.

When did it go in effect? '33? I'm guessing that's the year because those May West films that came out just before had quite a bit of double entendre.

[tonylopez]

I've been holding out buying some Criterions and waiting for the inevitable B&N sale but my wife surprised me today with ordering BADLANDS, REPO MAN and 3:10 TO YUMA just cause. A very pleasant surprise but I think she is up to something. I should have asked what she ordered herself. Hhmmmm.

[jrsl76]

I rewatched Colonel Blimp the other day via the new Blu. What a stunning looking transfer! The movie is as good as the last time I saw it and really solidifies why P&P are among my favorite directors (or dir/scr duo if you prefer).

Roger Livesay is such a wonderful presence and Deborah Kerr is really great in this early role. The way she plays 3 characters is very clever.

Today, I caught up with Ministry Of Fear and I loved it. It's a real cracking good time and a great noir. People always mention The Big Heat for the Lang Noirs, but I think I liked this one even better.

[DarkRyder]

I'm curious.

I'm taking a class on Hitchcock, and while I was hoping to be...not amazed, but at least enthralled by the man, I am saddened to say I find his films quite lackluster. His technicalities are impeccable, and the man himself is quite interesting, but his films (save for Shadow of a Doubt and Strangers On a Train) are not entirely interesting to me. The way he makes them are interesting, especially his reasoning, but that's not enough for me to say he is great. That being said, I do understand why Hitchcock is hailed so much.

With all that, who here tends to find Hitchcock not entirely interesting? Spidey? But seriously, I'd like to have this conversation with someone because I just hear praise and I'd like to hear the opposite to hear the other side of the coin.

[Snicket]

Hype Alert!

Ryan from Criterion Cast sent an e-mail to Del Torro asking if Devils Backbone would be ready in July, his response was an emphatic YES!!

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by JackTwist

How appropriate then. Bergman is a filmmaker who's films I've barely seen and I can't wait to see more. With the amazing film-like capabilities of blu-ray it makes it hard to not want to wait a bit longer to see if a re-release is produced before seeing it for the first time on a dated transfer. Persona and Winter Light are absolutely my favorites so far. I own Fanny and Alexander and plan to make that the next pick.

Persona is my favorite as well.

If you liked the inner struggle in Winter Light, The Magician might appeal to you. It is a more light-hearted interplay between faith and science. On the other side of the spectrum is Through a Glass Darkly, a more spiritually cathartic film. I highly recommend both!

[octagon]

Originally Posted by DarkRyder

With all that, who here tends to find Hitchcock not entirely interesting?

Shadow of a Doubt and Rope are probably the only two Hitchcock titles I really loved the first time through. Oh, and maybe Notorious.

Psycho, Rebecca and Rear Window took me a little longer to warm up to and for the longest time my reaction to titles like North by Northwest, Vertigo, The Birds and To Catch a Thief was basically locked at 'pretty but pointless'.

Over the years I've come to appreciate them more and I have to say, seeing them in HD has really helped. I always knew they were pretty but I didn't know just how pretty. And I think part of my evolving view toward Hitchcock is due to the fact that I'm much less focused on plot than I used to be. As a rule I still prefer tightly plotted stories but a more relaxed approach to plotting isn't the deal-breaker it once was.

I'm still not a huge fan of early (pre-Rebecca) or later (post The Birds) and the stuff in between has really grown on me over the past few years I can certainly relate to a reaction along the lines 'well...yeah...okay'.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

I was reading somewhere that Disney's Song of the South was about to fall into some kind of "public domain" category ( I might be wrong about this.)

A couple of posts ago, someone wrote that it was about time for Criterion to release an animated film (I know, Song of the South is only partly animated.)

Would Criterion Collection ever think about licensing this film?

Thoughts.

I doubt Disney would let it fall in public domain and let someone else release it on home video. Disney's name would always and forever be attach to the film and as such they won't let it happen. Disney's public imagine (or the perceived fall out they think would happen if release) is at stake for them with this movie.

I think it's a little weird that they won't release it.

[Yami]

In any case, Song of the South won't fall into the public domain until 2039.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by lim.davidd

Finally, got my Black Orpheus

Enjoy!

[octagon]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

I think it's a little weird that they won't release it.

There's really no reason for them to release it. The negatives - no matter how minor they turn out to actually be - are almost sure to outweigh the positives simply because there wouldn't be very many positives.

A little bit of money? A few positive articles only film/BD geeks will read anyway?

There's really nothing in it for them.

[mrjohnnyb]

I was just thinking that with the upcoming announcement on the July titles that the ones released in the beginning of the month will be part of the Barnes and Noble sale, while the last ones (or one) will not.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Snicket

Hype Alert!

Ryan from Criterion Cast sent an e-mail to Del Torro asking if Devils Backbone would be ready in July, his response was an emphatic YES!!

If this is true then it confirms at least 3 new spines for July. The highest spine is Shoah at 663. This is assuming Del Torro would get spine 666.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Just roll with it the first time around, and do not try to figure out the plot.

This advice also applies to every subsequent viewing!

I disagree. Marienbad is a game. If the viewer isn't actively engaged in trying to decipher it then it'll wash over you. Just my opinion.