The Criterion Collection

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by *PREACHER*

Speaking of gangster films...anyone else besides me excited for the two sets being released by Warner.

The classics set will be mine on day 1.

I'm extremely excited about one of the sets. I've wanted Petrified Forest on Blu Ray for a while!

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by *PREACHER*

Speaking of gangster films...anyone else besides me excited for the two sets being released by Warner.

The classics set will be mine on day 1.

I'm excited about The Petrified Forest. It'll be a while before I get any of these Blu-rays, so I'm undecided as to whether or not I get the box set or gradually purchase the individuals.

I've already got Heat from the contemporary set, so I'll pass on that set. The older films are the ones that I'm excited about.

[*PREACHER*]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

I'm extremely excited about one of the sets. I've wanted Petrified Forest on Blu Ray for a while!

That'd be the one I'm most excited for...that and White Heat

[JHas]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Fritz Lang's The Big Heat is awesome, and it's a lot more intense than I expected, given the time of release. Lee Marvin played one scary dude in this one. Actually, everyone in this movie is scary, and it gives one pause thinking about behind-the-scenes politics in typical American towns. This also makes me want to see Fritz Lang's Ministry of Fear, even if Ministry of Fear is generally regarded as one of the director's lesser offerings.

Both of the blind buy Blu-rays that I've seen today (Greed in the Sun and The Big Heat) have been home runs. I'm about to watch Taxi for Tobruk, and here's hoping that it's another home run.

I'd say The Big Heat is pitch perfect. I bet you will like Ministry of Fear, I wouldn't say it's top tier Lang, but definitely very entertaining and more enjoyable than a lot of his films.

I'm interested to hear what you think of Taxi for Tobruk, I haven't seen it, but has caught my interest, but I never get around to actually buying it.

[jayj15]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

It also has some of the most killer lighting of all film-noir. I too haven't seen Ministry of Fear, but I've yet to see a Fritz Lang film I didn't love, so it should be a very safe blind buy.

I was very underwhelmed with Ministry of Fear, it's a fun little movie, but I didn't love it. It's no "M" that's for sure. I also didn't care for "While the City Sleeps", which was one of Lang's last.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by *PREACHER*

That'd be the one I'm most excited for...that and White Heat

I THINK the rest of the set will actually be unseen by me, which makes it all the more exciting.

[Scottie]

I'm in the process of watching the "Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection". I just watched the first film, Saboteur, tonight, and I found it quite enjoyable. I was really impressed with some of the recording for the 1940s, especially the ending with the Statue of Liberty.

Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors and despite only seeing a handful of his films, I am really excited to dig further into this collection. I really hope we see some new titles by him in The Criterion Collection soon.

As far as his films go, based off the ones I have seen, I would rank them in the following order:

The Criterion Collection: The Lady Vanishes, The 39 Steps, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1935)

The Masterpiece Collection: Saboteur

Misc. Titles: Dial M For Murder, To Catch A Thief, Strangers On A Train

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I'm in the process of watching the "Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection". I just watched the first film, Saboteur, tonight, and I found it quite enjoyable. I was really impressed with some of the recording for the 1940s, especially the ending with the Statue of Liberty.

Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors and despite only seeing a handful of his films, I am really excited to dig further into this collection. I really hope we see some new titles by him in The Criterion Collection soon.

As far as his films go, based off the ones I have seen, I would rank them in the following order:

The Criterion Collection: The Lady Vanishes, The 39 Steps, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1935)

The Masterpiece Collection: Saboteur

Misc. Titles: Dial M For Murder, To Catch A Thief, Strangers On A Train

Are you watching them chronologically? You've got Shadow of a Doubt coming up next, and that's one of his best!

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

Are you watching them chronologically? You've got Shadow of a Doubt coming up next, and that's one of his best!

Yeah, I'm watching them in the order presented in the packaging, aka chronological

It sounds like one of his best, in my opinion.

[Scottie]

Do you guys ever think Robert Sarkies' 2006 film, Out of the Blue will be released on Blu-ray? It seems like it could be a good candidate for Criterion, especially since its an IFC affiliated film.

I saw this film several years ago and I was taken a back, to be honest. I think it was a powerhouse film and although it wasn't full of dialogue, it was very realistic and a great depiction of the Aramoana Massacre.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I'm in the process of watching the "Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection". I just watched the first film, Saboteur, tonight, and I found it quite enjoyable. I was really impressed with some of the recording for the 1940s, especially the ending with the Statue of Liberty.

Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors and despite only seeing a handful of his films, I am really excited to dig further into this collection. I really hope we see some new titles by him in The Criterion Collection soon.

As far as his films go, based off the ones I have seen, I would rank them in the following order:

The Criterion Collection: The Lady Vanishes, The 39 Steps, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1935)

The Masterpiece Collection: Saboteur

Misc. Titles: Dial M For Murder, To Catch A Thief, Strangers On A Train

I hope Notorious is one of the upcoming 'misc titles'. That's my favorite Hitchcock.

[Sherlock_Jr]

My girlfriend put in Walkabout to write a paper on it, and found out that (I guess) I have one of the defective pressings from 2009 or 10. The disc freezes up around the 49 minute mark and won't play any chapters past that. I figure Mulvaney will send me a replacement, but I noticed a curious thing that I hadn't seen before. The entire outside edge of the disc is now a different color — almost a golden brown. I checked a bunch of other older Criterions and they were all fine... but I wonder if this has something to do with the bad batches that got replicated?

Not sure if you can tell in this photo, but the outer edge is noticeably darker... and not sure if or why that might have to do with a defective disc, but I don't notice any of my other discs looking that way. Anyone else experience this?

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by iScottie

As far as his films go, based off the ones I have seen, I would rank them in the following order:

The Criterion Collection: The Lady Vanishes, The 39 Steps, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1935)

The Masterpiece Collection: Saboteur

Misc. Titles: Dial M For Murder, To Catch A Thief, Strangers On A Train

I truly envy you if you have not yet seen Shadow of a Doubt, Rope, Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds, and, especially, North by Northwest, which is one of my all-time top ten movies.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that the above movies all easily rank 10 on a scale of 10. These are all integral works in the grand scope of cinema history.

I saw all of the above movies during my childhood in the early 1980s. The impact of these movies on you might be affected simply because each one has been spoofed endlessly or been included in endless allusions over the years, but you should thoroughly enjoy them if you watch them on their own terms.

I probably overhype Hitchcock, because most of his films rank 10/10 to me. The early films on Criterion are ace, the 1940s films are just as good, and his 1950s/early 1960s output is golden. In my eyes, Hitchcock never missed the mark until late in his career, and even those lesser films at the end are fun.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I truly envy you if you have not yet seen Shadow of a Doubt, Rope, Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds, and, especially, North by Northwest, which is one of my all-time top ten movies.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that the above movies all easily rank 10 on a scale of 10. These are all integral works in the grand scope of cinema history.

I saw all of the above movies during my childhood in the early 1980s. The impact of these movies on you might be affected simply because each one has been spoofed endlessly or been included in endless allusions over the years, but you should thoroughly enjoy them if you watch them on their own terms.

I probably overhype Hitchcock, because most of his films rank 10/10 to me. The early films on Criterion are ace, the 1940s films are just as good, and his 1950s/early 1960s output is golden. In my eyes, Hitchcock never missed the mark until late in his career, and even those lesser films at the end are fun.

Well, I'm a lot more excited to see them now

I did see the Psycho remake with Vince Vaughn a long time ago and it was truly terrible haha.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I truly envy you if you have not yet seen Shadow of a Doubt, Rope, Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds, and, especially, North by Northwest, which is one of my all-time top ten movies.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that the above movies all easily rank 10 on a scale of 10. These are all integral works in the grand scope of cinema history.

I saw all of the above movies during my childhood in the early 1980s. The impact of these movies on you might be affected simply because each one has been spoofed endlessly or been included in endless allusions over the years, but you should thoroughly enjoy them if you watch them on their own terms.

I probably overhype Hitchcock, because most of his films rank 10/10 to me. The early films on Criterion are ace, the 1940s films are just as good, and his 1950s/early 1960s output is golden. In my eyes, Hitchcock never missed the mark until late in his career, and even those lesser films at the end are fun.

Yeah, even Frenzy, which I think is my least favourite of his, has a lot to like in it.

North by Northwest is also my favourite Hitchcock, and also one of my top ten movies.

[lastemp3ror]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I truly envy you if you have not yet seen Shadow of a Doubt, Rope, Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds, and, especially, North by Northwest, which is one of my all-time top ten movies.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that the above movies all easily rank 10 on a scale of 10. These are all integral works in the grand scope of cinema history.

I saw all of the above movies during my childhood in the early 1980s. The impact of these movies on you might be affected simply because each one has been spoofed endlessly or been included in endless allusions over the years, but you should thoroughly enjoy them if you watch them on their own terms.

I probably overhype Hitchcock, because most of his films rank 10/10 to me. The early films on Criterion are ace, the 1940s films are just as good, and his 1950s/early 1960s output is golden. In my eyes, Hitchcock never missed the mark until late in his career, and even those lesser films at the end are fun.

Now I have to watch some of his movies. Anytime someone is this passionate about something (movies, food, etc) I got to try it.

Btw- I watched some of the movies that were recommended to me on this thread (In the Mood for Love, Paris, Texas, Letter Never Sent, and even Gate of Hell and Leon Morin, Priest) and I was very impressed. Thanks all. Watching and owning Criterion movies is going to force me into getting a second job

[Fellini912]

Here is my wish list for the month of August (any of the following):

Le Samourai
Andrei Rublev
L'Avventura
Pickpocket
Persona
Hour of the Wolf
Floating Weeds

If any of the films above are released, I will be a happy individual in the month of August.

[Abdrewes]

Fellini, you must have looked at the wish lists I have posted in the past: the top three have been some of my most wanted too. Persona, Pickpocket, Floating Weeds and Hour of the Wolf (to a lesser degree) will all be more than welcome upgrades too.

[obscurelabel]

Originally Posted by COLD_COBRA_

Do people have something against this one? I've read this thread for months and never once heard anything about it.



I'm buying it in July.

Excellent performances from Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, and (especially) William Hurt, worth it for that reason alone. The script is a little bit by-the-numbers and can play out like a better episode of, say The West Wing; also I'm not crazy about the ending. But those aren't too-damning criticisms.

By the way, I really wish that Criterion hadn't (this is a real spoiler for someone who hasn't seen the film)

[Show spoiler]included images of Jack Nicholson's anchorman in the menus. I saw this movie in a theater when first released and the first shot of Jack was a big surprise that drew an excited response from the audience. His part wasn't billed and nothing I remember from the promotion of the film at the time indicated he was in it. Of course now with information everywhere it's not such a secret, I still wish Criterion had kept up with the spirit of his unbilled performance and not shown him before you see the movie.

[tagm]

Just watched Cronos and really enjoyed it. I didn't think the film would take the turn that it did, but it was very nice.

My favorite thing about it was probably the names, especially Jesus. Pretty ironic, if you ask me.