The Criterion Collection

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

Yeah, that wasn't much of much.

Still, even his worst films have something in them to appreciate.

I'm almost done watching it and it's just a drag. The whole dress spreading while dying was nice, though.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I agree.

Topaz on the other hand...

What did you think about The Birds?

I love the final scene in The Birds. My all-time favorite final movie scene is probably a three-way tie between The Birds, Le Samourai, and the first Planet of the Apes movie.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by DarkRyder

I got into the interest of looking into some Pre-Code Hollywood films, but there are soooo many of them that I have no clue which are worth the watch. I've seen (and love) Scarface so I'm sure I should just check out some other popular crime films from that era; and I own Island of Lost Souls so I should get to watching that soon. What else would you all recommend?

Cecil B. DeMille made some racy films back then like Sign of the Cross, Madame Satan, etc. A DVD box set is out there. Also check out Tarzan and His Mate. One of the last films made prior to the code being enforced. If you get it, TCM is a good source for lesser known films of the early '30s.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Now that I've watched all my other Blu-rays, I've got all the time in the world. Time enough at last.

I'm the opposite, I wonder from time to time how many of my silver discs (cds, dvds, blus, even a few hd-dvds yet; and also sacds, dvd-audios and even some vinyl still, now that I think about it) will still be unexplored by me by the time the grim reaper comes to visit. At least I now have some time to make a dent in it. (Check out my upcoming feature episode on Hoarders...)

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

What did you think about The Birds?

I love the final scene in The Birds. My all-time favorite final movie scene is probably a three-way tie between The Birds, Le Samourai, and the first Planet of the Apes movie.

Honestly, I thought it was going to better, but with that being said, it was still a good movie. I wish it would have had more of an explanation, but that's what makes it so unique.

I'll agree with you about the last shot. Beautifully done.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

What did you think about The Birds?

I love the final scene in The Birds. My all-time favorite final movie scene is probably a three-way tie between The Birds, Le Samourai, and the first Planet of the Apes movie.

It's great, but the first scene that comes to mind, for me, is the jungle gym filling up with birds as Tippi Hedren sits in the school playground.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

It's great, but the first scene that comes to mind, for me, is the jungle gym filling up with birds as Tippi Hedren sits in the school playground.

I was laughing uncontrollably at the birthday party scene when one of the birds was pecking some little girl's head as she lay screaming on the ground.

[Cinemach]

Originally Posted by DarkRyder

I got into the interest of looking into some Pre-Code Hollywood films, but there are soooo many of them that I have no clue which are worth the watch. I've seen (and love) Scarface so I'm sure I should just check out some other popular crime films from that era; and I own Island of Lost Souls so I should get to watching that soon. What else would you all recommend?

Additions: since you're okay with DVD: the Forbidden Hollywood sets from TCM/Warner Archive are great boons to a pre-code collection. Some of the titles overlap with recommendations already posted, but the neat thing about them is that they are kind of consolidated on a theme - eg, the third one is all William A. Wellman films, and many actors/actresses highlight certain sets. They also feature great extras like commentaries and docs that highlight different aspects of this fascinating period in Hollywood history.

On the Criterion side, we've got a handful of blu/DVD titles, namely from directors Ernst Lubitsch and Josef von Sternberg. The '3 Silent Films' set for Sternberg is one of Criterion's finest boxes (not really pre-code since they're silent,

[Show spoiler]but I tend to conflate the immediate post-sound era - including the silents - with pre-code because they were similar in their daring

), and there's also his Shanghai Princess with Marlene Dietrich on DVD. For Lubitsch there's the excellent Trouble With Paradise on DVD and there's Design For Living on blu. I'd go for Trouble... first, even though it's on the lesser format - it's a seminal pre-code comedy. You've already mentioned you have Island of Lost Souls.

(Criterion has also dropped the fact that they have a an exciting pre-code title in the dockets)

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Cecil B. DeMille made some racy films back then like Madame Satan.

Good suggestion.

[billzfan]

Anyone heard anything about Tarkovsky's Stalker coming to Blu-ray. I was going to break down and just buy the DVD but if there's any outlook for a Blu-ray, I'll wait.

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by Cinemach

(Criterion has also dropped the fact that they have a an exciting pre-code title in the dockets)

Freaks is what I would guess that is.

[hoytereden]

How could I forget King Kong as a pre-code title?! Plus Criterion has The Most Dangerous Game on DVD. It's basically a dry run for Kong with some of the same sets and cast. The Blu-ray is not Criterion but I think it's the same running time.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

Good suggestion.

Love the wild party on the Zeppelin.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Honestly, I thought it was going to better, but with that being said, it was still a good movie. I wish it would have had more of an explanation, but that's what makes it so unique.

I'll agree with you about the last shot. Beautifully done.

I love how The Birds has no music score. Just bird sounds. A lot of bird sounds.

I also like how Tippi Hedren's character is basically the carefree Paris Hilton of her day at the beginning of the movie, but she is forced to mature due to circumstances.

Yes, the scene with the birds at the school playground is priceless.

[SpiderBaby]

The Most Dangerous Game is also on blu-ray from Flicker Alley.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

The Most Dangerous Game is also on blu-ray from Flicker Alley.

Great film and, as much as I love Kong, I wish that they had cast Joel McCrea as Jack Driscoll. Bruce Cabot is as wooden as the great log featured in both films.

[Blu-Velvet]

For more Pre-code titles, don't forget all the Busby Berkeley musicals from 1933-34 (Warner has a nice DVD box set), the Marx Brothers and Mae West comedies at Paramount (on DVD from MCA-Universal), and numerous other films from 1930-34. Try to get the DVD box set of THE MALTESE FALCON that includes the original 1931 version, which may not have the slick studio polish of the 1941 classic but is just as fun with its pre-code attitude as the Bogart version is with its proto-noir sensibility. I may actually like the 1931 version better, and hope Warner does a Blu-ray upgrade of their 3-disc DVD set (which also includes the pretty messed-up but still campy fun screwball comedy version with Bette Davis called SATAN MET A LADY).

A great Pre-code title that's on a beautiful Blu-ray from Kino is the uncut 1932 release of A FAREWELL TO ARMS, with Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes. The cheap public domain DVDs around are usually the censored re-issue (and mediocre quality dupes from old TV prints).

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by Blu-Velvet

For more Pre-code titles, don't forget all the Busby Berkeley musicals from 1933-34 (Warner has a nice DVD box set), the Marx Brothers and Mae West comedies at Paramount (on DVD from MCA-Universal), and numerous other films from 1930-34. Try to get the DVD box set of THE MALTESE FALCON that includes the original 1931 version, which may not have the slick studio polish of the 1941 classic but is just as fun with its pre-code attitude as the Bogart version is with its proto-noir sensibility. I may actually like the 1931 version better, and hope Warner does a Blu-ray upgrade of their 3-disc DVD set (which also includes the pretty messed-up but still campy fun screwball comedy version with Bette Davis called SATAN MET A LADY).

A great Pre-code title that's on a beautiful Blu-ray from Kino is the uncut 1932 release of A FAREWELL TO ARMS, with Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes. The cheap public domain DVDs around are usually the censored re-issue (and mediocre quality dupes from old TV prints).

Good ones! I also like the '31 version of Falcon. I mean, Dwight Frye as Wilmer? Good stuff.

[Cinemach]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

Freaks is what I would guess that is.

That seems to be the popular consensus, esp since the Warner's barrier is broken.

Originally Posted by Blu-Velvet

For more Pre-code titles, don't forget all the Busby Berkeley musicals from 1933-34 (Warner has a nice DVD box set), the Marx Brothers and Mae West comedies at Paramount (on DVD from MCA-Universal), and numerous other films from 1930-34. Try to get the DVD box set of THE MALTESE FALCON that includes the original 1931 version, which may not have the slick studio polish of the 1941 classic but is just as fun with its pre-code attitude as the Bogart version is with its proto-noir sensibility. I may actually like the 1931 version better, and hope Warner does a Blu-ray upgrade of their 3-disc DVD set (which also includes the pretty messed-up but still campy fun screwball comedy version with Bette Davis called SATAN MET A LADY).

I doubt Warner's re-releases the set - well scratch that, they are the king of that sort of thing....but anyway the DVD set of The Maltese Falcon should be able to be found fairly cheaply. It's a great value for these other editions, too, which while not terribly great impress with their (more) explicit pre-Code sexiness.

[jrsl76]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

Freaks is what I would guess that is.

That's what I hope it is.