The Criterion Collection

[Majin Blu]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Diabolique is awesome. However, the one I would watch right now is Insignicance. It suggests way more than it reveals. So that may be why many dont like it.

Insignificance always held my interest due to the characters (that I read about. I haven't seen the film before)

The way it's looking, it may be Diabolique and Insignificance

[The Bronx Bull]

Originally Posted by Jughead

Yes. I did. It is up to $41 with over a day to go. I figured the BIN prices would drive the price for it, so I just went ahead and got it so I wasn't stuck deciding to buy it among the $70-$100 options. I think this puppy is gone and ebay/half is the only way to get it.

I watched Le Cercle Rouge a few weeks before it went out of print, and immediately after viewing I placed it on my "Must Buy" list (see below). I absolutely loved the movie, and it was my entrance way into other Melville films (I've seen seven since then). Low and behold, it goes out of print not long after. I decided to order it from Amazon immediately - problem was, they said they would ship it when they got it. So I went onto B&N's website, and ended up finding a copy in a nearby store. I drove there after work one day and paid the full retail ($39.99), thinking that I would just return it after I received Amazon's copy. Well, Amazon's copy never came! Months passed, and eventually they cancelled my order. I have never been so satisfied in buying a Criterion at full MSRP as I was for Le Cercle Rouge!

[Yojimbo]

Originally Posted by EuroCultAV

Does anyone know if BN price matches in store? I have an epic giftcard I'm saving for the sale, but seeing as the Best Buy sale is still going on, I was thinking of calling them up and trying to see if they'll drop prices with BB.

There should hopefully be a 50% off sale in a few weeks.

[EuroCultAV]

I know, I was the one who posted the date of the sale. I was saying rather than wait a few weeks (what can I say I"m impatient) I wanted to know if they price match.

[Jughead]

Originally Posted by James78

reelgeek, Les diaboliques is a fantastic dark thriller full of twists and turns about two murderous schoolmistresses. Watch it late at night!

Seconded... With bourbon.

[Grethiwha]

Ahh blu-ray.com teased me into thinking Mulholland Drive was near-guaranteed but it sounds like it's far from it. But I want this to be real so bad!

Originally Posted by reelgeek

I was trying to choose a new film to watch (from Criterion) and I narrowed my choices for now to 6 picks. I was wondering if anyone could give me some word on the movies, if you have seen them.

- Insignificance
- Pale Flower
- Videodrome
- Shock Corridor
- Diabolique
- Repo Man

Thank you for your time.

Videodrome is hilarious and baffling. I first watched it late at night when I could barely stay awake and I think that enhanced the experience. Love the atmosphere. It's my favourite of these. I also own Shock Corridor and Diabolique. I love a good descent into madness story, so Shock Corridor was right down my alley; it's fantastic and hugely entertaining. I for one like it way more than The Naked Kiss. Diabolique conversely feels like Hitchcock at his very very best, except french. Repo Man is a fun and entertaining film. Definitely worth my watching but I wouldn't buy it. I'm pretty neutral on Pale Flower. And haven't seen Insignificance.

[Casey]

so ive got a $100 bb gift card and want to get 5 new criterions before the sale is up. really having trouble deciding which ones though.

see my current collection in my sig. Three colors are probably my favorite of what I own.

i do like horror/scifi but am partial to color films. i'll usually watch a b&w film once and never again so its hard to justify owning them. I also love weird movies by lynch and carruth.

suggestions please

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Diabolique is awesome. However, the one I would watch right now is Insignicance. It suggests way more than it reveals. So that may be why many dont like it.

I need to give it another chance... my first and only viewing was a bit too scattered and met with false expectations...must watch it again someday.

[Sherlock_Jr]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I'm as big a Lynch fan as there is (including the first season of Twin Peaks), but boy, it was a huge disappointment.

I think there are a few very effective set pieces (especially the ones that provide the full explanation for what happened). But the rest of it does feel perfunctory and kind of flat: both performances and direction.

Did you read the news that Lynch is about to start working on a new project?

Agreed. The only sequence I thought was really well done was the Bar scene with subtitles. The "full explanation" irked me because several facts were changed, and the timeline of how it happened in the film wasn't the same as how they said it happened in the show (not to mention the absence of Leo's blue shirt, which was one of the big clues in Season 1). Lynch's worst film by a mile.

[Abdrewes]

These line up nicely with the others:

Red Desert
Mystery Train
Lola Montes
Au Revoir les Enfants
Days of Heaven

[thebard]

Originally Posted by Casey

so ive got a $100 bb gift card and want to get 5 new criterions before the sale is up. really having trouble deciding which ones though.

see my current collection in my sig. Three colors are probably my fav.

i do like horror/scifi but am partial to color films. i'll usually watch a b&w film once and never again so its hard to justify owning them.


suggestions please

Do you like classic sci fi, or just more recent stuff? Robinson Crusoe On Mars is a bit dated, but in color & visually marvellous.

If you liked Brazil/Fear & Loathing/Videodrome check out Naked Lunch.

[Kbg1292]

Originally Posted by Casey

so ive got a $100 bb gift card and want to get 5 new criterions before the sale is up. really having trouble deciding which ones though.

see my current collection in my sig. Three colors are probably my fav.

i do like horror/scifi but am partial to color films. i'll usually watch a b&w film once and never again so its hard to justify owning them.


suggestions please

Are you a Terrance Malick fan by chance?? You might want to give Badlands a go for starters.

Even though you aren't sold on b&w films (yet), I would tell you that films such as Night of the Hunter, On the Waterfront and Wages of Fear have high rewatchability IMHO.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Sherlock_Jr

Agreed. The only sequence I thought was really well done was the Bar scene with subtitles. The "full explanation" irked me because several facts were changed, and the timeline of how it happened in the film wasn't the same as how they said it happened in the show (not to mention the absence of Leo's blue shirt, which was one of the big clues in Season 1). Lynch's worst film by a mile.

After trudging through half of Season 2, I gave up on the timeline. I watched FWWM completely divorced from expectation and it failed me even then. String any two episodes together from the first season and you'll wind up with something significantly better.

What did Tarantino say about FWWM? In essence, i remember he deemed it a massive letdown because he loved Wild at Heart so much.

[Casey]

robinson doesnt look like it would interest me, naked lunch is on my list though as i like brazil and fear and loathing.

i havn't really seen any malick except tree of life which I thought was pretty good. badlands over days of heaven?

[Kbg1292]

Originally Posted by Casey

robinson doesnt look like it would interest me, naked lunch is on my list though as i like brazil and fear and loathing.

i havn't really seen any malick except tree of life which I thought was pretty good. badlands over days of heaven?

I don't think you can lose either way, but if I had to choose, I would say yes, badlands wins

[Casey]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

These line up nicely with the others:

Red Desert
Mystery Train
Lola Montes
Au Revoir les Enfants
Days of Heaven

thanks. i hadnt considered desert or lola before. they sound interesting.
i used to have mystery train but traded it away.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Casey

thanks. i hadnt considered desert or lola before. they sound interesting.
i used to have mystery train but traded it away.

I always thought Mystery Train was an easy film to like.

Lola Montes and Red Desert, though, fully utilize color cinematography, so I think you'll appreciate them in that regard.

Word of caution: although Red Desert is my single favorite movie to get a Criterion spine and is one of the greatests works of visual art, it's very loose narrative might turn off the finicky.

I highly reccomend seeing L'Avventura (and possibly La Notte and L'Eclisse) before Red Desert. I feel the latter fully expounds upon what Antonioni was doing with the former set of films.

[Jughead]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I always thought Mystery Train was an easy film to like.

You know, I didn't fully appreciate Mystery Train the first time I watched it, but after viewing Down By Law twice since, I think I should give it a second viewing. I do, however, remember the Japanese couple being especially charming.

Any chance Coffee and Cigarettes comes to the CC? Also, I just found out about Fishing With John. That is probably funny, right?

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Jughead

Any chance Coffee and Cigarettes comes to the CC? Also, I just found out about Fishing With John. That is probably funny, right?

Only half of the segments in the film are funny (Blanchetts, Molina's especially). But the film is really flabby as a whole. I consider it Jarmusch's weakest film (which is still watchable, of course). Try to Rent it.

[Tin Drum]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

I need to give it another chance... my first and only viewing was a bit too scattered and met with false expectations...must watch it again someday.

To me Insignificance is either a hate it or love it film. No in between. It just has its own style moreso than many other films. And that style just doesn't translate to some people. Like abstract art.

I loved it and I think the final few minutes are just so brilliant and devastating and beautiful at the same time.