The Criterion Collection

[billyearle]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Yeah, I thought they had great chemistry the first go around, but I'm scared I won't feel the same emotion the second time around. Character dramas are the films that either gain the most or lose the most upon repeat viewings.

Yeah it's probably stating the obvious, but that's why I resist buying a lot of highly regarded dramatic films unless they are visually (or musically) stunning, I just can't get a lot of replay value from another film about a failed marriage or "life" these days. I've seen tons of great films that move me to tears, but with a limited budget I am reluctant to fork out $25 or more to watch them again. Don't get me wrong, I am glad to have seen these films in the first place. When I was in my carefree single days it was different.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

David Finchers Chinatown track was one of the most disappointing ever. Most of it pretty much just consisted of "Oh I love this scene. Oh this parts great. Oh I love this" The True Romance one is real good though!

And to the guy above whos trying to charge people for his list: Why the **** wouldn't they just look it up themselves? Are you kidding me?

Thanks for the info. The David Fincher Director's commentary tracks have all been fantastic thusfar, so I expected much of the same from the Chinatown one. It's now further down on my queue of commentary tracks to check out.

Can't wait to dive into that of True Romance, though.

Originally Posted by billyearle

Yeah it's probably stating the obvious, but that's why I resist buying a lot of highly regarded dramatic films unless they are visually (or musically) stunning, I just can't get a lot of replay value from another film about a failed marriage or "life" these days. I've seen tons of great films that move me to tears, but with a limited budget I am reluctant to fork out $25 or more to watch them again. Don't get me wrong, I am glad to have seen these fims in the first place. When I was in my carefree single days it was different.

We are more or less on the same boat. I doubt La Promesse, for example, will be on heavy rotation here, even though it is quite good. The films I watch over and over again are the ones with great visuals, sound design and/or music...Thus, films like Lola Montes, Heavens Gate, Blow Out, Red Desert, Solaris are the ones I rewatch the most. They are all fantastic experiences first and foremost.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Is the Criterion Leopard a good pick up despite all the talk of the restored Fox Pathe version being superior to the Criterion disc? What are your thoughts on this?

[Hawkguy]

I'm not sure what the use is, too .... you can easily check if stores near you have it, but nobody is going to fly across the country just to be able to save $20 on a blu-ray

[zoodermin]

People, what are your opinions on Howards End? is being on my wishlist for a long time but for some reason I never pull the trigger. I want to know what do you think about so maybe I'll pick it up in the upcoming B&N sale. Thanks!

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by zoodermin

People, what are your opinions on Howards End? is being on my wishlist for a long time but for some reason I never pull the trigger. I want to know what do you think about so maybe I'll pick it up in the upcoming B&N sale. Thanks!

..and..wasn't this supposed to go out of print? I've been wanting to pick it up as well for a long time.

[shortmartin]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I just got back from seeing Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds at Fox Theatre here in Atlanta. This was a beautiful theatrical showing for the 50th Anniversary of The Birds, and I am happy to have one of my cinematic bucket list items under my belt (seeing a Hitchcock film on the big screen).

Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds uses bird sounds in lieu of a music score, and these birds sounds were incredibly loud on the venue sound system. During the film's climax, when birds have surrounded the house, one could almost believe that the birds had surrounded Fox Theatre as well.

This experience was a hundred different kinds of awesome.

Not entirely Criterion-related, except by a degree of separation from one of the Criterion Collection prominent directors, but still worth a mention.

that is awesome, I'm super jealous and happy for you.

[jcez28]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

I'm not sure what the use is, too .... you can easily check if stores near you have it, but nobody is going to fly across the country just to be able to save $20 on a blu-ray

That's why I recommend shipping it out from there

Originally Posted by zoodermin

People, what are your opinions on Howards End? is being on my wishlist for a long time but for some reason I never pull the trigger. I want to know what do you think about so maybe I'll pick it up in the upcoming B&N sale. Thanks!

It might go out of print a while back there was talk of a rights issue

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

Is the Criterion Leopard a good pick up despite all the talk of the restored Fox Pathe version being superior to the Criterion disc? What are your thoughts on this?

The Criterion Blu-ray of The Leopard looks wonderful to me, although I have never seen any other transfer of the film. The Criterion edition has a boatload of extras, including the full version and the abbreviated U.S. version.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

I'm not sure what the use is, too .... you can easily check if stores near you have it, but nobody is going to fly across the country just to be able to save $20 on a blu-ray

I would not put that past some people on Blu-ray.com. It's fun to scan the threads on this site after reading Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational. I'm always impressed by the effort that people on the forum will go through to save a couple of dollars on widespread new release Blu-ray. I know that I probably could saved 15 cents or so on a copy of Skyfall on the day of release by catching a plane to the Congo, but I'm glad that I bought it from the Walmart less than a quarter mile from my apartment.

I'm not except from making irrational purchasing decisions with Blu-rays myself, of course. It's all part of the general amusement of this place.

[Jughead]

Originally Posted by Jughead

Well... I plopped down $62 for a new copy of Le Cercle Rouge on Ebay today. Someone please tell me I'm not crazy.

Foiled again!

The Ebay seller messaged me over the weekend and said "There has been a mistake, the item is actually not new/sealed, but instead, in like new condition".

I explained to them that I didn't appreciate the bait and switch and if they would like to refund me $20 and ship the item, I would take it. Two days later without a response, so I wrote them this morning and said I would be filing a grievance with ebay (for bait and switch, incorrect listing) and paypal (because I want my money before this thing goes up any more).

This is the 5th time I've actually purchased this movie and not received it. Incredible.

[Abdrewes]

Jug head, I'm very sorry to hear your story. you have my sympathies.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Jughead

Foiled again!

The Ebay seller messaged me over the weekend and said "There has been a mistake, the item is actually not new/sealed, but instead, in like new condition".

I explained to them that I didn't appreciate the bait and switch and if they would like to refund me $20 and ship the item, I would take it. Two days later without a response, so I wrote them this morning and said I would be filing a grievance with ebay (for bait and switch, incorrect listing) and paypal (because I want my money before this thing goes up any more).

This is the 5th time I've actually purchased this movie and not received it. Incredible.

I'm sorry to hear that. As the world's biggest fan of Le Cercle Rouge, it irks me that more people are not able to access this Blu-ray because of the shifting of studio rights. No advice to give, other than to keep searching.

[blackhawktraffic]

Originally Posted by Jughead

Foiled again!

The Ebay seller messaged me over the weekend and said "There has been a mistake, the item is actually not new/sealed, but instead, in like new condition".

I explained to them that I didn't appreciate the bait and switch and if they would like to refund me $20 and ship the item, I would take it. Two days later without a response, so I wrote them this morning and said I would be filing a grievance with ebay (for bait and switch, incorrect listing) and paypal (because I want my money before this thing goes up any more).

This is the 5th time I've actually purchased this movie and not received it. Incredible.

That's crazy try amazon next time...they are good about making the sellers refund you...eBay is too. And leave some nasty feedback too. I can't believe you have had so many bad experiences

[The Great Owl]

A few words about this one...



Like most people today, my first introduction to this Elmore Leonard story was through the 2007 film version starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Just one viewing of the 1957 original Delmer Daves film adaptation via a DVD edition from a few years ago, however, was all that it took to make me forget about the 2007 interpretation.

This 1957 movie is just as much of a character study as it is a Western, and the bulk of the film is restricted to the interactions of outlaw Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) and weathered rancher Dan Evans (Van Heflin) inside a hotel room in Contention City as they count the seconds until the arrival of the 3:10 afternoon train, which they plan to board as Evans escorts Wade to the Yuma Territorial Prison. 3:10 to Yuma features a handful of shootouts, but only enough to define these two lead characters through their actions.

Glenn Ford's Ben Wade is a ruthless murderer when the situation calls for ruthlessness, but he also has a softer side that he utilizes with ease to seduce women and to exploit the self-doubts of men who pose a threat to him. Like a personable, but shrewd car salesman who picks apart the weak spots of customers while befriending them, Ben Wade compels us to let down our guard even when our logic warns against doing so.

Van Heflin's Dan Evans is a walking encyclopedia of insecurity and self-doubt, but circumstances allow his character to be mined down to an inner steel of resolve. We are constantly watching Evans being eaten alive with guilt when he actively considers Ben Wade's tempting offers, but we also see the guilt increasing his stubbornness. By showing us how internal struggles can wreak havoc on an ordinary man who is focused on practicalities, Van Heflin becomes one of cinema's most memorable heroes.

3:10 to Yuma does not short change us on the action, though, and Daves's filmmaking works its true charm with shootout scenes that never leave us confused as to where the characters are situated or from where the threat is approaching. When the movie dwells on the beautiful vistas of the Arizona Territory, we are treated to some of the most beautifully restored scenes of any Western film currently on Blu-ray. 3:10 to Yuma is quite astounding in high definition, and the brilliant clarity of the picture lends a new vastness to the outdoor scenes while exposing new intimate nuances with facial close-ups. The audio quality is spot-on so that we sense the outside threats from the hotel room setting just as Ben Wade and Dan Evans sense them.

The Criterion Blu-ray of 3:10 to Yuma is a treat for fans of classic Westerns, and this film makes a fine double feature with the Olive Films Blu-ray of High Noon.

[brandon_260]

Just finished Belle de jour. Unlike anything I've ever seen from the 60's. Could become one of my favorite films in the collection with another viewing or two. Not much to say, as I'm about to head out the door, but there is so much that I loved about this film. The stunning photography was just the icing on the cake here.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

Just finished Belle de jour. Unlike anything I've ever seen from the 60's. Could become one of my favorite films in the collection with another viewing or two. Not much to say, as I'm about to head out the door, but there is so much that I loved about this film. The stunning photography was just the icing on the cake here.

It was the first foreign language Criterion that I had seen and it still remains one of my favorites in the collection!

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by iScottie

It was the first foreign language Criterion that I had seen and it still remains one of my favorites in the collection!

(Jokingly)...but the "plot" wasn't very good. (See what I did there)

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

Girls is one of my most-hated things at the moment , to the point where comparisons like that really make me want to run the other way.

It's that kind of comparison that pushes me away from wanting to see it, and it's the extremely positive reactions from so many others that makes me want to see it.

..I don't know..

Sorry for the late response.

It's similar to Girls in the way that it attempts analyze the endui-infested lives of these mid-twenty something people, and instead of coming off endearing, like it's intended to be, it comes off irritating. It's like sitting in a room with a bunch of people, whining about their NYC lives constantly and not doing a single productive thing about it. It may be realistic, but it sure as hell isn't interesting. To be fair, the film has Gerwig as the lead instead of Dunham, who brings a more likable quality to the role.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Sorry for the late response.

It's similar to Girls in the way that it attempts analyze the endui-infested lives of these mid-twenty something people, and instead of coming off endearing, like it's intended to be, it comes off irritating. It's like sitting in a room white about their NYC lives constantly and don't do a thing about it. It may be realistic, but it sure as hell isn't interesting. To be fair, the film has Gerwig as the lead instead of Dunham, who brings a more likable quality to the role.

Frances Ha as a character never whines, not once.