The Criterion Collection

[Scottie]

iScottie's Top Five

1. The Double Life of Veronique

Krzysztof Kieslowski's 1991 masterpiece focuses on the unique theme of having a double identical to oneself in another part of the world. Criterion's release of the film accentuates the vibrant colors and haunting score.

2. Revanche

Götz Spielmann's 2008 crime film focuses on an ex-convict who retreats to his grandfather's farm following a robbery gone bad. With minimal dialogue, the film creates a chilling atmosphere and mood strictly based off of the characters' body language.

3. 12 Angry Men

Considered to be the best court room drama to ever be made, Sidney Lumet's 1957 film is a must own for any film lover.

4. Lonesome

Pál Fejös's lost gem from the 1920s is hands down my favorite silent film. As much as I admire the works of such silent actors as Charlie Chaplin, this film's perfect blend of comedy and drama pulls at the audiences' heart strings in numerous ways.

5. Fish Tank

Andrea Arnold's 2009 coming-of-age drama tells the story of the rebellious 15-year-old Mia as she struggles to find her place in the world. This film conveys an excellent message of what it means to be an individual, regardless of the costs ivolved.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

BTW, after seeing Badlands last week, today i showed my younger brother The Thin Red Line. He says it is now his favorite war film (eclipsing Full Metal Jacket). I hope the viewings of Days of Heaven, The New World and Tree of Life go just as well.

His favorite war film was Full Metal Jacket? How did that happen? I've never understood the appeal of that one. My top war films:

Apocalypse Now
The Thin Red Line
Paths of Glory
Saving Private Ryan
The Deer Hunter

Loose War Films:

Grave of the Fireflies
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Rescue Dawn

[shadedpain4]

5 favorite Criterions today: In The Mood For Love, Secret Sunshine, Thin Red Line, Late Spring, Three Colors: Red.

Sorry for lack of additional detail.

[Cocophone]

I'm at a loss for what to buy this sale. I have pre-orders at amazon for the ice storm and seconds. I bought a lot during Amazon's recent sale price matching best buy.

Any suggestions to buy this sale?

I don't have a Barnes & Noble nearby so I'll be buying online.

Here's my collection
https://www.blu-ray.com/community/col...n.php?u=121931



-----------------
"Why am I me and why not you? Why am I here and why not there? When did time begin and where does space end?" - Wings of Desire

[The Great Owl]

I like the idea of recommending five Criterion titles, excluding any out-of-print titles.

I'm going to restrict my list to Blu-rays at first...

Paris, Texas
This is a beautifully-filmed masterpiece of the early 1980s that packs an emotional punch at the end, by way of superb performances from Harry Dean Stanton and the beautiful Nastassja Kinski.

The Night of the Hunter
This is a brilliant slice of Americana, through and through, and it's the closest that a movie has ever come to capturing the dark feel of a classic fairy tale.

The Wages of Fear
When the two trucks start rolling, this becomes one of the most tense white-knuckle action films ever made.

Badlands
Terrence Malick's Badlands is another amazing slice of Americana that takes us along for an unforgettable ride with two outsiders.

Letter Never Sent
The Criterion release of this 1959 Russian film was personally approved by Beavis.







And a list of favorite Criterion DVDs, for those interested...

Le Samouraï
The Vanishing
Touchez Pas Au Grisbi
Bob Le Flambeur
Rififi

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

His favorite war film was Full Metal Jacket? How did that happen? I've never understood the appeal of that one. My top war films:

Yeah, he's not as big a fan of the second half, but he thinks the first part is such unfiltered comic genius that it puts the whole of the over the top.

Originally Posted by jw007

I will do this but Louie Bluie has been sitting on my shelf for 2 years now and I still am too lazy to watch this 60 min. music documentary! It is a Criterion release though, so I am going to try and do this for you (I'm too busy watching ST: TNG season 2 on blu-ray right now though - oh, if only OMD was featured in those 80s episodes of The Next Generation, then life would have been complete... just kidding).

I'm expecting The Third Man to arrive in my mailbox tomorrow. Finally, the years of waiting are over. I will photograph and post on here too.

Thanks man! Whenever you get the chance to see it is fine. I think I may just rent it myself and watch it one of these summer days. I still have yet to see my copy of Crumb (I've only seen the film on DVD). Need to do that aswell.

Hope your copy of The Third Man comes in fine.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

Took a little break from Hitchcock this afternoon

Funny this comes up, because I'm tempted to blow off the July Criterion sale in favor of buying the Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection.

The main reasons are that, during my first seven months of buying Blu-rays, I've upgraded most of my essential favorite Criterion titles from DVD, and am now down to the point where there are a lot of titles that I like a lot, but am not in a frantic rush to have. I might do myself a favor by waiting until a later sale date to jump on some titles after marinating on my decisions for a while.

Whereas...
The lack of Alfred Hitchcock's Hollywood films is a glaring hole in my Blu-ray collection. I already own a stand-alone of North by Northwest, but The Birds, Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, Shadow of a Doubt, and Rope are have been favorite movies of mine for ages, and, since I saw The Birds on at a recent theatrical showing, I've been pumped up about these films.

I dunno. I might buy the Masterpiece Collection and then narrow my Criterions to two or three.

[The Bronx Bull]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Funny this comes up, because I'm tempted to blow off the July Criterion sale in favor of buying the Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection.

The main reasons are that, during my first seven months of buying Blu-rays, I've upgraded most of my essential favorite Criterion titles from DVD, and am now down to the point where there are a lot of titles that I like a lot, but am not in a frantic rush to have. I might do myself a favor by waiting until a later sale date to jump on some titles after marinating on my decisions for a while.

Whereas...
The lack of Alfred Hitchcock's Hollywood films is a glaring hole in my Blu-ray collection. I already own a stand-alone of North by Northwest, but The Birds, Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, Shadow of a Doubt, and Rope are have been favorite movies of mine for ages, and, since I saw The Birds on at a recent theatrical showing, I've been pumped up about these films.

I dunno. I might buy the Masterpiece Collection and then narrow my Criterions to two or three.

The Masterpiece Collection is great. I got it on sale at Amazon for, I think, $139 back around when it first came out. That being said, for me, since the Criterion sale is only twice a year, that takes precedent! Strategically, you could pick up your load of Criterions for July, and then pick up the Hitchcock collection at the next price drop. It's currently $161 on Amazon, and I think I've seen it as low as $99 one time.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Bronx Bull

The Masterpiece Collection is great. I got it on sale at Amazon for, I think, $139 back around when it first came out. That being said, for me, since the Criterion sale is only twice a year, that takes precedent! Strategically, you could pick up your load of Criterions for July, and then pick up the Hitchcock collection at the next price drop. It's currently $161 on Amazon, and I think I've seen it as low as $99 one time.

If you order from Amazon UK:

Items: GBP 57.50
Postage & Packing: GBP 3.08
Total before VAT: GBP 60.58
VAT: GBP 0.00
(Order Total: GBP 60.58)
Payment Total: USD 94.69

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Funny this comes up, because I'm tempted to blow off the July Criterion sale in favor of buying the Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection.

The main reasons are that, during my first seven months of buying Blu-rays, I've upgraded most of my essential favorite Criterion titles from DVD, and am now down to the point where there are a lot of titles that I like a lot, but am not in a frantic rush to have. I might do myself a favor by waiting until a later sale date to jump on some titles after marinating on my decisions for a while.

Whereas...
The lack of Alfred Hitchcock's Hollywood films is a glaring hole in my Blu-ray collection. I already own a stand-alone of North by Northwest, but The Birds, Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, Shadow of a Doubt, and Rope are have been favorite movies of mine for ages, and, since I saw The Birds on at a recent theatrical showing, I've been pumped up about these films.

I dunno. I might buy the Masterpiece Collection and then narrow my Criterions to two or three.

If you want to save money, you could technically trade in your standalone of North By Northwest for The Essential Collection and then purchase Rope and Shadow of a Doubt separately.

[brandon_260]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Funny this comes up, because I'm tempted to blow off the July Criterion sale in favor of buying the Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection.

The main reasons are that, during my first seven months of buying Blu-rays, I've upgraded most of my essential favorite Criterion titles from DVD, and am now down to the point where there are a lot of titles that I like a lot, but am not in a frantic rush to have. I might do myself a favor by waiting until a later sale date to jump on some titles after marinating on my decisions for a while.

Whereas...
The lack of Alfred Hitchcock's Hollywood films is a glaring hole in my Blu-ray collection. I already own a stand-alone of North by Northwest, but The Birds, Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, Shadow of a Doubt, and Rope are have been favorite movies of mine for ages, and, since I saw The Birds on at a recent theatrical showing, I've been pumped up about these films.

I dunno. I might buy the Masterpiece Collection and then narrow my Criterions to two or three.

You should consider the Region Free UK set. It's missing North By Northwest, but it came to about $90 shipped to Canada. On top of that, you can then pick up the Hitchcock 3 Pack with North By Northwest, Dial M for Murder, and Strangers on a Train, once again all Region Free. All together, it will likely come to cheaper than the US set and you'll end up with two extra films. I ended up going that route, as well as picking up the other 3 Pack (Notorious, Spellbound, and Rebecca) and MOC's Lifeboat (I've got a region free player).

Here's the links if you're interested.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alfred-Hitch...ords=hitchcock
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alfred-Hitch...ords=hitchcock

[brandon_260]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

If you order from Amazon UK:

Items: GBP 57.50
Postage & Packing: GBP 3.08
Total before VAT: GBP 60.58
VAT: GBP 0.00
(Order Total: GBP 60.58)
Payment Total: USD 94.69

Guess I should have kept reading the page, seems you covered it already.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

Guess I should have kept reading the page, seems you covered it already.

It's a great deal. At best it will be what $10, $15 cheaper at the end of the year? Plus, the set looks fantastic (I own it).

[Shout92]

Here are my top five Criterions, a combination of the films themselves and the packages they come in (booklets, interviews, commentaries, etc.). Hence why films like Seven Samurai and On the Waterfront are not on the list, because while I've seen and love them, I don't own them yet (hoping to change that with this sale, though).

12 Angry Men
A cast headlined by the likes of Henry Fonda, John Fiedler, and Lee J. Cobb, and Sidney Lumet's use of long single takes, makes this a literal stage play put on film.

The stand out here on the supplements is the series of Sidney Lumet interviews. In my opinion, Sidney Lumet was one of our greatest, but underrated director, worthy to stand alongside the like of Scorsese and Coppola, and whose career ranged from the the 50's-00's (just compare 12 Angry Men to his last film Before The Devil Knows You're Dead).

The Wages of Fear
This movie is almost two and a half hours long. The first half is slow paced and takes its time setting up the plot and characters. But as soon as those trucks start moving, things don't slow up. I was on the edge of my seat even after it had ended.

On this one, there are two supplements worth noting. Henri-Georges Clouzot: The Englightened Tyrant gives great insight into the director and his career (spoilers for Diabolique if you haven't seen it) and Censored details the American censorship that took place during its initial run.

The Night of the Hunter
Has there ever been a greater actor-turned-director debut than this? Charles Laughton's visuals are reminiscent of those found in the expressionist films of the German silent era ("Nosferatu" in particular comes to mind), using light and shadow tell the story more so than the dialogue. Laughton (who would not go on to direct another film, a loss for us all) presents the American south not as a tall tale, but a Gothic fairytale, with Robert Mitchum as the devil in sheep's clothing.

The only 2-disc Criterion on this list, and its filled with great bonus features. But the Charles Laughton Directs feature is priceless. A 2.5 hour documentary that contains outtakes, behind the scenes footage, and information on Charles Laughton's life and career. It's my favorite bonus feature and favorite packaging of any Criterion film.

Bottle Rocket
They say the first casualty in war is innocence. Well, then thank God that Owen Wilson's Army-look-alike has never actually gone to war, or else this film would lose all its charm. It lacks the color and style that would become staples of Wes Anderson's later films, but "Bottle Rocket" is probably all the better without them.

The Making Of documentary and the original thirteen minute back and white short film from 1992 are the two standouts on this release.

Dazed and Confused
I didn't go to high school in the 1970's. And I didn't go to high school in Austin, Texas either. But I look at this movie and I can relate to it. The characters, the summer atmosphere, everything. In a way, it's like the spiritual successor to "American Graffiti." It also has one of the best source soundtracks of any movie I've seen.

The Beer Bust at the Moon Tower consists of dozens of interviews with the cast and crew, as well as behind the scenes footage. And Making "Dazed" is a great retrospective documentary that includes footage from the cast/crew reunion.

Also worth checking out:
Blow Out - A great companion film to Coppola's The Conversation. A one-on-one interview featuring Noah Baumbach and Brian De Palma is the standout here, as well as an interview with the creator of the steadicam.

The Game -A modern day Hitchcock thriller. The behind the scenes footage and film-to-storyboards comparisons give insight into David Fincher's process.

The Killing - Classic noir and underrated Kubrick, with a great, script, and soundtrack. The inclusion of Killer's Kiss as a bonus feature alone makes this one of my favorite Criterion releases.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

If you order from Amazon UK:

Payment Total: USD 94.69

Thanks! I just pulled the trigger.

Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection for $94.69 is too good to pass up, because I'd like to own each and every Blu-ray in that box, even if the picture quality is less than ideal for a couple of titles, as I've heard.

This price even enables me to shell out around $100 for Criterions during the B&N sale, since I had given myself a price cap of $200 or so.

I really really hope that the box set stays intact during the shipping process.

[Abdrewes]

The box should arrive in good condition. It is as sturdy as they come.

You already own NXNW, right? If so, pthis set was ideal for you.

[jw007]

I am going to add my recommendations for 5 Criterion BDs now too.

These are all in-print of course.

The list is mostly based on the quality and strength of the film and less on supplements and packaging. However, all five editions have a good amount of supplementary material as well.


1. Le Havre (2011)
Aki Kaurismäki made a very moving film in 2011 and I believe this film should be seen by everyone. The story and moral message is strong and very moving.


2. Naked (1993)
Mike Leigh's devastating portrait of "Johnny" is uncanny, going to some of the darkest and most hopeless places in a character that I've ever seen on film.


3. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Martin Scorcese's magnum opus of the 1980s. The film goes beyond religion and into the philosophical and existential questions of the human condition.


4. The Thin Red Line (1998)
Terrence Malick's greatest cinema in my opinion. The moral messages and subtexts are more powerful than the actual battles of men fighting. Not many films can achieve that.


5. The Music Room (1958)
An amazingly rarely-known and exotic film from one of India's greatest filmmakers, Satyajit Ray. This is an exploration of obsession, decadence and selfishness and the moral message is strong.

Also check out:

- Island of Lost Souls (1932)
Eerily timely for today's age, touching on genetic and DNA modification. This is still the best of all the "Moreau" films and is the original.

- Gimme Shelter (1970)
Engaging and addictive documentary that I can watch over and over again. The film wisely goes beyond the Rolling Stones and into the Altamont tragedy.

- A Night to Remember (1958)
Based on Walter Lord's 1955 novel, it's truly the most sensitive & accurate portrayal of the Titanic disaster without an unnecessary love story.

[brandon_260]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

It's a great deal. At best it will be what $10, $15 cheaper at the end of the year? Plus, the set looks fantastic (I own it).

The North American set sells for $198 in Canada, so even after buying the UK release, the two 3 Packs, and Lifeboat, I still ended up under the selling price for the one set here. Really a fantastic deal.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

The North American set sells for $198 in Canada, so even after buying the UK release, the two 3 Packs, and Lifeboat, I still ended up under the selling price for the one set here. Really a fantastic deal.

The two three packs? I thought there was only one

Is the second the Notorious/Rebecca/Spellbound one?

[MitchA17]

A bit off-topic, but I finally got a package I've been waiting for for a while, and one that I'd like to see Criterion get around to if they start releasing animation.

In my opinion, It's Such a Beautiful Day was both the funniest and most emotionally devastating film of 2012.

http://pic.twitter.com/6bvHQaKVrX