The Criterion Collection

[Alkaline]

Originally Posted by i JACK o

yet arrogantly does so anyway, im 16 i havnt even completed english 2 would you mind giving me a break

Jack O; I was naughty. I knew you meant completist, and I did it anyway. Sorry man.

[stobbart]

so I wonder how long till CC gets the rights to Deep Throat, probably one of the most important films from a historically/social standpoint.

but I digress...how many people watch a Criterion and dont enjoy it. But then, weeks later cant stop thinking about it? Overlord is doing this to me. For some reason I keep thinking how come it didnt sit well with me. Guess I must need to give it another shot, gotta love all the titles on instant Netflix!!

Also, add to my Criterion wishlist a collaboration of Herzog and Klaus. Fitzcarraldo would be nice since we already have Burden of Dreams. Or hell any (old) Herzog would be nice in the collection. Bring on Heart of Glass or Aguirre!!

[Kevtronn]

For anyone curious about the Criterion Store's shipping time. I ordered 2 posters Mach 31 standard shipping and received them April 2. Felt like Amazon Prime.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by stobbart

but I digress...how many people watch a Criterion and dont enjoy it. But then, weeks later cant stop thinking about it? Overlord is doing this to me. For some reason I keep thinking how come it didnt sit well with me. Guess I must need to give it another shot, gotta love all the titles on instant Netflix!!

That as happen to me a few times. The way I look at it is that you need (or at least myself can't talk for others on that) to be in a certain set of mind to watch certain Criterion. None of these movies are Star Wars where you can just shut down your brain and not worry too much about following a difficult story. So I always try to watch a Criterion a second time a bit later in order to be very sure I did not miss something.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by Kevtronn

For anyone curious about the Criterion Store's shipping time. I ordered 2 posters Mach 31 standard shipping and received them April 2. Felt like Amazon Prime.

Same here. I've had four orders from Criterion. Every one of them arrived in 2-3 days.

[stobbart]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

That as happen to me a few times. The way I look at it is that you need (or at least myself can't talk for others on that) to be in a certain set of mind to watch certain Criterion. None of these movies are not Star Wars where you can just shut down your brain and not worry too much about following a difficult story. So I always try to watch a Criterion a second time a bit later in order to be very sure I did not miss something.

I completly agree about needing to be in a certain mindset for most Criterion films...or the ones that I seek out anyways.

[jacobsever]

Originally Posted by stobbart

but I digress...how many people watch a Criterion and dont enjoy it. But then, weeks later cant stop thinking about it? Overlord is doing this to me. For some reason I keep thinking how come it didnt sit well with me.

Yeah, I could hardly get through Days of Heaven, didn't like it that much, but lately I haven't been able to get it out of my head. I guess you could say I didn't enjoy the film during it, but once it was all over I ended up liking it?
I donno, kinda hard to explain.

[i JACK o]

Originally Posted by Alkaline

Jack O; I was naughty. I knew you meant completist, and I did it anyway. Sorry man.

haha its all good man id prefer to be corrected, that way i wont make the same mistake next time

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by jacobsever

Yeah, I could hardly get through Days of Heaven, didn't like it that much, but lately I haven't been able to get it out of my head. I guess you could say I didn't enjoy the film during it, but once it was all over I ended up liking it?
I donno, kinda hard to explain.

Ya, the film is lacking on dialogue. Thankfully it makes up for it in other ways. The landscapes and picture quality are just so damn good I could get by just looking at it.

[Sussudio]

It seems like everyone in here needs to grab a or two and it out. There's no reason anyone should be attacked for expressing their Criterion preferences, be it Seven Samurai or Bottle Rocket or whatever it is you enjoy. I for one find it quite nice the company is dedicated to a specific group of films yet still allows for a wide range of options.

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by CassavetesGodard

I understand but it's the same question I have when people ask when is another Wes Anderson film coming out on blu, like we know that answer. Or when people posts what they want to see by Criterion. It's the same stuff that doesn't add anything to the thread either. I'm not trying to pick fights as you can read back in that first post, that I don't really care what people watch, just know when I see a bunch of "Seven Samurai on Blu NOW", you best believe I want my fav movies blurted out like some kid yelling for ice cream too.

I think that goes for everyone. It's just that bigger titles like Seven Samurai will probably come sooner than other, more obscure ones (besides the fact that Criterion already announced it will be on Blu). I myself would love to see the Cassavetes box set getting a Blu-ray release, since I absolutely loved those movies. And since these are popular in certain crowds, I'm sure we'll see them eventually (hopefully with all the extra material added, but I'm not counting on it).

[skylog]

i am new to blu-ray and "new" to criterion, so perhaps i am simply naive, but why does anyone praying to the church of criterion feel the need to "pass judgement" on others with regards to their criterion purchases/reasonings..etc? i knew of criterion before i make the move to blu-ray, but to be honest, i thought it was simply a company that remastered movies. i knew nothing of the scope of their work or the fact that the movies they release are of such high cinematic value...even if not every movie is for every person.

that said, while i now have a better understanding of what criterion is and what they do, i am still, by no means, learned in all that is criterion. what i do know, however, is a direct result of this fourm. thank you forum for teaching me. at this point, i own zero standard dvds of any kind, mostly because i never really bought dvds. will i ever buy a standard dvd again, i can not say for sure, but most likely not, as there is a finite number of movies i can buy, rent or watch. me purchasing only blu-rays has nothing to do with me being an elitist collector, blu-ray junkie, this or that, but simply my personality. this is simply how i am. just as someone else may buy both, only dvds, on blu-rays, all criterion, just horror. simply, whatever makes that individual happy. collector? fan of cinema? ocd? whatever. that should just be enough. at the very least, someone should not feel their experience is lessened by someone else, that they will most likely never see in real life (not as if that fact matters anyway), doing something differently than they do. not doing it "right." not doing it "the way i do." this just does not make sense to me. to take it further, within the specific scope of this discussion, if you are one who enjoys cinema, enjoys that which criterion has to offer, the very people who seem to draw all your ire, are the same people that allow you to consume more of that which you enjoy. it would seem instead of a "bug off," perhaps a thank you would be in order.

sorry, but these are just my ramblings, take them for what you will.

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by skylog

that would not be avant-garde enough for a fan of criterion such as yourself. i am sorry, this is meant as a joke, but everyone here just needs to let everyone like what they like and move on. that said, you are a blu-ray person, you are here.

I'm not a blu-ray person. I buy some blu-rays, but I am a movie collector first. I only have 30 something blus and 1,000+ dvds and I am still buying dvds more than blu-rays. It's just if a film has a blu-ray option, I'll get it. I don't buy every blu and I do buy Criterion dvds still.

[Slec]

So after several pages here is a summary:

Some people don't like bandwagoning (nothing new there) or even more specifically, some behaviors that result from it
Some people take it personally when someone decrys bandwagoning like behavior (after all it is the internets), even if it doesn't apply to them.
In the end, people who have been into this for a long time want new and interesting works released, whereas newbies want the films they've heard of but can't get elsewhere..
With a caveat that there is a dual format thing going on with blu-ray which exacerbates things on the 'what gets released' front and therefore what ISN'T released as a result.

that about it?

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by CassavetesGodard

They could be. It's just posts that you see of each is rather huge in gap.

The true problem I have really is Criterion is one of few distributors that will release hard to find movies and it bugs me when people want movies that other companies can do for Criterion to do because of what they provide to their releases. I know Criterion needs $, but those "Thin Red Line" releases (which I will double-dip on) are taking away from those harder to find or never released on dvd films.

There are a few really egregious examples of releasing mainstream films such as Armageddon or The Rock, but they are few and far between. But some films such as The Thin Red Line that you mention I want on Criterion more because I trust Criterion to put out a top-notch quality transfer where other studios might butcher it.

But even in cases like Armageddon I'll bet helped to fund other more obscure but great films.

[kndy]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

I saw Summer Hours on IFC awhile back. I didn't think very much of it at all. I own and have watched about 3/4 of all the Criterion Blu releases to date and I'd probably rank Summer Hours as the worst film today. But that's just me. Plenty of other people seem to like the film from what I've read.

I enjoyed it, enjoyed the characters... especially the inclusion of art into the film. But it's not a film that I would want to watch again.

If anything, it was a film that interested me because of how the children dealt with a death of a parent and how each child would deal with the belongings and the property of a loved one.

But it is one of those films for those who were asking about films they could watch with their significant others.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Romulus

If you want people to expand their horizons on film I wouldn't act like a complete douche. It's not going to make anyone run out to see these films or much less, take any of your suggestions seriously.

I've also got one comment relating to Summer Hours and Close Up. Has nobody else seen these films?

Haven't seen Summer Hours yet but my brother saw it twice and says it's excellent. Also, a warm weather film (best to watch when it's hot).

[Riff Magnum]

Fantastic Mr. Fox is as good of a movie and a bluray release as anything that Criterion has thus far put out. So, enough with the Wes Anderson hate. Last i checked, he was living his dream and we're all just talking about it.

[kndy]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Haven't seen Summer Hours yet but my brother saw it twice and says it's excellent. Also, a warm weather film (best to watch when it's hot).

Yeah, it's a very good film and the cinematography and the set location is absolutely beautiful. In many ways, I can see how some people make a comparison to Ozu's films in terms of the parent and children dynamic.

It is a film that many people can relate to. Lose a parent and who decides what happens to the belongings and the home. Especially if you are a child who lives in a far state or country from where your parents live.

And for some who have experienced the splitting up of property of a loved one...it can be civil, it can get nasty but "Summer Hours" is a film that depicts those genuine emotions of saying goodbye to things that you grew up with, saying goodbye to a home that you were raised in.

It's one of those films that features great acting and really well-done cinematography. It's worthy of a Criterion release but for those who are looking for replay value, not sure if this would be one of those films. But it is a very good film with three very good special features and really good booklet.

But it's like Godard's "Tout va Bien" (an earlier Criterion release), I enjoyed the film (especially the supermarket scene) but I don't know if I will have the desire to watch the film again.

--
Speaking of Criterion, I finally finished the second disc of "Jules and Jim" and what a wonderful DVD release. Definitely a title that I hope Criterion considers for Blu-ray as I would love to see more Truffaut.

[Blu Titan]

I just deleted over 30 posts due to the bickering involved. Lets all respect diverging opinions and move from there.