The Criterion Collection

[tylergfoster]

I wish that Criterion would do an Eclipse set with some Seijun Suzukis unavailable in the US, but I don't know how well Suzuki's work sells for them. I guess they did upgrade his two biggest to Blu...but they're his two biggest.

Still also hoping they consider Cutter's Way.

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

I wish that Criterion would do an Eclipse set with some Seijun Suzukis unavailable in the US, but I don't know how well Suzuki's work sells for them. I guess they did upgrade his two biggest to Blu...but they're his two biggest.

Still also hoping they consider Cutter's Way.

i love suzukis movies ! gonna get the japanese eclipse box sets in the next sale

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

gonna get the japanese eclipse box sets in the next sale

My three Eclipse sets are all Japanese. The two Akira Kurosawa sets and the When Horror Came to Shochiku. I need to branch out with more such directors in the future.

[jayxrico]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

My three Eclipse sets are all Japanese. The two Akira Kurosawa sets and the When Horror Came to Shochiku. I need to branch out with more such directors in the future.

Check out Ozu's Eclipse sets. You won't be disappointed.

[tylergfoster]

There are quite a few 1960s movies of Suzuki's that may not be on DVD anywhere. I bet there are five gems in there. Additionally, there are the ones that were released as the "Seijun Suzuki Collection" in the UK, but I'd prefer to see stuff that was previously unavailable.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

What I love about Downhill Racer is that the athlete (Redford) is depicted as a flawed and not particularly pleasant individual, as opposed to most sports movies that bend over backwards to paint the picture of inspirational hero athletes. It's a low-key film that is eerily prophetic of today's media attention that reveals many famous athletes as being great at their particular sport, but not necessarily being likeable people.

I sold my DVD of Downhill Racer months ago in anticipation of getting a Blu-ray someday, only to find out that the film will likely not be restored to the level of a Blu-ray release. Oh well...

Great points! I forgot to mention in my thoughts how Redford's character is such an "anti-hero" in how unlikeable he is. It's hard to root for him throughout the film as he's such an arrogant, reckless jerk with an inflated ego. In some ways this makes the film very unique in that there aren't any good guys or bad guys but just guys who exist in the middle, grey area. Still, I like moral characters in films and even though Downhill Racer isn't a conventional story/film, it still is a great portrayal of a skiier competing for the Olympics. The ending could have been better though and I would have liked to have seen more contemplation of the characters and maybe fast forward a few decades to see how these characters turned out.

This film is definitely timely for our current era of athletes and sports players who are juicing, doping and taking steroids, just to find any way of getting that edge in winning.

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

ive only seen a 720p rip (dont know if it was from HK HDTV or a bluray) of raise the red lantern , aspect ratio was something between 16:9 & 21:9. but video quality was pretty decent.
there should be a newer transfer avaible in france and germany (we got a bluray release not to long ago).

===

yep criterion needs more Korean and chinese cinema. looks like nobody is releasing these movies.

I love Raise the Red Lantern! I could only fantasize about how this would look on Criterion with a high definition transfer! I wrote about this film in college in fact. I've attached my paper below.

And yes, wish there were more Chinese and Korean films on Criterion. Why so much Japanese?

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

There are quite a few 1960s movies of Suzuki's that may not be on DVD anywhere. I bet there are five gems in there. Additionally, there are the ones that were released as the "Seijun Suzuki Collection" in the UK, but I'd prefer to see stuff that was previously unavailable.

I just got the Nikkatsu Noir Eclipse set last month during the Barnes & Noble sale. I went through all five movies a couple of weeks ago in chronological order. The first one is very good and each gets even better than the one before it (both the movie and the picture quality). The last three look almost as sharp as a Blu-ray when upscaled and projected 10 feet wide, and would be good candidates for Blu-ray upgrade editions. The set provides a great sampling of nicely-plotted and beautifully shot noir titles by five different directors including Suzuki (as well as three titles featuring BRANDED TO KILL's Joe Shishido). The black and white CinemaScope compositions are really amazing. It really makes me want to see more films by each one of the directors (especially in full Criterion-quality Blu-rays).

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by Namuhana

Sweet Smell of Success is also in a digipack.

Shit! I can't believe I forgot to add that one, especially since its sitting on my shelf. Also surprised about forgetting Dazed and Confused.
And Videodrome might not be exactly a digi, but it at least looks like it from the outside so I included it on the list.

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by Blu-Velvet

I just got the Nikkatsu Noir Eclipse set last month during the Barnes & Noble sale. I went through all five movies a couple of weeks ago in chronological order. The first one is v

should have ordered the eclipse sets oshima outlaw sixties and nikkatsu noir + kobayashim kurahara bluray upgrade would be awesome for these boxes or at least "eclipse" style bluray releases

[ultlife2013]

For you guys that have crackle app, bottle rocket is free on there. I watched it and liked it would definitely upgrade for the criterion release. I'm sure there's other criterion movies on there too.

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Check out 2 or 3 Things I know about Her. Its in the same politically charged, floaty vein. Alongside Contempt and Weekend, it is my favorite Godard. His early 60's playful films kind of irk me in that Wes Anderson self-satisfied way.

Thank you, I will!

[the sordid sentinel]

Watched Revanche tonight. Freakin' outstanding. I was wondering early on what these completely different sets of characters meant..seemed like they didn't belong in the same movie. The way they intersected and became so involved caught me completely off guard. Its nice to see a movie where you don't have everything figured out 15 mins. in. Great A/V quality on this disc as well.

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by the sordid sentinel

Watched Revanche tonight. Freakin' outstanding. I was wondering early on what these completely different sets of characters meant..seemed like they didn't belong in the same movie. The way they intersected and became so involved caught me completely off guard. Its nice to see a movie where you don't have everything figured out 15 mins. in. Great A/V quality on this disc as well.

Yes, this is an amazingly constructed film, setting you up for one thing, which might be moderately interesting, and suddenly giving you something so much richer, unexpected, and extremely powerful, with the performances becoming deeper and more involving as it goes on. Definitely among my top blind-buys, made almost reluctantly but encouraged by reviews in this forum.

I'm planning to watch MARKETA LAZAROVA this weekend, so I'll see how that one stacks up to its acclaim around here.

[FrankBlue]

Today, I received Playtime from the mail today, which I ordered it from eBay. It didn't come cheap since it went OOP months ago. I paid at the market price for $79.00. I'm excited to see the movie after I watched the trailer and read the reviews.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by the sordid sentinel

Watched Revanche tonight. Freakin' outstanding. I was wondering early on what these completely different sets of characters meant..seemed like they didn't belong in the same movie. The way they intersected and became so involved caught me completely off guard. Its nice to see a movie where you don't have everything figured out 15 mins. in. Great A/V quality on this disc as well.

I'm glad that you enjoyed Revanche. It really is a beautifully paced story with a picturesque Blu-ray presentation.

I tend to steer clear of recent movies (2000-present) in the Criterion Collection and, instead, concentrate on older long-lost classics that have "earned their stripes" over the decades, but this is admittedly more of a personal faux-snobbery thing than anything else. Revanche is an exception, because the premise of the film and the trailer intrigued me enough to take a leap of faith. I am glad that I did, because it's a majestic work of cinema that stands shoulder to shoulder with many of the older greats.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I tend to steer clear of recent movies (2000-present) in the Criterion Collection and, instead, concentrate on older long-lost classics that have "earned their stripes" over the decades, but this is admittedly more of a personal faux-snobbery thing than anything else.

Please don't miss out on Fish Tank and The Kid With A Bike.

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by FrankBlue

Today, I received Playtime from the mail today, which I ordered it from eBay. It didn't come cheap since it went OOP months ago. I paid at the market price for $79.00. I'm excited to see the movie after I watched the trailer and the reviews.

It is an awesome movie...enjoy .

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Please don't miss out on Fish Tank and The Kid With A Bike.

Those two films just never seem to blip on my personal movie radar, but I may check them out someday.

I've had a secret crush on Cécile De France since I saw High Tension (Haute Tension) and Hereafter (an underrated Eastwood movie, in my opinion). I guess that it's not a secret crush anymore, since I just posted about it, but it might compel me to check out The Kid with a Bike.

High Tension (Haute Tension) shamelessly lifts from the Dean Koontz novel, Intensity, albeit with a few twists thrown in, but I remember it being quite the glorious throwaway horror flick.

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Those two films just never seem to blip on my personal movie radar, but I may check them out someday.

I've had a secret crush on Cécile De France since I saw High Tension (Haute Tension) and Hereafter (an underrated Eastwood movie, in my opinion). I guess that it's not a secret crush anymore, since I just posted about it, but it might compel me to check out The Kid with a Bike.

High Tension (Haute Tension) shamelessly lifts from the Dean Koontz novel, Intensity, albeit with a few twists thrown in, but I remember it being quite the glorious throwaway horror flick.

KID WITH A BIKE was something I found wonderfully touching and engaging, something I expect to go back to and to show to others. I was very pleased with the blind buy and liked it quite a bit better than LA PROMESSE.

FISH TANK, on the other hand, is interesting to see if you're in a certain frame of mind, but is not the sort of film that makes you want to see it again unless you're really into analyzing social and psychological problems at their grittiest. It is among my least favorite Criterion blind buys (along with WEEKEND). That said, I'm looking forward to checking out Andrea Arnold's unusual take on WUTHERING HEIGHTS, which I might have been less interested in had I not seen FISH TANK and the bonus shorts. It may make me want to revisit FISH TANK to see if my feelings about it have changed.

[SammyJankis]

I see Sansho the Baliff is the masterpiece I remembered it to be, and then some.

[Show spoiler]

What a film.