The Criterion Collection

[14728]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

I imagine that a Criterion music release would be something like the Immersion box sets they've done for The Wall, Wish You Were Here, and Dark Side of the Moon (or the Classic Albums dvd series). I'd love to see some classic, and new classic albums given that treatment.

I'd like to see:
U2 - Joshua Tree
Sigur Ros
Billy Joel
Elton John
Elvis Costello
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
John Coltrane
Depeche Mode
Elvis
Johhny Cash

I agree 110% with you.
Also, if this becomes a reality, would the album covers stay the same, or would they get the criterion treatment? Because if they do change, I see a BIIIIG impact on the White Album cover

[The Great Owl]

Since I'm caught up on my Blu-ray watching, save for finishing The Twilight Zone box set, I had a hankering to revisit one of the crowning jewels of The Criterion Collection last night...



The Guadalcanal Campaign, a 1942-1943 Allied offensive against the Japanese during the Pacific arena of World War II, is regarded today as one of the major turning points of the most destructive war in history. The capture of an unfinished airfield by the Allied Forces exhausted Japanese resources in the war of attrition, leading to strategic shortcomings elsewhere that gave a considerable edge to the Allied front.

Terrence Malick's 1998 film, The Thin Red Line, a fictionalized account of an American infantry division during the Battle of Mount Austen, portrays an assortment of ordinary everyman soldiers who have little reason to imagine a future historical legacy where they will be regarded as heroes, and who are, instead, momentarily fixated on random sights of nature's beauty while they stay low to the ground in terror of being killed at any second and while they are on the verge of passing out from heat exhaustion. Malick's camera places us down in the grass alongside these men so that we sense their dehydration chills, their deafness from artillery hits, and their faint awareness of certain death just over the next grassy hill crest. There are no reassuring dramatic story arcs in The Thin Red Line to reminds us of the eventual outcome of these battles. Instead, this film presents us with a collage of shivering pre-battle anticipation, conflicting egos, unexpected heartbreaks, bureaucratic hassles, harrowing treks through jungle terrain, small moments of humor and fellowship, instances of brutality while adrenaline levels are surging, and a constant awareness of wraith-like enemy soldiers creeping behind walls of vegetation.

The world of Terrence Malick's World War II is a place where the horrors of battle are simply an unsightly side of a whole entity that also houses majestic beauty and idyllic tranquility. Like the interlocking vines referenced by one character or like the gorgeous colors of leaf changes, death and loss constantly blend with grace and transcendence. The narrative of The Thin Red Line is scattered as such to allow equal focus on all aspects of a soldier's existence, so that the violent capture of a hilltop bunker is balanced by the joy of random camaraderie when a wandering soldier encounters a wounded friend resting on a scenic hilltop as he awaits pickup.

I consider Terrence Malick to be the greatest director working today, and, as such, I often have trouble ranking his films by preference. If I had to choose one single movie to encapsulate Malick's offbeat narrative style or his themes of nature's constant grace amidst the events of human lives, however, I would recommend The Thin Red Line before all others. You may not understand this movie in all of its nuances, just as I still do not understand it despite multiple viewings, but your life will never be the same once you experience it.

This Criterion Blu-ray of The Thin Red Line is one of the easiest five-star designations across the board. The video, audio, and supplementary presentations are all beyond reproach, and to witness this film on a high definition setup is to witness all of the intensity and wonder that cinema has to offer.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by 14728

I like buying CDs over iTunes because if your computer crashes, the data might be lost. But with CDs, you won't lose your data (unless your clumsy). Plus you can play em in your car, so that's alway's a plus. And it's a bit more satisfactory to look at your big CD collection, but not as rewarding to stare at your iPod, plus you can put CDs onto your computer (and then you can have the songs physically and digitally), You can let friends borrow them, and Box Sets are much better Physically, because you get a lot of physical extras, like Coffee table books, posters, and other extras.

That's a lot of pros

Agreed. I don't buy a lot of music these days, but when I do, i do love my CDs.. unless, as I said in an earlier post, it may be something I just listen to during a work our something. I like the physical medium, i like to be able to pick it up, look at it, etc...

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by Tin Drum

Watched If.... over the weekend and it was pretty amazing. I don't know why it is that I am drawn to such surreal films but it seems every Criterion I view lately has that vibe to it.

I also watched Three Colors Trilogy weekend before and I ended up liking White the most...which puts me in a minority. I just loved that film. The scene where

[Show spoiler]Karol was going to mercy kill Mikolaj

is now one of my favorite moments from any movie I've ever seen. A very well done scene.

Three Colors: White is also my favorite of the trilogy.

[Show spoiler] I am claustrophobic and was greatly uncomforted by Karol's voyage back to Poland. It is a great film with great themes (humiliation, love, revenge.)

[14728]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

Agreed. I don't buy a lot of music these days, but when I do, i do love my CDs.. unless, as I said in an earlier post, it may be something I just listen to during a work our something. I like the physical medium, i like to be able to pick it up, look at it, etc...

I also love vinyl. It has all the pros of CDs, and it has the better sound then CDs and Digital album. Plus, my record player can convert records to an iPod, which can then be converted to a computer, and then I can make a CD out of it.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by 14728

I also love vinyl. It has all the pros of CDs, and it has the better sound then CDs and Digital album. Plus, my record player can convert records to an iPod, which can then be converted to a computer, and then I can make a CD out of it.

I've been without a record player for a while now, and yest I still have my vinyl. Once I rearrange my current setup, i've got to buy a new player.

[The Great Owl]

I just checked my mailbox. Woo hoo!

[Show spoiler]

Criterion was really on the ball, and I got Seconds several days before I expected to receive it. Looks like my choice of what movie to watch tonight has been made for me. Can't wait to check this out in a few.

Originally Posted by starman15317

*raises hand* I still buy CDs

Guilty as charged. The above photo is evidence.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I just checked my mailbox. Woo hoo!

[Show spoiler]

Criterion was really on the ball, and I got Seconds several days before I expected to receive it. Looks like my choice of what movie to watch tonight has been made for me. Can't wait to check this out in a few.


Guilty as charged. The above photo is evidence.

That Being John Malkovich/Seconds double feature will prove to be awesome!

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Tin Drum

I also watched Three Colors Trilogy weekend before and I ended up liking White the most...which puts me in a minority. I just loved that film. The scene where

[Show spoiler]Karol was going to mercy kill Mikolaj

is now one of my favorite moments from any movie I've ever seen. A very well done scene.

The scene that you've referenced is, by far, my favorite moment in Three Colors: White (although I also love the nod to Jean-Luc Godard's Contempt).

Three Colors: Red is my favorite of the three, but any of the three films would rank on my favorites list on their own terms, even without the context of a trilogy.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

That Being John Malkovich/Seconds double feature will prove to be awesome!

I don't own Being John Malkovich, but I saw it several times back in the day, and I like your idea.

I'm thinking that Seconds will make me want to rush back to finishing The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series set. Of course, I was going to do that tonight anyway.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I don't own Being John Malkovich, but I saw it several times back in the day, and I like your idea.

:

I know, we had that talk.

It blew me away in High Sxhool and it continues to do so today. It's one of my top 25 favorite films, so I will endorse it whenever given the chance.

[georgec]

The Great Owl, I am loving your film reviews.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by georgec

The Great Owl, I am loving your film reviews.

Thank you!

I could have easily written pages and pages about The Thin Red Line. That movie just floors me every time. It's tough not to spoil it for new people, though.

I loved watching The Thin Red Line at the theater, but I love it just as much with each subsequent viewing. The movie is like a "Who's Who of Famous 1990s-to-present Actors", and it's great to see indie faves like Tim Blake Nelson in minor scenes.

[Sherlock_Jr]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

This subject tends to get run into the ground on Blu-ray.com, but...

I know that it's just a matter of time before we see the next physical media format, whether it be 4K discs or something else of the sort.

The big question, in my mind, is how feasible the next physical medium will be in terms of enjoying cinema to the utmost extent with all of our favorite movies.

I can imagine the "big classics", like Jaws, The Godfather, Gone with the Wind, and other such movies being released in 4K formats.
However...
Will studios bother upgrading movies like Letter Never Sent, Westworld, Things to Come, John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, City Slickers, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Sands of the Kalahari, Wings of Desire, Walkabout, Rapture, Experiment in Terror, The Driver, Two-Lane Blacktop, Swamp Thing, or Flash Gordon?
Will studios like Scream Factory and Shout Factory be releasing 4K discs of endearingly obscure films just as they are releasing them on Blu-ray now?

Given all of the current struggles to bring movies up to par with the expectations of Blu-ray viewers (The Earrings of Madam de..., Le Samourai, etc.), I'm hard-pressed to imagine the same effort being given to putting these movies through the grind for a higher-resolution physical medium.

Since I only started collecting Blu-rays in 2012, I don't like thinking about the next format, so a lot of my above musings may be self-serving. I don't see a widespread popularity of another medium for a good decade or so, though.

I just revisited The Thin Red Line on Blu-ray tonight. The only way I can see possibly to improve on the Blu-ray is for me to have a 100'' television screen or a wall projector if this particular film ever rolls around on a 4K disc.

People hate to admit it, but digital downloads are the future. I don't care what the sales numbers are right now, it'll happen. And I can't wait to get rid of all my shelves and trade them for a couple of hard drives.

Think of it this way: if music companies decided to stop making CDs altogether and just ffer downloads, people would HAVE to convert, because they'd have no choice. And that's what's going to have to happen - just like the FCC said all broadcasts were going to HD and consumers HAD to upgrade their TVs or at least get converter boxes. People might've complained at first, but it happened. And it was the catalyst for change.

Same thing will happen for films and music. Not sure when, but if companies are outsourcing so many catalog titles yet using the studios masters, then the studios could forego distribution altogether by offering downloads, thus killing the need to outsource.

Same thing has to happen with gasoline/electric/solar cars and various other pieces of technology.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Sherlock_Jr

People hate to admit it, but digital downloads are the future. I don't care what the sales numbers are right now, it'll happen. And I can't wait to get rid of all my shelves and trade them for a couple of hard drives.

Think of it this way: if music companies decided to stop making CDs altogether and just ffer downloads, people would HAVE to convert, because they'd have no choice. And that's what's going to have to happen - just like the FCC said all broadcasts were going to HD and consumers HAD to upgrade their TVs or at least get converter boxes. People might've complained at first, but it happened. And it was the catalyst for change.

Same thing will happen for films and music. Not sure when, but if companies are outsourcing so many catalog titles yet using the studios masters, then the studios could forego distribution altogether by offering downloads, thus killing the need to outsource.

Same thing has to happen with gasoline/electric/solar cars and various other pieces of technology.

The only thing I'm concerned about, if the future is a non-physical format world, is that data can get lost, stolen or corrupted and that could go for all the films and albums we purchase and download. Those people who purchase films, tv shows and music on iTunes have got to pray that their external hard drives don't fail suddenly one day. I'm also thinking of possible future scenarios where the power grid and internet might permanently shut down or an "EMP" might be detonated and all of our digital data is lost forever. What good will it be if we bought thousands of movies online and now we suddenly no longer have them anymore? At least with a physical medium, we are more secure and independent and can always not feel insecure if suddenly our invisible data is gone for good. Of course the shelf life of a Blu-ray disc or CD might be less then 100 years, but we won't be around by then anyway.

[jw007]

On the subject of "physical medium", I'm actually in the process of searching for a hand cranked gramophone player to play my vinyl records in case I lose electricity forever. Those old antique Vitrola gramophone players with the horn sticking out sure look pretty cool and I'm sure they give off a big sound for what they are.

This sure could help me out if one day I can't find electricity anymore and I'm hiding out in Antarctica from the zombies.

[Sherlock_Jr]

Originally Posted by jw007

The only thing I'm concerned about, if the future is a non-physical format world, is that data can get lost, stolen or corrupted and that could go for all the films and albums we purchase and download. Those people who purchase films, tv shows and music on iTunes have got to pray that their external hard drives don't fail suddenly one day. I'm also thinking of possible future scenarios where the power grid and internet might permanently shut down or an "EMP" might be detonated and all of our digital data is lost forever. What good will it be if we bought thousands of movies online and now we suddenly no longer have them anymore? At least with a physical medium, we are more secure and independent and can always not feel insecure if suddenly our invisible data is gone for good. Of course the shelf life of a Blu-ray disc or CD might be less then 100 years, but we won't be around by then anyway.

Just like the Apple app store, studios could keep records of what you purchased, so you could always download it again. Simple fix. Its no different than disc rot, or discs getting cracked, or scratched, and skipping. Nothing is 100%, but I'd rather be able to re-download something I lost than have to re-buy it again because the disc went bad.

Bottom line is this: we have 3-D printers coming out at Staples this year. We've already 3-D printed a human liver. We have solar panels on cars and completely electric cars with ONE moving part. If we can't get past cumbersome and antiquated physical media, then we have more problems than we thought.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jw007

The only thing I'm concerned about, if the future is a non-physical format world, is that data can get lost, stolen or corrupted and that could go for all the films and albums we purchase and download. Those people who purchase films, tv shows and music on iTunes have got to pray that their external hard drives don't fail suddenly one day. I'm also thinking of possible future scenarios where the power grid and internet might permanently shut down or an "EMP" might be detonated and all of our digital data is lost forever. What good will it be if we bought thousands of movies online and now we suddenly no longer have them anymore? At least with a physical medium, we are more secure and independent and can always not feel insecure if suddenly our invisible data is gone for good. Of course the shelf life of a Blu-ray disc or CD might be less then 100 years, but we won't be around by then anyway.

Somebody here on this forum (I think that it was Pro-B) said it best...

"If I don't own something on a disc, then I don't own it at all."

That's the way I look at it. I have almost 1,000 CDs, and that's after my collection has been pared down to the essentials over the past few years as I've been increasingly minimalist at my place. It's quite a commitment in terms of storage space, just as my movie collection is, but I dislike the idea of entrusting the music and movies I grew up enjoying to some ephemeral "cloud" or to a hard drive susceptible to problems.

This makes me think of an unfortunate friend who sold his entire CD collection after putting the songs on an iPod several years ago. His iPod was stolen shortly after he sold his physical collection.

[buffetfroid]

Originally Posted by Sherlock_Jr

Think of it this way: if music companies decided to stop making CDs altogether and just ffer downloads, people would HAVE to convert, because they'd have no choice. And that's what's going to have to happen - just like the FCC said all broadcasts were going to HD and consumers HAD to upgrade their TVs or at least get converter boxes. People might've complained at first, but it happened. And it was the catalyst for change.

This is already happening. I can think of a few 2013 releases on indie labels that are only available on vinyl or digital download. These are albums that I may have downloaded and like enough to want a physical copy. I have a record player and a stack of vinyl, but frankly it's a pain to listen to and takes up so much more room. Not really interested in buying vinyl. And since I already have an MP3 version, there's nothing to buy. Band and label lose out.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Thank you!

I could have easily written pages and pages about The Thin Red Line. That movie just floors me every time. It's tough not to spoil it for new people, though.

I loved watching The Thin Red Line at the theater, but I love it just as much with each subsequent viewing. The movie is like a "Who's Who of Famous 1990s-to-present Actors", and it's great to see indie faves like Tim Blake Nelson in minor scenes.

I am so jealous. I have dreams of my local art-house theater announcing a one day screening of The Thin Red Line. Dreams.

Great write-up, by the way. It's probably my favorite Criterion release (key word: release). It's just top-notch in every regard. The extras, in particular, I love; they don't even have the director on board and yet it's entirely fascinating to watch!