The Criterion Collection

[Meek12345]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Since the 50% off sale also applies to other "arthouse" films, I was able to order the Kino Blu-ray of Fritz Lang's The Complete Metropolis, which I have been wanting since I first got my Blu-ray player. I was fortunate to see this at a theater when it was first restored, and it is quite amazing.

Did you happen to see the restored Metropolis at the 2010 TCM film festival @Grauman's Chinese Theatre? If not, which theatre did you see it at? Fun fact: I'm one of the dots in the audience at the premiere that is pictured above the restoration credits on the back of the blu-ray booklet for the Complete Metropolis

Also, I understand how ZeTi feels about Antonioni right now. I feel like Blow-up was a waste of time. However, L'avventura was a somewhat better experience for me. I will be watching L'eclisse on my DVR soon. I have seen several rave reviews for L'eclisse on this forum, so I won't give up on Antonioni yet.

Has anyone that owns the Zatoichi set received discs with scratches on them? I have heard that a common problem with cardboard sleeves is that the discs are easily scratched. I probably won't be able to buy the set until the next B&N 50% sale, but I want all the info I can get on it. I haven't seen all 25 films in the set yet, but have been catching up on youtube. I'm on #10 Zatoichi's Revenge right now. Each film follows a formula like the James Bond films, but each Zatoichi puts enough off a twist on the formula to keep the series interesting so far.

[ShellOilJunior]

First Poll - Best/Worst Cover Art

http://tinyurl.com/criterion2013

Voting will be open for 7 days.


Questions coming soon:

Best Box Set
Best New Spine
Best Upgrade
Favorite Blind Purchase
Release of the Year
What were they thinking?
Worst Upgrade

Final results to be posted in Early January.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Meek12345

Did you happen to see the restored Metropolis at the 2010 TCM film festival @Grauman's Chinese Theatre? If not, which theatre did you see it at? Fun fact: I'm one of the dots in the audience at the premiere that is pictured above the restoration credits on the back of the blu-ray booklet for the Complete Metropolis

I saw The Complete Metropolis at Midtown Art Cinema here in Atlanta. It's a great low-key theater that features underrated indie gems alongside more popular flicks. I indulge in both, because I enjoy seeing the foreign or independent films on the big screen, like the showing of Blue is the Warmest Color that I saw this past weekend, but it's also a great place to catch the mainstream movies, because even the hugely popular films rarely sell out there for some odd reason. When I saw The Avengers on the day of release there last year, the theater was only half full.

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

First Poll - Best/Worst Cover Art

http://tinyurl.com/criterion2013

Voting will be open for 7 days.

[Show spoiler]Questions coming soon:

Best Box Set
Best New Spine
Best Upgrade
Favorite Blind Purchase
Release of the Year
What were they thinking?
Worst Upgrade

Final results to be posted in Early January

.

I choose Best Art for Medium Cool and Worst IMO was 3 Films by Roberto Rossellini Starring Ingrid Bergman mainly because the images were fine but Black and Yellow made it look like a Pittsburgh Steelers box set lol. Badlands was my close second pic for worst cover, I usually don't mind illustrations but Badlands deserved better.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by PowellPressburger

I choose Best Art for Medium Cool and Worst IMO was 3 Films by Roberto Rossellini Starring Ingrid Bergman mainly because the images were fine but Black and Yellow made it look like a Pittsburgh Steelers box set lol. Badlands was my close second pic for worst cover, I usually don't mind illustrations but Badlands deserved better.

I voted Lord of the Flies for Best Cover Art.

I honestly could not think of any cover art this year that I dislike. Since that's a required question in the poll, however, I just went with Gate of Hell.

[joie]

Three choices for best, but only one for worst?

[GentleGiant]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

Back in September, I purchased an imported David Lynch Box from Germany for what exchanged out at 22 dollars and change. I just watched Mulholland Dr. for the first time in my life, tonight. Wow! I am completely blown away! It is a true work of art as it lends itself out to have multiple interpretations. I plan on watching Inland Empire next.

I'm with you on Mulholland Drive. It's one of my favorite films of all time.

[Tin Drum]

Worst: 3 Films by Roberto Rossellini

We all know font can make or break a graphic design. This is one of those times. The font on this is atrocious to me. Add in the yellow color and the uninspired (but beautiful) photograph and you have one disappointing cover.

[mimurph1]

I voted The Uninvited for best and City Lights for worst. Like most of the time, I didn't read anything and blindly started clicking, didn't notice I could vote for three.

[deepbreathsanddeath]

Certainly not the best film of the year in terms of criterion releases but I also voted for The Uninvited as best cover art. Classy as shit.

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

First Poll - Best/Worst Cover Art

http://tinyurl.com/criterion2013

Voting will be open for 7 days.




Questions coming soon:

Best Box Set
Best New Spine
Best Upgrade
Favorite Blind Purchase
Release of the Year
What were they thinking?
Worst Upgrade

Final results to be posted in Early January.

Tagged for later voting. Probably voting Thief for worst if it's an option.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jayxrico

Can never go wrong with the "25 Films of Akira Kurosawa" set! I didn't and this set is my prized jewel!

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I don't know if I'm ready to go there yet as I've only seen Rashomon and now, Ikiru . I'm not sure how I'm going to like the samurai movies... Will be finding out within the next few days, though.. I have got Yojimbo out from the library along with Truffaut's Jules and Jim.

I checked out what Kurosawa is available on blu and otherwise on Amazon and I saw the set you mention. Pretty nice set they put together for hardcore fans. Who knows? Maybe I'll become one? We'll see.

Well, keep in mind that the set is out of print, and expensive (though relatively inexpensive given that it's OOP).

That aside, while Kurosawa's samurai films are his best known work, only about a quarter to a third of his films are samurai films.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

First Poll - Best/Worst Cover Art

http://tinyurl.com/criterion2013

Voting will be open for 7 days.


Questions coming soon:

Best Box Set
Best New Spine
Best Upgrade
Favorite Blind Purchase
Release of the Year
What were they thinking?
Worst Upgrade

Final results to be posted in Early January.

You forgot Nashville in your poll.

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by Dustin Putman

I received the Zatoichi set today.

Mines set to come today I can't wait!

Not Criterion related, but finally got around to watching Nosferatu last night. What a revelation. I think these silent films benefit the most from Bluray. After seeing this film countless times the added level of detail and the ability of Bluray to show more film texture made the viewing seem like the first time. Many shots I could barely make out on DVD are suddenly clear, full of texture and detail. This just excites me more and makes me impatient to see Vampyr and Caligari on Bluray and another favorite of mine, Criterion's release of 3 Silent Classics by Josef von Sternberg . The release of Passion of Joan of Arc, Die Nibelungen, Metropolis and the Mabuse films have also been equally as revelatory in their presentation. Bringing much needed clarity and detail to these old films and breathing new life into them.

Curious why Criterion hasn't announced Joan yet or if they have any plans to? Personally out of all of them I want to see Vampyr in HD.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Banned User

Mines set to come today I can't wait!

Not Criterion related, but finally got around to watching Nosferatu last night. What a revelation. I think these silent films benefit the most from Bluray. After seeing this film countless times the added level of detail and the ability of Bluray to show more film texture made the viewing seem like the first time. Many shots I could barely make out on DVD are suddenly clear, full of texture and detail. This just excites me more and makes me impatient to see Vampyr and Caligari on Bluray and another favorite of mine, Criterion's release of 3 Silent Classics by Josef von Sternberg . The release of Passion of Joan of Arc, Die Nibelungen, Metropolis and the Mabuse films have also been equally as revelatory in their presentation. Bringing much needed clarity and detail to these old films and breathing new life into them.

I watched the Kino Blu-ray of Nosferatu the other night, and I fell in love with the movie all over again. The eerie unease of the visuals got under my skin in a way that they never have before, thanks to the improved detail of the transfer. I love the Carpathian Mountains shots early in the film.

Since the Kino Blu-ray of Fritz Lang's Metropolis is also 50% off online at Barnes & Noble along with the Criterion movies, I've ordered a copy of it, and cannot wait to see how the upgrade from my DVD looks.

The big Buster Keaton set is on its way to me now, so I'm expecting great things from those Blu-rays.

When it comes to Criterion's track record with silent cinema, I was quite impressed with Harold Lloyd's Safety Last! and the silent Chaplin films.

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I love the Carpathian Mountains shots early in the film.

I could barely make out those scenes on DVD. Now the mountains and the shots of the castles up on the different cliffs all have amazing detail and texture which adds a whole new feel to those shots. Making them seem more authentic and real. Also the shot of the venus fly trap and the spider sucking the blood from its victim benefited a great deal from the added detail.

Also I can't believe I was talking about Criterion and Silent films and forgot to mention The Phantom Carriage. Must own title IMO.

[shadedpain4]

I purchased Zatoichi at B&N this morning within 45 mins of them opening and they told me I was already the 4th person to purchase one.

Plus they still had at least 4 more sitting on the shelf to buy. I did not think they would be stocking it so robustly.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by iScottie

You forgot Nashville in your poll.

Good catch. It's now updated.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jayembee

That aside, while Kurosawa's samurai films are his best known work, only about a quarter to a third of his films are samurai films.

Thanks, Jayembee. I was wondering that. I'm not sure what exactly I thought prior to investigating a little further, but I was under the impression that nearly all films in his filmography are samurai films. That's good to know! I'm more excited now to see more... and of course, will keep an open mind about the samurai flicks. Rashomon went over pretty well with me, so I'm hopeful.

Sorry for being THAT guy - the one who quotes or references Ebert a lot , but one thing he did say - it isn't WHAT a film is about, it is about HOW it is about it.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I've seen a lot of truly monumental films this year as I've been building up my Blu-ray collection with well-loved favorites and carefully-chosen blind buys of films that have intrigued me enough to purchase them. The majority of the Blu-rays in my collection are films that I previously owned on DVD and loved enough to upgrade.

I have not had any disappointing blind buys since I started collecting Blu-rays, because I'm attuned to what types of films cater to my tastes after learning many lessons during my days of collecting DVDs. These days, I stay away from the New Release racks at Best Buy or Target and, instead, scope out mostly older films that are now being given the respectful home video treatment that they might not have received on DVD. If I stumble across Blu-ray announcements of films that have earned stellar reputations, such as The Best Years of Our Lives, The Apartment, or Sunset Boulevard, I'm generally inclined to take a closer look to find out why the film is so universally well-regarded. In most cases, the masses are right.

Although I am building my collection at a snail's pace, I am following the exact same logic. If there is a well reviewed release of a film that is highly regarded, I'll roll the dice. Like you said, Owl, more times than not, there is a reason why a film has earned an outstanding reputation and why it still is relevant many years later.

So I'm patiently waiting to see if Amazon will have the same kind of deals they had last year and I will pounce. Thinking.. Laura, The Grapes of Wrath, Paris, Texas, and maybe to Badlands, Fanny and Alexander, and 12 Angry Men.

blind buys would be Laura, Paris, Texas, and Fanny and Alexander