The Criterion Collection

[moviebuffed]

Originally Posted by Strictly Blu

Here's hoping for some Lynch tomorrow!

Don't you eat Lynch every day? oh wait....

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by zkirkland

Trying to decided what should be the blu I get for free through the B&N Buy 2 get 1 free sale.

I feel good about getting 8 1/2 and Rififi. I am torn between Naked Lunch, Fear and Loathing, and On The Waterfront. I have never seen Naked Lunch but it looks so insane which is up my alley.

I you're looking for insane, Naked Lunch is definitely the way to go, out of those three. If you're looking for the best movie, On the Waterfront would be my suggestion.

[bigbadwoppet]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

Dude, Its okay to not like an artist, but there is no call to refer to it as "crap." I agree that there seems to be a bevy of Wes Anderson fans on this blog, and they do seem to get quite vocal once a month expressing their desire for an upgrade of The Life Aquatic. I am not a fan of that film, but I do appreciate the film-making. Besides, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums are two of the best comedies within the last twenty years. Wes Anderson, whether you like it or not, strikes a chord with certain cinephiles; and how can that sincere love (that fans of his have for him) make him even remotely over-rated?.

Anderson is "hip", that's why so many people like him and it's even hipper to have him as a Criterion, that's why we're getting Fantastic Mr Fox (a film that I admit I like) in a truly gratuitous edition considering the Fox BD looks wonderful. His films are weird and mildly funny but the degree of reverence that it's given him is beyond ridiculous.
Risi's IL SORPASSO is a 50 year plus film which has never been given a decent dvd release even in its native Italy, let alone HD treatment and more importantly, it's an exceptional film.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jayembee

If you're looking for the best movie, On the Waterfront would be my suggestion.

I concur. On the Waterfront was my favorite Criterion title of 2013, and it's one of the most stunning titles in the entire Collection. The look of this film on Blu-ray just slays me.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

Dude, Its okay to not like an artist, but there is no call to refer to it as "crap." I agree that there seems to be a bevy of Wes Anderson fans on this blog, and they do seem to get quite vocal once a month expressing their desire for an upgrade of The Life Aquatic. I am not a fan of that film, but I do appreciate the film-making. Besides, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums are two of the best comedies within the last twenty years.

The funny thing is that of all the Wes Anderson titles that Criterion has so far released, The Life Aquatic is the only one I can actually say that I like, and it's the only one they haven't upgraded to Blu.

Wes Anderson, whether you like it or not, strikes a chord with certain cinephiles; and how can that sincere love (that fans of his have for him) make him even remotely over-rated?.

I think the term "over-rated" is over-rated. Most people seem to use it as a synonym for "bad". All it really means is that it isn't as good as its reputation would have it. A film that's merely "very good" but is typically referred to as "excellent" can be said to be "over-rated".

It's like people who use the term "mediocre" to mean "bad", when it actually means "average".

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by ParticleDan

I'll have to watch my copy again soon. It was among the first the or so Criterions I picked up (for original price), but it really didn't do anything for me when I watched it. I have no shame it admitting that I really didn't know how to intelligently watch films several years ago and I think I needed to cleanse my pallet of Hollywood junk before appreciating art films fully.

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

It took me a couple of times watching my old Criterion DVD of The Third Man for the film to sink in. The zither music in the score caught me off guard the first time, and it just did not make any sense to me in context to the story. These days, I love the music choice, just as I love the offbeat carnival-esque music of Eyes Without a Face, but it's definitely uncanny at first.

I was a regular poster on another forum many years ago when I first saw The Third Man, and I remember posting something to the effect of "I like the second half of this film a lot because it reminds me of a Tim Burton movie."
*shudders*
I'm somewhat embarrassed by that comment in retrospect, but it also makes me laugh. I've always been sort of a village idiot when it comes to evaluating movies.

Owl - it seems that you'll be the first person who owns the Criterion Blu-ray of The Third Man and actually likes the film.

I loved the zither music from the first time I saw the film and it has held a firm grasp on the title of 'my second favorite film of all-time" for quite some time now. But I am surprised at how many people say that don't like it or that it was difficult to enjoy. My only guess is that the voiceover at the beginning of the films covers two things that can turn off a viewer expecting a 'fun' (for lack of a more fitting word) film - and that is politics and geography. The beginning of Casablanca starts the same way and I guess I can remember a time when I felt turned off by that or the feeling of "what am I getting myself into w/ this film?"

Anyway, The Third Man just speaks to me on so many levels... and

[Show spoiler]that last scene w/ that beautiful score accompanying Anna's long walk right on past Joseph Cotten. Ahh.. perfection!

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Owl - it seems that you'll be the first person who owns the Criterion Blu-ray of The Third Man and actually likes the film.

Not even close. I've loved the film since the first time I saw it, and happily own the Criterion LD (two different editions), the intial DVD release, and the Blu-ray.

Folks who like The Third Man should read Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther detective novel A German Requiem. It's set in post-war Vienna, and it's hard to read it without thinking of The Third Man. Or having zither music playing in your head.

I loved the zither music from the first time I saw the film

I've got the theme in my iTunes library.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Owl - it seems that you'll be the first person who owns the Criterion Blu-ray of The Third Man and actually likes the film.

I loved the zither music from the first time I saw the film and it has held a firm grasp on the title of 'my second favorite film of all-time" for quite some time now. But I am surprised at how many people say that don't like it or that it was difficult to enjoy. My only guess is that the voiceover at the beginning of the films covers two things that can turn off a viewer expecting a 'fun' (for lack of a more fitting word) film - and that is politics and geography. The beginning of Casablanca starts the same way and I guess I can remember a time when I felt turned off by that or the feeling of "what am I getting myself into w/ this film?"

Anyway, The Third Man just speaks to me on so many levels... and

[Show spoiler]that last scene w/ that beautiful score accompanying Anna's long walk right on past Joseph Cotten. Ahh.. perfection!

A fun fact...

Anna in The Third Man...

[Show spoiler]

is played by the same actress (Alida Valli) who played Louise in Eyes Without a Face.

[Show spoiler]

In The Third Man, Valli's Anna is a beautiful and vulnerable character whose wartime survival has given her not only a resilient strength, but also a brittle cynicism that will unfortunately remain with her forever.

In Eyes Without a Face, Valli's Louise is, well, not as sympathetic.

In a way, it's fun to imagine that Valli's character in Eyes Without a Face is simply an older version of her character in The Third Man, but her experiences over the years have hardened her psyche even more to the point where she is detached from conventional morality. Okay, maybe that's more sad than fun, but you know that I mean...

[zkirkland]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I you're looking for insane, Naked Lunch is definitely the way to go, out of those three. If you're looking for the best movie, On the Waterfront would be my suggestion.

Yeah, On The Waterfront looked fantastic on Blu Ray when I rented it through Netflix. I might go with it partly because it is truly a classic but also the listing price on B&N makes it eligible to use one of my coupons I recently got as a new member.

Even with all the titles I am weighing, it's pretty apparent that'll acquire them soon anyways. Probably when Criterion does another flash tbh

[K1NG J0RDAN]

What do you guys think of Antichrist? In a bit of a Willem Dafoe mood so I ordered that and The Hunter. Plus I'd like to see how crazy Lars von Trier is before I see Nymphomaniac...

[bwdowiak]

I just pulled the trigger on the ITV Blu-ray of Black Narcissus. I have yet to see a P&P film and now I've bought two. (got The Red Shoes recently, too) hopefully, they won't disappoint.

I paid $6 for a like new copy plus 3.99 shipping, so $9.99 Can't beat that, I don't think... The pq reviews all over the web are very glowing and I thing Pro-B says that there really isn't a discernible difference between the ITV and Criterion. I'd like to have the extra features, but honestly... I don't end up watching all of them. The buyer dropped his price like $3 since originally posting it last week. He had a note that said : "you must have a region free player." well, he's wrong. only the bonus feature (yes, THE one bonus feature) can not be accessed. who cares? 10 bucks? count me in!

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I just pulled the trigger on the ITV Blu-ray of Black Narcissus. I have yet to see a P&P film and now I've bought two. (got The Red Shoes recently, too) hopefully, they won't disappoint.

I gotten into a lot of new directors and types of films since starting collecting Criterions, and P&P is my favourite discovery. Hope you like them too!

[Ausjdm]

Originally Posted by K1NG J0RDAN

What do you guys think of Antichrist? In a bit of a Willem Dafoe mood so I ordered that and The Hunter. Plus I'd like to see how crazy Lars von Trier is before I see Nymphomaniac...

What's your avatar of?

I didn't mind AntiChrist at all. Great visually and it at least has a plot and has a Philosophical standing. (A screwed up standing lol, but it makes a statement regardless) unlike the terrible and dreadful, In the Realm of the Senses which I watched Sunday blek. I also wanna see Nympho. Lars, like him or not he makes you think and makes a statement...

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I just pulled the trigger on the ITV Blu-ray of Black Narcissus. I have yet to see a P&P film and now I've bought two. (got The Red Shoes recently, too) hopefully, they won't disappoint.

I paid $6 for a like new copy plus 3.99 shipping, so $9.99 Can't beat that, I don't think... The pq reviews all over the web are very glowing and I thing Pro-B says that there really isn't a discernible difference between the ITV and Criterion. I'd like to have the extra features, but honestly... I don't end up watching all of them. The buyer dropped his price like $3 since originally posting it last week. He had a note that said : "you must have a region free player." well, he's wrong. only the bonus feature (yes, THE one bonus feature) can not be accessed. who cares? 10 bucks? count me in!

I think that you'll enjoy the Powell/Pressburger films for many of the same reasons that you enjoy Hitchcock's Vertigo.

Black Narcissus, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, and The Red Shoes are all milestones of visual splendor and Technicolor glory.

There's a late scene in Black Narcissus that shows a closeup of a woman who has applied makeup after removing her nun outfit, and, when I first saw the scene, I thought to myself, "This is what the Blu-ray format is all about. This is it."

[nondiatonic]

Originally Posted by K1NG J0RDAN

What do you guys think of Antichrist? In a bit of a Willem Dafoe mood so I ordered that and The Hunter. Plus I'd like to see how crazy Lars von Trier is before I see Nymphomaniac...

I very much like Antichrist. I'm really hoping Criterion releases Blus of Europa and The Element of Crime. Can't claim to understand everything he goes for in his films, but I thoroughly enjoy watching and trying my hand at interpretations.

On a side note, I had to chuckle when I recently received Antichrist and The Last Temptation of Christ as gifts from my girlfriend. Both of which star Dafoe.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by nondiatonic

I very much like Antichrist. I'm really hoping Criterion releases Blus of Europa and The Element of Crime.

Hell, I'd love to see a box with those two plus the other film in his "Europa Trilogy", Epidemic, which Criterion didn't release on DVD, though Home Vision (a company that was affiliated with them) did.

[K1NG J0RDAN]

Originally Posted by Ausjdm

What's your avatar of?

I didn't mind AntiChrist at all. Great visually and it at least has a plot and has a Philosophical standing. (A screwed up standing lol, but it makes a statement regardless) unlike the terrible and dreadful, In the Realm of the Senses which I watched Sunday blek. I also wanna see Nympho. Lars, like him or not he makes you think and makes a statement...

Ellen Page.

Good to hear for sure. From watching the trailer I could tell it would be a wild ride! Can't wait to watch it. Lars definitely enjoys making 'controversial' films, lol.

Originally Posted by nondiatonic

I very much like Antichrist. I'm really hoping Criterion releases Blus of Europa and The Element of Crime. Can't claim to understand everything he goes for in his films, but I thoroughly enjoy watching and trying my hand at interpretations.

On a side note, I had to chuckle when I recently received Antichrist and The Last Temptation of Christ as gifts from my girlfriend. Both of which star Dafoe.

Great! Very excited to watch it. I forgot about The Last Temptation of Christ, might have to order that one soon as well. Couple of awesome gifts from your gf!
Dafoe ftw.

[Brad1107]

Originally Posted by K1NG J0RDAN

Ellen Page.

Good to hear for sure. From watching the trailer I could tell it would be a wild ride! Can't wait to watch it. Lars definitely enjoys making 'controversial' films, lol.



Great! Very excited to watch it. I forgot about The Last Temptation of Christ, might have to order that one soon as well. Couple of awesome gifts from your gf!
Dafoe ftw.

Don't forget his masterpiece: Speed 2: Cruise Control!

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Brad1107

Don't forget his masterpiece: Speed 2: Cruise Control!

I remember when that film was released all the jokes were about how it was so comfortable at screenings because of all the leg room available.

[SlickDamian]

Antichrist is a very striking looking film. The Criterion blu-ray looks fantastic. The film is extremely atmospheric, eerie, and trippy. Definitely a great experience!