The Criterion Collection

[manunited1]

Originally Posted by Infernal King

Not unless you're a big fan of The Twilight Zone.

Wha?! That just made it first on my list then...

[ijustblumyself]

Is Nashville a good introduction to Altman's films?

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Lonely and Blu

Depends.

Yes: If you enjoy long, dramatic movies that introduce and follow tons of characters, situations and plots (e.g. Magnolia). Altman's Short Cuts is another excellent movie of that ilk, though it's not on blu-ray.

No: If you don't enjoy the type of movies mentioned above and prefer the standard narrative structure.

Other Altman standouts, to me, include McCabe and Mrs. Miller, The Long Goodbye and Thieves Like Us--his remake of Nicholas Ray's adaptation of They Live by Night.

Don't forget 3 woman!

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by deepbreathsanddeath

Yes, yes and yes. The image seems excessively grainy for some reason though. Obviously retaining film grain is important but the grain is really quite heavy and pulsates in a manner that's distracting. Considering how stunning the transfer is otherwise, I'd like to know of that's actually how it looks before beif transferred to blu-ray or if something went a bit wrong, spiking it somehow.

Might just be part of the style, breaking the waves was transferred from 16 mm (I think) to VHS then enlarged to create it's grainy/raw look - wonder how it will look on bluray actually

[themoviefanatic]

As someone that owns all of the Criterion Films, I feel that Children of Paradise is my least favorite of the blu's? Curious what some others thoughts are on CoP and also their least favorite release. It can be technically or just based on the movie itself.

[Youre My Boy Blu!]

Originally Posted by Visco.

I watched Thief today. I'll be editing my top 100 list very soon. Absolutely everything I look forward to in a movie. I wish Mann directed more of his films with this much style.

Well, I think Mann has continued to infuse a unique style into his films, and his style is ever-evolving.
Not unlike when musicians who've made a successful album that choose not to use the same formula, but instead try something new and creatively challenging. For some artists it works, for others, not so much.
I think when he made Heat, he consciously revisited similar themes, maybe even a little bit of the same style from Thief. Still, different horses for different courses. It's not like Mann is going to call up Tangerine Dream every time he gets a movie idea, haha.

[cash_black]

Originally Posted by Slikkbradd

As someone that owns all of the Criterion Films, I feel that Children of Paradise is my least favorite of the blu's? Curious what some others thoughts are on CoP and also their least favorite release. It can be technically or just based on the movie itself.

yeah the children of paradise transfer was bad but it was handed to Criterion that way, they should have decided it was subpar and not released it.
The dvd of Z is in pretty poor shape with no special features, hopefully that gets a thorough remaster and a better overall package.

[themoviefanatic]

Originally Posted by mysteryjuice

Do you not like the film itself or is it the overall package?

i like the film, the transfer was horrendous, for the most part i like all of the titles released, probably why i own them all. if i had to pick a specific movie that was released that i was least interested in or didn't really care for it would probably be Frances Ha

[themoviefanatic]

Originally Posted by cash_black

yeah the children of paradise transfer was bad but it was handed to Criterion that way, they should have decided it was subpar and not released it.
The dvd of Z is in pretty poor shape with no special features, hopefully that gets a thorough remaster and a better overall package.

Yes, Z needs to be redone, I like it a lot...I am not to keen on Alphaville's release or Panic on... i think both need a reworking.

[Tin Drum]

Originally Posted by cash_black

The dvd of Z is in pretty poor shape with no special features, hopefully that gets a thorough remaster and a better overall package.

I think it has a pretty good amount of special features, to be honest. Certainly more than a lot of Criterion blu rays actually have.

I'd love a blu upgrade but the picture on the dvd is sufficient for dvd. It's not Dillinger is Dead in terms of excellent dvd PQ but it's above average.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by TylerScruggs

Is Seconds worth the blind buy??

I think so. It fits in nicely in Frankenheimer's Paranoia Trilogy with The Manchurian Candidate and Seven Days in May. If you're interested in those two films you'll probably enjoy Seconds.

BTW- Can we get Seven Days in May on blu-ray from somebody?

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Absolutely not. I hated it.

I liked seconds

[JHas]

Damn it, Riffii was $19 on Amazon last night, I put it in my cart, check this morning and it's already back to $39.99.

[bsweetness]

Originally Posted by JHas

Damn it, Riffii was $19 on Amazon last night, I put it in my cart, check this morning and it's already back to $39.99.

It was a deal of the day special for yesterday only.

[Meek12345]

Originally Posted by hustlermane

Simmons won an Oscar for her role in Elmer Gantry, although its not her best work (but she is good). Which reminds me, I hope that film gets a blu-ray release soon, incredible film with one of Lancaster's best performances, truly one of those "great actors playing great actors" type roles.

Burt and Shirley Jones won Oscars for their performances in Elmer Gantry, but Jean Simmons didn't. I'm not a Jean Simmons fan, but I think she deserved an Oscar for that role. According to my research, she wasn't even nominated for the role. I think that I sent an email some months back to Criterion suggesting Elmer Gantry as a future title. One of my favorite movie moments happens at the end of the film when Burt Lancaster sings I'm On My Way (to Canaan Land) with Sharon Falconer's followers. Apparently, Burt actually did all of his character's singing in the film. I listed Burt's performance of I'm On My Way for my submission into the Inside Llewyn Davis blu-ray giveaway.

I also listed Robert Mitchum's performance of Leaning on the Everlasting Arms in The Night of the Hunter for the blu-ray giveaway. Mitchum's voice was used for the film's soundtrack. Whenever I hear that song in church now, I get a little creeped out.

[BladeRunner2007]

I am on the fence of buying Michael Mann's Thief. I've seen it once on pay tv. The color timing was more like the old dvd and it was the original theatrical cut. I liked it a lot. Now, I don't like the teal tint of th CC at all, but that is only based on what I've seen on screenshots. That might change when I see the film itself. But it is also bugging me that the original soundmix is not included, but just a (director approved) new 5.1 track. And that fisherman scene... what does it add to the movie? I've just seen it on youtube and I think Mann was right to originally delete it. That is the only change to the CC release, right? Everything else is like in the theatrical cut?

[nondiatonic]

Originally Posted by ijustblumyself

Is Nashville a good introduction to Altman's films?

I would have to say that, while it is considered a quintessential Altman, I don't think it's the best introduction (simply because the long musical segments have the potential to turn off viewers who are not already fans of his work, as noted in this thread).

I would suggest Short Cuts, The Long Goodbye, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, or The Player as an introduction to a fantastic body of work.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Don't forget 3 woman!

I wouldn't recommend 3 Women as an introduction to Altman. It's not one of his classic ensemble pieces. Instead of over-lapping dialogue, there are long stretches where there's no dialogue and one of the main characters hardly speaks at all. Personally, while some of the images were striking, I thought it dragged in places and all three of the characters grated on me after a while. I thought Bergman did it better.

M*A*S*H -- if you forget that you ever saw the TV series of the same name and enjoy Gould and Sutherland riffing their way through the Korean War, the various minor characters that Altman does so well and the cinematography, it's an under-rated* Altman, IMHO.

Also, Short Cuts, The Player, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Nashville, The Long Goodbye, Thieves Like Us, and Tanner '88 are all good. McCabe is my favorite, but it's not to everyone's taste.

* M*A*S*H is on both the 1997 and 2007 versions of the AFI Top 100, so it's not really under-rated, but it doesn't seem to get much love in this forum when people talk about Altman.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Visco.

I watched Thief today. I'll be editing my top 100 list very soon. Absolutely everything I look forward to in a movie. I wish Mann directed more of his films with this much style.

The transfer was absolutely flawless.

Glad you loved it, Michael! It's absolutely great!

[nondiatonic]

Originally Posted by belcherman

[…]M*A*S*H[…]

I definately like MASH a lot, and it is a milestone in the development of his distinct directorial style. However, I didn't suggest it as an introduction due to the farcical nature, which I feel is unique amongst his films (at least the ones I've seen; Ready To Wear comes closest).

I agree that 3 Woman is not a proper introduction for similar reasons (stands alone in style from the rest of his work).