The Criterion Collection

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

When I first posted in this thread about a year and half ago, I stated that I had no intention to upgrade all my Criterion DVDs to Blu-rays.

Ahhhh... I was so young and naive.

I used to say, ill buy 1 a month as a treat and no more..... I am now buying like 20+ a month lmao.....

I swear Criterion put something on their site that brain washes you lol

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I used to say, ill buy 1 a month as a treat and no more..... I am now buying like 20+ a month lmao.....

I swear Criterion put something on their site that brain washes you lol

When I bought my Blu-ray player, I promised myself that I would only purchase one Blu-ray a month.

So far, so good. Right now, I'm on November, 2097.

[Bueller]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

When I bought my Blu-ray player, I promised myself that I would only purchase one Blu-ray a month.

So far, so good. Right now, I'm on November, 2097.

That's great... I got my first Criterions around the holidays and looked to get one a month. Now I'm good until next summer.

[Polaroid]

Wish we could set polls on here :P

Wondering what everyones prized Criterion would be? Like what one Criterion do you treasure the most over the rest?

Quite a hard decision, I'd probably go with Qatsi Trilogy, Koyaanisqatsi in particular is so touching and important for me, the packaging is also stunning - was also my first Criterion so will always be special for to lol

I will probably go look at my collection and find another that is on parr or better though lol.. House is also another lol

[starman15317]

Hey, I was given a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card, so I know what I'll be using it for when July comes around.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by Tin Drum

This is definitely not the first time the thread has gone off on a tangent. It happens all the time here. Just skip over the comments. No one is going to spoil anything.

But just to be nice I will not mention it again because I would not want anyone to think they were spoiled. Although I don't know how you could be based on the nature of the film.

I have a low spoiler threshold. (And obviously this thread goes off on tangents all the time...)

[fdm]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

just don't read the posts then when you see the title being discussed. in 8 months, I have not had a single film spoiled by anyone posting on this thread everyone is really good about it.

Yeah well easier said then done, once a "spoiler" is run across it's a bit too late to know what to skip.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by Coen

GEORGE: Did anybody see Firestorm?

MR. ROSS: Firestorm, that's a hell of a picture.

GEORGE: Yeah.

MR. ROSS: Remember when they had the helicopter land on top of that car --

FRANK: Hey! Hey! Come on! Come on! I haven't seen it yet.

MR. ROSS: It doesn't have anything to do with the plot!

FRANK: Still! Still! I like to go in fresh!

That would be me.

[Polaroid]

Ughh finally picked up Times of Harvey Milk.... dunno why I didn't order sooner :/

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by fdm

I have a low spoiler threshold. (And obviously this thread goes off on tangents all the time...)

During our discussion of Under the Skin a few days ago, we used spoiler tags to be respectful to everyone, but I honored your request after reading your post.

I hope that you have a chance to see the film on the big screen. I've seen it twice now at the theater. I will be surprised if it does not end up being my favorite film of the year by year's end. If it does not make my top five of the year, then that will probably mean that 2014 has outdistanced 1939 in terms of cinema greatness.


Back on topic, I'm about to write a few words about Riot on Cell Block 11. It's a great Criterion title!

[The Great Owl]

Director Don Siegel had a talent for showing how our emotional intensity and our capacity for violence are traits that define us as humans. When Neville Brand's prison inmate character expresses outrage at government officials in Siegel's 1954 film, Riot in Cell Block 11, fans of the director's subsequent films may recall Kevin McCarthy's frenzied flight from the pod people in the original 1956 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers or Clint Eastwood's sneering indignation against inept city officials in Dirty Harry. The inmates in this Siegel film might be trapped within walls for just cause, but their unwillingness to continue screaming their rage into a vacuum gives them a greater sympathetic edge in the eyes of the viewers than the authorities, who are initially content to shove the complaints of unfair conditions under the rug.

Thanks to Siegel's no-nonsense efficiency as a filmmaker, Riot in Cell Block 11, which was shot on location at Folsom State Prison using actual inmates and guards as extras, has a grand-scale action movie look that rivals films of considerably larger budgets. After opening with a documentary style overview of prison uprisings from the era, the story hits the ground running with key inmates taking over their block. Neville Brand, whom viewers might recognize for his roles in D.O.A. and Stalag 17, has just the right blend of toughness and vulnerability in his role as the spokesperson of the uprising. Leo Gordon, who had actually served time at Folsom prior to this acting role, plays one of the most intimidating figures of the classic film noir era as a chaotic inmate whose lust for violence can barely be quelled by his more reasonable peers. With the exception of a handful of surprisingly multi-layered interactions between government figures, the filmmakers thankfully keep the story self-contained within the enclosures of the prison, so that, despite the socially-relevant social themes, this story is trimmed of all melodramatic fat, and it never seems heavy-handed.

On this Blu-ray presentation of Riot in Cell Block 11, Criterion does an exemplary job of showcasing the film's significant place in history. The Challenge of Our Prisoners, a collection of excerpts from an NBC radio series about conditions of the legal system, lends some authentic heft to the supplementary presentation. A couple of biographical supplementaries about Siegel's work on the film are equally interesting. The booklet that accompanies this Dual Format release includes three essays that are fascinating even by Criterion standards. A lively commentary track from Matthew H. Bernstein is packed with entertaining anecdotes about the production. The video presentation is detailed and crisp in a way that accentuates the film's immediacy, and the audio presentation brings us close to the explosive unrest that boils over the edge within the prison walls.

I am grateful that The Criterion Collection has presented such a thorough treatment to this significant work from one of my favorite directors, and this title earns five stars across the board.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

During our discussion of Under the Skin a few days ago, we used spoiler tags to be respectful to everyone, but I honored your request after reading your post.

I hope that you have a chance to see the film on the big screen. I've seen it twice now at the theater. I will be surprised if it does not end up being my favorite film of the year by year's end. If it does not make my top five of the year, then that will probably mean that 2014 has outdistanced 1939 in terms of cinema greatness.


Back on topic, I'm about to write a few words about Riot on Cell Block 11. It's a great Criterion title!

Didn't quite manage it last week, maybe this one... (it's still playing , though not at a theater I'm particularly fond of.)

The sum of the "unspoiled" stuff, by the time I got to skimming/skipping, was more than I wanted/needed to know. Several posts/posters, it adds up. Kind of like secrets, the more you talk around them, the less they stay secret.

...

As of late, I've been kind of sticking to coupons and/or 20% off stickers for Criterion cardboard at B&N stores, holding off until the big sale (or at least a bigger sale) before picking up the rest. Persona and Breaking The Waves on deck, awaiting the right frame of mind; a number of other good ones still (sadly) sitting on the store shelves. (And, almost done with Zatoichi... )

[Scottie]

Just finished Demy's Lola and I loved it as much as The Umbrellas. Excellent film!

The set is going to be very nice.

[AnamorphicWidescreen]

Originally Posted by JHas

I have seen all three film adaptations, but have read none of the books. I actually liked Ripley's Game when I saw it a few years ago, however, maybe if I read the novels beforehand that wouldn't be the case?

I'm getting OT here, but IMHO the Ripley books are far superior to the films; for one thing, there is no continuity in the movies - they came out years apart & have different actors as Tom Ripley, the tone/vibe is completely different in each film, etc. Granted, I've only seen two of the films (TTMR & Ripley's Game), but just based on these two I was not impressed. There are too many details changed from the books. Note that as far as I know, there are actually five films:

http://www.wordandfilm.com/2011/06/r...99s-anti-hero/

Conversely, IMHO the Ripley novels are amazing. There are five books in all, and they vary in quality - though, IMHO all are extremely well-written & suspenseful. Again, after the first book Ripley is married & living in France; so, I would have to say that the first book (TTMR) stands alone, and the 2nd - 5th books are more connected (though the events in the first novel are referenced in the others). Here's a link with more info:

http://www.existentialennui.com/2013...miths-tom.html

In fact, discussing this is making me want to re-read the series.

Note - since I don't want to get too OT anymore here, once I re-read the novels (not anytime soon), I may start a thread on this Ripley series in the Books section of this board...

[StLouisRibs]

Purple Noon is fascinating in that some scenes its like a classic piece from the French New Wave and seamlessly the film slowly fades into a Hitchcockian Thriller...

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by StLouisRibs

Purple Noon is fascinating in that some scenes its like a classic piece from the French New Wave and seamlessly the film slowly fades into a Hitchcockian Thriller...

Would you recommend it as a blind buy? keep seeing it pop up on Amazon and I recognise name and tempted to order lol

[The Stick]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I am grateful that The Criterion Collection has presented such a thorough treatment to this significant work from one of my favorite directors, and this title earns five stars across the board.

I just might pick this up this weekend. It would be a blind buy for me.
The Don Siegel title I'm hoping will get a Criterion treatment (or otherwise) would be The Line Up.

[The Stick]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Just finished Demy's Lola and I loved it as much as The Umbrellas. Excellent film!

The set is going to be very nice.

I didn't realize until after seeing Lola that:

[Show spoiler]The character Roland Cassard is the same character seen in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Apparently, characters from Demy's films are referenced or appear in Jacques Demy's other films.

Yes, I'm really looking forward to July

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Just finished Demy's Lola and I loved it as much as The Umbrellas. Excellent film!

The set is going to be very nice.

You seen Bay Of Angels yet? That one was my favorite, but those other two are great as well. Un Chambre En Ville is awful though, I couldn't even get through it.

Originally Posted by The Stick

I didn't realize until after seeing Lola that:

[Show spoiler]The character Roland Cassard is the same character seen in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Apparently, characters from Demy's films are referenced or appear in Jacques Demy's other films.

Yes, I'm really looking forward to July

Lola is also in another movie he made called Model Shop.

[StLouisRibs]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Would you recommend it as a blind buy? keep seeing it pop up on Amazon and I recognise name and tempted to order lol

It's certainly an interesting take on the Ripley story that's very different from any one since.

I dunno if I'd recommend it as a blind buy necessarily - I'd say its a good film but maybe not a great one. Definitely in the 4-4.5 out of 5 range than the five a lot of Criterion blind buys have gotten me. If the price is good I'd say go for it, at least you get about 30 minutes of gorgeous maritime photography in 1080p...

(I'd rank it probably at about the 66th percentile - I'd rank about 1/3 of the titles I've seen in the collection higher than this one)