The Criterion Collection

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Helikaon

Criterion releases some great films, no doubt. They've introduced me to some of my favourites. But I would say I dislike about 60-70% of the movies in the collection, even though I have a broad taste in movies. I NEVER blind buy. I don't buy a car without test driving it either. This means my film collection is relatively small compared to others and only grows gradually, but it also means that every single film on my shelves I love and would watch again in an instant. As soon as I feel I wouldn't want to rewatch a movie (which happens once in a while, thus the sales page in my signature) I will sell it, but this hardly ever happens. Anyway, to each his own.

My blind buys are calculated. If it's from a director I enjoy or it's from a genre I really like - then I may buy it. I don't recall being burned with Criterion. Unless you want to count A SAFE PLACE/DRIVE, HE SAID but I didn't buy the BBS set for those films!

[Polaroid]

My riskiest blind buy was Zatoichi Boxset (but only cost me a fiver so no real loss) - never tried that genre before and never appealed to me. Watched the first one so far and its stunning, the cinematography is so beautiful and I actually enjoyed watching it

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Danchez

Haha, I'm envious.

I really tried to enjoy it, but it left me with nothing. In fact, my memories of it consist of only a few random scenes that were beautifully shot. As far as plot and characters go, it was too subtle/slow for me.

I wish I could write you an analysis on the film so that you could better understand it, but I may never fully understand it myself.

The film is extremely challenging and one of the most difficult works of art describe in words. I view the film as nothing less than a journey or experience into a psychologically-charged unknown with the ability to overwhelm you with emotion. It is a drama, a thriller, a psychological thriller, and many more things in one tidy package.

Kieslowski tells the story of a woman who sees her identical double by chance in such a delicate and emotional manner that I can't help but want to watch it over and over. I actually watched it twice in a row after I first saw it.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

My blind buys are calculated. If it's from a director I enjoy or it's from a genre I really like - then I may buy it. I don't recall being burned with Criterion.

I feel - and act - exactly the same way!

I have only 5 Criterion Blurays, and 1 of them was blind buy - Badlands - because I love Mallick.
Well, i didn't like it as much as others, but it's definitely worth keeping in my collection.

In my wishlist, I have 14 Criterion titles, from which again one would be a blind buy - The Man Who Knew too much. But that is Hitchcock and I don't think you can go wrong with Hitchcock.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I wish I could write you an analysis on the film so that you could better understand it, but I may never fully understand it myself.

The film is extremely challenging and one of the most difficult works of art describe in words. I view the film as nothing less than a journey or experience into a psychologically-charged unknown with the ability to overwhelm you with emotion. It is a drama, a thriller, a psychological thriller, and many more things in one tidy package.

Kieslowski tells the story of a woman who sees her identical double by chance in such a delicate and emotional manner that I can't help but want to watch it over and over. I actually watched it twice in a row after I first saw it.

Omg I am so excited about getting this now will let you know what I think as soon as I get it hehe

Omg and Zbigniew Preisner!!

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

My riskiest blind buy was Zatoichi Boxset (but only cost me a fiver so no real loss) - never tried that genre before and never appealed to me. Watched the first one so far and its stunning, the cinematography is so beautiful and I actually enjoyed watching it

I still don't know how you pulled this one off. That's the best deal I've seen since the Amazon pricing error on Anatomy of a Murder and World on a Wire.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I still don't know how you pulled this one off. That's the best deal I've seen since the Amazon pricing error on Anatomy of a Murder and World on a Wire.

Haha I know, they cancelled my other orders though but I made those after Zatoichi so must have slipped through lol would happily have paid full price having received this incredible release

What were the prices for them two?

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Haha I know, they cancelled my other orders though but I made those after Zatoichi so must have slipped through lol would happily have paid full price having received this incredible release

What were the prices for them two?

$16 each when listed for pre-order.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

$16 each when listed for pre-order.

Best Pre order mess up I saw Fantastic Mr Fox, I got for £16 and the next day it was £25

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

My blind buys are calculated. If it's from a director I enjoy or it's from a genre I really like - then I may buy it. I don't recall being burned with Criterion. Unless you want to count A SAFE PLACE/DRIVE, HE SAID but I didn't buy the BBS set for those films!

yep, that's how I do it. got my sights set on 6 films for the upcoming sale and 5 will be blind buys. hopefully, there won't be any duds.

no regrets for anything I've bought blind.. (yet) but I do wish to unload The Red Shoes and maybe the David Lean set. not that I disliked the latter so much. but the $40 to $45 that I can net from a potential sale can be put to better use.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

yep, that's how I do it. got my sights set on 6 films for the upcoming sale and 5 will be blind buys. hopefully, there won't be any duds.

no regrets for anything I've bought blind.. (yet) but I do wish to unload The Red Shoes and maybe the David Lean set. not that I disliked the latter so much. but the $40 to $45 that I can net from a potential sale can be put to better use.

That's one Criterion I cannot do without.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

yep, that's how I do it. got my sights set on 6 films for the upcoming sale and 5 will be blind buys. hopefully, there won't be any duds.

no regrets for anything I've bought blind.. (yet) but I do wish to unload The Red Shoes and maybe the David Lean set. not that I disliked the latter so much. but the $40 to $45 that I can net from a potential sale can be put to better use.

What makes you want to unload The Red Shoes? its stunning :O!

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

What makes you want to unload The Red Shoes? its stunning :O!

I'll see if I can find my comments on it shortly after I saw it. Give me a second.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I'll see if I can find my comments on it shortly after I saw it. Give me a second.

Ok cool

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

What makes you want to unload The Red Shoes? its stunning :O!

from my post on March 24th...

I, too, watched The Red Shoes for the first time this weekend. I, however, think that I stand on the side of the fence with jayembee. Not really a fan, and that was, for me, surprising. I can't say that I was underwhelmed or even disappointed because it is a wonderful looking film and the long ballet sequence is some kind of technical achievement.

[Show spoiler]I think that, as a director, you have to have some kind of balls and be uber-confident in what you have created to have that last line - "Julian, take off the red shoes." I admire that audacity. I thought it was totally bad-a$$ and it really worked for me.

BUT... there is no story for the first 100 minutes of this film!! Nothing! Just ballet and behind the scenes theater shenanigans. For many films, we frequently say, "oh you don't have to like sports to relate to this story," or "you don't have to be into God-speak to like Leon Morin," but for this one.. I feel that you have to have some kind of interest in ballet to get into it. Now, I know, that nearly everyone will tell me that I am wrong. That is obvious by the amount of love that this film receives from posters on this thread. I was surprised, though.

Prior to seeing any of the P&P films, I really thought that a film about a group of nuns would be far less interesting, but I was wrong. Black Narcissus was great. The Red Shoes, for me, was 'ok' at best.

[Helikaon]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

That's one Criterion I cannot do without.

Amen! Did I say earlier on that 8 1/2 was my favourite movie? I meant The Red Shoes!

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

from my post on March 24th...

I, too, watched The Red Shoes for the first time this weekend. I, however, think that I stand on the side of the fence with jayembee. Not really a fan, and that was, for me, surprising. I can't say that I was underwhelmed or even disappointed because it is a wonderful looking film and the long ballet sequence is some kind of technical achievement.

[Show spoiler]I think that, as a director, you have to have some kind of balls and be uber-confident in what you have created to have that last line - "Julian, take off the red shoes." I admire that audacity. I thought it was totally bad-a$$ and it really worked for me.

BUT... there is no story for the first 100 minutes of this film!! Nothing! Just ballet and behind the scenes theater shenanigans. For many films, we frequently say, "oh you don't have to like sports to relate to this story," or "you don't have to be into God-speak to like Leon Morin," but for this one.. I feel that you have to have some kind of interest in ballet to get into it. Now, I know, that nearly everyone will tell me that I am wrong. That is obvious by the amount of love that this film receives from posters on this thread. I was surprised, though.

Prior to seeing any of the P&P films, I really thought that a film about a group of nuns would be far less interesting, but I was wrong. Black Narcissus was great. The Red Shoes, for me, was 'ok' at best.

Thats fair enough - I can see what you are saying, I am a huge fan of Ballet so I loved every minute of it, there are some stunning parts of the film anyone can enjoy - but if you don't enjoy ballet I guess it could be a bit tedious to sit through.

Id keep it for the cinematography though

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Thats fair enough - I can see what you are saying, I am a huge fan of Ballet so I loved every minute of it, there are some stunning parts of the film anyone can enjoy - but if you don't enjoy ballet I guess it could be a bit tedious to sit through.

Id keep it for the cinematography though

I tend to have a pretty strongly stated opinion about things.. considering my comments on The Red Shoes, Hiroshima mon Amour, High and Low, Kes, Tati, Like Someone in Love, Tree of Life, I'm wondering if people are beginning to think that I don't like anything. I'll spare you folks the commentary, but I can add Fish Tank to that list, too, as I was a bit underwhelmed.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

That's one Criterion I cannot do without.

Me neither. It's excellent.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Helikaon

Amen! Did I say earlier on that 8 1/2 was my favourite movie? I meant The Red Shoes!

I don't think I fully appreciated 8 1/2 until I had seen it on the big screen several years ago. One of the most-inspired films I've seen. Fellini's visual metaphors are incredible. I love the opening.