The Criterion Collection

[ultlife2013]

Digipaks are overrated pieces of cardboard.

[The Great Owl]

I went back to Barnes & Noble this morning and purchased the John Cassavetes: Five Films Blu-ray set for only $47.

This was a spur-of-the-moment decision, because I've been on the fence about this collection for a long time now, but I had a second 20% off coupon and I realized that I could make a big dent in the $125 original price of this box set. I was initially set on buying the David Lean Directs Noël Coward set, but I was able to get an even better deal with the Cassavetes set, so David Lean Directs Noël Coward will have to wait a couple of weeks.

I walked into this Barnes & Noble store when I was on the way home from finishing the Peachtree Road Race 10K here in Atlanta, so I had my sweaty running clothes on and was still wearing my race number. I think that I freaked the store clerks out a little bit.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by PrestonXI

Have you seen his performance in The Swimmer?

The Swimmer is such a great movie.

I'll buy just about anything with Burt Lancaster or Kirk Douglas. Both of those actors owned it during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by RandyK

Makes it even more important that I order a bunch of titles along with it during the sale so that it gets shipped in a box.

Do you have a link for pics?

Tbh, this was shipped to me from DVDWORLDUSA in a flimsy paper envelope thingy and its PERFECT condition :P - A LOT of greens in the packaging so in terms of the colour grading I am guessing he changed his mind on how he wanted film to look - going to watch later to see how it looks as the comparison photos makes it look over the top green :/

Originally Posted by ultlife2013

Digipaks are overrated pieces of cardboard.

OI!!!!!!! lol :P

[bluesilo]

Essential 5:

1. Seven Samurai
2. Persona
3. In the Mood for Love
4. 12 Angry Men
5. Three Colors Trilogy

Honorable Mentions: Breathless, Tokyo Story, City Lights, On the Waterfront

Best 5 of 2014 thus far:

1. Persona
2. Picnic at Hanging Rock
3. Hard Day's Night
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox
5. All That Heaven Allows

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by bluesilo

Essential 5:

1. Seven Samurai
2. Persona
3. In the Mood for Love
4. 12 Angry Men
5. Three Colors Trilogy

Honorable Mentions: Breathless, Tokyo Story, City Lights, On the Waterfront

Best 5 of 2014 thus far:

1. Persona
2. Picnic at Hanging Rock
3. Hard Day's Night
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox
5. All That Heaven Allows

These has been an amazing year for Criterion

My faves:

Persona
Breaking The Waves
The Great Beauty
Scanners
A Brief History Of Time
Picnic At Hanging Rock
Eraserhead

Excited about:

The Innocents
Macbeth

[RandyK]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

[Show spoiler]

Tbh, this was shipped to me from DVDWORLDUSA in a flimsy paper envelope thingy and its PERFECT condition :P - A LOT of greens in the packaging so in terms of the colour grading I am guessing he changed his mind on how he wanted film to look - going to watch later to see how it looks as the comparison photos makes it look over the top green :/



OI!!!!!!! lol :P

Thanks! I love the art on the booklet.

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by ultlife2013

Digipaks are overrated pieces of cardboard.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by RandyK

Thanks! I love the art on the booklet.

Its nice - has a few other characters in it and stuff and another image like cover but different image in squares

Can't wait to watch later

[jmclick]

My Top Five Criterion blu-ray titles of 2014:

Ace in the Hole
All That Heaven Allows
Foreign Correspondent
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Red River

Top 10 Pre-2014 "Essential" blu-ray releases:

Black Narcissus
Days of Heaven
The Lady Vanishes
Lord of the Flies
Nashville
A Night To Remember
Sweet Smell of Success
The Thin Red Line
The Times of Harvey Milk
The Uninvited

[oildude]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The Swimmer is such a great movie.

I'll buy just about anything with Burt Lancaster or Kirk Douglas. Both of those actors owned it during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.

Burt Lancaster owned it in the 1970s too, with great performances in films such as Zulu Dawn, Go Tell the Spartans, and Ulzana's Raid. The first two are already out on Blu-ray or planned for the end of this year. No word yet on Ulzana's Raid, one of Lancaster's best performances as a grizzled army scout helping a cavalry unit led by a young idealistic lieutenant hunt down a marauding band of Apaches who have slipped off the reservation. It is a brutally honest western that doesn't flinch while examining themes of maintaining one's religious faith and belief in man's humanity where none is to be found, racial attitudes, the incompatibility of what is essentially stone-age man surrounded by the modern, and the terror of homesteading in Apache country even when the region was considered "safe". It was jarring when it came out in the 1970s and I first saw it as a kid. It is on my wishlist of titles I wish Criterion could get from Universal, and is an example of the evolution of the Western genre on its march from Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch to Eastwood's Unforgiven.

I once posted a couple of years ago that Burt Lancaster was not in my pantheon of favorite actors, and yet he was in so many of my favorite movies or movies that I considered excellent. I would now like to revise that observation after further exploring Burt's filmography on home video, to conclude the obvious correlation. Burt Lancaster is at or near the top of my pantheon of favorite actors. Beginning with late 2013 and continuing into 2014, Blu-ray fans have had the happy pleasure to be experiencing the Year of Burt.

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by oildude

Burt Lancaster owned it in the 1970s too, with great performances in films such as Zulu Dawn, Go Tell the Spartans, and Ulzana's Raid.

I nearly scolded you for leaving off Atlantic City, but that was 1980. An amazing career.

[manunited1]

I watched Breaking the Waves for the first time last night... Whew! I am still digesting that one.

I do not know if I feel it is his best film quite yet but then again I have not rewatched it nor fully processed my feelings. The beauty of the finale is not marred by the brutality, but it put my mind and body through the ringer. I was pretty sure I almost had a heart attack at one point in the ending lol.

Now I am watching Naked Lunch to lighten up the mood.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by manunited1

I watched Breaking the Waves for the first time last night... Whew! I am still digesting that one.

I do not know if I feel it is his best film quite yet but then again I have not rewatched it nor fully processed my feelings. The beauty of the finale is not marred by the brutality, but it put my mind and body through the ringer. I was pretty sure I almost had a heart attack at one point in the ending lol.

Now I am watching Naked Lunch to lighten up the mood.

Its a superb film, the performances are incredible - I think it was Emily Watson's first role - she usually bugs me, but she was incredible! I love the parts when she made eye contact with us, the audience.

Its a heart breaking film and fits the thematic trilogy perfectly.

I am still over the moon with Criterion's treatment with the transfer, its mind-blowing - the versions I had seen were very low quality (I know its the style) but Criterion made it even more visuals spectacular and keeping Lar's signature grittiness and quality to it.

[manunited1]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Its a superb film, the performances are incredible - I think it was Emily Watson's first role - she usually bugs me, but she was incredible! I love the parts when she made eye contact with us, the audience.

Its a heart breaking film and fits the thematic trilogy perfectly.

I am still over the moon with Criterion's treatment with the transfer, its mind-blowing - the versions I had seen were very low quality (I know its the style) but Criterion made it even more visuals spectacular and keeping Lar's signature grittiness and quality to it.

Yes Emily was amazing and totally made the film what it is. Even her audition was impressive.

I loved the part on the features that discuss the eye contact scenes (which I loved) and how they were homages to Bergman in some ways.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by manunited1

Yes Emily was amazing and totally made the film what it is. Even her audition was impressive.

I loved the part on the features that discuss the eye contact scenes (which I loved) and how they were homages to Bergman in some ways.

Ah yes the supplements were really great I really enjoyed sitting through them - makes me want them to release more Lars Von Trier films

When I first watched film and made eye contact with her it was a very strange experience, it reminds me of the ending shot of 4 months 3 weeks and 2 days (Not sure if this really is a spoiler but just to be safe)

[Show spoiler]But when she looks directly at camera and you can see in her eyes 'Why did I do this, was it really worth it?' and you could see who she felt used and stuff

just reminded me of who you could see Bess's pain and confusion and innocent in those few seconds. Also I am impressed who she made the god speech sections seem so raw and realistic and not cheese or tacky, cause they could have been so badly done lol

Also hats off to Katrin Cartlidge - she was just as incredible on screen and a joy to watch.

[manunited1]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Ah yes the supplements were really great I really enjoyed sitting through them - makes me want them to release more Lars Von Trier films

When I first watched film and made eye contact with her it was a very strange experience, it reminds me of the ending shot of 4 months 3 weeks and 2 days (Not sure if this really is a spoiler but just to be safe)

[Show spoiler]But when she looks directly at camera and you can see in her eyes 'Why did I do this, was it really worth it?' and you could see who she felt used and stuff

just reminded me of who you could see Bess's pain and confusion and innocent in those few seconds. Also I am impressed who she made the god speech sections seem so raw and realistic and not cheese or tacky, cause they could have been so badly done lol

Also hats off to Katrin Cartlidge - she was just as incredible on screen and a joy to watch.

Agreed. I am very pleased with my purchase. Now if we can just get a Criterion release of Dogville.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by sc1957

From CNN:
The Best Summer Movie Ever
(A Hard Day's Night)

Really debating whether to watch this and try put my feeling about the band aside and try watch from a neutral point of view - I know I have loved film in past despite hating certain characters etc (Wild At Heart, Nicholas Cage).

Really dunno now, not sure :/ - Will probs look for a cheap stream or something and try it...

Forgetting the band members and stuff and music, what makes this such a good film? Cinematography? The story? the atmosphere?

Originally Posted by manunited1

Agreed. I am very pleased with my purchase. Now if we can just get a Criterion release of Dogville.

OH GOD YES.

The story, the acting, the music, John Hurt's narration... its pure perfection.

I'd love Criterion to include the confessions videos in the supplements (party seen in trailer) - would be very interesting to see them.

DOGVILLE (trailer) - YouTube

that music.

I loved Manderlay but was not on the level of this film - really want him to make the final part of the trilogy.

[manunited1]

I would also love to get a new in depth review with Nichole Kidman about working with Lars.

[ultlife2013]

My advice went ignored I see.