The Criterion Collection

[aes3728]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I ran a 50K (31-mile) race in North Georgia today. After two races in two days in a row, I'm looking forward to relaxing on my sofa to some Blu-rays tomorrow. I might fit L'Eclisse into the stack if I have time tomorrow night.

I might still buy The Golden Age of Television later in the month if I find a third-party copy for an inexpensive price.

Which brings me to the coupon discussion from a few pages back. I feel no remorse about using a 20% off coupon in conjunction with the 50% off sale at Barnes & Noble to buy my John Cassavetes set the other day. I've paid full MSRP, or close to it, for so many Day One priority Criterion releases over the years that I don't think they'll send the hounds after me.

I just got a Barnes & Noble email that they've shipped my July 8 pre-orders already (Non-Criterion...Southern Comfort, The Time Machine, Point Blank, and Caught).

That's amazing. Congrats on finishing. If anyone ever deserved watching Blu's on a couch for a night, that person is you.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by fahrenheit290

Question: The Red Shoes OR Black Narcissus? ...I've seen Red Shoes, which I enjoyed but not as much as I thought I would; I didn't feel as emotionally drawn as I thought I would--I also watched it on TCM and haven't experienced it in BD quality. I haven't seen Black Narcissus; not sure how accessible it will be for a 40s film, if it's one I would feel I really need in my collection. I do love the Himalayas and the stunning production stills I've seen from the film. When comparing the two, which is the better blu-ray package? + Which film do you enjoy more? I'm a little worried with a blind buy, but I'd like to have more color Criterions...and besides a possible Powell and Preminger, I'm targeting Tokyo Story (hoping the visual quality for this one is good) and 8 1/2 and Au Revoir Les Enfants, all of which aren't color extravaganzas.

Black Narcissus!

[dwk]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Yeah I know that - but so are a lot of film, so if Criterion wanted to get hands on an Animated film they can, look at Fantastic Mr Fox.

There are a lot of underrated animated films out there they could reach out to and try release.

The fact that out of 700+ films, only 1 is a real animated release (FMF)... just odd.

At last Fall's Wexner Center talk, Peter Becker mentioned that Criterion was close to closing a deal for another animated title. So, they are trying to add some animated films to the collection.

[fahrenheit290]

Originally Posted by jmclick

Black Narcissus. Jack Cardiff's Oscar-winning Technicolor photography is truly breathtaking; Deborah Kerr and Kathleen Byron's performances cannot be faulted, and there's also interesting work by Flora Robson and a very young Jean Simmons in an atypical role. And the film is beautifully directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

It's a film that I had to watch more than once to fully appreciate, because I kept being distracted by how beautiful it looked the first time through. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for your recommendation. I was leaning toward it almost solely on the fantastically dramatic cover. I enjoyed Renoir's The River (I'm hoping Black Narcissus is better). I just picked up Days of Heaven---I'd love to add a wonderful technicolor Powell-Pressburger film, gorgeously transferred to BD in my collection. Not saying I wouldn't buy Red Shoes at some point, but I think I'd be willing to bank on this one first for this sale.

Question: For anyone who's purchased Tokyo Story, would you recommend the BD? DVDBeaver said it was very good, but the visuals still had more to go, restoration wise. My impression for 8 1/2, for comparison, is that it is exceptional.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by fahrenheit290

Thanks for your recommendation. I was leaning toward it almost solely on the fantastically dramatic cover. I enjoyed Renoir's The River (I'm hoping Black Narcissus is better). I just picked up Days of Heaven---I'd love to add a wonderful technicolor Powell-Pressburger film, gorgeously transferred to BD in my collection. Not saying I wouldn't buy Red Shoes at some point, but I think I'd be willing to bank on this one first for this sale.

You're very welcome. It's funny you should mention Days of Heaven, because when I was trying to find the words to describe to you exactly how gorgeous Black Narcissus looks, I thought of Malick's film. Both have been described, accurately I think, as "visually sumptuous." You'll have to post again and tell me what you think after you've seen the film ... I'd be interested to read your opinion.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by fahrenheit290

I enjoyed Renoir's The River (I'm hoping Black Narcissus is better).

I have a greater affection for The River, but I have a greater admiration for Black Narcissus.

Question: For anyone who's purchased Tokyo Story, would you recommend the BD? DVDBeaver said it was very good, but the visuals still had more to go, restoration wise. My impression for 8 1/2, for comparison, is that it is exceptional.

It's well worth the purchase.

[RojD]

Not a pixel wiz here, but though posters here might know:

Some Crits are scanned at 2k and some at 4k. Have a 50" now and don't see a huge difference. When the day comes that I can up grade to a wall-sized screen of 65" or more (like, five years from now!), will the 4k scans look better on the bigger screen than the 2K?

Tried to look this up online, but lacking a degree in electrical engineering....

Thanks for any help. Pro B, you might know more about this?

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by RojD

Not a pixel wiz here, but though posters here might know:

Some Crits are scanned at 2k and some at 4k. Have a 50" now and don't see a huge difference. When the day comes that I can up grade to a wall-sized screen of 65" or more (like, five years from now!), will the 4k scans look better on the bigger screen than the 2K?

Tried to look this up online, but lacking a degree in electrical engineering....

Thanks for any help. Pro B, you might know more about this?

Unless I'm wrong, if you're using a standard 1080p TV you won't notice a difference. When 4k TV's start coming down in price and become more widely adopted as home sets, you MIGHT notice a difference but probably not much of one. Most people cannot tell the difference between 720p and 1080p at normal viewing distances, so I doubt there will be anything HUGE from 2k vs 4k.

[CraigThom]

Originally Posted by smoss469

Unless I'm wrong, if you're using a standard 1080p TV you won't notice a difference. When 4k TV's start coming down in price and become more widely adopted as home sets, you MIGHT notice a difference but probably not much of one. Most people cannot tell the difference between 720p and 1080p at normal viewing distances.

No, these are not 4K discs, so they are going to look the same whether your TV can produce higher resolution or not. The resolution of the Blu-ray is the same.

The difference is in how much data is available before processing. The higher the resolution of the scan the more of the original film available for restoration and mastering.

[fahrenheit290]

Originally Posted by jmclick

You're very welcome. It's funny you should mention Days of Heaven, because when I was trying to find the words to describe to you exactly how gorgeous Black Narcissus looks, I thought of Malick's film. Both have been described, accurately I think, as "visually sumptuous." You'll have to post again and tell me what you think after you've seen the film ... I'd be interested to read your opinion.

Will do. If I end up getting it. I've been fascinated by the Himalayas/Kangchenjunga/K2/Annapurna and feel it could be really compelling backdrop for drama done right.

Originally Posted by jayembee

I have a greater affection for The River, but I have a greater admiration for Black Narcissus.

It's well worth the purchase.

Thanks on Tokyo Story. I would like to make four more purchases for this sale with a gift card I have, after already picking up Days of Heaven, Wild Strawberries, and Battle of Algiers. I think I'm down to Au Revoir Les Enfants, which I've seen and really enjoyed, and then three blind buys in Black Narcissus, 8 1/2 (I was told this one's visual quality/B&W really dazzles...loved La Strada and Dolce Vita I appreciated but didn't love; I think I'm ready for the big one), and Tokyo Story.

But I have a list of others I'd consider in the future that I could substitute. I'm curious if anyone feels particularly passionate about the BD quality of any (more so than quality of the films themselves):
- Night of the Hunter (blind)
- Kagemusha (blind -- this may be one I want to see first since some people are mixed; I thought about picking up Ran, but seems the BD has mixed reception)
- In the Mood for Love (seen in Chinese, not blu-ray quality)
- On the Waterfront (seen many times, do not have---don't feel this one is mentioned as much on here, so I'm not as excited to get before others)
- Red Shoes (seen)
- 400 Blows (seen -- don't feel that compelled to get this over others I mentioned)
- Jules et Jim (seen parts, not complete)
- Three Colors (seen -- waiting for Black Friday/November, cheaper with 40% coupon)

[Chaotic]

Round 2:
Being John Malkovich
The Darjeeling Limited

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by RojD

Thanks for any help. Pro B, you might know more about this?

Hey Roj,

The guys here have actually given you some very good information.

A few notes:

1. For Blu-ray, resolution is capped at 1080p. So all of the content that is stored on Blu-ray is capped at 1080p. (You have some exceptions where you would see releases with 720p transfers, some 1080/60i and some 1080/50i transfers, and more recently Eagle Rock's SD line, which basically optimizes standard definition content -- because this is how the content was natively shot; you also get different audio optimizations).

2. 4K or 2K (or 6k/8K, etc). See above. For you to see more pixels, you have to have a display capable of handling/displaying higher resolution content. Or you can project higher resolution content with the proper projector (for example 4K projector).

3. When 2K or 4K are mentioned in Blu-ray production credits -- like the ones you see in our Criterion reviews -- the information addresses the technical process of creating the transfer. In other words, you are told how the transfer was sourced/created. Typically, new transfers come from 2K or 4K masters.

4. Regardless of how these transfers are created, Roj, they are all capped at 1080p. (See point #1). So, when Sony are trying to sell you a Blu-ray disc mastered in 4K, it does not mean that you are getting 4K content. You are still getting 1080p content. What it means is that the master used to create the transfer had a different resolution (4K).

5. 4K does not automatically mean best/superior quality. (Or better than 2K). There are many, many transfers struck from 2K masters that look far better than transfers struck from 4K masters. In recent years, I personally have been very impressed by a number of 2K transfers done on ARRISCANs.

6. OK, final answer (regarding you future TV set). It all comes down to how the transfer was finished. A 1080p transfer struck from an excellent 4K master would look beautiful on your new TV, as will a beautiful 1080p transfer struck from a 2K master. But you are not going to see more pixels. Again, point #1 -- all Blu-ray content is capped at 1080p. So even if you buy a 105' 4K TV, when you play your Blu-rays your 4K TV will display 1080p content

You can probably do some upscaling (1080p - 4K), but I am not a fan of it.

IF 4K Blu-ray is introduced on the market, then we can have a different discussion, because not only resolution changes but (hopefully) there will be improvements in color reproduction. (My personal opinion is that if done right, this is the area where most casual viewers/hobbyists will see the biggest difference).

All in all, you should not worry at all because Blu-ray is here to stay and in the last couple of years the standards have moved up a lot. What this means is that you have a very large number of films for which the current 2K masters will more than likely remain the definitive masters. Also, with Blu-ray you will see more and more very high-quality releases because 4K scanning is now quite affordable.

Happy Fourth to you and your family, Roj, and I will see you on the forum

Pro-B

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Chaotic

Round 2:
Being John Malkovich
The Darjeeling Limited

I prefer Being John Malkovich

[jw007]

Just finished watching King of the Hill and I liked it a lot. I thought, however, that the film had a real "Hollywood" feel to it and even the ending was too happy and contrived in some ways. I liked the actors in this but the story was sort of pedestrian, if that is the right term to use. The real highlight was the directing and editing though, including the camera-work. Absolutely fantastic. And the music and score was very good too. The picture quality is amazing to say the least too.

Soderbergh is one of my favorite directors, despite that some of his films aren't favorites of mine. In this film, the technical use of warm colors only enhanced the feel of the story and characters. I really am happy that I blind-bought this one with confidence.

I am going to spend 3 hours tomorrow night watching the interviews and supplements as well as Soderbergh's 4th film, The Underneath, which is included on the disc.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by jw007

Just finished watching King of the Hill and I liked it a lot. I thought, however, that the film had a real "Hollywood" feel to it and even the ending was too happy and contrived in some ways. I liked the actors in this but the story was sort of pedestrian, if that is the right term to use. The real highlight was the directing and editing though, including the camera-work. Absolutely fantastic. And the music and score was very good too. The picture quality is amazing to say the least too.

Soderbergh is one of my favorite directors, despite that some of his films aren't favorites of mine. In this film, the technical use of warm colors only enhanced the feel of the story and characters. I really am happy that I blind-bought this one with confidence.

I am going to spend 3 hours tomorrow night watching the interviews and supplements as well as Soderbergh's 4th film, The Underneath, which is included on the disc.

Thanks for this, I got it ready to watch - just not bene in mood...

Sounds good except the hollywood thingy you mentioned, but tbh SS is weird, some of his films do come across as very studio-y lol.

I do like his films but vary so much in style and genre XD

[Oblivion138]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Thanks for this, I got it ready to watch - just not bene in mood...

Sounds good except the hollywood thingy you mentioned, but tbh SS is weird, some of his films do come across as very studio-y lol.

I do like his films but vary so much in style and genre XD

He does a lot of mainstream studio movies, which gives him greater opportunity to make more independent, personal projects. Which makes his body of work a very interesting an diverse mix, to say the least.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Oblivion138

He does a lot of mainstream studio movies, which gives him greater opportunity to make more independent, personal projects. Which makes his body of work a very interesting an diverse mix, to say the least.

Lars Von Trier has the best method to fund his films - running a studio for porno's lol.

Only SS film I have yet to see is Magic Mike - anyone got anything good to say about this? :P

I did love Contagion though.

[The Stick]

My Round 2 pick-ups saturday:

Zazie Dans Le Metro (Blind Buy)
This title always caught my eye whenever I browsed through the Criterion section of my local B&N. Watching it today was not exactly what I expected from the director of ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS. I love looking at the Paris scenery in this, but the wackiness and frenetic energy of this film wore me out after 20 mins (in that way it reminds me of Baz Luhrman's MOULIN ROUGE). The style of filmmaking predates the wackiness found in Richard Lester's A HARDS DAY NIGHT by a few years so I can appreciate that aspect of the film.

From the supplements I see that some scenes were inspired by Tex Avery cartoons, but thankfully Avery's cartoons are only a few minutes in length. For me personally, I was exhausted by film's end. At least Lester's film gives you a bit of respite between the more wackier moments. No such luck in ZAZIE. Also, the little girl's language a bit too coarse for me to consider this a "family film" which I thought it was - being not at all familiar with the source material upon which it is based. But as I said, after watching the supplements, I have a better understanding of what Louis Malle was trying to achieve...

Also got:
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT - it's been ages since I've scene this. I'm a big fan of the Beatles so this was a must purchase for me this month).

THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE - Another one I haven't seen in such a long, long time that it's practically a blind buy for me. Time for my re-visit.

[StLouisRibs]

So if Time Bandits is re-entering the collection, could titles from the same distributor Withnail & I, How to Get Ahead in Advertising, The Long Good Friday, or Mona Lisa re-enter as well?

[legolars]

Originally Posted by iScottie

What the hell...they killed an actual dog for Dry Summer?

And the main character beheads a live chicken only moments before that.

Just watched the MoC release of Dry Summer and I must say that besides the animal killing, I enjoyed it quite a lot. Weirdly, this only got a cert 12 BBFC rating.