The Criterion Collection

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

House sure enough freaked me out when I bought the Criterion DVD a few years back. It's like a Scooby-Doo episode where everything goes wrong. Everything.

I tend to view it more as a whacked-out Japanese girl group music video than as an outright horror film.

I'm sure that the colors in this movie will look so much better on the Blu-ray.

I busted out laughing several times during the movie, it has such a joyous sense of anarchy. Like, the intentionally horrible stop motion at the beginning when the random passerby goes sliding up the stairs, or the part where the girl gets attacked by the decapitated flying head that comes out of the well, etc. I really loved it and think it's one of my favorite criterion discs.

I bought a whole bunch of discs from the B&N sale, and have started my way through them. I just watched Autumn Sonata, The Hidden Fortress, Diabolique and Black Narcissus.

Autumn Sonata was kind of a slog. I haven't seen a whole lot of Bergman, but I do love Cries and Whispers, Wild Strawberries, The Seventh Seal, and Scenes from a Marriage (the miniseries version), and at least liked The Virgin Spring. This one was similar in tone to Cries and Whispers but I didn't think it was nearly as good. The sister with the brain disease seemed like an awkward inclusion - it seemed to add very little to the drama between the two leads, and ended up just making it seem like a cut-rate version of Cries and Whispers. Liv Ullman and Ingrid Bergman are amazing, of course, and plenty of their scenes are flawless, but overall it really just didn't gel for me. I was entertained by the interviews on the disc with Ullman and Ingmar Bergman, both of whom basically say "Ingrid Bergman really wanted to overact, frequently disagreed with things, and the only reason she's good in it at all is because Ingmar Bergman is a genius [Liv Ullman's exact term!]."

I didn't DISLIKE it, but it was disappointing since I've loved almost everything else I've seen of his. I still have blurays of Fanny and Alexander, Smiles of a Summer Night, and DVDs of Persona, Passion of Anna, Shame, Serpent's Egg, and Hour of the Wolf I haven't gotten around to watching yet

The Hidden Fortress was a blast, I was entertained throughout and was repeatedly struck by how FUN it was. I absolutely loved the craven leads and the lash-happy princess. I need to go back and watch The Seven Samurai again, it's in an awkward position of being the only Kurosawa movie I didn't like (I've also got the criterions of Ran, Rashomon, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and Kagemusha, and the dvd of Akira Kurosawa's Dreams), which seems like an impossible opinion to have. I must have been in a really bad mood when I watched it, or something.

Diabolique is a movie I'd heard a lot about over the years, and had recently seen featured on a euro-horror documentary that aired on the BBC. Fortunately, I'd managed to forget the twist (though not the climactic bathtub scene). The pacing is relentless and I think it's one of the best suspense movies I've ever seen. It really puts "Psycho" to shame, the plot is so economical and everything builds perfectly up to the last encounter. It was really great stuff, and right after watching it I had to go drive back to B&N and get Wages of Fear!

Black Narcissus is another movie I'd heard mentioned hundreds of times through the years, but never really bothered to read anything about. It was pretty spectacular and again, it was a great exercise in building tension and economy of plot. I really liked it and was blown away by the style of it. It didn't reach the heights of "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp," which was basically a perfect movie in my estimation and one of the best blind buys I've ever made, but it's a great movie and I'm glad I bought it.

I still have Thief, Walkabout, In the Mood for Love, Wages of Fear, and Tess to watch for the first time. I also picked up Picnic at Hanging Rock (which I saw back in college and didn't know what to make of) and Eyes Without a Face (which I remember liking when I saw it in college) which I haven't watched yet.

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I personally hold The Night of the Hunter in high esteem, because it appeals to the part of me that grew up in rural Georgia, and because it's a visually spectacular "not quite noir" film noir.

Part of it was filmed in a nearby town, yet I've never seen the movie.

[nondiatonic]

Originally Posted by tisdivine

Just checked since its only $30 at B&N ill go ahead and take the chance. Im not usually one for mini-series but the movie should be good. The story sounds very interesting.

You won't regret it. It's tied for my favorite Bergman with Hour of the Wolf (and followed by The Magician). I suggest watching it as a miniseries meaning one hour and a half segment a day (they are separated by credits and title screens).

This reminds me that I need to rewatch Persona. It's been so long since I've seen it that I don't remember much (I don't think I got much out of it initially). I have a feeling that I will hold it in much higher regard based on the way my tastes have evolved since my first viewing.

[silverlakephil]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Ohhhh, yeahhhhh.

The long television version of Fanny and Alexander is my favorite Bergman film.

This scene always gets to me on the TV version:

Isak's Tale - My favorite scene from "Fanny Och Alexander" (TV Version) - YouTube

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

I didn't see the theatrical version but the TV one.
And I really LOVED it!!
(at least the first Christmas episode has become a yearly Christmas tradition for me).
I'm not sure if I could watch the theatrical version though, because there would be so much deleted!!

Agreed. I watch it every winter. I've seen both versions but strongly prefer the TV version.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

That got me thinking, what's everyone's most watched Criterion? Mine would have to be La Haine. Just love the film. Can't get enough of the three character's. Vincent Cassell is great as usual. I would urge anyone that hasn't picked it up to do so.

3 Women

It's perfect.

[LPMA]

I've only seen the theatrical version of F&A and I thought the run time actually flew by, it was that good.

[blufellas]

So far in this sale I bought 12 movies, I'm getting one more before the sale is over. I'm looking at either Insomnia or Persona. For you guys that have seen both, what do you think?

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Wow! The packaging for The Essential Jacques Demy is not great, I think they're going to get a LOT of complaints and returned items.

I just stopped at B&N to pick up my copy on my way into work. The copy on hold for me had a completely crushed box. I asked to see the rest of the stock. They had an entire box of maybe 30 copies (I'm in LA, lots of film buffs). Out of 30 copies, I'd say 5 were hideously crushed and mangled, and the other 25 were either badly smashed or at least noticeably crushed. In addition, about 10 of them also had the plastic worn off and black scorch marks on the corners, either from rubbing against the box or from the shrink wrap machines.

I found a single good copy in the shipment of 30 and snapped it up. The poor packaging is a combination of two things. The outer case is about 1/8" larger than the widths of the total individual digipaks that slip into it, so it's VERY easily squished, even if you just pick it up roughly. In addition, the outer case is not made of heavy-duty cardboard, like the Universal Hitchcock set, but out of very flimsy cardboard, like a slipcover.

Most of the copies at my B&N were just sort of bent and dinged, and I'm sure some customers won't care, but Criterion buyers are probably pickier than people buying the latest CGI brainbuster. If all the shipments ended up like this one did, a lot of people are going to be unhappy.

I picked up mine from B&N on the way home from work. I only saw the one I bought, but it's in good shape aside from some slight corner wear.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by blufellas

So far in this sale I bought 12 movies, I'm getting one more before the sale is over. I'm looking at either Insomnia or Persona. For you guys that have seen both, what do you think?

Persona

I'm pretty sure everyone in this thread will agree. They are both great films, but only one is essential.

[zoodermin]

Originally Posted by Coen

Persona - it's the best film from one of the 5 greatest directors of all time.

Haven't seen Insomnia but Persona is a must-own film IMO. One of the best films from one of the best directors ever.

[*DrStrangelove*]

Originally Posted by blufellas

So far in this sale I bought 12 movies, I'm getting one more before the sale is over. I'm looking at either Insomnia or Persona. For you guys that have seen both, what do you think?

Persona is a must have. My favorite Criterion release of the year and is becoming my favorite Bergman the more I rewatch it.

[bstv69]

If you had to pick one and only one criterion blu-ray to watch for the rest of your life which would it be?
Mine would be Vivre sa Vie. I think that it is the most beautiful film I have ever seen.

[CorleyOnTheShore]

Originally Posted by bstv69

Are there any criterion blu-ray releases that do not have picture quality that is far superior to Hulu plus. I do not care about extras, the reason I purchase blu-ray is for the picture quality of the film. I am perfectly content watching a movie on Hulu plus and saving myself some money if the picture quality is not significantly better. Thank you in advances for the responses.

Chances are, if there's already a blu-ray release of the title, and it's on Hulu, then the PQ on the Hulu version should be comparable. I've noticed that films not on blu-ray and on Hulu, tend to have lower picture quality.

[CorleyOnTheShore]

Originally Posted by bstv69

If you had to pick one and only one criterion blu-ray to watch for the rest of your life which would it be?
Mine would be Vivre sa Vie. I think that it is the most beautiful film I have ever seen.

Jules and Jim

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by bstv69

If you had to pick one and only one criterion blu-ray to watch for the rest of your life which would it be?
Mine would be Vivre sa Vie. I think that it is the most beautiful film I have ever seen.

The Wages of Fear

[RojD]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

Watched Judex last night. A really cool, stylish film. I enjoyed it, definitely worth a blind buy. Has a lot of replay value. Gonna have to give it a second view soon.

That got me thinking, what's everyone's most watched Criterion? Mine would have to be La Haine. Just love the film. Can't get enough of the three character's. Vincent Cassell is great as usual. I would urge anyone that hasn't picked it up to do so.

Most-watched Criterion? Rules of the Game. Two or three times a year. Just love it.

[Oscar Rothman]

I just finished watching The Man Who Wasn't There....it deserves to be in collection ASAP

[tisdivine]

Originally Posted by nondiatonic

You won't regret it. It's tied for my favorite Bergman with Hour of the Wolf (and followed by The Magician). I suggest watching it as a miniseries meaning one hour and a half segment a day

Thats a good idea lol i have no idea why i didnt think about that. Couldnt get around watching 500 min. in one setting and wanting to die lol

[ShellOilJunior]

Wages of Fear is my most watched CC film. In fact, I'm going to put it on tonight.