The Criterion Collection

[jacobsever]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Is this really considered a good deal? Most titles are $36. Even if you B2G1 it's still what, $24 each plus tax? Doesn't sound like a good deal to me unless I'm missing something.

Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I've been all caught up with every blu release (even all preorders through August) for the past 3 months or so. So I use these sales to catch up on their older dvd releases, and focus on the ones that BN has for 29.99.

I got Le Samourai, Mon Oncle, and Viridiana for $58 after tax.

[jacobsever]

Also, I picked up the book 1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and was flipping through it.

I noticed out of the 1,001 films listed, 164 have been released by Criterion.
I just thought was a nifty thing.

[Belloche]

Originally Posted by jacobsever

Also, I picked up the book 1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and was flipping through it.

I noticed out of the 1,001 films listed, 164 have been released by Criterion.
I just thought was a nifty thing.

Have you ever been to iCheckMovies.com ? They compile a bunch of top lists of movies and you can check off the ones you've seen. It's interesting if you're trying to figure out which great films you haven't seen yet. The Criterion Collection is on there, I've seen 96 of them. I'm sure there are some people in this thread that can blow that number out of the water.

[Sukuri]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

Possibly for calibration purposes.

CC

good answer

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by jello_02

im seriously thinking about getting seventh seal, not into older movies though...i have third man and wasnt particularly into it, should i get seventh seal for $17 total used?

Well $17 is a good price for a Blu-ray for such a quality movie but you might not enjoy it. I suggest you find a way to rent them. Criterion releases are always excellent but they are not movies one can just blind buy and expect to truly love. How to explain this? They are not Saving Private Ryan for example which is a well made movie but is still a Hollywood style movie, accessible, using the techniques that people are use to see (good guys/bad guys, theme and settings). The directors of the Criterion movies are different, they are as we say in French "avant garde", they take risks, they use different styles... I started discovering most of these movies 25 years ago in College and being a real fan of cinema I was intrigued that Hollywood is not the end all of cinema, that other styles can produce real amazing movies. But it's like you said, it's not for everyone. Nothing wrong with that per say. Cinema is an art form and art is a very subjective thing. I say try to rent The Seventh Seal, it will cost you lest, you will still be able to see it and you can judge from that if it's a movie that is for you or not.

[italy12]

Originally Posted by jacobsever

Picked up 3 Criterion dvds today at BN.
Had to remind the guy of the B2G1 sale, because it didn't ring up right.

Trying to place an order online, and it doesn't seem to be working either.

Anyone else have any luck on bn.com?

What did you end up getting? (I hope to go today to get my 3...not sure which, though.)

-Dave

[italy12]

Originally Posted by scorsetinogilliam

first off, a lady at my local b and n said that around july 16th it should happen, they got the call, it's just not confirmed as 50% off yet. also, with bing.com you can get the secret of the grain for 19.99 at bestbuy.com. probably a mistake on their part, but worth a try for now. with the bing.com 20% cashback right now, the shipping you have to pay is cancelled out, thus getting it at about b and n prices during the sale....

Hey thanks for the heads up!! Just ordered "The Secret of the Grain" from BB for $19.99. As an employee of BB, we don't get our discounts for online purchases, but that's a great price for a Criterion Blu. I searched for other Criterion titles, and they were all either $34.99 or $29.99.

I recently got "The 400 Blows" for $17.99 from them as well. I wonder what's up with the one random title on sale...

-Dave

[italy12]

Originally Posted by blurayuser09

I've never bought a Criterion-released movie but I would like to start a collection. Can someone recommend me some of their releases to start?

Let's say that I'm open to all the genres produced by Criterion. Some art-house movies would be nice to experiment with.

Some good titles to start with :

Blu ray-
Bigger Than Life
Walkabout
The Third Man (out of print, may need to look elsewhere to purchase)
The Wages of Fear
Stagecoach

DVD-
If...
The Vanishing
any Hitchcock titles

Just my 2 cents...of course this is only based on what I've already seen...with over 500 titles, I have much ground to cover!

-Dave

[ShellOilJunior]

Battle of Algiers is highly recommended. Exceptional package. Would buy day 1 if released on BR.

Also,

Adventures of Antoine Doinel Box Set. Another set I'd happily buy again on BR.

[wmermine1]

Originally Posted by Sukuri

So I was checking out Brakhage's first disc.

Can someone tell me why there is an option to watch color bars?

Every Criterion release that I'm aware of, even the DVDs, has the color bars as an option. [Although, I wouldn't have put it past Brakhage to make a film of color bars!]

As someone said, it's for calibration.

[rkish]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Well $17 is a good price for a Blu-ray for such a quality movie but you might not enjoy it. I suggest you find a way to rent them. Criterion releases are always excellent but they are not movies one can just blind buy and expect to truly love. How to explain this? They are not Saving Private Ryan for example which is a well made movie but is still a Hollywood style movie, accessible, using the techniques that people are use to see (good guys/bad guys, theme and settings). The directors of the Criterion movies are different, they are as we say in French "avant garde", they take risks, they use different styles... I started discovering most of these movies 25 years ago in College and being a real fan of cinema I was intrigued that Hollywood is not the end all of cinema, that other styles can produce real amazing movies. But it's like you said, it's not for everyone. Nothing wrong with that per say. Cinema is an art form and art is a very subjective thing. I say try to rent The Seventh Seal, it will cost you lest, you will still be able to see it and you can judge from that if it's a movie that is for you or not.

Excellent suggestion Pat!

I had originally purchased The Seventh Seal from Borders for $23.99 (40% off coup) and left it sealed for a bit. My wife signed us up for NetFlix and I was able to "view" The Seventh Seal via NetFlix streaming.

Though it is visually a very solid film, I think it is either a film that you love, hate, or need to have grow on you. I would fall into the third category...I think that I need to see it again and see how I feel.

The only titles that I have "bought" with any reservations was The Third Man and Pierrot Le Fou...due to the fact that both were/are going OOP.

I LOVE The Third Man and Pierrot Le Fou is another film that I need to view again to get more out of it...but there are a number of other titles that I own that I am enjoying VERY much.

Paris, Texas
Wings of Desire
Che
M
Stagecoach
For All Mankind
Montery Pop Festival


Bigger Than Life I rented from NetFlix and LOVED...I will attempt to patiently wait until the 50% off sale at B & N to add this to my collection. I have a rented copy of Days of Heaven that is waiting for me for this weekend...based on feedback from this forum and my wife. I've also "seen" Walkabout and Hunger...I'm considering Walkabout when the sale hits.

I have Mystery Train on pre-order, as I'm a big Jarmusch fan...

FYI for those with NetFlix and/or those willing to try the (2) week free trial (BE WARNED...you'll get hooked...my wife did before me...looks like we'll stick with the (1) disc at a time deal with blu-ray options)...there are a number of Criterion titles available for streaming, if you need to see a film ASAP (to make a decision before purchasing) and the quality is pretty good.

List of Criterion films available via NetFlix streaming:

Wild Strawberries (DVD)
Revanche
Summer Hours
Gomorrah
Black Orpheus
Wages of Fear
8 1/2
Stagecoach
Paris, Texas
Wings of Desire
Z (DVD)
F for Fake (DVD)
Yojimbo
Fanny and Alexander (DVD)
Amarcord (DVD)
The Last Emperor
The Hidden Fortress (DVD)
Diabolique (DVD)
The Passion of Joan of Arc (DVD)
Brief Encounter (DVD)
The Red Shoes
The Virgin Spring (DVD)
Mon Oncle (DVD)
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (DVD)
Playtime
Pandora's Box (DVD)
I Know Where I'm Going (DVD)
Knife in the Water (DVD)
The Lady Vanishes (DVD)
Jules and Jim (DVD)
The Earrings of Madame de (DVD)
Children of Paradise (DVD)
The Last Temptation of Christ (DVD)
Overlord (DVD)
Peeping Tom (DVD)
Au Revoir Les Enfants (DVD)
La Strada:Special Edition (DVD)
Sanjuro
Rashomon (DVD)
Seven Samurai (current DVD - soon to be BD)
Shoot the Piano Player (DVD)
Mala Noche (DVD)
The Battle of Algiers (DVD)
Lola Montes
AntiChrist (soon to be BD)
Monsoon Wedding
The Seventh Seal
400 Blows
Hunger
M

I'm sure that there are a number of them that I missed...this took an hour or two to go through their entire film queue and find all the titles that could be streamed...any that I can't stream, I'll "rent".

PS...Antichrist was interesting...BUT very disturbing (my wife was VERY intrigued by it!)

I hope that this is of some help!

[onyxx]

Originally Posted by rkish

PS...Antichrist was interesting...BUT very disturbing (my wife was VERY intrigued by it!)

If my wife was intrigued by it, I wouldn't dare to sleep next to her...

[rkish]

Originally Posted by onyxx

if my wife was intrigued by it, i wouldn't dare to sleep next to her...

LoL...Touche!

[neo78956]

Has anyone spotted copies of The Last Emperor in replacement cases? Does anyone have an extra replacement case for it? Sad to say, I love this film, but for some reason, never have gotten around to buying the blu-ray. I should get on that!

[neo78956]

Originally Posted by onyxx

If my wife was intrigued by it, I wouldn't dare to sleep next to her...

LMAO yeah..... I wasn't a fan of the film, but I found the first half pretty fascinating, and dare I say it, kind of brilliant. But the second half just got so ridiculous (though the fog scene was very well-executed) that I was totally disengaged with what was going on and literally laughing out loud at how silly it was. I know Lars was trying to say something, but overall, I found the film a big meandering mess that's accidentally brilliant in it's first half and one set piece in the second half, but overall, a missed opportunity. The cinematography, however, was consistently gorgeous. I'm sure it will look fantastic in Criterion blu. But this is a title I more than likely will not be buying. Basically, Lars Von Trier ripped a but avant garde fart, and this is what resulted.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by neo78956

Has anyone spotted copies of The Last Emperor in replacement cases? Does anyone have an extra replacement case for it? Sad to say, I love this film, but for some reason, never have gotten around to buying the blu-ray. I should get on that!

last night, copies of Last Emperor on the shelf at B&N were still in the old paper case.

[stobbart]

Originally Posted by neo78956

Has anyone spotted copies of The Last Emperor in replacement cases? Does anyone have an extra replacement case for it? Sad to say, I love this film, but for some reason, never have gotten around to buying the blu-ray. I should get on that!

This may be a loaded question being on a blu forum, but does anyone feel that the TV cut is good enough to warrant buying the DVD version over the blu?

[neo78956]

Originally Posted by stobbart

This may be a loaded question being on a blu forum, but does anyone feel that the TV cut is good enough to warrant buying the DVD version over the blu?

Depends on how much of a fan of the film and Chinese history you are. I personally already own the 4 disc dvd, but I plan on getting the blu-ray this weekend when I get paid. I would say if you already own the 4 disc dvd, keep it, but the blu-ray has significantly better PQ and AQ, of course. I would suggest watching the film on Netflix streaming first then decide. The TV cut is just that, made for TV. Bertolucci hade it clear that the extended Italian TV cut was not a director's cut, the theatrical cut was the director's cut, and the version that won 9 oscars. If you love the film and can't get enough, check out the 4 disc dvd, but I think the blu-ray is better bang for buck, since it has all of the same supplements (minus the tv cut) and superior PQ and AQ, and can be had for around $20 cheaper more often than not.

[BasicGreatGuy]

Just got back from Moviestop. I traded in some DVD's I didn't need anymore due to Blu-ray replacement, and got "Kagemusha" (new) for $8.49

[boxterduke]

Are there ever any plans to bring The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou to bluray.
I would buy that in a heartbeat.