The Criterion Collection

[Mansinthe]

did B&N cancel someone elses order here? or is that something only we EU people get to enjoy?

cancelt 7 blurays i ordered a week ago.

[Scottie]

Before the Barnes 'N Noble sale ends in a couple of days, I strongly advise everybody to purchase The Essential Jacques Demy set. I finished the set this morning with 1982's Une chambre en ville and I have absolutely no regrets. When I get some more time, I will be going through the extras, especially the short films. However, each films seems to have a good deal of commentaries, documentaries, behind-the-scenes, shorts, and more.

I don't really know where to begin with describing these films. I think the easiest thing would be to actually watch them firsthand, as they all have something special to offer. First and foremost, they are not your typical romance films. While a few of them end with everybody living happily ever after, quite a few of them are tragic in their own unique ways. Perhaps the thing that I enjoyed as much as the stories were the set designs. Demy's usage of colors on the buildings, the clothes, and more creates a really "feel good" atmosphere.

Prior to owning the set, I had seen Lola and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg from Turner Classic Movies and upon rewatching them over the past few days, I found myself enjoying them as much, if not more, than on my initial watch. What really surprised me was that my favorite film in the set turned out to be The Young Girls of Rochefort. If this is not one of the happiest and cheerful films to ever be made, I'm not quite sure what is.

The other three films in the set, which I rank as Bay of Angels, Une chambre en ville, and Donkey Skin are worth seeing as well. While often quite dramatic and depressing, these films will more than likely stay with you for a while.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I'd keep the better movie in the case, which in this case is Short Term 12.

Haha. Well, both films made my top ten of their respective years, so choosing the better film is almost a toss up.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

did B&N cancel someone elses order here? or is that something only we EU people get to enjoy?

cancelt 7 blurays i ordered a week ago.

They're taking forever to get me my order of Scanners and Orlando. It should've arrived days ago.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Before the Barnes 'N Noble sale ends in a couple of days, I strongly advise everybody to purchase The Essential Jacques Demy set. I finished the set this morning with 1982's Une chambre en ville and I have absolutely no regrets. When I get some more time, I will be going through the extras, especially the short films. However, each films seems to have a good deal of commentaries, documentaries, behind-the-scenes, shorts, and more.

I've been going through the set this way. Taking it a disc at a time, and doing all of the extras as I go along. The shorts on Lola are all with merit, and really emphasise the progression with which Demy came to feature filmmaking. Les Horizons Mort, the earliest short is a typical debut, but is elevated by one particularly brilliant transition. It owes a great deal to Cocteau, while Le sabotier du Val de Loire and Ars are much more in the key of Bresson. La Luxure, which came much later, between Lola and BAY is much more familiarly Demy.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I watched King of the Hill a couple of weeks ago, and it's one of my favorite Criterion discs in a while. I really enjoyed the 1930s style, it was very well done. Great acting and story too. I'm going to check out The Underneath when I get a chance.

Ah forgot it has another film on it! Need to check it out !

[Al_The_Strange]

Rewatched Scanners. It's awesome, and the Blu-Ray quality blew my mind.

Also saw the short film Stereo on the disc. Found it rather dry. Looks good though; I was especially pleased to see that it's in HD too.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Rewatched Scanners. It's awesome, and the Blu-Ray quality blew my mind.

Also saw the short film Stereo on the disc. Found it rather dry. Looks good though; I was especially pleased to see that it's in HD too.

I found the transfer 50/50 some of it was incredible and some of it looked a bit iffy ;/

Think I am going to watch The Last Temptation of Christ tonight... just wish I had on Bluray

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I found the transfer 50/50 some of it was incredible and some of it looked a bit iffy ;/

Think I am going to watch The Last Temptation of Christ tonight... just wish I had on Bluray

Well, I'll admit that the film looks pretty drab; I seem to remember the colors being more vivid on DVD. But I am pleased overall with the detail/sharpness, and it really blows the German Blu-Ray out of the water.

Last Temptation would be a good upgrade.

[jw007]

I just got back from Washington D.C. the other day and am still high from seeing Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for the very first time. The show blew me away and I think it might have been the single greatest performance from a lead singer I ever witnessed in my life. And when Nick Cave played From Her to Eternity, I was transported back in time to that final scene in Criterion's Wings of Desire, when he performed that very same song in the film. I almost had tears in my eyes because I had seen that movie so many times and it was so surreal watching this live and seeing him do this same performance almost like I was a character in the audience in that film. If anyone else has seen this band perform live, you probably would have to agree with me that Cave has this bewitching magnetic energy with the fans and its amazing how touchy-feely he is while performing. It is pure art and pure cinema and I cannot think of another music artist that has this effect on their fans.

[Tom Monahan]

Are there any Criterion BD's to avoid in regards to pq or story?

Thanks,
Tom

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Before the Barnes 'N Noble sale ends in a couple of days, I strongly advise everybody to purchase The Essential Jacques Demy set.

I'm waiting for Monday, there may be another 15% coup off for dotcom beginning Monday.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Tom Monahan

Are there any Criterion BD's to avoid in regards to pq or story?

Thanks,
Tom

I'd say The Earrings of Madame de , check the DVDbeaver comparions, the other releases have a nicer transfer, Criterion has some filter on it which makes it look like it has a photoshop oil painting filter on it, like some edges are blotchy and lose so much detail :/

Or the original Salo release which is now worth hundreds lol!

[Dustin Putman]

I am LOVING the Jacques Demy set, but one little thing I noticed about the packaging (my apologies if this has been mentioned) is that there are no chapters for the respective five films listed anywhere on their individual cases or in the booklet that comes with the set. Is this the first time a CC release has not had this? Obviously it's not a big deal, but I wondered if it might have been an oversight.

[ParticleDan]

Originally Posted by Tom Monahan

Are there any Criterion BD's to avoid in regards to pq or story?



Thanks,

Tom

Children of Paradise and Earrings of Madame De are usually regarded as the worst in terms of PQ.

[Ausjdm]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I'd say The Earrings of Madame de , check the DVDbeaver comparions, the other releases have a nicer transfer, Criterion has some filter on it which makes it look like it has a photoshop oil painting filter on it, like some edges are blotchy and lose so much detail :/

Or the original Salo release which is now worth hundreds lol!

The original Salo? Thought the only blu was digpak?

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by Roninblues

IMDb starts at 1874.

That's a shame, since there's always this 1861 movie made by Coleman Sellers, and it's even in 3-D! Of course he was not able to record actual motion at this time, but understood the concept of what a movie is and posed his sons for individual still stereoscopic photographs that could produce the illusion of motion when viewed in rapid succession.

The photos have been combined in an anaglyphic video version available on YouTube at

Kinematoscope - 1861 - YouTube

This is something that some company really should scan the original images in HD and put onto a 3-D Blu-ray along with other early 3-D movies!

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Ausjdm

The original Salo? Thought the only blu was digpak?

The first release on DVD was TERRIBLE transfer and also terrible artwork haha, but it seems to be a collectible

Here is original release from Criterion

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/FILM/dvdcompare/salo.htm

Just look how bad it is lol

[Ausjdm]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

The first release on DVD was TERRIBLE transfer and also terrible artwork haha, but it seems to be a collectible

Here is original release from Criterion

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/FILM/dvdcompare/salo.htm

Just look how bad it is lol

Eck that terrible. Hmmm maybe someone should make a poll best and worst criterion cover art ever???

[Clare2904]

I have just watched After Life by Hirokazu Koreeda

This film needs the Criterion treatment NOW