The Criterion Collection

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jw007

The Great Owl:
Where does your name derive from? Is this a cinematic reference? Just curious. Owls can be great, I do know this.

Originally Posted by jayembee

If I recall correctly, it's from The Secret of NIMH.

Yes, jayembee is correct. The Great Owl is a character in The Secret of NIMH (1982). Characters in the story go to The Great Owl for advice about anything and everything.

There's also an inside story, though. Several years ago, a friend and I were discussing Scientology and other such religions. We joked that we would make up our own religion just to see how many followers we could get. Our fake religion would worship The Great Owl.
Even now, we still mention it during conversations. "The Great Owl says that one should not buy an adjustable rate mortgage.", "That guy sent me a resume with three misspellings. He must not have listened to The Great Owl.", and so on.

Anyway, here's The Great Owl scene from The Secret of NIMH.

[Show spoiler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCAiKsLLprU

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

The 3D in Hugo is great too. That's the first (and only) film where I've rewatched it in 2D and felt like it was lacking something.

Hugo is the only 3D film I actually like (in 3D). All the others are "well this is pointless, why am I watching this in 3D?" situations. Most of my 3D BDs I got either because they were the same price as the 2D-only, so I was like "what the heck" and bought it, or a feature I wanted was was only available in the 3D version (such as a digital copy of The Avengers, only on the 3D pack).

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I've always been curious about yours :P

JW are my initials and 007 is just a common number I use for screennames on the internet. I'm totally not a fan of James Bond whatsoever, so its sort of funny that I still use this number all the time. He he he ha ha ha ho ho.

[jw007]

This is just hilarious! David Lynch taking the ice bucket challenge. Posted from Criterion today. For all those who want to see:

David Lynch - Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS - YouTube

[The Great Owl]

I just finished watching my Criterion Blu-ray of Akira Kurosawa's High and Low.

This is a beautiful-looking upgrade from the old Criterion DVD, and, although the picture quality on this disc is under more scrutiny than that of other transfers of Kurosawa films, I have no complaints whatsoever about the images. I guess that I'm just impressed at the step up in quality over the DVD predecessor. My only criticism of the disc is that the white subtitles are difficult to see early in the film when they are superimposed over a rather bright background while Toshiro Mifune's character is embroiled in a heated discussion with the other shoe company executives.

High and Low is such a gripping police procedural (I prefer "police procedural" to "neo-noir" when describing this film.), and I had forgotten how quickly this film sweeps me up and away into the story. Despite the relatively long running time, this movie goes by at lightning pace.

I'm glad that I finally got around to checking out this Blu-ray upgrade, since I bought the Blu-ray last November during the big Barnes & Noble sale. I am looking forward to seeing how my Blu-rays of Throne of Blood and The Hidden Fortress compare to my old DVDs as well.

[tisdivine]

Just finished Lola & Bay of Angels in the Demy boxset and they are both supremely cool. Aimee & Moreau are Amazing as always.

Not going to lie not a huge fan of musicals but I do have mucho love for Deneuve. So tomorrow night I will follow on with the set.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

High and Low is such a gripping police procedural (I prefer "police procedural" to "neo-noir" when describing this film.), and I had forgotten how quickly this film sweeps me up and away into the story.

I'd even call it a crime piece. I tend to avoid using "neo-noir" as I think it's a blatant piggyback on "film noir" because that genre is held in high esteem.

I think too many people want to associate "noir" with a film when the connection is just not there.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I'd even call it a crime piece. I tend to avoid using "neo-noir" as I think it's a blatant piggyback on "film noir" because that genre is held in high esteem.

I think too many people want to associate "noir" with a film when the connection is just not there.

I do not mind the "neo-noir" description if it pertains to a newer film that really does retain the aesthetic of classic-era film noir, in terms of both the cinematography and bleak fatalism. Some good examples are Masahiro Shinoda's Pale Flower, Roman Polanski's Chinatown, Lawrence Kasdan's Body Heat, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, William Friedkin's To Live and Die in L.A., Erik Skjoldbjærg's Insomnia, and Ridley Scott's The Counselor. I do think that the term is thrown around too often, though.

There are some distinctly noir elements in Kurosawa's High and Low, especially during the film's final scene, but the overall vibe of the movie falls more in line with a police procedural or crime thriller.

[HD_Aficionado]

Hey experts. I'm currently debating with myself whether I should buy The Human Condition on DVD or not. It's quite pricy and every other week I hear about releases I never expected to see on Blu-ray. So, question to you folks: what are the chances this epos gets a release on Blu-ray by criterion (or anybody else for that matter)?

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by HD_Aficionado

Hey experts. I'm currently debating with myself whether I should buy The Human Condition on DVD or not. It's quite pricy and every other week I hear about releases I never expected to see on Blu-ray. So, question to you folks: what are the chances this epos gets a release on Blu-ray by criterion (or anybody else for that matter)?

You could always sell it on of they do re release on Blu, Criterions tend to hold value on resale.

[SkyAntoine]

B&N has a buy 2 Criterions get one free sale right now. It gets the price down to about $22 per title. Picked up Eraserhead, All That Jazz and Vengeance Is Mine.

I tried to use a 20% coupon that was emailed this morning but it would not apply.

[exolstice]

Originally Posted by RojD

So you're in for a major treat. Gravity does action 3D well, but I love what Wenders does in Pina. There aren't a lot of things rushing at or close to the camera, but he uses 3D to give things a texture and a presence like I've seen no one else do. Major treat coming.

Dunno what it is about German documentaries, but I enjoyed Cave of Forgotten Dreams, too. Cave art uses all three dimensions of the surface it's drawn on, and Herzog applies 3D technology to show that. Innovative and smart, but my 3D Oscar goes to Wenders.

Doesn't Wenders have another 3D project out in the US soon?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Every_Thing_Will_Be_Fine

Also, those are all great examples of 3D done right, but they were all shot with 3D cameras, as opposed to 99% of films released and marketed that way.

3D version of Wizard of Oz, now that's offensive. Less egregious, but still annoying, they made a 3D version of Predator but they still haven't released a decent transfer on Blu-ray.

I'd buy 3D Criterion re-releases of the Warhol films if they ever got the rights back.

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by SkyAntoine

B&N has a buy 2 Criterions get one free sale right now. It gets the price down to about $22 per title. Picked up Eraserhead, All That Jazz and Vengeance Is Mine.

I tried to use a 20% coupon that was emailed this morning but it would not apply.

Yeah, sometimes the codes don't stack, but if you buy them in-store, the clerks usually allow it (at least from my experience).

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by HD_Aficionado

Hey experts. I'm currently debating with myself whether I should buy The Human Condition on DVD or not. It's quite pricy and every other week I hear about releases I never expected to see on Blu-ray. So, question to you folks: what are the chances this epos gets a release on Blu-ray by criterion (or anybody else for that matter)?

You might as well wait until the 15th to hear the next announcement.

[aes3728]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

You might as well wait until the 15th to hear the next announcement.

If you do end up waiting until the 15th, might as well wait until the Criterion Flash Sale at the end of September/beginning of October.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by aes3728

If you do end up waiting until the 15th, might as well wait until the Criterion Flash Sale at the end of September/beginning of October.

Then he might as well wait until Oct. 15.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Then he might as well wait until Oct. 15.

in that case, he might as well wait for the New Years cartoon.

(actually, in all seriousness... the most clues for the coming year are there, no?)

[The Great Owl]

Hossein Amini's Top 10

This is probably my favorite Top 10 Criterion list yet.

Except, of course, for my own.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by aes3728

If you do end up waiting until the 15th, might as well wait until the Criterion Flash Sale at the end of September/beginning of October.

When Criteron has a flash sale, how do their prices compare to other retailers like Amazon and Best Buy? Also is the flash sale only for buying on criterion.com or does it extend to other retailers as well?

[Scottie]

Looks like a Jim Jarmusch Blu-ray collection is going to be released in the UK in another month or so.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Jim-J...lu-ray/105005/

I wonder if this is any indication of Criterion eventually re-releasing both Stranger than Paradise and Night on Earth on Blu-ray. They are the only two of his films, aside from Coffee and Cigarettes, that I haven't seen despite my owning them.