The Criterion Collection

[pro-bassoonist]

Time Bandits Blu-ray PACKAGING/REVIEW



Hello guys,

Here are the promised packaging photos for Time Bandits. I don't know if you would be able to tell from our photos, but the cover has one of those 3D/lenticular designs. More photos in our review above.







Pro-B

[pro-bassoonist]

The Night Porter Blu-ray PACKAGING/REVIEW



More photos in the review above





Pro-B

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by deepbreathsanddeath

I'm keen to add some more eclipse sets to my collection (I currently only have Shochiku horror and Louise Malle) but as I try to be selective about DVD purchases, I was wondering if I could get some feedback about which you guys think are essential Eclipse releases? By that, I mean sets with genuinely great films that you think easily deserve to be in the criterion blu-ray collection.

At the moment I'm eyeing Early Bergman, Late Ray, The Actuality Dramas of Allan King and The Nikkatsu Noir set. Larisa Shapitko looks like a good one too. Ideally I only want to grab one or two. What are your top picks?

I would love some input from you too, Pro-B.

My top 3 would be:
Late Ozu
Postwar Kurosawa
Mizoguchi's Fallen Women

[pro-bassoonist]

PACKAGING PHOTOS



We don't have a review up yet, but will have one shortly :









Pro-B

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by deepbreathsanddeath

I'm keen to add some more eclipse sets to my collection (I currently only have Shochiku horror and Louise Malle) but as I try to be selective about DVD purchases, I was wondering if I could get some feedback about which you guys think are essential Eclipse releases? By that, I mean sets with genuinely great films that you think easily deserve to be in the criterion blu-ray collection.

At the moment I'm eyeing Early Bergman, Late Ray, The Actuality Dramas of Allan King and The Nikkatsu Noir set. Larisa Shapitko looks like a good one too. Ideally I only want to grab one or two. What are your top picks?

I would love some input from you too, Pro-B.

here's my list:
Nikkatsu Noir, Masaki Kobayashi Against the System, Late Ozu, Silent Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi's Fallen Women, Oshima's Outlaw Sixties, Late Ray, Early Bergman

[dwk]

Originally Posted by deepbreathsanddeath

I'm keen to add some more eclipse sets to my collection (I currently only have Shochiku horror and Louise Malle) but as I try to be selective about DVD purchases, I was wondering if I could get some feedback about which you guys think are essential Eclipse releases? By that, I mean sets with genuinely great films that you think easily deserve to be in the criterion blu-ray collection.

At the moment I'm eyeing Early Bergman, Late Ray, The Actuality Dramas of Allan King and The Nikkatsu Noir set. Larisa Shapitko looks like a good one too. Ideally I only want to grab one or two. What are your top picks?

I would love some input from you too, Pro-B.

Nikkatsu Noir is great, maybe my favorite eclipse, so quit eying it and buy it. I'll second The Great Owl's suggestion on the two Kurosawa sets and add The First Films of Samuel Fuller and The Warped World of Koreyoshi Kurahara.

[The Great Owl]

Is that actually a slipcover for Time Bandits?

There's going to be a huge demand for this title.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by deepbreathsanddeath

I would love some input from you too, Pro-B.

Hey DB,

First, I would like to tell you which ones not to get:

1. Eclipse Series 4: Raymond Bernard DVD

These films are now out on Blu-ray in France and they are English-friendly. We are actually going to have a review for Masters of Cinema's release of Les Miserables in about 48 hours. I would have to speculate that at some point Criterion will also upgrade them as the new 4K restorations are very good.

2. Eclipse Series 12: Aki Kaurismaki's Proletariat Trilogy DVD

Eclipse Series 29: Aki Kaurismaki's Leningrad Cowboys DVD

The Kaurismakis are also out on Blu-ray in Finland. These Blu-ray releases are English-friendly.

3. Eclipse Series 1: Early Bergman DVD

I would encourage you to take a look at this Blu-ray box set:




4. Eclipse Series 13: Kenji Mizoguchi's Fallen Women DVD

Same thing here: Take a look at this Blu-ray set first, as it is really good:



5. Eclipse Series 14: Rossellini's History Films: Renaissance And Enlightenment DVD

This is a fantastic set, but I would recommend considering it after you've gone through Rossellini's big films. Put these sets on your radar first, if you have not already:




Here are some of the ones I really like:

1.

Some of these films, however, have appeared on Blu-ray in Europe, though these are not English-friendly releases. This is a fantastic set.

2.

Wonderful Sacha Guitry films and very good transfers.

3. Eclipse Series 34: Jean Grémillon During the Occupation



One of my favorite sets



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

4. Eclipse Series 18: Dusan Makavejev- Free Radical DVD

I really enjoy Makavejev, but as you know well from the big films in the Collection, he has a very strange sense of humor. But the satire is spot on.

5. Eclipse Series 39: Early Fassbinder DVD

Fantastic selection of Fassbender films, which should have been released on Blu-ray.


I hope this helps, DB. I have to run now. I will see you on the forums

Pro-B

[Patrick M.]

So, again no real booklets for the December releases... Too bad.
But that slipcover for Time Bandits is nice.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Hey DB,

First, I would like to tell you which ones not to get:

3. Eclipse Series 1: Early Bergman DVD

I would encourage you to take a look at this Blu-ray box set:




I hope this helps, DB. I have to run now. I will see you on the forums

Pro-B

Dang, wish I had the forethought to ask you about some of these Eclipse sets Pro-B. I bought the Early Bergman set recently. I'm sure I won't be disappointed, but still.

And thanks for the great pictures of the Time Bandits and The Night Porter releases... I get more excited for these every time I see more about them.

[Scottie]

Anyone else not a fan of World on a Wire?

I started watching it earlier tonight and after about 15-20 minutes, I started dozing off for about 30 minutes. I then watched another hour or so and I just couldn't handle it. I eventually just stopped paying attention and when there was about 1.5 hours left, I just turned it off and will attempt it another time in the future.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by CMNPlanet

Just arrived this afternoon:

[Show spoiler]

Back sticker:

[Show spoiler]

For scale (FWIW, it's roughly 10"x13"x1")

[Show spoiler]

I was really hoping that I wouldn't want this, but the more I see the more I want it. Added it to my Christmas list. If not for Christmas, maybe they will offer some sort of deal for this during the next 50% sale.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Anyone else not a fan of World on a Wire?

I started watching it earlier tonight and after about 15-20 minutes, I started dozing off for about 30 minutes. I then watched another hour or so and I just couldn't handle it. I eventually just stopped paying attention and when there was about 1.5 hours left, I just turned it off and will attempt it another time in the future.

I'm sure there are others who don't like it, but if I recall it was pretty much universally acclaimed in these parts after it was released.

I loved it myself.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

I was really hoping that I wouldn't want this, but the more I see the more I want it. Added it to my Christmas list. If not for Christmas, maybe they will offer some sort of deal for this during the next 50% sale.

I don't know what it's at now, but the pre-order (Amazon) price ended up being below $60 for me. It's currently $71.21 at bn.com. With the upcoming 30% off coupon, that's $49.85.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I don't know what it's at now, but the pre-order (Amazon) price ended up being below $60 for me. It's currently $71.21 at bn.com. With the upcoming 30% off coupon, that's $49.85.

Thanks! I just may have to share this information with a few people... or just bite the dang bullet myself.

[RojD]

Originally Posted by deepbreathsanddeath

I'm keen to add some more eclipse sets to my collection (I currently only have Shochiku horror and Louise Malle) but as I try to be selective about DVD purchases, I was wondering if I could get some feedback about which you guys think are essential Eclipse releases? By that, I mean sets with genuinely great films that you think easily deserve to be in the criterion blu-ray collection.

At the moment I'm eyeing Early Bergman, Late Ray, The Actuality Dramas of Allan King and The Nikkatsu Noir set. Larisa Shapitko looks like a good one too. Ideally I only want to grab one or two. What are your top picks?

I would love some input from you too, Pro-B.

I'd say it depends on what you're looking for from Eclipse. If you're stroking that inner complete-ist, the sets on Naruse, Ray, Fuller, Ozu, Bergman, Malle, etc are worthwhile.

But for me -- and I haven't been through nearly all the Eclipse sets -- some have been total revelations to me. Before the Nikkatsu Noir set, I hadn't even known noir was big Japan, not to mention the way the Japanese directors would bring other period American and European elements into their treatment of noir. This set was an eye-opener to me on many levels.

And I loved Jean Gremillon set. Not every film in France during the Occupation was trying to subvert the regime, and these films give some feel for what else was happening. But the kicker is that these films are absolutely beautiful. I think you could watch them with the sound off. Who knew?

I'd put the Pearls of Czech Cinema in third priority, not because the films are any less wonderful but because I knew Czech film better than I knew the others. If you don't know much about it, though, this set is a good start.

For what it's worth, the next Eclipses on my to-see list are the collections of Allan King, Basil Dearden, Raffaello Matarazzo and William Klein. But again, I'm going more for range than depth.

(OK, I have to admit it, I loved the Lubitsch Musicals, too. Hardly edgy, but so cute. "Jazz Up Your Lingerie"

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Anyone else not a fan of World on a Wire?

I started watching it earlier tonight and after about 15-20 minutes, I started dozing off for about 30 minutes. I then watched another hour or so and I just couldn't handle it. I eventually just stopped paying attention and when there was about 1.5 hours left, I just turned it off and will attempt it another time in the future.

Same here. I watched (or tried to ) it when TCM showed it. I got about 1-1.5 hours in and was really fidgeting and quit. Too bad, because it really sounded like something I would really enjoy and I was looking forward to it.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

Thanks! I just may have to share this information with a few people... or just bite the dang bullet myself.

I'm nothing if not an enabler.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Same here. I watched (or tried to ) it when TCM showed it. I got about 1-1.5 hours in and was really fidgeting and quit. Too bad, because it really sounded like something I would really enjoy and I was looking forward to it.

I agree. It sounds really awesome. have 12 unwatched Criterion Blu-rays (including WOAW) and putting this off is not making my process any easier.

Children of Paradise
David Lean Directs Noel Coward
Kagemusha
The Last Emperor
Marketa Lazarova
The Organizer
The Samurai Trilogy
Shoah
Topsy-Turvy
Les Visiteurs du Soir
World on a Wire
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Anyone else not a fan of World on a Wire?

I started watching it earlier tonight and after about 15-20 minutes, I started dozing off for about 30 minutes. I then watched another hour or so and I just couldn't handle it. I eventually just stopped paying attention and when there was about 1.5 hours left, I just turned it off and will attempt it another time in the future.

My wife and I turned it off. Might give it another try at some point. Probably not.