The Criterion Collection

[painted_klown]

That's cool. I was looking at used LD players on e-bay. Seems like they are a dime a dozen. Also, the Criterion LD releases really weren't as bad as some of the DVD oop titles for pricing.

Collecting the LD collection could be fun, and a lot less costly. LOL!!!

I don't know why, but somewhere inside of me there is a "collector" I actually like tracking down rare, oop titles and scoring them from soemwhere. It's kind of fun in a way. Mostly I have done that with vinyl though...and a couple of DVDs when the format was still new.

[Juiceboxjerry]

Sorry, I know this is a criterion thread, and people have moved on from the Nolan discussion, but I just saw Inception and I feel compelled to give my two cents. I do not understand what all the insane love for this movie is all about. I REALLY wanted to like it, but came away feeling that it just wasn't very good.

Imo, this movie boils down to a good looking, high concept, mediocre action flick. I didn't leave the theater questioning dreams or reality, or feeling like I just went to an interesting place. I didn't feel as though I needed to see it again to deconstruct it, like so many other people have said they want to do. To be honest, I was just kind of happy it was over.

There were all those really good actors, and they had NOTHING to do. They spent the entire film basically being tour guides for the audience, as all their lines were used to try and explain this world that Nolan created. A world which I found to be extremely boring. He tried to hide the fact that the story and characters were so thin by using all this dream/subconscious talk, but he did not pull it off.

There was no emotional core to the film. I guess there was supposed to be one, but I thought it felt extremely flat and lifeless. I cared nothing for any of the characters on the screen. Dreams are supposed to be personal and emotional. All I saw was slow motion explosions and mid air gunfights.

This was a good idea that was poorly executed. I guess there are worse ways you can spend your 10 bucks at the movie theater, but for all the love and hype this movie is getting, I was very disappointed. Am I crazy? Can someone please tell me what I'm missing?

[SpiderBaby]

Well there are big rumors going around today that JGL will be the Riddler in the next Batman film. So yeah to that atleast.

[rkish]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

But, don't you think you could've saved that trip to the store by calling ahead first... like I did? Just saying...

CC

LOL...I DID!!! But unfortunately, when I initially placed the preorder at the B & N store, the dude placed the order for the DVD of Black Narcissus instead. I noticed this on the printout that he gave me (after I got home) and I called him and asked to have the order changed to BD.

He DID do this...but forgot to CANCEL the DVD order. When the store called me, it was for the DVD order and not the BD order.

Be that as it may...I got my Black Narcissus BD today!

[Juiceboxjerry]

Originally Posted by CassavetesGodard

Well there are big rumors going around today that JGL will be the Riddler in the next Batman film. So yeah to that atleast.

I'd prefer Tom Hardy. If not as the riddler, in some sort of villainous role. He was easily the best and most interesting actor in Inception. And he was amazing in Bronson.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by CassavetesGodard

Well there are big rumors going around today that JGL will be the Riddler in the next Batman film. So yeah to that atleast.

Sorry but who exactly is "JGL"?

[One4Deuce]

Originally Posted by painted_klown

That's cool. I was looking at used LD players on e-bay. Seems like they are a dime a dozen. Also, the Criterion LD releases really weren't as bad as some of the DVD oop titles for pricing.

Collecting the LD collection could be fun, and a lot less costly. LOL!!!

I don't know why, but somewhere inside of me there is a "collector" I actually like tracking down rare, oop titles and scoring them from soemwhere. It's kind of fun in a way. Mostly I have done that with vinyl though...and a couple of DVDs when the format was still new.

Doing a quick search for Criterion laserdiscs on eBay I found that Menace II Society received the Criterion treatment??? I would have loved for Criterion to release it on Blu-ray also!

[rkish]

Hey CG...

I only own Pierrot Le Fou...but I'm trying to see as many Godard films as I can, just so that I can get an idea of what is out there.

I've watched all of Pierrot Le Fou and streamed Breatless last night. There are 3 or more of his films that I can stream...the only one that you can't stream on NetFlix is Vivre Sa Vie. I just got my rental copy today and will watch tonight.

Which of his films is your favorite and which one do you think is the most easily watchable for the novice...just curious...thanks!

[rkish]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Sorry but who exactly is "JGL"?

Joseph Gordon Levitt

You might remember him from "Third Rock From The Sun".

[painted_klown]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Sorry but who exactly is "JGL"?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He is known most for playing on the TV show 3rd rock from the sun. He was also in Inception.

[neo78956]

Finally bought A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket on BD today on sale at Best Buy. It's a shame there aren't more Kubrick titles in the Criterion Collection but needless to say I will be getting Paths of Glory on BD come October. Too bad Criterion lost the rights to Spartacus.

[QuasidodoJr]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Sorry but who exactly is "JGL"?

He's one of the Green Lanterns. The "J" stands for John. As in John Stewart.





Anyway, I went to B&N to pick up Black Narcissus, because according to the website, they had it in stock, and they were out of The Red Shoes. When I get there, they don't have any copies of Black Narcissus, but have 2 copies of The Red Shoes. So, I ended up leaving with The Red Shoes and Hunger, and put in an online order for Black Narcissus and the AK 100 Kurosawa DVD box.

Black Narcissus is expected to arrive Saturday, and the Kurosawa box is expected to arrive on Monday. I'm incredibly awaiting both. Especially the 4 films in the box that aren't available anywhere else. I'll probably watch those first.

[BasicGreatGuy]

I ordered a new copy of "Pygmalion" from a seller on Amazon ( good rating) last week and received my package today. What they sent me, was a new Korean copy of the movie, even though the listing said Criterion Collection. I am not happy. I hope they rectify the situation, seeing how I will have to buy again from someone else. I hate it when something like this happens. Grrr.

[Arkadin]

yeah I usually resort to emailing sellers first to verify that the item they are selling is the one shown when it is something I think might be iffy.
although usually I am inquiring about music cds, not movies.
it's a pain, but better than the alternative.
I have caught roughly 3 listings where the seller didn't have what he had listed.
you can imagine how glad I was that I sent those emails.
I think I have only ordered one movie ever that ended up being the wrong version.
beyond frustrating for sure.

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by neo78956

Finally bought A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket on BD today on sale at Best Buy. It's a shame there aren't more Kubrick titles in the Criterion Collection but needless to say I will be getting Paths of Glory on BD come October. Too bad Criterion lost the rights to Spartacus.

Well, if Killer's Kiss and The Killing are released by Criterion, I'm already very happy. Needless to say, I'd prefer that they release Spartacus too, but that's probably not going to happen. Hopefully Universal will do the right thing and re-release it as soon as possible with an excellent master.

[neo78956]

Originally Posted by KubrickFan

Well, if Killer's Kiss and The Killing are released by Criterion, I'm already very happy. Needless to say, I'd prefer that they release Spartacus too, but that's probably not going to happen. Hopefully Universal will do the right thing and re-release it as soon as possible with an excellent master.

Yeah Universal's transfer's of Traffic, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, and Spartacus were mediocre at best. I upgraded my copy of Ran because while it's not anywhere near as good of a transfer as it should be, they at least kept the supplements in tact (from what I've seen) and provided a nice but not truly great upgrade to the transfer. But Universal's catalog releases have been so bad it's insane. I have to say WB did a great job on the Kubrick titles, 2001 in particular, but they lack that special attention to everything that Criterion would have given. I can only imagine how amazing a Criterion BD of 2001 would have been.

[mothman]

Originally Posted by BasicGreatGuy

I ordered a new copy of "Pygmalion" from a seller on Amazon ( good rating) last week and received my package today. What they sent me, was a new Korean copy of the movie, even though the listing said Criterion Collection. I am not happy. I hope they rectify the situation, seeing how I will have to buy again from someone else. I hate it when something like this happens. Grrr.

That happened to me too a few months ago but from a seller on eBay. I bought a blu ray Monterey Pop and it ended up being a Korean bootleg DVD. By the way I just bought Yojimbo and Sanjuro separately and I was wandering if the box set has any extras that the separate discs don’t.

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by rkish

Hey CG...

I only own Pierrot Le Fou...but I'm trying to see as many Godard films as I can, just so that I can get an idea of what is out there.

I've watched all of Pierrot Le Fou and streamed Breatless last night. There are 3 or more of his films that I can stream...the only one that you can't stream on NetFlix is Vivre Sa Vie. I just got my rental copy today and will watch tonight.

Which of his films is your favorite and which one do you think is the most easily watchable for the novice...just curious...thanks!

My fav 60's Godard are:

Vivre sa vie
Masculin féminin
Le Petit Soldat
Made in U.S.A
Pierrot le fou
La Chinoise


His "easily" watchable IMO:

Band Of Outsiders
Masculin féminin
Breathless
Vivre sa vie
A Woman Is a Woman
Alphaville (though prob the others first)

[Nick At Now]

my copy of The Leopard arrived for B&N and it is bent to all hell

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by painted_klown

Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He is known most for playing on the TV show 3rd rock from the sun. He was also in Inception.

Seems like he would be a very odd choice for The Riddler. Then again I thought Nolan was crazy when he picked Heath Ledger for The Joker so what do I know... I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for whomever he decides to cast as villain in the next Batman film.