The Criterion Collection

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jw007

Twice...nice.

Can you recall which 2 films you were thoroughly riveted by that kept you glued to your tv screen for the entire duration of the film?

It wasn’t a matter of being riveted although that helps. It happened last night and the film was A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and the other was Written on the Wind.

Films like Diary of a Country Priest or Godard’s Weekend are near impossible to comprehend without revisiting scenes or key pieces of dialogue. For better or worse, I’ve also learned much of what I know about history through watching films La Grande Illusion, Army of Shadows, Munich, Carlos, etc. I’d rather pause for a second and quickly google ‘Phillipe Petain,’ for example, if that name happens to be mentioned a lot in a film I am watching.

One can always just watch a film in its entirety again, but unfortunately I don’t always have the time to do that. …and then I have a wife for whom I don’t mind pausing the movie in order to take the time to explain to her why Israelis and Palestinians are fighting in the first place or who/what Vichy France is.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

and the other was Written on the Wind.

Another one I'm so anxious for a Bluray upgrade!

[SkyAntoine]

Received Honeymoon Killers today from Amazon. Anxious to watch this one for the first time.
Don't want to start the insert debate again, but this one is pretty thin. Whether I read them or not I like seeing beefier booklets from Criterion.

[pro-bassoonist]

Mulholland Drive Blu-ray REVIEW



Fantastic Blu-ray release. The film looks indescribably beautiful and lush now. (This isn't an exaggeration -- the improvements in the area of color grading are that impressive).

The supplemental features are excellent as well. Very, very informative, and one of them is incredibly moving. (See the final twenty or so seconds from the interview with David Lynch and Naomi Watts).

The fans of the film wanted a special release and they got one.

Pro-B

[CriterionBlues]

Pro-B,

Are you going to be reviewing Kwaidan?

Edit: removed the Beaver part. You guys let nothing slide.

[pro-bassoonist]

Hi C,

Yes, of course. I will be viewing the disc tonight and will be posting our review tomorrow night.

[KCota15]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Mulholland Drive Blu-ray REVIEW



Fantastic Blu-ray release. The film looks indescribably beautiful and lush now. (This isn't an exaggeration -- the improvements in the area of color grading are that impressive).

The supplemental features are excellent as well. Very, very informative, and one of them is incredibly moving. (See the final twenty or so seconds from the interview with David Lynch and Naomi Watts).

The fans of the film wanted a special release and they got one.

Pro-B

How's the packaging? Similar to Eraserhead?

[Namuhana]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Hi C,

Yes, of course. I will be viewing the disc tonight and will be posting our review tomorrow night.

Pro-B, will we be seeing a review for A Room with a View relatively soon? I already have the release but I was hoping to read your thoughts before diving in.

[CriterionBlues]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Hi C,

Yes, of course. I will be viewing the disc tonight and will be posting our review tomorrow night.

Great!

Hopefully you won't be disappointed. I am particularly interested in the longer cut, and curious how the Hoichi the Earless looks with the 2k resto. It looks pretty amazing even on the DVD.

[kuro_sawa]

Awesome review, Pro-B. I'm insanely jealous of you right now!

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I'd say that I watch from start to finish around 50% of the time.

…and I’d say that I’ve watched a movie from start to finish without bathroom breaks, undesired interruptions or the need or desire to hear a line of dialogue again before moving on twice in the last 3 years. Yes.. twice.

Yep! Last night I watched A Lonely Place to Die, and about 15 minutes into the movie, I realized some of the Scottish brogue and slang was unintelligible to my ears. I didn't want or need to watch the entire beginning of the film again, just everything from the point at which the Scot appeared (which was either Chapter Two or Three). So I stopped the film, turned on the English subtitles, then selected the proper Chapter and carried on.

Chapter Stops come in very handy for those of us who are "accent-challenged" and/or raising a ten-month-old Black Lab who needs to go outside now.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by CriterionBlues

Pro-B,

Are you going to be reviewing Kwaidan? I saw that it got low marks from Beaver.

Not sure where you're seeing that. They rave about it.

"This is cited as being a 'new 2K digital restoration of director Masaki Kobayashi’s original cut'. It is in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio and looks stunning in-motion. I can appreciate that it maintains the film's natural thickness and colors are all richer and deeper via the 1080P. There are so many color shifts and filters used in the film we must presume that this Blu-ray is the accurate representation. It looks exceptional at times... justice for such a beautiful film!"

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by jmclick

Yep! Last night I watched A Lonely Place to Die, and about 15 minutes into the movie, I realized some of the Scottish brogue and slang was unintelligible to my ears. I didn't want or need to watch the entire beginning of the film again, just everything from the point at which the Scot appeared (which was either Chapter Two or Three). So I stopped the film, turned on the English subtitles, then selected the proper Chapter and carried on.

Chapter Stops come in very handy for those of us who are "accent-challenged" and/or raising a ten-month-old Black Lab who needs to go outside now.

... Or an infant who needs to eat now

[ShellOilJunior]

Looks like the blu-ray of the year field is going to be very competitive this year.

Can't wait to see the review of Apu in a couple weeks or so.

[CriterionBlues]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

Not sure where you're seeing that. They rave about it.

"This is cited as being a 'new 2K digital restoration of director Masaki Kobayashi’s original cut'. It is in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio and looks stunning in-motion. I can appreciate that it maintains the film's natural thickness and colors are all richer and deeper via the 1080P. There are so many color shifts and filters used in the film we must presume that this Blu-ray is the accurate representation. It looks exceptional at times... justice for such a beautiful film!"

You are right. I was accidentally reading the old DVD review. My bad. I would call that a rave.

[Bob Kramer]

Originally Posted by CriterionBlues

Pro-B,

Are you going to be reviewing Kwaidan? I saw that it got low marks from Beaver.

Sarcasm? All I see is a glowing review (not that Tooze is to be trusted).

[CriterionBlues]

Originally Posted by Bob Kramer

Sarcasm? All I see is a glowing review (not that Tooze is to be trusted).

See above post. My bad. I skimmed if quickly while at work and accidentally read the DVD review.

And cheers to you guys for keeping me on my game. You don't let anything slide.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jmclick

Yep! Last night I watched A Lonely Place to Die, and about 15 minutes into the movie, I realized some of the Scottish brogue and slang was unintelligible to my ears. I didn't want or need to watch the entire beginning of the film again, just everything from the point at which the Scot appeared (which was either Chapter Two or Three). So I stopped the film, turned on the English subtitles, then selected the proper Chapter and carried on..

A Lonely Place to Die was such a great film until it cheesed out in the final half hour. I don't think that I've ever been that riveted by the first hour of a film only to be brought back down to Earth so hard by the conclusion.

Melissa George should be in the Criterion Collection somehow. She's pretty great.

[Bob Kramer]

Originally Posted by Ray_Rogers

IMO I consider Tooze to be unreliable for screenshots since he still uses the antiquated "stacking" method instead of the pick-and-choose the release and roll-over cursor method.
His site is only good for BDInfo, comparisons of the special features, and not much else.

Also, for a good many years he only seemed to pay attention to and post caps with copious amounts of nudity (true to the site's name, hah) so obviously his attention is easily diverted.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

A Lonely Place to Die was such a great film until it cheesed out in the final half hour. I don't think that I've ever been that riveted by the first hour of a film only to be brought back down to Earth so hard by the conclusion.

Melissa George should be in the Criterion Collection somehow. She's pretty great.

I couldn't agree more. I think the movie ran off the rails

[Show spoiler]once they left the wilderness and arrived in the city,

about an hour into the running time. Up to that point, the script was taut and the cinematography was absolutely phenomenal, literally breathtaking.

You're right about Melissa George, too. I remembered her from 30 Days of Night. And your wish about her appearing in the Criterion Collection? Well, it's about to come true! Apparently she has a tiny part in Mulholland Drive! I don't remember her in it, but her character's name is Camilla Rhodes ...? I've only seen the film once. It will be fun to watch for her.