The Criterion Collection

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by soarinsteven

Nothing like popping into this thread, and seeing all this Luis Buñuel talk.

One of all time greats. Belle de Jour, The Exterminating Angel, Viridiana, Diary of a Chambermaid, Simon of the Desert, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie are all some of my very favorites in the Collection. Here's hoping for some upgrades in 2016!

Agreed, it always surprises me how little talk about Bunuel goes on on here, probably because there is only one blu out there in the collection for a director that I think it's fair to say is on the level of Bergman, Fellini, Kurosawa, etc.

The sad part is a lot of his films are already OOP from the collection, but I guess there is still hope for upgrades of Viridiana, Simon of the Desert and The Exterminating Angel.

Criterion really need to add some new stuff from him though, while I would be happy with any upgrade, at least Los Olvidados should be in the collection, I don't think there is any blu-ray out of it, I guess there aren't any great sources unfortunately.

I would also welcome El, Ensayo de un Crimen or Nazarin, while they aren't as popular, they are some of his best from the Mexican period and for me at least Nazarin even rivals Viridiana for the first spot of my favorite Bunuel films.

[darkness2918]

So, what has been everyone's top 3 Criterion blind buys? I only started buying this past summer & have thinned out my collection already to make room for other stuff. Mine are:

The Devil's Backbone
Shallow Grave
Purple Noon

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by darkness2918

So, what has been everyone's top 3 Criterion blind buys? I only started buying this past summer & have thinned out my collection already to make room for other stuff. Mine are:

The Devil's Backbone
Shallow Grave
Purple Noon

Off the top of my head, probably:

Carlos
Che
Two Days, One Night

I'm probably forgetting something though. And those are only BDs. If I dug around in my Criterion DVDs, that would be a different question. For instance, I would have to somehow include:

The Passion of Joan of Arc
Hiroshima mon amour
Pandora's Box
Battle of Algiers

Then there are obviously films that came in box sets (like the Hitchcock box set) that I hadn't seen, but I had seen other films in the set. That would be difficult to figure out.


EDIT: You know, come to think of it, I sort of remember seeing The Passion of Joan of Arc in a film class I was taking at Community College. I can't be 100% sure (heck, it could have been a dream!) but it seems like it did actually happen. So maybe that wasn't a blind buy after all. Hmm.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

If there's one thing in this godforsaken world that this man needs to rectify, it's the fact that he still hasn't watched PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...it's disgraceful.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by darkness2918

So, what has been everyone's top 3 Criterion blind buys? I only started buying this past summer & have thinned out my collection already to make room for other stuff. Mine are:

The Devil's Backbone
Shallow Grave
Purple Noon

Picnic At Hanging Rock
Hiroshima Mon Amour
World on a Wire
Three Colors
Apu Trilogy
Sans Soleil
Seconds

...I thought The Devil's Backbone was just okay.

...a little underwhelmed by it.

[SkyAntoine]

I recently picked up the OOP How to Get Ahead in Advertising and wanted to see if it was worth the eBay price. It wasn't...but it was very entertaining. It felt like a mashup of The Brood, Terry Gilliam in his weirdest mood and American Psycho (without the sex or violence). In other words, it is hard to explain.

I'm glad it is in my collection and it is actually rewatchable if you're in a funny, weird mood. I don't know too much about the film or why it is on Criterion. Anybody seen this?

[tallrichard]

Originally Posted by darkness2918

So, what has been everyone's top 3 Criterion blind buys? I only started buying this past summer & have thinned out my collection already to make room for other stuff. Mine are:

The Devil's Backbone
Shallow Grave
Purple Noon

I haven't done many blind buys with my Criterion stuff....the trouble of being a movie-holic.

A couple by Costas Gavras: The Confession & State of Siege are my only blind buys...and I haven't had a chance to watch either yet though I'm confident I will like them....

[Scottie]

Classic Hitchcock and The Rock Box can now be pre-ordered through Criterion's website. They both have a December 15 release date.

https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/11...ssic-hitchcock

https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/1169-the-rock-box

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Classic Hitchcock and The Rock Box can now be pre-ordered through Criterion's website. They both have a December 15 release date.

https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/11...ssic-hitchcock

https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/1169-the-rock-box

I wish that Criterion would have done this when the first films were originally released. I would have saved a ton of money since I own every single title.

[Polaroid]

Pictures, also they added it as coming soon for 15th Dec but its already available... odd..:

[Scottie]

Polaroid, they were originally released in November as Costco exclusives and I guess demand for them as resulted in Criterion releasing them directly.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

...I thought The Devil's Backbone was just okay.

...a little underwhelmed by it.

Guillermo Del Toro in general, is underwhelming. Can't understand all the praise he gets. Devil's Backbone bored me to death. Was really glad when it ended.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Classic Hitchcock and The Rock Box can now be pre-ordered through Criterion's website. They both have a December 15 release date.

https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/11...ssic-hitchcock

https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/1169-the-rock-box

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

I wish that Criterion would have done this when the first films were originally released. I would have saved a ton of money since I own every single title.

Well, for what it's worth, The Rock Box appears to have only the single-disc Monterey Pop, and doesn't include Jimi Plays Monterey & Shake! Otis at Monterey.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Polaroid, they were originally released in November as Costco exclusives and I guess demand for them as resulted in Criterion releasing them directly.

Ooooh right cool never knew that - seems like a nice idea as I have none of those films and more likely to buy now as they are together, nice they include the original cases and have a slip.

[tisdivine]

Received my last B&N sale box today and noticed Babettes Feast is a digi. Has it ever received a plastic case version? I def prefer plastic but two of the corners are pretty badly bent so its a matter of returning it or trying to get a plastic case & cover from Criterion directly.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by tisdivine

Received my last B&N sale box today and noticed Babettes Feast is a digi. Has it ever received a plastic case version? I def prefer plastic but two of the corners are pretty badly bent so its a matter of returning it or trying to get a plastic case & cover from Criterion directly.

I don't believe Babette's has ever been available with a plastic case.

[Namuhana]

Originally Posted by tisdivine

Received my last B&N sale box today and noticed Babettes Feast is a digi. Has it ever received a plastic case version? I def prefer plastic but two of the corners are pretty badly bent so its a matter of returning it or trying to get a plastic case & cover from Criterion directly.

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I don't believe Babette's has ever been available with a plastic case.

Yup, it's always been a digipak.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I don't believe Babette's has ever been available with a plastic case.

I thought it got downgraded to plastic case >.>

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by darkness2918

So, what has been everyone's top 3 Criterion blind buys? I only started buying this past summer & have thinned out my collection already to make room for other stuff. Mine are:

The Devil's Backbone
Shallow Grave
Purple Noon

I've made so many blind buys and haven't watched all of them yet, but so far my favorites have been:

01. The Lady Vanishes
02. The Wages of Fear
03. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
04. The Vanishing
05. Diabolique
06. The Devil's Backbone
07. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
08. The Thin Blue Line
09. Ride With the Devil
10. Grey Gardens

As you can see, I couldn't pare down my list to just three; I tried, and finally gave up. I find it really interesting that Purple Noon is on your list ... that's one I've really been looking forward to, and have been saving for a dark, cold winter's night when there are no distractions. From everything I've read, it's going to be "my kind" of film.

Just to be contrary, I'm also going to list my three least favorite blind buys, films that for one reason or another simply didn't "click" with me on the first viewing:

01. House
02. Insignificance
03. Kagemusha

Each of those films had outstanding elements, but they just didn't "jell" with me as a whole.

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

Agreed, it always surprises me how little talk about Bunuel goes on on here, probably because there is only one blu out there in the collection for a director that I think it's fair to say is on the level of Bergman, Fellini, Kurosawa, etc.

The sad part is a lot of his films are already OOP from the collection, but I guess there is still hope for upgrades of Viridiana, Simon of the Desert and The Exterminating Angel.

Criterion really need to add some new stuff from him though, while I would be happy with any upgrade, at least Los Olvidados should be in the collection, I don't think there is any blu-ray out of it, I guess there aren't any great sources unfortunately.

I would also welcome El, Ensayo de un Crimen or Nazarin, while they aren't as popular, they are some of his best from the Mexican period and for me at least Nazarin even rivals Viridiana for the first spot of my favorite Bunuel films.

I'm not even sure of most of his Mexican movies have ever been released on DVD. And how come people aren't mentioning Las Hurdes, one of the earliest, if not the earliest, mockumentaries?

Edited to add: I would love to see El in the collection along with Los Olvidados, but I seem to recall a major rights issue regarding his Mexican work,