The Criterion Collection

[SkyAntoine]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Force awakens felt too spoon fed and a tad rushed which was what ruined it for me really

Get the AK 100 set ! Damn if they re released it on blu that would be amazing lol

I picked up AK 100 on eBay for $400 a couple of months ago. I've seen several listed for the $400-450 range lately. IMO worth every penny. Especially when you see single OOP titles go north of $100.

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by SkyAntoine

With UK-UL game on Saturday and post-Christmas toy picking up yesterday, I only got to watch one movie yesterday. I had watched 1/2 of The Seventh Seal several months back and for some reason never finished. I was very into it last night and the movie stopped with 10 minutes to go. I tried it on multiple BR players and it won't play past 1:23:20.

Will Criterion replace a disc if I contact Mulvaney? This is the first time I have had a disc that won't play.

Yes they are very good, from my experience, at replacing defective discs, broken cases, etc.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I can't believe that there has been all this Godard talk without any input from our resident expert Adamhopelies. He must be busy with the holidays!

I thought the exact same thing haha.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jw007

I actually preferred Pierrot le Fou over Weekend, despite once having written my senior thesis in Advanced Film Seminar on Weekend.

If I could find this essay somewhere, does anyone want to read it?

(bwdowiak, yes, I'm talking to you)

sure.. absolutely, I'd read it. PM me if you can find it.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I can't believe that there has been all this Godard talk without any input from our resident expert Adamhopelies. He must be busy with the holidays!

Originally Posted by iScottie

I thought the exact same thing haha.

as did I. I'm sure he just hasn't been on the site recently.

[SkyAntoine]

Watched A Room With a View as Criterion Close-up will be covering it next week on the podcast.

I found this film extremely hard to keep my interest. I got a kick out of Daniel Day-Lewis' character and Marla from Fight Club, but this is one period piece that just did not connect with me. The love story has been done about 10,000x before and I'm sure I would never stay awake to read the original book. The story, setting, and dialogue is what it is. Not sure any particular part could have been tweaked to really make me like or dislike it anymore and I wouldn't knock anyone that does like it. Pretty weak 6/10 for me.

Or, maybe it is because we don't take kindly to prissy, fancy type folk here in Kentucky...

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by SkyAntoine

Watched A Room With a View as Criterion Close-up will be covering it next week on the podcast.

I found this film extremely hard to keep my interest.

have you watched any other Ivory film and what was your opinion about it?
Also, are you into this genre? (the romantic period genre)

[Ray Jackson]

The Music Room is good...it's very good.

But I prefer The Big City.

The one thing The Music Room has is some incredible music.

...very few things in life are more hypnotic than the sitar.

Now I just have to decide whether to pick up Charulata now, or wait until July?

[diskspinner]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

The Music Room is good...it's very good.

But I prefer The Big City.

The one thing The Music Room has is some incredible music.

...very few things in life are more hypnotic than the sitar.

Now I just have to decide whether to pick up Charulata now, or wait until July?

I will just say that in Bengal, Charulata gets the highest votes for being The Best Satyajit Ray film...Satyajit Ray was pretty sure, Charulata is the best film he made.

But that does not mean you cannot wait till July...You can, Ray, you can...

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

I will just say that in Bengal, Charulata gets the highest votes for being The Best Satyajit Ray film...Satyajit Ray was pretty sure, Charulata is the best film he made.

But that does not mean you cannot wait till July...You can, Ray, you can...

That's interesting.

...how do you know that?

[SkyAntoine]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

have you watched any other Ivory film and what was your opinion about it?
Also, are you into this genre? (the romantic period genre)

This is the first Merchant Ivory title I've watched to my knowledge. I have not watched Howard's End on Criterion, yet.

I'm not opposed to the genre, but as I looked over some of the lists of the "top romantic period films" I haven't really sought out many to watch. I like historical period dramas, but not necessarily romantic period dramas.

Perhaps I'm more accepting of the setting if there is a war or historical figure to follow. English love in the early 1900's seems really boring to me.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

have you watched any other Ivory film and what was your opinion about it?
Also, are you into this genre? (the romantic period genre)

I've got A Room With a View at home. Haven't seen it yet, nor have I seen any Ivory films. I've also got Twilight Time's Remains of the Day to watch.

I think I'm probably into romantic period pieces. Do you have a top 10 you'd like to share with me (us)?

edit: I saw and liked Atonement recently. was a good pickup for the $5 I paid for it. also bought Scottie's copy of The English Patient for $4. saw it ages ago and really liked it.

[Ray Jackson]

What do y'all think about Army of Shadows?

I've got a guy offering to trade a like new copy for three of my Criterions I'm trying to get rid of on the Criterion trade thread.

I'm a huge fan of Le Samourai, but it's been quite a while since I've seen Army of Shadows. I don't really remember much about it, aside from it being pretty long and somewhat difficult to follow at times.

But I'm intrigued by idea of getting my hands on an OOP Melville Criterion.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

What do y'all think about Army of Shadows?

Army of Shadows is my favorite Criterion Blu-ray.

Here's my gushing User Review...


Jean-Pierre Melville's Army of Shadows is my favorite Blu-ray in my current collection (at least until Le Samouraï is released in the format).
Jean-Pierre Melville's Army of Shadows is one of my all-time top five movies.
Jean-Pierre Melville's Army of Shadows is my all-time favorite war film.

Army of Shadows (L'armée des ombres) packs its hardest visual punch right off the bat, with the first shot of a procession German Nazi troops marching by the Champs-Elysees. The remainder of the film is more subtle in its presentation of small details that give a feel for what it must have been like to have lived in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. If you blink, you may miss the sight of an automobile powered with a gas cylinder or references to food rationing. One memorable dialogue scene depicts a character eating inside a small makeshift wooden room inside his house as a way of alleviating the coldness inside the rest of the house in light of wartime coal and fuel shortages.

Melville's matter-of-fact emotionally-detached portrayal of his French Resistance characters only serves to enforce my impression of this film as one of the most patriotic works of cinema that I have seen. The Resistance is often depicted in roughly the same way that Melville's gangsters are depicted in Le Samouraï and Le Cercle Rouge, with a distinctly fatalist honor-and-dishonor among thieves fashion, and an early scene of the Resistance killing a traitor is bone-chilling. There are no suave heroes in this movie, and the Resistance is shown as a scattered assortment of ordinary-looking citizens from all walks of life, as if they are the plain people that you might seen in an office building or a vehicle license-renewal line any day of the week. This matter-of-fact characterization, though, drives home the point that many of the real heroes during World War II were the ones in the shadows, whether one is a barber who aids an escaping prisoner, a middle-aged woman who betrays no emotion during an ill-fated mission involving an ambulance pick-up, or a bespectacled civil engineer who can take a man's life in a split second.

The come-as-it-may fatalist mentality of the Resistance "army of shadows" accentuates the true concept of a war of attrition. To borrow an old concept, a large tree is not harmed by one single swing of the axe on a particular day, but the tree will gradually wither and die over time if it is struck by an ax once a day for weeks, months, or years. The idea that an ordinary citizen in the Resistance is willing to sacrifice his or her life at a moment's notice simply to take just one ax swing at a towering force of evil is difficult to imagine, but that relentlessness of attrition warfare gradually shifted the tide to the greater good. The image of four key characters in an automobile with their resigned expressions gives the modern-day viewer a picture of a truly difficult time in our history when freedom itself was not for free. Army of Shadows consists of a series of connected vignette scenes that show us not only the emotionally-draining duties of fighting in the shadows, but also the unsung anonymity of dying in the shadows. Melville himself took part in the Resistance, and his film, much like Paul Greengrass's 2006 movie, United 93, is an ode to the sacrifices of those who revealed their inner steel when chosen by circumstances.

Lino Ventura, a veteran of a great many French gangster films, is at his toughest here, but not without the everyday flaws and fears of a normal person who may decide to run from a firing squad instead of standing his ground. Simone Signoret may be removed from her more glamorous roles of previous films, but her character is nonetheless a beautiful depiction of strength and resourcefulness.

On Blu-ray, Melville's Army of Shadows is more clear and convincing in its detached subtlety than ever before. The transfer makes us feel the cobblestones of drab wartime streets, the cold dawn grass of rural prison camp, and the unmemorable corridors of hideout houses in anonymous gray provinces.

A helpful Blu-ray commentary sheds light on many of the small details of Army of Shadows that modern-day viewers might miss. Although I am a lifelong resident of the southeastern United States who grew up around backyard barbecues, football games, and church dinners without traveling far from home, I felt a kinship with the French Resistance history by way of explanations of previously-unrecognized details unveiled by this commentary.

Army of Shadows is a superb package on Blu-ray, and it has my highest recommendation.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

I will just say that in Bengal, Charulata gets the highest votes for being The Best Satyajit Ray film...Satyajit Ray was pretty sure, Charulata is the best film he made.

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

That's interesting.

...how do you know that?

Ray is quoted as having said that Charulata is the film with the fewest flaws in his repertoire. Which does not necessarily make it the best or most interesting.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by SkyAntoine

This is the first Merchant Ivory title I've watched to my knowledge. I have not watched Howard's End on Criterion, yet.

I'm not opposed to the genre, but as I looked over some of the lists of the "top romantic period films" I haven't really sought out many to watch. I like historical period dramas, but not necessarily romantic period dramas.

Perhaps I'm more accepting of the setting if there is a war or historical figure to follow. English love in the early 1900's seems really boring to me.

Hmmm.. Maybe that's why you didn't like it.
Of the 4 Ivory films I love (this, Remains of the Day, Howards End, Maurice), Room with a View is my least favourite, but still I think it's a great movie.
Though I didn't think so when I first saw it in my teens.

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I think I'm probably into romantic period pieces. Do you have a top 10 you'd like to share with me (us)?

This genre is I think in my top 3 favourite genres.
It's a bit difficult to define what films are romantic period for me, because usually I have connected the genre with late 19th-early 20th century. And there are films too where the genres are mixed, eg. I wouldn't call Titanic a strictly romantic period film because it's action and adventure too.
Anyway, just really quickly here's a top 10 (in random order, but I think the first I wrote is my all time favourite):

The Age of Innocence
The Remains of the Day
Maurice (does it count if it's gay romance?)
Room with A view
The Piano
Sense & Sensibility
Indochine
The English Patient
Mayerling (1968)
Dangerous Liaisons

Most are 80s & 90s films.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

What do y'all think about Army of Shadows?

I've got a guy offering to trade a like new copy for three of my Criterions I'm trying to get rid of on the Criterion trade thread.

I find the color scheme on the Studio Canal blu-ray more convincing but this sounds like a nice deal.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Army of Shadows is my favorite Criterion Blu-ray.

Here's my gushing User Review...


Jean-Pierre Melville's Army of Shadows is my favorite Blu-ray in my current collection (at least until Le Samouraï is released in the format).
Jean-Pierre Melville's Army of Shadows is one of my all-time top five movies.
Jean-Pierre Melville's Army of Shadows is my all-time favorite war film.

Army of Shadows (L'armée des ombres) packs its hardest visual punch right off the bat, with the first shot of a procession German Nazi troops marching by the Champs-Elysees. The remainder of the film is more subtle in its presentation of small details that give a feel for what it must have been like to have lived in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. If you blink, you may miss the sight of an automobile powered with a gas cylinder or references to food rationing. One memorable dialogue scene depicts a character eating inside a small makeshift wooden room inside his house as a way of alleviating the coldness inside the rest of the house in light of wartime coal and fuel shortages.

Melville's matter-of-fact emotionally-detached portrayal of his French Resistance characters only serves to enforce my impression of this film as one of the most patriotic works of cinema that I have seen. The Resistance is often depicted in roughly the same way that Melville's gangsters are depicted in Le Samouraï and Le Cercle Rouge, with a distinctly fatalist honor-and-dishonor among thieves fashion, and an early scene of the Resistance killing a traitor is bone-chilling. There are no suave heroes in this movie, and the Resistance is shown as a scattered assortment of ordinary-looking citizens from all walks of life, as if they are the plain people that you might seen in an office building or a vehicle license-renewal line any day of the week. This matter-of-fact characterization, though, drives home the point that many of the real heroes during World War II were the ones in the shadows, whether one is a barber who aids an escaping prisoner, a middle-aged woman who betrays no emotion during an ill-fated mission involving an ambulance pick-up, or a bespectacled civil engineer who can take a man's life in a split second.

The come-as-it-may fatalist mentality of the Resistance "army of shadows" accentuates the true concept of a war of attrition. To borrow an old concept, a large tree is not harmed by one single swing of the axe on a particular day, but the tree will gradually wither and die over time if it is struck by an ax once a day for weeks, months, or years. The idea that an ordinary citizen in the Resistance is willing to sacrifice his or her life at a moment's notice simply to take just one ax swing at a towering force of evil is difficult to imagine, but that relentlessness of attrition warfare gradually shifted the tide to the greater good. The image of four key characters in an automobile with their resigned expressions gives the modern-day viewer a picture of a truly difficult time in our history when freedom itself was not for free. Army of Shadows consists of a series of connected vignette scenes that show us not only the emotionally-draining duties of fighting in the shadows, but also the unsung anonymity of dying in the shadows. Melville himself took part in the Resistance, and his film, much like Paul Greengrass's 2006 movie, United 93, is an ode to the sacrifices of those who revealed their inner steel when chosen by circumstances.

Lino Ventura, a veteran of a great many French gangster films, is at his toughest here, but not without the everyday flaws and fears of a normal person who may decide to run from a firing squad instead of standing his ground. Simone Signoret may be removed from her more glamorous roles of previous films, but her character is nonetheless a beautiful depiction of strength and resourcefulness.

On Blu-ray, Melville's Army of Shadows is more clear and convincing in its detached subtlety than ever before. The transfer makes us feel the cobblestones of drab wartime streets, the cold dawn grass of rural prison camp, and the unmemorable corridors of hideout houses in anonymous gray provinces.

A helpful Blu-ray commentary sheds light on many of the small details of Army of Shadows that modern-day viewers might miss. Although I am a lifelong resident of the southeastern United States who grew up around backyard barbecues, football games, and church dinners without traveling far from home, I felt a kinship with the French Resistance history by way of explanations of previously-unrecognized details unveiled by this commentary.

Army of Shadows is a superb package on Blu-ray, and it has my highest recommendation.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

What do y'all think about Army of Shadows?

I've got a guy offering to trade a like new copy for three of my Criterions I'm trying to get rid of on the Criterion trade thread.

I'm a huge fan of Le Samourai, but it's been quite a while since I've seen Army of Shadows. I don't really remember much about it, aside from it being pretty long and somewhat difficult to follow at times.

But I'm intrigued by idea of getting my hands on an OOP Melville Criterion.

Army of Shadows is also one of my favorite Criterion titles (probably top 3.) I doubt that you'll have a hard time following it during a second watch as my wife was able to follow it.

I don't think I'd trade 3 titles. I'd trade 2 though. It goes for about $30 to $40 brand new on eBay. I got mine for like $33, but that was a year and a half ago.. maybe longer.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Army of Shadows is also one of my favorite Criterion titles (probably top 3.) I doubt that you'll have a hard time following it during a second watch as my wife was able to follow it.

I don't think I'd trade 3 titles. I'd trade 2 though. It goes for about $30 to $40 brand new on eBay. I got mine for like $33, but that was a year and a half ago.. maybe longer.

Cheapest price I see it for on ebay is $50 sealed.

...about $42 like new on Amazon.

To ship three Criterions would probably be around $10, at least.