The Criterion Collection

[CriterionBlues]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

That part you speak of is pretty devastating.

...I haven't been that upset by a movie since Goose died.

Ray, we may not have Top Gun in common, but we at least have The World of Apu.

It is my favorite of the series. I won't go into spoilers, and will just say that it's bittersweet and I think it is the most fitting ending to the trilogy. I'm not the type to cry in movies, and this one got me pretty close.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Harakiri is also one of the best blind-buys I made.

Throne of Blood is great, might be my favorite adaption of MacBeth to date.

I picked up both Harakiri and Throne of Blood when Amazon had them on sale for $16.99. I'm going to watch both when Harakiri comes in.

In the mean time, quite happily, I finally got a DigiPack copy of Tokyo Story today. Best Buy put the coup de grâce on my back order this morning, and Amazon said it could be up to two more months before they get any more in, meaning that there was a good chance their next shipment would be the new split edition, which I have to assume will be in a Scanavo case. I ended up paying an extra $10 for it, but it's absolutely pristine. I am really starting to like the Movie Trading Company. Between their excellent Criterion selection, and their killer classic Hollywood and foreign film section, I spent about an hour in there looking around. I also picked up the DigiBook of King Kong with Fay Wray. That fills a want, and clears off some space on my DVR. Win win!

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by CriterionBlues

Ray, we may not have Top Gun in common, but we at least have The World of Apu.

It is my favorite of the series. I won't go into spoilers, and will just say that it's bittersweet and I think it is the most fitting ending to the trilogy. I'm not the type to cry in movies, and this one got me pretty close.

I know we're supposed to view the ending of the trilogy as uplifting and hopeful.

But I was still pretty bummed out.

...an emotional, exhausting roller coaster of a movie trilogy if there ever was one.

[CriterionBlues]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

...an emotional, exhausting roller coaster of a movie trilogy if there ever was one.

No doubt, but a story impeccably told and there were some touching moments. I just love this trilogy so much.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by CriterionBlues

No doubt, but a story impeccably told and there were some touching moments. I just love this trilogy so much.

One of the best, if not THE BEST, blind buys I've ever made.

Set me on the path to this majestic Satyajit Ray journey of discovery that I'm currently in the midst of.

Next up...Charulata.

[theater dreamer]

The Apu Trilogy is high on my want list. I'd like to get it during Criterion's February flash sale, but I'm thinking it makes more sense to hold off and get it in July when B&N does their sale. Apu, 3 Films By Roberto Rossellini Starring Ingrid Bergman, and John Cassavetes Five Films are really going to put a dent on the piggy bank.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

The Apu Trilogy is high on my want list. I'd like to get it during Criterion's February flash sale, but I'm thinking it makes more sense to hold off and get it in July when B&N does their sale. Apu, 3 Films By Roberto Rossellini Starring Ingrid Bergman, and John Cassavetes Five Films are really going to put a dent on the piggy bank.

Yeah those will set you back a tidy sum.

Just be glad you're not me.

I scored Army of Shadows for practically nothing and now I find myself sunk deep into the dark, subterranean world of OOP addiction.

...phone calls from complete strangers in the middle of the night.

...cold sweats.

...delirium tremens.

...Lynchian nightmares.

...threatening letters from American Express.

Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I can't remember who I am.

Sometimes I'm convinced that I'm being followed.

I have a mortgage and the stakes have never been this high before.

I'm not gonna lie to you...I'm scared.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I scored Army of Shadows for practically nothing and now I find myself sunk deep into the dark, subterranean world of OOP addiction.

...phone calls from complete strangers in the middle of the night.

...cold sweats.

...delirium tremens.

...Lynchian nightmares.

...threatening letters from American Express.

I'm not gonna lie to you...I'm scared.

Don't worry about that, it's probably is just this guy:

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Yeah those will set you back a tidy sum.

Just be glad you're not me.

I scored Army of Shadows for practically nothing and now I find myself sunk deep into the dark, subterranean world of OOP addiction.

...phone calls from complete strangers in the middle of the night.

...cold sweats.

...delirium tremens.

...Lynchian nightmares.

...threatening letters from American Express.

Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I can't remember who I am.

Sometimes I'm convinced that I'm being followed.

I have a mortgage and the stakes have never been this high before.

I'm not gonna lie to you...I'm scared.

I decided to buy about nine or ten BLUS of Criterions I already have on DVD, something I always wanted to avoid. I am strictly limiting myself to "new" editions of the discs, though---the ones with new features, new covers, new restorations, etc.

[jshaide]

I realized I don't have the Eisenstein box and the Wajda: Three War Films set.

Would probably like to pick them up at the sale next month, but have there been any rumors or assumptions that upgrades for either one of these could be possible?

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by jshaide

I realized I don't have the Eisenstein box and the Wajda: Three War Films set.

Would probably like to pick them up at the sale next month, but have there been any rumors or assumptions that upgrades for either one of these could be possible?

I have not heard anything, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see some Wajda upgrades. His films have been released throughout Europe.

[Scottie]

I've been going through my collection and reorganizing it in terms of my favorite films and I realized that there are very few films that I'd consider favorites. I like most of the films released and I think a lot of them are great, but the "wow" factor is missing on a lot of them for me.

[WonderWeasel]

Originally Posted by CriterionBlues

Ray, we may not have Top Gun in common, but we at least have The World of Apu.

It is my favorite of the series. I won't go into spoilers, and will just say that it's bittersweet and I think it is the most fitting ending to the trilogy. I'm not the type to cry in movies, and this one got me pretty close.

There has been nothing but praise in this forum for the Apu Trilogy, and all of my friends in my local film group have suggested I remove the cellophane and get crackin'.

I'd like to watch one tonight, but I was curious how everyone who has seen them in here experienced them. Did you watch them back-to-back, or take some time in between for reflection on each one?

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

There has been nothing but praise in this forum for the Apu Trilogy, and all of my friends in my local film group have suggested I remove the cellophane and get crackin'.

I'd like to watch one tonight, but I was curious how everyone who has seen them in here experienced them. Did you watch them back-to-back, or take some time in between for reflection on each one?

I watched Pather Panchali the first night and both Aparajito and The World of Apu the next night.

I didn't really take much time to reflect until after the movies were over.

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

There has been nothing but praise in this forum for the Apu Trilogy, and all of my friends in my local film group have suggested I remove the cellophane and get crackin'.

I'd like to watch one tonight, but I was curious how everyone who has seen them in here experienced them. Did you watch them back-to-back, or take some time in between for reflection on each one?

I watched all three of them back to back and am really glad that I did.
Depressing(ish) but wonderful experience!

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

There has been nothing but praise in this forum for the Apu Trilogy, and all of my friends in my local film group have suggested I remove the cellophane and get crackin'.

I'd like to watch one tonight, but I was curious how everyone who has seen them in here experienced them. Did you watch them back-to-back, or take some time in between for reflection on each one?

I watched one each consecutive day, in my opinion it would be better to space them a bit, one week of reflection should be enough, but who knows maybe it doesn't matter.

[scraptor]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I've been going through my collection and reorganizing it in terms of my favorite films and I realized that there are very few films that I'd consider favorites. I like most of the films released and I think a lot of them are great, but the "wow" factor is missing on a lot of them for me.

This is the reason I became much more selective with my criterion purchases, and ended up selling quite a few.

Many "significant" films aren't terribly rewatchable. And that applies to movies outside the collection; I still can't muster up the strength to watch something like Hotel Rwanda again.

But certain films--like, for me, those by Terrence Malick and Preston Sturges--I can watch over and over. So I hope that more of my favorites end up coming to the collection, even though I understand that it is silly to expect the world to conform to my wishes.

I would love to see all of the Dardennes films on blu, and the Before Trilogy, and maybe a few others. The movie Coherence doesn't have a US blu release and it is such a great flick I feel it'd be perfect for the collection.

[diskspinner]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

I watched one each consecutive day, in my opinion it would be better to space them a bit, one week of reflection should be enough, but who knows maybe it doesn't matter.

I watched those 3 in 3 consecutive weekends...But I have watched all of them before...

[ravenus]

Last night I watched Three Outlaw Samurai by Hideo Gosha.

The opening moments of the film where the first outlaw Samurai, Shiba, walks into the village are almost a parody of the similar scene from Kurosawa's Yojimbo, and even the character's mannerisms and attitude are reminiscent of the gruff but lovable Sanjuro. Shiba comes across a trio of poor farmers who have foolishly abducted the cruel magistrate's daughter to get him to accede to their demands, but have no clue of how to deal with the situation. He takes their side, which brings him into conflict with the magistrate's henchmen, including the second outlaw Samurai Sakura, a skilled ronin who lives comfortably off the magistrate. But almost immediately he gains an ally in the third outlaw Samurai, Kikyo, a portly cheerful man skilled with a lance and sympathetic to the farmers' plight. The bulk of the film is the various cat and mouse games that are played between the poor rebels and the magistrate's army of mercenaries. Strains of Yojimbo/Sanjuro and (to a smaller extent) Seven Samurai can be seen in the screenplay. The characters are generally one-note but entertaining, especially the interaction between them, and the action is exciting. The end-result is a pleasing entertainer I would easily recommend to Samurai movie fans.

Criterion's blu-ray gives a nice presentation of the film - Detail is strong if not superlative, and there are no major damage marks. The mono sound is capably presented. This is a more bare-bones Criterion release (suitably priced) with only a trailer as on-disc extra and a booklet with an essay on the film.

[CriterionBlues]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I have not heard anything, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see some Wajda upgrades. His films have been released throughout Europe.

The Wajda films are all terrific, yet all deep and somewhat difficult. I doubt if we'll see a Blu-grade. Criterion has been reluctant to upgrade many of the DVDs, and I'm thinking they would do something like Bergman, Rohmer, Varda, Rosselini before Wajda or Eisenstein. That's why I've slowly been buying those old DVD sets, but I don't have either of these yet.