The Criterion Collection

[Al_The_Strange]

Watching my brand-new copy of Inside Llewyn Davis. The new Criterion edition looks/sounds great and I love the cover. The foldout is pretty neat too - might hang it up at work someday (Lady Snowblood currently ordains my office).

The movie itself always garnered a mixed reaction from me personally. Things I like about this movie: that goofy "Please Mr. Kennedy" song, any scene with the cat, any scene when they're on the road, the majority of performances and camera work, and for some odd reason, the line "where's his scrotum?!" Above all, the themes concerning genuine music vs commercialism and pretentiousness are very intriguing. It seems to me that the whole point is that Llewyn suffer more, so his music is more genuine and heartfelt.

Things I don't like about this movie: Llewyn himself is a bit of a jerk (especially with his outburst over dinner), and everybody else is no better. Lots of awful things happen to him, which demands sympathy, but I find it hard to sympathize with Llewyn at times when he rants and raves. I would have liked his character more if he kept his cool more often. And, I'm not a fan of folk music, so the music scenes dragged for me.

That being said, the songs might be growing on me. Wound up ordering the soundtrack, and the Another Day Another Time album (mostly on account of Jack White). My collection could use more folk. Was ordering The Revenant soundtrack anyway, so I might as well throw something else in the order.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Things I don't like about this movie: Llewyn himself is a bit of a jerk (especially with his outburst over dinner), and everybody else is no better. Lots of awful things happen to him, which demands sympathy, but I find it hard to sympathize with Llewyn at times when he rants and raves. I would have liked his character more if he kept his cool more often. And, I'm not a fan of folk music, so the music scenes dragged for me.

Thes are actually positives for me. Llewyn is a real person and heavily flawed. I found him to be the opposite of what we normally see in films which was refreshing. I didn't need to sympathize with him, but found his journey interesting. I've watched it a few times since acquiring it on blu. Great film.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

Thes are actually positives for me. Llewyn is a real person and heavily flawed. I found him to be the opposite of what we normally see in films which was refreshing. I didn't need to sympathize with him, but found his journey interesting. I've watched it a few times since acquiring it on blu. Great film.

I suppose that's true, especially after reading the essay in the foldout which stipulates that all the Coen Bros movies show the antithesis of what a traditional hero figure is.

It is an interesting journey. A little frustrating at times, but also a little funny, just like life itself.

[ThatOneGuy]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

Thes are actually positives for me. Llewyn is a real person and heavily flawed.

Movies that feature characters like this tend to end up being my favorite movies. I also like when films make villains relatable. When films can make characters feel real in other words.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Vidya

For those of you who have had to replace bronzed discs: do the properly manufactured discs have "second printing" on their labels?

They won't. Criterion only uses the "Second Printing" designation on the label if there's a change in the master. Since the replacement discs use the same master, and are simply new pressings, there's no "Second Printing" designation.

[Scottie]

My favorite part about Inside Llewyn Davis is one of the final scenes in the bar where

[Show spoiler]a young Bob Dylan takes the stage, highlighting that Llewyn will always be a day late and a dollar short.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I have to admit feeling a bit self conscious about some of the movies I watch at my age.

I just turned 40.

I was watching Shogun Assassin last night and I caught myself thinking, "Am I too old for this?"

...same thing with 80s slasher flicks.

I don't react that way at all. I wouldn't wonder if I was too old for something (I'm 62), I'd only ask myself if it's something I still enjoy.

If I can still watch and enjoy classic Disney animation, then I'm not too old for anything.

[jw007]

I agree with both jayembee and also with Ray Jackson on the morality behind collecting movies.

I've become more refined as I've gotten older and really strive for minimalism in everything I do.

That includes buying movies as well.

However, like jayembee said in that very popular post a few pages back, there is a certain wonder and pleasure derived from having access to a world of treasures such as great cinematic films.

At the same time, Ray Jackson's belief in only owning movies that we love and can learn and be inspired from more than others is also commendable.

I see myself going both ways often.

I wonder to myself, do I really need or want to own this movie?

I also wonder to myself, why should I be a slave to Netflix or a digital streaming service? (alluding to theater_dreamer's stance).

Here's an opportunity to be endlessly searching and discovering new and old movies as well as revisiting those that we've already seen. 20% of my film collection I still have not watched. And whatever I have watched I know I can watch again anytime I want. I have the reassurance that I won't lose any of my movies (unless a tornado hits me, thieves destroy or steal my movie collection or the house burns down). I can sleep soundly at night knowing I have physical hard copies and not worrying about having a hard drive full of digital movies that may suddenly be erased or reformatted or lost if an E.M.P. is detonated overhead by a foreign country. I can live day to day always looking forward to finally getting around to watching my still-sealed Quentin Tarantino blu-rays that I planned on watching 5 years ago (but grew out of my Tarantino phase). And so forth.

I don't buy or collect movies to prove how cool I am.

I don't buy or collect movies to compete with friends.

I buy or collect movies, because I love movies!

[dsman71]

Anyone have Gilda and notice an audio glitch at the 1:06 mark, between 1:06 and 1:07 there was drop in audio..
Hopefully Im not the only one who caught this.

I just caught another at 1:23 I believe...

[ThatOneGuy]

Originally Posted by jw007

I buy or collect movies, because I love movies!

I would hope that is why everyone collects movies... I would slap the person who says they spend money on collecting something they do not actually love.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

"It's a moral imperative."

Man, I wish that movie would come out on Blu-ray.

You and me both!

I've had a number of films not yet released on Blu occupying my DVR space. In the last two months, that number has decreased, so I am hopeful. Eight Men Out, Heartbreakers got Olive Films issues. Now I'd love for The Lion in Winter, A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, Cimarron, The Thin Man, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, The Magnificent Ambersons and more recent selections like Real Genius and The Saint to get some love.

[ThatOneGuy]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

You and me both!

I've had a number of films not yet released on Blu occupying my DVR space. In the last two months, that number has decreased, so I am hopeful. Eight Men Out, Heartbreakers got Olive Films issues. Now I'd love for The Lion in Winter, A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, Cimarron, The Thin Man, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, The Magnificent Ambersons and more recent selections like Real Genius and The Saint to get some love.

You got all pretty good films in your waiting list while I'm just sitting here like "I'm waiting for Little Nicky and Joe's Apartment to release on Blu-Ray... I'm going to die before this happens..."

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by dsman71

Anyone have Gilda and notice an audio glitch at the 1:06 mark, between 1:06 and 1:07 there was drop in audio..
Hopefully Im not the only one who caught this.

I just caught another at 1:23 I believe...

I can check tomorrow, but I definitely don't recall any drops in audio quality. Then again, I wasn't going out of my way to find any.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by dsman71

Anyone have Gilda and notice an audio glitch at the 1:06 mark, between 1:06 and 1:07 there was drop in audio..
Hopefully Im not the only one who caught this.

I just caught another at 1:23 I believe...

Actually, hopefully you are the only one and it's a problem with your disc not the entire run! :O

[WonderWeasel]

I just got home from the Lady Snowblood screening, and that restoration looks and sounds absolutely pristine in a theater. Color, which (obviously) plays such an important part in the film, is vivid and it shows no signs of fading from age. One of the most interesting things I noticed was that skin tones were rendered perfectly, yet much of the film's color temperature is slightly cool, with a very light blue hue that adds to the winter setting. It made me think of an old rumor among film photographers that Japanese film stock tended towards a blue color temperature to correctly render skin tone, and American film towards red/yellow.

As for the film itself, it's a lot of bloody fun. I think I can sum it up in ten words (or less):

Brutal revenge, arterial spray against backdrop of Meiji-era westernization.

I also started The Apu Trilogy last night, and quickly realized Satyajit Ray is a great manipulator of feelings. I appreciate the warnings about the emotional maelstrom I was in for. It goes on for a while disguised as a sweet coming-of-age tale, and then the final third is nothing but haymakers to the gut. Just when you think it's done, he throws in the final shot on the wagon. What an a*****e. He leads me on to believe Sarbojaya

[Show spoiler]is a *****, only to reveal she is actually a physically and emotionally overextended mother making up for a (mostly) absentee father.

I'm looking forward to Aparajito, but I'm glad I took a break before attempting to undertake that one. I might be typing a suicide note now instead if I hadn't.

In all seriousness, by the time I'm done with the entire trilogy, it might turn out to be my favorite Criterion blind buy of all-time. You guys didn't oversell it AT ALL. The acting (particularly Karuna Bannerjee as Sarbojaya), the pacing (reminded a lot of, not surprisingly, The River), and photography were all expertly done. It's hard to believe this was the first film for Ray and his cinematographer, Subrata Mitra. The scene where Apu is chasing Durga through the tallgrass meadow is some of the most beautiful black and white photography I've ever seen in a film.

[Reddington]

For those interested in the films of Douglas Sirk, a Warner Archive review from Cinema Retro. Although perhaps not destined for a BD upgrade from Criterion:

http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php...D-RELEASE.html

[Firecrackker]

Anyone here own both the regular and Criterion version of Inside Llewyn Davis, and can say if it's worth the double-dip? It's one of my favorite movies but I'm just curious about how much of an improvement it actually is.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by Firecrackker

Anyone here own both the regular and Criterion version of Inside Llewyn Davis, and can say if it's worth the double-dip? It's one of my favorite movies but I'm just curious about how much of an improvement it actually is.

I think the improvement is the suppliments.

[Sifox211]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I used to collect and hold on to films for the sake of it, but I've slowly but surely been making my way to this end goal of personal favorite films... .once you know the outcome, the waiting game becomes less intriguing.

I don't know if it's just me, but a few months after reading a book or watching a film I can usually remember nothing about it, nor the characters' names. So every watch is like seeing it anew!

Originally Posted by Namuhana

I watched two 40s films today: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and Sullivan's Travels. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is fantastic, sophisticated, and nuanced, and I'm hoping to get the Blu-ray for my birthday next month. I had a problem with Sullivan's Travels, though. The first half was fun and engaging, but then there was a wide swing in tone about two-thirds of the way into it and it just didn't work for me. I understand that there was to be some sort of suffering, but it was a bit too drastic for me. Did anyone else get a similar feeling? Am I missing something?

That's what I got from Sullivan's too - while I don't mind a change in tone, this seemed a bit too much.

Originally Posted by jayembee

The point isn't whether you can re-watch 1000+ titles more than once. It's that if the mood strikes you to watch any given film, it's right there on the shelf.... That's my attitude. I have a large book collection myself, and a large movie collection. I haven't read all the books I have, nor watched all the movies I have. Many of them not even once, let alone more than once. Maybe I'll get to them, or get to them again, before I die; maybe I won't. But the fact that they're there waiting for me pleases me.

Amen to that!

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

Thes are actually positives for me. Llewyn is a real person and heavily flawed. I found him to be the opposite of what we normally see in films which was refreshing. I didn't need to sympathize with him, but found his journey interesting. I've watched it a few times since acquiring it on blu. Great film.

Good post

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Yeah I hear you.

My brain just seems to be wired a certain way.

I love listening to Reggae music in the summertime.

...but I never listen to it in the winter when it's cold and gray.

For me it's more based on my mood, the weather doesn't matter much in my selections.

If you are feeling upbeat and have a sunny disposition why don't you listen to something that fits your mood?