The Criterion Collection

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Ok, guys, I'd love some input please. I'm working on narrowing down a list of films I'm going to purchase during the Flash sale. I'll probably buy five, or maybe six this time 'round. I just got The Kid in day before yesterday, so that goes towards my purchases for February. Additionally, I have other, non-Criterion releases I want, as well, so I have to exercise some restraint.

Here's the list as it currently stands.

[Show spoiler]
M
The Complete Jean Vigo
Fanny and Alexander
Odd Man Out
Yi Yi
Autumn Sonata
Late Spring
It Happened One Night
Orpheus
Insomnia
The Red Shoes
Safety Last
Rashomon
The Last Temptation of Christ
Nashville
The Leopard
The Freshman
L'Avventura
The Graduate

My current Criterion library is listed in my signature. Seeing what I have, and my entire collection, if you guys can think of any movies I might enjoy, ones I may have inexplicably overlooked, I'd love some suggestions. I have a pretty open mind, and am always looking to discover new directors, actors, etc.

I am working on the Sight & Sound 2012 Critics poll, the AFI 100 Greatest American Films lists, and the complete Academy Award Best Picture winners list. Eventually, my goal is to have every Best Picture nominee on Blu.

I'm looking at adding City Girl, The Passion of Joan of Arc, La Vie En Rose and The Pianist as imports in the next few weeks. I also have a bunch of movies I want to get from FOX Connect. If you look in my collection here, I have an extensive wish list. This is becoming a very expensive second hobby.

Thanks for any input, guys! I really do appreciate the discussions here each day.

Okay, your turn.

Since I see The 39 Steps on your wishlist, I'd recommend the other Hithcocks as well (The Lady Vanishes, Man Who Knew Too Much, Foreign Correspondent).

Other essentials that I can think of will be Harakiri, Yojimbo, Ikiru, and if you don't mind a box set, the Qatsi trilogy. Others that I think are good and easy watches but not necessarily "essential" (at least not in my book) would be A Night To Remember and The Killing.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Ok, guys, I'd love some input please. I'm working on narrowing down a list of films I'm going to purchase during the Flash sale. I'll probably buy five, or maybe six this time 'round. I just got The Kid in day before yesterday, so that goes towards my purchases for February. Additionally, I have other, non-Criterion releases I want, as well, so I have to exercise some restraint.

Here's the list as it currently stands.

M
The Complete Jean Vigo
Fanny and Alexander
Odd Man Out
Yi Yi
Autumn Sonata
Late Spring
It Happened One Night
Orpheus
Insomnia
The Red Shoes
Safety Last
Rashomon
The Last Temptation of Christ
Nashville
The Leopard
The Freshman
L'Avventura
The Graduate

My current Criterion library is listed in my signature. Seeing what I have, and my entire collection, if you guys can think of any movies I might enjoy, ones I may have inexplicably overlooked, I'd love some suggestions. I have a pretty open mind, and am always looking to discover new directors, actors, etc.

I am working on the Sight & Sound 2012 Critics poll, the AFI 100 Greatest American Films lists, and the complete Academy Award Best Picture winners list. Eventually, my goal is to have every Best Picture nominee on Blu.

I'm looking at adding City Girl, The Passion of Joan of Arc, La Vie En Rose and The Pianist as imports in the next few weeks. I also have a bunch of movies I want to get from FOX Connect. If you look in my collection here, I have an extensive wish list. This is becoming a very expensive second hobby.

Thanks for any input, guys! I really do appreciate the discussions here each day.

Of that list, I'd pick:

M
L'Avventura
Late Spring
Yi Yi

Looking at your collection, I'd also add:

Everlasting Moments
El Norte
Letter Never Sent
Monsieur Verdoux
High and Low

I chose the first three because of your interest in discovery new directors. I chose Verdoux because you like Chaplin and that film is his greatest deviation from his Tramp character. And I chose High and Low because you own several Kurosawa's, not limited to just his samurai films. High and Low shows his range into police procedural.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by John Klein

These are my Criterion so far.



I've been looking at Orpheus, Naked, Mulholland Dr., Macbeth, and F for Fake. Any other films I might probably enjoy?

Quite a few, but your collection is wide-ranging so it's tough to know exactly what you like! By virtue of you owning a few samurai films, I'd recommend Harakiri.

Orpheus is a good film with some excellent effects for the time.

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Here's the list as it currently stands.

M
The Complete Jean Vigo
Fanny and Alexander
Odd Man Out
Yi Yi
Autumn Sonata
Late Spring
It Happened One Night
Orpheus
Insomnia
The Red Shoes
Safety Last
Rashomon
The Last Temptation of Christ
Nashville
The Leopard
The Freshman
L'Avventura
The Graduate

M, The Red Shoes, Late Spring, Safety Last, and Rashomon are my picks for you. Also, if you are region free and looking at imports The Passion of Joan of Arc is AMAZING!

[RickDee]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. But there are people who appreciate the artistry of the DigiPak editions, myself included. Part of the appeal to the Criterion Collection, beyond the great films themselves, is the attention to detail that most other distributors cannot compete with. These DigiPaks are display pieces. Look at On The Waterfront, for example. That release was simply spectacular from an aesthetic point of view.

If you're looking for a scanned cover to put the DigiPak movies in a standard Scanavo case, that's fine. I can understand wanting uniformity in your collection. They're out there. EuphoricFX has most of them, from a quick glance. And as far as the cost is concerned, I'd gladly pay a little more for the enhanced packaging option. I think more options, within reason, is always a benefit for the consumer.

I know there are some covers out there for a lot of the films, many of which came from my scanner for the cover artist coverting them. Maybe the solution is a digi packaging at first and then eventually moving them to scanavo cases later on.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

Definitely get The Red Shoes. The Ballet sequences are a visual marvel. And you can't go wrong with anything by Bergman and Kurosawa. Fritz Lang's M is a classic IMO.

I'm very high on The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus, both. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, as a duo, fascinate me to no end. I'll probably get The Red Shoes now, and Mis a definite. If there's one film I am 100% certain will be in that order, that's it. I'm having this recurring dream of a Fritz Lang triple feature. I already have Metropolis and The Big Heat. That would make for a great evening!

I also agree about Kurosawa and Ingmar. Those two served as my introduction to the CC, and to classic foreign film. One couldn't ask for a better one-two punch than seeing The Seventh Seal and Seven Samurai in back-to-back evenings. I'm on a real Bergman kick at the moment. I have half a mind to just buy nothing but his films. I could buy Autumn Sonata, Fanny and Alexander, Cries and Whispers and Summer With Monika, and be quite happy. I would love to get Bergman Island upgraded to Blu-ray. That would be a first day buy for me.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

My recommendations would be:

Late Spring
Fanny And Alexander
Yi Yi
The Last Temptation of Christ
Orpheus

That's pretty close, with M added, to what I've been contemplating as my actual order, maybe switching Late Spring for The Red Shoes. Or, maybe I'll just buy both. Yi Yi is another definite in this order. It looks like a beautiful, uplifting movie, and would serve as a great introduction to Edward Yang, methinks.

Thank you for the suggestions. This is the hard part, well, that and waiting.

Originally Posted by dex14

M
The Red Shoes
Safety Last
Rashomon
The Freshman
L'Avventura
The Graduate

You know, I've been telling myself "I'm not going to buy The Graduate now, since I have the MGM Blu. But it's one of my favorite films, and it looks like Criterion knocked it out of the park with the extras (several of which are not included with the one disc release I have), including a brand new 38-minute interview with Hoffman. So, I don't know what I'll do.

That's a real nice list you've put together. I might watch both Lloyd films on Hulu, and then pick one of them to buy, and add the other when B&N does their sale in July. I have to have M, though, and I really want Yi Yi, as well. And the complete Jean Vigo (I really want to see L'Atalante).

I think the only thing I am sure of is that I'm not sure what I'm going to buy, and probably won't until the sale goes live. I have this feeling that I'm going to buy more than I set out to.

Thank you!!

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Mulvaney and I have been in an emotionally abusive email relationship for about four years now.

Ever since I decided to go full-on Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption and send him an email a week requesting a blu-ray release of Badlands.

There were some veiled threats made along the way.

Then after Badlands was released I guess he felt like I owed him something and began sending me these rambling, gin-soaked emails in the middle of the night, complaining about work-related stress and asking me what I was wearing.

Some of his language was inappropriate.

After a while I refused to respond and it got even worse.

I had trouble sleeping at night.

There have been many times when I felt like Gloria Grahame to his Humphrey Bogart.

So in a sense what you say is true.

I don't have to wait for the Criterion release of In a Lonely Place.

...I've lived it.

It's been said before but Jon Mulvaney is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by RickDee

I think that all Digi Packs and Boxes should go! Criterion would save themselves so much money just by keeping everything in those wonderful Scanavo cases! It's to the point for me that I can not even buy certain Criterion films until I can find a cover artist to take my Hi Res Scans of the Digi packs and turn them into a cover I can use for my clear cases.

Last thing I want is Criterion to be making creative decisions based on what will save them money. Im sure they do already, but the less they do it the better.

[Pequod]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Some nice choices. Congratulations.

Thank you! I'm really looking forward to watching all of them in due time.

Originally Posted by belcherman

Nice haul. Do yourself a favor and watch the TV version of 12 Angry Men before you watch the theatrical version. The TV version is quite impressive in its own right.

I have seen both – quality stuff.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Ok, guys, I'd love some input please. I'm working on narrowing down a list of films I'm going to purchase during the Flash sale. I'll probably buy five, or maybe six this time 'round. I just got The Kid in day before yesterday, so that goes towards my purchases for February. Additionally, I have other, non-Criterion releases I want, as well, so I have to exercise some restraint.

Here's the list as it currently stands.

M
The Complete Jean Vigo
Fanny and Alexander
Odd Man Out
Yi Yi
Autumn Sonata
Late Spring
It Happened One Night
Orpheus
Insomnia
The Red Shoes
Safety Last
Rashomon
The Last Temptation of Christ
Nashville
The Leopard
The Freshman
L'Avventura
The Graduate

My current Criterion library is listed in my signature. Seeing what I have, and my entire collection, if you guys can think of any movies I might enjoy, ones I may have inexplicably overlooked, I'd love some suggestions. I have a pretty open mind, and am always looking to discover new directors, actors, etc.

I am working on the Sight & Sound 2012 Critics poll, the AFI 100 Greatest American Films lists, and the complete Academy Award Best Picture winners list. Eventually, my goal is to have every Best Picture nominee on Blu.

I'm looking at adding City Girl, The Passion of Joan of Arc, La Vie En Rose and The Pianist as imports in the next few weeks. I also have a bunch of movies I want to get from FOX Connect. If you look in my collection here, I have an extensive wish list. This is becoming a very expensive second hobby.

Thanks for any input, guys! I really do appreciate the discussions here each day.

Based on the AFI lists, you definitely need to pick up It Happened One Night and The Graduate. Roshomon is a must-have, IMO. As for Powell and Pressburger, I much prefer Black Narcissus to The Red Shoes, but I've never been much of a ballet fan.

Your post reminds me that I need to pick up M one of these days.

As far as the cost of this hobby, the way I rationalize it is this: if my wife and I went to the movies once a week, we'd spend about $150 a month (two tickets, popcorn and drinks). So that's my budget. YMMV.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by RickDee

I know there are some covers out there for a lot of the films, many of which came from my scanner for the cover artist coverting them. Maybe the solution is a digi packaging at first and then eventually moving them to scanavo cases later on.

There you go, the best of both worlds.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

M, The Red Shoes, Late Spring, Safety Last, and Rashomon are my picks for you. Also, if you are region free and looking at imports The Passion of Joan of Arc is AMAZING!

I'm semi-region free at the moment. The Sony Blu-ray player I have hooked up to my flat screen is only region A, but I'm going to be upgrading that within the next month or so. I'm still doing some research on which player I want, and who I'm going to buy from. In the mean time, my LG external Blu-ray burner is set to region B on my laptop, so I'm able to see anything I want now.

MoC's The Passion of Joan of Arc is very enticing. I think I'm going to order it, and Murnau's City Girl (which, happily, is region-free) from Amazon UK.

Thank you!

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by belcherman

Based on the AFI lists, you definitely need to pick up It Happened One Night and The Graduate. Roshomon is a must-have, IMO. As for Powell and Pressburger, I much prefer Black Narcissus to The Red Shoes, but I've never been much of a ballet fan.

Your post reminds me that I need to pick up M one of these days.

As far as the cost of this hobby, the way I rationalize it is this: if my wife and I went to the movies once a week, we'd spend about $150 a month (two tickets, popcorn and drinks). So that's my budget. YMMV.

This is one of those times where I am happily unmarried. If I were married, my wife would kill me for what I've been spending on my hobbies the last two years.

I've had It Happened One Night on my DVR forever. That's how I've rationalized not buying it yet. But it's a Best Picture winner, and on at least one of the two AFI lists, so it's a must. I really enjoyed the interplay between Gable and Colbert, and I'm a Frank Capra fan, so that's a no-brainer. But that's the problem. Too many no-brainers.

Oh, I know all too well that I'm in the same position many of you have been in before. Criterion makes self control quite difficult. But the enjoyment I get from waking up, and thinking "hmm, what am I going to watch today?" is well worth the expense. At least these I can actually enjoy. When I buy a hundred year old baseball card, I scan it, stick it in my safe deposit box, and admire a pixelated Walter Johnson, or Bob Feller.

Thank you, Belcherman!

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by RickDee

I think that all Digi Packs and Boxes should go! Criterion would save themselves so much money just by keeping everything in those wonderful Scanavo cases! It's to the point for me that I can not even buy certain Criterion films until I can find a cover artist to take my Hi Res Scans of the Digi packs and turn them into a cover I can use for my clear cases.

But I love DigiPaks.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Of that list, I'd pick:

M
L'Avventura
Late Spring
Yi Yi

Looking at your collection, I'd also add:

Everlasting Moments
El Norte
Letter Never Sent
Monsieur Verdoux
High and Low

I chose the first three because of your interest in discovery new directors. I chose Verdoux because you like Chaplin and that film is his greatest deviation from his Tramp character. And I chose High and Low because you own several Kurosawa's, not limited to just his samurai films. High and Low shows his range into police procedural.

Monsieur Verdoux has intrigued me for some time, Josh. Chaplin was much more than a brilliant physical comedian. I felt he brought real emotional sophistication to his performances. Actors with comedic flair often make great dramatic actors (Robin Williams and Bill Murray are two such examples), and what Chaplin accomplished without the use of the spoken word is simply incredible. In my opinion, the last scene of City Lights is one of the most touching moments ever put to film. As for Verdoux, it will make its way into my collection soon, as I love dark comedies (chalk it up to my acerbic wit), but I don't know if I'll be adding it this time. I might watch it on Hulu, then buy it. I have other films I've kept putting off, and I need to grab those first. If I don't buy M soon, Fritz Lang is going to rise from the grave, and put his foot in my arse.

The others I'll absolutely look into. More Kurosawa is always a good thing, and you're absolutely right that I like experiencing new directors. I've never seen work from Jan Troell, and know virtually nothing about him. But seeing he worked with Liv Ullmann and Max von Sydow on The Emigrants and The New Land immediately brought a smile to my face. Yet, that's why your suggestion of Everlasting Moments is the perfect introductory selection. A new director working with talent I've never seen perform before is the way to go.

Great suggestions, thank you. I'll let you know when I decide on the other films to buy.

[AaronJ]

Ooh, nice. Criterion is processing my order of I Knew Her Well!

Can't wait to see this. Pro-B's review just made it an absolute must-buy.

Oh, and also excited because I've never seen a film by Pietrangeli.

[SkyAntoine]

Breathing easier today after getting an application I've been working on for weeks out the door. Working so you can put food on the table and buy Criterions is such a drag some times. Time to squeeze in some Criterions before March madness is here!

I'm not going to make good on my self-imposed bet with Ray that I would watch Berlin Alexanderplatz by February 20th. I did start disc one, but couldn't find time to keep going. Maybe I can get in 5-6 hours of it this weekend.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by SkyAntoine

Working so you can put food on the table and buy Criterions is such a drag some times.

Work is the curse of the Blu-ray Class.

[RickDee]

Does anyone know how Fishing with John was filmed? Film or Tape? I would love to see an upgrade of this if possible.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by Wooden Lens

I'll second Theater Dreamer here. As long as you take care of your Blurays after purchasing them (I know the retail stores themselves can ruin these boxes) you really have some beautifully designed cases with these DigiBooks!

Just to let everyone know I have messaged Criterion before regarding certain Digibook packaging recently that I thought was long gone (see: Night of the Hunter) and was able to secure a new case ($5 a piece - outside digi / inside digi / book / etc) but it was worth it for some of those titles I wanted in DigiBook form or that got damaged and eventually went OOP.

Originally Posted by AaronJ

But I love DigiPaks.

Is there a list of titles that were originally issued as Digipaks but have since been reissued in plastic cases? I went to Costco some time ago when they were selling Tess and was a bit disappointed seeing it in a Scanavo case.