The Criterion Collection

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

Take one for the team. I'm picking up the OOP DVD of Reed's The Fallen Idol for $30 tonight with the foreknowledge that it may appease the Criterion gods and someday lead to a blu-ray release. Your purchase could be the one that pushes sales past the threshold for a blu-ray release for future purchasers

Since Fallen Idol just came out in the UK (albeit encoded incorrectly but getting replacement discs), seems like a waste of $30.

[WonderWeasel]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Since Fallen Idol just came out in the UK (albeit encoded incorrectly but getting replacement discs), seems like a waste of $30.

Besides the fact there was a region B release, is there any other evidence that it's being released over here any time soon?

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

Besides the fact there was a region B release, is there any other evidence that it's being released over here any time soon?

Only that it's a new restoration. Seems like it is likely.

[WonderWeasel]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

Only that it's a new restoration. Seems like it is likely.

Meh, so even if it is announced in the next couple of months, it will still be several months after that until it's released. Not too much of a waste, considering it's not on the level with Third Man blu-ray prices, and it's a film I've been wanting to see for a while.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

Meh, so even if it is announced in the next couple of months, it will still be several months after that until it's released. Not too much of a waste, considering it's not on the level with Third Man blu-ray prices, and it's a film I've been wanting to see for a while.

Knock yourself out.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by jayembee

There's an anecdote regarding the genesis of the original story, "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campell, Jr. (under the pseudonym Don A. Stuart). Campbell's mother had an identical twin sister, and sometimes, his aunt would be baby-sitting him without him realizing that she wasn't his mother. As he grew older, he came to feel that he could never be sure whether he was talking to his mother or his aunt.

Interesting note about Carpenter's film: in the final scene with Kurt Russell and Keith David -- sitting in a stalemate, as neither one could be sure that the other was human and not alien -- if you watch closely, you'll notice that

[Show spoiler]every time Russell speaks, you can see his breath billowing as it condenses in the cold; the same is not true of David. It might just be a trick of what direction the set fans are blowing, or an indication that David's character is The Thing.

On edit: Possibly my favorite home video Easter Egg was on the Image/Turner laserdisc of the Hawks/Nyby version. The supplements includes the original novella that you step through a frame at a time. If one went to the first page, and hit "play" instead, as the story "pages" are flying past, the audio plays the soundtrack of the teaser trailer for Carpenter's version.

That's incredible. Thanks for sharing those 2 illuminating "things" (no pun intended).

Originally Posted by jayembee

I want to reply with a joke about a past life, but I can't make it work.

Taking the point far more seriously than it deserves to be, I've have no experience that suggests that I've ever had a previous life, and I wouldn't expect reincarnation to just start happening now.

Another way to look at it is that if I'm "reincarnated as another human being" then he or she won't be me, so the point is moot.

If I am reincarnated, well, I guess the joke will be on me.

I honestly did not expect you to answer or reply to that comment. But the fact that you did means you're just as much a thinker as me. You probably have some sort of curiosity for metaphysical themes.

[jw007]

Alright... gotta ask this question.

Has Criterion ever had any easter eggs on ANY of their blu-rays?

And to further that question, why hasn't Criterion included easter eggs in their blu-ray releases?

Are "easter eggs" too esoteric nowadays or an old trend that died with the DVD market? Are easter eggs marketable or even cool? I think so.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by jw007

Alright... gotta ask this question.

Has Criterion ever had any easter eggs on ANY of their blu-rays?

And to further that question, why hasn't Criterion included easter eggs in their blu-ray releases?

Are "easter eggs" too esoteric nowadays or an old trend that died with the DVD market? Are easter eggs marketable or even cool? I think so.

http://www.eeggs.com/tree/13334.html

[Edward J Grug III]

http://blog.criterioncast.com/post/4...on-easter-eggs

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

http://www.eeggs.com/tree/13334.html

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

http://blog.criterioncast.com/post/4...on-easter-eggs

I looked at those pages already...only applies to Criterion DVD, not blu-ray.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by jw007

I looked at those pages already...only applies to Criterion DVD, not blu-ray.

Ah sorry, I feel like this topic came up a long while ago in the forum, but I can't remember if there were some or not.

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by jw007

Alright... gotta ask this question.

Has Criterion ever had any easter eggs on ANY of their blu-rays?

And to further that question, why hasn't Criterion included easter eggs in their blu-ray releases?

Are "easter eggs" too esoteric nowadays or an old trend that died with the DVD market? Are easter eggs marketable or even cool? I think so.

Repo Man!
Can't remember specifically where but I recall there being a hidden "conspiracy" thing that was pretty amusing.

[pedromvu]

I've been thinking about this for a while and wanted to see if anyone has some thoughts on the subject.

As time passes I have been noticing I find it harder and harder to be really wowed by a movie, sometimes I have lengthy streaks without finding anything that amazes me even if the films come highly recommended or are highly praised, whereas I feel that when I was younger I was easily impressed with such films.

I've been thinking what could be the reasons and thought of the following:

- The amount of great movies seen has to be a factor, since lot of movies have variations on similar themes, and once you love one it is hard to not be a bit disappointed on the failure to achieve the same greatness in others, at least in some of their aspects.

- Like with everything in life, as we age we probably get more selective after forming a particular taste, hence while still open to enjoy new things, there might be a predilection for movies of certain genre, themes, style, etc.

- We probably tend to always select the best movies of great directors first so while it can happen that we like more some of their lesser regarded works, the possibilities are lower, of course there are too many great directors to run out of movies but not all are very accessible in terms of finding their films.

This doesn't mean I haven't really liked some films lately, but in general I think the numbers are lower compared to the amount of movies I watch.

Lately I have been having trouble with the films from the Masterpieces of Polish Cinema, in a similar way to some of the Tarkovsky and some Godard, which seems to be cases of just going too far out of my comfort zone maybe because of my ignorance of those countries politics, culture, etc. but then there were also some great discoveries of some of the same directors, including Bergman, Fellini, Truffaut that aren't always easy films either.

Now another thing that comes to mind is that the films we really love may become better and better as we think of them in retrospect, so it is hard to compare with something watched recently which is probably just a crazy idea.

As an example, from the last 100 movies I have seen, these are the ones I really liked (first watches), with the bolded ones being the real highlights:

Juliet of the Spirits, Tomboy, Death in Venice, Splendor in the Grass, Steve Jobs, Diary of a Lost Girl, The Verdict, Mighty Aphrodite, The Hateful Eight, I Knew her Well, Forty Guns, Body Double, Brooklyn, Some Came Running.

Anyway I was wondering if anyone feels the same.

[ravenus]

I agree with what you say about tastes becoming narrower and your film choices becoming more compartmentalized, but apart from that no, I still get delighted and amazed by movies I've seen in recent times, movies as far apart as George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road and Chantal Akerman's Jeanne Dielman.

[filmmusic]

This applies not only to movies but to everything.
I think as a man ages, he is not so easily impressed by anything..

[CriterionBlues]

Originally Posted by iScottie

It's technically not a job, but yes, I've been promoted.

I'm helping out as best as I can by significantly cleaning up the database and handing out timeouts to troublemakers.

Cheers! Congrats! And to be more clear, it is not a paid job. It's a job alright.

[Donnie D]

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

I've been thinking about this for a while and wanted to see if anyone has some thoughts on the subject.

As time passes I have been noticing I find it harder and harder to be really wowed by a movie, sometimes I have lengthy streaks without finding anything that amazes me even if the films come highly recommended or are highly praised, whereas I feel that when I was younger I was easily impressed with such films.

I've been thinking what could be the reasons and thought of the following:

- The amount of great movies seen has to be a factor, since lot of movies have variations on similar themes, and once you love one it is hard to not be a bit disappointed on the failure to achieve the same greatness in others, at least in some of their aspects.

- Like with everything in life, as we age we probably get more selective after forming a particular taste, hence while still open to enjoy new things, there might be a predilection for movies of certain genre, themes, style, etc.

- We probably tend to always select the best movies of great directors first so while it can happen that we like more some of their lesser regarded works, the possibilities are lower, of course there are too many great directors to run out of movies but not all are very accessible in terms of finding their films.

This doesn't mean I haven't really liked some films lately, but in general I think the numbers are lower compared to the amount of movies I watch.

Lately I have been having trouble with the films from the Masterpieces of Polish Cinema, in a similar way to some of the Tarkovsky and some Godard, which seems to be cases of just going too far out of my comfort zone maybe because of my ignorance of those countries politics, culture, etc. but then there were also some great discoveries of some of the same directors, including Bergman, Fellini, Truffaut that aren't always easy films either.

Now another thing that comes to mind is that the films we really love may become better and better as we think of them in retrospect, so it is hard to compare with something watched recently which is probably just a crazy idea.

As an example, from the last 100 movies I have seen, these are the ones I really liked (first watches), with the bolded ones being the real highlights:

Juliet of the Spirits, Tomboy, Death in Venice, Splendor in the Grass, Steve Jobs, Diary of a Lost Girl, The Verdict, Mighty Aphrodite, The Hateful Eight, I Knew her Well, Forty Guns, Body Double, Brooklyn, Some Came Running.

Anyway I was wondering if anyone feels the same.

I love movies and series. When I was younger everything was new, so exciting to watch and experience. I like jumping around to different types of movies, just like you, and trying different flavors depending on the mood.
Because if this, I've discovered some wonderful movies. I'll watch series, like 'Strikes Back', 'Banshees', 'Game of Thrones', 'Daria' and in between those I'll watch movies, like Under the 'Skin', 'Mad Max', 'Spider-Man', 'She', 'Whiplash', Godard's 'Weekend', '400 Blows' and the most amazing 'Birdman or the Unexpected Virtues of Ignorance'.
Now the excitement comes from knowing what can be done/shown today and also made available, as opposed to what was 'limited' when I was younger.
I feel so very lucky to be fortunate to have a job I like with great pay and be able to afford and appreciate things that I want but not need.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

I've been thinking about this for a while and wanted to see if anyone has some thoughts on the subject.

As time passes I have been noticing I find it harder and harder to be really wowed by a movie, sometimes I have lengthy streaks without finding anything that amazes me even if the films come highly recommended or are highly praised, whereas I feel that when I was younger I was easily impressed with such films.

[Show spoiler]
I've been thinking what could be the reasons and thought of the following:

- The amount of great movies seen has to be a factor, since lot of movies have variations on similar themes, and once you love one it is hard to not be a bit disappointed on the failure to achieve the same greatness in others, at least in some of their aspects.

- Like with everything in life, as we age we probably get more selective after forming a particular taste, hence while still open to enjoy new things, there might be a predilection for movies of certain genre, themes, style, etc.

- We probably tend to always select the best movies of great directors first so while it can happen that we like more some of their lesser regarded works, the possibilities are lower, of course there are too many great directors to run out of movies but not all are very accessible in terms of finding their films.

This doesn't mean I haven't really liked some films lately, but in general I think the numbers are lower compared to the amount of movies I watch.

Lately I have been having trouble with the films from the Masterpieces of Polish Cinema, in a similar way to some of the Tarkovsky and some Godard, which seems to be cases of just going too far out of my comfort zone maybe because of my ignorance of those countries politics, culture, etc. but then there were also some great discoveries of some of the same directors, including Bergman, Fellini, Truffaut that aren't always easy films either.

Now another thing that comes to mind is that the films we really love may become better and better as we think of them in retrospect, so it is hard to compare with something watched recently which is probably just a crazy idea.

As an example, from the last 100 movies I have seen, these are the ones I really liked (first watches), with the bolded ones being the real highlights:

Juliet of the Spirits, Tomboy, Death in Venice, Splendor in the Grass, Steve Jobs, Diary of a Lost Girl, The Verdict, Mighty Aphrodite, The Hateful Eight, I Knew her Well, Forty Guns, Body Double, Brooklyn, Some Came Running.

Anyway I was wondering if anyone feels the same.

For me, the "movie burnout" applies mainly to newer blockbuster films.

I saw Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice last weekend, and found it to be sort of a slog to get through. That movie is an easy target, though.

I was also underwhelmed by The Revenant, although that movie has received mass acclaim from others. It just made me yearn for other wilderness films of that nature, like Jeremiah Johnson, Letter Never Sent, or The Grey.

Those of us who have seen a ton of movies and who have a sense of cinema history are more difficult to please when it comes to newer films.

That said, I was surprisingly delighted with recent films like The Witch, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Ex Machina, Spectre, and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens.

I'm somewhat more "at home" with older films, though, and I tend to be wowed more easily when I see a good film from the 1980s or before.

Here are a few older movies that really blew me away when I watched them for the first time over the past year or so...

Pigs (I watched this one last night, and found the viewing to be a really joyful experience.)
Harakiri
Ride the Pink Horse
The Apu Trilogy
The Soft Skin
Black Christmas (1974)
Figures in a Landscape
Spider Baby

[Helter145]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

Now another thing that comes to mind is that the films we really love may become better and better as we think of them in retrospect, so it is hard to compare with something watched recently which is probably just a crazy idea.

I don't think that's such a crazy idea, as this has been my experience with most of the films which I now consider to be personal favorites; for example I watched La Dolce Vita a few years back for the first time and initially dismissed it as just sufficiently entertaining, yet as the days went by I found myself thinking about the film repeatedly, it was only through a second viewing that I began to grasp its brilliance; I have now watched it countless times and often rave about it; this has also happened with 3 Women, Picnic at Hanging Rock and Blow Out...

I'm about to turn 21 and yet I find the experience of being completely knocked out by a film on initial viewing equally rare, so I don't really think age is a factor here, or maybe that's just me; my guess is that a film only immediately amazes you if it is a complete subversion from what you've come to expect of certain already appealing themes....

[SkyAntoine]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

I've been thinking about this for a while and wanted to see if anyone has some thoughts on the subject.

As time passes I have been noticing I find it harder and harder to be really wowed by a movie, sometimes I have lengthy streaks without finding anything that amazes me even if the films come highly recommended or are highly praised, whereas I feel that when I was younger I was easily impressed with such films.

[Show spoiler]I've been thinking what could be the reasons and thought of the following:

- The amount of great movies seen has to be a factor, since lot of movies have variations on similar themes, and once you love one it is hard to not be a bit disappointed on the failure to achieve the same greatness in others, at least in some of their aspects.

- Like with everything in life, as we age we probably get more selective after forming a particular taste, hence while still open to enjoy new things, there might be a predilection for movies of certain genre, themes, style, etc.

- We probably tend to always select the best movies of great directors first so while it can happen that we like more some of their lesser regarded works, the possibilities are lower, of course there are too many great directors to run out of movies but not all are very accessible in terms of finding their films.

This doesn't mean I haven't really liked some films lately, but in general I think the numbers are lower compared to the amount of movies I watch.

Lately I have been having trouble with the films from the Masterpieces of Polish Cinema, in a similar way to some of the Tarkovsky and some Godard, which seems to be cases of just going too far out of my comfort zone maybe because of my ignorance of those countries politics, culture, etc. but then there were also some great discoveries of some of the same directors, including Bergman, Fellini, Truffaut that aren't always easy films either.

Now another thing that comes to mind is that the films we really love may become better and better as we think of them in retrospect, so it is hard to compare with something watched recently which is probably just a crazy idea.

As an example, from the last 100 movies I have seen, these are the ones I really liked (first watches), with the bolded ones being the real highlights:

Juliet of the Spirits, Tomboy, Death in Venice, Splendor in the Grass, Steve Jobs, Diary of a Lost Girl, The Verdict, Mighty Aphrodite, The Hateful Eight, I Knew her Well, Forty Guns, Body Double, Brooklyn, Some Came Running.

Anyway I was wondering if anyone feels the same.

All great points. My goal is to watch 200 Criterion first views this year as well as any new releases or other titles I pick up. So I'm watching more good movies than ever.

Although I've caught a lot of the essential titles I'm still watching classics that are new to me each month. The vast majority of my ratings are 7/10 or 8/10. Excellent movies, but maybe not masterpieces or films that particularly connect with me. I still have a ton of Criterions to see that are widely recognized as classics.

In the last two nights, I finished two Costas-Gavras films: Z and Missing. I thought Z was very good (8/10), but I was blown away and locked into Missing throughout (9/10). For me it cracked my top 100 and that was unexpected.

As I'm exposed to more and more quality movies I do believe it takes more to wow me than even two years ago. I'm definitely becoming more of a film snob toward anything new that comes out of Hollywood. I don't waste my time watching new releases unless they come with recommendations from those online whose opinions I value.