The Criterion Collection

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

What irks me is buying multiple copies of the same movie Just for the different artwork. For me, I buy the art/case that looks the best to me. I don't feel the need in spending that much more for the same thing.

It irks you when other people do it, or you do it yourself sometimes and it irks you?

[Helter145]

Originally Posted by oildude

I hope I am not being out of line here in asking, if you plan to post here regularly, that you please consider parsing your thoughts into bite-size sentences. Not trying to be rude at all and I hope this doesn't come across that way. If this is your normal writing style, then so be it. I want to read your posts, but for someone like me who is challenged by very long run-on sentences, I find the effort too exhausting. I think it is a shame, and my loss.

For the record, I want more Jane Campion on Criterion Blu-ray. Also, I love Criterion's Eclipse line of releases. I have nearly all of them. I think they include some of the greatest films ever released, among them Larisa Shepitko's powerfully emotional Wings and The Ascent in Eclipse Series 11. While it would be a dream to get her work released by Criterion on Blu-ray, I would not hesitate to recommend her Eclipse set to anyone who, like me, finds it hard to buy a DVD anymore. Her work is that good. It deserves to be seen and rediscovered by new generations. She was a towering talent who died way to young after making only four feature films. The Criterion DVDs look quite good. I don't consider Shepitko to be relegated by Criterion to second-tier status because her only films in the collection are in the Eclipse line.

It's OK, i'll try to be more concise, if that helps; and by the way I wanted to be say hello to everyone who posts here; I'm not sure if I'll be posting here that often, but just in case I do I don't want to seem out of place....

I unfortunately don't yet own any Eclipse set, but I always hesitate to keep investing in DVDs, which I suppose I shouldn't; I guess that's the case for most people, so the work of Shepitko remains underseen, along with that of Agnès Varda and Vera Chytilovà.
But these directors have always intrigued me, so I guess I'll have to buy those Eclipse sets sooner or later....

[Sifox211]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

This company seems to be the "Criterion of books":

http://www.foliosociety.com/

I used to be a member and still buy the odd Folio secondhand - they make some glorious books so your comparison is apt. But when I was last in the States I picked up some old Heritage Press editions which were very similar to Folios in terms of style (slipcovers, illustrations and quality design) - these seemed to originate in New York in the 40s and 50s. Anyone familiar with this line?

Originally Posted by Helter145

...the work of Shepitko remains underseen, along with that of Agnès Varda and Vera Chytilovà. But these directors have always intrigued me, so I guess I'll have to buy those Eclipse sets sooner or later....

I have the Shepitko and Varda sets and can thoroughly recommend them both. I have a 40" TV and the latter looks as good to me as the BD Les Blank set. The films are utterly charming.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

This company seems to be the "Criterion of books":

http://www.foliosociety.com/

Back in the period of LD and early years of DVD, when people would ask what was so special about Criterion, I would say that they were the home video equivalent of the Harvard Classics.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by Knaldskalle

I'm told there are people who buy paintings just because of how they look or because of the name of the artist.

Cwazy.

Then they put all of their paintings on a shelf facing each other so they can only see the edge of the frame.

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

Then they put all of their paintings on a shelf facing each other so they can only see the edge of the frame.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

This company seems to be the "Criterion of books":

http://www.foliosociety.com/

Funny that this got me thinking about a temptation of mine about five years ago...

Some spiffy book company in the UK was selling prestigious-looking hardcover editions of the Ian Fleming's entire James Bond 007 book collection. The hardcover spines, when placed in order on the shelf, actually blended together into one image of female silhouettes, guns, and martini glasses.

The price was $400 plus for the collection.

I actually debated this purchase for a good week or so, until I finally decided that $400 plus was a bit steep.

I actually own a handful of hardbacks of the Ian Fleming Bond books that I've found at various used bookstores over the years, but I am also perfectly happy to enjoy re-reading these Fleming books by way of some ragged paperback editions that I also own...since that's pretty much the way that these Fleming Bond books are meant to be read in the first place.

I do confess to owning a few of the Leatherbound Classics from Barnes & Noble (an H.P. Lovecraft anthology, the complete Edgar Allan Poe, Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo, a Jules Verne collection, an H.G. Wells collection, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes collection, a Charles Dickens collection, Grimm's Fairy Tales, a Hans Christian Andersen collection, and so on.). Those are fun to have and to re-read.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I do confess to owning a few of the Leatherbound Classics from Barnes & Noble (an H.P. Lovecraft anthology, the complete Edgar Allan Poe, Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo, a Jules Verne collection, an H.G. Wells collection, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes collection, a Charles Dickens collection, Grimm's Fairy Tales, a Hans Christian Andersen collection, and so on.). Those are fun to have and to re-read.

I have a few of those you mention too. If you haven't already done so, be sure to pick up my favorite so far, the Ray Bradbury red leather volume. It's three of his best books together, with gold trimmed pages. Very elegant to look at but also delicate to the touch. I hope B&N releases his Martian Chronicles one of these days in a similar presentation.

Thinking about Bradbury gives me a hankerin' to re-watch Robinson Crusoe on Mars. And for gosh sakes, Criterion, please acquire the rights to Truffaut's Fahrenheit 451 and get this out on Blu-ray right away.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by oildude

And for gosh sakes, Criterion, please acquire the rights to Truffaut's Fahrenheit 451 and get this out on Blu-ray right away.

Yes, this badly needs a proper BD release

[Martin_31]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Funny that this got me thinking about a temptation of mine about five years ago...

Some spiffy book company in the UK was selling prestigious-looking hardcover editions of the Ian Fleming's entire James Bond 007 book collection. The hardcover spines, when placed in order on the shelf, actually blended together into one image of female silhouettes, guns, and martini glasses.

The price was $400 plus for the collection.

I actually debated this purchase for a good week or so, until I finally decided that $400 plus was a bit steep.

I actually own a handful of hardbacks of the Ian Fleming Bond books that I've found at various used bookstores over the years, but I am also perfectly happy to enjoy re-reading these Fleming books by way of some ragged paperback editions that I also own...since that's pretty much the way that these Fleming Bond books are meant to be read in the first place.

I do confess to owning a few of the Leatherbound Classics from Barnes & Noble (an H.P. Lovecraft anthology, the complete Edgar Allan Poe, Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo, a Jules Verne collection, an H.G. Wells collection, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes collection, a Charles Dickens collection, Grimm's Fairy Tales, a Hans Christian Andersen collection, and so on.). Those are fun to have and to re-read.

Check out Juniper Books.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I bought the standard Blu-ray package for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens this morning, because I think that it's the best-looking one of the bunch, and because all other things are equal.

Mine arrived today. I literally squealed with delight like a six year old when I cut open the bubble mailer from Amazon.

I've only purchased a few Disney releases of late, The Force Awakens and the new release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; I've been impressed with the presentation of both. They came with really nice embossed slip covers. And I really like the black Elite case that came with Star Wars. It's a simple thing, really, but it looks sharp.

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by oildude

And for gosh sakes, Criterion, please acquire the rights to Truffaut's Fahrenheit 451 and get this out on Blu-ray right away.

Digibook!

Oh, wait....

[kylec123]

Any idea when we might see The Grand Budapest Hotel release?

[Arch Stanton]

Hopefully never

[Scottie]

Review is up for A Brighter Summer Day.

[Ausjdm]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

I know your heart is in the right place, but I think you're barking up the wrong tree here. She doesn't get much crap about nepotism, especially considering Francis Ford hasn't made anything worth watching in decades. I regularly hear her dismissed as making films strictly from the perspective of the super-upper class (or for being "bourgeois" as someone else put it above), with "SHE SYMPATHIZED WITH MARIE FRICKIN ANTOINETTE" being one of the main lines of reasoning there. Or I hear ones along the lines of "I hated the Bling Ring so much I have no interest in anything else she does." I've seen her labelled a product of nepotism exactly zero times since The Virgin Suicides came out. Maybe I just lurk around comment sections on particularly liberal movie boards or something, but I've been doing it for decades and never hear that said about her.

She was labelled as a product of nepotism when she starred in Godfather III, of course, but that was accurate.

If you want to see someone who actually DOES receive a constant stream of hate for being a hack who only gets jobs through nepotism, check out Max Landis!

What about Lost in Translation I think that's a brilliant film. By far her best...


Also we were talking about Olivier Assayas anyone like/see Demonlover or Boarding Gate? Those were the first of his I ever seen films yrs ago

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by Ausjdm

What about Lost in Translation I think that's a brilliant film. By far her best...

yes, i have mentioned this again. Would love that!

[D2Girls]

what with the current release schedule this year, I may be picking up more new criterion releases in one year then ever before. not to mention all the awesome arrow titles coming out this month. my wallet is so confused ;~;

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Martin_31

Check out Juniper Books.

Ouch. My heart just died a little bit. As much as I love Ian Fleming's Bond books, I'm loath to pay $2,500 for a first edition hardcover set.

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Mine arrived today. I literally squealed with delight like a six year old when I cut open the bubble mailer from Amazon.

I've only purchased a few Disney releases of late, The Force Awakens and the new release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; I've been impressed with the presentation of both. They came with really nice embossed slip covers. And I really like the black Elite case that came with Star Wars. It's a simple thing, really, but it looks sharp.

I watched the first hour of my Blu-ray of Star Wars - The Force Awakens last night before the sleep monster got me.

I've watched a lot of great Blu-ray transfers over the past few years, but this one is a particularly amazing-looking Blu-ray transfer.

[BixmanJ]

I was really excited to hear about the upcoming release of Only Angels Have Wings. TCM had a release a few years ago that now appears to be out of print. Hopefully one of their other oop releases, Remember the Night, has a shot with Criterion too. It's quickly becoming one of my classic Christmas season staples, along with It's a Wonderful Life and The Shop Around the Corner.