The Criterion Collection

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

It's totally fine, it's just not very interesting. It's like Pulp Fiction or Shawshank Redemption or Star Wars or whatever - sure to be on a favorite movies list of anyone that has barely seen any movies. Basically, nothing that needs discussion in this thread!

I am sure those are favorites of many people here that have seen many many movies, nothing wrong with them, one can love arthouse, pixar, hollywood movies, etc, in the same way, it's not like once you see certain films all others need to be dismissed.

Edit: I see you already clarified your post, definitely not what I thought just based on your previous post.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by zorbonaut

I don't dislike 400 blows- I actually do like it- I just don't think it is one of the "greats".

To me, the fact that 1 film essentially ushered in a whole new wave and style of filmmaking makes it one of the greats by default.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by zorbonaut

I don't dislike 400 blows- I actually do like it- I just don't think it is one of the "greats".

Just to clarify that I didn't find them great the first time doesn't mean I didn't like it, I guess I was just expecting more, but after seeing it a second time it suddenly hit me, like many of the early new wave films it is one of the greats for me now.

[diskspinner]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Friendship - Au Revoir Les Enfants, Y Tu Mama Tambien
Prison - A Man Escaped
Wrongly accused men - North By Northwest... Several other Hitchcock films with the same theme

Haven't seen Au Revoir Les Enfantes...Y Tu Mama Tambien is great (there is friendship, but I don't think it is a movie about friendship in the way Shawshank is)

I was bored by A Man Escaped...

and I am not too fond of Hitchcock's wrongly accused man movies.

[Trace17]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

Much needed blu upgrades: Shoot the Piano Player, Testament of Dr Mabuse, and Elevator to the Gallows. Some of the very first Criterions I watched and loved that haven't been upgraded.

So funny you mention Shoot the Piano Player. I recorded a recent airing from TCM, but despite them usually getting things right, this showing seemed all wrong - the picture is squished up in the top 2/3 of the screen while the subtitles show in sold black background on the bottom 1/3. After a minute or two I stopped watching.

Surely we're due for a Criterion upgrade of this soon right? I know there's a Region B but I'm happy to wait if Criterion can eventually upgrade it.

[pedromvu]

Was starting to get into La Collectionneuse on Hulu, when it suddenly hit me that I don't know why bother, after seeing Claire's Knee and the start of this these are clearly my kind of movies so I think I better wait for an upgrade or buy the whole Rohmer set in case Criterion doesn't hurry (the Hulu transfers already look very pristine).

Will probably watch Through a Glass Darkly since after watching the other two on the series I am still on the fence if I should get the set or no, which is weird because I am usually a big fan of Bergman.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Friendship - Au Revoir Les Enfants, Y Tu Mama Tambien
Prison - A Man Escaped
Wrongly accused men - North By Northwest... Several other Hitchcock films with the same theme

I like all those but it's not the same to get everything in the same movie

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

I am sure those are favorites of many people here that have seen many many movies, nothing wrong with them, one can love arthouse, pixar, hollywood movies, etc, in the same way, it's not like once you see certain films all others need to be dismissed.

Edit: I see you already clarified your post, definitely not what I thought just based on your previous post.

Yeah, definitely, my two favorite films last year were Mad Max and Inside Out. I just try to at least see all the best picture nominees, most of the indie films that get a lot of buzz and sound appealing, and in the following years catch up with some of the more "arthouse" films. The only thing I was trying to say there is those kinds of movies will be on virtually anyone's favorite movie list so they're not a particularly interesting topic for this thread.

ANYWAY, I'm trying to figure out what to get during this year's B&N Criterion sale. Since Amazon has sold a lot of them for 23 bucks over the last year, I'm mostly caught up. I think basically anything over 3 months old has already been down in that price range (ex, The Kid), and thus I already picked it up. I think I might spend less than a hundred dollars for the first time! I'd been meaning to get "The Player," but the other day I just realized I already had it since it came in a three pack with Body Heat and LA Confidential, so I should watch the copy I own before thinking about double dipping on a movie I haven't seen! Will definitely be getting "The Bicycle Thieves" and "Only Angels Have Wings" if they stay in stock. I think that's all, unless Carnival of Souls is included :P

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

Favorite criterion directors: I love nearly all things Japanese. Kurosawa because of watching his films after so much talk of him. I found out why there was so much talk of him. Kobayashi for his straight forward approach to ripping the system down. Ozu because of his simplicity and beauty.

Also, Fritz Lang for his mixing of genres, love German films of the 20s . Truffaut for his whimsy showing the human experience.

Much needed blu upgrades: Shoot the Piano Player, Testament of Dr Mabuse, and Elevator to the Gallows. Some of the very first Criterions I watched and loved that haven't been upgraded.

[Show spoiler]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

I like all those but it's not the same to get everything in the same movie

..and I suppose that is the appeal of the film, although IMO, none of those themes are done 'great' and I don't think it is technically any kind of marvel either. I like the film, but it wouldn't even crack a top 250 for me.

[theater dreamer]

I rather enjoyed Good Will Hunting. And I've seen, and own, a lot of great films.

Originally Posted by cakefactory

It's totally fine, it's just not very interesting. It's like Pulp Fiction or Shawshank Redemption or Star Wars or whatever - sure to be on a favorite movies list of anyone that has barely seen any movies. Basically, nothing that needs discussion in this thread!

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

This is a pretty narrow-minded opinion. I rather enjoyed Good Will Hunting. And I've seen, and own, a lot of great films.

Did you read my subsequent posts clarifying? I don't feel I said anything narrow-minded. There's nothing in that post at all meant to imply "ONLY people who haven't seen a lot of movies like them."

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by Fabs

So, according to your reasoning, if someone has those movies in their favorites, they haven't seen a lot of movies? I just want to know what you mean by this comment, because it comes off as a very condescending thing to say.

It may be condescending, but in my experience it's a fairly safe assumption to make, unless the parameters are extremely limited. e.g best American films of the 90's etc.

It reminds me of a story a man once shared online years ago about how The Goonies was his favourite film when he enrolled in a film course. After watching some of the best films of all time from all over the world, his favourite film was still The Goonies. In short, he learned nothing, but that doesn't suggest that one can't enjoy a film like The Goonies. It's the degree of enjoyment relative to other films that matters.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Fabs

So, according to your reasoning, if someone has those movies in their favorites, they haven't seen a lot of movies? I just want to know what you mean by this comment, because it comes off as a very condescending thing to say.

Sometimes it is what it is. Many, many moons ago -- back in my Usenet days -- there was someone who claimed that Year of the Dragon was the best film he'd ever seen. I felt justified in suggesting that he couldn't have seen many films. It's not that I thought Cimino's film was bad. Not at all. It's just that I couldn't quite grasp the idea of it being "better" than the works of Kurosawa, Bergman, Lean, Kubrick, Tarkovsky, Renoir, Ford, Hawks, Lang, Hitchcock, Huston, et alia. It would be like someone saying that the best book he ever read was The Da Vinci Code.

Now, me, I absolutely love Pulp Fiction. But it wouldn't even be in my Top 10 for films of the 90s.

[pedromvu]

Just finished Through a Glass Darkly and I think I am pretty confident now if it is upgraded I will get it, this along Winter Light were really good (although I liked this the best), The Silence on the other hand feels like Bergman clearly in his way to do Persona as it feels very similar to me in a way a more abstract work, as with Persona I didn't enjoy it as much but I feel is one I need to give a rewatch.

So many boxsets to upgrade, and so few slots to release them especially because we already know new boxsets should come soon like the Before Trilogy and Lone Wolf and Cub.

[pro-bassoonist]

The New World Blu-ray REVIEW




An outstanding 4K remaster (actually restoration). The Extended Cut is vastly superior, and instantly reveals how problematic the previous release was. If you already upscale to 4K, compare the two -- the difference can be so drastic that at times it feels like you are comparing an old DVD and a brand new Blu-ray release. Next to I Knew Her Well, it is the best looking release to enter the collection this year.

Pro-B

[Marlow27]

Just finished watching 3:10 to Yuma. What an excellent film, a thoughtful and intellectual script that avoids cliches, with stunning cinematography (obviously the expansive vistas are beautiful, but personally I was super impressed by the camerawork in the tight interiors) and boy, the acting is absolutely top-notch; the interactions between Ford and Heflin are wonderful - tense, funny and a constant mental game of cat and mouse.

A fine example of how tension in a film can be created through a clash of motivations and interesting characters (like 12 Angry Men), it is probably one of my favourites in the collection.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

The New World Blu-ray REVIEW

[Show spoiler]

An outstanding 4K remaster (actually restoration). The Extended Cut is vastly superior, and instantly reveals how problematic the previous release was. If you already upscale to 4K, compare the two -- the difference can be so drastic that at times it feels like you are comparing an old DVD and a brand new Blu-ray release. Next to I Knew Her Well, it is the best looking release to enter the collection this year.

Pro-B

So, what this review tells me in its entirety is that I'm soon to be even more broke than I already am. Great. *sigh*

[Sifox211]

Originally Posted by Marlow27

Just finished watching 3:10 to Yuma.

[Show spoiler]What an excellent film, a thoughtful and intellectual script that avoids cliches, with stunning cinematography (obviously the expansive vistas are beautiful, but personally I was super impressed by the camerawork in the tight interiors) and boy, the acting is absolutely top-notch; the interactions between Ford and Heflin are wonderful - tense, funny and a constant mental game of cat and mouse.

A fine example of how tension in a film can be created through a clash of motivations and interesting characters (like 12 Angry Men), it is probably one of my favourites in the collection.

I watched Jubal recently and felt the same - it has made me keen to see 3:10 - I think I might pick it up in the forthcoming sale.

This weekend I watched My darling Clementine - another superb Western. Fonda's performance absolutely crackled with cool (is that possible... erm); the dialog, pacing and drama to me represent what is great about classic film, something that carries you along in an almost giddy pleasure at its sheer rightness.

[bwdowiak]

I had quite an Ozu itch that I wasnt able to scratch this past weekend because I've seen the 3 films I have at home.

Which UK release seems least likely to get upgraded next? I already have Good Morning.

I'm kinda torn about whether I should import the Japanese Late Spring w the 4K remaster or if I should just pick up Criterion's release in a week or so.