The Criterion Collection

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by mspar009

...maybe it is a bit of Criterion Fever instead of real enjoyment of the film.

I liked it long before Criterion released it.

Not every film is for everyone, but I think it's a fantastically entertaining film.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by mspar009

I know "I am coming to the show a little late" by sharing this, but I found Carol Reed's Odd Man Out to be a bit on the boring side. Does anyone else agree with me on this? I just watched it lastnight for the first time.

I watched it for the first time a year or so ago too and I wasn't really bowled over by it either. But that's only one viewing so who knows what the future will bring.

It took me several starts over a year or more to be in the mood to even watch The Third Man all the way through but once I got on board I got on fully on board. I can't remember if I was totally wowed by the first full viewing or not but it didn't take long for me to fully buy into all the masterpiece talk.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by mspar009

I know "I am coming to the show a little late" by sharing this, but I found Carol Reed's Odd Man Out to be a bit on the boring side. Does anyone else agree with me on this? I just watched it lastnight for the first time.

Speaking from purely an entertainment standpoint, this movie was not all that good. I have been holding off for almost two years to see The Third Man (for a number of reason, a major one being I want my theater at it's very best when I see it for the first time)...I hope that it is much more interesting than Odd Man Out.

Note: I love film-noir and I am confused as to why so many people enjoy this one in particular...maybe it is a bit of Criterion Fever instead of real enjoyment of the film.

Maybe it is just me.

I've seen "Odd Man Out" twice. The first time, I personally thought it was a real snoozefest and one of the bigger disappointments in the Criterion catalog. Watched it a second time and thought it was better, but still was underwhelmed. It's in the lower tier of Criterion films I've seen, definitely one of my least favorite Criterions that I own.

But "The Third Man" is almost impossible to dislike. It's absolutely fantastic.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

You mean like 'not dead?'

Hirokazu Koreeda
I like the Dardennes films that I've seen.
The Coen brothers
..and I liked Secret of the Grain and LOVED Blue is the Warmest Color so Abdellitaf Kechiche, too.

Someone outside the collection whose style and films have been right up my alley is Anton Corbijn.

Oh, and Wim Wenders, too. Bought his box set today!

I always admired Corbijn for his rock music photography (U2, Depeche Mode, etc.) and the few films he's made were also good (Control and Linear are my 2 faves. of his).

Kore-eda's Still Walking is one of my favorite Asian films in the Criterion Collection.

Can you believe I've yet to watch Secret of the Grain? I think its time I view this.

Dardennes are special. They make very humanistic films. They require patience but every film of theirs is rewarding.

Coens are another animal entirely. A few of my all time favorite movies were directed by them but I won't tell you which ones.

And Wenders? He's my fave. German director (just an edge over Herzog for me).

[mspar009]

Originally Posted by mja345

But "The Third Man" is almost impossible to dislike. It's absolutely fantastic.

I am going to watch it this month (4K Scan), so far my favorite noir is The Killing from CC.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

You want a trilogy that only consists of the worst of those three movies? Tsk Tsk

Well I was gonna write the same thing for each film but then I realised it was what the OP was saying :P

Unless you want to watch all 3 film 3 times in one night plus I didn't know which one to choose but seen MD more than others

[Samantha]

Originally Posted by ZeTi

Hope everyone who hasn't seen PARIS, TEXAS will use the sale to rectify this mistake.

Saw Paris, Texas when it was originally released in theatres. I was making my buy list yesterday & it is in my top 3. Problem is, I kept putting so many films in my cart, I was nearing $200. I'm going to make some cuts, but am interested in other's thoughts on Nashville, Devil's Backbone, Cronos, Rififi, Seconds, All that Jazz, Picnic at Hanging Rock. Money-wise, I'd like to keep it close to $100 if possible. Any thoughts, opinions, other suggested buys? Thanks.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Zen_Amako

But will alcohol and Criterions be a good combination?

People that tried drinking games with this film (take a drink to match every time a character does) have found themselves blotto long before the end.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Trying to think of the 3rd film to go with:

The Innocents/The Uninvited/ _______

Originally Posted by octagon

I thought about that but I kind of find The Uninvited fairly light hearted too. It's not an outright comedy. It's certainly not Topper or I Married a Witch but (for me, anyway) there was never any real sense of dread either. To me there was always an undercurrent of 'don't get too worried, nothing too terrible is going to happen here'.

I agree with octagon. The Uninvited wasn't particularly scary to start with and has also dated, unlike The Innocents.
Onibaba is an excellent film, and if you're not restricted to Criterion snobbery, The Haunting. Devil's Backbone may be newer but the style harks back to the classic Goth chiller. I also highly rate the insidious Berberian Sound Studio, that was a creepy venture.

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by Samantha

Saw Paris, Texas when it was originally released in theatres. I was making my buy list yesterday & it is in my top 3. Problem is, I kept putting so many films in my cart, I was nearing $200. I'm going to make some cuts, but am interested in other's thoughts on Nashville, Devil's Backbone, Cronos, Rififi, Seconds, All that Jazz, Picnic at Hanging Rock. Money-wise, I'd like to keep it close to $100 if possible. Any thoughts, opinions, other suggested buys? Thanks.

If it were me the ones to keep would be Rififi, Paris Texas, Seconds, All That Jazz and Picnic at Hanging Rock, which would bring you to $100 before tax (unless you're a B&N member and/or using coupons).
Nashville is good and havent seen the Devils Backbone but would easily rank Cronos as the weakest of this group even though its not bad.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by reelgeek

Mandatory?!!

You'll find a heck of a lot of "mandatory!" posts in the Criterion and Twilight Time threads.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by jw007

I always admired Corbijn for his rock music photography (U2, Depeche Mode, etc.) and the few films he's made were also good (Control and Linear are my 2 faves. of his).

You should urge Criterion to release the other Kontroll film The rights are probably available now. It will be quite the hit here, with so many people enjoying noir/neo-noir films. It also has a great soundtrack, though with a harder industrial edge.

Great atmosphere in the old Budapest metro

Kontroll Movie trailer - YouTube

Neo - A Familiar face (Control) - YouTube

Pro-B

[Nielsb90]

Will try and place an order through contacts in the US and have them reship it to avoid customs. The 20% coupon is the best deal I've seen for non-members. Looking at:

Apu Trilogy
The New World
Carnival of Souls
Paris, Texas

That will be a nice contribution of American cinema to my Criterion collection. All of them are blind buys but I am fairly certain that I will enjoy all of them. I love the mood/atmosphere of the American south and have lived there. I love horror and freaky movies. I love history and have visited the Jamestown area several times - The Thin Red Line is also fantastic. And finally I might be going to West Bengal this winter and I've read some Indian literature lately. Overall it seems like a perfect batch for me! Now to sort out how to best get them here!

[VONi]

So how's Criterion's World on a Wire? I loved Arrow's Fassbinder set so much that I'm contemplating whether I should buy WoaW from the sale or wait the (inevitable?) 4K upgrade from Arrow/other UK distributor.

[format916]

Originally Posted by VONi

So how's Criterion's World on a Wire? I loved Arrow's Fassbinder set so much that I'm contemplating whether I should buy WoaW from the sale or wait the (inevitable?) 4K upgrade from Arrow/other UK distributor.

i actually bought world on a wire after renting it from the library. its a good release. it plays straight through or you can select each part. i dont think this will get a 4k upgrade but you never know.

[hendersd]

What is it with Criterion over the past couple of years? Many of the presentations are overly dark. It's not just me; the reviews on this site frequently refer to the transfers as being "quite dark". I first noticed this on Eraserhead. Yes, that's an inherently dark film, but the picture literally disappears in some scenes. To watch the Criterion release, I have to put my Panasonic Plasma into "torch mode". I like to keep the brightness down a bit, but I have to really crank it for Eraserhead. I re-read several reviews for titles I'm interested in getting during the sale. On virtually every review I pulled up, the term "dark" appeared in the description of the image quality.

[The Great Owl]

I just made the first dent in the latest Criterion sale. I used my 20% Off coupon in conjunction with the sale to order Wim Wenders: The Road Trilogy for $42.99.

I hope that this set arrives in the mail in good condition.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by hendersd

What is it with Criterion over the past couple of years? Many of the presentations are overly dark. It's not just me; the reviews on this site frequently refer to the transfers as being "quite dark". I first noticed this on Eraserhead. Yes, that's an inherently dark film, but the picture literally disappears in some scenes. To watch the Criterion release, I have to put my Panasonic Plasma into "torch mode". I like to keep the brightness down a bit, but I have to really crank it for Eraserhead. I re-read several reviews for titles I'm interested in getting during the sale. On virtually every review I pulled up, the term "dark" appeared in the description of the image quality.

Which others? I haven't seen this personally and I don't think I've heard anyone make this observation before either.

[Old Geezer]

I'm getting ready to make my order in the B&N sale and I'm having a hard time choosing between Phoenix or Clouds of Sils Maria at this time. Looking for recommendations from anyone who wants to chime in.
Normally it would be a no-brainer for me as I absolutely love Juliette Binoche. Unfortunately Kristen Stewart is my least favorite actress currently in the business (I know many others feel differently but that's my opinion ). Phoenix looks like exactly the type of movie I'd like but it would be a blind buy.
I'll probably end up buying both anyway.

[hendersd]

Just one example is The Manchurian Candidate. The blu-ray.com review states that the transfer is "quite dark" and even displays crush at times. Some of the screen caps look very dark compared to the MGM blu. The review for The Graduate mentions this same issue.

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Which others? I haven't seen this personally and I don't think I've heard anyone make this observation before either.