The Criterion Collection

[Scottie]

More Tarkovsky is always wanted and needed.

[SammyJankis]

Yeah, I'm very hopeful this means a Taipei Story release is imminent.

[kuro_sawa]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Tried taking some screencaps of Stalker, but the app kept crashing

I'm watching it right now, and compared to the DVDbeaver caps of the AE release it looks almost like a completely different (and better) restoration. Everything from color to detail. What the hells going on with this, and AE? I guess on a more positive note it looks like this is really coming from the big C down the line which is terrific news.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by kuro_sawa

I'm watching it right now, and compared to the DVDbeaver caps of the AE release it looks almost like a completely different (and better) restoration. Everything from color to detail. What the hells going on with this, and AE? I guess on a more positive note it looks like this is really coming from the big C down the line which is terrific news.

I was able to get a few caps. I posted one comparison between the AE and Criterion here:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=562

The AE one does look poor, lots of people in that thread that are disappointed by it. I've never seen the movie, but skimming through it, it seems a bit odd, but interesting enough. Will try and watch it over the weekend.

[kuro_sawa]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I was able to get a few caps. I posted one comparison between the AE and Criterion here:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=562

The AE one does look poor, lots of people in that thread that are disappointed by it. I've never seen the movie, but skimming through it, it seems a bit odd, but interesting enough. Will try and watch it over the weekend.

Did Tooze get the wrong disc? Did he review the DVD? Did AE delay the release to run it through a VHS player first? I'm befuddled by what I'm seeing.

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Yeah, I'm very hopeful this means a Taipei Story release is imminent.

Hopefully. Whether it's Criterion or a Taiwan Blu... I hope someone releases it this year.

[Ray Jackson]

I watched The Emigrants last night for the first time.

Very intense film.

I get where the praise comes from.

As expected however, I have some initial concerns about its replay value.

...how many times do I really see myself wanting to watch this over the course of the next few years?

And not to sound like a broken record, but this is another example to me of a very long film that would've benefited from a really good score, which The Emigrants doesn't have. Most of it is music free. I get that Jan Troell was probably striving for a more organic, non-stylized feel that would underscore the down-in-the-dirt, salt-of-the-earth theme of the story...but it still would've been a better film with the right kind of score imo.

The extended segment on the ship was pretty hard to watch.

...makes me reconsider my desire to book a cruise to Tahiti next summer.

Looking forward to watching The New Land tonight.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Yeah, I'm very hopeful this means a Taipei Story release is imminent.

Then they world finally get Hou Hsiao-Hsien in the collection.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Then they world finally get Hou Hsiao-Hsien in the collection.

Ha, not how I wanted it to go down, but I'll take it.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I watched The Emigrants last night for the first time.

Very intense film.

I get where the praise comes from.

As expected however, I have some initial concerns about its replay value.

...how many times do I really see myself wanting to watch this over the course of the next few years?

And not to sound like a broken record, but this is another example to me of a very long film that would've benefited from a really good score, which The Emigrants doesn't have. Most of it is music free. I get that Jan Troell was probably striving for a more organic, non-stylized feel that would underscore the down-in-the-dirt, salt-of-the-earth theme of the story...but it still would've been a better film with the right kind of score imo.

The extended segment on the ship was pretty hard to watch.

...makes me reconsider my desire to book a cruise to Tahiti next summer.

Looking forward to watching The New Land tonight.

I'd like to see the film and would have bought it if the B&N coupon codes would have held up.

About film scores and what you originally mentioned about the Wenders films... Alice doesn't have much of a film score to speak of. It is only a few notes on acoustic guitar. I appreciated it - don't get me wrong, but its Wenders' use of pop music that really elevated the film for me. Psychotic Reaction, Chuck Berry, and the awesome awesome scene with the song On The Road Again (is that the name of that song? Not sure)

Anyway, I really like his pop music selections. Kind of like in Wes Anderson's earlier films.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Psychotic Reaction, Chuck Berry, and the awesome awesome scene with the song On The Road Again (is that the name of that song? Not sure)

Yep. Performed by Canned Heat. They perform a terrific cover of Rollin' and Tumblin' on Complete Monterey Pop.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I'd like to see the film and would have bought it if the B&N coupon codes would have held up.

About film scores and what you originally mentioned about the Wenders films... Alice doesn't have much of a film score to speak of. It is only a few notes on acoustic guitar. I appreciated it - don't get me wrong, but its Wenders' use of pop music that really elevated the film for me. Psychotic Reaction, Chuck Berry, and the awesome awesome scene with the song On The Road Again (is that the name of that song? Not sure)

Anyway, I really like his pop music selections. Kind of like in Wes Anderson's earlier films.

That's exactly my point.

Those little acoustic notes made all the difference in the world to me.

Film scores don't have to be Hans Zimmer/John Williams-style over the top to be effective and elevate a film beyond what it would have been otherwise.

Films can be damaged by a bad score, but rarely, if ever, are films better with no score or soundtrack.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by ajburke

Megan Abbott's Top 10 is up on criterion.com. I found it an excellent read.

https://www.criterion.com/explore/29...bbott-s-top-10

This is the best Criterion Top 10 that I've read in a long time.

In fact, it's probably the second best Criterion Top 10 in the world next to my own.

[olivianewtonyawn]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

This is the best Criterion Top 10 that I've read in a long time.

In fact, it's probably the second best Criterion Top 10 in the world next to my own.

Yes, Megan Abbot is great. Highly recommend her book The Street Was Mine. It is a critical study of noir fiction and film. Very good.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

That's exactly my point.

Those little acoustic notes made all the difference in the world to me.

Film scores don't have to be Hans Zimmer/John Williams-style over the top to be effective and elevate a film beyond what it would have been otherwise.

Films can be damaged by a bad score, but rarely, if ever, are films better with no score or soundtrack.

Oh, I beg to differ. If ever? I mean.. off hand, I can think of five films that make great use of this:

Jeannie Dielman
Les rendez-vous d'Anna
Dog Day Afternoon
The Son
M

These films would be tarnished had they been accompanied with a score or a tune. You remember the silence, the looks, the gestures, the way an emotional line can be guided by an actor's movement or expression, and even the composition. It doesn't even need to follow a minimalist approach - just look at Lumet's film. I think it's awfully reductive to think a film needs to rely on a particular element in order to be successful.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Oh, I beg to differ. If ever? I mean.. off hand, I can think of five films that make great use of this:

Jeannie Dielman
Les rendez-vous d'Anna
Dog Day Afternoon
The Son
M

These films would be tarnished had they been accompanied with a score or a tune. You remember the silence, the looks, the gestures, the way an emotional line can be guided by an actor's movement or expression, and even the composition. It doesn't even need to follow a minimalist approach - just look at Lumet's film. I think it's awfully reductive to think a film needs to rely on a particular element in order to be successful.

I've only seen two of those, but I disagree.

No Country For Old Men is a good example of a film that works just fine without music of any kind. But I refuse to believe that if there had been an effective score and/or soundtrack in it that people would've been complaining that the movie would've been better without music.


"I think it's awfully reductive to think a film needs to rely on a particular element in order to be successful."

I would argue that a film without photography would not be successful.

[callahan09]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I've only seen two of those, but I disagree.

No Country For Old Men is a good example of a film that works just fine without music of any kind. But I refuse to believe that if there had been an effective score and/or soundtrack in it that people would've been complaining that the movie would've been better without music.


"I think it's awfully reductive to think a film needs to rely on a particular element in order to be successful."

I would argue that a film without photography would not be successful.

But how do you know No Country For Old Men would have been nearly as effective had it been accompanied by a musical score? It didn't have one, so to me it doesn't make a lot of sense to use it in your argument, since it doesn't have music and you can't just say "I assume it would have been just as good if it did have music". I'd use a movie like Psycho if I were you. Hitch originally wanted no music in the shower scene, but the composer created some anyway and made Hitch listen to it, after which Hitch changed his mind because it was so perfect with the music. It's now an iconic scene and iconic musical accompaniment as well. If you've watched the special feature comparing the shower scene without music as originally devised, then with the music that Hitch changed his mind to include, you can only conclude that the addition of the music drastically improves the scene.

[repulsed]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

This is the best Criterion Top 10 that I've read in a long time.

In fact, it's probably the second best Criterion Top 10 in the world next to my own.

she could have had a foreign movie or two though. not denying all the great titles but come on

[callahan09]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

This is the best Criterion Top 10 that I've read in a long time.

In fact, it's probably the second best Criterion Top 10 in the world next to my own.

I don't usually read these top 10 lists. Generally, is it more about the movie or more about the Criterion treatment of the release, or somewhere in the middle? My own top 10 would be likely quite different depending on the weight of those factors.

[jbieste]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

This is the best Criterion Top 10 that I've read in a long time.

In fact, it's probably the second best Criterion Top 10 in the world next to my own.

Somebody cue up "Confessions Of Mr. Modest"