The Criterion Collection

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by jw007

Got a question for all here.

Has anyone aside from me accumulated such a large Criterion Collection that the passion and excitement of buying more Criterions is not as strong as it used to be?

Don't get me wrong, I love many films in the collection, but my anti-consumerist attitude as of late has put my collection in deep contradiction with my personal convictions. I am finding more pleasure selling, sharing, trading, giving away, donating and not accumulating anymore, and now every time I buy a new Criterion film, I wonder if I really needed to buy this?

What's a burnt out Criterion Collector to do?

I just cant afford it now that sites are shutting down and pricing shooting up for UK'rs .

I kinda moved onto Arrow and MoC more now, I keep a Criterion wish list and in time will buy them but my priority now is collecting Arrow releases which are incredible and some very fun films!

[MifuneFan]

When people buy to be completionists, the priority isn't about the movies anymore, so you lose actual excitement that comes when you buy something solely because you're genuinely interested in the film, rather than needing it to fill a void.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jw007

Got a question for all here.

Has anyone aside from me accumulated such a large Criterion Collection that the passion and excitement of buying more Criterions is not as strong as it used to be?

Don't get me wrong, I love many films in the collection, but my anti-consumerist attitude as of late has put my collection in deep contradiction with my personal convictions. I am finding more pleasure selling, sharing, trading, giving away, donating and not accumulating anymore, and now every time I buy a new Criterion film, I wonder if I really needed to buy this?

What's a burnt out Criterion Collector to do?

I'm having similar thoughts as of recent. For me, though, it's not so much from an anti-consumerist attitude as much as it is due to the fact that I've got a rather daunting still-unwatched stack of Criterion Blu-rays at the moment. Every time I'm tempted to pull the trigger on blind-buy titles like Le Amiche, La Chienne, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, or The Immortal Story, I remember the still-untouched box sets of Jacques Demy, Jacques Tati, John Cassavetes, and David Lean films that are sitting in the next room.

I've also spread myself thin by becoming preoccupied with releases from Kino Lorber, Arrow, Code Red, Twilight Time, and others, so I've lately been limiting my Criterion attentions to familiar titles like Cat People and Blood Simple that I've seen before and that I know that I'll revisit on a frequent basis.

During this past Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble, I only picked up three titles.

I've been eyeing my collection recently and wondering about my propensity to hoard titles that intrigue me so that I'll have time to watch them in the event of my retirement, an unforeseen apocalypse, or something of the sort. That said, my initial promise to have an "all killer, no filler" Blu-ray collection has still not been broken, and I've quite enjoyed even my most risky blind buys.

I keep saying that I'm going to take a break for a few months and limit my purchases only to classic-era film noir titles while I catch up on still-unwatched stuff, but there's always some awesome announcement that compels me to forget about that resolution.
I have a feeling that more and more Blu-ray studios have sensed the mentality of folks like me, and that they are now releasing more and more limited edition titles to create buyer urgency due to the scarcity of the items, but I won't go down that rabbit hole any further in this discussion. After all, I'm the only one responsible for my purchase decisions.

[GenPion]

Originally Posted by callahan09

Doesn't sound like your issue has much, if anything, to do with criterion and is a far more wide reaching personal dilemma about consumerism. Keep in mind, Criterion may be a business, but they are far from a huge entity, while they need to sell product to make money, their contributions to film preservation, analysis, and restoration make them more than worthy of your dollars without any needed feeling of guilt for consumerism in my opinion. Without efforts of groups like them a lot of this stuff would never be available for any of us to appreciate, and that's worthy of support in my opinion.

Without labels like Criterion there wouldn't be as much availability of classic and foreign language films (not to mention restored versions which preserves the art). Criterion has to sell releases in order to fully support their business model but it's one of the best film companies around. It's important for the arts.

If you don't want to own Criterion releases though, you could simply sign up for their streaming service with Turner Classic Movies later this year.

Personally, I don't have much of an issue with consumerism but it's also up to each buyer. I do find it ridiculous that some collectors buy several identical editions of movies or Steelbooks just for different o-cards or the like. Some steelbook colors have like 10 identical versions of movies just from different countries.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by callahan09

Doesn't sound like your issue has much, if anything, to do with criterion and is a far more wide reaching personal dilemma about consumerism. Keep in mind, Criterion may be a business, but they are far from a huge entity, while they need to sell product to make money, their contributions to film preservation, analysis, and restoration make them more than worthy of your dollars without any needed feeling of guilt for consumerism in my opinion. Without efforts of groups like them a lot of this stuff would never be available for any of us to appreciate, and that's worthy of support in my opinion.

It sounds like your point is that I'm doing a "good deed" by purchasing Criterion films and helping the world become a better place. I mean, I'm under no obligation to continue supporting any one company in general. There are plenty of NGOs and charity organizations that may deserve my support more so than a video distribution company specializing in preserving and restoring great films. I am a film lover but I don't see any universal moral truth in not feeling guilty by supporting a fine company such as Janus films.

With that said, I've done a great job giving Criterion/Janus my business over the years and I will continue doing so, and I consider purchasing their films more special than regularly buying "things" in the world, but I'm not doing a good deed.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

When people buy to be completionists, the priority isn't about the movies anymore, so you lose actual excitement that comes when you buy something solely because you're genuinely interested in the film, rather than needing it to fill a void.

Perfect point you made.

"Filling a void".

I think the void has been filled! And now it's overfilling with films!

[jw007]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I'm having similar thoughts as of recent. For me, though, it's not so much from an anti-consumerist attitude as much as it is due to the fact that I've got a rather daunting still-unwatched stack of Criterion Blu-rays at the moment. Every time I'm tempted to pull the trigger on blind-buy titles like Le Amiche, La Chienne, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, or The Immortal Story, I remember the still-untouched box sets of Jacques Demy, Jacques Tati, John Cassavetes, and David Lean films that are sitting in the next room.

I've also spread myself thin by becoming preoccupied with releases from Kino Lorber, Arrow, Code Red, Twilight Time, and others, so I've lately been limiting my Criterion attentions to familiar titles like Cat People and Blood Simple that I've seen before and that I know that I'll revisit on a frequent basis.

During this past Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble, I only picked up three titles.

I've been eyeing my collection recently and wondering about my propensity to hoard titles that intrigue me so that I'll have time to watch them in the event of my retirement, an unforeseen apocalypse, or something of the sort. That said, my initial promise to have an "all killer, no filler" Blu-ray collection has still not been broken, and I've quite enjoyed even my most risky blind buys.

I keep saying that I'm going to take a break for a few months and limit my purchases only to classic-era film noir titles while I catch up on still-unwatched stuff, but there's always some awesome announcement that compels me to forget about that resolution.
I have a feeling that more and more Blu-ray studios have sensed the mentality of folks like me, and that they are now releasing more and more limited edition titles to create buyer urgency due to the scarcity of the items, but I won't go down that rabbit hole any further in this discussion. After all, I'm the only one responsible for my purchase decisions.

Your thoughts resonated with me here.

First off, I too only purchased 3 titles during this past July sale ironically.

Second....

When collecting becomes a hoarding issue, that is when we must take a step back and redefine what we're doing exactly. Why do we need to buy and own so much? Why does it make us feel more satisfied?

It's all psychological. I know a friend who calls himself a collector but he's truly a hoarder and his little house is overbrimming with found objects he picks up off the street or buys at bargain sales or flea markets. That's obviously far different than a passionate film collector who only specifically purchases films (and even more if its a certain label like Criterion). Still, in your case, when you end up buying movies from other labels (Arrow, MoC, Kino, TT, etc.), there may be no end in sight and you end up with piles of unwatched, unopened films that you want to get around to!

So... I'm taking a deep breath.

Ahhhhhh.... did you feel my exhale?

I'm slowing down my mind, my thoughts, my desires, my fears.

And now I am making conscious decisions.

Yet, I still wonder, like you, maybe I'll want to keep these films in the unforeseen circumstance that some financial or apocalyptic cataclysm occurs and the internet is wiped out and all we have left is physical media such as DVDs and Blu-rays. Then I'll have an advantage over the streaming users who rely on internet connections to watch their movies.

But isn't that crazy to think such a thing?

Of course!

Nevertheless, in a consumerist society, companies are making things very hard nowadays with these anniversary or jubilee re-releases of films. I'm sticking to my guns though and not double dipping like "they" want me to do. I feel that I've already amassed such a huge film library that if I stop buying movies tomorrow, I'll still be able to enjoy my vast physical collection for years to come because I have enough diversity to want to revisit certain films and genres.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, Mr. Owl.

[ElliesDad]

Originally Posted by jw007

Got a question for all here.

Has anyone aside from me accumulated such a large Criterion Collection that the passion and excitement of buying more Criterions is not as strong as it used to be?

Don't get me wrong, I love many films in the collection, but my anti-consumerist attitude as of late has put my collection in deep contradiction with my personal convictions. I am finding more pleasure selling, sharing, trading, giving away, donating and not accumulating anymore, and now every time I buy a new Criterion film, I wonder if I really needed to buy this?

What's a burnt out Criterion Collector to do?

Maybe try to keep things in their proper perspective. I'd probably be more concerned over my blu-ray collection after I'd purchased a loom and begun to grow my own food. Conversely you could just simplify the dilemma by trading in your collection for a sheep, prior to acquiring the loom...

[silverlakephil]

TCM is currently having a 40% off sale on Criterions. It might be comparable to Amazon prices with prime membership:

http://shop.tcm.com/tcm-criterion-co...=AV&ft=Blu-ray

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by jw007

Got a question for all here.

Has anyone aside from me accumulated such a large Criterion Collection that the passion and excitement of buying more Criterions is not as strong as it used to be?

Don't get me wrong, I love many films in the collection, but my anti-consumerist attitude as of late has put my collection in deep contradiction with my personal convictions. I am finding more pleasure selling, sharing, trading, giving away, donating and not accumulating anymore, and now every time I buy a new Criterion film, I wonder if I really needed to buy this?

What's a burnt out Criterion Collector to do?

Sounds like you should sit down and have a long talk with IScottie.

[Old Geezer]

Originally Posted by jw007

Got a question for all here.

Has anyone aside from me accumulated such a large Criterion Collection that the passion and excitement of buying more Criterions is not as strong as it used to be?

Don't get me wrong, I love many films in the collection, but my anti-consumerist attitude as of late has put my collection in deep contradiction with my personal convictions. I am finding more pleasure selling, sharing, trading, giving away, donating and not accumulating anymore, and now every time I buy a new Criterion film, I wonder if I really needed to buy this?

What's a burnt out Criterion Collector to do?

I'm pretty much in agreement with The Great Owl and jw700 on this issue. I only bought 2 Criterions from the last sale. At the age of 70 I have come to realize that there are many movies in my collection that I will never watch again. I have become far more selective in the movies I buy while at the same time selling off movies I'm pretty sure I'll never watch again. Two years ago my collection was at around 1730. That's about where I'm at today.
Also, when I started collecting, Criterion was about the only place to find the "classics" and special interest movies. Now there are many distributors putting out great old movies so my spending is spread out over several different places (More money to Twilight, Kino, Warner, ect. equals less for Criterion).

[WeeBey]

Are there any hints, clues, or rumors about Criterion releasing Erich von Stroheim's Greed. Criterion has had an arrangement with Warner since 2014, I think. This title must have come up in discussions. It's a classic that hasn't so much as seen a DVD release (though it is up on iTunes).

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

When people buy to be completionists, the priority isn't about the movies anymore, so you lose actual excitement that comes when you buy something solely because you're genuinely interested in the film, rather than needing it to fill a void.

That's exactly what happened to me...and I had to take a humongous step backward.

[theater dreamer]

Jonathan, I think what you're going through is perfectly normal, and understandable. Over time, anything that one is passionate about, especially an endeavor where a lot of money is spent, will yield diminishing returns. It's part of the normal ebb and flow of life. One area you just happen to be witnessing this is in your Criterion collection. If that is, indeed, part of a larger, changing attitude towards consumerism, in general, only you can really know. But I completely get how tiring the acquisition of "things" can be. At some point, it's only natural to take a step back, and question the amount of buying you've done, be it Criterions, or clothes, furniture, art. Buying, and the promise it holds for experiencing new things, can be addictive. But the allure wears off at some point. From what you've said, it's not the movies themselves that you've grown tired of, as you still take pleasure out of sharing, or giving away your movies so others may experience the joy you have. And, that, I think, is the distinction. Maybe you won't buy again for a while. Maybe just revisit some of the films you already have. You never know; at some point you might find that desire to add to your collection returns. Take a break from collecting for a while, and maybe focus more of your energy to discussing what you've seen. I know from our personal communications that you've got great, and diverse tastes. Maybe you can channel your love for film into writing reviews, or helping others who are, like me, fairly new to the whole thing. Think of it as hunting. Maybe, just approach the beast from a different angle. There's no right or wrong way to enjoy. Each person is unique.

Right now, I'm on the exact opposite end of the spectrum. I've only been collecting for a little over a year, and the excitement is very much still there. The world of great films is still pretty much an unknown, for me. I've been introduced to so many incredible talents since signing up here, and participating in the discussion. And I've barely scratched the surface. I can participate in a discussion of Ozu, or Kurosawa, Bergman or Fellini, but I don't have the depth of knowledge that many here do. And that's my ultimate goal, to not only have an in-depth appreciation of, but an encyclopedic knowledge of the greats. I have a passion for film, and I want to be able to share that with others. My end goal is to take that enthusiasm for these movies, and find a way to channel it, and expose younger people (as well as more "seasoned" people, like myself) to what's really out there once you expand your gaze beyond the blockbusters that Hollywood churns out. There will be people out there that discover the same passion for film that I now have; they only have to be exposed to what's possible. Believe me, my friend, there are people out there longing for more than Transformers and Fast and Furious. And, I don't mean to impugn people who love those films. Lord knows I have my share of The A Teams and G.I. Joes in my collection; sometimes, I just want to see an action thriller where stuff gets blown up, and the good guys win. By "longing for more", I mean there are people who are looking for more variety in what they watch. It's possible to enjoy all kinds of movies; unfortunately, you just don't see the greats of the past being talked about in any mainstream way. Even if it's only a small percentage of moviegoers who take to the films we discuss here, and Criterion distributes, every person that's turned on to a Jean-Luc Godard, or François Truffaut, will have their lives enriched in ways they can't possible anticipate. So, I'm in the gathering phase. When these sales come up, I'm buying a lot of films (well, for me, anyway). That will continue for some time, because there are a lot of films in the collection that interest me. I keep saying that I will be grabbing a lot of documentaries, and I haven't even scratched the surface there yet.

Do what you enjoy, Jonathan. Who knows where you'll be even six months from now. You might discover a director that you really enjoy within the collection, a name that you recognize, but haven't really explored yet. And, that might ignite that passion all over again.

Originally Posted by jw007

Got a question for all here.

Has anyone aside from me accumulated such a large Criterion Collection that the passion and excitement of buying more Criterions is not as strong as it used to be?

Don't get me wrong, I love many films in the collection, but my anti-consumerist attitude as of late has put my collection in deep contradiction with my personal convictions. I am finding more pleasure selling, sharing, trading, giving away, donating and not accumulating anymore, and now every time I buy a new Criterion film, I wonder if I really needed to buy this?

What's a burnt out Criterion Collector to do?

[14728]

I've got a question: since Blood Simple is getting a Criterion re-release, and because Inside Llweyn Davis has already been released, I was wondering if anyone expects other Coen Brothers films to make their way over to Criterion. I'd love to see titles like Barton Fink or Fargo join the collection!

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Old Geezer

I'm pretty much in agreement with The Great Owl and jw700 on this issue. I only bought 2 Criterions from the last sale. At the age of 70 I have come to realize that there are many movies in my collection that I will never watch again. I have become far more selective in the movies I buy while at the same time selling off movies I'm pretty sure I'll never watch again. Two years ago my collection was at around 1730. That's about where I'm at today.
Also, when I started collecting, Criterion was about the only place to find the "classics" and special interest movies. Now there are many distributors putting out great old movies so my spending is spread out over several different places (More money to Twilight, Kino, Warner, ect. equals less for Criterion).

Hi Old Geezer!

Wheww, glad I'm not the only person who feels this way in this forum's thread! Like yourself I'm starting to become super selective about the films I buy now. I think this epiphany came a couple of years back when I started practicing the "try before you buy" method of going to the local library and borrowing films that can be found in the Criterion Collection. This really helped me become more aware of what I should buy and what I shouldn't, based on re-watchability factors. For me, if I don't like the movie, even if its a legendary film or from a great director, then that's a wasteful purchase. I have to think about "me" when it comes to which movies I like and want to own. I'm not building a library for pop culture, I'm building a library for myself...and that's really the bottom line!

- jw007

[jw007]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Jonathan, I think what you're going through is perfectly normal, and understandable. Over time, anything that one is passionate about, especially an endeavor where a lot of money is spent, will yield diminishing returns. It's part of the normal ebb and flow of life. One area you just happen to be witnessing this is in your Criterion collection. If that is, indeed, part of a larger, changing attitude towards consumerism, in general, only you can really know. But I completely get how tiring the acquisition of "things" can be. At some point, it's only natural to take a step back, and question the amount of buying you've done, be it Criterions, or clothes, furniture, art. Buying, and the promise it holds for experiencing new things, can be addictive. But the allure wears off at some point. From what you've said, it's not the movies themselves that you've grown tired of, as you still take pleasure out of sharing, or giving away your movies so others may experience the joy you have. And, that, I think, is the distinction. Maybe you won't buy again for a while. Maybe just revisit some of the films you already have. You never know; at some point you might find that desire to add to your collection returns. Take a break from collecting for a while, and maybe focus more of your energy to discussing what you've seen. I know from our personal communications that you've got great, and diverse tastes. Maybe you can channel your love for film into writing reviews, or helping others who are, like me, fairly new to the whole thing. Think of it as hunting. Maybe, just approach the beast from a different angle. There's no right or wrong way to enjoy. Each person is unique.

Right now, I'm on the exact opposite end of the spectrum. I've only been collecting for a little over a year, and the excitement is very much still there. The world of great films is still pretty much an unknown, for me. I've been introduced to so many incredible talents since signing up here, and participating in the discussion. And I've barely scratched the surface. I can participate in a discussion of Ozu, or Kurosawa, Bergman or Fellini, but I don't have the depth of knowledge that many here do. And that's my ultimate goal, to not only have an in-depth appreciation of, but an encyclopedic knowledge of the greats. I have a passion for film, and I want to be able to share that with others. My end goal is to take that enthusiasm for these movies, and find a way to channel it, and expose younger people (as well as more "seasoned" people, like myself) to what's really out there once you expand your gaze beyond the blockbusters that Hollywood churns out. There will be people out there that discover the same passion for film that I now have; they only have to be exposed to what's possible. Believe me, my friend, there are people out there longing for more than Transformers and Fast and Furious. And, I don't mean to impugn people who love those films. Lord knows I have my share of The A Teams and G.I. Joes in my collection; sometimes, I just want to see an action thriller where stuff gets blown up, and the good guys win. By "longing for more", I mean there are people who are looking for more variety in what they watch. It's possible to enjoy all kinds of movies; unfortunately, you just don't see the greats of the past being talked about in any mainstream way. Even if it's only a small percentage of moviegoers who take to the films we discuss here, and Criterion distributes, every person that's turned on to a Jean-Luc Godard, or François Truffaut, will have their lives enriched in ways they can't possible anticipate. So, I'm in the gathering phase. When these sales come up, I'm buying a lot of films (well, for me, anyway). That will continue for some time, because there are a lot of films in the collection that interest me. I keep saying that I will be grabbing a lot of documentaries, and I haven't even scratched the surface there yet.

Do what you enjoy, Jonathan. Who knows where you'll be even six months from now. You might discover a director that you really enjoy within the collection, a name that you recognize, but haven't really explored yet. And, that might ignite that passion all over again.

Hi William,

Wow, thank you for such a lengthy and caring response to my original posting (I truly appreciate the time you took to write all this).

Yes, channeling that film passion. You said it. I wrote only a couple of "official" reviews on this website (both for Criterion films), but I suppose you can say its a chore for me to write detailed reviews because of my OCD and perfectionist tendencies. In the end it would be exhausting for me to write professional film reviews that are up to my standards. I did used to write these when I was much younger, but unlike you, I received a full education in "Film Studies" from a university in which I sat for 4 years through over a dozen film courses taught by many different teachers and writing MANY, many, many essays on the films I watched. Yes, a B.A. in Film Studies is what I have and you would think I know a thing or two about cinema, but I honestly am burned out in terms of writing more about films I've seen. But sharing that passion and knowledge with other people is totally my cup of tea though. I prefer oral reviews as opposed to written reviews I guess you can say. Nothing is more fun than going to a theater with friends to see an exciting new film and walking out and talking for an hour or two about our thoughts on the film. I hope to do this next week or two for Werner Herzog's new documentary: Lo and Behold.

Really, in the end, its about making connections with people who share commonalities with us such as in film, music, literature, philosophy, politics, etc. Even better if I could meet my future wife or female soulmate through a film club such as on this thread. It's really all about the human condition here.

Collecting blu-rays is fun I admit, esp. at first, when you've discovered the medium and boy that was fun about 5 or 6 years ago when I discovered blu-rays and all these amazing films in the Criterion Collection. The passion or love can wear off though for sure, like anything we are passionate or love a lot at first. Maintaining that level of excitement over a long time is truly a challenge. Collecting Criterion blu-rays is one such challenge for me, as I am nearly out of shelf space here for the over 250 titles I have.

In any case, I am always open to talking about movies with you. Have a great evening William.

- jw007

[AwkwardBoner]

Originally Posted by 14728

I've got a question: since Blood Simple is getting a Criterion re-release, and because Inside Llweyn Davis has already been released, I was wondering if anyone expects other Coen Brothers films to make their way over to Criterion. I'd love to see titles like Barton Fink or Fargo join the collection!

I'd bet on Barton Fink making it eventually. Fargo is highly doubtful.

[starman15317]

Barton Fink would make an awesome Criterion!

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Alien³ bugs the crap out of me because one element undermines the whole thing for me. Once Ripley realizes that she's not in danger from the Alien because she's carrying a Queen embryo inside her, it seems to me that all of her pent-up fear and anger towards the Aliens would result in her grabbing the nearest crowbar, hunting down the Alien, and beating it to death, knowing that it won't risk the Queen by fighting back. And if she (Ripley) dies from getting sprayed with acid, well, at least she won't die when the Queen bursts out from her.

Originally Posted by Lutz

What point are you making here? You seem to be describing something you think is a plot flaw but then go on to give an example of what you think is missing from the movie with a scene that is actually in the movie?! There is literally a scene in the movie where Ripley tries to kill the alien in the basement with the lead pipe and to top it off she has a dramatic monologue venting her pent up fear and anger towards the alien. *SPOILERS* the alien is bigger and faster and runs away *spoilers*

OK, so I think to myself, "Am I badly remembering what happens in the film?" So, I pop it in the player, and give it a watch for the first time in over a dozen years. Sorry to break this to you, Lutz, but I'm not misremembering it; you are. Check it for yourself: Chapters 24-25 of the original theatrical version or Chapters 33-34 of the "Special Edition".

What happens is that after finding out she's got a Queen inside her, Ripley goes down into "the basement" looking for the Alien. She gets there, picks up a long metal bar, and searches. She thinks she spots it, gives it a poke with the bar, but it turns out to be a pipe full of maggots that crumbles. No "dramatic monologue venting her pent up fear and anger", but a few lines indicating that she wasn't there to hunt the Alien and kill it but rather was trying to goad it into killing her. As she turns she spots the Alien, which drops down from the ceiling in front of her. End of Chapter 24.

Next chapter starts with Ripley finding Dillon, and explaining to him that the Alien wouldn't kill her, and so she asks Dillon to do it. He refuses to do so until after she helps kill the Alien.

So, no "dramatic monologue", no beating the Alien with a lead pipe, no bigger, faster Alien running away. And no Ripley doing any of what I described wanting her to do.