The Criterion Collection

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

No, it's not. The current release is 1.78. The back of the package says 1.85 but it's incorrect.

That's Warner Bros. for you. They consistently state "1.85" on packaging for films released at that ratio, but equally consistently frame them at 1.78.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by MassiveMovieBuff

Very good post! Yeah Buscemi is a loner in the film and there isn't anything wrong with that. That's what I have issues with in that scene. It makes it sound like collecting is a bad or unhealthy thing. I love the film but never liked the dialogue in that particular scene. I'm a loner myself to a degree but I have friends that I hang out with and have been in quite a few relationships. I don't know many people at all though that are as passionate about, love, watch or collect films the way I do except people on these forums.

I just don't like when loners are always perceived in a negative way in films for the most part. That's one of the reasons I think the casting of Ryan Gosling in Drive was perfect. He's not some creepy looking serial killer and they don't portray being a loner in a bad light in that film (which may or may not be arguable)

The world loner has taken on an association with being misanthropic or reclusive, but, in fact, there are many loners who are very sociable, talkative people who simply aren't that interested in the validation of others in large ways, but in smaller ways (i.e. good conversation, but not some validation in the grand scheme of life). Most people I greatly admire are those who do things because they enjoy them, not to validate what others think is normal. One of my best buddies from college is a guy I would see smoking (mostly cigs, sometimes bud haha) outside my dorm by himself all the time. Other guys in my dorm thought he was strange because he wasn't into the same stuff they were. About a month into the first semester, I go outside to have a smoke late at night (I've since quit) and he was out there and we had a chat. He and I hit it off immediately and ended up being roommates our last two years. Turns out he was a very sociable guy, but had the appearance of a loner because he just didn't give a shit about the same stuff most people do.

My point is collecting films is something we all enjoy doing, not needing to validate it to others, or we wouldn't be on this forum. When I see someone who does what he or she wants to do, without need for constant validation from others, and it doesn't hurt it anyone else, I say that is one cool motherfu**ker. In film terms, think about the actors we all think of as 'cool'. McQueen, Newman, Bogart, Brando, Eastwood, Marvin, Bronson, Coburn, etc. All of those guys, on screen, gave the appearance of being 'loners' in the best sense of the word.

[KillDaWabbit]

Originally Posted by Thebunk

Ok, apologies in advance but this is another "I need recommendations that are blind buys" during the sale. Right now here is my shortlist (again, these will be blind buys):

Before Trilogy
Carnival of Souls
Yi Yi
Close Up
Don't Look Now
Also open to other recs.


Now for a frame of reference, I would say I lean more towards modern films and have a hard time getting into films if they are really dated (especially from an acting perspective). I would say the top Criterions I own are:

Three Color Trilogy
Dazed and Confused
Fear and Loathing
Mulholland Drive
The Dekalog
The Double Life of Veronique
2 Days 1 Night
La Promesse
High and Low
Seven Samurai

I am not much of a Bergman fan, or the other Samurai style Kurasowa films (have see a few and cannot get past the theatrical acting). Also of the list above, I have most of the other Directors offerings (ie Dardennes, Kieslowski, etc).

Ditto what most of the others said, but I am partial to the Wes Anderson films. As far as modern films in the collection go they are all pretty excellent if you enjoy his style.

[Thebunk]

Originally Posted by captainron_howdy

Carnival of Souls is a must IMO, it's a classic.
Don't look now is great also, if you like the "giallo" this is sort of a British one.

As for some modern films I highly recommend :
Phoenix
Ghost World
Cloud of Sils Maria
Punch-Drunk Love
The Game
Short Cuts

And just for fun:
Blow-Up (one of my top 3 of all-time)
A Man Escaped (or really any Bresson)
Straw Dogs (probably the best film ever about discovering masculinity after being pushed beyond your limit)
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (Elio Petri is a director whose films I recommend to everyone) All his films are brilliant.

Best of luck!

Of the modern films you mentioned, I have seen them all with the exception of Phoenix which I remember reading the synopsis on and thought it sounded really good/interesting. Does anyone have anymore thoughts on this as a blindbuy?

Also I saw Ghost World a long time ago and remembered thinking it was ok but was not a fan of the ending. I may connect with it now more though given I am 41 and not 21 which is how old I was around when I saw it.

[cropduster]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

My next greatest adventure in Criterion blind buys is MULTIPLE MANIACS! MUAHAHAHAAA!!!

Last December, I went to see John Waters perform his xmas comedy show and he had a Q&A after the show. Somebody asked him if any of his movies would be coming to bluray in 2017 and he said 3 would be getting released. At that time, Multiple Maniacs was already a given to be released and Serial Mom just got released a few months ago so at least 1 more of his films should be coming to bluray this year from someone unless there was a delay or something. Pesonally I'm hoping Criterion releases Polyester or Female Trouble or a boxset of Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Desperate Living, and Polyester. They're owned by New Line/WB so it's a possibility for Criterion unless Warner Archive would decide to release them.

[malakaheso]

Do C.C still have the rights for Young Mr.Lincoln?

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by mja345

The world loner has taken on an association with being misanthropic or reclusive, but, in fact, there are many loners who are very sociable, talkative people who simply aren't that interested in the validation of others in large ways, but in smaller ways (i.e. good conversation, but not some validation in the grand scheme of life). Most people I greatly admire are those who do things because they enjoy them, not to validate what others think is normal. One of my best buddies from college is a guy I would see smoking (mostly cigs, sometimes bud haha) outside my dorm by himself all the time. Other guys in my dorm thought he was strange because he wasn't into the same stuff they were. About a month into the first semester, I go outside to have a smoke late at night (I've since quit) and he was out there and we had a chat. He and I hit it off immediately and ended up being roommates our last two years. Turns out he was a very sociable guy, but had the appearance of a loner because he just didn't give a shit about the same stuff most people do.

My point is collecting films is something we all enjoy doing, not needing to validate it to others, or we wouldn't be on this forum. When I see someone who does what he or she wants to do, without need for constant validation from others, and it doesn't hurt it anyone else, I say that is one cool motherfu**ker. In film terms, think about the actors we all think of as 'cool'. McQueen, Newman, Bogart, Brando, Eastwood, Marvin, Bronson, Coburn, etc. All of those guys, on screen, gave the appearance of being 'loners' in the best sense of the word.

Absolutely agreed on that as well!

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by malakaheso

Do C.C still have the rights for Young Mr.Lincoln?

Yes.

[captainron_howdy]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

I urge you to look into L'Argent. I watched it last week and was immediately stuck at how much it resembled their work as a whole.

Pretty much every Bresson film is a masterpiece. My first experience with him was when I was about 15 or 16 and watched Balthazar. I knew there was something special about how the film was shot but it just didn't click with my young self at the time. The film also made me want to cry.

Fastforward to about my early 20s and I watched "A Man Escaped" & couldn't believe how intense the details were, but also how simplistic the entire film was. The feelings it evokes and questions the film asks about humanity are not taken lightly at all. It's become one of my favorite films. I've went back and watched as many as I could find (which isn't that many) & since then Bresson has become one of my favorite filmmakers of all time along with Antonioni, Zulawski, and Petri.

L'argent was a must have for me, the final Bresson film, W the Cannes press conference. R.I.P.

[jshaide]

For anyone interested, the UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD director's cut is on TCM Sunday at 2am.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by jshaide

For anyone interested, the UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD director's cut is on TCM Sunday at 2am.

Agh, I wish I had TCM. Hoping this gets released soon.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Agh, I wish I had TCM. Hoping this gets released soon.

Me too. I saw it in theaters at the retrospective, and liked it so much I've been anticipating seeing it again. I'm recording it and going to jump around it a bit.

[20th Century Boy]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Our society is so messed up, now. Is it any wonder that I've found a real love for classic and foreign films? I realize it's a form of escapism, but I like it.

Loners, and, to a lesser extent, collectors, are perceived as being social deviants. It's not just a myth perpetuated in film. But, what's wrong with spending time and money on something if you enjoy it? There are so many different hobbies one can have. I also own a fairly substantial collection of late 19th Century/early 20th Century baseball cards. I love the game's history, and I could talk about collecting tobacco and candy cards all day, and never get tired of it. I get the same rush from watching a great film like Citizen Kane that I get from pulling out my 1909 T-206 Walter Johnson portrait. And, yes, sometimes I just like to shut the door, and be alone. I have many different moods. Don't we all, though? We're too quick to label people in our society. Everything has to fit into some nice, neat little category, and should one deviate slightly from what is perceived as normal, all of a sudden they're an outsider. Why? I'm equally happy at a concert with 30,000 people, or watching a movie in the dark. I can spend time with my lady, and the world goes away. Or, I can be with a bunch of friends, and be completely spontaneous. Why is one behavior healthier than another?

Anything done to excess is bad, but I don't think owning 1,000 films, and watching 4-5 of them in a few days is indicative of some form of pathology. Some might say I'm "addicted". I choose to look at it as being "passionate". And, if one day I can write books about film, and augment my income, or do it full time as a new career....do all those hours watching movies suddenly become acceptable?

There are many different kinds of people. So long as they don't tell me what to do, or try to hurt somebody I care about, let them live their lives how they want. To each their own, in my humble opinion.

Wouldn't worry about it. People thought Scorsese and Peter Jackson were nuts for watching so many films growing up, now they're pillars of their respective countries. They made something constructive out of their hobbies/obsessions and even if you don't and it's keeping you out of trouble and enjoying yourself then


(or Dudette. )

[20th Century Boy]

Originally Posted by cropduster

Last December, I went to see John Waters perform his xmas comedy show and he had a Q&A after the show. Somebody asked him if any of his movies would be coming to bluray in 2017 and he said 3 would be getting released. At that time, Multiple Maniacs was already a given to be released and Serial Mom just got released a few months ago so at least 1 more of his films should be coming to bluray this year from someone unless there was a delay or something. Pesonally I'm hoping Criterion releases Polyester or Female Trouble or a boxset of Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Desperate Living, and Polyester. They're owned by New Line/WB so it's a possibility for Criterion unless Warner Archive would decide to release them.

Just saw him at Burger Boogaloo couple weeks ago, where Iggy Pop was headlining. Wanted to know about Cry Baby. He mentioned it only in the context that Iggy was in it. Nothing about an HD release. Bah!

[GasmaskAvenger]

Sent the whole afternoon watching "Heaven's Gate".

Great movie that got a really unfair shake upon release. Still need to pick up "The Deer Hunter" and "The Sicilian' at some point.


This, "Stalker" and "Shogun Assassin" were excellent additions to my collection from the most recent B&N sale.

[cropduster]

Originally Posted by 20th Century Boy

Just saw him at Burger Boogaloo couple weeks ago, where Iggy Pop was headlining. Wanted to know about Cry Baby. He mentioned it only in the context that Iggy was in it. Nothing about an HD release. Bah!

There's a Region A release of Cry Baby that Universal put out a few years ago that's listed as region free(can't confirm) that's pretty cheap.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Cry-Baby-Blu-ray/35334/

[dml1988]

So I am finally delving deeper into my B&N sale purchases and watched The Seventh Seal last night. All I can say is wow, what a trip of a movie. When I finished it, I honestly didn't know what to think. I loved all of the characters, most specifically Jöns and Mia. I think this is definitely a movie that is going to take multiple watches before I finally understand everything. I can understand Max Von Sydow's "quest" so to speak, looking for God and looking for answers to life. Thanks to everyone who recommended The Seventh Seal, was worth every penny

[Smegma]

Some of you are a lot more 'up-to-speed' on things than me (ie: keep up better with rumors, know who owns the rights to whichever film, etc.)

These are films I have written down that I believe were rumored/mentioned for various reasons as possible upcoming Criterion Blus. Curious if you have anything to say about them:

Rock 'n Roll High School
Midnight Cowboy
Arsenic and Old Lace
Blood for Dracula
Flesh for Frankenstein
This is Spinal Tap
Freaks
Catch 22
Annie Hall
Plague Dogs
The Cremator (Spalovač mrtvol)

Most appreciated for any info.

[thatguamguy]

I wouldn't expect anybody to release "This Is Spinal Tap" any time soon, there's a huge lawsuit between the band and the owners of the film. The end result of the lawsuit *could* be the band getting the rights to the film free and clear, in which case Criterion would have as good a shot as anybody, I suppose.

[javy]

A Criterion release of This is Spinal Tap would be hella cool.

I completely understand this scene. I don't like people pointing at my guitars either...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Ng...ature=youtu.be