The Criterion Collection

[mja345]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

The director is a very well known contemporary artist. His work has been shown all around the world and has even had pieces go for millions at Sotheby's and Christie's.

Right, but that doesn't mean you have to put out his shit film. I mean, Michael Jordan is/was an important basketball player, doesn't mean Criterion needs to put out "Space Jam".

[theater dreamer]

I have really enjoyed what I've seen from David Lean, thus far, though admittedly I have a long way to go in his filmography, having only watched Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai. Doctor Zhivago is next.

I love Dickens' work, so I'll have to rent Lean's Great Expectations and watch it before Christmas. Maybe Criterion will upgrade it to blu-ray.

Originally Posted by Reddington

Fantastic film. Watch it every year over the holiday, too. However, my Christmas staple for many, many years has been David Lean's Great Expectations. Not quite sure how my family fell into it, and it is not exactly Christmas-themed. But it is such a part of the holiday for me now that I really don't watch it any other time.

[Bandit Tajomaru]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Even I've heard of Murakami. Can't say I'm a fan of his work, but I recognize that many are.

Then again, I don't really get Japanese culture at all, to begin with.

Yeah, because Jelly Fish eyes represents Japanese culture like New Jack City represents American culture.

[zakzak]

Originally Posted by cynatnite

Don't mean to derail anything here, but I gotta say that after buying a few from Criterion, those cases are damn nice. Very solid and I even like the color.

I would recommend studios to ditch those boring blue keep cases with that oversized "Bluray" logo crowding the artwork for the more neutral looking Criterion cases.

[CinemaBlu]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

I have really enjoyed what I've seen from David Lean, thus far, though admittedly I have a long way to go in his filmography, having only watched Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai. Doctor Zhivago is next.

I love Dickens' work, so I'll have to rent Lean's Great Expectations and watch it before Christmas. Maybe Criterion will upgrade it to blu-ray.

Doctor Zhivago is playing tomorrow night on TCM.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Bandit Tajomaru

Yeah, because Jelly Fish eyes represents Japanese culture like New Jack City represents American culture.

Well, to be fair, I wasn't referring to film really, not having seen it. I was talking about his artwork. I don't get it. But I'm rarely a fan of contemporary art*, so maybe it has more to do with that than with him being Japanese.

I don't know.


* -- I will say that there is a lot of early and even mid-20th-century art that I do appreciate, however.

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by mja345

Right, but that doesn't mean you have to put out his shit film. I mean, Michael Jordan is/was an important basketball player, doesn't mean Criterion needs to put out "Space Jam".

Oh that is where you are wrong sir.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

I have really enjoyed what I've seen from David Lean, thus far, though admittedly I have a long way to go in his filmography, having only watched Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai. Doctor Zhivago is next.

I love Dickens' work, so I'll have to rent Lean's Great Expectations and watch it before Christmas. Maybe Criterion will upgrade it to blu-ray.

I heartily recommend Great Expectations, and the region-free ITV BD is actually quite good (I rate it higher than Beaver, who is neutral on it). Definitely worthwhile importing from Amazon UK. Not only is it a fantastic film in its own right, but arguably the greatest Dickens adaptation, and one of the greatest literary adaptations in all of cinema.

Lean is one of my absolute favourite directors. I like all of his works, but highlights include Hobson's Choice (no Criterion upgrade, but the Studio Canal region B BD is a must-buy), Ryan's Daughter (no BD except for a Spanish bootleg, but the Region A WB DVD looks good), and A Passage to India (such a beautiful and eloquent adaptation, and a very nice BD).

Ryan's Daughter is of course infamous as the film that almost broke Lean due to Pauline Kael's scathing review (it would be 14 years before he made another, final, film). The term "flawed masterpiece" was never more deserved, but a rewarding effort for those able to look past the production excesses and some odd and unsuccessful casting choices. Robert Mitchum is outstanding playing against type as a school teacher, and the Super Panavision 70 cinematography is often breathtaking - especially during the storm sequence, which is one of the greatest I have ever seen.

Finally, the Criterion David Lean Directs Noel Coward BD set is just superb. The antithesis of the epics that were to follow, each film is a perfect vignette of British life and attitudes, variously capturing Coward's perceptive, stirring, witty, and charming dialogue.

[theater dreamer]

Thank you for the heads up, but I own it on blu-ray. Just haven't gotten around to opening the new digibook.

Originally Posted by CinemaBlu

Doctor Zhivago is playing tomorrow night on TCM.

[theater dreamer]

I still have films recorded from TCM dating back to March. I'm so behind.

And I just imported Paper Moon directly from Eureka. I just need to stop buying movies, and watch more. Ha!

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

TCM has been killing my DVR space the last few weeks.

I've been recording em faster than I can watch em.

...lot of Criterions.

[theater dreamer]

I really appreciate the time you took to write this, Reddington.

I'll likely watch Doctor Zhivago over the weekend, and one of the couple of Criterions I am very seriously considering getting from the Barnes & Noble sale is Lean's Brief Encounter.

I need to check TCM's upcoming schedule for the films you mentioned. I just watch HBO's documentary on Steven Spielberg, and he's a Lean devotee. He watches Lawrence of Arabia at least once every year-the film really inspired him to become a director, though it almost discouraged him from following that path early on-he thought Lean set the bar so high, he might never reach such heights.

I have no doubt that Lean did the character studies just as well as he did the epics. The character development in Arabia and Kwai is quite strong. That's obviously due to a great script, but Lean's direction allowed the actors to work within the framework. He put them in a position to succeed.

Originally Posted by Reddington

I heartily recommend Great Expectations, and the region-free ITV BD is actually quite good (I rate it higher than Beaver, who is neutral on it). Definitely worthwhile importing from Amazon UK. Not only is it a fantastic film in its own right, but arguably the greatest Dickens adaptation, and one of the greatest literary adaptations in all of cinema.

Lean is one of my absolute favourite directors. I like all of his works, but highlights include Hobson's Choice (no Criterion upgrade, but the Studio Canal region B BD is a must-buy), Ryan's Daughter (no BD except for a Spanish bootleg, but the Region A WB DVD looks good), and A Passage to India (such a beautiful and eloquent adaptation, and a very nice BD).

Ryan's Daughter is of course infamous as the film that almost broke Lean due to Pauline Kael's scathing review (it would be 14 years before he made another, final, film). The term "flawed masterpiece" was never more deserved, but a rewarding effort for those able to look past the production excesses and some odd and unsuccessful casting choices. Robert Mitchum is outstanding playing against type as a school teacher, and the Super Panavision 70 cinematography is often breathtaking - especially during the storm sequence, which is one of the greatest I have ever seen.

Finally, the Criterion David Lean Directs Noel Coward BD set is just superb. The antithesis of the epics that were to follow, each film is a perfect vignette of British life and attitudes, variously capturing Coward's perceptive, stirring, witty, and charming dialogue.

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by mja345

"Jellyfish Eyes" and "Tiny Furniture" both really suck, but I kind of understand why they put out "Tiny Furniture" to coincide with "Girls" since there is a demographic that appeals to. Why they put out "Jellyfish Eyes", I have no idea. It's inexplicable.

Makes sense about Girls, unless they wanted to release a token film by a woman.

Tiny Furniture has very little to say about anything really and its aesthetic value is in the negative range, even for a cheapie.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by mja345

Right, but that doesn't mean you have to put out his shit film. I mean, Michael Jordan is/was an important basketball player, doesn't mean Criterion needs to put out "Space Jam".

Sorry, I was in a rush. I just meant to say he's an visual artist of note. That's how I rationalize the inclusion of this film in the collection.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by Bandit Tajomaru

Yeah, because Jelly Fish eyes represents Japanese culture like New Jack City represents American culture.

Come on man, many Americans use children as human shields as Nino Brown did. It's a long-standing American tradition.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Fantastic film. Watch it every year over the holiday, too. However, my Christmas staple for many, many years has been David Lean's Great Expectations. Not quite sure how my family fell into it, and it is not exactly Christmas-themed. But it is such a part of the holiday for me now that I really don't watch it any other time.

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

I have really enjoyed what I've seen from David Lean, thus far, though admittedly I have a long way to go in his filmography, having only watched Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai. Doctor Zhivago is next.

I love Dickens' work, so I'll have to rent Lean's Great Expectations and watch it before Christmas. Maybe Criterion will upgrade it to blu-ray.

MGM did terrific adaptions of Dickens' in the '30s-David Copperfield and A Tale of Two Cities (I love Colman's Sydney Carton-that reading at the very end... they don't have voices like that anymore.) I don't know who has the rights to the MGM Thalberg epics but they are terrific films.
Changing gears significantly: TCM showed Tourneur's Curse of the Demon tonight. Columbia's DVD with both cuts really needs to be upgraded. Seems like a good Criterion candidate.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Changing gears significantly: TCM showed Tourneur's Curse of the Demon tonight. Columbia's DVD with both cuts really needs to be upgraded. Seems like a good Criterion candidate.

Oh man, it's been way too long since I've seen that. Sorry I missed it.

Well, I have only myself to blame.

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by meowingdogs

Sorry this has probably been asked before but I couldn't help asking. As we've seen, Dr. Svet Atanasov (a Blu-ray reviewer with a great taste) posts his reviews sometimes weeks before the actual release dates. What's up with that? Does Criterion love him that much so they give him early access to their releases?

And if the answer is yes, man where do I sign up

(Atanasov for the win!!! )

DVD Beaver posts Criterion reviews even further in advance than this site does.

[dwk]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Changing gears significantly: TCM showed Tourneur's Curse of the Demon tonight. Columbia's DVD with both cuts really needs to be upgraded. Seems like a good Criterion candidate.

Indicator is releasing that in the UK, so Sony has likely licensed the US rights to either Twilight Time or Mill Creek. So buy the Indicator release.

[Scottie]

REVIEW



PACKAGING

[Doctor Jack]

I believe the reviewer mistakenly put Personal Shopper’s score at 3 out of 5 instead of 5 out of 5. Should really go back and switch that.