The Criterion Collection

[willtopower]

Originally Posted by javy

At the beginning of the sale I decided to only purchase two titles:
The Virgin Spring
Beyond the Hills.

It wasn't a week later that I lost control and went back and picked up:
McCabe and Mrs. Miller
El Sur
They Live By Night
The Breaking Point
Midnight Cowboy
Sundays and Cybele
Moonrise
sex, lies, and videotape

And just now today, not being able to contain myself, I spent even more money that I don't have and purchased:
Dietrich and Von Sternberg in Hollywood
Seven Samurai
Kuroneko
House

I was going to wait until the next sale for that Dietrich set but i just couldn't do it, and since I was at it it only made since to pick up a few more.

My kids are upset now because we don't have enough grocery money. Oh well.

If the peasants in Seven Samurai can survive on rice millet, your kids can too.

[Gacivory]

Sell your kids for Criterion’s! Rule number one of sale!

[javy]

Originally Posted by willtopower

If the peasants in Seven Samurai can survive on rice millet, your kids can too.

They'll be at home sharing a can of Vienna sausages while the wife and I go out for steak. Actually, I better leave her home too.

[oliverok]

Originally Posted by Jexes23

This can’t be reiterated enough. Instead of pining for titles that already have excellent releases, you can focus your attention on pining for titles with poor or no releases like those of us with regionless players.

Okay, okay, okay, you all make excellent points and have convinced me (though, admittedly, I needed very little convincing )

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by oliverok

Okay, okay, okay, you all make excellent points and have convinced me (though, admittedly, I needed very little convincing )

The Long Good Friday is in my Top 10 films of all-time, and Mona Lisa, the Top 20. The Arrow presentations are fantastic.

[dkelly26666]

I asked this a while back and never got a response on here.

I am wondering if anyone here has ever pre-ordered anything directly from Criterion, and if so, did you receive the item BY or ON the release date? Or was it shipped around the release date, and you had to wait until several days after to actually receive it?

I have ordered directly from Criterion before, but never a pre-order that wasn't released, yet.

Any info is greatly appreciated, thank you.

[diskspinner]

Last 5 days of sale...

Now I have to choose a boxset to buy...Which one is the best among this...

Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood (Totally blind buy)
World Cinema Project (Totally blind buy)
André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films (only watched My Dinner with Andre, liked it)

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

Last 5 days of sale...

Now I have to choose a boxset to buy...Which one is the best among this...

Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood (Totally blind buy)
World Cinema Project (Totally blind buy)
André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films (only watch My Dinner with Andre, liked it)

Casting my vote on the Dietrich set, so far it's been fantastic! Only things I'm disappointed with are the lack of features on the troubled production of Blonde Venus and the DNR I could see on Shanghai Express (but I've yet to watch the whole thing so it might be in spots)

[Jexes23]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

Last 5 days of sale...

Now I have to choose a boxset to buy...Which one is the best among this...

Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood (Totally blind buy)
World Cinema Project (Totally blind buy)
André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films (only watch My Dinner with Andre, liked it)

Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood easily IMO.

[tisdivine]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

Last 5 days of sale...

Now I have to choose a boxset to buy...Which one is the best among this...

Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood (Totally blind buy)
World Cinema Project (Totally blind buy)
André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films (only watch My Dinner with Andre, liked it)

Dietrich no question.

[mja345]

I gave my BD of "Love Streams" a spin last night, third time I've seen the film, and felt compelled to leave a few thoughts about it.

A noticeably gaunt John Cassavetes (you have to figure he was pretty ill by this time) plays Robert Harmon, a successful writer whose days of middle-age consist of a lot of smoking, drinking, and screwing. The first act of the film shows him going about his normal lifestyle, only to see his life shaken up when his wife drops his eight-year-old son off at his doorstep and he meets the youngster for the first time. His son is understandably shaken by his father's lifestyle, which consists of more young women hanging around his house than an average brothel. It is jarring for Harmon to see his son so put off by a lifestyle that seems completely normal to him. He has no idea how to be a father. For example, he wakes his son up by shouting at him with a smoke in hand and then offers him some booze. Robert must get fall-down drunk to put this discomfort over his son away and that particular scene is incredibly raw. He's a deeply flawed man, but has there ever been a character in a Cassavetes film who isn't?

Rowlands plays his sister Sarah and the first act depicts her messy divorce to Jack (Seymour Cassel). Rowlands' family is her whole life, but she's neurotic and overbearing, so her daughter chooses to live with her father. This sends Rowlands into a spiral of shame and depression, leading her to question her life's choices. I won't spoil much, but the final act has the two coming together for can what can only be described as emotional catharsis. They realize they've needed to be in each other's lives all along. This is a stunningly raw, emotional, beautiful film. It's probably my favorite Cassavetes alongside "A Woman Under the Influence". As with all of Cassavetes' films, it's hyper-realistic and can be a bit difficult to watch at times. But it's perhaps a bit more accessible than some of Cassavetes' earlier work.

It's also a departure from Cassavetes' earlier work stylistically. It opts for steadi-cam as opposed to hand-held, which gives the film a bit more of a traditional feel, but, make no mistake, it has the same sensibility as all of his other work. This sylistic departure started with "Opening Night", but Cassavetes feels a bit more assured here IMO.

As far as the acting, what can you say? Cassavetes is brilliant, clearly exorcising some of his own demons as a man who has clearly enjoyed life, but has deep regrets. And Rowlands matches her performances in "A Woman Under the Influence" and "Opening Night". As much of a joke as the Oscars can be, it's simply absurd this woman has never won a Best Actress. I mean, it's laughable. She's among my 5 favorite actresses of the last 50 years. Just a supreme talent.

[El Sleezo]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

Last 5 days of sale...

Now I have to choose a boxset to buy...Which one is the best among this...

Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood (Totally blind buy)
World Cinema Project (Totally blind buy)
André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films (only watched My Dinner with Andre, liked it)

Another for Dietrich.

[billy pilgrim]

Originally Posted by mja345

I gave my BD of "Love Streams" a spin last night, third time I've seen the film, and felt compelled to leave a few thoughts about it.

A noticeably gaunt John Cassavetes (you have to figure he was pretty ill by this time) plays Robert Harmon, a successful writer whose days of middle-age consist of a lot of smoking, drinking, and screwing. The first act of the film shows him going about his normal lifestyle, only to see his life shaken up when his wife drops his eight-year-old son off at his doorstep and he meets the youngster for the first time. His son is understandably shaken by his father's lifestyle, which consists of more young women hanging around his house than an average brothel. It is jarring for Harmon to see his son so put off by a lifestyle that seems completely normal to him. He has no idea how to be a father. For example, he wakes his son up by shouting at him with a smoke in hand and then offers him some booze. Robert must get fall-down drunk to put this discomfort over his son away and that particular scene is incredibly raw. He's a deeply flawed man, but has there ever been a character in a Cassavetes film who isn't?

Rowlands plays his sister Sarah and the first act depicts her messy divorce to Jack (Seymour Cassel). Rowlands' family is her whole life, but she's neurotic and overbearing, so her daughter chooses to live with her father. This sends Rowlands into a spiral of shame and depression, leading her to question her life's choices. I won't spoil much, but the final act has the two coming together for can what can only be described as emotional catharsis. They realize they've needed to be in each other's lives all along. This is a stunningly raw, emotional, beautiful film. It's probably my favorite Cassavetes alongside "A Woman Under the Influence". As with all of Cassavetes' films, it's hyper-realistic and can be a bit difficult to watch at times. But it's perhaps a bit more accessible than some of Cassavetes' earlier work.

It's also a departure from Cassavetes' earlier work stylistically. It opts for steadi-cam as opposed to hand-held, which gives the film a bit more of a traditional feel, but, make no mistake, it has the same sensibility as all of his other work. This sylistic departure started with "Opening Night", but Cassavetes feels a bit more assured here IMO.

As far as the acting, what can you say? Cassavetes is brilliant, clearly exorcising some of his own demons as a man who has clearly enjoyed life, but has deep regrets. And Rowlands matches her performances in "A Woman Under the Influence" and "Opening Night". As much of a joke as the Oscars can be, it's simply absurd this woman has never won a Best Actress. I mean, it's laughable. She's among my 5 favorite actresses of the last 50 years. Just a supreme talent.

A beautifully written and heart felt review, sir!

Love Streams, in particular, seems to have been a very personal statement from Cassavetes. The ending shot is shown from the camera perspective with us, the viewers,

[Show spoiler] outside of his house watching him look back out at us from his window, gaunt and waving goodbye as the rain falls

. It's the face of a brilliant, flawed, and brutally honest filmmaker smiling sadly from the precipice of the grave. It's perhaps the most intimate and honest personal reevaluation of a one's own life on film that I've ever witnessed.

I find it incredibly sad.

What a great film.

[Scottie]

Andrei Rublev poster is available to purchase from Criterion's website.

https://www.criterion.com/shop/produ...-rublev-poster

[mja345]

Originally Posted by billy pilgrim

A beautifully written and heart felt review, sir!

Love Streams, in particular, seems to have been a very personal statement from Cassavetes. The ending shot is shown from the camera perspective with us, the viewers,

[Show spoiler] outside of his house watching him look back out at us from his window, gaunt and waving goodbye as the rain falls

. It's the face of a brilliant, flawed, and brutally honest filmmaker smiling sadly from the precipice of the grave. It's perhaps the most intimate and honest personal reevaluation of a one's own life on film that I've ever witnessed.

I find it incredibly sad.

What a great film.

It is quite a sad film, more when you look back on it as opposed to when you're watching it, as it seems to almost be a way of Cassavetes paying tribute to Rowlands and saying goodbye. Although the film is apparently based on a play, it's fascinating that Cassavetes chose a work where the two main characters are siblings as opposed to romantic partners or ex-romantic partners. It's significant as sex and romance are completely removed from the last half of the film and an instinct to protect each other in the two characters takes over. It's clearly intentional on the part of Cassavetes IMO.

[BobbyMcGee]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

Last 5 days of sale...

Now I have to choose a boxset to buy...Which one is the best among this...

Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood (Totally blind buy)
World Cinema Project (Totally blind buy)
André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films (only watched My Dinner with Andre, liked it)

I think the most bang-for-you-buck would be the Dietrich / Sternberg box-set.

But, if you are talking about World Cinema Project No. 1, The Housemaid is a fantastic film. Truly worth owning this box-set for that film alone.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

Last 5 days of sale...

Now I have to choose a boxset to buy...Which one is the best among this...

Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood (Totally blind buy)
World Cinema Project (Totally blind buy)
André Gregory & Wallace Shawn: 3 Films (only watched My Dinner with Andre, liked it)

Dietrich-Von Sternberg without a doubt.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

Casting my vote on the Dietrich set, so far it's been fantastic! Only things I'm disappointed with are the lack of features on the troubled production of Blonde Venus and the DNR I could see on Shanghai Express (but I've yet to watch the whole thing so it might be in spots)

The extras on Morocco, Shanghai Express(especially where they talk about Orientalism in film and Anna May Wong), and the Marlene Dietrich interview on The Scarlet Empress are all superb making up for the lack of extras on Blonde Venus, Dishonored, and The Devil is a Woman.

[diskspinner]

Thanks for recommendations everybody.

I was worrying that films in Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood will be somewhat similar in style/execution. WCP 2 will probably have more variations.

I liked 4/6 of WCP1, The Housemaid was the best...

[ChampagneTaste]

Originally Posted by oliverok

How likely do you think it is that Criterion will release "Mona Lisa" and "The Long Good Friday" on Blu-ray? I have the old Criterion DVDs, and I have been debating whether to either upgrade to the Arrow Blu-rays or hold out for new releases from Criterion (which would, I hope, also add a few more special features).

These two titles are actually on the Criterion Channel on Filmstruck. They have Janus Films titles in the beginning. They must be forthcoming, but the question is when. If you want to stick to Region 1 wait. If you don't want to deal with the uncertainty of the timing of the releases, buy the Arrow blu rays.