The Criterion Collection

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by mja345

I saw "Vice" and "The Favourite" with my GF in theaters over the last week and the thing we concluded is they have to chill with the trailers. Every modern movie is 2+ hours anyway, but 25-30 minutes of trailers? Completely ridiculous.

I completely agree. A couple of times I've even shouted "Get on with it!" out of frustration - much to the amusement/bemusement of my fellow patrons.

[The Sovereign]

Originally Posted by mja345

I saw "Vice" and "The Favourite" with my GF in theaters over the last week and the thing we concluded is they have to chill with the trailers. Every modern movie is 2+ hours anyway, but 25-30 minutes of trailers? Completely ridiculous.

Saw 3 films over the holidays and thought the same thing. It especially hits home when I have no interest in almost all of them. Three trailers & start the show.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Reddington

I'd say the biggest issue for streaming is fragmentation. Amazon is currently in dispute with WB, which is launching its own platform, as is Fox. Content will end up spread over half a dozen (or more) subscription services.

Also, my personal peeve with streaming is the tinkering with aspect ratios - most evident with films shot in 2.35:1 (or wider) that are presented in 16x9 because "customers don't like the black bars" on their TV - or worse, on their phones.

Yes! Fragmentation. Everything is being split up across different streaming and on demand services. But also, what if a certain film is only available on Hulu and I don't want to subscribe to their service to see it when its a first run showing on there. It forces people to have to subscribe to multiple streaming services just to see new movies that are released by big/small directors.

And yes on the aspect ratios too. I have yet to this day watch a movie on my phone and I hope that day never comes. I also have yet to seriously watch a film on an airplane (on a long flight overseas - which I've taken many times). I need total and complete immersion when I watch a movie (perhaps I'm just a perfectionist too), but I'm not the only one. Our friend David Lynch hates people who watch films on their iPhones. Here's the proof:

David Lynch on iPhone - YouTube

[Doc Moonlight]

Originally Posted by mja345

I saw "Vice" and "The Favourite" with my GF in theaters over the last week and the thing we concluded is they have to chill with the trailers. Every modern movie is 2+ hours anyway, but 25-30 minutes of trailers? Completely ridiculous.

Last summer, my wife and I went to see a 3D showing of ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. We sat through 30 minutes of commercials and just as the feature started the power went out in the theater and they sent everybody home.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by jw007

I need total and complete immersion when I watch a movie (perhaps I'm just a perfectionist too), but I'm not the only one.

Nothing wrong with being a "perfectionist." But more so, it's simply wanting to watch a film as the director envisioned it, and the DP shot it.

Great Lynch clip.

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by mja345

I saw "Vice" and "The Favourite" with my GF in theaters over the last week and the thing we concluded is they have to chill with the trailers. Every modern movie is 2+ hours anyway, but 25-30 minutes of trailers? Completely ridiculous.

I don't mind trailers for actual movies, it's the commercials for sporty crossovers and investment portfolios for savings banks that I find tedious to sit through.

[James Luckard]

I'm watching the bonus features on the Notorious disc and am currently on the Bordwell featurette. I'm going to go out on a limb and make a prediction based on it:

I think Criterion will soon be releasing The Birds.

Let me explain. In the featurettes they produce they can usually only include clips of films they've licensed for releases. For other films, they only include still photos. Throughout the Bordwell featurette, there are clips of Notorious, obviously, and also a clip from My Darling Clementine, which Criterion has. There are stills of a bunch of Hitchcock films when they're mentioned. However, when they discuss The Birds, there is footage shown. Not just a moment, either, but a chunk of a scene. In addition, I could be wrong, but the footage looks better, at least based on my memory, than the corresponding footage on the Universal BD.

I called this once before, when a Polanski doc on the Tess BD included stills of some of his films, but footage from Macbeth. Sure enough, Macbeth was announced a few months later.

Granted, it's weird that they might have only this one Universal Hitchcock, but I can't see any other way they could have included moving footage.

The 2009 French doc on the disc also has footage from various Hitchcock films, but I'm less convinced that means anything, it's the Criterion-produced featurette I'm intrigued by.

We shall see.

As for the disc, it's obviously gorgeous as usual, from the transfer to the extras, to the elegant packaging.

[Dailyan]

Honestly, I don't see Hitchcock's biggest titles getting the CC treatment. With Universal really digging into catalog UHD; I'd expect an UHD release this year from them for the 55th anniversary.

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by mja345

I saw "Vice" and "The Favourite" with my GF in theaters over the last week and the thing we concluded is they have to chill with the trailers. Every modern movie is 2+ hours anyway, but 25-30 minutes of trailers? Completely ridiculous.

You would think the easy accessibility of trailers online might have changed that eventually. Back in the day the only way to see full trailers for upcoming films was at the movie theater, generally speaking, so it made sense to plug them, and I actually enjoyed watching them then for that reason.

But I guess they have to force them on you somehow since you have more of a chance to avoid them online.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I'm watching the bonus features on the Notorious disc and am currently on the Bordwell featurette. I'm going to go out on a limb and make a prediction based on it:

I think Criterion will soon be releasing The Birds.

Let me explain. In the featurettes they produce they can usually only include clips of films they've licensed for releases. For other films, they only include still photos. Throughout the Bordwell featurette, there are clips of Notorious, obviously, and also a clip from My Darling Clementine, which Criterion has. There are stills of a bunch of Hitchcock films when they're mentioned. However, when they discuss The Birds, there is footage shown. Not just a moment, either, but a chunk of a scene. In addition, I could be wrong, but the footage looks better, at least based on my memory, than the corresponding footage on the Universal BD.

I called this once before, when a Polanski doc on the Tess BD included stills of some of his films, but footage from Macbeth. Sure enough, Macbeth was announced a few months later.

Granted, it's weird that they might have only this one Universal Hitchcock, but I can't see any other way they could have included moving footage.

The 2009 French doc on the disc also has footage from various Hitchcock films, but I'm less convinced that means anything, it's the Criterion-produced featurette I'm intrigued by.

We shall see.

As for the disc, it's obviously gorgeous as usual, from the transfer to the extras, to the elegant packaging.

Interesting theory. If you've called it before, then you're on a roll, right? I'd double-dip in an instant.

The decision to hold out until the flash sale to pick up Notorious has become one of the more challenging tests of my resolve when it comes to a BD release. Really looking forward to seeing it.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by jw007

Yes! Fragmentation. Everything is being split up across different streaming and on demand services. But also, what if a certain film is only available on Hulu and I don't want to subscribe to their service to see it when its a first run showing on there. It forces people to have to subscribe to multiple streaming services just to see new movies that are released by big/small directors.

Eh, is this any different than when HBO and Showtime started dipping their toes in the original programming waters?

And it's not like there are serious barriers to entry or exit when it comes to streaming services. If you want to check a few movies only available on Hulu what do you really have to do? Click a few buttons, pay that month's subscription fee and then remember to cancel?

Originally Posted by jw007

Our friend David Lynch hates people who watch films on their iPhones. Here's the proof:

He's definitely a cranky bastard but I wonder if he really does hate the people who watch movies on their phones. Hating the fact some people somewhere might watch movies on their phones? Sure, that seems pretty clear. (It also has more than a whiff of 'Old Man Yells at Cloud').

But I don't know if he hates the people. Then again, I don't know that he doesn't either

I do question one thing he says in that video. Never in a trillion years will we experience movies on our phones?

I can't imagine what kind of VR whizbangery phones will be capable of in five or ten years let alone a trillion.

[Polaroid]

Thought Criterion was having a 24 hour flash sale... till I saw the word Nightmare haha

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Nothing wrong with being a "perfectionist." But more so, it's simply wanting to watch a film as the director envisioned it, and the DP shot it.

Great Lynch clip.

I've never seen a Lynch film in a theater. I've seen a lot of his films but none in a theater.

I wonder if he really minds that I didn't see any of his films as he envisioned them.

I suspect not

[The Sovereign]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

Honestly, I don't see Hitchcock's biggest titles getting the CC treatment. With Universal really digging into catalog UHD; I'd expect an UHD release this year from them for the 55th anniversary.

Whether it's Criterion or Universal, I'd love for someone to repair Marnie. It's top ten Hitchcock for myself and others, and the Universal BD is easily among the worst of his catalog. It's a film that deserves much better.

[Jobla]

THE BIRDS or MARNIE would be great. I'd especially like to have MARNIE with Herrmann's score on an isolated audio track, since there has never been an official soundtrack release of it.

THE BIRDS wouldn't require an isolated music track.

OT: the new opera of MARNIE will be airing on some PBS stations in February. However, Herrmann's score is not a part of it.

[billy pilgrim]

Originally Posted by malakaheso

You would think the easy accessibility of trailers online might have changed that eventually. Back in the day the only way to see full trailers for upcoming films was at the movie theater, generally speaking, so it made sense to plug them, and I actually enjoyed watching them then for that reason.

But I guess they have to force them on you somehow since you have more of a chance to avoid them online.

I enjoyed watching trailers at my local cinema back in the day. However they're just not the same anymore.

Before: they were art forms unto themselves at times, giving you just enough information to tease you into going to see that particular film. Now: oftentimes they spell out the entire film, including every plot twist.

Count me as one of those people who want to know the bare minimum about the film prior to watching it. Not so much of a trailer fan anymore, needless to say.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by The Sovereign

Whether it's Criterion or Universal, I'd love for someone to repair Marnie. It's top ten Hitchcock for myself and others, and the Universal BD is easily among the worst of his catalog. It's a film that deserves much better.

Not a big Marnie fan but some of the later films could definitely use a bit of work.

Put me down for Frenzy and Family Plot.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by octagon

Put me down for Frenzy and Family Plot.

Indeed. Both need a lot of work. The only two Hitchcock films I've not upgraded to an available BD release.

The review of the Family Plot PQ on this site is one of the worst I've seen here.

[Gacivory]

A chance Strangers on a Train gets a new release seeing that I finally got the Blu-Ray.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

A chance Strangers on a Train gets a new release seeing that I finally got the Blu-Ray.

The existing Blu looks already looks great.