The Criterion Collection

[jw007]

I'm tempted to buy a few titles during this Deep Discount sale right now, but I'm wondering if anyone knows when the next Criterion flash sale will be? Usually its in the first 2 weeks of October every year, right? Or could it happen in September? Also, from what I recall, its free shipping (for $50+) and no tax also in the flash sale.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by jw007

I'm tempted to buy a few titles during this Deep Discount sale right now, but I'm wondering if anyone knows when the next Criterion flash sale will be? Usually its in the first 2 weeks of October every year, right? Or could it happen in September? Also, from what I recall, its free shipping (for $50+) and no tax also in the flash sale.

Usually mid-October. They do charge tax for some states, but not PA (see below).

The Criterion Collection is required to collect sales tax on orders shipping to Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Washington and Washington D.C.. If sales tax applies to your order, we’ll indicate it during the checkout process.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Usually mid-October. They do charge tax for some states, but not PA (see below).

Thanks. I think I might just wait another month or so. Basically I'd only save $2 and some change if I buy during the Criterion flash sale vs. this Deep Discount one ($59.91 for 3 blu-ray titles vs. $62.14 - Deep Discount would charge $3.52 for sales tax). But I'd rather get those loyalty points that go towards another $50 gift certificate on Criterion.com.

[a priori]

Last night's double bill: Through the Olive Trees (third film of Kiarostami's Koker Trilogy) and Equinox Flower (Ozu 1958). A bit of art film fatigue afterwards. Would have been better to have paired a nifty Zatoichi film with one of them.

Suffice it to say, Koker Trilogy goes right back into the 'to-watch pile'; I'm sure I missed a lot on first viewing. And as is frequently mentioned, the endings of the three films are quite remarkable -- even masterpieces, in their own right.

For me, Equinox Flower is second tier Ozu, which of course is still pretty darn good; may change my mind after further watches, which will definitely happen.

[Akibiyori]

Originally Posted by a priori

Last night's double bill: Through the Olive Trees (third film of Kiarostami's Koker Trilogy) and Equinox Flower (Ozu 1958). A bit of art film fatigue afterwards. Would have been better to have paired a nifty Zatoichi film with one of them.

I wouldn’t approach Ozu as if he was a heavy, that’s not how it was then. He’s as approachable as John Ford or Howard Hawks or Leo McCary and came from the same type of conditions as them. He didn’t make “art films” - his films are great art, some of the greatest, but in the same way Ford’s and co. are.

Equinox Flower I consider first rate, even more so the title I use for my user name (Late Autumn, one of my set in stone favorite films.)

[MifuneFan]

Yeah, Equnox Flower is a great film. I almost bought the UK release a few days ago, as it had dropped back down to 9 GBP. I'm not sure if there's been a 4K restoration of it, and who knows if/when Criterion would release it.

That Late Ozu Eclipse set is just a goldmine though, pretty much every film in it is great. Definitely one of my best blind-buys I've made.

[Rzzzz]

Speaking of Equinox, I wonder if we will ever get an upgrade of this?

Does anyone know if Criterion still has the rights to this from the Eclipse Series 37? I am hoping if the Godzilla set does well that they will give this an upgrade....

[omgitsgodzilla]

Originally Posted by Rzzzz

Does anyone know if Criterion still has the rights to this from the Eclipse Series 37? I am hoping if the Godzilla set does well that they will give this an upgrade....

It's on the Criterion Channel, or it was last I checked. I don't see it getting a re-release from Criterion, though; even speaking as a kaiju fan, there's a reason this one was thrown into an Eclipse set. I wouldn't expect it on a standalone Blu-ray unless another label makes a deal to do it themselves.

For what it's worth, the Japanese Blu-ray does include the English dub, and two subtitle tracks, but I think the second is just translating the dub script back into Japanese.

[Rzzzz]

Originally Posted by omgitsgodzilla

It's on the Criterion Channel, or it was last I checked. I don't see it getting a re-release from Criterion, though; even speaking as a kaiju fan, there's a reason this one was thrown into an Eclipse set. I wouldn't expect it on a standalone Blu-ray unless another label makes a deal to do it themselves.

Yeah, its pretty bad but I love it. The special effects, the groovy music, the acting and last but not least, the ridiculous lizard duck monster. They just don't make them like that anymore....

[ponytail]

Originally Posted by MassiveMovieBuff

Speaking for myself I do. Halloween makes horror even better though. You don't get in the spirit ever?

These damn indian summers we've been having here the past few years have really been killing the Halloween mood for me.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by ponytail

These damn indian summers we've been having here the past few years have really been killing the Halloween mood for me.

I can empathize. I grew up in Wisconsin. Up there, end of October, early November, it's truly Fall. The leaves are turning color, and it's beautiful. And it feels like Fall. In fact, occasionally, we'd already be getting some light snow. If I remember correctly, it was around the week before Halloween where we'd add the storm windows the the big glass sliding door to the back yard.

Now, I'm in Texas. Talk about storm windows down here, and they look at you funny. It's about mid September, and it's cranking over 100° consistently. It's 96° as I am writing this. It will have cooled some by the end of October, but it's not Fall like, at all. We'll still hit the low 80s consistently. Occasionally, I think we even touch 90°.

When it's 80° plus on Thanksgiving, something is wrong.

[regeyer]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

When it's 80° plus on Thanksgiving, something is wrong.

Living in NY we get to experience the four seasons in all their glory. Unfortunately, the winter season is the longest and the fall season, which is my favorite, is the shortest.

[Jobla]

Originally Posted by jw007

Valley of the Dolls

or

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

If I were to own only one of these Criterion-released films, which would you choose? (me, I'd choose "Beyond")

BEYOND would make a great companion piece with Tarantino's ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD. Both portray the excesses of the tinsel and glamor capitol, circa 1969.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by regeyer

Living in NY we get to experience the four seasons in all their glory. Unfortunately, the winter season is the longest and the fall season, which is my favorite, is the shortest.

Wisconsin was the same.

"Oh, look, the leaves are changing. Isn't that beautiful?"

5 seconds later.

"I'd pull the snow blower out, but there's a ten foot snow drift keeping me from opening the garage door."

[ponytail]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

I can empathize. I grew up in Wisconsin. Up there, end of October, early November, it's truly Fall. The leaves are turning color, and it's beautiful. And it feels like Fall. In fact, occasionally, we'd already be getting some light snow. If I remember correctly, it was around the week before Halloween where we'd add the storm windows the the big glass sliding door to the back yard.

Now, I'm in Texas. Talk about storm windows down here, and they look at you funny. It's about mid September, and it's cranking over 100° consistently. It's 96° as I am writing this. It will have cooled some by the end of October, but it's not Fall like, at all. We'll still hit the low 80s consistently. Occasionally, I think we even touch 90°.

When it's 80° plus on Thanksgiving, something is wrong.

We get the four seasons up here so I suppose I can’t complain much, but it seems like spring and fall get shorter by the year. Fall weather doesn’t fully kick in until early-mid October when it used to in mid-September.

[Reddington]

I watched Don't Look Now for the first time last night. My initial impression was favourable, although I'm not sure I saw the "masterpiece" that many consider it to be. A good, intelligent, and engaging film without question, but I found the

[Show spoiler]murderer-at-large

subplot to be a distraction, and John Baxter's

[Show spoiler]death at the hands of a killer dwarf

to be disappointingly pedestrian; the ending tipped the film into

[Show spoiler]slasher horror

territory, which seemed incongruous given the ethereal and supernatural feel of the film as a whole.

After watching it I read some reviews and analysis, including that it was voted "The best British film of all time" by industry insiders in a 2011 Time Out poll. I have to say I find this a bit baffling: Whilst filmmaking isn't a competitive or comparative endeavour, there are plenty of films by Lean, Reed, Hitchcock, The Archers, and others that I think easily surpass Don't Look Now. But that's just my take...

The cinematography was very good, which I suppose is to be expected given Roeg's background, but I found the PQ on the Criterion disc to be a bit of a mixed bag - with lots of inconsistency in grain structure and definition. However, a lot of it looked fantastic. I wonder how much of an improvement the new SC 4K release is over the Criterion?

Overall, a very interesting film with definite replay value.

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by Reddington

I watched Don't Look Now for the first time last night. My initial impression was favourable, although I'm not sure I saw the "masterpiece" that many consider it to be. A good, intelligent, and engaging film without question, but I found the

[Show spoiler]murderer-at-large

subplot to be a distraction, and John Baxter's

[Show spoiler]death at the hands of a killer dwarf

to be disappointingly pedestrian; the ending tipped the film into

[Show spoiler]slasher horror

territory, which seemed incongruous given the ethereal and supernatural feel of the film as a whole.

After watching it I read some reviews and analysis, including that it was voted "The best British film of all time" by industry insiders in a 2011 Time Out poll. I have to say I find this a bit baffling: Whilst filmmaking isn't a competitive or comparative endeavour, there are plenty of films by Lean, Reed, Hitchcock, The Archers, and others that I think easily surpass Don't Look Now. But that's just my take...

The cinematography was very good, which I suppose is to be expected given Roeg's background, but I found the PQ on the Criterion disc to be a bit of a mixed bag - with lots of inconsistency in grain structure and definition. However, a lot of it looked fantastic. I wonder how much of an improvement the new SC 4K release is over the Criterion?

Overall, a very interesting film with definite replay value.

Don’t Look Now has a thread...

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

Don’t Look Now has a thread...

So? It’s a Criterion release and this thread is all about Criterion.

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

So? It’s a Criterion release and this thread is all about Criterion.

I thought Individual reviews belonged with individual threads. Thought His take on Don’t Look Now should go there. But whatever

[regeyer]

So each Criterion release has it's own thread? Sweet fancy Moses.