The Criterion Collection

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by pikachufan1336

Are we all sleeping on the fact that this is Criterion's First Animated film in years!?!

Are you referring to the Zeman set here? It's a mixture of live action with painted backgrounds, animation, cut-outs and what-not. Zeman used a variety of techniques to convey his scenes, often aiming for artistic than photo-realistic effect.

Jan Svankmajer next please!!!!!!

I think a lot of Svankmajer output, at least his shorts, haven't had modern HD restorations, which is why even the BFI put out his collected shorts only on DVD. Alice is already out on BD from another label.

Definitely getting that box set. Just curious, which is the best film in that set?

My personal fav is Baron Munchausen, followed by Invention for Destruction. Beginning of Time is the slightest - it has its share of nice visual moments (and some seamless juxtapositions of models and background scenery), and the kids act natural, but it has more of an edutainment vibe than the unfettered imagination of the others. If you like what you see here, also look at A Jester's Tale, available on DVD.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by Reddington

I have a basic Sony BD player (with region-free mod), and a Toshiba 40" from about six years ago - and B&W looks stunning. In fact, one of my main BD collecting interests is B&W film shot in CinemaScope aspect ratios - so I really do need to get on and watch Roma!

I'm probably in the minority on this, but for my money, nothing has ever shown off my home theater better than a beautifully restored silent film on Blu. It is truly mesmerizing to watch those old flickering images shine on a beautiful HD screen. I've had visitors come over to watch silents and they are absolutely spellbound by how stunning they look.

[nitin]

I liked Safety Last well enough but Speedy really sealed the deal for me re Harold Lloyd. It’s just an infectiously fun film with some great sight gags and setpieces and the footage from Coney Island and NY from the 20s is absolutely priceless.

Criterion’s video presentation is largely jaw dropping save for one scene where it looks like a different source was used (Speedy giving Pop Dillon a backrub). Carl Davis’s perfectly suited score sounds fantastic.

[Xtempo]

Glad to see hiroshi is an upgrade.
Haxan is a struggle to watch. Maybe I'm not in the mood.
Koko was nice and it will be a great buy. Which I will do since gorillas are my favs. Love them the most.

[theater dreamer]

Criterion movies showing on TV. Note all times are Central Standard.

Turner Classic Movies:
Tokyo Chorus (1931) dir. Yasujiro Ozu, starring Tokihiko Okada. Sunday 11/17 11pm.
Now, Voyager (1942) dir. Irving Rapper, starring Bette davis, Paul Henreid. Tuesday 11/19 1:00 pm
Fanny and Alexander (1982) dir. Ingmar Bergman. Wednesday 11/20 8:45 am
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971) dir. Robert Altman, starring Warren Beaty, Julie Christie. Wednesday 11/20 7:00 pm
Klute (1971) dir. Alan Pajula, starring Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Roy Scheider. Wednesday 11/20 9:15 pm
The Last Picture Show (1971) dir. Peter Bogdanovich, starring Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Cloris Leachman, Ellen Burnstyn. Wednesday 11/20 11:30 pm
The Red Shoes (1948) dir. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, starring Moira Shearer. Thursday 11/21 1:00 pm.
Beauty and the Beast (1946) dir. Jean Cocteau, starring Jean Marais, Josette Day. Thursday 11/21 3:30 pm.
A Hard Day's Night (1964) dir. Richard Lester, starring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr. Friday 11/22 11:00 pm.
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) dir. Carl Th. Dreyer, starring Maria Falconetti. Sunday 11/24 11:00 pm.
Le Silence de la mer (1949) dir. Jean-Pierre Melville, starring Howard Vernon, Nicole Stephane, Jean-Marie Robain. Monday 11/25 1:00 am.
Les Enfants terribles (1950) dir. Jean Cocteau, starring Nicole Stephane, Edouard Dermithe. Monday 11/25 2:45 am.
All About Eve (1950) dir. Joseph Mankiewicz, starring Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm, George Sanders, Marilyn Monroe. Tuesday 11/26 7:00 am.
Three Colors: Blue (1993) dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski, starring Juliette Binoche, Benoit Regent, Florence Pernel, Emanuelle Riva, Julie Delpy. Wednesday 11/27 5:00 am.
Wings of Desire (1987) dir. Wim Wenders, starring Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dommartin, Peter Falk. Wednesday 11/27 7:00 am.
Paris, Texas (1984) dir. Wim Wenders, starring Harry Dean Stanton, Natassja Kinski, Dean Stockwell. Wednesday 11/27 9:30 am.
Being There (1979) dir. Hal Ashby, starring Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Warden. Wednesday 11/27 12:00 pm.
In The Mood For Love (2000) dir. Wong Kar-Wai, starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung Man-yuk. Wednesday 11/27 5:15 pm.


Fox Movie Channel:
The Innocents (1961) dir. Jack Clayton, starring Deborah Kerr. Saturday 11/16 12:15 pm
The Leopard (1963) dir. Luchino Visconti, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon, Claudia Cardinale. Thursday 11/28 10:50 am.


Showtime
Rosemary's Baby (1968) dir. Roman Polanski, starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes. Sunday 11/17 2:30 am.

[Snicket]

So what should the next Criterion 4K pipe dream be? The Fountain?

[Arawn]

Originally Posted by Xtempo

Haxan is a struggle to watch. Maybe I'm not in the mood.

Yeah, it wasn't at all what I expected... more of a political statement. It's definitely got some great imagery here and there.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Arawn

Yeah, it wasn't at all what I expected... more of a political statement. It's definitely got some great imagery here and there.

I’m not a fan of silent pictures in general.

Thought maybe Haxan would be different.

It has a few troubling images, but unfortunately a lot of the scenes are presented in a semi-comedic light, which in my opinion undercuts the disturbing nature of the material.

A lot of that has to do with the music and the acting, which per usual in the silent genre, come across as somewhat silly and corny to me.

...still a very interesting film.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Xtempo

Haxan is a struggle to watch. Maybe I'm not in the mood.

I struggled with it on the first viewing too. But since the BD came out I gave it another shot and wound up enjoying it quite a bit. It helps that the BD is so clear and sharp, I thought the occult-themed imagery stood out fantastically.

I think it was definitely a mood thing for me. To go in expecting a regular movie just throws off the whole experience. Going in knowing and expecting the narrative thesis and the way it's presented, I found it pretty interesting.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

Cuaron having a Madonna complex is not something I really see. He’s made films with flawed female characters too (Great Expectations, Y Tu Mama Tambien, the one with that sneaky little brown-noser Hermione Granger...)

That comment about Hermione made me laugh so hard.

[BenOswald]

Originally Posted by jw007

Just got back from seeing a new independent Russian/American film called Give Me Liberty at the 3 Rivers Film Festival (3RFF).

Absolutely. Blown. Away.

WOW.

Here's the trailer for anyone who's interested. I think this could easily fit in the Criterion Collection too.

Seems interesting, seems like a Ramin Bahrani kind of vibe.

[Member-222782]

Criterion is the only label whose announcements I don't look forward to

This could change if they upgrade Lars Von Trier's The Element of Crime. I wonder if there's a reason keeping them from reissuing this. The worst part is there are no Blu-ray editions of this film anywhere in the world, good or bad. At this point I'm willing to own even a marginal upgrade in HD.

[PowellPressburger]

Looks like the Blu-Ray copies of BETTY BLUE may have some DVD stickers on them. Unless they are deciding to make once sticker for both formats.

DC19E222-D86A-4E9D-AD31-E7E3AC2CB226.jpg

[dwk]

The DVD stickers are grey, so they must have accidently printed a run of them in blue.

[4K IS THE FUTURE]

Hi guys. This is just for fun, but I wanted to make a list of the top 3 Best & Worst blind buy Blus that I have ever bought from the Criterion Collection.

Best Blind Buys (in order):

-Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
-3 Women
-Death in Venice
(Honorable Mention: The Soft Skin)

Worst Blind Buys (in no particular order):

-The Squid and the Whale
-Funny Games (1997)
-Life During Wartime


Those are my picks for Criterion Blus I've blind bought, then either loved or hated...By the way, I didn't make my picks based on the quality of the transfer, only the content and plot of the film itself.

Please feel free to join in, and list your top 3 best and worst Criterion Blind Buys Blus!!

[Drake2222]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I struggled with it on the first viewing too. But since the BD came out I gave it another shot and wound up enjoying it quite a bit. It helps that the BD is so clear and sharp, I thought the occult-themed imagery stood out fantastically.

I think it was definitely a mood thing for me. To go in expecting a regular movie just throws off the whole experience. Going in knowing and expecting the narrative thesis and the way it's presented, I found it pretty interesting.

The first time I watched Haxan (on the Criterion blu ray) I thought it was interesting but wasn’t quite sure what I thought. When I rewatched I thought it was brilliant. Using the whole laser refractive codex technique and pulling actual video of demons and devils from images burned into pocket mirrors / standing mirrors and other reflective surfaces owned by people from medieval times was a stroke of scientific genius. Where else would we get to see real video of the creatures of hell?

It was also interesting to see the director’s re-enactments of ‘witches being bad’ as well as showing people falsely accused of witchcraft. The film really did give an excellent insight into the times

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by 4K IS THE FUTURE

Please feel free to join in, and list your top 3 best and worst Criterion Blind Buys Blus!!

Best:

• Breaking the Waves
• The Kid
• Hara-Kiri

Worst:

• The Stan Brakhage Collection
• Jellyfish Eyes
• Sans Soleil (La Jetee is fair though)

[ShellOilJunior]

60 years ago today this film arrived in America.

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by 4K IS THE FUTURE

Please feel free to join in, and list your top 3 best and worst Criterion Blind Buys Blus!!

I can do 4 and 2

Best:
Ugetsu
Sword of Doom
Charulata
The Hidden Fortress

Worst:
Godzilla
The River

[Gacivory]

Best

1. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
2. Hunger
3. The Long Day Closes

I haven’t had a real bad blind buy experience.