The Criterion Collection

[manunited1]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I agree with natureboy 100%... I was approximately in the same spot about 6 months ago, kinda swearing off the newer titles and committing myself to explore. Check out the filmographies for directors who you like and see where that leads you. You might see something because it is directed by Polanski and find out that you really like an actor who then encourages you to explore his or her own filmography. Check out the blu-ray reviews on this site (all really well done) and check out rotten tomatoes to see what the critical consensus is.

I took a quick look at your collection. If you want to dip into Polanski and have not seen Rosemary's Baby, make that your first priority - especially considering that you have quite a few horror titles.

It doesn't appear that you are region-free although I could be wrong.. I'm not. There are some good region free alternatives out there if you find that you absolutely have an OOP title. (e.g., Pierrot Le Fou, Chungking Express.) Otherwise, I am unaware of any releases outside of Earrings of Madame De that, without debate, actually one up the Criterion release.

Rosemary's baby and Chungking Express have been on my list for awhile now too. I enjoy Wong's work.

As for Jules and Jim, it did not really seem like a movie I would enjoy initially so I held off on a flash sale purchase and went with La Haine instead. I do see a trend of me buying newer titles ; post 70's cinema. Just because I know the actors and Directors I suppose. But I do want to get into older film.

As for just buying Criterions, I really mean *mostly. I will follow a director once I discover him or an actor for sure. I really enjoyed Hunger so have other stuff from McQueen; same with Malick and SoderBergh. So I for sure wont keep a good film away because it is not CC; just no more random "hey this is from Korea" or "I kind of likes this in the 90's" impulse buys to save for CC titles.

[Mansinthe]

watched "blue is the warmest color" today. liked the movie a lot and will probably watch it again soon... but i didnt expect the sex scenes to be that explicit 0.o

[BladeRunner2007]

Originally Posted by Chrysagon

I agree that Seven Samurai is a great film film. I recommend you watch the commentary to see how masterful Kurosawa was as a director and cinematographer.

Yesterday, I watched -- for the first time -- Yojimbo. I was surprised to see it was filmed at 2.35:1 (thinking it was 1.33:1), and how Kurosawa demonstrated his mastery of the wider aspect ratio. The story was original. Sanjuro's character is very likable and performed perfectly by Toshiro Mifune. Plus, the PQ is 5 stars -- immaculate. Yojimbo has become another Kurosawa favorite.

Yes, he is a master of visuals, compositions, depth, aspect ratios, etc. Actually, these 2 screenshots of Yojimbo convinced me enough to blind buy that movie.

[Mansinthe]

sometimes i wonder what people like bergman / kurosawa would be able to do with modern stuff like the RED camera , cgi etc...

[the sordid sentinel]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

sometimes i wonder what people like bergman / kurosawa would be able to do with modern stuff like the RED camera , cgi etc...

...or Hitchcock. Would have been interesting to see.

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

sometimes i wonder what people like bergman / kurosawa would be able to do with modern stuff like the RED camera , cgi etc...

Hopefully they would laugh in the face of CGI etc and use their talent to create everlasting films.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Slasherob

Love this place along with The Plaza Theatre down the road.

The Plaza is pretty amazing. When they had their "23 Days of James Bond" showings last July, I went to see my two favorites, Dr. No and From Russia with Love, on the big screen for the first time. That was a memorable experience, especially because I was able to hear the John Barry score in From Russia with Love on the theater's new sound system.

[manunited1]

Originally Posted by the sordid sentinel

...or Hitchcock. Would have been interesting to see.

Exactly what I was thinking... What would he do with today's technology period. Would we be getting Hitchcock action movies and sci Fi? The Birds says maybe lol

[spargs]

Originally Posted by manunited1

So I set this new goal for myself and my collection to start basically only buying criterion titles for awhile and expand my cinema mind more. No more random new release blind buys or impulse purchases for a while...

I am just wondering if there are any CC titles to stay away from in terms of inferior release (better PQ alternatives), poor features, or just horrible movie? I want to get all the essentials by the end of this year so my budget is everything...

I've been pretty much doing the exactly same thing, as I find myself less and less interested in new releases from the major studios and more interested in discovering older films and directors that I may not have discovered earlier. Most of my purchases these past 9 months or so have been Criterions - discovering the films of directors that I never sampled before, such as Melville for example (whose films I've fallen in love with!).

And while I fully understand and agree with the others who have stated you shouldn't limit yourself to just Criterion releases... I'll have to admit that I've been doing the same thing, with the plan to branch out to other studios from there. In fact, I just made my first handful of Twilight Time purchases last month (Peckinpah's Major Dundee, Cimino's Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, and Hill's The Driver, with a preorder in for Peckinpah's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia).

I'm really enjoying how I've branched out and discovered more films and directors through Criterion, and hopefully you'll enjoy it just as much. It's funny that you mention starting by completing your Kurosawa collection... apart from a handful of more contemporary single purchase releases (The Last Temptation of Christ, Brazil, etc) Kurosawa's films were my first real leap into Criterion's library about 10 years ago.

[CHEЯNOБLY!]

Originally Posted by PrestonXI

FYI - Blue is streaming on NetFlix.

Really...hmmm.
I tip my hat to you, sir. There are so many "hidden" movies in Netflix streaming that they don't always show in their recommendations. I was apprehensive to blind buy this title, since I feel it might be a film I could either love or hate, and the fact that CC states there will be a special edition at some point (who knows how long that will be).

Originally Posted by Meek12345

I suggest that you stay away from the following CC titles:
Jules and Jim: The relationship between Jules and Jim is interesting. However, Catherine is one of my least favorite characters in film history. She is a selfish b*tch that Jules and Jim should have been running away from.

I had the same reaction to Catherine, and the film left me with a similar frustrated/angry feeling that I had after watching Marketa Lazarova

[Show spoiler]-I was extremely frustrated and angry with Marketa falling in love with her rapist and kidnapper. I am far from a bra-burning male feminist, but I thought it cheapened the character and turned her into the stereotypical weak, swooning female who can't resist the sexual power of men. However, the film is jaw-droppingly beautiful-

. However, I could not recommend Jules and Jim enough. I couldn't stop thinking about it since I blind bought it with Tess on the 25th. I watched just about all the supplemental material, which I would recommend, and I think it provides insightful look into the film.

Its important to recognize that this was only Truffaut's third film and that he was only 29 when he made it. Truffaut remarked in interviews that, in retrospect, he wished that he had made the film crueler like Roche's novel, which is semiautobiographical. The relationship(s), and especially Catherine's personality, are meant to be chaotic, and the love can be and is cruel. In the supplements, critic Dudley Andrew remarks that students in his film classes often snicker at the unrealistic "I love you/I hate you" back and forth love-letter scenes between Jim and Catherine, but that be believes the film offers so much inventiveness and cinematic joy, and I agree...from the inserted newsreel footage and photographic stills from 1900s Paris, to the music, and the film techniques used by Truffaut, the film is an experience. Robert Stam said the film is about freedom vs. the rules, not only in New Wave trying to reinvent cinema, but the characters themselves...Jules and Jim "cannot loose Catherine without loosing something of themselves." Freedom can come at a price.

The film starts off in such a playful manner, that the sudden chaos and sadness in the second half can seem to come out of nowhere, but I think I understand where Truffaut was going or wanted to go with this film. Currently my favorite CC BD release.

A CC film I would not recommend blind buying: Salo

[manunited1]

Originally Posted by spargs

I've been pretty much doing the exactly same thing, as I find myself less and less interested in new releases from the major studios and more interested in discovering older films and directors that I may not have discovered earlier. Most of my purchases these past 9 months or so have been Criterions - discovering the films of directors that I never sampled before, such as Melville for example (whose films I've fallen in love with!).

And while I fully understand and agree with the others who have stated you shouldn't limit yourself to just Criterion releases... I'll have to admit that I've been doing the same thing, with the plan to branch out to other studios from there. In fact, I just made my first handful of Twilight Time purchases last month (Peckinpah's Major Dundee, Cimino's Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, and Hill's The Driver, with a preorder in for Peckinpah's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia).

I'm really enjoying how I've branched out and discovered more films and directors through Criterion, and hopefully you'll enjoy it just as much. It's funny that you mention starting by completing your Kurosawa collection... apart from a handful of more contemporary single purchase releases (The Last Temptation of Christ, Brazil, etc) Kurosawa's films were my first real leap into Criterion's library about 10 years ago.

Easy to start with one of the greatest directors and actors like Mifune!

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by manunited1

So I set this new goal for myself and my collection to start basically only buying criterion titles for awhile and expand my cinema mind more. No more random new release blind buys or impulse purchases for a while...

I am just wondering if there are any CC titles to stay away from in terms of inferior release (better PQ alternatives), poor features, or just horrible movie? I want to get all the essentials by the end of this year so my budget is everything...

I think Children of Paradise is another Criterion with a less than stellar transfer.

[Meek12345]

Originally Posted by CHEЯNOБLY!

I could not recommend Jules and Jim enough. I couldn't stop thinking about it since I blind bought it with Tess on the 25th. I watched just about all the supplemental material, which I would recommend, and I think it provides insightful look into the film.

Its important to recognize that this was only Truffaut's third film and that he was only 29 when he made it. Truffaut remarked in interviews that, in retrospect, he wished that he had made the film crueler like Roche's novel, which is semiautobiographical. The relationship(s), and especially Catherine's personality, are meant to be chaotic, and the love can be and is cruel. In the supplements, critic Dudley Andrew remarks that students in his film classes often snicker at the unrealistic "I love you/I hate you" back and forth love-letter scenes between Jim and Catherine, but that be believes the film offers so much inventiveness and cinematic joy, and I agree...from the inserted newsreel footage and photographic stills from 1900s Paris, to the music, and the film techniques used by Truffaut, the film is an experience. Robert Stam said the film is about freedom vs. the rules, not only in New Wave trying to reinvent cinema, but the characters themselves...Jules and Jim "cannot loose Catherine without loosing something of themselves." Freedom can come at a price.

The film starts off in such a playful manner, that the sudden chaos and sadness in the second half can seem to come out of nowhere, but I think I understand where Truffaut was going or wanted to go with this film. Currently my favorite CC BD release.

Thanks for the insight into Jules and Jim. I have only watched it once, so maybe I should give it another try some day. Occasionally, I will like a film more the second time around. Maybe if I view the film from the perspective of fans of the film on this forum, I will end up having a positive experience with it.

[Oblivion138]

Originally Posted by Clare2904

Hopefully they would laugh in the face of CGI etc and use their talent to create everlasting films.

Hitchcock always embraced the tools available to him. CGI is a valid tool, to be used but not overused.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Oblivion138

Hitchcock always embraced the tools available to him. CGI is a valid tool, to be used but not overused.

No. Actually, he didn't. He pushed the envelope with his use of the macabre and also sex (e.g. the kissing in Notorious or the rape in Frenzy), but he was reluctant to abandon rear screen projection... no, that isn't exactly an example of him NOT embracing tools available to him, but at a time when directors were shooting more on location, we got crappy looking sets such as the ones in Torn Curtain and Marnie.

I believe that w/ CGI, he could have made The Birds today and made it exciting, but he was not a progressive filmmaker in certain regards.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

No. Actually, he didn't. He pushed the envelope with his use of the macabre and also sex (e.g. the kissing in Notorious or the rape in Frenzy), but he was reluctant to abandon rear screen projection... no, that isn't exactly an example of him NOT embracing tools available to him, but at a time when directors were shooting more on location, we got crappy looking sets such as the ones in Torn Curtain and Marnie.

I believe that w/ CGI, he could have made The Birds today and made it exciting, but he was not a progressive filmmaker in certain regards.

I've always heard that Alfred Hitchcock was never comfortable creating action scenes. This seems evident in most of his films, because the brief action sequences are simply icing on the cake after the tension has been built up so well with dialogue and pacing, and his movies are still timeless as such.

[Quinni]

Originally Posted by Oblivion138

Hitchcock always embraced the tools available to him. CGI is a valid tool, to be used but not overused.

Indeed. I can't imagine that Hitchcock would use CGI as a crutch, like so many modern directors do with so little thought.

[Oblivion138]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

No. Actually, he didn't. He pushed the envelope with his use of the macabre and also sex (e.g. the kissing in Notorious or the rape in Frenzy), but he was reluctant to abandon rear screen projection... no, that isn't exactly an example of him NOT embracing tools available to him, but at a time when directors were shooting more on location, we got crappy looking sets such as the ones in Torn Curtain and Marnie.

I believe that w/ CGI, he could have made The Birds today and made it exciting, but he was not a progressive filmmaker in certain regards.

All his adherence to stage-bound productions demonstrates is that Hitchcock liked to be able to control everything. If anything, he would be thrilled with the potential that CGI provided for controlling the environment of his films even more.

Originally Posted by Quinni

Indeed. I can't imagine that Hitchcock would use CGI as a crutch, like so many modern directors do with so little thought.

Indeed. I like to think he would use it in the way David Fincher uses it in films like Zodiac and TGWTDT. To create a specific world and tone, without making it obvious and overbearing. Fincher's "invisible" use of CGI has been fantastic.

[HuggyBear73]

Originally Posted by jasonjl

My guess would be that their repackaging it since The 400 Blows is also getting a re-release. I also think they want to re-label them as dual format. That's just my guess.

The previous NIGHT OF THE HUNTER release was 2-blurays. So this repackage is 2 blurays + 1 dvd?

[CHEЯNOБLY!]

Originally Posted by mysteryjuice

Watched Europa last night. The acting also felt really dry and clunky, although maybe it was intentionally that way? The story was actually very engaging however, but because of how dull the characters were it was hard to care about the outcome.

Idk, I saw Europa awhile ago, but that describes more than a few of von Trier's films I have seen, including ones I like. He strikes me as a very particular filmmaker, where the agenda of his films is paramount...characters, dialogue, and plot elements are often utilitarian (i.e. Dogville).