The Criterion Collection

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I'll get to see what the fuss is about the Pierrot le Fou CC release, as I've got a copy heading my way... I thought the PQ on the Studio Canal was just 'ok.'

Pierrot Le Fou is perhaps my favourite film, so one of the first things I did when I finally went region-free for Blu-ray last year was pick up a copy of the OOP Criterion Blu-ray on the second hand market (I already owned the UK Studio Canal disc and the Criterion DVD set).

Both look great.

The big difference between the two is in the green tinting scene, which is presented sans-tint on the Studio Canal version. It's a very strange quirk, and I can't explain it. I've seen it projected from 35mm a number of times (and on other DVDs and VHS) and it's always had the tint present, so as far as I'm concerned the Criterion colour scheme in that sequence is as it ought to be. It's an unusual thing tho.

Originally Posted by ravenus

That may be for certain specific cases. I have the region B SCC blu-ray releases for the Melville films (Red Circle, Army of Shadows), Bunuel's Belle de Jour,and Renoir's Grand Illusion among others, and all of them are superlative releases. I prefer the color tones on these releases to Criterion's transfers. And none of these have the problem you mentioned with LYAM (that one, I have the CC release). I do agree with you that their chapbook packaging is sub-standard, especially later releases where the disc hub is just stuck on with poor quality glue and can drop off any time.

I've never had an issue with any of the SC releases either, tho like I say above I've got both the Criterion and SC releases of Pierrot Le Fou, and I've got the Criterion DVDs of The Third Man and Last Year At Marienbad to go alongside my SC releases of those. Their Grand Illusion is a particularly fantastic release.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

Their Grand Illusion is a particularly fantastic release.

The supplements are really interesting too. I just watched it the other night and the extra 'okay, just one more' hour flew by.

[BluPops]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

Of those Criterion never released Tristana, and only Discreet Charm is OOP, but it appears that while it is on hulu it doesn't have the criterion logo unfortunately.

Yeah. I should have double checked. They're on Hulu, but not part of Criterion's collection. They came up in the search with Criterion's Bunuel titles, so I quickly assumed... oops.

But still, the films are on Hulu for those who want to check them out.

[duggie walker]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Mixed reviews for Malick films are to be expected. That BBC reviewer had his fangs out. It's only one person. I think there was a critic that called Sgt. Pepper "banal and ultimately fraudulent". Go figure.

Yeah but I consider myself a fan of Malick and these reviews chime with some of my fears after TO THE WONDER, which I pretty much liked but which tested my patience a bit. Malick's methods - the poetic voice-over, the magic-hour photography - felt innovative when juxtaposed with something like the South Pacific war, which is usually treated in such different terms.

But start applying it to more mundane topics - romantic relationships, as in TO THE WONDER - and it all starts to resemble a grandiose perfume commercial. The voice-overs started to feel quite empty for me, the philosophical equivalent of a Hallmark card.

So I can imagine it might grate even more when applied to a film about Hollywood. We don't really need to be told that it's a shallow place that offers only material or superficial sustenance and I get the feeling that's all KNIGHT OF CUPS is going to be telling us for its (probably quite extensive) duration.

I'll still go and see it and I'll be very happy to be proved wrong. But if it's just more of the same schtick, it might be my last Malick until he ventures down a different path.

[joie]

Originally Posted by octagon

I've never really liked the 'paranoia trilogy' moniker.

Sure, one could make a case that The Manchurian Candidate was born of Cold War paranoia and that Seven Days in May was born of paranoia about Cold War paranoia but given the times some degree of anxiety (both about the Soviets themselves and our reactions and overreactions to them) wasn't entirely unreasonable. I mean, I wouldn't say Dr. Strangelove or Fail-Safe were paranoid.

But change 'paranoia trilogy' to 'anxiety trilogy' and Seconds fits a lot better.

From The Invasion of the Body Snatchers to C.C. Baxter's existence as a faceless cog in an insurance company anxiety over loss of identity and individuality was a pretty fruitful theme in the fifties and sixties.

I think, in retrospect, the two cold war political films can be called paranoid. Because if one believes that both sides would act rationally, I.e., in their own interests, then neither side would have attempted a first strike, knockout blow. Even without retaliation, the planet could have become uninhabitable. At the time, , however, there may have been head doctors building backyard bomb shelters too.

edit: rather than call the two political movies paranoid, it might be better to say they were exploiting the cold war paranoia of their audiences. But we only know their audiences may have been paranoid in retrospect.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

Of those Criterion never released Tristana, and only Discreet Charm is OOP, but it appears that while it is on hulu it doesn't have the criterion logo unfortunately.

Tristana is a VERY good film. The Cohen release, IMO, is something everyone should consider adding to their collection. I haven't went through the bonus features, but there are several. It is a nice release!

[joie]

Originally Posted by jmclick

I had never heard of Frankenheimer's "paranoia trilogy" until you asked this question, and I did an internet search. Very interesting!

Even more interesting were the theories that various writers had applied to the films, individually and as a trio. Apparently, individual people would answer your questions about Seconds differently:

[Show spoiler]for example, one writer thought that the paranoia centered around a crisis of masculine identity; another identified it as an irrational fear of aging; yet another saw it as the self-destruction of a man due to his own ego, and his willingness to sell his soul.

Now I'm going to have to watch the film again, and form my own opinion.

In one of Criterion's supplements it's called the " pinnacle" of the paranoia trilogy.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

Pierrot Le Fou is perhaps my favourite film, so one of the first things I did when I finally went region-free for Blu-ray last year was pick up a copy of the OOP Criterion Blu-ray on the second hand market (I already owned the UK Studio Canal disc and the Criterion DVD set).

Both look great.

The big difference between the two is in the green tinting scene, which is presented sans-tint on the Studio Canal version. It's a very strange quirk, and I can't explain it. I've seen it projected from 35mm a number of times (and on other DVDs and VHS) and it's always had the tint present, so as far as I'm concerned the Criterion colour scheme in that sequence is as it ought to be. It's an unusual thing tho.



I've never had an issue with any of the SC releases either, tho like I say above I've got both the Criterion and SC releases of Pierrot Le Fou, and I've got the Criterion DVDs of The Third Man and Last Year At Marienbad to go alongside my SC releases of those. Their Grand Illusion is a particularly fantastic release.

I should pick up Grand Illusion. I've never seen it. I did think, though, that my LYaM disc was going to break in half before I was able to pry it off of the ring. Strange.

I'll be keeping one or the other Pierrot Le Fou discs and selling off the extra. When I watch the CC copy, it will be the 3rd time I've watched the movie in 6 months which is absolutely unheard of movie watching behavior for me.

[kuro_sawa]

Originally Posted by BluPops

Yeah. I should have double checked. They're on Hulu, but not part of Criterion's collection. They came up in the search with Criterion's Bunuel titles, so I quickly assumed... oops.

But still, the films are on Hulu for those who want to check them out.

If you're looking for Discreet Charm or Tristana, there are excellent blu-rays available already:

Here and Here, both are playable on North American players.

Of the films mentioned in your post, the one I fully expect CC to bring to blu-ray some time soon is The Exterminating Angel. While Simon of the Desert would be a cool upgrade, their DVD looks excellent and that would be quite a surprise to me!

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by kuro_sawa

If you're looking for Discreet Charm or Tristana, there are excellent blu-rays available already:

Here and Here, both are playable on North American players.

Of the films mentioned in your post, the one I fully expect CC to bring to blu-ray some time soon is The Exterminating Angel. While Simon of the Desert would be a cool upgrade, their DVD looks excellent and that would be quite a surprise to me!

agree, but if ever a film could stand for some supplemental material it is The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeosie. Unfortunately, the Canadian discs offers nothing.

[joie]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I should pick up Grand Illusion. I've never seen it. I did think, though, that my LYaM disc was going to break in half before I was able to pry it off of the ring. Strange.

I'll be keeping one or the other Pierrot Le Fou discs and selling off the extra. When I watch the CC copy, it will be the 3rd time I've watched the movie in 6 months which is absolutely unheard of movie watching behavior for me.

There is a way to get those Studio Canal discs out easily. Lay the book on a firm surface, then press down firmly on the button with something like a pencil (eraser end). voila!

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

One reviewer was criticising the film, because they felt the strippers shoes were wrong in the film XD

Such a joke lol.

If it makes you feel better, P, I should let you know that I've had an "official" change of heart on Tree of Life. While it isn't my favorite Malick and I don't think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread, I feel pretty comfortable about placing it in my top 10 of the new decade.

[dwk]

Criterion has added the Demy titles to Hulu, including the following that were not in the Demy box set: A Slightly Pregnant Man, The Pied Piper, Parking, and Varda's Jacquot de Nantes.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

If it makes you feel better, P, I should let you know that I've had an "official" change of heart on Tree of Life. While it isn't my favorite Malick and I don't think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread, I feel pretty comfortable about placing it in my top 10 of the new decade.

Ah that's great :-) I wonder if the film would be stronger had it been released in it's entirety - for me it gets better each viewing :-)

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Ah that's great :-) I wonder if the film would be stronger had it been released in it's entirety - for me it gets better each viewing :-)

Tree of Life is a deeply personal film for Malick. I know it's hard to find details on his life and he doesn't give interviews but you can find some stuff on him in One Big Soul.

[silverlakephil]

Originally Posted by kuro_sawa

If you're looking for Discreet Charm or Tristana, there are excellent blu-rays available already:

Here and Here, both are playable on North American players.

Of the films mentioned in your post, the one I fully expect CC to bring to blu-ray some time soon is The Exterminating Angel. While Simon of the Desert would be a cool upgrade, their DVD looks excellent and that would be quite a surprise to me!

Who owns the rights to The Phantom of Liberty? I'd love to see that on Blu-ray. The dinner scene is just outragious!

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by dorothyv

This is a Criterion and Kino related question:

Deep Discount is currently running a BOGO sale on certain BDs. Two of the titles are the Kino releases of Tarkovsky's Sacrifice and Nostalghia (for a total of $26.99). Would these two BDs be a good blind buy at that price for a fan of Tarkovsky's Solaris (who has not seen any other Tarkovsky films)?

Not sure if anybody answered this yet but if you liked Solaris, then these should be pretty safe. At the very least, you won't hate them both. I LOVE Nostalghia but I dislike The Sacrifice very strongly.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Tree of Life is a deeply personal film for Malick. I know it's hard to find details on his life and he doesn't give interviews but you can find some stuff on him in One Big Soul.

Ah yes - I'm friends with the writer, I'm even doing some book designs for him, ones another book in Malicks work and the other is a new cover for another books he's done :-)

I do love how Malick does films more for him rather than money or fame and it does show on his work :-)

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Ah yes - I'm friends with the writer, I'm even doing some book designs for him, ones another book in Malicks work and the other is a new cover for another books he's done :-)

I do love how Malick does films more for him rather than money or fame and it does show on his work :-)

Very cool. He did an excellent job on that book. I bought my brother a copy a while back and he loved it, too.

[kuro_sawa]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

Who owns the rights to The Phantom of Liberty? I'd love to see that on Blu-ray. The dinner scene is just outragious!

I would guess Rialto/Studiocanal in the USA? I really don't know these things but the Criterion dvd is OOP.