The Criterion Collection

[cjamescook]

Any thoughts on why Sergei Eisenstein's sound films (spine #86-88) are OOP?

[jw007]

Originally Posted by joy-division

It's just amazing how he manages to capture(with the help of the cinematographer of course) those specific moment. The sun just in the right position, the birds flocking away

Same definitely goes for TTRL. The opening is just drawdropping

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVD0...ature=youtu.be

That scene is sublime.

Honestly, I'm still waiting for Malick to replicate the emotions he achieved in TTRL and TNW. He came a bit close with A Hidden Life, but I was hoping for more (though I need to revisit that film again). I think the romance factor was perfectly balanced with the war factor in The New World, and this balance was what made that film work so well. In The Thin Red Line, Malick had no conventional romance theme aside from the main character's romance (or longing) with peace and nature and that was enough in itself. I would like a new Malick film that eliminates a man-woman romance motif and focuses more on the bigger picture that he explored quite well in The Tree of Life but also in TTRL and TNW. Malick has grown a bit pretentious since TTOL in his repetitive character romance motifs. I just cannot connect to his characters as of late.

[jw007]

A bit of a stupid moment on my part.

I walked into Barnes & Noble the other day (December 1) not realizing the 50% off Criterion sale had just ended the night before and I went to the cashier with Ghost Dog in my hand ready to purchase. I knew the 10% off member discount wouldn't work but then I was horrified when the cashier rang up my purchase and it came out to $42.35 with tax. I was like: "Isn't that 50% off sale still going on?". The cashier thought so too, as did another person in the store, but neither had no clue. So then I used my rationality and guessed the sale ended on the last day of November. But I remember in years past the Criterions went to 40% off after Black Friday into December. Those days are no more though (ahhhhhhh, the good ol' days!). I decided to not buy the Criterion and walked out into a snowstorm empty handed and a bit disappointed. (I also asked an employee if Crash was in stock as it just been released on Dec. 1 and apparently the title never got shipped to the store that day!)

Oh well, I guess we still have Amazon and Target.

[Mike0284]

Originally Posted by jw007

I decided to not buy the Criterion and walked out into a snowstorm empty handed and a bit disappointed.

Was this you when you got home?

[jrsl76]

Originally Posted by BluCollector13

Crazy you mention that, I was JUST thinking about how "Bulworth" is in desperate need of a good home video release. A Criterion would definitely be justified, especially given the current domestic climate of the last few years.

I’ve waited for years for a good edition. I still have the non-anamorphic dvd I bought in 1998.

[dwk]

Originally Posted by cjamescook

Any thoughts on why Sergei Eisenstein's sound films (spine #86-88) are OOP?

Their DVD box sets have been falling OOP for a few years now. I assume that sales have dried up and they decided to let them go OOP until they get around to releasing them on Blu-ray.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by dwk

Their DVD box sets have been falling OOP for a few years now. I assume that sales have dried up and they decided to let them go OOP until they get around to releasing them on Blu-ray.

The Eisensteins are a dream upgrade for me!

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by omgitsgodzilla

There's nothing inherently wrong with Wong creating new versions if he wants to, but not ensuring that the original versions are properly preserved and available alongside them is just irresponsible, and can hardly be called "restoration."

I'm fine with Wong doing what he wants to do with the films. I'm just glad that I found this out before trading in the previous BD (or DVD) releases of the films. Depending on how they look upon viewing, I may end up thinking of these as the default versions to watch, but I prefer to have the original versions around.

It still irks me that the original version of Ashes of Time was "sent to the farm upstate" after the Redux version was released. I have it on DVD, but it's Mei Ah (HK), so not an especially good release.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Mike0284

Was this you when you got home?

No, I was like this.

[Xtempo]

Originally Posted by blujazz

What in the world!!!!

The Aspect Ratio doesn't bug me as much as the color/tint difference. What's the deal with that? I hope they include the original as well as the new updated one. I probably keep my old copies anyway but we have the capacity to preserve these movies... oh well. can't wait

[cjamescook]

Originally Posted by dwk

Their DVD box sets have been falling OOP for a few years now. I assume that sales have dried up and they decided to let them go OOP until they get around to releasing them on Blu-ray.

Thanks. I had hoped the answer was a blu-ray upgrade was imminent as I wished to gift them to my Russian father-in-law, but no such luck. Again, thanks.

[styrofoamboats]

I got a copy of Secret Sunshine from Amazon today and after I opened it I discovered that the "director approved" sticker was actually stuck to the case and not on the cellophane like normal. I guess I got a resealed copy?

[dcx4610]

I blind bought probably 20 movies during the Criterion sale and I finally ran into some duds.

Picnic at Hanging Rock and Fantastic Planet. Both are interesting and well made but just didn't grab me.

Thus is the blind buy. Still, I've had enough blow me away where I an accept a few losses from time to time.

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by jw007

A bit of a stupid moment on my part.

I walked into Barnes & Noble the other day (December 1) not realizing the 50% off Criterion sale had just ended the night before and I went to the cashier with Ghost Dog in my hand ready to purchase. I knew the 10% off member discount wouldn't work but then I was horrified when the cashier rang up my purchase and it came out to $42.35 with tax. I was like: "Isn't that 50% off sale still going on?". The cashier thought so too, as did another person in the store, but neither had no clue. So then I used my rationality and guessed the sale ended on the last day of November. But I remember in years past the Criterions went to 40% off after Black Friday into December. Those days are no more though (ahhhhhhh, the good ol' days!). I decided to not buy the Criterion and walked out into a snowstorm empty handed and a bit disappointed. (I also asked an employee if Crash was in stock as it just been released on Dec. 1 and apparently the title never got shipped to the store that day!)

Oh well, I guess we still have Amazon and Target.

I went in December 1 as well to pick up The Gunfighter, and saw Crash on the shelf, so I went to get that too. The cashier said that only the Gunfighter was coming up as 50 percent off. I quietly guessed it was because Crash’s actual release date was after the sale and they put it out early, but I said, isn’t everything Criterion 50 percent off? She flagged down the manager, who said yeah, that’s how it’s supposed to be and overrode the Crash price.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by dcx4610

I blind bought probably 20 movies during the Criterion sale and I finally ran into some duds.

Picnic at Hanging Rock and Fantastic Planet. Both are interesting and well made but just didn't grab me.

Each to their own, but maybe give Picnic another shot later. It's a film that provokes your own imagination a lot. It always leaves me feeling sad and wistful.
I like FP also, but it was emotionally somewhat removed.

[BluLobsta]

Originally Posted by Xtempo

The Aspect Ratio doesn't bug me as much as the color/tint difference. What's the deal with that? I hope they include the original as well as the new updated one. I probably keep my old copies anyway but we have the capacity to preserve these movies... oh well. can't wait

Kind of reminds you of the Sam Fuller scene in Pierrot le Fou. Criterion versus Studio Canal.

[traths]

Originally Posted by joy-division

Watched Bringing up Baby yesterday & absolutely loved it!
Can't believe that this was a flop when first released
If Criterion had the rights to this film, do you think it would make a good release?

Bringing Up Baby is my most wanted blu-ray and I would love to see Criterion release it.

I'm hoping Criterion gets a blu-ray release of The Bank Dick also since the DVD has been out of print for quite a while now.

[Xtempo]

Originally Posted by dcx4610

I blind bought probably 20 movies during the Criterion sale and I finally ran into some duds.

Picnic at Hanging Rock and Fantastic Planet. Both are interesting and well made but just didn't grab me.

Thus is the blind buy. Still, I've had enough blow me away where I an accept a few losses from time to time.

I think Fantastic Planet grew on me. I download it the first time time to watch and sorta of liked it but then I bought a copy during the sale to watch and I have seen several times more and wishing I could read the book it is based off of but that is impossible due to it being scarce and expensive in the English language and I don't know french.

[Bn43]

Scope is cramped. Of course movies can look wonderful in scope, but I don't know why you'd frame your movie around it when there are more versatile aspect ratios. Scope probably makes compositions harder. It's why few painters use very wide canvases. Blade Runner, for example, could look just as good in a taller aspect ratio if the director had had to shoot, position and frame everything for it, so I don't buy "It depends."

I'm glad I already own Fallen Angels.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by Bn43

Scope is cramped. Of course movies can look wonderful in scope, but I don't know why you'd frame your movie around it when there are more versatile aspect ratios. Scope probably makes compositions harder. It's why few painters use very wide canvases. Blade Runner, for example, could look just as good in a taller aspect ratio if the director had had to shoot, position and frame everything for it, so I don't buy "It depends."

I'm glad I already own Fallen Angels.

If you have access to the Criterion Channel, they're showing Bad Day at Black Rock with the John Sturges commentary from the Criterion LD release back in the day. In it he discusses widescreen compositions, among other things. He said that the studio originally thought that widescreen was only good for epics with thousands of extras and would be wasted on a film with just seven characters. He goes on to demonstrate why that ain't necessarily so. Highly recommended.