The Criterion Collection

[Cinemach]

Originally Posted by bdmartin134

Is The Double Life of Veronique a hard film to understand it's conveying themes? I've never seen it, but after reading through reviews on Amazon and such, I am really intrigued. I'll be popping over to B&N later to use a few coupons with the present deal and this film keeps grabbing my attention. I enjoy atmospheric films, recent one being The Tree of Life, so what do you think?

I don't believe it's hard to understand its themes at all, though they are inferred rather than directly conveyed - there is no real conventional 'plot'. Well, there is but it really is quite secondary to tone and atmosphere. Highly recommended; especially if you're familiar with later Kieslowski and filmmakers such as Bergman and Malick (which given your like of The Tree of Life I take it you are).

[Banned User]

IMO Kieslowski's later work is on a whole other level then pretty much any director.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

Not anytime soon. Criterion lost the rights to Kind Hearts and Coronets back in 2010. Your only option right now is the UK blu-ray released by Optimum.

Well there goes my excuse for not importing. Once I get more cash I'll grab the uk release.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by bdmartin134

Is The Double Life of Veronique a hard film to understand it's conveying themes? I've never seen it, but after reading through reviews on Amazon and such, I am really intrigued. I'll be popping over to B&N later to use a few coupons with the present deal and this film keeps grabbing my attention. I enjoy atmospheric films, recent one being The Tree of Life, so what do you think?

It's absolutely brilliant and while it doesn't beat you over the head with anything it's not some convoluted puzzle you need six commentaries to kinda sorta get an idea of where he was going.

It's gorgeous, it's rich, it's very engaging - can't say enough about it.

[Monty70]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Well there goes my excuse for not importing. Once I get more cash I'll grab the uk release.

The UK release is excellent, one of my favorite imports.

One of the disc's supplements is a BBC radio analysis of the film that concludes that Kind Hearts and Coronets is the most subversive British film ever made.

[billzfan]

Thanks for all of the recommendations guys and gals. I ended up going over budget and picked up Fanny and Alexander, Three Colors, and Double life of Veronique.

So far I've picked up:
Seventh Seal
Breathless
8 1/2
Fanny and Alexander
Amarcord
Three Colors
Double Life of Veronique


The scary thing is that once I get paid next week I'll probably spend more, lol.

[Darkcritic]

We are getting closer to Kino's release of Korczak and I am wondering if there is anyone else who also wants to see more Wajda in BD? In fact, one of my most anticipated upgrades has to be his War Trilogy! Does anybody knows who has the rights to Man of Iron? How about getting that one and an upgrade to Danton in the same month?!

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by billzfan

Thanks for all of the recommendations guys and gals. I ended up going over budget and picked up Fanny and Alexander, Three Colors, and Double life of Veronique.

So far I've picked up:
Seventh Seal
Breathless
8 1/2
Fanny and Alexander
Amarcord
Three Colors
Double Life of Veronique


The scary thing is that once I get paid next week I'll probably spend more, lol.

That's an A+ haul

[billzfan]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

That's an A+ haul

Thank you! These 50% sales are the best.

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by rkish

Spidey...time to go region free.

Godard and Cassavetes films coming out in Europe...

Cassavetes in the UK:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=9117

Godard in France:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=9116

I know money is tight...believe me...I feel your pain. I just got a "mystery coupon" from B & N (which I think is for 30%) and might use it on the Czech New Wave set or some other Eclipse set (though I'm tempted to return my Berlin Alexanderplatz and "re-buy" it with the coup).

I'm going to assume that the Godard releases won't have any English subs on them?

I finally got around to seeing Sweet Smell of Success and I absolutely loved it. The actors are excellent in it. Funny to learn that Tony Curtis was apparently controversial for the part, since I couldn't see anyone else in it. Burt Lancaster is typically an actor that does ring a bell, but having no idea how he looks like (happens to me with Melanie Griffith too, for some reason). He looked terrifying. I still have to watch Criterion's release of Il Gattopardo, in which I just learned he's also in, so I'll have to watch that soon as well. They managed to have rapid fire dialogues without making it feel over the top, or too much over the top. The movie was also pretty dark, for a movie of that era.
It's funny, of the six or so Criterions I still have to watch, this one is one that I know I want to watch (since I bought it, I ought to ) but for some reason it doesn't have the attraction that a Diabolique or Au revoir les enfants has. Still, it's a great movie, and I recommend it to everyone.
I do have a gripe, though. It seems to me that the aspect ratio should be 1.85:1, instead of the 1.66:1 Criterion chose. They tend to do that often with movies from those years (I think Paths of Glory and The Killing should be in 1.85:1 too) and it doesn't really seem necessary. Or does Criterion just follow the documentation that's available, and do I just want to see everything framed tighter than it should?

[alexfa]

I just got knocked on my butt by blind buy Summer with Monika. I love these 'life in a bottle' films. The ending, particularly the last shot, may be my favorite of Bergman's. It's funny a few publications have called the film's greatest value an exercise in lovingly photographing Harriet Andersson (who is certainly a great untamed beauty), because I found Ekborg's character to be one of Bergman's most clearly realized male protagonists... Oh, not to mention, the transfer was delicious. Nothing like tightly resolved grain across an entire frame.

[BAMJoe]

We are going to find out the October titles tomorrow right?

[Hendershot737]

Originally Posted by BAMJoe

We are going to find out the October titles tomorrow right?

Negative. I believe Criterion posted that it'll be Monday.

[thecynical_drummer]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

We are getting closer to Kino's release of Korczak and I am wondering if there is anyone else who also wants to see more Wajda in BD? In fact, one of my most anticipated upgrades has to be his War Trilogy! Does anybody knows who has the rights to Man of Iron? How about getting that one and an upgrade to Danton in the same month?!

Maybe OT but I have been curious about Wajda's films. Everything I read seems to point to movies I wouold like. Any recommendations where to start?

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by rkish

Spidey...time to go region free.

Godard and Cassavetes films coming out in Europe...

Cassavetes in the UK:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=9117

Godard in France:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=9116

I know money is tight...believe me...I feel your pain. I just got a "mystery coupon" from B & N (which I think is for 30%) and might use it on the Czech New Wave set or some other Eclipse set (though I'm tempted to return my Berlin Alexanderplatz and "re-buy" it with the coup).

Thanks for the info. La Chinoise I'm excited for, though my DVD is fine right now and I can see Koch Lorber releasing it on blu-ray down the road.

If anything, Fassbinder's Querelle just released by Gaumont is on my list to import first.

[Lutz]

^My Querelle blu is in the mail. Cost me more for postage than the disc (I probably should go slower when ordering in a foreign language to see if they have cheaper postage options).

[James Luckard]

So I picked up SHALLOW GRAVE and HAROLD AND MAUDE at the B&N 1/2 off sale. This is going to sound nitpicky, but I'm really unhappy about one thing.

Criterion has always used shrinkwap on their BDs, which came off easily. However they've started using HEAT SEALED plastic, like many other studios. The reason I object is that, like every other stupid studio, they heat seal the plastic on the SPINE side, over the name. This means that when you remove the plastic, it's all fused to the spine, and you have to spend 5 minutes ripping off tiny bits of plastic, and there are still little bits forever congealed into the actual case.

I love Criterion, but if they're gonna charge $40 retail for their discs, they need to be packaged with more care than Lionsgate $7 catalog titles.

I really hope they go back to shrinkwrapping and stop using heat sealed plastic.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by KubrickFan

I'm going to assume that the Godard releases won't have any English subs on them?

I finally got around to seeing Sweet Smell of Success and I absolutely loved it. The actors are excellent in it. Funny to learn that Tony Curtis was apparently controversial for the part, since I couldn't see anyone else in it. Burt Lancaster is typically an actor that does ring a bell, but having no idea how he looks like (happens to me with Melanie Griffith too, for some reason). He looked terrifying. I still have to watch Criterion's release of Il Gattopardo, in which I just learned he's also in, so I'll have to watch that soon as well. They managed to have rapid fire dialogues without making it feel over the top, or too much over the top. The movie was also pretty dark, for a movie of that era.
It's funny, of the six or so Criterions I still have to watch, this one is one that I know I want to watch (since I bought it, I ought to ) but for some reason it doesn't have the attraction that a Diabolique or Au revoir les enfants has. Still, it's a great movie, and I recommend it to everyone.
I do have a gripe, though. It seems to me that the aspect ratio should be 1.85:1, instead of the 1.66:1 Criterion chose. They tend to do that often with movies from those years (I think Paths of Glory and The Killing should be in 1.85:1 too) and it doesn't really seem necessary. Or does Criterion just follow the documentation that's available, and do I just want to see everything framed tighter than it should?

Curtis was known as a pretty boy and always had nice guy roles. He and Lancaster appeared together in Trapeze the year before to some success, and producers wanted to re-team them, but no one was ready to see either of them play suck lowlifes, especially Curtis.

As to the 1.66:1, that's the OAR. Criterion didn't just "choose" it. Whether or not you just prefer tighter compositions, the picture was composed for 1.66.

[James Luckard]

I keep seeing people mention THE TENANT as a hoped for title in October.

If Criterion does it, I hope they keep both the French and English audio tracks, as on the DVD. All the actors performed their scenes in their native languages, resulting in a film that is probably 30% English and 70% French, with extensive redubbing in both tracks.

The half of the film with Isabelle Adjani in it plays as unintentional comedy when she's (badly) dubbed into English. If I had to choose only one audio track, I'd choose the French. However I like the option to switch back to English for the American actors like Shelley Winters.

Unfortunately an audio track with everyone speaking in their native language would be against Polanski's creative wishes, but I still want both options.

[blujazz]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

However they've started using HEAT SEALED plastic, like many other studios.

This is not new. I remember agonizing over my copy of Wings of Desire i bought last year because of the hideous spine.

Yeah, OCD much.