'Art' films on Blu-ray

[onyxx]

Other 'art' titles in your BD collection or wish list?

'The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford' was the best art house movie of the year if you ask me...

[HDJK]

- 'Les Triplets de Belleville'
- 'Requiem For A Dream'

[Grubert]

Originally Posted by HDJK

- 'Les Triplets de Belleville'
- 'Requiem For A Dream'

+1.

To add insult to injury, in January 2007 Lionsgate announced said Requiem for a Dream (and Pi) were coming up.

[HDJK]

Originally Posted by Grubert

+1.

To add insult to injury, in January 2007 Lionsgate announced said Requiem for a Dream (and Pi) were coming up.

'Monster's Ball' was mentioned too. Another great movie directed by a Swiss guy

So what's causing the delay? Bean counters?

[Grubert]

Originally Posted by HDJK

'Monster's Ball' was mentioned too. Another great movie directed by a Swiss guy

So what's causing the delay? Bean counters?

Probably the same mindset Universal Home president voiced yesterday: “We are taking great care in mining our library for those properties we feel precisely hit that high-def ‘sweet spot’ and best deliver on the promise of providing consumers with the state-of-the-art home-viewing experience.”

Bad luck for those of us who sit outside the high-def sweet spot.

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by Grubert

Bad luck for those of us who sit outside the high-def sweet spot.

The thing is alot of the weirder movies would substantially benefit from a blu-ray transfer. So maybe there's not an explosion every 5 seconds or a bunch of fancey CGI business, but alot of the movies i like are very dark, shadowey, and moody with lots of big wide shots and deep focus going on. These movies are just begging for a quality transfer. I'm tired of seeing people rave about the PQ quality of "Water Horse" and the like. You can't polish a turd. And yes i have kids and even they didn't like that movie. We had to go home and watch 2001: A space odyssey just to cleanse those dirty eyes.

[ryry]

here's some i'd like to see:

the diving bell and the butterfly
in the mood for love
l'avventura
the piano teacher
dogville
aguirre, the wrath of god
blue velvet! (mentioned above)

[Riff Magnum]

I agree completely. The studios need to throw us snobs a bone too. We need all of David Lynch's movies released on BD asap. However, i read an interview with him where he professed his love for the digital world, but kinda frowned on the idea of HD. I'm pretty sure he has quite a bit of control over his releases, so i'm not sure how soon this dream will be realized. Most of his movies look fantastic upconverted from standard dvd's anyways, so i can hold out if i have to.

I'd also love to see "Dead Man" on blu-ray.

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by onyxx

'The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford' was the best art house movie of the year if you ask me...

That's not an art house movie. "Wild Strawberries" is an art house movie. Some of Fellini's films could be called art house movies. Movies that take storytelling to different extremes and focus on the psychology of the protagonist are what I consider art house movies. The quintessential art house movies are the Orphic trilogy by Cocteau.

[onyxx]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

Movies that take storytelling to different extremes and focus on the psychology of the protagonist are what I consider art house movies.

Isn't that exactly what they did with 'The Assassination of Jesse James'? Call it an art house western if that's what you prefer, but art house it is.

Top Ten Reviews writes: Opening for the art-house set and for possible Oscar consideration is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, a title that will...

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by onyxx

Isn't that exactly what they did with 'The Assassination of Jesse James'? Call it an art house western if that's what you prefer, but art house it is.

Top Ten Reviews writes: Opening for the art-house set and for possible Oscar consideration is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, a title that will...

Yeah, because a slow-paced western with narration is a revolutionary idea.

The called it an art house movie simply to keep away those people who were expecting an action packed western with gunfights and chases. Top Ten Reviews isn't stupid they knew what people's preconceptions might be for a Jesse James filmed and wanted to temper those who were smart enough to go to them for advice.

[FilmFiend]

I don't know if considered arthouse, but I own the Fountain on blu and it looks really good... mind you its one of those movies that you get and love or don't get and hate... i loved it...

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by FilmFiend

I don't know if considered arthouse, but I own the Fountain on blu and it looks really good... mind you its one of those movies that you get and love or don't get and hate... i loved it...

I would call most Aronofsky films art house films.

[HDJK]

Originally Posted by FilmFiend

I don't know if considered arthouse, but I own the Fountain on blu and it looks really good... mind you its one of those movies that you get and love or don't get and hate... i loved it...

I did get it.... I still didn't like it

[FilmFiend]

Originally Posted by HDJK

I did get it.... I still didn't like it

If you did get it, then I think you would have like it

[reginaroadie]

I'll admit that I would like a few obscure titles that are in my collection to be released on Blu, but to me, it's not that big a deal. I realize that since this is a relatively new format and that they need to build up customer awareness and appreciation, that a lot of smaller titles may be ignored for the time being in order for more bigger and better selling titles to be released so that it's not just movie aficionados buying BD's, but their friends, relatives and grandparents. So if I have to wait for RAGING BULL or THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST to be given the Blu treatment to complete all the Martin Scorsese movies in my collection, that fine.

And I think that the studios are actually doing a good job in getting smaller and comparatively obscure titles out on Blu-Ray for the die-hard fans. Like Sony. Sony may be more focused on getting all their big summer blockbusters out, but the fact that they took the time to release both LIFE OF BRIAN and THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN (the former being a controversial comedy thirty years old that isn't the most in demand Monty Python movie and the latter being a textbook definition of a fiasco) on Blu speaks volumes about their commitment to the format and for catering to the film geeks as much as the common masses. And with Warner's they've made it their priority to release an many classic titles as they are new releases.

So I'm in no real rush to get any really obscure or classic or smaller titles that look gorgeous. GARDEN STATE's the only Fox Searchlight title I'm dying to get, anyways.

[dad2erin]

Steven Soderberg's The Limey is one of my favorite films. This was a art film that showed up on dvd in 1999 and I have been recommending it ever since. He did it the same year as Erin Brockovich. See The Limey. It's Artisan so I don't know when it would be on BD.

[SquidPuppet]

David Lynchs...The Elephant Man...THAT would be something to sink into again.

[Grubert]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

David Lynchs...The Elephant Man...THAT would be something to sink into again.

That was released on HD DVD in Europe and judging from reviews it looked good, although the film elements were not the best.

And I'm glad to update myself...

Originally Posted by Grubert

Big studios should stop snubbing their smaller new releases
As a film lover (of the less mainstream and more arthouse side), it angers me that Fox sees it fit to release Alvin and the Chipmunks on BD, but not the latest Wes Anderson movie, The Darjeeling Limited. Same thing for New Line's Rendition or Warner's Otis. Sony is doing the best job with that.

Warner has now announced Otis on Blu-ray: http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=67532