The Criterion Collection

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by Clare2904

Rent the films first. I don't see how you could even think of spending $$$ on a genre you have no interest in.

If by watching you pick up a liking then look at buying during a sale.

Wouldn't renting be spending money on a genre he has no interest in?

If he buys it at a good price and he is surprised and likes it, he now owns it. If he doesn't like it and he got it at a good price, he can probably sell it for the same price (or better) and not be out any money.

I'll never understand the money people throw out the window by renting.

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Wouldn't renting be spending money on a genre he has no interest in?

If he buys it at a good price and he is surprised and likes it, he now owns it. If he doesn't like it and he got it at a good price, he can probably sell it for the same price (or better) and not be out any money.

I'll never understand the money people throw out the window by renting.

Because a few bucks for a rental vs $25 or so for a blind buy seems like a wise investment. If you rent, say 5 movies for $5 each and end up buying 4, then the rentals have really just paid for themselves.

[Giuseppe Le Pew]

Originally Posted by smoss469

OK here's a question for some of the more well versed collectors, I've got some gift cards that I'm going to be using in the near future. Part of those will be to add to my CC collection. However... I'm not sure where to start. I've added some things to my CC Wishlist that interest me. Based on what I've got so far, and what I have on the wish list, what would you consider the high points?

CC Wishlist

I'd love some input!

I am particularly fond of The Lady Vanishes and On The Waterfront

Seven Samurai, Thief, The Killing and To Be Or Not To Be are pretty high on my CC Wishlist as well.

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Wouldn't renting be spending money on a genre he has no interest in?

If he buys it at a good price and he is surprised and likes it, he now owns it. If he doesn't like it and he got it at a good price, he can probably sell it for the same price (or better) and not be out any money.

I'll never understand the money people throw out the window by renting.

Originally Posted by smoss469

Because a few bucks for a rental vs $25 or so for a blind buy seems like a wise investment. If you rent, say 5 movies for $5 each and end up buying 4, then the rentals have really just paid for themselves.

Well put smoss. You can rent for as little as $3. From the original post, it seems the guy wants to check out the films so $3+ is nothing to shell out and test the water.

[Giuseppe Le Pew]

Just added five Criterion DVDs to my collection on Wednesday: Missing, Salvatore Giuliano, Chasing Amy, Fugitive Kind and And God Created Woman.

Three Blu-rays are on order: The Tin Drum, Sunday Bloody Sunday and Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence.

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by smoss469

OK here's a question for some of the more well versed collectors, I've got some gift cards that I'm going to be using in the near future. Part of those will be to add to my CC collection. However... I'm not sure where to start. I've added some things to my CC Wishlist that interest me. Based on what I've got so far, and what I have on the wish list, what would you consider the high points?

CC Wishlist

I'd love some input!

Sorry for the delay, I sometimes feel that as a newbie I should hang back and let the more seasoned posters get their thoughts in first.

Anyway, I have in my collection but not watched:

The Magician

I have seen & recommend:

Seven Samurai (a tad long but worth it)
Stray Dog
The Wages of Fear (I used to think the start was a little meh, until I watched it again a year later. I now know it is not just about what happens when the trucks roll)
Shock Corridor
The Lady Vanishes
The Killing
Rififi (The blu of this will be )

I have watched & can take or leave:

Yojimbo
Sweet Smell of Success
The Night of The Hunter
The Great Dictator

The others on the list are films I know nothing about.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

You talk about the intro of Marienbad like it's a bad thing. It's one of the best intros to a film ever, whether you're seeing it for the first time or the tenth time.

Originally Posted by ravenus

Depends on your perspective. When you're watching for the FIRST time, the intro may give you to wonder if you'll be able to connect with the film or whether it will be a pompous, cold "art for art's sake" piece. That's what happened with me, but as the film progressed I connected with it and loved it.

absolutely, Ravenus... you saved me from having to post, but I will anyway. the beginning is wonderful. the idea that the camera arbitrarily floats from bits of one conversation to another goes along with the themes of the entire movie, but fair to say.. I "didn't get it" early on in the film and yes.. everything ravenus says... not sure I would connect with it, but I eventually did.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Wouldn't renting be spending money on a genre he has no interest in?

If he buys it at a good price and he is surprised and likes it, he now owns it. If he doesn't like it and he got it at a good price, he can probably sell it for the same price (or better) and not be out any money.

I'll never understand the money people throw out the window by renting.

Depends on what the renting venue is. If you're talking about going down to a video store and renting a DVD for $3.99, that's one thing. Or paying a fee for a one-time streaming from Amazon.

Getting a subscription to Netflix is different, if you stream rather than getting physical discs sent to you. I pay $8.99 per month, and that allows me to watch as many movies as I can -- it's limited only by the amount of time you have to watch them.

So far, for the month of December, I've watched 29 movies. Plus all 14 episodes of a TV show, so let's call it 30 titles. So that works out to 30¢ per title. And I expect to get in another 10-12 movies before the end of the month. If there's anything about this that's disappointing, it's that a number of the films I've seen and really liked are not available on Blu-ray.

I assume that Hulu+ (which would have many of Criterion's titles) is pretty much the same deal. And in the posting just before the one from Clare you were responding to, LoMo suggested looking into the free trial subscription to Hulu+. Even if you decided not to continue it after the free trial is over, you can at least get in several movies you're not sure about without spending a penny.

I don't see any downside.

[Polaroid]

Thanks for the great replies, firstly I'm from UK

Hulu is a no no for me sadly, and I'm not a fan of buying a film very cheap like dvd version to watch, id rather have the best version (silly I know).

I don't feel pressured, but I feel like I may be missing out, as I said I've heard these are important films and must haves and Criterion have put a lot of work into them.

Im intrigued but just not sure I will enjoy haha

Plus as I said I appreciate or atlas try to all cinema and effort gone into, so want to give them a try... guess I can try as you said, start with Yojimbo and see if I like, if not I an sell, or maybe keep for spine number? but seems a waste to leave it on shelf and neglected haha

Maybe I should just make ales and buy and ghope for th best, had a lot of blind buys from C and never regretted it, so maybe Ill love them, the three reasons videos are helpful and have me intrigued though

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by joie

I watched it in the afternoon, for the third time, I think, and it gets better each time.

I now have the Studio Canal release and it, like the Criterion, has an intro with Ginette Vincendeau. She's very good at contextualizing a film and talks about the opening's importance. This site's reviewer knocked down that edition's video (from 5 to 4), because "Finally, I am going to grade this transfer as a 4 instead of 5 only because I spotted a few minor flecks popping up here and there that I did not see on the Criterion release ... ." I didn't notice the "flecks."

As far as out-of-print movies go, I think "Last Year ..." is worth more because it's genuinely "important" compared with some of the "popcorn" and "cult" flicks that have gone out-of-print. Studio Canal's UK release works in regions 'A' and 'B'.

edit: In one of the extras (may not be on the Criterion - I don't remember), a guy talks about what the film may mean, and one thing he brings up is that "The Shining" may be an unacknowledged remake. There is the repetitiveness. An interesting idea about "Marienbad" is that it's about a character, "X," trying to escape a film, and he's directing the woman, "A," trying to get her to leave with him. Next time, I'll listen to find out whether some of that "direction" is past tense and some is present, like, "You were afraid" and "You are afraid."

Awesome, awesome, awesome! Thanks, joie. I didn't know about the StudioCanal release. Now I can definitely save myself a few bucks. I have a copy of the Criterion DVD out from the library right now. Next viewing, however, MUST be in hi-def.

I kinda figured that the following movies owe something to LYaM: The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut, and Mulholland Drive. I'm not going to read anyone's analysis or watch any bonus extras until I've had a chance to see it, at least, a second time so I can try to figure it out myself, but like you say - the tense (past, present) of the dialogue is important. I'm sure it is uncrackable, but that's part of the fun.

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Thanks for the great replies, firstly I'm from UK

Hulu is a no no for me sadly, and I'm not a fan of buying a film very cheap like dvd version to watch, id rather have the best version (silly I know).

I don't feel pressured, but I feel like I may be missing out, as I said I've heard these are important films and must haves and Criterion have put a lot of work into them.

Im intrigued but just not sure I will enjoy haha

Plus as I said I appreciate or atlas try to all cinema and effort gone into, so want to give them a try... guess I can try as you said, start with Yojimbo and see if I like, if not I an sell, or maybe keep for spine number? but seems a waste to leave it on shelf and neglected haha

Maybe I should just make ales and buy and ghope for th best, had a lot of blind buys from C and never regretted it, so maybe Ill love them, the three reasons videos are helpful and have me intrigued though

I moved from the UK in March and used Lovefilm. You can get a 30 day trial and membership is pretty cheap. Take a look

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Here is a question:

I am not big on samurai films, but would you recommend I get Seven Samurai, Yojimbo/Sanjuro, Zatoichi etc

Im all for appreciating cinema, in any form and such, but I just find the subject boring? (not actually sat through one but its just how I feel on subject). It's just I keep hearing people rave about them and feel like I am missing out, plus they do have some gorgeous packaging haha

Anyway heres my current Criterion List

http://www.criterion.com/my_criterio...obb/collection

Based on those films, do you think I could find some appreciation towards Samurai style films etc? i don't want to pay a fortune on Blus that I just won't like.

(btw not saying they are crap films, I have no idea, we all like different things :P)

I would say the same about myself - that I am not big on samurai films. With that said, it is apparent while watching it, that one can conclude that Yojimbo is the work of a master filmmaker. Some of the best shot composition you'll see anywhere, a little bit of humor, and a badass main character. I cannot comment on the other films because I haven't seen them, but I can safely say that you'll find something to like with this one.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I don't feel pressured, but I feel like I may be missing out, as I said I've heard these are important films and must haves and Criterion have put a lot of work into them.

Generally speaking, films that are considered "important" are considered such for a reason. Which is not to say that they will always be to your specific taste, but on the other hand, you might find that you like them more than you expected to.

And remember, just because a film fits into a specific genre doesn't mean that it's just the same as all other films in that genre. I mean, you can watch a bunch of horse operas with Gene Autry or Roy Rogers (or even the Monogram B-Westerns with John Wayne) and decide that you don't like Westerns. But that shouldn't put you off from trying out films like High Noon or The Searchers or Unforgiven.

Don't think of Seven Samurai or Yojimbo as "samurai films". Think of them as Akira Kurosawa films that just happen to be about samurai. Maybe you can (if you haven't already) try some of Kurosawa's non-samurai films, like High and Low or Ikiru to see if you like his work before trying the samurai films.

Maybe I should just make ales and buy and ghope for th best, had a lot of blind buys from C and never regretted it, so maybe Ill love them, the three reasons videos are helpful and have me intrigued though

I've blind-bought many, many films put out by Criterion (going back to the days of laserdisc) simply because they were from Criterion. While there have been the occasional films I ended up not liking, I've become a fan of number of filmmakers I would likely never have tried if it wasn't for blind-buying their Criterion titles.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Generally speaking, films that are considered "important" are considered such for a reason. Which is not to say that they will always be to your specific taste, but on the other hand, you might find that you like them more than you expected to.

And remember, just because a film fits into a specific genre doesn't mean that it's just the same as all other films in that genre. I mean, you can watch a bunch of horse operas with Gene Autry or Roy Rogers (or even the Monogram B-Westerns with John Wayne) and decide that you don't like Westerns. But that shouldn't put you off from trying out films like High Noon or The Searchers or Unforgiven.

Don't think of Seven Samurai or Yojimbo as "samurai films". Think of them as Akira Kurosawa films that just happen to be about samurai. Maybe you can (if you haven't already) try some of Kurosawa's non-samurai films, like High and Low or Ikiru to see if you like his work before trying the samurai films.



I've blind-bought many, many films put out by Criterion (going back to the days of laserdisc) simply because they were from Criterion. While there have been the occasional films I ended up not liking, I've become a fan of number of filmmakers I would likely never have tried if it wasn't for blind-buying their Criterion titles.

AH great response thanks, I will try his other stuff, I know he's a great director, have got and seen Rashomon.

Will probably do as you said and start with his other films like High And low and Ikuru and then move and yeah probably good idea to forget the genre and sit back and enjoy, I'm sure even if I dislike the genre or film, ic an appreciate his direction or cinematography etc :P

[jw007]

Originally Posted by K1NG J0RDAN

I agree 100%!! Such a CRAZY film, and I absolutely cannot wait to see it again. Possibly Leo's best acting/ best film! Of course it's all personal opinions when it comes to that, but damn his performance was flawless. I couldn't help but smile throughout the film (even during parts that were yelling and fighting), because he just did it all so well. The whole cast did. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I saw it Christmas night! This is like what 12 Years A Slave did to me.

I actually just finished watching Goodfellas. Having Scorsese fever!

Honestly, this film was a tour de force! It was Scorcese's magnum opus. I'm about to say something sacrilegious, but I think it is possibly his greatest film of all time. There is just so much happening in this movie and there are some scenes that literally transport you out of the theater like you were on quaaludes like Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DeCaprio's character) was on. This film is sheer madness. It's by far DeCaprio's greatest performance of all time. Scorcese and Leonardo hit this one way out of the ballpark (into another realm). Scorcese made the ultimate movie about greed and excess and all taking place in his hometown, NYC. It's a movie that will be talked about for ages to come.

[Hintermann]

I just saw Rosemary's Baby and was very happy with Criterion's transfer job. I always had concerns about the picture quality on media for this mostly indoors movie with its dark and contrasty framing. But Criterion have done an excellent job not only with the transfer but in including some of the scenes that were edited out of the TV broadcast of the film when I last saw it.

Despite being fairly early from the Polanski stable, the direction gives a great example of his style. Scenes follow each other seamlessly where indicated but Polanski is not afraid to jump-edit if necessary. The film relies on atmosphere and gradual build-up rather than things going bump in the night like with most mainstream horror films.

All in all an excellent film and highly recommended for Criterion collectors who don't yet own this film on BD.

[smoss469]

Just finished Anatomy of a Murder for the first time and thought it was incredible! The run time might seem long but the movie just flew by. I was almost 80 minutes in before I realized I was still watching the same movie! Jimmy Stewart did an outstanding job as the "Aww Shucks" small town lawyer which was the perfect counter balance to George C Scott's hot shot big city prosecutor. Stewart was excellent in the court room, fiery when he needed to be and slick when it was called for.

[Show spoiler]Often in a court room movie, the defense is the good guy, however there were subtle hints that this was going to be a big con, I really expected a swerve at the end in the line of Primaal Fear after they read the final verdict.

If you want a great afternoon from both sides of the process, I highly recommend pairing this one with 12 Angry Men for a great legal themed mini-marathon!

Up next? Diabolique

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by smoss469

Just finished Anatomy of a Murder for the first time and thought it was incredible! The run time might seem long but the movie just flew by. I was almost 80 minutes in before I realized I was still watching the same movie! Jimmy Stewart did an outstanding job as the "Aww Shucks" small town lawyer which was the perfect counter balance to George C Scott's hot shot big city prosecutor. Stewart was excellent in the court room, fiery when he needed to be and slick when it was called for.

[Show spoiler]Often in a court room movie, the defense is the good guy, however there were subtle hints that this was going to be a big con, I really expected a swerve at the end in the line of Primaal Fear after they read the final verdict.

If you want a great afternoon from both sides of the process, I highly recommend pairing this one with 12 Angry Men for a great legal themed mini-marathon!

Up next? Diabolique

All 3 films you mention are great. I hope you enjoy Diabolique, I did.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Wouldn't renting be spending money on a genre he has no interest in?
If he buys it at a good price and he is surprised and likes it, he now owns it. If he doesn't like it and he got it at a good price, he can probably sell it for the same price (or better) and not be out any money.

I'll never understand the money people throw out the window by renting.

You will when you properly understand the word "Probably."

In this case, no one says he has to rent the Criterion, just that he see the film. And THEN buy the Criterion, IF he happens to like it. Which will likely be an improvement in any case.

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Thanks for the great replies, firstly I'm from UK

Hulu is a no no for me sadly,

you can unblock hulu with "media hint". the tricky part is getting a creditcard to pay for hulu. but for that there are prepaid cards avaible (ebay etc) 40$ for a 25$ card.