The Criterion Collection

[fdm]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Until the End of the World.

On the really bad road trip movie list would be Damnation Alley.

I thought about posting this really bad one the other day: Due Date.

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by smoss469

Yeah, but I also see you're north of the border so it probably already has a proper Canadian release. I believe the US release this month was in NY, Chicago and maybe LA.

The IMDB release info just says:

USA 7 March 2014 (limited)

Only out this week here in Canada. Been out in the UK over a week now as my friend in London went during this week.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

For those of you who have ordered the Dual Format digipaks directly from Criterion, are you happy with the results?

I'm probably a bit more critical about condition than some/most, but no I was not happy with the shape mine arrived in. I kept Tess, but return 3 or 4 others.

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by fdm

I'm probably a bit more critical about condition than some/most, but no I was not happy with the shape mine arrived in. I kept Tess, but return 3 or 4 others.

Yikes What were the problems?

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by fdm

I'm probably a bit more critical about condition than some/most, but no I was not happy with the shape mine arrived in. I kept Tess, but return 3 or 4 others.

Any dents or cracks or anything that makes i took used or second hand I get a full refund, Amazon are pretty good, got so many copies now and dupes lol but companies don't ask for return they just refund me.

Bought Last Year around 5 times (with refunds) till I got a perfect condition one lol - i'm a tad obbsessive when it comes to my collectable items ^^

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Any dents or cracks or anything that makes i took used or second hand I get a full refund, Amazon are pretty good, got so many copies now and dupes lol but companies don't ask for return they just refund me.

Bought Last Year around 5 times (with refunds) till I got a perfect condition one lol - i'm a tad obbsessive when it comes to my collectable items ^^

Companies should take the time to ensure items are delivered in proper packaging. I hope my copy of The Great Beauty makes it across the border ok

[fdm]

Originally Posted by Clare2904

Yikes What were the problems?

I just don't like dents and scrapes. (The air pillows didn't keep them from shifting around in transit (being generous here, as could just as well be partly warehouse handling). I also returned all of the plastic cased ones, similar issues... a couple I might have kept if I was feeling generous and wasn't going to return any others, but basically I felt I could do better by picking and choosing at B&N and will just wait for a reasonable price there and/or a sale. (I've pretty much gotten fed up with mail order in general (they just seem to get worse and worse).))

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by fdm

I just don't like dents and scrapes. (The air pillows didn't keep them from shifting around in transit (being generous here, as could just as well be partly warehouse handling). I also returned all of the plastic cased ones, similar issues... a couple I might have kept if I was feeling generous and wasn't going to return any others, but basically I felt I could do better by picking and choosing at B&N and will just wait for a reasonable price there and/or a sale. (I've pretty much gotten fed up with mail order in general (they just seem to get worse and worse).))

I hear you, you pay extra so should expect a quality product.

For me the Criterion collection is the whole package, literally. The film, the booklet, the extras and the case it all comes in.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Good news for Fritz Lang fans here...

My Spanish Blu-ray of You Only Live Once (1937) arrived in the mail today, and I just finished watching it on my Region A player.

You Only Live Once was Fritz Lang's second American film after the brilliant Fury (1936), and it also features the beautiful Sylvia Sidney, whom I love partly because she makes me think of Amanda Seyfried. This is a great little proto-noir film, and it's also a wonderful love story in an offbeat way. Henry Fonda's Eddie and Sidney's Joan go about their hardships with a dignity that makes everyone pull for them regardless of the plot turns, and the film ends on an amazing note.

In terms of picture quality, this black-and-white movie looks beautifully detailed, albeit with a few white specks and such inherent to the source. This looks comparable to the DVDBeaver findings for the Italian Blu-ray. I'm not sure if a domestic version is coming down the pipes anytime soon, but I'd love to see it happen, especially if Criterion were to take the reins.

It's not completely out of the realm of possibility. It ended up as part of the Castle Hill Productions catalog, which seems to be divided by several different video labels these days. The DVD was released by Image.

It's funny. I kept thinking the DVD was from Kino, but I must've been thinking of The Long Night (also starring Fonda) or Hangmen Also Die (also directed by Lang).

I also received a few DVDs in the mail today to further my film noir collection. Thankfully, all of them for dirt cheap from third party used dealers...
[snip]
The Samuel Fuller Collection (It Happened in Hollywood / Adventure in Sahara / Power of the Press / The Crimson Kimono / Shockproof / Scandal Sheet / Underworld U.S.A.)

I need to pick up that Fuller Collection. It's a bit of an odd duck, as it seems to be focused on Fuller as writer rather than as director. Only two of the seven films in the set (Kimono and Underworld) are directed by him. One of the others (Scandal Sheet) doesn't even have Fuller contributing to the screenplay, but is just based on a novel he wrote.

The most interesting one of the lot for me is Shockproof, as it's directed by Douglas Sirk. A collaboration between Fuller and Sirk is just awesome to contemplate.

[Ausjdm]

Originally Posted by jw007

Well, I just spent the last 2 nights watching a bunch of Jim Jarmusch. 2 nights ago it was Coffee and Cigarettes on my out of print DVD and then last night was Night on Earth on my Criterion DVD. It wasn't as painful as I thought it would be! Some DVDs sure look better than others.

Coffee and cigs great!
Night on earth awesome! Gus in tha house lol.

But JW, Where's the Ghost Dog love lol???

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jayembee

It's funny. I kept thinking the DVD was from Kino, but I must've been thinking of The Long Night (also starring Fonda) or Hangmen Also Die (also directed by Lang).

I've got a cheap "Used - Very Good" copy of the Kino noir set on its way to me in the mail. The ones that I'm most looking forward to are Sudden Fear, Hangmen Also Die, and The Long Night.

Fritz Lang's films never cease to astound me, and I'm sure that Hangman Also Die will be a cool addition to the collection.

[The Great Owl]

I just finished watching the Filmmakers Signature Series Blu-ray of Wall Street (1987), and am now listening to Oliver Stone's commentary track as I surf the web.

In the commentary, Oliver Stone acknowledges the influence of Sweet Smell of Success (1957) on Wall Street.

After revisiting Wall Street tonight after having seen it a great many times in my life, I'm realizing that Sweet Smell of Success has stood the test of time considerably better than the Oliver Stone film, although I love Wall Street dearly for both nostalgic and tangible reasons. There are moments in the film, though, when Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) and Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) blatantly step out of their characters to deliver sermons for the audience. Sweet Smell of Success never does that, and the snappy aesthetic stays intact throughout the entire movie.

Having seen both in high definition now, I can state with fierce conviction that Sweet Smell of Success is a far better-looking movie in a visual sense. This particular Blu-ray of Wall Street looks good for the source material, though.

These two would make a great double feature night. If I were not running a marathon tomorrow morning, I would stay up and enjoy my Criterion Blu-ray of Sweet Smell of Success again.

[scottpcusa]

Originally Posted by smoss469

Have they ever announced a real US release outside of the limited release in the larger cities?

Originally Posted by StLouisRibs

There is no "wide release", just a series of limited releases - one of the distributors said that it'll have been in 1000 different theaters by six weeks from initial release.

It's currently playing in 304 screens.

I am going to see it tomorrow. it is showing at the Kentucky Theatre in Lexington, KY where I live (which isn't a "large" city...but the theatre is a great place to catch films that are not mainstream)

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Ausjdm

Coffee and cigs great!
Night on earth awesome! Gus in tha house lol.

But JW, Where's the Ghost Dog love lol???

Ghost Dog is probably one of my favorite Jarmusch films. I'll probably watch it Sunday night as I've been in a recent Jarmusch phase. After that I'll probably watch Stranger than Paradise and Down by Law again...and probably Mystery Train too. And oh, maybe I'll use that 20% B&N coupon on Dead Man this weekend before it expires.

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by Coen

How about Godard? What is his most accessible Criterion BD?

Breathless seems to be the most popular one.

Are Criterion Blu-ray's ever going to be region free?

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by 4K HD Guy

Are Criterion Blu-ray's ever going to be region free?

I'd say the chances of it happening are less than .0000001%. A lot of the CC titles are released oversea's by other companies.

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by 4K HD Guy

Are Criterion Blu-ray's ever going to be region free?

In the Criterion Conference video I posted they said there are no plans (filmed last summer in Italy)

[Clare2904]

Alas the upcoming Kiarostami visit to Indiana is not for Criterion No Koker Trilogy

http://www.cinema.indiana.edu/?post_type=film&p=5663

I watched Where Is The Friend's Home ? last night and boy does that deserve an upgrade.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Coen

Anyone have a favorite Soderbergh Criterion? Traffic is the only one I've seen (and that was on cable years ago). How about Godard? What is his most accessible Criterion BD?

My favorite Soderbergh film will more than likely always remain Traffic. It's perhaps the best rendition on the war, or attempted war, on drugs that I've seen. Side Effects is another good Soderbergh film, but overall, I don't find many of his films to be very rewarding experiences.

As far as Godard goes, my favorite has to be Breathless, closely followed by Band of Outsiders. I'm a total sucker for the French New Wave.

Most accessible Criterion? I don't know. I guess it's all a matter of choice, but from what I've seen from members here, it seems to be all of the cult films (Brazil, Fear and Loathing, Repo Man, etc.).