The Criterion Collection

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Visco.

I've had my copy of Seven Samurai since that huge CC sale on Amazon last year and still haven't watched it. The runtime is intimidating.

As others have said, it goes by quicker than other long movies. But still, you could always break it up into 2 or 3 nights. The fiml has distinct acts that would allow you to watch it like a 3 or 4 episode mini series.

[mport5150]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

As others have said, it goes by quicker than other long movies. But still, you could always break it up into 2 or 3 nights.

This is what I had to do the first time I watched it - 2 nights...Definitely worth it...one of my favorite Criterion's!

[tenia]

Originally Posted by BLOFELD

I said criterion DVD vs criterion br. And I stand by my statements that on this title there is VERY little difference between the two formats.

Comprehension skills aside (I love agressive posts like this one, always a good way to start a discussion ), I do think the difference is wild.

I'll post comparative caps later on (if I have time tonight).

[Visco.]

Originally Posted by smoss469

I've had Fanny and Alexander since November but haven't watched it due to the run time. Partially because the TV version is nearly 5 1/2 hours long but it's also a numbers game. I can watch 2 or 3 movies in that same time and get through my backlog. I guess I'll watch it when I get down to almost nothing.



That being said, Seven Samurai is a longer movie, but the film is paced very well. You don't feel like you're watching a 3 hour + movie when you're finished.

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Best movie ever, imo. Really does not feel long at all .

Originally Posted by iScottie

It goes by really, really, really, really fast.

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

As others have said, it goes by quicker than other long movies. But still, you could always break it up into 2 or 3 nights. The fiml has distinct acts that would allow you to watch it like a 3 or 4 episode mini series.

Thanks for the insight everyone. I'll try to watch it as soon as possible. Probably not till I get home from vacation though. I just really want it to be a hell of an experience.

[brandon_260]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Martin Scorsese's favorite films are currently free on HULU.

http://www.hulu.com/browse/picks/cri...sese-favorites

I'll be making time for the River in the near future, as it's part of the Sight and Sound list I am now tackling. I didn't even realize it was on Hulu until Criterion posted about this the other day.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

This isn't really an apples to apples comparison. The Beatles made music, Criterion doesn't make movies. It simply chooses it's favorites, or what it finds to be the best, and releases what it can get the rights to.

Exactly, they don't make wine, they select wines.

Is everything in their cellar to my particular tastes? Of course not. I like some of the wines they sell a lot more than others. But I can't think of too many bad ones and off the top of my head I can't think of a single undrinkable one.

Now maybe that's bias on my part. Maybe I give the stuff they select a little more slack because they put their stamp on it. That's possible.

But maybe they have a really good track record because they're really good at what they do.

That's possible too.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Visco.

Thanks for the insight everyone. I'll try to watch it as soon as possible. Probably not till I get home from vacation though. I just really want it to be a hell of an experience.

Even if you decide to break it into multiple viewings allow yourself three hours for the first one just in case.

[tenia]

Originally Posted by tenia

Comprehension skills aside (I love agressive posts like this one, always a good way to start a discussion ), I do think the difference is wild.

I'll post comparative caps later on (if I have time tonight).

I apologize, it turned out some of the DVD caps are not exact matches. Quite sure I matched them when taking them, but it seems not (or that there has been a delay between me hitting the caps key and the soft taking them, but anyway) :

[ShellOilJunior]

This may seem OT but this is related to spine #167. I picked this up the other day at the post office. I don't know if I can bring myself to use them!

[Show spoiler]

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by octagon

Exactly, they don't make wine, they select wines.

Is everything in their cellar to my particular tastes? Of course not. I like some of the wines they sell a lot more than others. But I can't think of too many bad ones and off the top of my head I can't think of a single undrinkable one.

Thanks to your post I had flashbacks to when Orson Welles used to do Paul Masson wine commercials.

[SilentDawn]

I picked up The Great Beauty today from B&N. Needless to day, I'm excited to see the film that won the Best Foreign Film Oscar.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Thanks to your post I had flashbacks to when Orson Welles used to do Paul Masson wine commercials.

And keeping the barely Criterion related stream of consciousness going, I just flashed to the Columbo episode Any Old Port in a Storm.

Those commercials were freaking everywhere though. And I'm not going to lie, I had no idea who Welles was until years later. And even then I had no real idea. Hell, now that I think about it, I saw a restored print of Citizen Kane during its 50th Anniversary tour and even then I viewed it (and him) as more of an historical curiosity than anything else.

Oh well, I caught on eventually.

That's the important thing, I guess.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by oildude

My worst Criterion blind buy by far is White Material. I dislike that film all the more because it is about a subject I find very intriguing in film and history. Extremely disappointed with it, considering what it could have been compared to what it actually turned out to be.

Funny, I was just trying to watch this the other night on Netflix, as it was due to expire. I didn't get very far because I was having a difficult time focusing on it, but it was late, and I was tired. I would like to give it another shot, though.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by SilentDawn

I picked up The Great Beauty today from B&N. Needless to day, I'm excited to see the film that won the Best Foreign Film Oscar.

It's my favorite film of 2013 followed closely by The Past.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Thebunk

With respect to Brazil: I found all the sets, vehicles, wiring closets, etc just so dated.

I didn't find them dated at all. Just the opposite, in fact. I think you're mistaking a deliberately retro production design for one that's "dated".

[SilentDawn]

Originally Posted by iScottie

It's my favorite film of 2013 followed closely by The Past.

That's great to hear, I might check it out tonight.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I didn't find them dated at all. Just the opposite, in fact. I think you're mistaking a deliberately retro production design for one that's "dated".

Wellllllllll, I can kind of see both sides of this. You're right about the retro elements but it does have a very, very strong 80s vibe and not always in a good, transparent way.

I've only watched it once all the way through so nothing specific really comes to mind right now

[Show spoiler] (well Jonathan Pryce's glam finale maybe)

but I do remember getting that fairly strong feeling from time to time.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by MPerry_2000

I mean no offense, but it's comments like "they are all very good/great films" that that make me shudder. Is every Beatles song great?

No, not all Beatles songs are great. But there aren't any that are bad. There might be a couple of tunes from the White Album that I wouldn't miss if I never heard them again, but on the other hand, I don't skip past them when I listen to the album in my iTunes playlist.

As for Criterion, I've been buying Criterions since back in the laserdisc days. I've seen literally hundreds of films on the Criterion label, and can probably count on two hands the ones that I didn't care for, and still have some fingers left over. And probably only half of those are ones that I really, really didn't like.

[Lastyear]

Actually I could do without the long and Winding Road.

[octagon]

Great, I can't get that out of my head now.

At least it's a good song so there's that anyway.