The Criterion Collection

[moody41]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

I'm having trouble deciding which version of Le Cercle Rouge to buy: Criterion or StudioCanal (my player is region-free).
I read part of a debate over on the Criterion forum, but it was a bit inconclusive.
I've been looking at screen comparisons at you-know-where: the StudioCanal is slightly cropped compared to the Criterion, but the Criterion might have incorrect colour-timing
I'm leaning towards the StudioCanal.
Does anyone here have both copies?
Has anyone seen it theatrically?
Did anyone who also has a region-free player choose one edition over the other?

It's up for dispute this. Both have superb picture it's just whether the film should have a tint or not. The Criterion is more life-like without the tint so it's all down to which you'd prefer.

As for the debate I doubt we'll ever know whether it was originally supposed to have the tint since those involved are all dead. Lhomme who worked on Army of Shadows supervised the Criterion version by the way. Personnally I think the studio canal version is probably more faithful since if you watch any of Melville's other colour movies each are filmed with a tint (Un Flic and Army of Shadows the ones I've seen).

[Aristide Massaccesi]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

I'm having trouble deciding which version of Le Cercle Rouge to buy: Criterion or StudioCanal (my player is region-free).

Did anyone who also has a region-free player choose one edition over the other?

I went with the Studio Canal because the tint is a Melville trademark.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Go with the Criterion.

The majority seem to be going with the StudioCanal - why do you prefer the Criterion?

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

The majority seem to be going with the StudioCanal - why do you prefer the Criterion?

I don't have confidence in Studio Canal.

[Hendershot737]

Originally Posted by shelloiljunior

i don't have confidence in studio canal.

+1

[charnier]

Although Criterion is generally the better label, credit should be given where it is due so I would go with the Studio Canal - Melville wanted to make black and white films in colour and the blue/grey tint helped achieve that; Studio Canal's release preserves that.

Criterion's just looks like a normal colour film and for whatever reason, they cannot seem to get this title right - Pro-B flagged their press release on L'enfance Nue where they admitted the colours on the DVD of Rouge were saturated.

[Der Spieler]

Originally Posted by keldons

You'd think so, but apparently he is very particular and private, so when word of Criterion working on Eraserhead got out he got angry and left. I would love for someone to put out Lost Highway and do it justice.

Seems very idiotic.

[Pyoko]

Originally Posted by charnier

Pro-B flagged their press release on L'enfance Nue where they admitted the colours on the DVD of Rouge were saturated.

Keyword being DVD. That doesn't apply anymore because the colours are not the same on the Blu-ray. I had hoped to get the Criterion Blu-ray by today in order to have a closer look, but no such luck. Hopefully next week.

[charnier]

Originally Posted by Pyoko

Keyword being DVD. That doesn't apply anymore because the colours are not the same on the Blu-ray. I had hoped to get the Criterion Blu-ray by today in order to have a closer look, but no such luck. Hopefully next week.

But look at the caps on Beaver - there's little difference between the Criterion DVD and Blu colour schemes. The key cap for me is Mattei on the ground outside the train - it's still saturated with colour.

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by charnier

But look at the caps on Beaver - there's little difference between the Criterion DVD and Blu colour schemes. The key cap for me is Mattei on the ground outside the train - it's still saturated with colour.

I know Criterion would have been aware over the differences in color correction, but it would be nice to know why they decided to go in the direction they did. Usually they have their reasons and I am sure it was discussed.

I own the Criterion Blu, I don't have a region free player or I would get a Studio Canal copy, but would still own the Criterion release.

Also forgive me if it was already noted, but does Fear and Loathing have a plastic slip like the DVD or just standard plastic case?

[Pyoko]

Originally Posted by charnier

But look at the caps on Beaver - there's little difference between the Criterion DVD and Blu colour schemes.

Little difference? I would say in most of the caps the difference between the Criterion DVD and Blu is about as big as between the Criterion Blu and SC Blu, which makes your argumentation a bit odd to me (that one set of differences is hardly noticeable, but the other is critical.)

[TheDot]

Originally Posted by PowellPressburger

I know Criterion would have been aware over the differences in color correction, but it would be nice to know why they decided to go in the direction they did. Usually they have their reasons and I am sure it was discussed.

I own the Criterion Blu, I don't have a region free player or I would get a Studio Canal copy, but would still own the Criterion release.

Also forgive me if it was already noted, but does Fear and Loathing have a plastic slip like the DVD or just standard plastic case?

Got it this morning, just a standard clear case- no slip. Shame, because I loved the packaging on the DVD set (which I sold as soon as the blu was announced).

Still, looking forward to revisiting it in HD.

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by TheDot

Got it this morning, just a standard clear case- no slip. Shame, because I loved the packaging on the DVD set (which I sold as soon as the blu was announced).

Still, looking forward to revisiting it in HD.

That is cool, I held onto my DVD version just in case. I did the same with Videodrome on DVD.

[stobbart]

Are there any musicals in the collection besides the P&P films?

[charnier]

Originally Posted by Pyoko

Little difference? I would say in most of the caps the difference between the Criterion DVD and Blu is about as big as between the Criterion Blu and SC Blu, which makes your argumentation a bit odd to me (that one set of differences is hardly noticeable, but the other is critical.)

Well I still stand by what I said - the shots with Mattei in the carriage and on the ground on both Criterion versions look like normal colours, which Melville was not aiming for. Granted, the blu looks less saturated than the dvd but not by much (except for the Rocco cap) - the fact is it does not look like the colour scheme that was typical of Melville's colour films such as Army of Shadows and Le Samourai.

[The Theory]

Originally Posted by stobbart

Are there any musicals in the collection besides the P&P films?

I'm too stupid to know what P&P stands for, but I was receiving movies today at the library I work at and noticed that Criterion released Kurt Weill's 3 Penny Opera.

[stobbart]

Originally Posted by The Theory

I'm too stupid to know what P&P stands for, but I was receiving movies today at the library I work at and noticed that Criterion released Kurt Weill's 3 Penny Opera.

Powell and Pressburger titles like Red Shoes, and The Tales of Hoffman

[The Theory]

Originally Posted by stobbart

Powell and Pressburger titles like Red Shoes, and The Tales of Hoffman

Ah yes. I should have known that. Well, 3 Penny Opera is obviously an opera as opposed to a musical, but I tend to mentally categorize them similarly.

Actually, this is a question I, too, am interested in since I love musicals. So if anyone else knows of one off-hand, that would be de-double-dandy.

[Beta Man]

"Head" is a musical

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by charnier

the blu looks less saturated than the dvd but not by much (except for the Rocco cap)

NTSC SMPTE "C" color space is smaller than HDTV color space. If this is not compensated for somewhere in the chain, caps might not be accurate for one of the formats.