The Criterion Collection

[ANDYBALLINA]

noob question

Criterion's have the best transfer's when it comes to there titles right?

[Alex DeLarge]

Are we ever going to see Bresson on blu? I have the French import of A MAN ESCAPED which looks fantastic, finally revealing nearly every detail of Bresson's obsessive mise en scene. MOUCHETTE, BALTHAZAR, PICKPOCKET, DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST are some of the greatest cinema ever. I even consider his vision of TRIAL OF JOAN OF ARC superior to Dreyer's (though I adore PASSION!).

[Pyoko]

Originally Posted by ANDYBALLINA

noob question

Criterion's have the best transfer's when it comes to there titles right?

Depends on what you're asking really.

Do they always use the best available digital source for a title? Usually, but not always.

Is that source always great? No.

They're really just like any other studio. Sometimes they do new transfers that look fantastic, sometimes they use older transfers that don't look so good. However there are few titles that are outright terrible, so they may have a higher average quality than some other studios.

[sellcm]

Originally Posted by Le samouraï13

I got seven titles for $10 each:

Army of Shadows
Blow Out
Le Cercle Rouge
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
The Great Dictator
The Red Shoes
Charade

The last two are blind buys will watch on Netflix before opening.

how did you manage to get these for $10?

[ANDYBALLINA]

Originally Posted by Pyoko

Depends on what you're asking really.

Do they always use the best available digital source for a title? Usually, but not always.

Is that source always great? No.

They're really just like any other studio. Sometimes they do new transfers that look fantastic, sometimes they use older transfers that don't look so good. However there are few titles that are outright terrible, so they may have a higher average quality than some other studios.

Thanks for that and interesting. From what I heard and understood is that Criterion are pretty much the best studio for movie transfers. Hence the higher price.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by ANDYBALLINA

noob question

Criterion's have the best transfer's when it comes to there titles right?

The transfers are relative to the source materials. This is especially true with the older films where original negatives don't exist. With newer films (The Thin Red Line) Criterion has proven to be ace.

In any case, I think people love Criterion because they have the sense Criterion will go all out for a release. Heck, does any other company issue all extras in HD? They go the extra mile.

[Eny-]

Originally Posted by Pyoko

Depends on what you're asking really.

Do they always use the best available digital source for a title? Usually, but not always.

Is that source always great? No.

They're really just like any other studio. Sometimes they do new transfers that look fantastic, sometimes they use older transfers that don't look so good. However there are few titles that are outright terrible, so they may have a higher average quality than some other studios.

The Leopard

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

The transfers are relative to the source materials. This is especially true with the older films where original negatives don't exist. With newer films (The Thin Red Line) Criterion has proven to be ace.

In any case, I think people love Criterion because they have the sense Criterion will go all out for a release. Heck, does any other company issue all extras in HD? They go the extra mile.

+1. Those points account for 50% of my blind trust in them.

[Pyoko]

Originally Posted by ANDYBALLINA

Thanks for that and interesting. From what I heard and understood is that Criterion are pretty much the best studio for movie transfers. Hence the higher price.

I don't think the price has all that much to do with the quality of the actual movie presentation, but more with packaging, design, booklets, commissioning of new extras and so forth. And likely they charge a higher price because they can. See also the Veblen effect.

[Zacherywolf7]

Originally Posted by Pyoko

I don't think the price has all that much to do with the quality of the actual movie presentation, but more with packaging, design, booklets, commissioning of new extras and so forth. And likely they charge a higher price because they can. See also the Veblen effect.

Of what Ive seen, with my own eyes and DVD Beaver, Criterion seems like the best option. Do you have examples where they are not?

[deltasun]

Originally Posted by Zacherywolf7

Of what Ive seen, with my own eyes and DVD Beaver, Criterion seems like the best option. Do you have examples where they are not?

I think The Leopard was cited above. Also, DVD Beaver isn't the best in terms of faithful screenshots.

[Tom Hiddleston]

Originally Posted by bingtau

Yup, to bad O Bloom was the lead. Thewlis was on fire this year with KOH and The New World. Honestly Dr Moreau wasn't as bad as everyone thinks thanks again to Mr Thewlis. Just got done watching Naked again, proly the fourth time, first on blu and Wow, the film grows on me everytime with just terrific performances and it's by far the best the soundtrack has ever sounded. How he wasn't even nominated for a best actor let alone winning is beyond me.

Th two worst characters in KOH had the biggest parts. I hated The New World, he was the only bearable part of that movie imo. I liked Dr. Moreau, but I only saw it once when I was a kid. I need to look it up and watch it again. I think people accept bribes, how else would explain the nominations for The Tourist? I also picked up The Magician. I still need to get at least three more films.

[Cpt_splding]

Just ordered House, The Seventh Seal, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas from Barnes & Noble. You can't beat 3 Criterions for < $60

[Member-38928]

Has anybody ever listed all the Criterion movies out on blu-ray disc that are on the top 250 movies at the IMDb?
I know there are a bunch ....TOP 250
If not would one of your Criterion aficionados mind looking thru the current top 250 and list em all? Thanks!

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by bentvalve

Has anybody ever listed all the Criterion movies out on blu-ray disc that are on the top 250 movies at the IMDb?
I know there are a bunch ....TOP 250
If not would one of your Criterion aficionados mind looking thru the current top 250 and list em all? Thanks!

Not sure about DVD releases but a quick count I just did comes out to 12 Criterion Blu releases in the top-250. Highest rated being Paths of Glory. I'd guess at least 50+ DVD releases are in there.

[Member-38928]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Not sure about DVD releases but a quick count I just did comes out to 12 Criterion Blu releases in the top-250. Highest rated being Paths of Glory. I'd guess at least 50+ DVD releases are in there.

Which 12 is it? 50+ wow, apparently Criterion knows what they are doing eh?

[SpiderBaby]

Flicker Alley just made the year (Sept. 20th):

[andyman1970]

Originally Posted by sellcm

how did you manage to get these for $10?

That's what I'd like to know.

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

Flicker Alley just made the year (Sept. 20th)

Good un.

The flicker alley release looks like SD-DVD...

Sergei M. Eisenstein's last silent and seldom seen Old and New (1929)

Dziga Vertov's Stride, Soviet (1926)

Victor Turin's Turksib (1930)

Esther Shub's The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty (1927)

Boris Barnet's The House on Trubnaya (1928)

Lev Kuleshov's The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks (1924) and By the Law (1926)

Mikhail Kalatozov's Salt for Svanetia (1930)

[iam1bearcat]

so, i try not to judge a book by its cover, but i think one of my future Criterion blind buys is gonna be Island of Lost Souls mainly because of the wicked interesting title, but also because of the artwork for the blu.

i know for me personally, sometimes the name of a particular film, or the artwork is what gets me intrigued (or more intrigued) than i was before in a film. it also goes both ways though. for as much praise as The Red Shoes gets, that cover art with that girls face bugs the snot out of me for reason and thus, i have yet to see it because of that.

honesty is the best policy

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by TJS_Blu

Good un.

The flicker alley release looks like SD-DVD...

Sergei M. Eisenstein's last silent and seldom seen Old and New (1929)

Dziga Vertov's Stride, Soviet (1926)

Victor Turin's Turksib (1930)

Esther Shub's The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty (1927)

Boris Barnet's The House on Trubnaya (1928)

Lev Kuleshov's The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks (1924) and By the Law (1926)

Mikhail Kalatozov's Salt for Svanetia (1930)

I might not even buy any Criterions in Sept just so I can make sure this baby is in my hands ASAP. Vigo, Strike and this in the next 2 months.