The Criterion Collection

[jcs913]

Originally Posted by Criterion Collector

Regarding the atmosphere in this thread, I find it to be friendly/inviting enough.

We are all here discussing our love, or dislike of various films. Most of them being from the Criterion Collection.

There is such a wide variety of film types in the collection, and film viewers on this site, that there is certain to be disagreements on what are the "best" and "worst" films in the collection.

We all have different tastes, and that's ok. As long as we don't resort to personal attacks, or become rude, mean, or vulgar, we can enjoy the debate of the merits and deficiencies of the topic du jour.

One thing I have noticed while lurking around on this forum, is that some members are seemingly never happy with any release. If they like the movie, then it's an issue with the video PQ. If the PQ is ok, then it should have had a 7.1 mix. If those are in place, the packaging sucks, or the price isn't where they want it.

Heck, there is a massive thread forming regarding the original Fright Night release, due to the way it is being distributed and priced. People there are fighting over age groups vs. the "informed" members of this site vs. the "entitled" vs. the people who are willing to pay the asking price vs. those who refuse to buy just because it can't be bought at Wal-Mart & Best Buy vs...well you get the idea.

I begin to wonder sometimes if these people are ever really happy with any BD release. There are those who will always find something to complain about. That is unavoidable.

Honestly, I sometimes think that some people pretend to hate a release/film just to satisfy some internet alter ego they have created for themselves. I am not saying in this thread, but around the internet, and in forums in general.

IMO this thread is far, far more civilized than the types of behavior I have noticed on other sections of this site.

Heck, I admitted to liking both a Wes Anderson film (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and Armageddon. Not one person "attacked" me in any way.

I don't feel that this thread is filled with "film snobs", it's just people who are (generally) more passionate about their feelings on film than the usual consumer. IMO, that is a good thing, it keeps us from arguing about how how much a BD should cost.

Ironically, your assessment is on target, yet the people in this thread are still considered snobs for their tastes in films....

The internet seems to have given many many people, who otherwise keep their points to themselves while in a 'real' crowd a voice. That is all well and good, but they seem to forget that even though they do not have to actually 'talk' to another human, they still need to make sense.....

Anyways, I did vote for Fanny and Alexander as upgrade of the year, even though the tv series is 'only' on 1 disc.....

[Criterion Collector]

Originally Posted by jcs913

Anyways, I did vote for Fanny and Alexander as upgrade of the year, even though the tv series is 'only' on 1 disc.....

LOL! That's too funny!

[Bruce Morrison]

I've just received and played the new Criterion edition of Fanny And Alexander. The documentation states the aspect ratio to be 1.66, and this is also given as the aspect ratio on IMDB. However, on these discs, the aspect ratio looks closer to 1.75 to my eyes. There are just very thin black bars at the sides on my 16:9 screen. Has anyone else noticed this apparent discrepancy?

[nathan_393]

I'll just come out and admit that I'm a bit of a film snob. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy Transformers; it just means I enjoy Amelie a lot more and have a deep respect for anything to do with film or film-makers (and am disappointed when other people don't and don't see why they should).

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Glad to know I am not the only one to have notice this. It's funny as you can prety much see them, from thread to thread always saying how each release is crap, you just start to notice them over time and it's always pretty much the same people.

Originally Posted by Criterion Collector

Regarding the atmosphere in this thread, I find it to be friendly/inviting enough.

We are all here discussing our love, or dislike of various films. Most of them being from the Criterion Collection.

There is such a wide variety of film types in the collection, and film viewers on this site, that there is certain to be disagreements on what are the "best" and "worst" films in the collection.

We all have different tastes, and that's ok. As long as we don't resort to personal attacks, or become rude, mean, or vulgar, we can enjoy the debate of the merits and deficiencies of the topic du jour.

One thing I have noticed while lurking around on this forum, is that some members are seemingly never happy with any release. If they like the movie, then it's an issue with the video PQ. If the PQ is ok, then it should have had a 7.1 mix. If those are in place, the packaging sucks, or the price isn't where they want it, etc. etc

Heck, there is a massive thread forming regarding the original Fright Night release, due to the way it is being distributed and priced. People there are fighting over age groups vs. the "informed" members of this site vs. the "entitled" vs. the people who are willing to pay the asking price vs. those who refuse to buy just because it can't be bought at Wal-Mart & Best Buy vs...well you get the idea.

I begin to wonder sometimes if these groups of people are ever really happy with any BD release. There are those who will always find something to complain about. That is unavoidable.

Honestly, I sometimes think that some people pretend to hate a release/film just to satisfy some internet alter ego they have created for themselves. I am not saying in this thread, but around the internet, and in forums in general.

IMO this thread is far, far more civilized than the types of behavior I have noticed on other sections of this site and other forums I have been on.

Heck, I admitted to liking both a Wes Anderson film (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and Armageddon. Not one person "attacked" me in any way.

I don't feel that this thread is filled with "film snobs", it's just people who are (generally) more passionate about their feelings on film than the usual consumer. IMO, that is a good thing, it keeps us from arguing about how how much a BD should cost.

Exactly. There are people who won't buy a release because it's not x amount of dollars, or doesn't come with a slipcover, or if it has French on the cover, or some other thing. I think that's silly. At least in this thread we talk about the actual films themselves from time to time, and not just on the quality of the BD release and packaging, and how much we can get them for.

Speaking of films, Anyone bother to catch Ivan the Terrible Pts. 1 & 2 on TCM in the wee hours of the morning yesterday? I PVRed them, but haven't had a chance to watch them yet as I've been catching up on the 30 or so other films I've PVRed off of TCM, before I get to watching my new Criterions.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Speaking of films, Anyone bother to catch Ivan the Terrible Pts. 1 & 2 on TCM in the wee hours of the morning yesterday? I PVRed them, but haven't had a chance to watch them yet as I've been catching up on the 30 or so other films I've PVRed off of TCM, before I get to watching my new Criterions.

Have the DVD set, however are you saying these were in HD?

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by nathan_393

I'll just come out and admit that I'm a bit of a film snob. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy Transformers; it just means I enjoy Amelie a lot more and have a deep respect for anything to do with film or film-makers (and am disappointed when other people don't and don't see why they should).

That's not a snob, that's just personal taste. If you define snob that way, then I'm a snob because I prefer to watch One, Two, Three over the latest Adam Sandler flick.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Have the DVD set, however are you saying these were in HD?

Not for me, but they were on the HD channel for American viewers, and at my parents', who get the HD version of TCM. I'm too cheap to pay the extra 13 a month on my already high cable bill for the HD channels. Besides, my TV card only does SD anyways.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Not for me, but they were on the HD channel for American viewers, and at my parents', who get the HD version of TCM. I'm too cheap to pay the extra 13 a month on my already high cable bill for the HD channels. Besides, my TV card only does SD anyways.

I take it from your first post, you have never seen Ivan The Terrible Part 1 & 2?

[nathan_393]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

That's not a snob, that's just personal taste. If you define snob that way, then I'm a snob because I prefer to watch One, Two, Three over the latest Adam Sandler flick.

Most people I know define snob that way. If you prefer older classics or Blu-ray because you want quality, then you're a film snob.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Louisville Slugger

I am thinking about getting another card for travel purposes. I've had a credit card since I was 17 and never regretted it one bit.

My card says "Member since '96 " on it.... and I was in H.S. during that time, so I have grown attached to my Citi-Mastercard (it used to be Citi-Visa I believe, but they switched on me 5 years ago or so)

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by nathan_393

Most people I know define snob that way. If you prefer older classics or Blu-ray because you want quality, then you're a film snob.

Come again?? Baking Powder?

I think the vast majority of people on this site are more "Techies" than film snobs..... I think there are more people who want "Perfect Image and Sound" and don't care really 'what' the film is. I'd be hard pressed to call those people "Film Snobs"

Then there are the Slipcover/Steelbook/Digibook/or just "Movies in general" collectors..... if something they've seen and hated goes on sale for $4, they buy it anyways, and never watch it

[Louisville Slugger]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

My card says "Member since '96 " on it.... and I was in H.S. during that time, so I have grown attached to my Citi-Mastercard (it used to be Citi-Visa I believe, but they switched on me 5 years ago or so)

Wow '96,

I was 9,

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

I take it from your first post, you have never seen Ivan The Terrible Part 1 & 2?

Not yet. I am probably going to get to it on Friday, when I can sit down and watch both back to back. I saw good reviews in this thread on it, and have a slight interest in Russian history.

Originally Posted by nathan_393

Most people I know define snob that way. If you prefer older classics or Blu-ray because you want quality, then you're a film snob.

Sounds like my ex-coworker, who would d/l everything (he wouldn't even buy DVDs or any films he actually liked) and only watched movies made after 1980, because anything before that was silent, black and white, and boring. I must be a snob for thinking lowly of his choices, but he really was a bit of an idiot in general. He was one of those mac fanboys who would always crash his computer and then blame it on Windows, when he was the bloody fool who kept putting everything thing on his desktop, and managed to load a second anti-virus on his computer, and get two viruses out of it.

I guess I just run in different circles, because everyone I know doesn't consider anyone to be a snob based on their film choices. No one really likes the same thing, but people still respect others for what they like, and watch a wide variety of films. One minute we could be discussing Pink Flamingos, the next we're talking about 8 1/2.

Oh, BTW, any chance Criterion might grab This? It is a great film.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Not yet. I am probably going to get to it on Friday, when I can sit down and watch both back to back. I saw good reviews in this thread on it, and have a slight interest in Russian history.

Keeping in mind that it was made by Eisenstein and with a political agenda in the background in order to please Stalin it still a good movie. It start slow but then really get's going. I find Nikolai Cherkasov amazing as Ivan. I think you will enjoy it (I hope )

Darn it! Now I will have to see it this weekend

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Keeping in mind that it was made by Eisenstein and with a political agenda in the background in order to please Stalin it still a good movie. It start slow but then really get's going. I find Nikolai Cherkasov amazing as Ivan. I think you will enjoy it (I hope )

Darn it! Now I will have to see it this weekend

I wish I had vested a greater interest in Russian/Soviet cinema back when I was taking my Soviet history class in 4th year undergrad. That would have been an fantastic topic to write a paper on, with the political aspect of Soviet cinema.

[Criterion Collector]

Originally Posted by nathan_393

I'll just come out and admit that I'm a bit of a film snob. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy Transformers; it just means I enjoy Amelie a lot more and have a deep respect for anything to do with film or film-makers (and am disappointed when other people don't and don't see why they should).

I think it's human nature for people to want others to share their excitement for the things they enjoy.

When I really like a movie, I rave about it and recommend it to everyone I talk to, in hopes that they will watch it and find the same enjoyable qualities that I did. This "desire" (if you will) becomes stronger with the the people that are closest to me. I want everyone to experience that same joy/feelings that I did while watching that particular film.

I especially enjoy films that cause me to emote in one way or another. Weather that be shouting with joy (as I did when Steve Buscemi popped up in Armageddon) or laughing at the sly comedic banter between Holly Martins and Major Calloway in The Third Man, or my strange attraction to Cabiria's playfully naive personality in Nights of Cabiria.

Honestly, when it comes to music, I tend to take opinions more personally than I do with films. Especially if it is something I really love. I just cannot understand how anybody can listen to certain songs and not LOVE it as I do.

Either way, with film or music, I always say to myself "They just don't get it".

Perhaps, in that sense, we all have a bit of a film snob inside of us.

[exolstice]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Not for me, but they were on the HD channel for American viewers, and at my parents', who get the HD version of TCM. I'm too cheap to pay the extra 13 a month on my already high cable bill for the HD channels. Besides, my TV card only does SD anyways.

I'm a film snob because I don't believe anyone can enjoy an Adam Sandler flick or a Transformers film (well maybe the first one) and they are all just deluding themselves.

That being said, my top 5 films so far this year were:
1) Drive
2) Take Shelter
3) The Muppets
4) Moneyball
5) Kung-Fu Panda 2 (yes, seriously)

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by exolstice

I'm a film snob because I don't believe anyone can enjoy an Adam Sandler flick or a Transformers film (well maybe the first one) and they are all just deluding themselves.

That being said, my top 5 films so far this year were:
1) Drive
2) Take Shelter
3) The Muppets
4) Moneyball
5) Kung-Fu Panda 2 (yes, seriously)

Since I enjoy the prequels so much (sorry I know I wasn't suppose to mention these again) and I really did enjoy Kung Fu Panda 2 also, funnier even then the first movie, it's hard for me to consider I am a movie snob since to most people my movie choice suck

Enjoy what you like and let's not worry too much if someone else happen to disagre. Most of the arguments just happen because of that in most case,

Person 1 : I really did not enjoy Inception, I found it a bit slow and a bit too much full of itself

Person 2 : Really? Are you an idiot? It was the best movie of 2010, it should have won 15 Oscars, the Academy are stupid, Nolan is a genius....

That's pretty much how it mostly goes.

PS : Please don't start jumping on me for Inception, it just was the first movie that came into my head, don't want to be kill on the spot.

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Have the DVD set, however are you saying these were in HD?

No new transfers or anything. Just the HD version of the DVDs it seemed.