The Criterion Collection

[Gusto-Guus]

Is The 400 Blows getting a new print? Seems to be sold out everywhere.

Reason I ask is because I just finished watching Frances Ha and want to get into the French New Wave films. Heard many great things about The 400 Blows.

What alternative do you guys recommend? I'm not sure I like the premise of Band of Outsiders. What are peoples opinion on that film?

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by the sordid sentinel

Paris, Texas is absolutely a good blind buy. Easily one of my 5 favorite Criterions. Blow Out is an excellent Criterion that I own and really enjoy, but it bows in reverence before Paris, Texas IMO.

I agree. Paris, Texas is an incredible, memorable film, with one of the best written and directed monologues I can think of. Personally, I greatly disliked Blow Out and thought it was quite dated.

[SilentDawn]

Originally Posted by Gusto-Guus

Is The 400 Blows getting a new print? Seems to be sold out everywhere.

Reason I ask is because I just finished watching Frances Ha and want to get into the French New Wave films. Heard many great things about The 400 Blows.

What alternative do you guys recommend? I'm not sure I like the premise of Band of Outsiders. What are peoples opinion on that film?

The 400 Blows is IMO the greatest film of the french new-wave and one of my favorite films of all time. Simply put, it is a directorial masterwork with a performance for the ages. I highly HIGHLY recommend it! Plus, it has one of the top 5 endings ever committed to celluloid.

If you want to see IMO the DEFINITE french new-wave film, it's The 400 Blows.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by Gusto-Guus

Is The 400 Blows getting a new print? Seems to be sold out everywhere.

Reason I ask is because I just finished watching Frances Ha and want to get into the French New Wave films. Heard many great things about The 400 Blows.

What alternative do you guys recommend? I'm not sure I like the premise of Band of Outsiders. What are peoples opinion on that film?

I'm a fan of Godard and love Anna Karina, so I enjoyed Band of Outsiders. It has some memorable scenes, especially the dance scene that exudes coolness. I consider it a "good" 3 star out of 4 film. I prefer Vivre Sa Vie and Pierrot Le Fou, but like it on par with Breathless. Contempt is my favorite Godard.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by SilentxStatik24

The 400 Blows is IMO the greatest film of the french new-wave and one of my favorite films of all time. Simply put, it is a directorial masterwork with a performance for the ages. I highly HIGHLY recommend it! Plus, it has one of the top 5 endings ever committed to celluloid.

If you want to see IMO the DEFINITE french new-wave film, it's The 400 Blows.

I agree on all fronts.

[jayembee]

Thought I was going to have to sit this sale out, but I ended up snagging some titles today. Spent close to an hour at the B&N I found myself at going through all of the Criterions three or four times trying to decide which ones to get (I was limiting myself to three).

Finally decided on Harakiri, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and Seconds. I came very close to eschewing the BDs and getting the Masaki Kobayashi Eclipse set and the DVD edition of Dreyer's Vampyre, but I stuck with the BDs.

[SilentDawn]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Thought I was going to have to sit this sale out, but I ended up snagging some titles today. Spent close to an hour at the B&N I found myself at going through all of the Criterions three or four times trying to decide which ones to get (I was limiting myself to three).

Finally decided on Harakiri, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and Seconds. I came very close to eschewing the BDs and getting the Masaki Kobayashi Eclipse set and the DVD edition of Dreyer's Vampyre, but I stuck with the BDs.

Vampyr is a stunning piece of work! I picked up the DVD in July because I highly doubt they can improve much with the BD in terms of PQ. It's looks amazing for a german silent film unconverted on my Blu-Ray player.

[Gusto-Guus]

Thank you, gentlemen.

Any reason why The 400 Blows is sold out? New print coming? When? Should I get it from a third party seller or wait?

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by SilentxStatik24

Vampyr is a stunning piece of work! I picked up the DVD in July because I highly doubt they can improve much with the BD in terms of PQ. It's looks amazing for a german silent film unconverted on my Blu-Ray player.

Oh, agreed. I'm a big fan of Dreyer. The major reason I passed on it for now is because I already have an earlier DVD from Image/Blackhawk. I've no doubt that the Criterion DVD is an improvement on the other, and the Criterion package is damn impressive. But I figured I'd get titles I didn't already have instead of one I did, even if the latter would probably have been an upgrade.

[Hubunkey]

Originally Posted by Gusto-Guus

Thank you, gentlemen.

Any reason why The 400 Blows is sold out? New print coming? When? Should I get it from a third party seller or wait?

I assume it's getting a Dual Format re-release, criterion already stated when stock runs out on the existing Blu-ray's they will be re-released as a Dual Format version.

[hustlermane]

Originally Posted by Gusto-Guus

Thank you, gentlemen.

Any reason why The 400 Blows is sold out? New print coming? When? Should I get it from a third party seller or wait?

Guess it would be the same as what we just saw with Breathless (fitting, isn't it?) - probably run out and will be announced soon as Dual Format. If it's a decent price from a third party seller (i.e. RRP or thereabouts) and you want it soonish, get it, otherwise I'd guess it's a safe bet to wait for the rerelease (probably in time for the next BN.com sale, but who knows).

EDIT: Hubunkey and I were evidently replying at the same time, and he beat me to the punch. So TL;DR - what he said.

[SilentDawn]

Originally Posted by Gusto-Guus

Thank you, gentlemen.

Any reason why The 400 Blows is sold out? New print coming? When? Should I get it from a third party seller or wait?

They are switching the film to the new dual-format (Blu-Ray and DVD). They also did that with Breathless which will be out in February. If you can wait, It should be out early next year.

Also, welcome to the forums!

Silent.

[SilentDawn]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Oh, agreed. I'm a big fan of Dreyer. The major reason I passed on it for now is because I already have an earlier DVD from Image/Blackhawk. I've no doubt that the Criterion DVD is an improvement on the other, and the Criterion package is damn impressive. But I figured I'd get titles I didn't already have instead of one I did, even if the latter would probably have been an upgrade.

The book included with the set is worth the price alone!

[Hubunkey]

For all the people saying CC has a "hard-on" for Wes Anderson just remember that have also released 5 Steven Soderbergh films (6 if you count Sex, Lies and Videotape on LD) yet I don't hear anyone complaining about him The people behind CC think that Wes Anderson is a amazing director and deserves to be included in there series. I don't judge Criterion for what they release because in the end it is 1 (or however many people run CC) person who gets to release a movie that they feel deserves to be a part of the collection. It's no different than Scream Factory but I get the feeling that most people are just on here to piss & moan about a certain company not releasing the movie they want them to release instead of enjoying the classics and favorites that we are getting. Just remember if Criterion went away then we probally wouldn't have 90& of the films they released available to us in any format in the US

[Gusto-Guus]

40$ fair for The 400 blows? new

[SilentDawn]

Originally Posted by Gusto-Guus

40$ fair for The 400 blows? new

I bought my for $39.99 at a Barnes and Noble sale awhile back so I would say so. I'm a huge fan of the film so I would be happy to pay that price; not sure how confident you feel in the blind buy though.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Gusto-Guus

Any reason why The 400 Blows is sold out? New print coming? When? Should I get it from a third party seller or wait?

There are two rumored possibilities:

(1) Criterion has run out of stock on the BD edition (you can't get it from the Criterion Shop anymore), and is probably low on the DVD edition, and plans to re-issue the title as a dual-format title like they've just announced for Godard's Breathless.

(2) They're planning on a dual-format edition of the DVD set The Adventures of Antoine Doinel (which would also include Antoine and Colette, Stolen Kisses, Bed and Board, and Love on the Run).

Since the Adventures set also seems to be unavailable from the Criterion Shop, I'm guessing "(2)" is the correct choice. I certainly hope it is.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Gusto-Guus

40$ fair for The 400 blows? new

Well, that's always been the MSRP, so, yes, I suppose you can call it fair.

[The Bronx Bull]

Originally Posted by Meek12345

Do you all think Paris, Texas is a good blind buy? I have been seeing a lot of rave reviews for Paris, Texas on this forum. I enjoyed and own the Blu of Wings of Desire. Are there any similarities between the two movies?

Also, I may only be able to purchase 1 Criterion this week. If you had to choose between Blow Out and Paris, Texas, which would you choose? I have seen Blow Out and I don't have any De Palma on Criterion yet.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Definitely pick up Paris, Texas. This is quite possible one of the safest blind buys you can make, IMO. Wings of Desire is very different - I didn't like it as much, and I felt it wasn't as accessible. Both films warrant a re-watch; however, Paris, Texas left me in awe after my first viewing, so much that I went to pick up Wings of Desire that night in an effort to explore Wenders' other works.

[Atreyu]

Originally Posted by Oblivion138

If you thought the ending of Blood for Dracula was over-the-top, wait 'til you get a load of Flesh for Frankenstein's WTF of a denouement. haha

I really wish Criterion would bring these back into the Collection and release them on BD.

But Flesh For Frankenstein needs to be in 3D. I saw it that way in the theater and man what an experience!