The Criterion Collection

[starman15317]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Back around 2005 or so my university had a laser disc player. Sadly at the time that was my only means of watching The African Queen.

They wheeled out a TV and laser disc player for me because they were under the impression it was for educational purposes. I was taking 2 film classes at the time but it wasn't for class.

That's awesome! I've been requesting DVDs of art films from other campuses now that I'm in college (Blowup, Last Tango in Paris, and Alphaville, for example.)

And then I decided to get Alphaville on LD because I saw it on eBay and thought "Why not?"

[jbieste]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Yes, November 11 is Veterans Day here in the U.S.

This year, it's also the day that the latest Stephen King novel will be published. I have that day off of work because of my government job, so I'm going to hit a store first thing in the morning, pick up the novel, and see if I can finish it before day's end. The Criterion sale will have to wait. Everything stops in my world whenever a new Stephen King book comes out.

I'd stopped reading King several years ago, just too many books to read. Read 11/22 when we it arrived and kicked myself for letting so many years go by w/o reading any of his work. Have tried to stay with him since though didn't read Doctor Sleep. Was amazed at some of the similarities between Mr. Mercedes and his son's NOS4A2. That said, can't say the world will stop, nor will I put off the Criterion sale as I'd like to pick up My Darling Clementine since it is a government holiday. There is something to be said for savoring a new book, letting the plot simmer day by day until it just bubbles out.

[Blu-Velvet]

Just finished the rest of the Criterion Eclipse set "Travels with Hiroshi Shimizu," which is impossible to recommend too highly! One of my best blind buys yet from last week's Criterion's flash sale. (If only they were Blu-rays!)

Each of the four films is a beautiful, touching, amusing yet bittersweet character study about human nature and common people, and appearing about 20 years ahead of its time. The masterpiece of the set is definitely ORNAMENTAL HAIRPIN (1941), but all are nearly equally impressive. JAPANESE GIRLS AT THE HARBOR (1933) and ARIGATO-SAN ("MR. THANK YOU") (1936) are both outstanding and THE MASSEURS AND A WOMAN (1938) is very, very good. Based on these four films, Shimizu's work easily ranks with the best of Ozu, Naruse, and Mizoguchi, the styles, subjects, and approaches in some ways anticipating DeSica, Rossellini, Bergman, Bresson, and others in Europe during the 1950s-60s.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by starman15317

Yeah, I've been busy with school but I'll get around to posting over there more often.

And here's my small laserdisc collection if anyone wants to take a look. I actually have 20.

http://www.lddb.com/login.php?from=collection.php

whoops...that link didn't quite work (log-in needed?)

[jw007]

I just posted this in the B&N November sale thread about my planned purchases for the upcoming 50% off sale starting November 11!
----

My planned purchases are these:

[starman15317]

Originally Posted by jw007

whoops...that link didn't quite work (log-in needed?)

Oops, try this:

http://www.lddb.com/collection.php?a...r=starman15317

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

"Thanksgiving, of course is turkey season, which we, the editors, don't like or understand. Why are millions of animals killed every year on the day we give thanks to what we have and bless the fall harvest? Please consider saving a turkey next year. You can buy a few beers instead."

A bit off-topic, but I think that ship has sailed anyway...

I prefer the description of Thanksgiving given by Willow in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "It's ritual sacrifice. With pie."

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by starman15317

That's awesome! I've been requesting DVDs of art films from other campuses now that I'm in college (Blowup, Last Tango in Paris, and Alphaville, for example.)

And then I decided to get Alphaville on LD because I saw it on eBay and thought "Why not?"

Better question is "Why?" The correct answer is: "Because the LD is in the proper aspect ratio, and the DVD isn't".

[GenPion]

Originally Posted by Blu-Velvet

Just finished the rest of the Criterion Eclipse set "Travels with Hiroshi Shimizu," which is impossible to recommend too highly! One of my best blind buys yet from last week's Criterion's flash sale. (If only they were Blu-rays!)

Each of the four films is a beautiful, touching, amusing yet bittersweet character study about human nature and common people, and appearing about 20 years ahead of its time. The masterpiece of the set is definitely ORNAMENTAL HAIRPIN (1941), but all are nearly equally impressive. JAPANESE GIRLS AT THE HARBOR (1933) and ARIGATO-SAN ("MR. THANK YOU") (1936) are both outstanding and THE MASSEURS AND A WOMAN (1938) is very, very good. Based on these four films, Shimizu's work easily ranks with the best of Ozu, Naruse, and Mizoguchi, the styles, subjects, and approaches in some ways anticipating DeSica, Rossellini, Bergman, Bresson, and others in Europe during the 1950s-60s.

I may need to check these out again at some point. I did a blind buy of this set once and tried watching a few of these films but fell asleep during each and every single one of them. Probably not a good sign. I just felt like I didn't like the director's style very much.

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by GenPion

I may need to check these out again at some point. I did a blind buy of this set once and tried watching a few of these films but fell asleep during each and every single one of them. Probably not a good sign. I just felt like I didn't like the director's style very much.

The Hiroshi Shimizu films (like Ozu, for that matter) are very low-key and sometimes tend to linger on setting and mood rather than forwarding plot lines or characters. I expect I would have had more difficulty getting into them when I was younger, but they all seemed to strike me with a much stronger resonance both at this point in life and after having seen so many other films of various styles and nationalities over the years.

The next Eclipse sets I need to work through are "Masaki Kobayashi Against the System" and "When Horror Came to Shochiku," which I got during the same Criterion flash sale. I also need to get through the "Mizoguchi's Fallen Women" set that I got on a previous flash sale, but what I've now seen of Shimizu I've preferred over what I've seen of Mizoguchi and even some Ozu so far.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jw007

I just posted this in the B&N November sale thread about my planned purchases for the upcoming 50% off sale starting November 11!

My planned purchases are these:

I'd like to buy The Vanishing before the sale, preferably before Halloween.

During the sale, though, I'm aiming for...

My Darling Clementine
La Dolce Vita
L'Avventura
The Big Chill
The Shooting/Ride in the Whirlwind
Macbeth

I'd also like the Tati box, but the others come first.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by Blu-Velvet

Just finished the rest of the Criterion Eclipse set "Travels with Hiroshi Shimizu," which is impossible to recommend too highly! One of my best blind buys yet from last week's Criterion's flash sale. (If only they were Blu-rays!)

Each of the four films is a beautiful, touching, amusing yet bittersweet character study about human nature and common people, and appearing about 20 years ahead of its time. The masterpiece of the set is definitely ORNAMENTAL HAIRPIN (1941), but all are nearly equally impressive. JAPANESE GIRLS AT THE HARBOR (1933) and ARIGATO-SAN ("MR. THANK YOU") (1936) are both outstanding and THE MASSEURS AND A WOMAN (1938) is very, very good. Based on these four films, Shimizu's work easily ranks with the best of Ozu, Naruse, and Mizoguchi, the styles, subjects, and approaches in some ways anticipating DeSica, Rossellini, Bergman, Bresson, and others in Europe during the 1950s-60s.

It really is such a great set. In Japan they released 2 box sets, a volume one that matches the
Eclipse set, and a 2nd volume. I really hope we get a 2nd eclipse set someday.

[Polaroid]

Has criterion ever released stand alone Blurays of any films in an eclipse set? Never bough them so I don't know much about them lol

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

The Innocents and Repulsion would be good together as double feature ^^ throw in Rosemary's baby too lol

Also find it amusing you are going to watch weekend over the weekend lol

I still have to see The Innocents. But Repulsion .... yikes. I need a drink for that.

And of course, Le Weekend on the Weekend. How else?

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

I still have to see The Innocents. But Repulsion .... yikes. I need a drink for that.

And of course, Le Weekend on the Weekend. How else?

The Innocents was a blind buy and I have no regrets - sometimes I worry about horrors as they can be spoilt so easily with bad acting, bad special effects etc etc but this film for me was near perfection - so eery and creepy and so beautifully shot.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

The Innocents was a blind buy and I have no regrets - sometimes I worry about horrors as they can be spoilt so easily with bad acting, bad special effects etc etc but this film for me was near perfection - so eery and creepy and so beautifully shot.

Blind buy here, too. But I figured how could you go wrong with Deborah Kerr?

Every single film I've seen her in has been excellent.

[erlinmeyer]

Originally Posted by starman15317

Oops, try this:

http://www.lddb.com/collection.php?a...r=starman15317

ah, Beauty and the Beast WIP...surprised that version never made it in the BD extras. Still watch it once a year.

[Scottie]

Here are three of the January 2015 titles that are available for pre-order.

I have no idea when The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant or The Palm Beach Story will be added, as the other three have been up for couple of days.

La Ciénaga
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My Winnipeg
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Sword of Doom
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Blind buy here, too. But I figured how could you go wrong with Deborah Kerr?

Every single film I've seen her in has been excellent.

I already own the BFI version, and I read the Henry James novella. The novella is free in the ebook format of your choice from Project Gutenberg. I couldn't wait for Criterion (back in 2011 I was constantly whining about wanting it), and it gave me an excuse to buy the Seiki player, and grab a bunch of UK Blu-rays. I'm happy with the BFI version as the supplements are more interesting (those that are different) than the ones Criterion has. Not worth repurchasing just for the PQ improvement.

[dsman71]

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/topi...1#entry4157309


I just saw a post at HTF about Criterion licensing some Warner Brothers titles.. none specified but a deal could be in place.. certainly worth sharing