The Criterion Collection

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I hope you're digging into the filmography of Tsai Ming-Liang, a director that I'd be pleased to see make it into the collection.

not yet, but he's on my radar now, so thanks.

sadly, my library only has an 'eVideo' of Stray Dogs... I'm guessing that's streaming

[buffetfroid]

Originally Posted by SkyAntoine

This set is going for north of $250 on eBay now. I broke down this month and paid $185 just to have a good copy in excellent condition.

Cue to sell mine...

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

I wholeheartedly agree. It's astonishing to see all of Ray's talent as a director on his very first film. Much credit must go to the cinematographer, Subatra Mitra, and the music legend, Ravi Shankar, for the score as well.

I watched half of Pather last night and liked it--can't say if I love it yet.

The photography is very good, the acting and dialogue are pretty good, but it's the Ravi Shankar score that really elevates the material to another level imo.

I'll say it again, more often than not it's the music that is the most vital element to the emotional punch of a great film.

...and that sitar sound is so distinctive.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by SkyAntoine

The blus were much easier to get than the DVDs. I have 2/3 of the OOP DVDs, but I still need 22 titles. They're running around $30 a pop now.

I want that BRD Trilogy BAD.

The Fassbinder addiction has grown strong with this one.

But not yet $100 strong.

...though that would appear to be a pretty reasonable price based on my research.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I want that BRD Trilogy BAD.

The Fassbinder addiction has grown strong with this one.

But not yet $100 strong.

...though that would appear to be a pretty reasonable price based on my research.

I hope you're region free.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I hope you're region free.

I'm a patriot sir!

Region A for Amurica!!!!!!!!!!!!

...I'll never sell out my country like these other traitors.

[SkyAntoine]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I want that BRD Trilogy BAD.

The Fassbinder addiction has grown strong with this one.

But not yet $100 strong.

...though that would appear to be a pretty reasonable price based on my research.

I was bidding on two and ended up with two copies. I got one for $75 and the other for $125. I kept the one in the best condition and sold the other last week on eBay for $100.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I'm a patriot sir!

Region A for Amurica!!!!!!!!!!!!

...I'll never sell out my country like these other traitors.

Marry me.

[Scottie]

2015 purchases

I've seen every release this year excluding Jellyfish Eyes and Burroughs: The Movie. I'm also not purchasing anything in December.

The Apu Trilogy
An Autumn Afternoon
The Black Stallion
Blind Chance (SOLD)
Cries and Whispers
Day for Night
Don't Look Now
Hiroshima mon amour
Ikiru
The Killers
Limelight
Make Way for Tomorrow (SOLD)
Mulholland Drive
My Dinner with André (SOLD)
Odd Man Out
Ride the Pink Horse
The River
A Special Day
Sullivan's Travels (SOLD)
Two Days, One Night (SOLD)

[diskspinner]

Below are all the movies I got in November 2015 B&N sales, I have also indicated the titles I blind bought and tried to provide a small rationale behind my decision to pick these titles...Adding spoiler because it is a big post...

[Show spoiler]Mulholland Dr - I watched it few years back & it stayed with me for a long time. With the hype around it and slim digipak packaging made this my first pick up this sale...along with...

Limelight - (Blind) I love everything by Chaplin. So with this I added all the Chaplin films available in criterion blu-ray format (till The Kid comes out next year). I should have done that last July...

Pale Flower - (Blind) I almost picked it up last sale as my last pick up, but decided to get Sansho the Bailiff that time...Comparison with High & Low prompted me to pick this up...But after watching it few weeks back, I do not feel it is comparable...It is dark & moody without an elaborate plot while High & Low was very plot driven IMO.

A Hard Days Night - (Blind) I tried a few minutes of this in youtube a year back, and was not very impressed...I was wrong, watched it last week after buying...and it was FUN. I am a Beatles fan, so it was inexcusable that I did not pick this up earlier.

Two Days One Night - I borrowed the DVD from local library and watched it just before sale and was impressed with Ms. Cotillard and the ending. The movie itself was a bit repetitive, but overall I liked it and being a newer movie, audio/visual quality is great.

The Honeymoon Killers - (blind) Watched it last weekend...and I am very impressed with the use of music and I am surprised the low budget feel actually enhanced the mood. I am very happy with this blind buy.

Vivre Sa Vie - (blind) It may take a couple of more re-watch to appreciate but I did not feel bored and actually took away a lot from it...For eg: I will remember the sequence where Nana & Raoul are chatting and the camera moves from left to right, stops to obstruct Nana's face mostly...then moves again...and comes back to do the same from the other side...I found it quite different.

Kwaidan - (blind) I did not watch it at one go...but I watch all 4 stories after buying and except for the first one, I am pleasantly surprised. The usual Kobayashi mastery is there...I think I am getting familiar with Kobayashi technique of filming...In both the movies I watched, he used a lot of zoom
in/zoom out shots, more than other Japanese directors...

Late Spring - (blind) Another quiet drama from Ozu...This is only the 2nd film I watched directed by him and it is almost as good as Tokyo Story...Good stuff.

In Cold Blood - (blind) Have not watched it yet...I did not like Capote but everybody says this is from a different angle...I am very confident I will like it, I like good crime drama in general.

Hoop Dreams - (blind) I sampled it a bit (library DVD) before buying...Ebert declared this as the best of 1990s, which really inspired me...plus a strong recommendation from a forum member made it easy...Still need to watch it.

Day for Night - (blind) It is said to be one of Truffaut's best and the premise seemed interesting...Still need to watch...

Fanny & Alexander - (blind) Again sampled from library DVD before buying...I have not really read a bad review for this...I think I am getting ready for Bergman...watched Wild Strawberries, Seventh Seal & Persona before this, but this is the my first Bergman purchase. Still need to watch...and because of length, I need some time in hand... Oh and I like digipaks, so liked the package...

The earrings of Madam De... - (partially blind) I watched the first 30 mins or so (thanks library DVD) and liked what I watched...I have a strong hunch, I will like it...so bought it instead of watching the DVD completely. Digipak, front cover art & booklet looks awesome.

John Cassavetes Five Films - (blind) I have & have watched love streams...which I thought is solid, so I decided to get this box enjoy all the dark atmosphere I am going to be thrown in...Looking forward to watch these soon.

El Norte - (blind) There was something about the summary of this movie, it was not a movie I was considering buying a month back but on a whim decided to get it...Have not watch it yet.

Gates of Heaven/Vernon, Florida - (blind) I got it to watch Gates of Heaven which Ebert recommended so highly...He even placed it in his all time top 10 some year (1992 or 2002)...I watched & liked the other Morris documentary 'The Thin Blue Line' and was on the fence for that one also. I will watch it soon...

Apu Trilogy - I watched all three several years back and it was one the set I was waiting for a while...Finally it's here and I cannot wait going through this set...A big Satyajit Ray fan, so you can understand.

Double life of Veronique - Watched it few months back and I was intrigued to say the least...I also liked Three Colors and had to pick this up sometime...So did that yesterday. A recent reminder from iScottie helped and yesterday I had that urge to pick up in store since it was OOS online (thus leaving Demy or Tati boxes for the next time since I only had one 20% off coupon for in-store usage)

Online orders (Yet to receive these)

An Autumn Afternoon - (blind) After watching Late Spring, I read this has a similar plot (almost a remake, I read)...so I was thinking of getting this later...but quite a lot of titles I was considering was OOS at bn.com...so I thought why not complete my Ozu criterion blu collection...

Persona - I watched it (library DVDs are great for exploring) earlier and I did not grasp it all...but liked enough to re-watch...I will see what happens on a re-watch...Again this Digipak package looked fab...

The Red Shoes - (blind) Never watched any Powell/Pressburger...and this seemed my best bet to get introduced to them...I could have borrowed it from library...another whim triggered by unavalability of few other titles. It was nowhere in my wishlist but (I now feel) something that should have been there...

The Killers - I watched the newer 'The Killers' a year back and older 'The Killers' last week (both library DVDs)...I liked them...So...2 movies for the price of 1 is a good deal

The Rules of the Game - (blind) I liked Renoir's The River and The Rules of the Game is the 4th best film of all time as per Sight & Sound poll...Hopefully I will like this too...

For those who are not interested in my rumblings, here is just the list

In Store (in order of purchase)

01 Mulholland Dr
02 Limelight
03 Pale Flower
04 A Hard Days Night
05 Two Days One Night
06 The Honeymoon Killers
07 Vivre Sa Vie
08 Kwaidan
09 Late Spring
10 In Cold Blood
11 Hoop Dreams
12 Day for Night
13 Fanny & Alexander
14 The earrings of Madam De...
15 John Cassavetes Five Films
16 El Norte
17 Gates of Heaven/Vernon, Florida
18 Apu Trilogy
19 Double life of Veronique

Online (in order of purchase)

20 An Autumn Afternoon
21 Persona
22 The Red Shoes
23 The Killers
24 The Rules of the Game

Very happy with the haul...

[unclejay73]

I'm sure this question has been asked and answered ten fold, but I couldn't seem to find it in the thread.

Does anyone know if Criterion offers or sells the standard clear Blu-ray cases and insert artwork in place of the Digipak releases like "Night of the Hunter", "The Leopard" and "Foreign Correspondent", etc. I know they re-released certain Digipak titles in the standard case form, was wondering if they offered replacements for a fee like they did with their first run of Criterions a few years back...

-UJ

[diskspinner]

Originally Posted by unclejay73

I'm sure this question has been asked and answered ten fold, but I couldn't seem to find it in the thread.

Does anyone know if Criterion offers or sells the standard clear Blu-ray cases and insert artwork in place of the Digipak releases like "Night of the Hunter", "The Leopard" and "Foreign Correspondent", etc. I know they re-released certain Digipak titles in the standard case form, was wondering if they offered replacements for a fee like they did with their first run of Criterions a few years back...

-UJ

If I remember correctly they used to offer that for only selected items here

https://www.criterion.com/shop/other

But now it only shows 5 pack clear cases...

[unclejay73]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

If I remember correctly they used to offer that for only selected items here

https://www.criterion.com/shop/other

But now it only shows 5 pack clear cases...

Yeah I know, but that was for their first run of Criterions...I want to know if they offer it for the current Digipack releases because they do re-release them in standard cases roughly a year later.

-UJ

[ShellOilJunior]

Be careful with gifs. I've been suspended for much less.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by unclejay73

Yeah I know, but that was for their first run of Criterions...I want to know if they offer it for the current Digipack releases because they do re-release them in standard cases roughly a year later.

-UJ

I don't think it's anything that standard. Aside from the original nine they usually repress with a plastic case if they have a reason to do so (frequently when replacing a dual release with a blu only release).

[jcs913]

I saw some comments on the BRD Trilogy. If I remember correctly years ago, and Shell or Spiderbaby may be able to collaborate, but I thought the reason why it went OOP is that a BD upgrade was in the works. I am pretty sure this set is being upgraded some time soon. If you need the set ASAP, then pick one up, but I am sure it will see new life soon..

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I don't think it's anything that standard. Aside from the original nine they usually repress with a plastic case if they have a reason to do so (frequently when replacing a dual release with a blu only release).

Yes, that's right. And what he is asking, and what I'd like to know too, is will Criterion sell you a case with the appropriate cover art for those releases? For example Foreign Correspondent. It's now been released in a standard plastic case. If someone who purchased the digipack wants that case instead, will Criterion sell it to you?

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by baheidstu

Yes, that's right. And what he is asking, and what I'd like to know too, is will Criterion sell you a case with the appropriate cover art for those releases? For example Foreign Correspondent. It's now been released in a standard plastic case. If someone who purchased the digipack wants that case instead, will Criterion sell it to you?

Well then I guess the answer is: If you go the website to buy one, then no. If you email them, then maybe?

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Be careful with gifs. I've been suspended for much less.

that stinks. if we had to vote for the most polite, well - mannered poster, I'd probably vote for you, Shell.

[crimsonfox82]

Originally Posted by unclejay73

I'm sure this question has been asked and answered ten fold, but I couldn't seem to find it in the thread.

Does anyone know if Criterion offers or sells the standard clear Blu-ray cases and insert artwork in place of the Digipak releases like "Night of the Hunter", "The Leopard" and "Foreign Correspondent", etc. I know they re-released certain Digipak titles in the standard case form, was wondering if they offered replacements for a fee like they did with their first run of Criterions a few years back...

-UJ

They definitely used to sell the replacement clear case w/artwork for $5 (no booklet included) + shipping. I believe a few of the titles are (or at least were) listed on their storefront, but you usually have to email them directly to order them. I know that's how I got the replacement packaging for Foreign Correspondent.