The Criterion Collection

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Nothing371

Hey is there a discussion thread setup for the B&N Criterion sale coming up? I don't see one over in the deals subforum.

Don’t they start those when the sale starts or at least a day or 2 before?

[steel_breeze]

Just revisited the Criterion Blu-ray of PHILADELPHIA STORY (1941), and I'm always a little surprised and disappointed by this release. On my projector and 92-inch screen, it always appears to be more soft and "video-y" than all the rave reviews would have me think. Tweed jackets are buzzing all over the place, and I actually have to increase the Detail Clarity on my projector to make most of it appear to be in focus. I swear some it looks like the image is "caught between pixels" if that makes any sense. Certainly doesn't look like something sourced from 4K. It almost appears as though the telecine equipment had been unfocused during the scanning of the film elements, since the softness has that weird "video" quality I mentioned, and doesn't look like an issue with the original photography.

I understand from what I've read that the restoration was a challenging one, using the best surviving elements and NOT the original camera negative... and that's all well and good; I'm happy to have this if it's the best it will ever look, and I normally wouldn't think twice about it... but I'm curious about all the many reviews that say this movie "looks brand new" or "like it was shot yesterday". That's just not my experience with it, so I go to this weird irrational place where I think: "did I get a bum pressing?" But of course that's impossible; a bum pressing wouldn't look subtly different; it would stutter or have playback issues. So I just don't know.

Anyone else feel like the Criterion disc has some weird softness issues? Anyone? Am I a lone voice in the wilderness on this one? Anyhoo... once I sharpen it up a tad (and only a tad; I'm a projector owner, so I actually LIKE a little softer image), this still beats the older 2-disc Special Edition Warner DVD -- but only just.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

Don’t they start those when the sale starts or at least a day or 2 before?

Generally start when there's official confirmation. Many times that can be a day or two earlier.

[yoloswegmaster420]

Turns out that 'Lola' is the first title to appear from the StudioCanal deal!

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by yoloswegmaster420

Turns out that 'Lola' is the first title to appear from the StudioCanal deal!

More specifically Lola(1981) as one of the three films in The BRD Trilogy and not the 1961 film of the same name in the Essential Jacques Demy set.

[Mister_Kidd]

Anyone know the specifics of the BN sale? A quick look at their website shows a bunch of over-priced titles (like $38 for movies that cost under $20 on Amazon). Meaning that 50% would bring it down to normal retail.

[Bradsdadg]

Originally Posted by Nothing371

Hey is there a discussion thread setup for the B&N Criterion sale coming up? I don't see one over in the deals subforum.

Sounds like someone just volunteered for the job

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by Mister_Kidd

Anyone know the specifics of the BN sale? A quick look at their website shows a bunch of over-priced titles (like $38 for movies that cost under $20 on Amazon). Meaning that 50% would bring it down to normal retail.

The sale is 50% off MSRP. So most titles end up being $20.

[Arawn]

Originally Posted by steel_breeze

I go to this weird irrational place where I think: "did I get a bum pressing?"

I used to be the mayor of that place.

[Bradsdadg]

Originally Posted by Mister_Kidd

Anyone know the specifics of the BN sale? A quick look at their website shows a bunch of over-priced titles (like $38 for movies that cost under $20 on Amazon). Meaning that 50% would bring it down to normal retail.

You can also get 10% off with a Barnes & Noble membership. Though the membership is $25 per year. So you have to do the math and figure out if it works out to your benefit...

[nitin]

Originally Posted by steel_breeze

Just revisited the Criterion Blu-ray of PHILADELPHIA STORY (1941), and I'm always a little surprised and disappointed by this release. On my projector and 92-inch screen, it always appears to be more soft and "video-y" than all the rave reviews would have me think. Tweed jackets are buzzing all over the place, and I actually have to increase the Detail Clarity on my projector to make most of it appear to be in focus. I swear some it looks like the image is "caught between pixels" if that makes any sense. Certainly doesn't look like something sourced from 4K. It almost appears as though the telecine equipment had been unfocused during the scanning of the film elements, since the softness has that weird "video" quality I mentioned, and doesn't look like an issue with the original photography.

I understand from what I've read that the restoration was a challenging one, using the best surviving elements and NOT the original camera negative... and that's all well and good; I'm happy to have this if it's the best it will ever look, and I normally wouldn't think twice about it... but I'm curious about all the many reviews that say this movie "looks brand new" or "like it was shot yesterday". That's just not my experience with it, so I go to this weird irrational place where I think: "did I get a bum pressing?" But of course that's impossible; a bum pressing wouldn't look subtly different; it would stutter or have playback issues. So I just don't know.

Anyone else feel like the Criterion disc has some weird softness issues? Anyone? Am I a lone voice in the wilderness on this one? Anyhoo... once I sharpen it up a tad (and only a tad; I'm a projector owner, so I actually LIKE a little softer image), this still beats the older 2-disc Special Edition Warner DVD -- but only just.

Even thought it’s a 4k restoration, the key here is that it’s not for the OCN but from an element(s) quite a few generations removed. I didn’t find any issues with it being soft that much but did notice a lot of it looks ‘jittery’ for a lack of a better word. But it’s much more than a mild upgrade of the SE DVD IMHO.

[DaBargainHunta]

I caught So Dark the Night on Criterion Channel last night. Trying to go through some of these before they expire on June 30th.

What did everyone think?

I thought it had some striking shots, and a really nice performance by the lead actor, Steven Geray.

Some of it was silly - the hunchback,

[Show spoiler]the explanation for the murders

- but I thought it was effective overall.

However, I'm not sure what to think of

[Show spoiler]the ending. It's a nice twist, but it seems to come out of left field, with very little done to build to it. Also, I half-suspected it was coming, because The Criterion Channel sort of "ruined" it by mentioning a "surprise ending" in the description. If there's a twist, it shouldn't be mentioned anywhere at all IMO.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

I caught So Dark the Night on Criterion Channel last night. Trying to go through some of these before they expire on June 30th.

What did everyone think?

I thought it had some striking shots, and a really nice performance by the lead actor, Steven Geray.

Some of it was silly - the hunchback,

[Show spoiler]the explanation for the murders

- but I thought it was effective overall.

However, I'm not sure what to think of

[Show spoiler]the ending. It's a nice twist, but it seems to come out of left field, with very little done to build to it. Also, I half-suspected it was coming, because The Criterion Channel sort of "ruined" it by mentioning a "surprise ending" in the description. If there's a twist, it shouldn't be mentioned anywhere at all IMO.

I watched it and thought what a great job Alfred Hitchcock would have done with it. Not that Joseph H. Lewis didn't do a competent job and add his own flourishes to the story, but So Dark the Night was the kind of story (without giving away spoilers), that was right in Hitch's wheelhouse.

Overall, I thought it was good, but not great.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by belcherman

Overall, I thought it was good, but not great.

That sums up my feelings too.

And yeah, this would have been something special in Hitch's hands.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by Bradsdadg

You can also get 10% off with a Barnes & Noble membership. Though the membership is $25 per year. So you have to do the math and figure out if it works out to your benefit...

The math is that if you spend more than $250 per year on in-store purchases at B&N, the membership pays for itself. The 10% discount is only good for in-store purchases, not internet orders, but membership also gets you free shipping with no minimum on internet orders, so there's that benefit, too. The other benefit is that members sometimes get coupons for 20% off purchases (which sadly exclude Criterions).

I keep debating whether to renew my membership, as some years I spend less than $250 and some years I spend more, but not much more.

[Egbert Souse]

Originally Posted by steel_breeze

Just revisited the Criterion Blu-ray of PHILADELPHIA STORY (1941), and I'm always a little surprised and disappointed by this release. On my projector and 92-inch screen, it always appears to be more soft and "video-y" than all the rave reviews would have me think. Tweed jackets are buzzing all over the place, and I actually have to increase the Detail Clarity on my projector to make most of it appear to be in focus. I swear some it looks like the image is "caught between pixels" if that makes any sense. Certainly doesn't look like something sourced from 4K. It almost appears as though the telecine equipment had been unfocused during the scanning of the film elements, since the softness has that weird "video" quality I mentioned, and doesn't look like an issue with the original photography.

I understand from what I've read that the restoration was a challenging one, using the best surviving elements and NOT the original camera negative... and that's all well and good; I'm happy to have this if it's the best it will ever look, and I normally wouldn't think twice about it... but I'm curious about all the many reviews that say this movie "looks brand new" or "like it was shot yesterday". That's just not my experience with it, so I go to this weird irrational place where I think: "did I get a bum pressing?" But of course that's impossible; a bum pressing wouldn't look subtly different; it would stutter or have playback issues. So I just don't know.

Anyone else feel like the Criterion disc has some weird softness issues? Anyone? Am I a lone voice in the wilderness on this one? Anyhoo... once I sharpen it up a tad (and only a tad; I'm a projector owner, so I actually LIKE a little softer image), this still beats the older 2-disc Special Edition Warner DVD -- but only just.

Looks great on my 60" setup. Maybe not as sharp as something from the camera negative, but it's on par with any of the 2K/4K remasters of Warner properties from fine-grains.

[BaronVH]

But they have always taken the 20% off coupon from me on top of my regular membership discount. They used to even stack them with their sales, but those times are gone.

[stvn1974]

I sold off my Criterion Lone Wolf And Cub long ago without ever even watching it. Not really sure why but I did so I am going to pick it up again during the BN sale.

[Xtempo]

Wonder if the sale will continue after this year since B&N is now private. Anybody hope it will still continue?

[stvn1974]

Originally Posted by Xtempo

Wonder if the sale will continue after this year since B&N is now private. Anybody hope it will still continue?

I hope they continue them. I like going to the store to pick titles up. While I am glad that Criterion also has their flash sales I find ordering from them is a gamble when it comes to box sets and digibooks. The Zatoichi set came from Criterion's site and it was nowhere near mint condition when I received it. It is a pain to even get the books out because the top corners are smooshed in.