TwinkieGorilla
This ghoul has seen it all
Sander said:
dude, he's like 16 years old. NOT living at home with your parents at that age would most likely be a bad thing.
Criterion Collection
- Thread starter Eyenixon
- Start date
This ghoul has seen it all
dude, he's like 16 years old. NOT living at home with your parents at that age would most likely be a bad thing.
The beta testing for Blu-Ray was 2 years ago. Hell, during christmas 2008 here in the states BR players were going for $170-$185. That's cheap, that's mainstream cheap.
Now the discs on the other hand are expensive, but with some creative shoping (amazon.com is your friend here) I usually buy all my blu-rays for under $20, look it up if you don't believe me, search any title on amazon, almost all are available under $20. Even better, Wal-Mart and some others are starting to lower prices to $19.99. And even as cheap a $9.99 as of yesterday on some 2 year old titles. As I said, the beta testing days are over.
There's ways to do bluray on the cheap, btw my TV is 47' LCD. That's how I think about everything though, not just bluray, I don't pay standard prices on anything unless I absolutely have to.
All that said, blu-ray just looks nicer, and sounds nicer. But I'm not one of the crazies that will re-buy all my DVDs on Blu-ray, even the classics I have, I won't re-buy. Just no sense in it.
Now the discs on the other hand are expensive, but with some creative shoping (amazon.com is your friend here) I usually buy all my blu-rays for under $20, look it up if you don't believe me, search any title on amazon, almost all are available under $20. Even better, Wal-Mart and some others are starting to lower prices to $19.99. And even as cheap a $9.99 as of yesterday on some 2 year old titles. As I said, the beta testing days are over.
There's ways to do bluray on the cheap, btw my TV is 47' LCD. That's how I think about everything though, not just bluray, I don't pay standard prices on anything unless I absolutely have to.
All that said, blu-ray just looks nicer, and sounds nicer. But I'm not one of the crazies that will re-buy all my DVDs on Blu-ray, even the classics I have, I won't re-buy. Just no sense in it.
S
Stag
Guest
I thought everyone knew that I am one of the Obama daughters.
I really don't care who's floppy piece of plastic with etchings on the bottom is better, with that being said, you're all gay.
Also some people spend $60 on horrible atrocious games and don't bat an eye at the expense, there's no big deal with buying an honest to god near perfect release of a film on DVD for $30.
Also some people spend $60 on horrible atrocious games and don't bat an eye at the expense, there's no big deal with buying an honest to god near perfect release of a film on DVD for $30.
Brother None said:
So true.
I have a decent selection of Criterions:
Seven Samurai
The Seventh Seal
Sid and Nancy
Dead Ringers
Brazil
Yojimbo
Sanjuro
The Last Temptation of Christ
Chasing Amy
The Rock
The Royal Tenenbaums
Man Bites Dog
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Videodrome (probably my favorite DVD packaging ever)
My Own Private Idaho
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Le Samourai
I'd really like to have M, Days of Heaven, and Salo.
EDIT: I'm pretty much over this discussion, as I don't really have to justify my purchases or beliefs here.
As for the OP and the Criterion Collection, I do tend to agree, despite my snide comment about Armageddon, that they make awesome DVD's.
I love my copy of Seven Samurai.
As for the OP and the Criterion Collection, I do tend to agree, despite my snide comment about Armageddon, that they make awesome DVD's.
I love my copy of Seven Samurai.
Cimmerian Nights
So Old I'm Losing Radiation Signs
Yeah, but opt out of the home delivery.Malky said:
eath to Videodrome:What's great about the packaging, is it a fleshy, pulsating betamax?
And I don't know what backwater shithole you all live in, but the public library here has most of the Criterion collection movies, and just started getting BR too.
Almost justifies them jacking up my fucking property taxes with a fucking assessment value on my house that the market won't support for another decade. Same gov't that will bail out some deadbeat homeowners and prints money like it's drunken Monopoly - the fucking Mafia isn't that crooked.
I fail to see the need to buy books or DVDs anyway at all unless it's something I'll watch/read more than 5x.
Videodrome might make the cut if I still dropped acid though.
Noneoftheabove
First time out of the vault
It's hard to get excited about a technology that is little more than a turn table record player in principal. When they come out with solid state crystal storage media, then I'll be excited.
I have a Blu-ray player that also plays DVDs, and an LCD HDtv that displays only 720p in its native resolution. I'm not going to race out and replace my DVDs with Blu-ray, but there are some classic films I already own that look great on the new format. The picture is sharp, the colors are fantastic and so is the sound quality that is greatly enhanced.
Blade Runner and Planet Earth have been my best Blu-ray purchased films thus far. And it is nice to now own a dedicated player rather than relying on my Xbox 360 or Ps2 to play all my media.
I have a Blu-ray player that also plays DVDs, and an LCD HDtv that displays only 720p in its native resolution. I'm not going to race out and replace my DVDs with Blu-ray, but there are some classic films I already own that look great on the new format. The picture is sharp, the colors are fantastic and so is the sound quality that is greatly enhanced.
Blade Runner and Planet Earth have been my best Blu-ray purchased films thus far. And it is nice to now own a dedicated player rather than relying on my Xbox 360 or Ps2 to play all my media.
Knödelkarpfen
First time out of the vault
Criterion does a lot of good work, though they are not flawless. Admittedly, i have seen a lot more of their DVD's than i own, thanks to friends and rentals. They have made a lot of films availible here in America that otherwise are difficult as hell to find, such as Fassbinder's "Berlin Alexanderplatz". I try to buy their films whenever i can.
From my point of view the director whose work Criterion has probably best served is Ingmar Bergman. They have a great selection of well-produced DVD's of his films from all over his career, although there are some important ones that MGM has done pretty well with, too. I've been really pleased with all of these, but my favourite release that i've seen has been his so-called Faith Trilogy. These films looking stunning.
They have done a really nice job with some of the 1960's films of one of my fav. directors Jean-Luc Godard, apart from a couple of barebones releases like "Alphaville". But it is a puzzle to me why they have not done any of his amazing later films, many of which are hard to find here in America.
Back in the day, their laser disc editions of Orson Welles' "Othello" and "Magnificent Ambersons" (which have not been surpassed on DVD releases) were very prized and excellently produced packages, and are still collectors items. While it is unlikely that they will be able to release either of these films again, they did get to do 2 of the man's films, including "Mr. Arkadin". This film had an extremely strange cinematic release, being at one time availible apparently in around 10 different edits---and so for their DVD release Criterion was able to release one version of the film as it was originally released, one discovered some years later that was thought to be closer to the director's intent, and a newly reedited version based on information availble about what Welles had envisioned. While some consider this a somewhat minor film, the care that Criterion put into this release is wonderful, and these kinds of multi-version releases are some of the best work that Criterion has done, a la "Brazil" and "Fanny and Alexander".
It would be nice if they had the opportunity to work on more silent films. And certainly some fans of more obscure films have to be saying to themselves sometimes, "What? They're doing another fucking Godard !!?". I find the special features of their films less important than the beautiful quality of the releases---and yes, they can seem expensive sometimes. But as it is they have done a really nice job overall. Right now i really am wanting the Eric Rohmer 6 Moral Tales set.
BTW Luis Buñuel kicks ass.
From my point of view the director whose work Criterion has probably best served is Ingmar Bergman. They have a great selection of well-produced DVD's of his films from all over his career, although there are some important ones that MGM has done pretty well with, too. I've been really pleased with all of these, but my favourite release that i've seen has been his so-called Faith Trilogy. These films looking stunning.
They have done a really nice job with some of the 1960's films of one of my fav. directors Jean-Luc Godard, apart from a couple of barebones releases like "Alphaville". But it is a puzzle to me why they have not done any of his amazing later films, many of which are hard to find here in America.
Back in the day, their laser disc editions of Orson Welles' "Othello" and "Magnificent Ambersons" (which have not been surpassed on DVD releases) were very prized and excellently produced packages, and are still collectors items. While it is unlikely that they will be able to release either of these films again, they did get to do 2 of the man's films, including "Mr. Arkadin". This film had an extremely strange cinematic release, being at one time availible apparently in around 10 different edits---and so for their DVD release Criterion was able to release one version of the film as it was originally released, one discovered some years later that was thought to be closer to the director's intent, and a newly reedited version based on information availble about what Welles had envisioned. While some consider this a somewhat minor film, the care that Criterion put into this release is wonderful, and these kinds of multi-version releases are some of the best work that Criterion has done, a la "Brazil" and "Fanny and Alexander".
It would be nice if they had the opportunity to work on more silent films. And certainly some fans of more obscure films have to be saying to themselves sometimes, "What? They're doing another fucking Godard !!?". I find the special features of their films less important than the beautiful quality of the releases---and yes, they can seem expensive sometimes. But as it is they have done a really nice job overall. Right now i really am wanting the Eric Rohmer 6 Moral Tales set.
BTW Luis Buñuel kicks ass.
TwinkieGorilla
This ghoul has seen it all
Knödelkarpfen said:
yep. on my Top 10 favorite directors list. and they've really been doing a great job with his filmography. they just released The Exterminating Angel and Simon of the Desert recently.
Knödelkarpfen
First time out of the vault
I really want to see those two films; years ago i was particularly interested in "Exterminating Angel" and sought it without success on VHS...... Were you impressed with Criterion's work here, and what did you think of the movies?
As far as he goes, i have only seen "Diary of a Chambermaid" and "Discreet Charm of the Bourgeosie" on Criterion. The latter, an absolutely wonderful and hilarious film, was given a very nice treatment, while the Diary disc was just o-k for me.
I have "Belle du Jour" and "Los Olvidados" , and while the discs are decent, these are both important enough movies to warrant a Criterion release.
As far as he goes, i have only seen "Diary of a Chambermaid" and "Discreet Charm of the Bourgeosie" on Criterion. The latter, an absolutely wonderful and hilarious film, was given a very nice treatment, while the Diary disc was just o-k for me.
I have "Belle du Jour" and "Los Olvidados" , and while the discs are decent, these are both important enough movies to warrant a Criterion release.
Knödelkarpfen said:
The Magnificent Ambersons is terrific, I'd really like a DVD of this.
I've been on a Jean-Pierre Melville kick lately, Le Samourai is simply fantastic and I'm working my way through the rest of his work. I'll be watching Le Deuxième Souffle this week and hopefully Le Circle Rouge.
TwinkieGorilla
This ghoul has seen it all
Knödelkarpfen said:
both excellent films though i've seen Simon years ago and CANNOT WAIT to see the clean up Criterion will give it. and their treatment of E.A. is brilliant, as per usual.
i highly recommend these Criterion releases as well:
The Milky Way
Phantom of Liberty
That Obscure Object of Desire
Viridiana
BTW..."Discreet Charm" is one of my all-time favorite films and just makes me laugh so hard every single time i watch it. a true classic!
Knödelkarpfen
First time out of the vault
Malky said:
There are a couple of good releases of Magnificent Ambersons in Europe, but it's inexplicable why it has taken so long here, and there has been no concrete evidence that it is being worked on by warner brothers---just whispers of rumors. Of course it would be great if this had something to do with the lost 50 minutes of footage Welles shot and intended for the film, but it seems relatively hopeless that this is this case. Outside of the discovery of this footage, the best case scenario i can picture is a Criterion release with an additional disc featuring a reediting of the film to follow the screenplay, with stills to stand in for the missing scenes and the missing dialogue printed on titles. While not ideal, this would give viewers an idea of how the film would have played had it not been tampered with by the studio. In addition it would be great if they could include a recording of Bernard Hermann's original score as the studio removed much of his "depressing" music and replaced it with flavorless junk.
I also have Scorsese's "Last Temptation of Christ" Malky, and really wish they could get their hands on some other of Scorsese. Taxi Driver and Raging Bull get a lot of attention, but he's made some other dandy films. Hell, Goodfellas still hasn't been treated properly...
Has anyone seen anything in their Eclipse series yet? I really want to see the Ozu and Mizoguchi sets in addition to the Rosselini history films.
Knödelkarpfen said:
The special edition Goodfellas transfer isn't bad at all, and Raging Bull and Taxi Driver have had really nice re-releases over the past few years. The current editions both look and sound great and have terrific features.
Mean Streets could use a Criterion treatment, if anything.
Knödelkarpfen
First time out of the vault
Malky,
I can't really agree on the special edition of Goodfellas. I havn't seen the Blu-ray.......the the DVD, while better than the last release, is still, i think not what it should be. And it must be said that the extras are junk. It seems like so little care was put into this disk.
I don't usually agree with mass opinion on these matters, but i won't deny that TD and RB are his great masterpieces. Yet GF is right up there too, and if Scorsese is considered such a great director as he usually is, it is hard to fathom why at least this film, Mean Streets, King of Comedy, After Hours, Casino, and Age of Innocence havn't been treated better.
I can't really agree on the special edition of Goodfellas. I havn't seen the Blu-ray.......the the DVD, while better than the last release, is still, i think not what it should be. And it must be said that the extras are junk. It seems like so little care was put into this disk.
I don't usually agree with mass opinion on these matters, but i won't deny that TD and RB are his great masterpieces. Yet GF is right up there too, and if Scorsese is considered such a great director as he usually is, it is hard to fathom why at least this film, Mean Streets, King of Comedy, After Hours, Casino, and Age of Innocence havn't been treated better.