About Criterion's DVD

[Stefan Wood]

Hell yeah!

[sal]

  Stefan Wood said:

Hell yeah!

How funny, I was just coming to this thread to post some comments about this film, which I viewed on the excellent Criterion DVD last night, and I see this. Thanks Stefan!

I had seen this film a long time ago, but watching it now was just a completely new experience. This is one of those films that is so powerful, beautiful, sad, important, etc....that it should be seen by everyone. It is drama at its peak, and is difficult to watch at times becuase of the suffering experienced by some of the characters, but one will be challenged to watch a more humane film. I am so moved by this, that I think I'm going to take a short break from watching any other films. Need to give some time for the effect to wear off a bit, as I'm getting the feeling that other films will probably seem silly in comparison.

[Soulstation1]

the place i rent dvds has over 50 criterion dvds in stock, just not a single copy of do the right thing

on tues/wed they have 2-4-1

2 dvds for 3.25 for 3 days

not a bad deal imo

[Soulstation1]

anyone rent/own?

:eye:

[Jazzmoose]

I saw a Criterion set at Target the other day. I must have immediately gone into shock, because I can't remember what title it was...

[sal]

  Jazzmoose said:

I saw a Criterion set at Target the other day. I must have immediately gone into shock, because I can't remember what title it was...

Probably one of these:

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

The Life Aquatic

The Royal Tenenbaubs

Chasing Amy

I've seen them at Target before.

[sal]

  Soulstation1 said:

anyone rent/own?

:eye:

Watched it in college for a film class about 8 years ago. A a very decent flick with amazing music. Be sure to turn on the English subtitles!

Edited July 25, 2007 by sal

[Jazzmoose]

You're right, Sal; it was Fear and Loathing.

[Kalo]

  etherbored said:

i've just now watched my copy of the tati film 'playtime' for the first time in over a year.

if any readers here are unfamiliar with tati, as many americans are, do yourself a favor and see this film.

a masterwork in 70 mm...

This might be my favorite film ever. I'm very glad to own the Criterion edition. I do wonder what someone who hasn't seen his other films would make of Playtime, especially on a small screen at home. I highly recommend seeing this in a theater first if at all possible. I was lucky enough to see this for the first time at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston projected in 70mm.

[B. Clugston]

  Kalo said:

I do wonder what someone who hasn't seen his other films would make of Playtime, especially on a small screen at home.

Absolutely brilliant! That whole restaurant sequence is hilarious.

[medjuck]

  Kalo said:

  etherbored said:

i've just now watched my copy of the tati film 'playtime' for the first time in over a year.

if any readers here are unfamiliar with tati, as many americans are, do yourself a favor and see this film.

a masterwork in 70 mm...

This might be my favorite film ever. I'm very glad to own the Criterion edition. I do wonder what someone who hasn't seen his other films would make of Playtime, especially on a small screen at home. I highly recommend seeing this in a theater first if at all possible. I was lucky enough to see this for the first time at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston projected in 70mm.

My memory of seeing it in 70mm was that he used the verticality of the screen more than any filmmaker in history (ie he compsed shots from top to bottom as well as from side to side.)

[BruceH]

  Kalo said:

  etherbored said:

i've just now watched my copy of the tati film 'playtime' for the first time in over a year.

if any readers here are unfamiliar with tati, as many americans are, do yourself a favor and see this film.

a masterwork in 70 mm...

This might be my favorite film ever. I'm very glad to own the Criterion edition. I do wonder what someone who hasn't seen his other films would make of Playtime, especially on a small screen at home. I highly recommend seeing this in a theater first if at all possible. I was lucky enough to see this for the first time at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston projected in 70mm.

Same here. That's got to rank as my all-around most amazing viewing of Playtime.

[Soulstation1]

libary has alfred hitchcock's "spellbound" and spike lee's "do the right thing"

[Adam]

  Soulstation1 said:

libary has alfred hitchcock's "spellbound" and spike lee's "do the right thing"

I saw that Criterion is reissuing and expanded version of Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes." I wonder if that means they will be reissuing their other Hitchcock titles. I still have the old one; guess I should eBay it.

In the meanwhile, I look forward to receiving "La Jetee/San Soleil." And I really look forward to their issue of 'Days of Heaven" in November.

[BruceH]

  Adam said:

  Soulstation1 said:

libary has alfred hitchcock's "spellbound" and spike lee's "do the right thing"

I saw that Criterion is reissuing and expanded version of Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes." I wonder if that means they will be reissuing their other Hitchcock titles. I still have the old one; guess I should eBay it.

In the meanwhile, I look forward to receiving "La Jetee/San Soleil." And I really look forward to their issue of 'Days of Heaven" in November.

I've seen the cover of the upcoming Criterion re-release of The Lady Vanishes and I much prefer the cover of the old one. On the other hand, I'd certainly welcome another Criterion edition of Notorious.

[Kalo]

  BruceH said:

  Adam said:

  Soulstation1 said:

libary has alfred hitchcock's "spellbound" and spike lee's "do the right thing"

I saw that Criterion is reissuing and expanded version of Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes." I wonder if that means they will be reissuing their other Hitchcock titles. I still have the old one; guess I should eBay it.

In the meanwhile, I look forward to receiving "La Jetee/San Soleil." And I really look forward to their issue of 'Days of Heaven" in November.

I've seen the cover of the upcoming Criterion re-release of The Lady Vanishes and I much prefer the cover of the old one. On the other hand, I'd certainly welcome another Criterion edition of Notorious.

The old Criterion transfer of The Lady Vanishes is not so hot by today's Criterion standards, so I may double-dip on this one if it's significantly improved. You could always put the new disc in the old box if you like the cover better!

[Adam]

Huzzah! Criterion is bringing out "Two-Lane Blacktop" in December!

[Soulstation1]

Anyone know if the criterion version of silence of the lambs is OOP?

i saw a used copy for $20

[BruceH]

  Soulstation1 said:

Anyone know if the criterion version of silence of the lambs is OOP?

i saw a used copy for $20

Out-of-print for years.

[ejp626]

This could probably go in the Film Corner as well. Anyway, I remember we had discussed this a while back, but Ozu's An Autumn Afternoon was just released by Criterion. Amazon still has good prices on this, so I think I will jump.

Another really interesting entry in the Eclipse series is this -- Kenji Mizoguchi's Fallen Women. Four films on "the plight of women in male-dominated Japanese society": Osaka Elegy, Sisters of the Gion, Women of the Night, and Street of Shame.

While there are certainly gaps, this simply has to be the best time for film lovers (in the gap while DVDs are still a viable medium and almost everything is still in print).

[ejp626]

  ejp626 said:

This could probably go in the Film Corner as well. Anyway, I remember we had discussed this a while back, but Ozu's An Autumn Afternoon was just released by Criterion. Amazon still has good prices on this, so I think I will jump.

I did go ahead and order this, and it looks like a good transfer with very nice audio commentary. Criterion/Eclipse have an awful lot of Ozu's films in circulation. There's one called Green Tea that so far is still only available on a Region 2 Tartan box set.

Unfortunately, there was a problem with the insert -- the middle pages were missing. While I could certainly return to Amazon, it seemed kind of wasteful, so I contacted Criterion and pointed out the situation. They are mailing me a new one today. On the whole, the customer service isn't quite up to Mosaic standards (based on other experiences), but it's awfully good for such a company.

[BruceH]

Just watched the new Criterion of Ophuls' La Ronde. It looks great and there's a nice commentary. Hadn't seen this film in years and years.

[Bill Nelson]

I've got 4 Criterions -- and I watch them about once a year:

'Bob le Flambeur' by Jean-Pierre Melville

'Down by Law' by Jim Jarmusch

'M. Hulot's Holiday' by Jacques Tati, and

'Wages of Fear' by Henri-Georges Clouzot

The transfer quality is excellent, or certainly the best possible.

[ejp626]

  On 10/8/2008 at 3:54 PM, ejp626 said:

  ejp626 said:

This could probably go in the Film Corner as well. Anyway, I remember we had discussed this a while back, but Ozu's An Autumn Afternoon was just released by Criterion. Amazon still has good prices on this, so I think I will jump.

I did go ahead and order this, and it looks like a good transfer with very nice audio commentary. Criterion/Eclipse have an awful lot of Ozu's films in circulation. There's one called Green Tea that so far is still only available on a Region 2 Tartan box set.

I've been keeping a list of Ozu films in print and I came fairly close to ordering There was a Father from a Region 3 site, but I kept hearing rumors that Criterion had a print and was trying to restore it. Well, they will be releasing There was a Father, in a box set paired with The Only Son, in July 2010. I suspect these will be the best restorations of these early Ozu films, so I will go ahead and pre-order by week's end.

Another really exciting set coming out on Eclipse in May is Oshima's Outlaw 60s: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00393SFQG/ref=s9_simh_gw_p74_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0C4RAEAZGCVZAQCRFG83&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

5 films including one called Double Suicide (but not the same as Shinoda's Double Suicide). It's a little pricier, so I probably won't pull the trigger as fast, but it looks pretty exciting nonetheless. At least for the moment, the Criterion release schedule seems as robust as ever.

[ejp626]

I have to admit without access to Netflix (for me streaming just doesn't cut it) or a local DVD shop, I kind of go 6 months between checking the Criterion/Eclipse releases. There are certainly some interesting Eclipse sets, including Robert Downey Sr. and one on key films of the Czech New Wave. Maybe by now my library will have them. They do have many of the older Eclipse sets.

Anyway, there is a promising upcoming Eclipse set called Masaki Kobayashi Against the System, but I think I'd only really like two of the films enough to watch a second time (let alone buy them): The Inheritance and Black River.

Also, there is a box set coming from the regular Criterion line in April that looks even more interesting: Pierre Etaix. From the product description: "This collection includes all of his films, including five features, The Suitor (1962), Yoyo (1965), As Long as You've Got Your Health (1966), Le grand amour (1969), and Land of Milk and Honey (1971)."

I may actually pre-order this one, though I'll have to figure out some new shipping arrangements.