Favorite Criterion Collection DVD?

[sal]

What are everyone's favorites from this excellent series? I hold my copies of "Seven Samurai" and "The Last Temptation of Christ" in high regard, but my absolute favorite is the "Brazil" release. Not just a great film, but one of the best DVD packages, both in presentation and content, on the market.

I'm interested in learning about more films from this series, especially the foreign ones. I look forward to reading about your favorites.

Edited January 12, 2004 by sal

[Claude]

I´m not a big movie freak and own only a dozen DVD (mainly related to music), but two are Criterions:

- Down by Law (Jim Jarmusch, 1986)

- Solaris (Andrej Tarkovsky, 1972)

Down by Law has been one of my favourite movies since I first saw it. For Europeans, this has a very appealing "deep america" atmosphere, and Tom Waits and Roberto Benigni are great actors (John Lurie is so so).

Solaris is of course much different, I've seen it once and have to go back to it, it's very complex, new things to dicover every time.

Edited January 12, 2004 by Claude

[Joe]

Both Antonioni's L'AVVENTURA and Tati's PLAYTIME (which may be OOP) look amazing now that they've been restored. PLAYTIME is a little skimpy with respect to extras, but L'AVVENTURA has some nice documentary material included. I myself think Criterion can go a little overboard with supplementary material; both these packages strike a nice balance. The same goes for the BY BRAKHAGE set, which is chock full of great content -- in addition to the often stunning visuals.

[Claude]

Jacques Tati is also one of my favourites. I recorded all his movies (newly restored versions) during a recent special on ARTE TV, except "Traffic", which I missed.

"Playtime" is his absolute masterpiece, but it was a commercial disaster. The humour was too subtle for a large public (Tati was as popular in France as Jerry Lewis in the US)

[Brandon Burke]

Both Antonioni's L'AVVENTURA and Tati's PLAYTIME (which may be OOP) look amazing now that they've been restored. PLAYTIME is a little skimpy with respect to extras.....

All three Tati Criterions are being rereleased next month. Too bad for the suckers who paid $140 for them on ebay. You're right about Playtime being skipmy on the extras but Hulot's Holiday includes quite a bit (including the classic Jour de Fete short).

Criterions I have actually purchased (so far...):

* All three Tati titles: M. Hulot's Holiday, Mon Oncle, Playtime

* Down By Law (my favorite film of all-time, actually.)

* Both Sejun Suzuki titles: Tokyo Drifter, Branded to Kill

* Hitchcock Spellbound

* The Third Man

* Rififi

* Big Deal on Madonna Street

* Billy Liar

* Do the Right Thing (ridiculous amounts of extras here.)

* Both Wes Anderson titles: Rushmore, The Royal Tennenbaums (ditto.)

* Fishing with John (I revisit this one rather often.)

* Carnival of Souls

* I am Curious Yellow/Blue [box set] (liner notes by.....Gary Giddens?!)

[Johnny E]

By Brakhage

This multi-disc set is simply amazing! If your a fan of experimental film it's a "must buy". Here's more detail:

Working completely outside the mainstream, Stan Brakhage has made nearly 400 films over the past half century. Challenging all taboos in his exploration of “birth, sex, death, and the search for God,” Brakhage has turned his camera on explicit lovemaking, childbirth, even actual autopsy. Many of his most famous works pursue the nature of vision itself and transcend the act of filming. Some, including the legendary Mothlight, were made without using a camera at all. Instead, Brakhage has pioneered the art of making images directly on film itself––starting with clear leader or exposed film, then drawing, painting, and scratching it by hand. Treating each frame as a miniature canvas, Brakhage can produce only a quarter- to a half-second of film a day, but his visionary style of image-making has changed everything from cartoons and television commercials to MTV music videos and the work of such mainstream moviemakers as Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, and Oliver Stone. 26 masterworks by Stan Brakhage in high-definition digital transfers made from newly minted film elements. For the first time on DVD, viewers will be able to look at Brakhage’s meticulously crafted frames one by one. "One of the key visual artists of the last one hundred years." (NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART - WASHINGTON, D.C.)

Two-Disc Set!

Director: Stan Brakhage

Language: Monaura/Silent.

ISBN: 1-55940-938-X

Region: Region 1.

Format(s): Color, Black & White.

Length: 243 minutes.

Special Features: Double Disk set, New High-Definition digital transfers of all 26 films, video encounters with filmmaker, reflections on selected films by Stan Brakhage, New essay and film capsules by Brakhage expert Fred Camper, optimal image quailty: RSDL dual-layer edition.

[Adam]

I have 20 or more, and like them all:

By Brakhage

The Kurosawa Samurai Box, and Rashomon

Tokyo Drifter

The Bergman trilogy box, and Wild Strawberries, and the Seventh Seal

Three of the Hitchcocks (Rebecca, Notorious, Lady Vanishes)

Sullivan's Travels & The Lady Eve

Royal Tenenbaums

I Am Curious Yellow/Blue

The Grand Illusion

Down by Law

Bob le Flambeur

Children of Paradise (!)

Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

I Know Where I'm Going! (A great film; also lots of extras)

Hiroshima Mon Amour

Passion of Joan of Arc

Trouble in Paradise

Walkabout

I think that's it. 30. I could easily buy another 50 without blinking, if I had the scratch.

Two of the Tati films are already rereleased (Mr. Hulot & Mon Oncle). I think those and Knife in the Water will be the next purchases. Unless I go for Brazil; Fassbinder's BRD Trilogy, or the Cocteau Orphic Trilogy.

I wish they would do the films of Satyajit Ray. The Apu trilogy is now on DVD, not by Criterion. I would love proper Criterion versions of Devi, Charulata, The Music Room, and more.

The Kurosawa box, though, doesn't have that many extras, and I think they just redid Seven Samurai, so I wouldn't buy the box anymore. The Melville films, Children of Paradise - in fact, most of their French films - are loaded though.

Edited January 13, 2004 by Adam

[The Mule]

Not in any order:

BRAZIL

THE THIRD MAN

THE RED SHOES

BLACK NARCISSUS

PEEPING TOM

CONTEMPT

STRAW DOGS

THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC

THE COMPLETE MONTEREY POP

GIMME SHELTER

SALESMAN (documentary)

HAXAN aka: WITCHCRAFT THROUGH THE AGES

WRITTEN ON THE WIND

THE BLOB (the extras are better than the movie!)

[Sundog]

Mine are all laser disc versions (You remember those right?). Some that come to mind are...

A Night At The Opera

Zulu

The Producers

Swing Time

A Hard Days Night

Singin' In The Rain

Silverado

[ghost of miles]

Don't have that many, yet, but THE THIRD MAN is my favorite so far.

[Joe]

The Carl Th. Dreyer films (ORDET / DAY OF WRATH / GETRUD / PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC) merit serious investigation.

And, I can't believe I forgot this one -- Tarkovsky's ANDREI RUBLEV.

[BruceH]

The Third Man

I also like the commentary on Grand Illusion. Also, the 2-disc package for The Killers (both '46 and '64 versions included) is a lot of fun.

[Brandon Burke]

I must say that I'm (pleasantly) surprised to see that The Third Man is such an overwhelming favorite. Helluva film. As it happens, UT has a significant portion of the David O. Selznick collection. The Communication Studies building has some great production stills from both The Third Man and Spellbound on display right now. Cool stuff.

Edited January 13, 2004 by Brandon Burke

[sal]

Some great choices! I'll make it a point to check out many of the films you guys listed that I haven't seen yet.

Hey, has anyone ever heard of a film called "Onibaba", directed by Kaneto Shindo? Japanese film from 1964, dated for release on DVD by Criterion in March. I never heard of it, but what really caught my attention was the synopsis of the film given on the Criterion website:

Deep within the wind-swept marshes of war-torn medieval Japan, an impoverished mother and her daughter-in-law eke out a lonely, desperate existence. Forced to murder lost samurai and sell their belongings for grain, they dump the corpses down a deep, dark hole and live off of their meager spoils. When a bedraggled neighbor returns from the skirmishes, lust, jealousy, and rage threaten to destroy the trio’s tenuous existence, before an ominous, ill-gotten demon mask seals the trio’s horrifying fate. Driven by primal emotions, dark eroticism, a frenzied score by Hikaru Hayashi, and stunning images both lyrical and macabre, Kaneto Shindo’s chilling folktale Onibaba is a singular cinematic experience.

Sounds very interesting.

[The Mule]

Some great choices!  I'll make it a point to check out many of the films you guys listed that I haven't seen yet.

Hey, has anyone ever heard of a film called "Onibaba", directed by Kaneto Shindo?  Japanese film from 1964, dated for release on DVD by Criterion in March.  I never heard of it, but what really caught my attention was the synopsis of the film given on the Criterion website:

Deep within the wind-swept marshes of war-torn medieval Japan, an impoverished mother and her daughter-in-law eke out a lonely, desperate existence. Forced to murder lost samurai and sell their belongings for grain, they dump the corpses down a deep, dark hole and live off of their meager spoils. When a bedraggled neighbor returns from the skirmishes, lust, jealousy, and rage threaten to destroy the trio’s tenuous existence, before an ominous, ill-gotten demon mask seals the trio’s horrifying fate. Driven by primal emotions, dark eroticism, a frenzied score by Hikaru Hayashi, and stunning images both lyrical and macabre, Kaneto Shindo’s chilling folktale Onibaba is a singular cinematic experience.

Sounds very interesting.

It is and it's very atmospheric and creepy. The sound of the wind is practically a main character.

You should also check out KWAIDAN, which is just as creepy and really, really beautiful...

[BERIGAN]

Well, since I own only one, my Fav has to be My Man Godfrey ! There have been so many crap public domain versions I was pleasently surprised that they restored it, and it looks great for a film from 1936. Also has a 2 minute blooper reel, and you get a hint of the blue streak of Carole Lombard posessed. Gregory La Cava directed this, and Stage Door the next year, and was more or less done after that, very strange.

I want to get The Bank Dick,The Devil and Daniel Webster , Sullivan's Travels, The Lady Eve(Sturges best film, IMO) Black Narcissus (Does this edition finally make it the most beautiful tecnicolor film ever?) some day. I briefly owned Beauty and the Beast(Found it used) but it was out of print at the time, so I sold it for a pretty Penny! If I remember correctly, the print they used was not all that great, is the original missing?

I do find their prices too high for the most part. Yet some films, like The Bank Dick, or Hopscotch are listed at $29.99, and the 2 Killers films are the same Average $39.99. I know you can get them for much less on the web, but still $40.00 in store for just one film is pretty damn steep......

[7/4]

Naked Lunch.

Edited January 13, 2004 by 7/4

[ghost of miles]

Also, the 2-disc package for The Killers (both '46 and '64 versions included) is a lot of fun.

I got that one for my dad for Christmas and he was very pleased. Might have to snag a copy for myself...

[Joe]

Black Narcissus (Does this edition finally make it the most beautiful tecnicolor film ever?)

Very possibly.

I wish they would do Fellini's I VITTELONI.

[sal]

You should also check out KWAIDAN, which is just as creepy and really, really beautiful...

Thanks Mule! I just checked it out on the website, and it looks really good. I'll have to add that one to my list. Damn, I'm gonna be broke.

[The Mule]

Black Narcissus (Does this edition finally make it the most beautiful tecnicolor film ever?) some day.

It does indeed, but it's a close race between it and Michael Powell's other masterpiece, THE RED SHOES.

I agree, the MY MAN GODFREY disc is also great. Some very funny outtakes of Carole Lombard cursing after a blown take...

[Adam]

I wish they would do Fellini's I VITTELONI.

They seem to be making their way through all the Fellini films, so I bet that you will get your wish some day.

I forgot to mention The Third Man - great extras as well. I gave it as a gift to my brother, and don't own it myself.

[Adam]

Well, since I own only one, my Fav has to be My Man Godfrey ! There have been so many crap public domain versions I was pleasently surprised that they restored it, and it looks great for a film from 1936. Also has a 2 minute blooper reel, and you get a hint of the blue streak of Carole Lombard posessed. Gregory La Cava directed this, and Stage Door the next year, and was more or less done after that, very strange.

I want to get The Bank Dick,The Devil and Daniel Webster , Sullivan's Travels, The Lady Eve(Sturges best film, IMO)

I do find their prices too high for the most part. Yet some films, like The Bank Dick, or Hopscotch are listed at $29.99, and the 2 Killers films are the same Average $39.99. I know you can get them for much less on the web, but still $40.00 in store for just one film is pretty damn steep......

If you like all of those, Berigan, be sure to check out Trouble in Paradise, and any other Lubitsch films that come down the pike. There was a great laserdisc box set of them, but they haven't all made it to DVD. Not zany in the same was as the Sturges films (and Palm Beach Story happens to be my fave), but incredibly funny& enjoyable.

[medjuck]

I was one of the founders of the Criterion Collection when it was a Lazer Disc company. In fact I claim I came up with the name-- though my wife says it was her idea. I haven't been involved with them for years but used to get some free DVDs including Paolini's Salo, a film I despise. So when it went out of print and was seling for a couple of hundred dollars I traded my copy at Ameoba and got, amongst other things, The Art Pepper Hollywood Sessions-- which I love. So maybe Salo is my favorite Criterion DVD.

[Stefan Wood]

I LOVE the Criterion dvds, but they are paintful on the wallet. Favorites? Kwaidan, Rashomon, Children of Paradise, Beauty and the Beast. I picked up Ikiru, which was just released. I don't know how many I have, but I started at the beginning of the dvd releases. I have the two John Woo movies -- the Killer and Hard Boiled, which are still very good releases, especially Hard Boiled, which had a TON of extras, including clips from all of this film up to that time (I think 1998), and a student film.