Criterion Collection Favorites

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by MagicAlex, Nov 7, 2003.

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  1. stinsojd

    stinsojd Senior Member

    Location:
    Tennessee
    It's great to see there are so many Criterion fans on the board. I guess that's not surprising as Criterion is essentially the DCC of DVD. It's rare that their version is not the definitive version.

    One title that I don't think you've mentioned is "The Harder They Come." The soundtrack to this movie is a classic, and it's pretty interesting to actually see the actual movie that goes with the music. It took awhile for the story to hook me, but once it did, it really did. You'll never mistake it for a mainstream movie, but there's just something that comes through in its micro-budget, independent heart.

    Definitely worth a rental if you can find it.

    -- Jamie
     
  2. cwon

    cwon Active Member

    I'll add Kwaidan - Japanese ghost stories

    I'm hoping they'll get to do Astaire/Rogers' Swing Time which they did on laserdisc
     
  3. AKA

    AKA Senior Member

    Chasing Amy
    Rushmore
    The Royal Tenenbaums
    Gimme Shelter
     
  4. Ken_McAlinden

    Ken_McAlinden MichiGort Staff

    Location:
    Livonia, MI
    There are a few Criterion Collection titles that will be going out of print in the next few months that are worth looking for. They are "Straw Dogs", "Notorious", "Rebecca" and "Spellbound". All four are part of the ABC/Capitol Cities Library which was owned and licensed by Disney. The license agreements on these titles expire at the end of 2003. I'm not sure if Disney is selling the library or just licensing to someone else, but it would be tough to top the Criterion versions of these titles.

    Regards,
     
  5. Chiron

    Chiron Active Member

    Location:
    Houston, Texas
    I think you should just buy the films you like that Criterion offer. Brazil is a classic in my book, but I know people who really can't stand it. Also, I don't get the point of collecting all the Criterions. I mean, even though most of their films are classics, there are some I don't want to see (Salo), odd choices (Armaggedon), and movies that I have no idea what they are about, and don't want to spend $20 on it if I don't like it (that's about the main reason why I don't collect Criterions).
     
  6. xios

    xios Senior Member

    Location:
    Florida
    Michael- "Devil and Daniel Webster" is one disc.
     
  7. Mick Jones

    Mick Jones Senior Member

    The Criterions that I have bought are:
    Amarcord (Fellini)
    Alphaville (Godard)
    The Unbearable Lightness Of Being (Kaufman)
    Autumn Sonata (Bergman)
    L'Avventura (Antonioni)
    The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie (Bunuel)
    Diary Of A Chambermaid (Bunuel)
    Closely Watched Trains (Menzel)
    The Ruling Class (Medak)
    81/2 (Fellini)
    That Obscure Object Of Desire (Bunuel)
    Fassbinder's BDR Trilogy - The Marriage Of Maria Braun; Lola; Veronika Voss

    I think that Criterion offer some of the greatest films by some of the worlds greatest directors, but also some of the not so good films by great directors, and some films that can only politely be called 'cult classics'!

    Their DVDs are pretty expensive, especially when shipped over the Atlantic, and they seemed to have had a rather strange aversion to anamorphic widescreen until very recently.
     
  8. PMC7027

    PMC7027 Forum Hall Of Fame

    I have 2 Criterion lasers that nobody has yet mentioned, Help and A Hard Day's Night.
     
  9. Jefhart

    Jefhart Senior Member

    I've got lots of 'em, they really do a great job. Favorites are:

    Wild Strawberries
    Rashomon
    I Know Where I'm Going
    Grand Illusion
    Seventh Seal
    Gimme Shelter

    Hell, they're all good.

    Jeff
     
  10. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    I belong to Netflix -- care to elaborate?
     
  11. Kym

    Kym Former Resident

    I wish Criterion had released their LD of Once Were Warriors in the DVD format years ago. Perhaps it was a rights issue since the DVD finally came out recently (though not through Criterion).
     
  12. GregY

    GregY New Member

    Location:
    .
    Ron,

    I belonged to Netflix when they first started their operations. At least 3 discs went missing between my mail box (in Pennsylvania) and their distribution center (in California.) This was in the period of a few months.

    I never had to pay for the discs but after getting a few e-mails saying that my membership would be in jeopardy if more discs went missing, I decided to cancel. I really don't need more anxiety and stress just to rent a movie or two.

    I don't know if it was a problem with the USPS or Netflix. I do know that I've never had one package go missing through the USPS other than Netflix mailers. Not one. And I have shipped and received many hundreds of packages and padded envelopes through the USPS over the last few years. It just wasn't worth the hassle for me anymore. It's a shame because there are no good DVD rental places around here, save for a few good titles at the public library.
     
  13. Chiron

    Chiron Active Member

    Location:
    Houston, Texas
    No one's mentioned the Manos: Hands of Fate Criterion yet... :rolleyes:
     
  14. Clay

    Clay Forum Resident

    Location:
    Saratoga, CA
    The Rock

    Netflix is great. I lost a DVD and no problem. I found it under some papers and mailed it in a month or so later.
     
  15. jligon

    jligon Forum Resident

    Location:
    Peoria, IL
    The Passion of Joan of Arc. I can't imagine anyone not being moved by this film. Currently #1 on my top twenty list.

    I also love a lot of the others already mentioned: The Third Man, Seven Samurai, I Know Where I'm Going, The Red Shoes, M and Grand Illusion to name a few.
     
  16. Mike B

    Mike B Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    One great thing about the Criterion collection is that it sparked my interest in the films enough to want to see all of them. In the process, it introduced me to the worlds of Kurosawa, Tarkofsky, Dreyer, Fellini, Fuller and Bergman, now amongst my favorite directors.

    My Criterions:

    The Seventh Seal
    Cries and Whispers
    Wild Strawberries
    The Magic Flute
    Amarcord
    8 1/2
    Nights of Cabiria
    Brazil
    Seven Samurai
    High and Low
    Hidden Fortress
    Red Beard
    Throne of Blood
    Yojimbo
    Sanjuro
    Rashomon
    Samurai I, Samurai II, Samurai III
    Solaris
    Great Expectations
    Oliver Twist
    The Naked Kiss
    Shock Corridor
    Notorious
    Spellbound
    The 39 Steps
    The Lady Vanishes
    Rebecca
    Carl Dreyer box set- (Day of Wrath, Gertrude, Ordet, My Metier)
    Eisenstein, the sound years box set (Alexander Nevsky, Ivan the Terrible I & II)
    Antonie Doinelle box set (400 Blows, Stolen Kisses, Bed and Board, Love on the Run)
    The Grand Illusion
    Diabolique
    ...And God Created Woman
    Robocop
    Charade
    Silence of the Lambs
    Spartacus
    Chasing Amy
    The Long Good Friday
    Dead Ringers
    Sid & Nancy
    A Night to Remember
    The Unbearable Lightness of Being
    Life of Brian
    Do the Right Thing

    Critersion I want:
    The Third Man
    The Last Temptation of Christ
    Autumn Sonata
    For All Mankind
    Rushmore
    Brief Encounter
    Hamlet
    Pygmalion
    Monterey Pop Festival
    Ingmar Bergman Makes A Movie
    Ikiru
     
  17. Steve-oh

    Steve-oh Senior Member

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
    The Torgo commentary track made that one for me.:D
     
  18. lil.fred

    lil.fred SeƱor Sock

    Location:
    The East Bay

    They've done them good. But I was disappointed with Throne of Blood, sadly (my favorite Kurosawa film). The 2 different subtitle options both seem to me inferior to the hack-written subtitles that were on the old prints; and also, the sound isn't good -- lifeless and dead, obviously NoNoised. Is that any way to carry on?

    Some of you will say "Who cares about the 'sound' track on an old Japanese film," but Throne of Blood, while no sonic spectacular, has neat, crunchy, breathy sounds -- not lifelike, but expressionistic...
     
  19. Tim Casey

    Tim Casey Active Member

    Location:
    Boston, MA USA
    The Third Man
    The Passion Of Joan Of Arc
    The Dreyer box set
    The 39 Steps
    Haxan
    Beauty And The Beast

    and just about everything else that was mentioned on this thread......
     
  20. MagicAlex

    MagicAlex Gort Emeritus Thread Starter

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Just watched The Third Man this afternoon. Great movie! I loved watching the photography of post-war Vienna. Great atmosphere for the storyline.

    Next up: Carnival Of Souls
     
  21. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    Now your talkin! Don't forget to check out the extended cut:thumbsup:
    One of the all time classics! Only available for years in crappy VHS...Your going to be AMAZED at the quality of the Criterion:)

    Let us know what ya think.
     
  22. MagicAlex

    MagicAlex Gort Emeritus Thread Starter

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Will do...but I cheated and watched Lord Of The Flies instead. :eek:

    First time seeing the British original...I did see the remake a few years back. I prefer the Criterion. B&W did it justice and the simplicity of the script seemed to exagerate the emotions much better.
     
  23. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    I remember seeing that on film years ago... Freaked me out! Didn't catch the DVD yet:) Extremely well played:)
     
  24. guy incognito

    guy incognito Senior Member

    Location:
    Mee-chigan
    I dunno, somehow hearing "the Master would not approve" over and over again for two hours didn't give me much insight into the proceedings...
     
  25. Calavera

    Calavera New Member

    Location:
    Georgia
    Guys, don't forget The night porter, great film!!!
    I'd like to see 2001 re released on DVD by Criterion, the best movie of all time to me.
     
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