Picked up some more titles to add to my collection; Midnight Cowboy Sex, Lies and Videotape A Matter of Life and Death The Double Life of Veronique
Everything from B/N has arrived....they drew blood this time: 12 individual discs plus the Dietrich/Sternberg box. I am already planning on how to lobby my wife for the Bergman set for Xmas......
Had a quiet year for the sale in anticipation of the Bergman box. Been trying to slow my roll with Criterions as it is, have too many to catch up on. The Color of Pomegranates The Passion of Joan of Arc Bowling for Columbine The Hero
Someone on CriterionForum got a message from Jon Mulvaney reporting that ALL previous releases will retain their supplements. Bergman Island will be on there. Ingmar Bergman's Cinema - Page 6 -
Blu-Ray: The Lady Vanishes Rebecca Foreign Correspondent The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp The Uninvited Black Narcissus Red River Night of the Hunter Eyes Without A Face La Dolce Vita L'Avventura La Notte Last Year At Marienbad The Innocents L'Eclisse Carnival of Souls Judex Red Desert A Hard Day's Night Dr. Strangelove Seconds Blow-Up The Graduate Rosemary's Baby Night of the Living Dead Walkabout Two-Lane Blacktop Straw Dogs Picnic At Hanging Rock Barry Lyndon Quadrophenia Heaven's Gate Dressed To Kill Blow Out Fanny & Alexander Brazil Blind Chance Dekalog The Double Life of Veronique Three Colors Trilogy Rushmore The Royal Tennenbaums Personal Shopper DVD: I Know Where I'm Going! (omitted Blu-Ray duplicates) Laserdisc: King Kong (CAV) The Magnificent Ambersons (CAV) Blade Runner (CAV) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (CAV) The Graduate (CLV) Forbidden Planet (CAV) 2001: A Space Odyssey (CLV) Ghostbusters Annie Hall Taxi Driver Silverado The Big Chill Dr. No (CAV) Close Encounters (CAV) The Devil and Daniel Webster From Russia With Love (CAV) Goldfinger (CAV) Arsenic and Old Lace The Last Picture Show Carnal Knowledge Carrie (CAV) Citizen Kane (CAV) The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (CAV) Tootsie The Fisher King Monty Python and The Holy Grail The Player Bran Stoker's Dracula (CAV) The Silence of the Lambs (CAV) Brazil (CAV) Robocop (CAV) The Prince of Tides This is Spinal Tap (CAV) Halloween (CAV) Blood For Dracula Flesh For Frankenstein Walkabout Time Bandits
No I wasn't. A friend & I went to B&N so he could check out the vinyl. Before he finished checking them out, I checked out with three more Criterion titles. One-Eyed Jacks, Paths Of Glory & Straw Dogs. Now I'm done for sure. I promise! Lol!
The Thin Blue Line Decameron Fantastic Planet Traffic M Slowly making my way through these recent pick-ups. M is my favorite of all of them; fascinating restoration; great Lang interview with Friedkin; Charbrol's close analysis of Lang's method and, of course, the film itself has been a treat. You should probably wait 20 years between viewings AND ideally see it in a theater for the first viewing. A film like this was crafted for a large audience, not a sole viewer. It really does become another kind of experience watching it alone.
I have the other two as well but I've never watched The Decameron. I just mentioned picks I haven't seen or not seen in a long time. They're in my immediate watch stack. Some I wish I hadn't picked up. They're buried on my shelf somewhere. Criterion titles are a mixed bag, imo. (Since you asked) In addition to the Pasolini box set I got these earlier this summer: Every Man For Himself I, Daniel Blake Kameradschaft Rebecca My Beautiful Launderette Apu Trilogy Kameradschaft was new to me. Got it on a friend's recommendation. Very impressed, particularly with the mine collapse recreations. It's obviously a bit of a PSA for good French-German relations between the two big world wars but also an enjoyable look at what else was attempted during the period aside from the usual ruck making. Definitely worth the purchase. I, Daniel Blake was also impressive in a PSA type of vein as well. I'd always been under the impression that the UK healthcare system was far superior to The States. Not so, apparently. Did a little bit of researching after the viewing, which I suppose is what the creators wanted to inspire. Healthcare without real empathy is near to being pointless is the general message but the performances by the leads and supporting players are what really make the film a worthwhile watch. The other titles are must haves to me.
Please forgive me. I went to B&N with my friend today (A regular stop for us.) & for some strange reason I was browsing the vinyl & these two titles (Jubal & Mildred Pierce) kept whispering in my ear "Take me home!". I tried to ignore it but there seemed to be a strong magnetic field that pulled & dragged me over to the Criterion racks. I was helpless! I felt the magnetic field subside but then another one pulled me over to the registers. As I was being pulled again, these two Blu-Rays attached themselves to my hands & I couldn't shake them off! I didn't want to cause a scene & scare the children & elderly so I pulled out my wallet, paid for them & quickly left the building. It was a major battle today & I'm glad it's over. I'm just gonna have to accept that these two films will be in my library. Thank you all for understanding what I went through & I promise & cross my heart that I'll stop buying Criterion until the next sale.
Well, you're doing what I can only dream about doing, short of just walking out of the store with them. No apologies required, as far as I'm concerned. Much as I admire what CC is doing with films they deem worthy of restoration and/or supplementation I'd only hold on to handful of them if push came to shove and I had to abandon my collection. Nice extras on Mildred.
Just watched Age of Innocence. Such a beautiful Criterion transfer. I admit it is not at the top of Scorsese world, but I still enjoyed it a great deal.
I like the performances from the leads but film feels like a museum piece. Reading Edith Wharton's novel, on the other hand, reminds you of people and attitudes that pass by you (and/or more likely, snub you) on the street today, despite the time setting. I think Scorsese improved this "timeless" aspect of Old New York life with Gangs. Course, he had no trouble with it in his 70s films - even in the post WWII flick, New York, New York, which has a deliberate artificially stylized approach - the characters weren't stuck in it. They feel a bit stuck to me AOI.
Went ahead and got Beyond The Valley of the Dolls. I was disappointed that there isn't that much nudity, but the Roger Ebert commentary is very good.
Funny you mentioning those films. Feels like a trilogy when taken with the atmosphere. The ending cinched the greatness to me. Roger Ebert's AOI review nails it. I feel layers with the work and it grabbed me only after stewing on it a while. I think Gangs of New York is a fine film and New York New York is painfully underated. I see merit in all 3 films and find they all stand alone as only Scorsese does. Is it an entertaining movie? I considered it.
So far I have only watched it with the commentary track, but my guess is that if you like bad cult films then you will find it enjoyable enough.
Anyone know where one can get replacement cases for Criterion Blu Rays? I have 2 that are cracked beyond repair and would like to replace them. Thanks.
Criterion sells them on their site, $12 for a 5 pack. If it's a special case (multiple discs, etc.), I'd shoot them an email. They're pretty good with that stuff. Clear Blu-ray Case (5-pack)
Casetopia is my go-to source of choice: Criterion Single Disc Blu-ray Case 14mm These are original Scanavo cases, as used by Criterion. Casetopia’s packaging is excellent, and delivery is very quick. Highly recommended.
AOI a bad cult film? I can't take any opinion serious that uses a commentary track as a measure of a good movie. I found nothing wrong with the film and it is another in Scorsese's vast catalog that had him missing the mainstream audience. Much like for example Barry Lyndon, I don't really care what the general public thinks, I judge on my own experience.
