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The Criterion Collection Thread — Page 5

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During the flash sale, I got Ace in the Hole, 3 Fantastic Journeys by Karel Zeman and the Kennedy Films of Robert Drew and Associates (Kennedy is DVD, rest are Blu-Ray)

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I had to exercise restraint. I have a BN card I will spend in July during their sale, and I get an extra 10% off in store with membership too.

TV’s Frink said:

I would put this in my sig if I weren’t so lazy.

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Ordered Wild Strawberries and The Magic Flute by Ingmar Bergman and Wings and The Ascent by Larisa Shepitko. Really looking forward to diving into their work!

“Heroes come in all sizes, and you don’t have to be a giant hero. You can be a very small hero. It’s just as important to understand that accepting self-responsibility for the things you do, having good manners, caring about other people - these are heroic acts. Everybody has the choice of being a hero or not being a hero every day of their lives.” - George Lucas

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During the Quarantine Sale, I got Mishima’s short film Patriotism.

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I have always wanted to own the James Bond Criterion Laserdiscs and the Kurosawa titles but the crazy prices always kept me from getting them. I wonder if they are cheaper now that very few still collect Laserdiscs.

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Mirror all but confirmed for 2021. Dreams truly do come true!

“Heroes come in all sizes, and you don’t have to be a giant hero. You can be a very small hero. It’s just as important to understand that accepting self-responsibility for the things you do, having good manners, caring about other people - these are heroic acts. Everybody has the choice of being a hero or not being a hero every day of their lives.” - George Lucas

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Just added The Seventh Seal by Ingmar Bergman and my first film by Stanley Kubrick, Barry Lyndon.

“Heroes come in all sizes, and you don’t have to be a giant hero. You can be a very small hero. It’s just as important to understand that accepting self-responsibility for the things you do, having good manners, caring about other people - these are heroic acts. Everybody has the choice of being a hero or not being a hero every day of their lives.” - George Lucas

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DVD
-The Killer & Hard Boiled in a gold collector’s box
-Do the Right Thing (old 2-disc release)
-Armageddon

Blu-ray
-Police Story 1&2
-La Haine
-The Breakfast Club
-Roma
-Silence of the Lambs
-Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits
-Parasite

I got these Blu-rays during last month’s flash sale:
-The Grand Budapest Hotel
-To Sleep With Anger
-When We Were Kings
-In the Mood For Love
-In the Heat of the Night
-Seven Samurai
-Persona
-Bamboozoed
-Punch Drunk Love
-Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
-The Irishman

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Stardust1138 said:

Just added The Seventh Seal by Ingmar Bergman and my first film by Stanley Kubrick, Barry Lyndon.

Barry Lyndon is so great, the first Criterion I obtained. My very modest collection, all blu-ray, current consists of

Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas
Paths of Glory
Eraserhead
Mulholland Dr.
Blue Velvet
Dr. Strangelove
Barry Lyndon
Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits
The Elephant Man

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LeperMessiah117 said:

Stardust1138 said:

Just added The Seventh Seal by Ingmar Bergman and my first film by Stanley Kubrick, Barry Lyndon.

Barry Lyndon is so great, the first Criterion I obtained. My very modest collection, all blu-ray, current consists of

Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas
Paths of Glory
Eraserhead
Mulholland Dr.
Blue Velvet
Dr. Strangelove
Barry Lyndon
Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits
The Elephant Man

I’m really looking forward to seeing it and great collection. I see you like David Lynch. Haha. I want to get into him at some point. I’m really interested in seeing Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet in particular.

My own collection.

Blu Ray:

Ivan’s Childhood
Andrei Rublev
Solaris
Mirror
Stalker (First Criterion)
War and Peace
The Seventh Seal
Wild Strawberries
Scenes from a Marriage
The Magic Flute
Fanny and Alexander
Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema
The Complete Films of Agnès Varda
Essential Jacques Demy
Essential Fellini
Dekalog
The Three Colours Trilogy
Babette’s Feast
Seven Samurai
The Hidden Fortress
The Samurai Trilogy
After Life
Marketa Lazarová
Barry Lyndon
The Red Shoes
Brazil
Life is Sweet
Naked
Topsy-Turvy
Something Wild
The Age of Innocence
The Tree of Life
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inside Llewyn Davis
Wim Wenders: The Road Trilogy
The American Friend
Paris, Texas
Wings of Desire
Until the End of the World

DVD:

The Ascent
Wings
Days of Heaven

You could say I like Andrei Tarkovsky. 🙂

“Heroes come in all sizes, and you don’t have to be a giant hero. You can be a very small hero. It’s just as important to understand that accepting self-responsibility for the things you do, having good manners, caring about other people - these are heroic acts. Everybody has the choice of being a hero or not being a hero every day of their lives.” - George Lucas

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Twin Peaks is my favorite thing by David Lynch. The first half of the series is so strong, but wanes after it’s 2nd half after Lynch and writer Mark Frost left the show, only to be yanked out of the jaws of defeat when they returned for the finale. The film seems disliked by many but I find it an excellent prequel, especially the fanedit (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me - Teresa Banks and the Last Seven Days of Laura Palmer) that brings it up to a 3 and a half hour running time. And Twin Peaks The Return is a masterpiece. It just is, lol

Eraserhead is a good starting point with David Lynch, it is a good upfront example of his weirdness and typifies his style. Blue Velvet is a classic and is probably the film that cemented him as an essential American filmmaker. A dark and captivating mystery/thriller that also showcases a lighter, less bleak and more hopeful side to his films.

Tarkovsky is definitely a filmmaker who I’ve heard people mention but I’ve never really had exposure to him outside of a trailer for Stalker, which I recall did intrigue me but I have yet view. It seems to me a filmmaker who has multiple Criterion Collection releases probably warrants at least a thorough exploration of their catalogue.

I’d really like a subscription to The Criterion Channel. I really wanna check out alot of these films they offer, especially their foreign films. I have seen too little non-United States produced films aside from ones made in the UK, Japan and South Korea.

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LeperMessiah117 said:

Twin Peaks is my favorite thing by David Lynch. The first half of the series is so strong, but wanes after it’s 2nd half after Lynch and writer Mark Frost left the show, only to be yanked out of the jaws of defeat when they returned for the finale. The film seems disliked by many but I find it an excellent prequel, especially the fanedit (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me - Teresa Banks and the Last Seven Days of Laura Palmer) that brings it up to a 3 and a half hour running time. And Twin Peaks The Return is a masterpiece. It just is, lol

Eraserhead is a good starting point with David Lynch, it is a good upfront example of his weirdness and typifies his style. Blue Velvet is a classic and is probably the film that cemented him as an essential American filmmaker. A dark and captivating mystery/thriller that also showcases a lighter, less bleak and more hopeful side to his films.

Tarkovsky is definitely a filmmaker who I’ve heard people mention but I’ve never really had exposure to him outside of a trailer for Stalker, which I recall did intrigue me but I have yet view. It seems to me a filmmaker who has multiple Criterion Collection releases probably warrants at least a thorough exploration of their catalogue.

I’d really like a subscription to The Criterion Channel. I really wanna check out alot of these films they offer, especially their foreign films. I have seen too little non-United States produced films aside from ones made in the UK, Japan and South Korea.

I’ll have to keep that in mind when I check out Twin Peaks. lol, oh wow! I didn’t realise there was more than one film. I’ll have to try watching them at some point too. Thank you for telling me about them!

Oh, that’s good to know about Eraserhead. I’ve not watched the trailer for it but I’ll have to do so. Yes, Blue Velvet looks great. I liked seeing that Laura Dern got her big break with the film. That’s a big reason I was leaning it as my first of his films but I may have to go with Eraserhead now!

This video was my introduction to Andrei Tarkovsky. It might be good for you too.

https://youtu.be/ak6rI-j07QU

I honestly love him. He’s my favourite filmmaker not named George Lucas. He’s truly an amazing filmmaker unlike any other. His films are more experiences and felt than explained or given definitive answers in their meanings as each viewer finds something different. He really changed my life for better or worse. I think Stalker is definitely a great entry point for a newbie. I’d also say Andrei Rublev. Both are truly incredible. Mirror is his best film though but I don’t recommend it for a newbie.

Here’s the trailer for Andrei Rublev.

https://youtu.be/t1d5FSyMEd8

Me too. There’s lots of films they have that I want to see. There’s also an interview they have with Alicia Malone interviewing Rian Johnson. It looks intriguing. He talks about Stalker and 8 1/2 as two of his favourites.

“Heroes come in all sizes, and you don’t have to be a giant hero. You can be a very small hero. It’s just as important to understand that accepting self-responsibility for the things you do, having good manners, caring about other people - these are heroic acts. Everybody has the choice of being a hero or not being a hero every day of their lives.” - George Lucas

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Twin Peaks The Return isn’t a film, but a “limited series” of 18 episodes. However, given that it is entirely directed by Lynch, written by him and Mark Frost and feature no episodes that could possibly be viewed in a self-contained way, it could easily be consider an 18 hour film split into 18 parts and in fact has been referred to as a film rather than a TV series by some reviewers.

Tarkovsky clearly has a strong visual style that is very striking, I will have to give those films a go quite soon. Another reason to get The Criterion Channel, I’d say.

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I was given the Criterion of The Blob as a Christmas gift (among other non-Criterion movies). It’s nice to finally have that on the shelf.

Army of Darkness: The Medieval Deadit | The Terminator - Color Regrade | The Wrong Trousers - Audio Preservation
SONIC RACES THROUGH THE GREEN FIELDS.
THE SUN RACES THROUGH A BLUE SKY FILLED WITH WHITE CLOUDS.
THE WAYS OF HIS HEART ARE MUCH LIKE THE SUN. SONIC RUNS AND RESTS; THE SUN RISES AND SETS.
DON’T GIVE UP ON THE SUN. DON’T MAKE THE SUN LAUGH AT YOU.

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LeperMessiah117, oh! That makes sense.

Be sure to let me know when you start your journey into his work. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Dek Rollins, that sounds fun! Always good to add films to the collection.

“Heroes come in all sizes, and you don’t have to be a giant hero. You can be a very small hero. It’s just as important to understand that accepting self-responsibility for the things you do, having good manners, caring about other people - these are heroic acts. Everybody has the choice of being a hero or not being a hero every day of their lives.” - George Lucas

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If you aren’t aware, there’s a huge amount of Criterion titles on HBO Max.

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CourtlyHades296 said:

If you aren’t aware, there’s a huge amount of Criterion titles on HBO Max.

I did notice some, such as Seven Samurai. Problem is that HBO Max doesn’t seem to feature a Criterion hub in the same way they have for other channels, like Adult Swim for example, so I have no way of knowing the full extent of their Criterion selection from within HBO Max, unless there’s something I’m overlooking, that is.

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LeperMessiah117 said:

CourtlyHades296 said:

If you aren’t aware, there’s a huge amount of Criterion titles on HBO Max.

I did notice some, such as Seven Samurai. Problem is that HBO Max doesn’t seem to feature a Criterion hub in the same way they have for other channels, like Adult Swim for example, so I have no way of knowing the full extent of their Criterion selection from within HBO Max, unless there’s something I’m overlooking, that is.

Classic films are under the Turner Classic Movies hub, which is where all the Criterion titles are.

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CourtlyHades296 said:

LeperMessiah117 said:

CourtlyHades296 said:

If you aren’t aware, there’s a huge amount of Criterion titles on HBO Max.

I did notice some, such as Seven Samurai. Problem is that HBO Max doesn’t seem to feature a Criterion hub in the same way they have for other channels, like Adult Swim for example, so I have no way of knowing the full extent of their Criterion selection from within HBO Max, unless there’s something I’m overlooking, that is.

Classic films are under the Turner Classic Movies hub, which is where all the Criterion titles are.

Ah, that’s good to know. We just got Max so I’m not totally familiar with it yet.

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I just finished watching Solaris. Quite a tremendous film, slow but never boring. The camerawork is indeed very excellent, deliberate and purposeful and it’s themes contemplative. This is a film I’d avoid giving a concrete rating until a 2nd viewing but I’d call it absolutely a great film to be sure. This will go on my list of “Criterion blu-rays to obtain.”

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Some of my favorite Criterion discs:

His Girl Friday
The Asphalt Jungle
Kiss Me Deadly
Sweet Smell of Success
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Only Angels Have Wings
Lady Snowbloood

Next sale I’m going to get The American Friend, Le Samourai, and My Man Godfrey.

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I finally got a subscription to the Criterion Channel (an annual membership) and needless to say, the library of films featured with the service is staggering. I hardly know where to begin! The films I’ve viewed so far in the few days that I’ve had it are:

Lolita - directed by Stanley Kubrick
Once Upon a Time In the West - directed by Sergio Leone
The Quiet Family - directed by Kim Jee-woon
Vernon, Florida - directed by Errol Morris
The Picture of Dorian Gray - directed by Albert Lewin

May be a longshot (and I intend to search the internet for other possible sources) but if anybody here also happens to have the service, I’d appreciate recommendations for more films.

My current plan is to first view films that I already had heard of and had previous interest in seeing and also to go though the featured films that are also a part of the Criterion Collection’s current catalogue of blu-ray releases so I may decide if I like any films enough that I’d want the full experience that comes with owning the film’s Criterion blu-ray release.

And I’d definitely recommend checking the channel out to any film buff for sure (not a shill, lol), it seems as though there’s plenty of variety to accommodate anybody’s taste in movies.

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Added The Red Shoes by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger!

I am glad to see you watched and had such an experience with Solaris, LeparMessiah117. I’ll be curious to see how it goes on your second viewing.

I don’t have a subscription to the Criterion Channel but I know there’s some great films on offer. Recently they added Bertrand Tavernier who I’d really like to get into as their trailer looked very intriguing and lovely. I’m not sure I recall your opinion on The Last Jedi but there’s also an interview on there where Rian Johnson talks about his favourite films in the Collection with Alicia Malone.

“Heroes come in all sizes, and you don’t have to be a giant hero. You can be a very small hero. It’s just as important to understand that accepting self-responsibility for the things you do, having good manners, caring about other people - these are heroic acts. Everybody has the choice of being a hero or not being a hero every day of their lives.” - George Lucas

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Stardust1138 said:

Adding The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick and The Red Shoes by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger!

I am glad to see you watched and had such an experience with Solaris, LeparMessiah117. I’ll be curious to see how it goes on your second viewing.

I don’t have a subscription to the Criterion Channel but I know there’s some great films on offer. Recently they added Bertrand Tavernier who I’d really like to get into as their trailer looked very intriguing and lovely. I’m not sure I recall your opinion on The Last Jedi but there’s also an interview on there where Rian Johnson talks about his favourite films in the Collection with Alicia Malone.

Yes, Solaris is one of those films I refuse to give my full thoughts on until the 2nd viewing. Now some time later, even though so much of the film sticks out vividly in my mind, it deserves secondary analysis in order to form a fully realized assessment of my feelings on the film. But I’m saving that for blu-ray so I have bonus materials. I’m very much looking forward to Stalker now that I have the channel.

And yes, I rather like The Last Jedi and the films of Rian Johnson. Is that interview a part of the same series where filmmakers talk about Criterion films and going through a closet of Criterion blu-rays? I saw one of those with Terry Gilliam a while back. I know Criterion puts out alot of filmmaker interview footage on Youtube and such, so maybe/maybe not.

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LeperMessiah117 said:

Stardust1138 said:

Adding The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick and The Red Shoes by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger!

I am glad to see you watched and had such an experience with Solaris, LeparMessiah117. I’ll be curious to see how it goes on your second viewing.

I don’t have a subscription to the Criterion Channel but I know there’s some great films on offer. Recently they added Bertrand Tavernier who I’d really like to get into as their trailer looked very intriguing and lovely. I’m not sure I recall your opinion on The Last Jedi but there’s also an interview on there where Rian Johnson talks about his favourite films in the Collection with Alicia Malone.

Yes, Solaris is one of those films I refuse to give my full thoughts on until the 2nd viewing. Now some time later, even though so much of the film sticks out vividly in my mind, it deserves secondary analysis in order to form a fully realized assessment of my feelings on the film. But I’m saving that for blu-ray so I have bonus materials. I’m very much looking forward to Stalker now that I have the channel.

And yes, I rather like The Last Jedi and the films of Rian Johnson. Is that interview a part of the same series where filmmakers talk about Criterion films and going through a closet of Criterion blu-rays? I saw one of those with Terry Gilliam a while back. I know Criterion puts out alot of filmmaker interview footage on Youtube and such, so maybe/maybe not.

That sounds like a great plan! As honestly Solaris is the only film by him (that I’ve seen) that I’ve not fully understood or got. I definitely need to give it a second viewing. The bonus features included though are great. I especially love the interview with Natalya Bondarchuk who plays Hari in the film. She’s such a warm and lovely person in the interview and from interacting with her a couple of times on social media.

I’m really excited to know what you think of Stalker. All I will say is that to this day it still haunts me and really changed my perception on a lot of things.

It’s a different series they did. I’d be curious to know what he says as coincidentally he mentions Stalker. Haha

Here you go:

https://www.criterionchannel.com/rian-johnson-s-adventures-in-moviegoing

Those closet pick videos are always entertaining. I don’t think I’ve seen that one. I need to watch Terry Gilliam’s films as apart from Monty Python I don’t have any experience with him. However The Adventures of Baron Munchausen appeals to me a lot as I love how it draws inspiration from ‘The Birth of Venus’ in a certain moment. I love when art is used in film. I think it’s one reason Barry Lyndon appealed to me so much.

“Heroes come in all sizes, and you don’t have to be a giant hero. You can be a very small hero. It’s just as important to understand that accepting self-responsibility for the things you do, having good manners, caring about other people - these are heroic acts. Everybody has the choice of being a hero or not being a hero every day of their lives.” - George Lucas