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The Criterion Collection

Started by Chedney Honks, November 30, 2020, 07:17:08 PM

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Chedney Honks

Quote from: wasp_f15ting on December 29, 2020, 12:25:35 AM
We should perhaps start a boutique blu-ray thread, as Eureka, Arrow and Indicator are pushing out a lot of good movies. I have been buying a fair bit from them too. I got the Female Prisoner series from Arrow and it looks right up my street in terms of revenge series.

I was inspired by your post re- Seven Samurai and ordered it from the US. The BFI release is on sale atm but the Criterion release seems to pip it in terms of overall definition.

I'd definitely welcome a Blu Ray thread because it's such a great medium and so great to see stuff which I only ever had on DVD or on telly looking as good as it possibly can. It's been one of the few great joys of the last year, to be honest.


Magnum Valentino

Just watched the Criterion BD of Dazed and Confused yesterday, probably start in on the extras tonight. This was the set I originally bought a Region 1 DVD player for so it's nice to have it but with the gorgeous new transfer and without having to have a separate player set up just to watch one film.

I'm up for a format/home video thread as well, count me in.

jonnyunitus

The Dazed and Confused Criterion is exceptional and probably one of my, all time, favourite releases. Extras are superb as well.

Magnum Valentino

I'm reading Melissa Maerz's book on it at the minute, well worth a look.

mothman

Listening to the Projection Booth podcast on Wings Of Desire, it occurred to me that I don't have a copy of it anymore. But the "normal" Blu-Ray seems to be out of stock everywhere, and likewise the Criterion release; both are available on eBay, if I want to fork over the quantity of spondulicks they seem to command. Does anyone have the latter and could offer any opinion regarding whether it's worth it?

Magnum Valentino

£6 on CEX's website for the normal version. Generally, CEX is a horrible shop to be in but a brilliant online shop for finding things that go for silly money elsewhere.

This is an endorsement of CEX god help me. If you're not happy, money back guaranteed too.

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: Magnum Valentino on February 04, 2021, 03:47:03 PM
£6 on CEX's website for the normal version.

Which is a bargain - I'm more used to going in CEX and seeing them selling used stuff for more than you get it brand new.

Magnum Valentino

Yeah, they do for popular things but I've got a lot of great OOP stuff on the site. You could probably make a decent profit turning it over on eBay if you'd the time.

mothman


greenman

Quote from: mothman on February 04, 2021, 02:00:38 PM
Listening to the Projection Booth podcast on Wings Of Desire, it occurred to me that I don't have a copy of it anymore. But the "normal" Blu-Ray seems to be out of stock everywhere, and likewise the Criterion release; both are available on eBay, if I want to fork over the quantity of spondulicks they seem to command. Does anyone have the latter and could offer any opinion regarding whether it's worth it?

There was actually a recent 4k remaster of this that got a cinema release and then a disk release in Germany similar to Paris' Texas, not picked it up due to a lack of English subtitles but if its anything like Paris it will be a significant improvement on the Criterion or standard UK bluray release.

mothman

Quote from: greenman on February 05, 2021, 03:00:37 AM
There was actually a recent 4k remaster of this that got a cinema release and then a disk release in Germany similar to Paris' Texas, not picked it up due to a lack of English subtitles but if its anything like Paris it will be a significant improvement on the Criterion or standard UK bluray release.

Yeah, I saw they did that. And if there's ever a physical media release with subtitles that'll def be my go-to edition.

greenman

Quote from: mothman on February 05, 2021, 10:55:41 PM
Yeah, I saw they did that. And if there's ever a physical media release with subtitles that'll def be my go-to edition.

The problem you have is that Studio Canal only have the rights in Europe not in the UK/US, maybe the subtitle issue might lead to something happening here as there is likely more pent up demand since people can't just import the European version as with Paris' Texas.

Probably unconnected but if you were being positive maybe the previous Axiom UK version going out of stock might hint something is happening?

If there is a fault wit Criterion I tend to think its that when they've put something out they tend to stick with it as a definitive edition even when better source material becomes available. Other lables are much more willing to put out multiple versions of the same film.

mothman

Potentially. Or they could be showing their fans some respect by not endlessly releasing different versions? Because that DOES get annoying TBF. Saying in effect:

"This is the best version we could do with what we had at the time, and it's a work of art, with exquisite cover and finely curated extras. If having the absolute best/latest version is more important to you, maybe don't get our releases to begin with?"

greenman

Quote from: mothman on February 06, 2021, 11:47:28 AM
Potentially. Or they could be showing their fans some respect by not endlessly releasing different versions? Because that DOES get annoying TBF. Saying in effect:

"This is the best version we could do with what we had at the time, and it's a work of art, with exquisite cover and finely curated extras. If having the absolute best/latest version is more important to you, maybe don't get our releases to begin with?"

That they don't mine the collectors market with loads of "special editions" could definitely be viewed as a positive and I think if your looking back into the earlier days of BR they did definitely have a record of not putting out many badly flawed releases compared to other lables. As time has gone on though I think you could argue there charging a premium still for some sources that are quite old now and are in better quality elsewhere.

There does seem to be an element of marketing too it that "Criterion" is viewed as "the best version" and re releasing something would go against that, maybe the same reason they haven't gotten into UHD?

Extras against picture/sound quality of the film itself I would say depends quite a bit on what your talking about but with Wender's work I would definitely go with the latter..

the science eel

Watched the CC Polyester last night. Didn't touch the Odorama card...

mothman

Speaking for myself, I think my benchmark is, I want the best or most-complete cut of a film. I'm not that bothered about picture quality, how extra crisp it is, because a lot of the films I saw and came to love enough to want to own would first have been experienced on TV decades ago, before there was HD or diigtal or even particularly large screens.

A bigger sell for me is thus having that optimum version. And even then it's tricky - there are some films (naturally I'm blanking on any specific examples right now) which exist in multiple versions, and tryng to ascertain which is the "best" version (and from where it's available) can make the inside of my skull itch. It's like trying to find out which version of Legend got shown on BBC during Christmas 1989 - the Jerry Goldmsith score or the Tangerine Dream? Because that's the one I want to have.

Another thing that gets my goat is the umpteen version of the (first) Matrix. It depends which version you get how green the picture is. I'd sooner just have the one that most closely matches what I saw in the cinema in August 1999.

TL;DR it's (very nebulous) personal choice...

Magnum Valentino

Apparently the latest release on both Blu-ray and 4K has walked back all the extra green that was added since the first DVD release so if you get either of those you should be grand. There's only one other UK release of the film on Blu-ray so just don't get that one.

greenman

Quote from: Magnum Valentino on February 06, 2021, 08:15:00 PM
Apparently the latest release on both Blu-ray and 4K has walked back all the extra green that was added since the first DVD release so if you get either of those you should be grand. There's only one other UK release of the film on Blu-ray so just don't get that one.

You see on stuff like Blade Runner or Lord of the Rings as well that the technology for colour time and adding a tint has advanced a lot in the last few years so that it can be more localized now, most obviously characters faces have a more natural colour to them in the recent versions.

St_Eddie

Criterion, shmyiterion.  Arrow is the best!

Waking Life

It depends on the type of film for me too in terms of quality. I haven't actually seen the BR, but I remember reading an argument for why the DVD of Withnail was superior to the BR due to the more muddy picture quality. On the whole though, I have been blown away by the quality of Criterion prints (and others) - it heightens the escapism element when watching a film on a Sunday afternoon with curtains drawn (in my basement flat). I don't care too much about special features generally, but also like a written booklet (akin to what BFI does at Soutbank) rather than a doc for some reason.

Anyway, on the Bergman point, I'm about a quarter of the way through the 30 disc mammoth collection. It is indeed excellent, although some of the earlier films are not on the same level film-wise. If I'm working through an auteur, I usually have gone chronological for the incremental development, but the Bergman ordering works very well. The first 'centrepiece' of Scenes From A Marriage (both versions) has been a highlight, with Saraband following for a natural coda.

I also just received the Criterion Apu Trilogy, which I'm excited about.

greenman

Quote from: Waking Life on February 07, 2021, 11:16:32 AM
It depends on the type of film for me too in terms of quality. I haven't actually seen the BR, but I remember reading an argument for why the DVD of Withnail was superior to the BR due to the more muddy picture quality. On the whole though, I have been blown away by the quality of Criterion prints (and others) - it heightens the escapism element when watching a film on a Sunday afternoon with curtains drawn (in my basement flat). I don't care too much about special features generally, but also like a written booklet (akin to what BFI does at Soutbank) rather than a doc for some reason.

Not sure I agree about Withnail, the more recent Arrow BR has more detail to it but it also looks scuzzier with the grain retained.

Chedney Honks

#81
Quote from: St_Eddie on February 07, 2021, 04:03:16 AM
Criterion, shmyiterion.  Arrow is the best!

I know you're joking anyway but worth acknowledging that there's almost a backlash against Criterion at the moment, it seems, which is pretty odd. I've got some absolutely immense releases through Criterion. The Bruce Lee boxset, Lone Wolf and Cub, Seven Samurai, The New World, Badlands, In The Mood For Love, A Brighter Summer Day, Sword of Doom, Stalker, Samurai Trilogy, Zatoichi boxset, Tampopo. The only disappointment is that the UK releases don't compare to the US catalogue so I've had to import a few and get a region-free player.

If I really had to pick, though, it would likely be Eureka! Everything from King Hu to fantastic versions of Metropolis (both Fritz Lang and the Tezuka anime!) to peak Jackie Chan to Kobayashi, plus the likes of Gate of Hell, Kwaidan, Daughter of the Nile and Made In Hong Kong. Amazing library and exceptional quality.

It's a fantastic time to be into Blu-ray releases.

Edited out an errant autocorrected sentence.

greenman

A lot does depend on your taste in film really, Arrow tends to have more pulp and semi obscure arthouse.

My Arrow shelf does have more on it than any other label, probably 50ish titles.

Chedney Honks

In terms of ratios, I'm probably around 3:2:2:1 Eureka:Criterion:Arrow:88, but Arrow has the most titles which I'm looking to pick up at this point.

mjwilson

Arrow have launched their streaming service in the UK, the usual free trials and introductory discounts are available.

Magnum Valentino

Hasn't Arrow been a channel on Prime for ages? Nearly certain that's the means by which I watched Donnie Darko and Lady Snowblood last summer.

holyzombiejesus

Quote from: mothman on February 06, 2021, 05:28:09 PM
I'm not that bothered about picture quality, how extra crisp it is, because a lot of the films I saw and came to love enough to want to own would first have been experienced on TV decades ago, before there was HD or diigtal or even particularly large screens.

Couldn't agree with this more. I've got a lot of Criterion releases but that's generally because I like buying nice things. My favourite home viewing experiences remain watching Moviedrome on a tiny black and white portable with a coat hanger for an aerial.

mjwilson

Quote from: Magnum Valentino on February 07, 2021, 09:49:52 PM
Hasn't Arrow been a channel on Prime for ages? Nearly certain that's the means by which I watched Donnie Darko and Lady Snowblood last summer.

Oh well they're making a big announcement about being new, maybe it's something less exciting like having their own Roku channel or something.

Magnum Valentino

Yeah I looked it up, it's a separate channel so you can get it without a Prime subscription (I always forget Prime isn't free).

There's a good few documentaries on there and they've started releasing things digitally with the same extras they have on disc. Worth a look. Thanks for the recommendation!

An tSaoi

Quote from: greenman on December 02, 2020, 03:23:02 PM
Most Criterions being region locked I'm guessing is due to rights issues but again for something like Come and See they know the BBFC won't pass it uncut so just did a US release and made in region B compatible.

I'm interested in getting Come and See on Criterion Blu-ray, but I'm getting mixed messages about the region encoding.

A site called "criterion forum" says "This release has been encoded for regions A and B, so while Criterion has not officially released the film in the UK, this disc will play in region B players", and some people on Amazon say the same "Great film. Shipped to UK (Region B) and works perfectly".

However, the Amazon product description says "Region 1 encoding. (This DVD will not play on most DVD players sold in the UK [Region 2]. This item requires a region specific or multi-region DVD player and compatible TV."

However, however, that seems to refer to DVD, not Blu-ray.

However, however, however, one of the reviews says "A word of warning, most people on here (and elsewhere) said that this Criterion version is ok for region 2/B. I received my copy today and it is region1/A only. Ah well, it was worth the risk and I may buy a multi-region player sometime..."

Does anyone here own this fucking disc, and does it actually work in a Region B player?