I am not sure what you mean by the ‘best Criterion’.
Best movie on Criterion (Personal favorite): La Double Vie the Veronique
Best Criterion Packaging (with DVD extras): Seven Samurai, Berlin Alexanderplatz, Mr. Arkadin, Videodrome, Fanny and Alexander.
“The Battle of Algiers.”
I absolutely love the packaging of the new High And Low. There’s all these subtle little details that really make it stand out to me.
As for the best film, accompanied with the best special features to help appreciation of the film, I’m going to go with Brazil. I love the film, and there’s no commentary as entertaining as a Terry Gilliam commentary, and the inclusion of the edited for tv version is fascinating.
The Complete Monterey Pop Festival. Running a close second, Seven Samurai.
W.R. got a nice cover.
top 5. -
seven samurai
branded to kill
the royal tenenbaums
m
band of outsiders-
that list was difficult to make since there are so many greats.
Brazil
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Bicycle Thieves
F For Fake
Red Beard
I really like ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’ and ‘Shortcuts’ as far as packaging goes, cause a book is the best extra. Also, Ugetsu is fantastic.
Mishima, Vampyr, Seven Samurai, Mr. Arkadin.
Fanny and Alexander
Scenes from a Marriage
Salo
The Furies
Max Ophüls trilogy
Cassavetes: Five Films is pretty amazing
I guess it depends on what your criteria is for the best Criterion dvd. My most treasured Criterion is The Third Man. Though, I would add Floating Weeds, L’avventura, Pickpocket, and F for Fake.
If I was to choose what the greatest Criterion dvd release has been I might choose Mr. Arkadin. Solely on the fact that this was such a maligned film of Welles and the release that Criterion put out gives an opportunity to see this film in a new light; to see what potential this film had. Just thinking about it makes me want to watch it again.
Arkadin
Seven Samurai
The Furies
Floating Weeds/Story of Floating Weeds
Ugetsu
Arkadin
Seven Samurai
The Furies
Floating Weeds/Story of Floating Weeds
Ugetsu
Brazil and the Bergman box with seventh seal and the virging spring.
id have to say fanny & alexander is the nicest one i own. I also like kurosawas Ran and Kagemusha with all the storyboard/paintings that kurosawa did himself
id have to say fanny & alexander is the nicest one i own. I also like kurosawas Ran and Kagemusha with all the storyboard/paintings that kurosawa did himself
I adore the new Amarcord packaging. Well, basically all of the two-disc boxes like Pandora’s Box, Breathless, Vampyr, etc.
Seven Samuari, Breathless
Adventures of Antoine Donel, Pandoras Box, Seven Samurai, Videodrome
Band of Outsiders and In the Mood for Love.
Though that Adventures of Antoine Donel might be the best actual DVD package Criterion has ever put together.
I don’t have that many do to being a poor college student, but out of the ones I do have Shortcuts is probably my favorite. Great packaging, cool bonus features and a book.
I’m afraid the Janus anniversary set has them all beat. Excluding that, I’d say the Cassavetes set, Berlin Alexanderplatz, any of the Wes Andersons with his brother’s artwork.
The “Brazil” triple dvd set.
“Brazil” and “Battle of Algiers.” The extras on “Battle of Algiers” are incredibly well done.
The Rules of the Game
Fanny and Alexander
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Lubitsch Musicals (Eclipse) (Who but Criterion would have put the effort into releasing these? THANK YOU)
Amarcord
and, of course
THE ADVENTURES OF ANTOINE DOINEL
81/2
Day for Night
Yojimbo-Sanjuro
The World of Apu
Pierrot le fou
Battle of Algeirs
Le Mepris
….all personal favorites
It is impossible and illogical to label, blanketly, the “Best” Criterion release.
So I will say, by packaging,
1. Thone of Blood
2. The Ice Storm
3. Wages of Fear
I love everything intensely.
I own about 75, and I think the most nicely assembled is the Antoine Doinel box.
That said, my favorite may be Sisters, which is kind of a shitty DVD and not up to par with other CC discs, but I probably wouldn’t have watched that movie if CC hadn’t released it, and it’s so boss!
bookwibble
I know this will be tough for a lot of people, but what, in your opinion, is the best Criterion? I figure it’s only fair since we have a “worst Criterion” thread.
I’ll start:
Breathless
Fanny and Alexander
BRD Trilogy- really, anything that comes with a book and I’m sold
Sweet Movie- I really like the cover
(By “best,” I really mean best packaging, extras, stuff, etc. Although you could list your favorite movie too. Sorry if that wasn’t clear earlier.)