maybe i’m just fickle…or it’s the perfrectionist in me but, lately, i’ve stopped buying regular DVD versions of films and started to focus more on Blu-ray…
maybe it’s the crystal-clear picture…the smaller packaging that makes more room on my shelves…or, it could be the fact that one day, it will be a reality that i could actually have all 6 Star Wars movies on one disc (or, at the most, 2 seperate discs)…
but, now, when i go to my local retailer, i have found myself turning my back on DVD…
i’ll see that a great must-see current film is out on DVD…for the much-lowered price of 9.99 in most places…but, i find myself now saying “i’ll wait for the Blu-ray”…
am i the only one starting to feel this way?
(oh, and i’m not replacing my Criterion DVD’s and those are the ONLY DVD’s i will allow myself to purchase)
personally, and this is sort of anti-climatic of the subject but…i try not to listen or read any of the critics.
Ebert’s okay but, for the most part, film critics will hoot and holler about what they consider the “best” and that you should check them out. but, when you do, you sort of find yourself wondering: what was that critic “smoking”.
for example, a lot of critics praised Wong Kar-Wai’s “In the Mood for Love”. but, seriously, for a film that’s about 90 minutes long, it feels like an eternity to me and was the film that made me finally decide that maybe i shouldn’t really pay critics that much attention or allow them to have any influence on what i want to see.
i don’t mind upgrading a title for a Blu-ray version…
as long as that version has the extras that make the price worth the change…
(for example, i bought the 20th anniversary version of RoboCop that came out about a year ago…2 discs…for about 15 bucks. then, i heard that they had a Blu-ray version of the film. but, seeing as how it has NO EXTRAS to support the change with the only pro being that the picture is crisper and the audio is off the wall, it just doesn’t constitute the 40 dollar sacrifice.)
i think a nice Eclipse showcase of some of his earlier works…BAD TASTE…MEET THE FEEBLES (which is notoriously available in the U.S. through “unauthorized” versions)…DEAD-ALIVE…would be a huge seller!
and, for a film about the struggles of a southern BLACK woman to make a 30-something WHITE male curl up into a ball and cry like a small girl who’s lost her puppy…
aside from the LOTR trilogy and KING KONG, a lot of Jackson’s DVD selections don’t have much by the way of extras or insight.
i’m not asking for something on the scale of a LOTR (which, let’s face it, has no more secrets to keep, it’s probably the most-detailed film series on DVD to date).
but, i’d like to hear what Jackson has to say about his earlier works in a commentary, see any behind-the-scenes footage that he must have taken, get some insight on the inner workings of grindhouse-style Aussie cinema (especially since there are so very few titles that make it over here that fits into that sub-genre).
and as for DANNY BOYLE…
while most of his movies are definitely Criterion-worthy, a lot are probably too “fresh” for any new Criterion editions…
but, SHALLOW GRAVE and a new re-examination of THE BEACH would be good.
this might just be me…(won’t be surprised if it is)…but, it’s just weird for me because i consider myself a film buff…
but, aside from THE SEVENTH SEAL and possibly PERSONA (whose omission from the collection, in my opinion, is a crime against cinema)…am i wrong to say that most of Bergman’s other films are…well…kinda boring…
i mean, i’ve tried (and i emphasize the word TRIED) to watch SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE…WILD STRAWBERRIES…SAWDUST AND TINSEL…and CRIES AND WHISPERS…and each time i find myself bored to distraction…
…everything’s all about existentialism or women crying over men or death or someone dying…
i really don’t get Bergman!
maybe it’s my short attention span…or my shallowness for movies with “deeper meanings” in favor for bang-bang-shoot-em-up’s…but, i find myself cringing whenever a friend brings over a Bergman flick for movie night…
i feel that this should be an open forum to discuss all types of films and not just films that are seen as exclusively “intellectual” or “high-brow”…
this should be a forum to discuss all manners of films…
and, with this, there should be a certain level of respect presented for each other’s opinions…
because, let’s frace reality, not everyone shares the same thoughts about films and directors…
some people like FELLINI (i LOVE Fellini, btw)…others like Michael Bay (he’s…“aight”…)…
but, respect for each others views should be first and upmost in this forum. let’s not let it turn into one of those juvenile sites where name calling and short insulting posts in response to each other become the norm…
(and, if this is in any way in connection to my post about INGMAR BERGMAN…sorry…but, that’s just one person’s opinion and doesn’t “dilute” the “precious concept” of the Auteurs site…it can’t all be a love fest, folks! lol)
i’ve always felt that Bergman was the type of director whose works need to be seen “when you’re in the mood for them”…
i don’t think you can just jump into certain films in his oeuvre blindly, you’re not going to get what you expected…
don’t get my initial post twisted, i’m NOT completely disregarding those films i mentioned entirely. i just think i might have to really want to see them and just haven’t been doing that.
CRASH is just an overblown, overhyped, generic television movie of the week!!!
(really, Hollywood? it took CRASH for you to realize that everybody hates everybody else? probably look at SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING PANTS as “finally a movie to examine the trials of being a teenage girl”, huh?)
i think certain television shows could still fit into the CC mission statement…
while shows like THE SHIELD, THE SOPRANOS, and THE WIRE will never…and should never be included if such a section were to be created…(mostly because they’re probably considered too high-profile and have already had their high-profile DVD collections)…
some shows…particularly ones that break the traditional mold of conventional television or were deemed “too cerebral” or “daring” for television and got the axe early could fit in, while still maintaining Criterion’s excellence…
or shows that were created, directed or written by a Criterion auteur (such as the case with Robert Altman’s TANNER ’88) should be included…
MAX HEADROOM would be a great addition, as it came out almost 20 years ago and people still mention it, showing its popularity despite only airing half of their initial (and only) season. it has never been put out on DVD, and if it has, it was probably a subpar release at the most…
sure, the collection has the rare horror entry. but, most are either foreign OR obscure drive-in flicks…
(which there isn’t anything wrong with that, i love them)
but, what MODERN…AMERICAN…HORROR films would you add?
i’d like to see a special edition of ROSEMARY’S BABY and THE definitive version of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD added…
but, modern-wise: THE ADDICTION (Abel Ferrera) RE-ANIMATOR and…yes, i’ll say it…THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (contemporary and, though a lot will deny it, it’s true, a classic)…
would say CUBE (but, those damn canucks made that one, lol)
looking at the collection back catalogue, i noticed that there hasn’t been a film from Columbia/Sony included until BOTTLE ROCKET…
does this mean that Columbia is finally on board to allow Criterion to make special definitive versions of their films (i.e. finally a good edition of DR. STRANGELOVE)…
or, is this just coincidental and just satisfying Criterion’s hard-on for Wes Anderson films (lol)…
Having just seen his last picture “FANTASTIC MR. FOX” on television last night…
And, knowing how much Criterion LOVES Wes’ works…
It just dawned on me…
If Criterion does eventually put out their own version of the film on a special-edition Blu-ray (which, let’s face it, why wouldn’t they at this point?)…
It would be the FIRST and ONLY…ANIMATED…film in the collection…
ANYONE ELSE STARTING TO ABANDON DVD FOR BLU-RAY? over 3 years ago
maybe i’m just fickle…or it’s the perfrectionist in me but, lately, i’ve stopped buying regular DVD versions of films and started to focus more on Blu-ray…
maybe it’s the crystal-clear picture…the smaller packaging that makes more room on my shelves…or, it could be the fact that one day, it will be a reality that i could actually have all 6 Star Wars movies on one disc (or, at the most, 2 seperate discs)…
but, now, when i go to my local retailer, i have found myself turning my back on DVD…
i’ll see that a great must-see current film is out on DVD…for the much-lowered price of 9.99 in most places…but, i find myself now saying “i’ll wait for the Blu-ray”…
am i the only one starting to feel this way?
(oh, and i’m not replacing my Criterion DVD’s and those are the ONLY DVD’s i will allow myself to purchase)
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Which Film Critics Do You Read? over 3 years ago
personally, and this is sort of anti-climatic of the subject but…i try not to listen or read any of the critics.
Ebert’s okay but, for the most part, film critics will hoot and holler about what they consider the “best” and that you should check them out. but, when you do, you sort of find yourself wondering: what was that critic “smoking”.
for example, a lot of critics praised Wong Kar-Wai’s “In the Mood for Love”. but, seriously, for a film that’s about 90 minutes long, it feels like an eternity to me and was the film that made me finally decide that maybe i shouldn’t really pay critics that much attention or allow them to have any influence on what i want to see.
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ANYONE ELSE STARTING TO ABANDON DVD FOR BLU-RAY? over 3 years ago
that’s understandable…
i have over 2000 DVD’s…
i don’t mind upgrading a title for a Blu-ray version…
as long as that version has the extras that make the price worth the change…
(for example, i bought the 20th anniversary version of RoboCop that came out about a year ago…2 discs…for about 15 bucks. then, i heard that they had a Blu-ray version of the film. but, seeing as how it has NO EXTRAS to support the change with the only pro being that the picture is crisper and the audio is off the wall, it just doesn’t constitute the 40 dollar sacrifice.)
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MOMENT OF TRUTH: HAVE YOU EVER GONE TO THE MOVIES AND FALLEN ASLEEP DURING THE FILM? over 3 years ago
my worst offense (though, i’m sure alot of people will forgive me for it)…
Eddie Murphy’s “Dr. Doolittle”
i just knodded off during the opening credits…then, the next thing i know…i’m being awakened by the ushers…
MOST RECENT OFFENSE:
“Quantum of Solace” during the boat chase…and a couple of times afterwards…
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WHICH DIRECTORS...NOT...CURRENTLY REPRESENTED IN THE CRITERION COLLECTION DO YOU WANT TO SEE INCLUDED? over 3 years ago
automatically comes to mind…
PETER JACKSON
i think a nice Eclipse showcase of some of his earlier works…BAD TASTE…MEET THE FEEBLES (which is notoriously available in the U.S. through “unauthorized” versions)…DEAD-ALIVE…would be a huge seller!
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Classic movies you can't get on d.v.d. over 3 years ago
I ONLY WANT “MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS”!
and, to those that mentioned them…
they have DVD versions of WINGS and GLENN GOULD…
they’re hard to find and consist of no extras.
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What was the first Criterion movie you watched? over 3 years ago
first Criterion DVD ever owned: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
first movie that i saw in the theaters that eventually became part of the Criterion collection: CHASING AMY
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ANYONE ELSE STARTING TO ABANDON DVD FOR BLU-RAY? over 3 years ago
yeah…
definitely buying up EACH and EVERY Criterion release that come out on Blu-ray, even the titles that i already have.
(even Seven Samurai…which, with 3 editions…is slowly becoming the Reservoir Dogs of the Criterion collection)
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Most Traumatic or Dramatic Film Endings over 3 years ago
not ashamed to say it…
THE COLOR PURPLE
and, for a film about the struggles of a southern BLACK woman to make a 30-something WHITE male curl up into a ball and cry like a small girl who’s lost her puppy…
in-cre-di-ble!
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WHICH DIRECTORS...NOT...CURRENTLY REPRESENTED IN THE CRITERION COLLECTION DO YOU WANT TO SEE INCLUDED? over 3 years ago
RE: ADAM
aside from the LOTR trilogy and KING KONG, a lot of Jackson’s DVD selections don’t have much by the way of extras or insight.
i’m not asking for something on the scale of a LOTR (which, let’s face it, has no more secrets to keep, it’s probably the most-detailed film series on DVD to date).
but, i’d like to hear what Jackson has to say about his earlier works in a commentary, see any behind-the-scenes footage that he must have taken, get some insight on the inner workings of grindhouse-style Aussie cinema (especially since there are so very few titles that make it over here that fits into that sub-genre).
and as for DANNY BOYLE…
while most of his movies are definitely Criterion-worthy, a lot are probably too “fresh” for any new Criterion editions…
but, SHALLOW GRAVE and a new re-examination of THE BEACH would be good.
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INGMAR BERGMAN: GENIUS...OR...OVERRATED BORE? over 3 years ago
this might just be me…(won’t be surprised if it is)…but, it’s just weird for me because i consider myself a film buff…
but, aside from THE SEVENTH SEAL and possibly PERSONA (whose omission from the collection, in my opinion, is a crime against cinema)…am i wrong to say that most of Bergman’s other films are…well…kinda boring…
i mean, i’ve tried (and i emphasize the word TRIED) to watch SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE…WILD STRAWBERRIES…SAWDUST AND TINSEL…and CRIES AND WHISPERS…and each time i find myself bored to distraction…
…everything’s all about existentialism or women crying over men or death or someone dying…
i really don’t get Bergman!
maybe it’s my short attention span…or my shallowness for movies with “deeper meanings” in favor for bang-bang-shoot-em-up’s…but, i find myself cringing whenever a friend brings over a Bergman flick for movie night…
o_O
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SHOULD THE CRITERION COLLECTION INCLUDE TELEVISION SHOWS? over 3 years ago
they already did this with the mini-series “FISHING WITH JOHN” and “TANNER ’88”…
but, should they include more?
and, what would you like to see?
me? i’d like to see them dig up David Lynch’s 1992 follow-up to TWIN PEAKS, the short-lived “ON THE AIR”…
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Please, please let's not turn this forum into another IMDB. over 3 years ago
here, here!
i feel that this should be an open forum to discuss all types of films and not just films that are seen as exclusively “intellectual” or “high-brow”…
this should be a forum to discuss all manners of films…
and, with this, there should be a certain level of respect presented for each other’s opinions…
because, let’s frace reality, not everyone shares the same thoughts about films and directors…
some people like FELLINI (i LOVE Fellini, btw)…others like Michael Bay (he’s…“aight”…)…
but, respect for each others views should be first and upmost in this forum. let’s not let it turn into one of those juvenile sites where name calling and short insulting posts in response to each other become the norm…
(and, if this is in any way in connection to my post about INGMAR BERGMAN…sorry…but, that’s just one person’s opinion and doesn’t “dilute” the “precious concept” of the Auteurs site…it can’t all be a love fest, folks! lol)
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INGMAR BERGMAN: GENIUS...OR...OVERRATED BORE? over 3 years ago
RE: david lee
that’s a good point…
i’ve always felt that Bergman was the type of director whose works need to be seen “when you’re in the mood for them”…
i don’t think you can just jump into certain films in his oeuvre blindly, you’re not going to get what you expected…
don’t get my initial post twisted, i’m NOT completely disregarding those films i mentioned entirely. i just think i might have to really want to see them and just haven’t been doing that.
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Please, please let's not turn this forum into another IMDB. over 3 years ago
right.
and look at some of the films in the collection…
PEEPING TOM was seen as a trashy rip-off of PSYCHO first time it came out, now it’s revered as a “cult classic” and an “unappreciated classic”…
same thing with THE HONEYMOON KILLERS…
hate to use the saying but “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”…
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INGMAR BERGMAN: GENIUS...OR...OVERRATED BORE? over 3 years ago
well, i did say it wouldn’t surprise me to be the only one…
i’m the crooked line in a linear world, i suppose…
_
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WHICH MOVIES...PUT OUT IN LAST 5 YEARS...DO YOU THINK WILL ONE DAY JOIN THE CRITERION COLLECTION? over 3 years ago
aside from THE DARJEELING EXPRESS…
(i think, at this point, Wes Anderson, as long as his films aren’t put out by Warners or any of their subdivisions, will always be a sho-in)
i’m going to say…
LOST IN TRANSLATION
OLDBOY
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
will be getting the treatment…
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most overrated oscar performances or robberies over 3 years ago
easiest robbery of all time…
CRASH over BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN…
CRASH is just an overblown, overhyped, generic television movie of the week!!!
(really, Hollywood? it took CRASH for you to realize that everybody hates everybody else? probably look at SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING PANTS as “finally a movie to examine the trials of being a teenage girl”, huh?)
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most overrated oscar performances or robberies over 3 years ago
plus, the television show is just bad…
what’s next?
MILLION DOLLAR BABY- THE ANIMATED SERIES?
(Bottomboy now steps down from his soap box)
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SHOULD THE CRITERION COLLECTION INCLUDE TELEVISION SHOWS? over 3 years ago
i think certain television shows could still fit into the CC mission statement…
while shows like THE SHIELD, THE SOPRANOS, and THE WIRE will never…and should never be included if such a section were to be created…(mostly because they’re probably considered too high-profile and have already had their high-profile DVD collections)…
some shows…particularly ones that break the traditional mold of conventional television or were deemed “too cerebral” or “daring” for television and got the axe early could fit in, while still maintaining Criterion’s excellence…
or shows that were created, directed or written by a Criterion auteur (such as the case with Robert Altman’s TANNER ’88) should be included…
MAX HEADROOM would be a great addition, as it came out almost 20 years ago and people still mention it, showing its popularity despite only airing half of their initial (and only) season. it has never been put out on DVD, and if it has, it was probably a subpar release at the most…
as well as the mini-series WILD PALMS…
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OKAY...I'M PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS BUT... over 3 years ago
the cinephile perfectionist in me needs to know…
when Criterion Blu-rays come out…
will they be numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. in order of the releases on the new format…
will they just have the same corresponding number as the DVD release…
or NO number at all…
just curious…
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WHAT MODERN...AMERICAN...HORROR FILMS SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE CRITERION COLLECTION? over 3 years ago
sure, the collection has the rare horror entry. but, most are either foreign OR obscure drive-in flicks…
(which there isn’t anything wrong with that, i love them)
but, what MODERN…AMERICAN…HORROR films would you add?
i’d like to see a special edition of ROSEMARY’S BABY and THE definitive version of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD added…
but, modern-wise: THE ADDICTION (Abel Ferrera) RE-ANIMATOR and…yes, i’ll say it…THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (contemporary and, though a lot will deny it, it’s true, a classic)…
would say CUBE (but, those damn canucks made that one, lol)
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WHAT MODERN...AMERICAN...HORROR FILMS SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE CRITERION COLLECTION? over 3 years ago
MODERN…
(1975 – up)
basically, when horror got the guts to show the guts…
sure, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) would be one of the rare exceptions for the timeline i gave, as well as the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis…
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suggestions: A COUPLE OF ROMANTIC COMEDIES FOR THE CRITERION COLLECTION...let me know if you agree... over 3 years ago
two of the best romantic comedies and two that have been long denied any “special edition” treatments on home video or DVD…
(both only receiving bare-bone versions)
HAROLD AND MAUDE
(which i’ve harrassed, lol, Jon about for a few years now)
for it to have gone this long without a decent release…and it’s the GREATEST LOVE STORY OF ALL-TIME…is just a crime against humanity!!!
and, MURIEL’S WEDDING
(come on, like it doesn’t make you smile every time you see it and you don’t sing along with the ABBA songs)
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DID BOTTLE ROCKET ON BLU-RAY GET DELAYED? over 3 years ago
i went to five different places today…
Barnes & Noble (twice)
Borders (twice)
FYE
and, while they had the other Criterion Blu-rays available…
NO “BOTTLE ROCKET”!!!
i was told “they haven’t released it yet”
i mean, i don’t mind having to wait a little bit longer for it…(bought the other 4)…
but, i ended up spending my money for BR on “Mamma Mia!” instead (a decision i hope doesn’t come back to haunt me)
has anyone else had any problems finding a copy today?
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DID BOTTLE ROCKET ON BLU-RAY GET DELAYED? over 3 years ago
yup!!!
Mamma Mia was…well…“mamma mia!”
oh, well…
got Chungking Express to cheer me up!
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does the inclusion of "BOTTLE ROCKET" mean Criterion has a deal with Columbia Pictures? over 3 years ago
looking at the collection back catalogue, i noticed that there hasn’t been a film from Columbia/Sony included until BOTTLE ROCKET…
does this mean that Columbia is finally on board to allow Criterion to make special definitive versions of their films (i.e. finally a good edition of DR. STRANGELOVE)…
or, is this just coincidental and just satisfying Criterion’s hard-on for Wes Anderson films (lol)…
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does the inclusion of "BOTTLE ROCKET" mean Criterion has a deal with Columbia Pictures? over 3 years ago
oh, and just i don’t incur the wrath of the Criterion elite, i’m not talking about the Columbia/Criterion films available on LASERDISC…
i mean, as far as DVD/BLU-RAY goes….
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IS "BENJAMIN BUTTON" WORTHY OF BEING IN THE COLLECTION? about 3 years ago
i watched Benjamin Button when it came out and frankly, no offense to Criterion but…
it wasn’t anything special…
if anything, to me, it was just another over-hyped Hollywood flick with a slightly interesting though far-from-spectacular story…
(as well as being…ahem…a ripoff of Forrest Gump)
(though, because it was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it predates Forrest Gump…basically, they’re the same film is what i’m getting at)
so, is “Benjamin Button” truly deserving of having the Criterion treatment…
or, should we list it under the “questionable additions” category alongside “The Rock” and “Armageddon”?
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WES ANDERSON TO MAKE CRITERION HISTORY? over 1 year ago
Having just seen his last picture “FANTASTIC MR. FOX” on television last night…
And, knowing how much Criterion LOVES Wes’ works…
It just dawned on me…
If Criterion does eventually put out their own version of the film on a special-edition Blu-ray (which, let’s face it, why wouldn’t they at this point?)…
It would be the FIRST and ONLY…ANIMATED…film in the collection…
Over 500 films and this would be the FIRST…
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