Criterion Collection on DVD. Recommendations please.

For Ned's eyes only.

Only 414, wotta neophyte. (Wait hold on.)

Wasn't going to order something then realized the codes don't run out and thought I had a few. Upon ordering realized I only had 1 that hadn't been used. So with the 50% off and 1 10$ coupon I just got Fanny and Alexander Blu-Ray. I already have the DVD but feel like I wanted to go a step further. I've seen the movie a dozen times but despite owning the DVD still haven't watched the television version.

I used to watch the same movies over and over again but these days I never have time and I rarely do that, so owning movies seems less important than it used to for me.

I definitely get this last point; at the same time, I question the stability of streaming. I'd rather have a nice little bank of things to hand.

xps For vintage films shot in 35mm (as well as any smaller formats like 16mm), UHD is pretty close to the limit of what's feasible. For a lot of reasons both technical and economic, I can't imagine it getting superseded by a different physical product. More likely, any more advances in home viewing are going to be in streaming or in new technology that are more applicable to new films rather than older films (not unless there's a revisionist fad similar to 3D). But even then, having a physical library doesn't become obsolete because there's still the big question of availability, and the studios have made it painfully clear that they have no interest in making a comprehensive library available to consumers. If it wasn't for boutiques like Criterion or Milestone, it's hard seeing anyone making the effort to restore and distribute such films as Nothing But a Man or the three Ousmane Sembène that are scheduled for release.

This was posted elsewhere, but this is one reason why UHD is likely the last "disc" format for home viewing - he was talking about why scratches become more and more problematic when you go from CD to DVD to Blu-ray and now UHD (the reason why the last two formats have such thick scratch-resistant coats):

"This is exactly why pressed QL 128GB media would never have gotten off the ground, even if they could get the yields up the discs would be so error-prone in real world usage that it's just not worth it. So if we are to get another disc format after this then it won't be an extension of the BD spec like UHD was, it'll have to be a brand new piece of tech. And I can't see anyone bothering to design a new robust high capacity format for what will be a niche of a niche of a niche, but that's just me."

I always quixotically assume that there will arrive some day where I'm able to just sit down any given day and watch 2, maybe 3 movies ... and then do it again the next day. That's not my life, hasn't been my life since I was in my early 20s, and probably won't be my life again for quite some time. But I continue to hope.

I know what you mean - a reason why the Criterion discs hold up better for rewatching is the bonus material, and often times, those are things I can play as I'm doing other things like housework. I don't like watching a movie while, say, mopping the floors or cooking a meal, but if I'm running the audio commentary or a making of doc, that's totally fine, I don't need to watch the screen every second or hear the audio in silence.

I always quixotically assume that there will arrive some day where I'm able to just sit down any given day and watch 2, maybe 3 movies ... and then do it again the next day. That's not my life, hasn't been my life since I was in my early 20s, and probably won't be my life again for quite some time. But I continue to hope.

― Rich E. (Eric H.), Wednesday, February 28, 2024 11:46 AM (thirty minutes ago)

lol the imaginary me who somehow enjoys all my physical media has such a cool life

I can think of worse movies to be traumatized by your babysitter with than Carnival of Souls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANxxsFUojco

xp
128GB USB flash drives are now about $10-15 each (just googled it), so that could replace disks.

I can lose a whole evening just trying to decide what to watch.

The number of Golden Girls episodes I use to stall while mulling whether I should tackle Tarr's Damnation, Damon Packard's Fatal Pulse or three unseen Fassbinders is considerable

re: flash drives, I actually listen to hi-res music that way. Put the FLAC's on a flash drive, organized in a folder, plug it into my Oppo, select that folder, and it just plays. I still prefer a disc though which is more user friendly.

Terrible timing for this big NYT feature to run after the flash sale but hey (gift link). Michael Bay will not surprise you. Neither will Wes Anderson.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/29/magazine/criterion-collection.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZE0.Rm7i.80CdVj5IE1Sl

meanwhile, who scored the complete Kate & Allie DVD box? you're looking at him!

Anderson, who asked that verbal tics like “uh” and “um” not be excised from his quotes ...

Really puts his whole deal into sharp focus there

Not Wes, his brother!

“I learned it from you, bro!”

modified all region 4K player

and not to brag but a certain someone DID also recently score a SEALED DVD box of the complete run of The Facts of Life. that someone? it was me! that someone was me!

xpost -- good thing too! (I hadn't had a 4K player before this, so it was a good investment all around.)

The all-region part, of course, is still pretty handy for the old Blu-rays if you've started collecting those from multiple regions

Especially if you live in a region B backwater like me. One of our chain stores was doing a clearance on budget bluray players which were all-region DVD and menu-switchable for BD regions, I bought 3 so if one fails I have a backup. About 30% of my collection is region A and my Sony 4K player is hard locked to region B BD, region 4 DVD (which I believe is illegal in Aus, but whatever).

Yeah my player automatically plays any region DVD and Blu-rays, just have to select a button on the remote. A saviour.

(Should be a comma after 'DVD' there. You get the drift.)

on brand Wes Anderson from that NYTimes article

Anderson, who asked that verbal tics like “uh” and “um” not be excised from his quotes, told me that he had always admired how Criterion covers tended to be “more adventurous than, uh, what a movie studio would be inclined to go with.”

I'd argue Region B is actually a better region than A to be in these days! But yeah I own a multi region player.

There are even region B Criterion discs, I own a couple

In 'not at all of interest to ivy and others' news, some of the forthcoming releases in June:

https://www.criterion.com/films/33670-bound

https://www.criterion.com/films/27974-querelle

https://www.criterion.com/films/33289-victims-of-sin

yessss Bound

Another good batch for July:

https://www.criterion.com/shop/browse?popular=coming-soon

Preordered Perfect Days, Le Samourai, Farewell My Concubine and Black God, White Devil.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSD7Kpr7XxqaxyAFSU1wvyiMczNIA7oZGQJUKnZdksDPg&s

"Whatta 'bout me, Ned?"

I have no thoughts on the matter.

That's a helluva set for a movie I have almost no interest in owning

XP Haha, I already forgot they were also doing Risky Business too...thought it was funny you were slighting just one title.

https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/438230209_7400901270037141_1008300569344314893_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=tDQpJPz8oUcQ7kNvgHxykhl&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfD_BWMLDkJ0T-PUWPqIj8d50RwjsT4vY9cJ-_p7XmUR8g&oe=66375592

https://bit.ly/3JH5BYg

what's a charter subscriber? like the channel?

People who signed up when it first launched.

i'm not sure but in 2018 I got an email about being a charter subscriber and have been one since. I think it was from people who had filmstruck subscriptions and then became initial members of the Criterion channel?

Kerry Condon being brill in the Criterion Closet...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kII05HTS6c

Would almost rather they held contests tho for people to do raids of the Criterion closet like notables do on their YT channel.

― Norse Jung (Eric H.), Monday, September 28, 2015 4:40 PM (eight years ago) bookmarkflaglink

"Stand in the same spot as Michael Cera!"

― Love, Wilco (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, September 28, 2015 5:02 PM (eight years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Charter members are ones who got a membership in the first month. I got a membership card for being subbed for the first 3 months.

All right, I joined in out of the gate, I can enter. And I will!

<You Will Stand In The Same Spot As Michael Cera!>

Have I mentioned lately that I've been in the closet and got Night of the Hunter blu-ray?

Thievery. You broke in under cover of night. (Well maybe not.)

I entered too but honestly I would pay good money to hack it so Ned wins