Criterion Guide - Barnes & Noble 50% Off Twice Year Sale

[Ack]

One of Amazon's deals this week is up to 50% or more off some of Criterion's samurai focused films. There are only 8 choices, but they're all good films and also some pretty solid deals as far as Criterion films go.

Have a looksie

Having seen all of them, I wholeheartedly agree. You guys should really check these out!

[CRTGAMER]

One of Amazon's deals this week is up to 50% or more off some of Criterion's samurai focused films. There are only 8 choices, but they're all good films and also some pretty solid deals as far as Criterion films go.

Have a looksie

Having seen all of them, I wholeheartedly agree. You guys should really check these out!

Hidden Fortress - Criterion DVD BluRay Pack $39.99 $16.99
http://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Fortress-C ... B00HE01030

I have three versions including the latest Criterion. That newest release sale a great price, more then 50% off! The story, the music, the characters; a great film! Kuroswa's Samurai films are not the assumed sword slash genre, but has Great Depth.

[CRTGAMER]

Barnes & Noble 50% Off July 5 to August 1
I visited Barnes & Noble bookstore last Friday on the 1st of July, the employee checked the store computer which showed no indication of the sale. Checked the website this morning and the twice a year Sale starts today! YES, going there this afternoon!



http://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/criteri ... n/_/N-1p0i

There are many new releases of great movies since the last sale, Criterion is a publishing house that offers the premium version of a movie or documentary. Using the best original film prints and adding so much more footage all available on both the DVD and Bluray releases. I always purchase a Criterion version over the original movie studio release. Barnes & Noble can order a movie even if not in stock at the 50% off sell price.

Some movies I will definitely buy this go around:

Dr Strangelove (Bluray) $39.99 $19.99
Already have the Laser Disc and two older DVD releases. Such a great movie, worth getting the newer Criterion version, I think this has got to be my favorite movie! Since the black and white movie is 1:66:1 aspect ratio, leaning towards the Bluray version now that I have a Bluray player hooked up to every TV.



General "Buck" Turgidson: "If the pilot's good, see, I mean if he's reeeally sharp, he can barrel that baby in so low... oh you oughta see it sometime. It's a sight. A big plane like a '52... varrrooom! Its jet exhaust... frying chickens in the barnyard!"

Dr Strangelove or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb



Continuing to watch Kubrick movies with daughter who is determined to see every one made.
I must have seen this movie at least five times over the years. Always good for another look!

Another similar movie was released ten months later starring Heny Fonda, titled Fail Safe.

Sterling Hayden
Actor in the lead role in another of Kubrick's movies, The Killing. Perfect actor to play the tough cigar chomping General. Paranoid over Communist plot in fluoridation of city water. Orders B-52 Air wing past their Fail Safe point for a nuclear attack of Russia. An attack through Plan R that only he can stop. I think the only other actor that can portray this Base Commander would have been Richard Widmark.

"I cannot stand by with Communist infiltration which will lead to contamination of everyone's precious bodily fluids."



This film could not be shot in color. Look at the hard lines above, that captures the mood of the General.

Peter Sellers
Plays three different parts in this one. A British Exchange Officer, President of United States and of course Dr. Strangelove.



British Exchange Officer: "A shooting War. Oh Hell!"



President of United States: "Hello Dimitri? I have something to tell you."



Dr Strangelove: "Of course, the whole point of a Doomsday Machine is lost, if you *keep* it a *secret*! Why didn't you tell the world, EH?"



Music
Johnny Comes Marching Home drummed throughout the B-52 scenes. The tension buildup of the pilot radio calls of Plan R check list really draws you in. One really pulls for the airplane crew, even if it means the end of the world.

"Check bomb door circuits one thru four."
"Still negative function."
"Stay on the bomb run, I'll get those doors open."
"Telemetric guidance computer to orange grid"
"Target 6 miles."
"Transponder activated."



A Rant
As in a lot of DVD re-releases, the latest DVD offers cleaned up sound and a pristine print. HOWEVER some of the older supplemental extras usually gets lost. I have both the 2001 Special Edition and the 2004 40th anniversary DVD of this great film. Okay I'm a nut also have the Laser Disc version as well. Anyways the older Special Edition has a great documentary titled "The Art of Stanley Kubrick." It details how Kubrick started out as a photographer in Look magazine, and his early films. The newest version comes with a beautiful booklet.

Better to get both DVDs for all the extras.
The 50th anniversary version will be out in 2014.


"Target in sight! Where the Hell is Major Kong!"

"YeeeeeeeHah!"



SPOILER
Okay for those who like to read the last chapter in the book first, here is the bomb run:

Major Kong Final Scene

The Kid (DVD) $29.99 $14.99
This is up there with Gold Rush, one of the best of the Charlie Chaplin movies with the right mix of comedy and yes drama. I have the Japan import Laser Disc, debating on getting the Bluray or the DVD. A concern the BluRay version will be set for 4:3 squeeze correctness to accommodate widescreen TVs. Leaning towards the DVD version so not to take a chance. The DVD utilizes ALL the screen estate for the vintage 4:3 movie on my 4:3 HD CRT TV, yet the BluRay has black borders on the side. This also happens on my SD 4:3 TV! Something about the Bluray disc coded for 1080p wide screen standard for all movies including 4:3 movies and even with the player is set to 480i for the SD TV.



Harlan County U.S.A. (DVD) $39.99 $19.99
Discovered this outstanding documentary just after the sale ended last November, I'll be sure to buy it this go around. Great footage of not only the Miner's strike, but a piece of history from the way of life in the 70s.

Most of the Criterion Library that have a newer release are indicated by a large C logo, this DVD only release available under "The Criterion Collection" older logo. The film archive footage still very clean on the older pressing.



Fantastic Planet (Bluray) 39.99 $19.99
I'm debating on this movie that just came out as a Criterion release last month, remember it as so unique with animation in the era of the Beatles Yellow Submarine which I have on Laser Disc. The local library has a copy, I'll do a preview refresh first.

[isiolia]

I had seen another 4:3 classic movie, Warner Brothers older special edition with book Bluray version of Citizen Kane which has black bars on the left and right side even on my 4:3 HD CRT! This was done to display a 4:3 image at the correct aspect ratio on wide screen TVs.

It's more commonly known as pillarboxing.

As nice an idea as maximizing stored resolution for whatever aspect a film happens to be in might be, Blu-ray doesn't really do it. It does support 1440x1080 anamorphic, but for using video from things like HDV tapes. The intended output is still to a 16:9 screen.
Plenty of wider-than-1.77:1 aspect movies are matted as well, and so not technically using the full 1080 or 2160 vertical pixels. Offhand, however, anamorphic DVDs were like that for wider ratios too.

Either way, Blu-ray is giving more resolution, it's just the ability (or not) to crop the picture.

[Nemoide]

Oh man, I don't know what my budget will be for this month, but I'd really like to get my hands on at least Kwaidan, Fantastic Planet, and Brand Upon the Brain. There are others I really want, but those are my priority choices.

I'm really looking forward to the upcoming Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and Pan's Labyrinth. BtVotD is one of my all-time favorite crazy-go-nuts ridiculous movies and even though I have the DVD, I'll gladly double-dip. And even though I own a large portion of Guillermo del Toro's work, I somehow never bought Pan's Labyrinth despite it being one of my favorites of his: my procrastination has paid off!

[CRTGAMER]

It's more commonly known as pillarboxing.

That's the term I was looking for! A shame the Bluray versions ruins 4:3 movies by incorporating that. The DVD version does the same, but fills the screen much better; a full screen image on my 4:3 HD CRT.

I'd really like to get my hands on at least Kwaidan, Fantastic Planet, and Brand Upon the Brain. There are others I really want, but those are my priority choices.

I'm really looking forward to the upcoming Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and Pan's Labyrinth.

I have the two disc version of Pan's Labyrinth. Guillermo del Toro puts so much extras in his films for the home video market, be interesting to see what the Criterion version adds. In addition to Classics, Criterion also published releases that came out in the past Decade. I'm debating on "New World" and "Devils Backbone".

A great link to bookmark, there are multiple search options by year, genre, rating and release date.

The Complete Criterion Collection
https://letterboxd.com/jbutts15/list/th ... ollection/

This list contains only the official DVD and BluRay Criterion releases. It is organized by spine number and is best viewed in List View. Collections containing multiple films (whether feature length or shorts) under a single spine number have been separated out and noted as such, hence in the disparity in spine number versus actual list count.

I picked up Dr Strangelove BluRay, The Kid DVD and asked the store for out of stock Harlan County DVD at the sell price, a two day shipment from their warehouse.

Hey, the Dr Strangelove BluRay manual came in a special authentic looking envelope. Upon opening it, a tiny red book dropped out, a replica from the movie; "Contents include a miniature bible with Rusky Translations". No items inside for "a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff"



General "Buck" Turgidson: "One of the provisions of Plan 'R' provides that once the go-code is received, the normal SSB Radios in the aircraft are switched into a special coded device which I believe is designated as CRM-114. Now, in order to prevent the enemy from issuing fake or confusing orders, CRM-114 is designed not to receive at all - unless the message is preceded by the correct three-letter recall code group prefix."



Dr Strangelove Criterion Blu-Ray (DVD Beaver Review)

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_ ... lu-ray.htm

Stanley Kubrick’s painfully funny take on Cold War anxiety is one of the fiercest satires of human folly ever to come out of Hollywood. The matchless shape-shifter Peter Sellers plays three wildly different roles: Royal Air Force Captain Lionel Mandrake, timidly trying to stop a nuclear attack on the USSR ordered by an unbalanced general (Sterling Hayden); the ineffectual and perpetually dumbfounded U.S. President Merkin Muffley, who must deliver the very bad news to the Soviet premier; and the titular Strangelove himself, a wheelchair-bound presidential adviser with a Nazi past. Finding improbable hilarity in nearly every unimaginable scenario, Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is a subversive masterpiece that officially announced Kubrick as an unparalleled stylist and pitch-black ironist.

The destruction of mankind by the H-Bomb and a so-called "Doomsday Machine" scarcely seems a likely subject for comedy yet producer-director Stanley Kubrick has fashioned a fantastically satirical picture with many chuckles and a goodly amount of suspense from his zany picturization of Peter George's book, "Red Alert." Once again, Peter Sellers demonstrates his versatility and fine comedy sense with three widely varied portrayals, a mild-mannered British liaison officer, the calm, serious President of the U.S. and the heavily accented crippled German scientist, who gives the film its title (certainly the longest ever). Sellers' name, plus the title and rave magazine reviews, will attract the mature class patrons, especially in the key cities, but the picture's weird theme and the sex angle, briefly introduced by the bikini-clad Tracy Reed as an Air Force general's amorous secretary, must be heavily exploited. It may be too off-beat and filled with technical and nuclear terms for many average moviegoers. George C. Scott, as a grimacing Pentagon general, and Sterling Hayden, as the grimly realistic Gen. Jack D. Ripper, contribute fine portrayals.

Criterion Collection - Spine # 821
Runtime: 1:34:58.734
1.66:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Region 'A' - 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray
Disc Size: 48,082,470,956 bytes
Feature: 25,946,634,240 bytes
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Video Bitrate: 28.50 Mbps
LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
DTS-HD Master Audio English 3680 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3680 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 /
48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)

Edition Details:
• New interviews with Stanley Kubrick scholars Mick Broderick (19:14) and Rodney Hill (17:25); archivist Richard Daniels (14:15); cinematographer and camera innovator Joe Dunton; camera operator Kelvin Pike (12:13); and David George, son of Peter George, on whose novel Red Alert the film is based (10:57)

• The Art of Stanley Kubrick (13:50)

• Inside Dr. Strangelove (46:04)

• No Fighting in the War Room (30:04)

• Best Sellers (18:28)

• Excerpts from a 1966 audio interview with Kubrick, conducted by physicist and author Jeremy Bernstein (3:06)

• Four short documentaries, about the making of the film, the sociopolitical climate of the period, the work of actor Peter Sellers, and the artistry of Kubrick

• Interviews from 1963 with Sellers and actor George C. Scott (7:16)

• Excerpt from a 1980 interview with Sellers from NBC’s Today show (4:23)

• Exhibitors Trailer (16:53)

• Theatrical Trailer (3:24)

• PLUS: An essay by scholar David Bromwich and a 1994 article by screenwriter Terry Southern on the making of the film

Blu-ray Release Date: June 28th, 2016
Transparent Blu-ray case Chapters 23

As expected Criterion totally stack the disc with over 20 Gig of supplements. There is a new 20-minute interview with Stanley Kubrick scholars Mick Broderick (Reconstructing "Strangelove") discussing Stanley Kubrick's first efforts on Dr. Strangelove as sole producer. There is also another Criterion-produced piece - running over 17-minutes with Rodney Hill (contributor, The Stanley Kubrick Archives) who delves into the archetypes present in Dr. Strangelove.

We also get to spend 1/4 hour with Richard Daniels senior-archivist, at the Stanley Kubrick Archive and coeditor of the book Stanley Kubrick : New Perspectives and he discusses the archive and the portrait of the filmmaker that emerges from its Dr. Strangelove collection. Also from Criterion - filmed in 2016 - is a 12-minute interview with cinematographer and camera innovator Joe Dunton and camera operator Kelvin Pike detailing the techniques behind the stunning visuals of Dr. Strangelove. David George, son of Peter George, on whose novel Red Alert the film is based gives an 11-minute piece for Criterion and he discusses the collaboration with his father Peter and director Stanley Kubrick, as well as his discovery of a short story that introduces the character of Dr. Strangelove.

The Art of Stanley Kubrick from 2000 runs 14-minutes and features biographer John Baxter, critic Alexander Walker, cinematographer Gilbert Taylor, and others, chronicles Stanley Kubrick's growth from still photographer to the film auteur responsible for Dr. Strangelove. Inside Dr. Strangelove is a 46-minute documentary from 2000 about the making of Dr. Strangelove featuring filmmaker James B. Harris. actor James Earl Jones, title-designer Pablo Ferro and filmmaker and writer Nile Southern, among others.

No Fighting in the War Room is a 1/2 hour piece from 2004 featuring former secretary of defense Robert McNamara and journalist Bob Woodward, among others looking into the nuclear paranoia that fueled the satire Dr. Strangelove. Best Sellers from 2004 runs almost 19-minutes shows some rarely seen home moves and interviews with critic Roger Ebert, actors Shirley MacLaine and Michael Palin. We also get some short excerpts from a 1966 audio interview with Kubrick, conducted by physicist and author Jeremy Bernstein and brief interviews from 1963 with Sellers and actor George C. Scott, an excerpt from a 1980 interview with Sellers from NBC’s Today show as well as a lengthy "Exhibitors Trailer" and a theatrical trailer. The package has a liner notes booklet with an essay by scholar David Bromwich and a 1994 article by screenwriter Terry Southern on the making of the film.

Really a no-brainer and this Blu-ray is available for both region 'A' + 'B'. This complete package is a must-own and the extras had me up till the early hours of the morning... so much great info for the Kubrick aficionado, devout fan or casual film viewer who appreciates his genius. Criterion's Blu-ray gets our very highest recommendation!

Ooh, I discovered another great film on the shelf!

Speedy (DVD) $29.99 $14.99



Another famous silent film star, Harold Lloyd. I've seen a few clips of his various films, but none in its entirety. This movie caught my eye showing Coney Island insane crazy rides back then that would not be be built by today's safety standards. Hey, some of those rides and obstacle courses might be worth the bruises! Cameo appearance of Babe Ruth for Baseball History fans.

[isiolia]

That's the term I was looking for! A shame the Bluray versions ruins 4:3 movies by incorporating that. The DVD version does the same, but fills the screen much better; a full screen image on my 4:3 HD CRT.

Being fair, Blu-ray is designed entirely around outputting to 16:9. Matting the picture that way is per-spec for the format, same as matting things for widescreen was for 4:3-only formats like Laserdisc or VHS.

For the vast, vast majority, it's a nonissue, and simple results in the proper aspect being shown. I don't disagree that the situation for a 4:3 HD screen would be suboptimal, as it's essentially the same problem that crops up when watching matted 4:3 content on a 16:9 TV. While most TVs do offer zoom modes to try and compensate, perhaps it's not a use case that the designers of your TV anticipated.

[Michi]

Barnes & Noble 50% Off July 5 to August 1

Every time this happens, I have the same reaction-

Then I spend money and the excitement fades. But the initial reaction is still the same.

[CRTGAMER]

The announcements for the November titles from Criterion made me smile.

Some coming out in September and October! Most of the releases below should be in Barnes & Noble Catalog in time for the November 50% Off sale! Even if not on the shelf yet, the store will honor the sale.

https://www.criterion.com/library/expan ... lease_date

The Squid and the Whale
One-Eyed Jacks
Punch-Drunk Love
Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams
Lone Wolf and Cub
The Tree of Wooden Clogs
The Executioner
Trilogía de Guillermo del Toro
Pan’s Labyrinth
Short Cuts
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Boyhood
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Valley of the Dolls
Dekalog
Cat People
Blood Simple
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum
Night Train to Munich
The Immortal Story
Chimes at Midnight
Woman in the Dunes
A Taste of Honey

[CRTGAMER]

Fall 2016 Criterion sale started October 30th this year!

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