https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/7646-cc40

Coming soon, available Nov 19, 2024
Blu‑ray Discs $639.96 SRP: $799.95

Wow... I only have 2 of the 40 on Criterion BD (Night of the Hunter and In the Mood for Love) but I hope they will be part of the yearly 50% off promotion at some point!



Julien

Although ~ 16$ per movie is actually not a bad value, the initial "investment" is quite a statement.
And, shame on me, I don't even heard the name of 90% of the movies.

I'm at about 25% recognition on the titles. I'm not that impressed with Criterion ever since the Wong Kar Wai box set debacle.

The worst Kubrick movie and a low rated Jarmusch says something. I guess this set might really be about plugging obscure gaps in a collection. But In the Mood for Love is probably a title a lot not just admin already have, so its weird.

I don't like the entire concept, its like easy film knowledge cred or being told what to like if you want to be a film nerd.

I think people should be seeking out individual titles they're actually interested in to build their own 40 title box..

A director box, or a Westerns box or a War movie box I can understand but a hipster box? Yeah, nah.

How much would this set be on CAV LD? Around 120 discs?

At least I had Safe (1995) on laserdisc pre-Covid. It was kind of weird how half the world became mentally ill like the chick in the movie for a few years.

I already have all of these. I didn’t see 4 or 5 of them. They are all great films. I am sorry but if you don’t know these films, go watch Ironman.

During 50% off, they will be $10 per film. CC gives you a $50 store credit once you spend $500 over time.

That's your opinion and very debatable.
From all the aweful Avenger-Super-Thingy-Movies you picked the only one that is actually pretty enjoyable (IMDb "proves" that compared to most of the movies that are part of the box).

Nah. It’s not really his “opinion” that these are great films. They each have quite a history of recognition. Their greatness is consensus.

It’s also true that if you somehow missed these kinds of movies all your life then you probably want to keep missing them. If you have seen 40 Marvel movies and not Bicycle Thief then…just keep going. Don’t let perspective and taste slow you down now!

Of course I would have picked different movies but this is a nice set and these are the movies that define them.

I have no idea why you always got to be micro-agressive in your posts.
Of course this is debatable and of course it is an opinion. Everything art related is. Movies are not science where the result is 0 or 1. It is art.
If you rate movies regarding there effects only, you must love Avengers and related stuff for sure!

And why shouldn't I enjoy some good older movies (as I do by the way as you know) just because there are some more modern movies that are not terrible as well?
And come on: You did read my post, did you? I think it is very obvious that I did not see or enjoy "40 Marvel movies".

I don't know what's worse, the fools who feel they need to collect each Criteiron film in order number released on each format or this set.

Such a s****y money grab from a company who has lost the plot. They used to release films on LD and early DVD which hadn't been released on other
formats or focusing on widescreen or director editions.

Now its a money grab from the dying video format company, rather than focusing on releasing important films they are doing these boxes larger
and larger, started with either the Bruce Lee or Godzilla stuff, at least those were focusing on a genera like Spooky is talking about.
But now lets get a mix of the old generation and newer fool generation of films to make a mixed bag box set.

You're telling me Mirror, Night of the Hunter and House are all liked by the same people and want to own them all the same.
Money Grab.

You said they lost the plot. I am curious. What are they doing now that they weren’t doing before or vice versa? Didn’t they release Armageddon on LD? When was the last time any director was given the director’s cut privileges? Have you ever seen any film released in full screen on any modern medium in the last decade? Their business had to evolve and they evolved accordingly. They have over a thousand films in their catalog. You can buy the ones you like and feel free to skip the ones you don’t care for. It is not possible to make everyone happy. That’s why they have a diverse catalog. Besides, the Bruce Lee films and the Godzilla stuff are significant on their own. You can’t judge history with today’s standards. In their era, they were pioneering and ground breaking.

I think Ironman was the last one I watched among the bunch. I am happy it brought back Downey Jr on the map. He was underrated before that. He was brilliant in Oppenheimer and many other films he has acted in the past 10 years.

While Substance was being a bit…what do you call it when nerds virtue signal?…You’re telling people their opinions don’t matter and that they shouldn’t have them. Some people consider that extremely “aggressive” because it erodes the concept of quality and minimizes passion for the “art”.

“Everything is equal” is a suicide pact with mediocrity. It’s also a lie that no artist worth following buys into.

What Substance said bothered you enough where you HAD to comment on it. The same thing happened to me. Just be glad David Lynch isn’t on the forum. You’d be wishing he still smoked so he could put his cigarette out on you instead of burning you with gloriously elitist put downs.

I really don’t see how cramming all your best sellers into a box and selling it at half off is a money grab or bad in any way. Someone my age buying this…I don’t really get. But a 21 year old film student with no collection would do well to snap it up.

When I first saw the box I had a similar reaction. When noobs here try “complete” their Criterion collection it’s hard not to be puzzled. That’s really really dumb. DUMB. Nobody. Absolutely NOBODY enjoys every film in the Criterion Collection. The only similarity is quality/significance and even that can be a joke (Armageddon). The thing is though…these movies don’t really represent the extremes Criterion has gone to. It’s a very solid groups of quality movies with none of them being too…anything.

I’d rather see Until the End of the World, Touch of Evil, Strangers in Paradise, etc but it’s a good set. I imagine many libraries in the US will buy this set to break up and rent.

100% with you. I was really impressed especially with Oppenheimer. Both Downey Jr and Murphy did an impressive job in my opinion.
A good example for a new movie that I did not disappoint me!


Ha, you might be right on that last part.
Oh, and it was never my intention to say that anyones opinion does not matter or that everyting is equal. Actually I meant to say the exact opposite regarding everyones opinion! When someone likes the Avenger movies that is absolutely fine, same with the old movies.
I just get upset when everything is painted "black and white" so you either like a movie genre and time period or not ("If you don't know a, keep looking b, because b is for stupid simple minded only and I know best"). I like to taste a bit of everything. Sometimes I do find an absolute treasure (like Time Bandits) or am very disappointed (like with the 2008 remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still").
It is a bit like if you prefer Mc Donalds but don't mind to take a visit to Burger King once in a while as well (maybe that is a stupid example, but I think you get my point).

Maybe it's a language thing? In German there are like 25 ways (which are 20 to many) to state a specific emotion and the way it is intended to be interpreted by the reader with a lot of color variation. German in general is way softer and colorful / complex than Charlie Chaplin made everyone think.
So it might be on me trying to read way more between the lines than it is actually required or usefull resulting in me beeing insulted for no reason. That one is one me.

Okay I digress... getting philisophical again.

Tiny nuance here, I said if you don’t know these films, I didn’t say if you don’t like these films.

You will find many essays, even documentaries done on many of these films in this set. If you have not heard of them, that means you don’t really explore much out of the mainstream movies which is fine. I believe that’s what Signofzeta is saying here. I don’t believe he was being aggressive. Rather, he was stating the obvious.

The proof is relatively easy too. Go on and watch 2 or 3 of them from this list of 40 movies in any order. If you like them, I can guarantee you will like every single one of the rest. If you didn’t enjoy the first 2 random picks, I can guarantee you watching the rest of the 40 would be a torturing experience for you.

Let’s see

8-1/2 - Arguably the best Fellini film, often ranked top 10 best films ever made on many lists.
Tokyo Story - Arguably the best Ozu film, often ranked top 10 best films ever made.
All That Jazz - Best Roy Scheider film, perhaps one of the easiest watch film among the others in this list.
Bicycle Thieves - Arguably the best De Sica film - Honorary oscar winner for the best foreign language film.
Repo Man - Alex Cox’s best film - Weird sci-fi and it has been remade multiple times including a rock opera musical version.
Naked - Cannes winner
Jules and Jim - It’s a Truffaut film. He made many great films, no bad ones.
Being There - Peter Seller’s best.
Weekend - Godard film. He made many great films. Defined the French new age. One of the few auteur director’s. This is a good pick from him.
Yi Yi - Always heard great things about this one. Never seen yet.
The Night of the Hunter - Very influential film. Creepy, masterful. You have seen this film without knowing. Many modern films paid homage to it.
Pickpocket - Bresson made many great films. This is one of the best.
Sweet Smell of Success - Again you have seen this movie without knowing. Many references made to it everywhere.
On The Waterfront - One of the best Marlon Brando films. From the master director Eli Kazan who defined an era.
Do the Right Thing - Spike Lee’s best by a mile. It is a masterpiece on social issues. No other movie explained it better.
Ratcatcher - One of the few I didn’t see yet.
Sunday Bloody Sunday - Maybe a little less known but great film.
Mirror - You can put any of Tarkovski’s films on this set.
Barry Lyndon - They already have Being There from Peter Seller in the box. I can see why they skipped Dr. Strangelove. They have licensing for Paths of Glory, the Killing and Barry Lyndon. Barry Lyndon is the right choice.
Safe - I didn’t see it yet but Julianne Moore in her prime in this film.
Seconds - Underrate sci-fi classic.

I mean I can go on. I see Cassettes, Bergman, Varda, Wai with their arguably best films. The Red Shoes, Y Tu Mama Tambien, House are some of my favorite films of all times.

Looking at the list…Kurasawa must cost more, right? High and Low would have been a great one for this box. “It’s like five other movies you like but twice as good and twice as old.”

Whatever.

You’re right. Criterion having a Greatest Hits collection doesn’t mortify me. I don’t get it.