darkside

I don't see much hate in this thread only common sense. You should buy movies you like or that you think you will potentially like. Buying crap like I am Curious or Salo just because it has a number on it seems a huge waste of money that could be better spent on movies you actually want to watch over and over.

BTW, I am saying this as a huge fan of Criterion. However, I find myself happy simply renting most of their titles. Not all of them are movies I need to own.

marty888

Uh .... I specifically said

"I love the Criterions I have (about 100 right now), but there are many titles in the collecion that I don't really enjoy."

Since the Criterion Collection numbers over 300 titles, I obviously HAVE NOT bought their titles that I don't really enjoy - I don't buy a Criterion unless it is a title I actually want. That was the point of my post. Sorry you missed it.

caiman

Here's a question for all those who say "you should only buy movies that you LIKE!" :

Could a person get satisfaction from their DVDs on a different level than simple enjoyment of the movie? I love the movie The Shawshank Redemption, so I get satisfaction from my DVD on that level. Same with many others in my collection. But what if I did own Salo, wouldn't it be pretty freaking cool to point it out to your friends? I'd look at it on my shelf and feel glad knowing that I own a DVD that most people don't own. This is a different form of satisfaction. Couldn't this type of satisfaction be just as relevant as the "I like this movie" type?

There are lots of reasons to enjoy owning a particular DVD. I love Evil Dead, but what I love nearly as much as the movie itself is that kickass Book of the Dead packaging sitting on my shelf. I even bought the entire Nightmare on Elm Street set because of the cool packaging and uniformity of the cases, even though most of those movies suck. But I'm glad I bought it.

darkside

Sure, this is the whole collecting stamps, coins or anything point of view. I am okay with this as well, but I think its better to collect movies in general that you like over a small subgroup which may include a large portion of movies you don't like.

I buy just as many of the collector's sets and limited editions just for the cool factor of owning them, but to me the cost of the entire Criterion collection is so high that I think the money could be better spent on a much broader collection of movies.

Hey, if you have the money to spend go for it, but I would hate that people would pass on movies like The Departed because they are saving up for Salo. I'm definitely not a Criterion hater either. I have 83 of them (more if you count the individual titles in the box sets) Criterion

rexinnih

If you have the time, money and inclination, go for it.

gryffinmaster

Agreed on all points above.

At times, there are superior editions out there of the films than the older, vintage Criterions. Region-free status comes into play, but that's a hurdle that'll be well worth the jump. For those shackled to R1 land, however, this Criterion amassing is an enjoyable way of raking together a usable, pertinent (for the majority) range of films. There are also worse things that can be collected aside from Criterion Collection DVDs. At least what's being collected is significant (in most respects).

Dr. Henry Jones, Jr.

No, they wouldn't give a shit.

Giles

this thread didn't help either ...

Tell me your top Criterion recommendations

jjcool

in the original quote "the collection" = the entire criterion collection, NOT the poster's collection.

Lee Harvey Oswald

Not for me. I don't buy things to try to impress other people or b/c other people can't afford it or find it in stores. I buy things that bring me enjoyment for whatever its use is. Not so other people will look in awe at something I have.

boredsilly

I don't judge people who enjoy collecting for the sake of collecting, to each their own, but I would say if the "look" is what is important to you you can always just print out a custom DVD cover and change it out so that it would match your collection. You know it wouldn't be an original, but would you care?

caiman

Yeah, I think that thread was the straw that broke the camel's back.

wmermine

I would like to caution the OP to avoid buying any Masters of Cinema releases. At one point, I tried to get all the Criterions, then gave up and sold most of them. Now, I'm on a mission to get all the Masters of Cinema releases. Much fewer to get, so a more manageable obsession to get into and, unlike Criterion, the spines all line up very nicely and look uniform on the shelf.

caiman

Yes, if the spines line up nicely, I probably should avoid them.

That sounded sarcastic. It wasn't.

wmermine

I know what you meant... I was addressing two issues really (1) it always really bugged me that the Criterions were numbered and the spines looked like they should all line up, but didn't. No such problem with Masters of Cinema. (2) I like uniformity and good movies... so the combination of numbered series, uniform spines, and good movies is too much for me to overcome...

caiman

Though in their own way, the CC spines do look nice together. They may be all different colors (and the design has changed a few times), but when you line them up together you see that many of them are unique, but they compliment each other nicely. I would almost prefer this to a static, 1, 2, 3, 4... design that doesn't allow each movie's design to have its own character.

Does anyone happen to have any pics of their large CC collection? I'd be interested in seeing what a really large collection look like all alligned.

hindolio

criterions dont line up nicely. otoh, fox film noirs do

Chad

It's genius. Criterion is easily responsible for the largest group of self-diagnosed OCD (Obsessive compulsive disorder) cases out there.

jpfisher

http://www.downeffect.com/jim/IMGP3737.jpg

Sorry, the pic is a bit crude. I need to do it right with some better lighting and a tripod and with less laundry in frame.

caiman

Absolutely beautiful.

nateman

My Bad, sorry.

darkside

Mine is hardly large compared to most, but I am closing in on a 100 of the buggers.

canaryfarmer

Not going with the pink "Royal Tenenbaums" spine?

darkside

No way. Stupid Disney.

Shagrath

Here's my work in progress: