O.K., I know what you're thinking, another stupid "rate my..." thread combined with another snobby Criterion thread, but hear me out. Basically, what I'm looking for is feedback on my collection of Criterion dvds. Not because I need reassurance that my tastes are acceptable to the DVDTalk elite (my tastes are what they are), not because I'm a troll trying to start another flame war over the merits of The Rocks inclusion in the Criterion Colletion, but rather because I would like some suggestions on where to go next. Based on what I own now, what am I missing? Help me plug my holes (no, not those holes...). I heard there's some sort of sale going on and I want to take advantage.

Before anyone says anything, let me make a few disclaimers...

1. I'm sorry if this is not in the appropriate forum. Nobody looks in the Reviews & Recommendations forum unless they're bitching about O's latest review.

2. Save the talk about how it's stupid to buy DVDs based on a label, or how spine numbers are for losers, or whatever. I only buy Criterions during sales, so I want to take advantage while I have the chance. Besides, they've only let me down on a small handful of occassions.

Anyways, here's the list. What say you?

http://rocket1312.dvdaf.com/

Go out and buy Ace in the Hole and Bicycle Thieves right this very minute. These are two of my "must own" titles that I always recommend to people.

You can get Salesman for just $16.xx in the 25% off sale going on right now.

You have Band of Outsiders, so check out more Godard: Pierrot le Fou and definitely Breathless. I'd also recommend Contempt, but you might want to hold out for the Blu-ray.

Also, I consider these to be essentials:

Au hasard Balthazar
Children of Paradise
The Double Life of Veronique
Grand Illusion
John Cassavetes: Five Films
Mouchette
Night and the City
Pandora's Box
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Peeping Tom
Pickup on South St
Pickpocket
Playtime
The River
Story of Floating Weeds/Floating Weeds
Sullivan's Travels
Tokyo Story
Ugetsu
Unfaithfully Yours

It's hard to recommend titles based on what you own because there is no indication as to how well you like each title. Since you have a fair amount of Kurosawa, more Kurosawa cannot be a bad thing. You might consider branching out to some Ozu. I was introduced to his work through "Late Spring," which is a solid Criterion title. "Tokyo Story" is also good.

If you like Clouzot, Diabolique is excellent as well as Le Corbeau although I think that one is OOP.

We could provide better help if you shared with us what films really really really resonate with you.

Baring that, all you get is the films that resonate with us.

I'd echo

Ace in the Hole
Diabolique
Grand Illusion
Playtime

as can't go too far wrong films.

I'd also had an absolute essential for any film lover:

8 1/2
Mon Oncle (but then again I'm a big Tati fan).

Keep in mind that sales come and sales go. Plenty of Criterion films are available at local libraries, a great way to see some expensive boxset selections.

I'd buy all the silent films and the Godard films in the collection. Because right now I dig those the most.

That certainly wouldn't take long. My main criticism of Criterion is that they've released so few silent films. A whopping half dozen, plus the Ozu set.

Well most notably...you have 3 Women and A Secret Honor....but don't have Short Cuts? It's by far the best Altman in the collection and since it seems your a fan, it should be a high want.

I also second the recommendation for Ace in the Hole, since you have a lot of the Hollywood titles on your list, it should be your liking.

Ditto for Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven.

A fair enough request...

Of all the Criterion dvds I own, Picnic At Hanging Rock is probably my favorite. In fact, it's one of my top 5 or 10 films of all time. I love the dream-like atmosphere that the film has going for it. I'm a big fan of Herzog and Lynch and am drawn to films which set a certain kind of mood. I realize that's kind of vague, but that's ultimately what lead me to checking out stuff like Picnic and Last Wave, 3 Women, L'Avventura (although I had seen this in college previously), the Roeg films (Don't Look Now included), That Obscure Object Of Desire, all of which I like quite a bit.

Solaris is another one which I would rank amongst my all-time favorites. Again, the mood and pace plays a big part in what I love about it. I'd like to pick up Andrei Rublev, but I'm waiting for a reissue. It's coming, isn't it?

On a more general note, I've recently fallen in love with Noir and Neo-Noir. I've liked Melville for quite some time, but had never branched out much from that. Rififi has become one of my favorites and I've come to really appreciate The Third Man with repeat viewings.

On the negative side, even though I have quite a few Kurosawas in my collection, I have to admit, Japanese cinema is a tough nut to crack for me. There's just something about the Japanese culture which doesn't connect with me. There's a coldness and harshness to it that has always left me feeling a bit detached. So, I've been reluctant to stray beyond too far beyond Kurosawa. I feel like I should check out Ozu, et al., but it would take some persuasion.

Thanks for all of the suggestions so far. Ace In The Hole has been near the top of my list of possibilities for awhile and I will probably go for it despite not being a huge Douglas fan. The Cassavetes set has always intrigued me (despite knowing next to nothing about the man or his films), but the price turned me off. However, now that they're being released seperately...

OK guys, sell me on Cassavetes. Also, talk to me about Bunuel.

Add some cult titles :

Shock Corridor
Branded to Kill
Sisters
The Honeymoon Killers
Man Bites Dog
Fiend Without a Face

And of course no collection is complete without the infamous spine # 17

Considering you list Picnic and Solaris as your top picks based on mood and pacing, I'd like to suggest three of my favorites:

Clean, Shaven
Ratcatcher
George Washington

All three are positively dripping with mood, although the particular mood set is decidedly dark. They all have a deliberate pacing which some may be put off by, but the build-ups, like those in Picnic and Solaris, just bolster the feeling of impending doom.

I'd also second Man Bites Dog, but that is a whole other beast. Great movie if you can stomach it.

Additionally, I'd add Brazil to your collection. I'm a whore for Gilliam.

My 2 cents...

Jimmy

I'm a huge Lynch fan and noir fan. Certainly Lynch's films have noir elements and dream-like atmosphere. Lynch loves Tati. If you wondered why someone is carrying a bright red pipe in the background in both Wild At Heart and Mulholland Dr. ... it's an hommage to Tati's film MON ONCLE.

I love the duality presented in Bob le Flambeur but think you already have some of the films that have that noirish man versus fate aspect to them with the noted exception of ACE IN THE HOLE. Pickup on South Street is a fine, fine noir film with some excellent acting performances but I don't know if I would come back to it often. Well worth seeing though.

Lynch has commented several times about being a big fan of Fellini's 8 1/2 and also speaks well of Bunuel (as did Hitchcock). I have enjoyed all the Bunuel titles. I keep coming back to them and find more and more to like and think about. I like abstract films but with Bunuel he also displays a very keen sense of humor.

I get what you're saying about the coldness of some Japanese films and I'd say the same is true of some of Bergman's work. An exception to that is his film WILD STRAWBERRIES. A top 20 film of mine where what is real versus fantasy/dream comes into play as well as a very compelling story.

I don't know anything about an Andrei Rublev reissue one way or the other.

Cassavetes is hit or miss with a lot of people. I have the boxset and it's not cheap. I borrowed the films from the library before springing for it. My suggestion would be to get FACES and see what you think. FACES also has some great extras (and this comes from a guy that's not usually big on supplements).

I'm not sure how much you liked L'Avventura. I personally like L'Eclisse but must admit I don't see others jumping up and down about it. The same can be said for Godard's Pierrot le Fou .. very mixed opinions. I found it amazingly witty and engaging but have absolutely no issues understanding that someone else might not go for it.

So, some ideas .. the other Bunuels for sure unless you want to wait for the eventual Blu-Ray. Even then CC will give you a price discount on the trade-in of your SD release if they do go Blu-Ray, so that helps a bit.

Hope that helps.

Let see out of my Criterion collection, I keep to the stuff I haven't seen and films with kick ass extras:

Seven Samurai - Awesome flick
Branded To Kill - So bizarre it has to be seen to believed
Tokyo Drifter - Same as Branded To Kill
Brazil - A must if you ask me
M - An amazing flick
Rashomon - Easily one of my favorite films (and my favorite plot device)
Do The Right Thing - Love or hate him, Spike has an amazing film in the collection
Man Bites Dog - As mentioned above, a great flick, and it makes you think
Down By Law - A great Jarmusch film with Tom Waits
Hoop Dreams - Amazing doc, essential if you want to call yourself a fan of documentaries
Le Samourai - The one and only hitman film all other are imitators
La Haine - Stunning film, that is really all I can say
If....-Part of the Mick Travis trilogy and a mind bender
House of Games - David Mamet, enough said

I also recommend Ace in the Hole, Army of Shadows, Shoot The Piano Player and all the Wes Anderson films in the set. And lastly, I do agree that the collection needs for silent era films.

I can kill off two birds with one stone on this one ... Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara . Although based on your general opinion of Japanese films I'd probably shift this set of films from own to must rent.

Face of Another is an interesting story about cultural reprecussions related to a face transplant (loss of identity). Excellent hard sci fi piece (with the great Nakadai Tatsuya). And except for Kaiju (monster) films Japan is not really known for any real contemplative sci fi involvement (edit to add, "live action").

Women in the Dunes is a classic, ethereal film about entrapment, but offers a whole lot more. It's absolutely beautifully shot, to the extent that the setting (a sand dune) is effectively turned into a living, alien creature. Quite amazing and atmospheric.

Pitfall I still have not seen.

If I were to pick 1 Bunuel title to try next, what should it be? The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie is the one that has always tempted me the most.

I haven't seen much Bergman, but I know what you mean. I did like Persona though. I will say, your comments on Wild Strawberries have intrigued me.

I really enjoy L'Avventura. It's not one I pop in that often, but I like it quite a bit. However, a large part of what I like about it (and Blow Up for that matter) is the tension created by the unsolved mystery. I realize it's not the point of the film, but it's the hook that gets me to pay attention to the rest. I've always assumed that L'Eclisse, being more straightforward, wouldn't engage me as much. I do love Alain Delon and Monica Vitti though...

I'm on the fence with Godard. I "get" his stuff, but it doesn't always click with me. Band Of Outsiders is fun, but I feel like if I could go back in time, my 18 year old self would be way more into it than I am now. I must sadly admit though, I've never seen Breathless or Pierrot le Fou .

It definitely does. I appreciate everyone's suggestions. As someone who lives in an area with very few art house theaters showing new stuff, never mind old, every new discovery is like a treasure. Just when I think I may not be interested in a certain film or genre, I'll check it out based on a recommendation I get here or elsewhere and my eyes proceed to be opened just that much more.

All Bresson -Pickpocket is probably the best starting point. Bresson will challenge your preconceptions about cinema.

Contempt

Le corbeau

L'eclisse - The ending sequence is justifiably famous.

8 1/2 - David Lynch on 8 1/2: "If I have to choose films that represent, for me, examples of perfect film making, I think I could narrow it down to four. The first would be 8 1/2, for the way Fedrico Fellini manages to accomplish with film what mostly abstract painters do - namely, to communicate an emotion without ever saying or showing anything in a direct manner, without ever explaining anything, just by a sort of sheer magic."

Les enfants terribles - I noticed it is the only the Criterion Melville title that you do not own. It is different from his other films. It has more in common with his excellent debut feature Le Silence de la mer (available from Eureka's Masters of Cinema).

The Killers

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

M

Naked Lunch

Orpheus - If you are looking for dreamlike atmosphere and imagery, you cannot go wrong with Cocteau. Unfortunately, this is currently only available as part of the Orphic Trilogy set. Orpheus is one of my ten favorite films and remains remarkably fresh on repeat viewings. Paul Schrader ranked it seventh in his personal film canon in an article in Film Comment.

The Passion of Joan of Arc

Peeping Tom

Pierrot le fou

Playtime

La ronde

The Rules of the Game - Renoir's masterpiece demands repeat viewings.

Sansho the Bailiff

Le trou - This was filmed at Melville's Rue Jenner studio and became one his favorite films. It also became a significant influence on his late films.

Ugetsu

Vampyr - The entire film plays like an eerie, foggy dream.

Viridiana - The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie is a great film, but this is a better introduction to Buñuel. It is difficult to compare the two because they are from distinctly different phases in the director's career. All of the Criterion Buñuel's are worthy purchases. Simon of the Desert will not be released until February, but that is one of my favorite Buñuel films. Despite its brief running time, it contains so many of his favorite themes and serves as an important bridge to his late European films. If you do purchase the Discreet Charm, you should also check out the forthcoming release of the Exterminating Angel.

Wild Strawberries

I would highly recommend That Obscure Object of Desire if you decide to get a Bunuel.

SS,

GREAT suggestion. I have the boxset and love Orpheus. Just as you say, dreamlike atmosphere, mirrored images and other aspects of duality. Wonderful film that would strongly fit with the O.P.'s interests. Probably could get this at a library.

As far as Bunuel, I was wrong, I don't have Viridiana nor have I seen it. So I'll have to check that out. Discreet Charm is a lot of fun, flashbacks galore.

If you're region free, pick up the single disc BFI edition - it includes a commentary and 60-min documentary. I'm not wild about the other two films in the Cocteau set, so this was the perfect compromise for me.

I'm a fool, I can't believe I forgot about Louis Malle!

Just go out and buy any of his films released by Criterion, especially the "3 Films By..." Collection. It includes Au Revoir, Les Enfants which is, in my opinion, a true masterpiece.

I second Ratcatcher and George Washington. Great films. Not being a Douglas fan kinda works in your favor for buying Ace in the Hole. He's not very likable in the film. Also House of Games for neo-noir. I wish all of David Mamet's films would come out on Criterion. A Woman Under the Influence is a must if you buy a Cassavetes flick.

When you mentioned dreamy, the first title that popped into my head was "Spirit of the Beehive" and I think you would probably enjoy that title. Lots of moody atmosphere, a bit creepy in parts and a casual, almost elliptical plot. It's beautifully packaged, as well. I bought it as a blind buy during the last sale and was very pleased with it.

I love Japanese cinema and in an effort to put the hard-sell to you, might I suggest Kurosawa's "Stray Dog?" I just watched it last night. It's surprisingly noirish for Kurosawa, but the energy and inventiveness of the camera work make it seem fresher and less cliched than the usual noir. It's early Kurosawa and it's unlike his later samurai pics in almost every way. Mifune is almost unrecognizable in it with his baby faced youthfulness and he gives a great, great performance. His previous film, "Drunken Angel" is also good for many of the same reasons.

Spirt of the Beehive is one that I've had my eye since it was released, anyone else have any thought's on it?

I've seen most of Kurosawa's films, but I haven't seen either of these. Drunken Angel was probably going to be the next one I check out. Which do people prefer, Stray Dog or Drunken Angel?

I think it is a great movie, but I prefer it's cousin Cria Cuervos.