mrcellophane

I'm right there with you. I love the Criterion Collection quite a bit, and the idea of devoting a month to quality cinema delights me. September is also a great month; it usually finds me at my most contemplative.

I cannot wait to get started, and the newest batch of releases is exciting. I'm especially glad to see It Happened One Night and Tootsie are being added.

Travis McClain

For those who use Letterboxd, I've created a couple Criterion lists there, too:

The Criterion Collection on LaserDisc
The Criterion Collection - Short Films, Docs & Other Supplements (Incomplete at present)

Travis McClain

Just learned that Best Buy's having a 50% off sale on Criterion, y'all!

shadokitty

Some great looking titles. Hope the sale is still going on when I get paid.

CardiffGiant

Amazon has started to PM a bit, too. Y Tu Mama, Tambien, The Gold Rush and Godzilla, so far.

Thinking of upgrading my old DVD copy of Y Tu Mama, Tambien. I hear the new transfer is great.

CardiffGiant

Hmm...I don't think we have that linked. I'll add it to the first post. Thanks for that find...that makes sorting easier than Hulu's site.

CardiffGiant

Sorry to hear that you've had a rough year so far. My movie watching has plummeted; mainly as a result of fatherhood and a new job.

I know what you mean about the timing of the challenge, the weather, and the content, but I always fear the timing because I'm in education and my world gets incredibly busy in September.

Now I'm thinking we need a list of the most fall-like Criterion titles. For some reason, I'm thinking of Elevator to the Gallows, but that's because I vividly remember the characters wearing coats with the top down. It seems like something you can only do in the fall.

Somewhat related: I always get a burning desire to watch Fanny and Alexander - TV Version in the winter because of the snow covered landscape, the religious theme, and because it's my favorite film. The only problem is the 5-hour length and the, once again, busy time of the year.

shadokitty

I'm looking forward to making a dent in some samurai films. I see Kurosawa and the Zatoichi films are well represented on Hulu Plus.

CardiffGiant

I stumbled across this video earlier today. I've never seen Foreign Correspondent. Now I really want to.

<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/84135659" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>

GIZMODO - How Criterion Collection Brings Movies Back From the Dead from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

Travis McClain

Just offhand:

Diabolique
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
The Horse's Mouth
M
The Royal Tenenbaums
Wild Strawberries

mrcellophane

Three films have "autumn" in the title:
Autumn Sonata
Late Autumn
An Autumn Afternoon

I would probably add All That Heaven Allows to the list. Lots of changing leaves.

davidh777

The Third Man has an autumnal feel to it, though maybe I'm just making that up.

Tempting on Y Tu Mama. I think I have it on DVD but am not sure where it is.

Travis McClain

Another list for ya, this time curated on Criterion.com: Criterion Editions with Downloadable MP3. I've only found four so far, so if you know of any others be sure to let me know! Of particular interest is Clean, Shaven; its soundtrack is available for download, which would make that check mark pretty convenient.

CardiffGiant

I should mention, for those trying who want to listen to a soundtrack, Spotify has a LOT. I started to make a complete list, but it became a futile effort as so many are available.

CardiffGiant

Fall titles? I've seen the first two; the other titles, I've read about, so feel free to correct me.

Rushmore
Days of Heaven
All That Heaven Allows
Tess
Harold and Maude
Late Summer

It's interesting to think of films not actively taking place during a season. I want to say that Jules et Jim and Elevator to the Gallows take place during the fall, but it may just be a feeling that I have more than a reality.

mrcellophane

I started the challenge a bit early. I got together with some friends and watched my new BD of Nashville, one of my absolute favorite films. Two among us hasn't seen the film before, and they both enjoyed the film. Our conversation was very spirited and fruitful. Due to current events, we focused a lot of attention on the character of Tommy Brown, the African-American singer who gets a lot of grief from the other characters. One of the reasons I love Altman's films in how they can often explore race, religion, politics, and other big themes in a very natural way. People aren't waxing philosophic or engaging in melodramatics; they are getting a bit drunk and blurting things out in bars. They are simply going to church, and Altman explores this through editing and juxtaposition.

Okay, I'm ready for this challenge! It really is one of my favorites!

CardiffGiant

I haven't watched Nashville since I was a student, but I recently bought the BD because I remember really liking the emotion and pacing of the film. Altman can be hit or miss for me. I love Short Cuts (although my love for Raymond Carver probably creates bias here) and Nashville, but I couldn't get into MASH. I only watched the latter a year or two ago and it's possible that the chaotic nature of my life now, and pieced-together watching, contributed to my lukewarm reaction.

I keep picking up Criterions from my shelf, or clicking through Hulu and then thinking, 'oh, yeah, not yet.' One more week and the challenge begins.

shadokitty

I keep stopping myself from watching Criterions on Hulu too. Watching Sharknado instead.

CardiffGiant

Haha. In 50 years, it'll be part of the Monsters and Madmen: Volume 2 Box Set.

Special Features: 90210 to American Pie: A previously unreleased 76-minute documentary with Sharknado stars Tara Reid and Ian Ziering.

Travis McClain

Stopped by the library today to place my inter-library loan requests for this year's challenge (Contempt, The Leopard, and The Red Shoes, for Martin Scorsese's Top 10). This has become an exciting part of the pre-challenge buildup for me, right up there with customizing my list post and header. Speaking of which...we can has list thread?

shadokitty

I dug out my copy of Halloween yesterday. Now I just need to find Jason and the Argonauts. Someone mentioned in the Animation Challenge thread that the Disney Movie Club I'm in has a few Criterion eligible titles too. Though they might be cheaper just to buy used off of Amazon.

Travis McClain

I know Disney licensed Criterion's bonus content for their Blu-ray Disc releases of Armageddon and The Rock. I can't think of any others offhand.

CardiffGiant

List Thread is UP!!

(I really liked The Red Shoes)

Travis McClain

Travis McClain

Is it too late to campaign for the abolition of watching five trailers from the checklist? I did that last year and didn't really find it nearly as beneficial as reading essays. At least one trailer is pretty much unavoidable as part of the "Watch a Criterion disc. Every part of it." requirement as it is.

Also, "Listen to a Criterion/Eclipse soundtrack" should be marked (Optional).

(Is it September yet?)