I threw on Black Narcissus last night. Looks absolutely amazing. So good that it becomes easy to see where the matte paintings start, unfortunately.

I kinda see that as a bonus, actually. Makes the film seem more charming, more picturebooky, more fantasy.

On the flipside, they are probably the most beautiful matte paintings ever made.

Blu-ray.com review of Black Orpheus

It was amazing to watch the bonus features of Narcissus, where they showed clips of the original film elements, and you could see what an amazing restoration had been done.

I'm interested on Black Narcissus and Red Shoes..but..I'm not sure if I can dig them. They look fucking gorgeous and interesting concepts to me. I'm sure they're great but...would I like them? I'm still iffy on whether I should get them. I mean w/ this sale I just bought...so many great films from CC but these 2 I'm the most iffy on. I saw the trailers, I respect the worlds created by the production but....dunno if I should bite on them.

I'm not a fan of generalizations, but if you don't like these two movies, you just don't like movies, not really.

Buy them. Watch them. If you don't like them, I'd be very surprised if you couldn't get your money back on half.com.

Powell and Pressburger are among the most underrated and impressive filmmaking duos in film history, and Black Narcissus and The Red Shoes are arguably the highlights of their careers. Buy the movies. Do it now and don't look back.

Alright...I will. I'll get those two and Revanche.

btw..off this sale I got:

Kagemusha (yay for no more DVD of this one)
Yojimbo & Sanjuro (ditto)
Days of Heaven
Hunger
Bottle Rocket
Stagecoach
Che
Chungking Express
Gomorrah
M (no more DVD for me!)
Repulsion
Vivre Sa Vie

Has anyone heard any rumblings about Ingmar Bergman's 'The Virgin Spring' being a re-released in the next year on blu-ray? I recently saw this film, and was mesmerized by it. But, I hate to drop money on a 'picture-boxed' dvd only to see this come out again within the year. On that note, I have the same reservations about finally buying Fellini's landmark, 'La Strada.'

Agree 100%. Black Narcissus and The Red Shoes are essential entries into anyone's film catalog, not just "classic" aficionados.

Just keep in mind, if up is the opposite of down. Red Shoes is the opposite of The Expendables. For all your gay-lust for that film, I'm not sure you would enjoy these pieces of cinema perfection. You'd have to be very open-minded.

This is pure conjecture on my part, but with The Magician in November and Fanny and Alexander strongly rumored for 2011, another Bergman next year doesn't seem likely. Even if you have to double-dip, you should be able to sell your DVD on Amazon for at least the $14 you'll pay for it from B & N now.

The Red Shoes is amazing.

....I'm slightly offended by that comment. I love film. I am fucking crazy for The Expendables cuz I grew up w/ action films as a kid. I love a lot of stuff from "Birth of a Nation" (well maybe I don't love it for it's thematic or portrayal elements in it but..as a film and as an exercise in editing) to Battleship Potemkin to King Kong to Maltese Falcon to any and all Kurosawa flicks to 2001 to Once Upon A Time In The West to The Godfather and Godfather Part II to French Connection to Taxi Drive to Raging Bull to Predator to T2 to Pulp Fiction to Toy Story etc etc and a lot of stuff in between those films I mentioned.

I'm not doubting that those are two great films. I'm just iffy on whether I'd like them enough to be in my collection. Just cuz they're amazing doesn't mean they belong in my collection. I bought them anyway. The moment I heard Scorsese had a thing on there...ok..I tend to like a lot of the stuff he likes...I just was iffy on whether I would like them. I hope I do like them and and gladly put them in my collection. That's all I meant.

I'd be surprised if Virgin Spring is in Criterions top-50 queue for releasing on Blu. There's probably 5 or more Bergmans in line ahead of it (more popular and/or older releases).

I'd double dip on that one in a heartbeat for a Blu version. Probably my second favorite Criterion.

I'd venture that Virgin Spring is one of Bergman's most well-known films, along with Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries.

I wasn't insulting you, just making fun of the insane-love for Expendables. I hope you dig movies like these, they certainly aren't for anyone, but I know I'm proof you can like both types of films.

I don't understand this line of reasoning. I grew up with the same films throughout the '80s, and I'm fine if I never see Expendables. I won't not see it if someone draggs me to it, but to be "crazy" about it just for nostalgia sake perplexes me.

Agreed.

Really? You really don't understand how someone who grew up with 80's action films might be excited about a modern-day throwback to 80's action films, with a cast and crew whose pedigree is as impressive as that of The Expendables? Are you really, truly incapable of understanding that? Because that would be a strange thing indeed.

Sorry for keeping this dumb derail going, I guess I'm just a little perplexed by your strange inability to peer outside of your own opinions.

Well, since I happen to be someone who grew up on '80s action films and Expendables isn't really on my radar, then yes, I can understand that! But then I don't play with my old action figures nor look forward to movies staring said figures as well. I guess having grown up and moved on makes me weird...

No, belittling people who don't conform to your specific point of view makes you weird. You are not every single person who grew up with 80's action films. All I'm saying is it's pretty dense to "not understand" people who don't think exactly the same way you do.