421 Pierrot le fou

Discuss releases by Criterion and the films on them. Threads may contain spoilers!
Post Reply
Message
Author
Cosmo Vitelli
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 10:36 pm

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#226 Post by Cosmo Vitelli » Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:52 pm

Hate to sound like a noob here, but does anyone know when this site/dvd beaver/ or any other site will have this month's blu-ray releases' packaging pics up? I know this site does it before it's out, just didn't know if they had common dates a month to do so. Thanks.

I know the Pierrot Le Fou packaging will look like the dvd one, but I have never seen pics of that packaging other than the cover on sites. Thanks again and sorry to sound a little silly, just can't wait for some Godard on Blu.

User avatar
CSM126
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 8:22 am
Location: The Room
Contact:

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#227 Post by CSM126 » Fri Sep 04, 2009 6:42 pm


User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#228 Post by swo17 » Fri Sep 04, 2009 6:52 pm

Those grabs look sensational, but there are some spoilers following the one of the hand with the matches.

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#229 Post by domino harvey » Fri Sep 04, 2009 7:06 pm

Did Belmondo buy her that rifle for Christmas?!

User avatar
swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#230 Post by swo17 » Fri Sep 04, 2009 7:10 pm

Man, that joke just
SpoilerShow
won't die,
will it?

User avatar
aox
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:02 pm
Location: nYc

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#231 Post by aox » Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:03 pm

Blu Ray weighs in. Stunning transfer.

User avatar
Napier
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:48 am
Location: The Shire

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#232 Post by Napier » Sat Sep 12, 2009 11:25 am

Watching this in Blu-ray makes me giggle like a little kid on Christmas. This transfer is easily the best I've ever seen. Unbelievable! Even those who aren't a fan of Pierrot will no doubt be seduced by this.

User avatar
aox
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:02 pm
Location: nYc

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#233 Post by aox » Sat Sep 12, 2009 1:21 pm

Napier wrote:This transfer is easily the best I've ever seen. Unbelievable! Even those who aren't a fan of Pierrot will no doubt be seduced by this.
I can think of at least three people on this board that will take issue with this statement. In other words, thanks for adding three pages to the server.

User avatar
cdnchris
Site Admin
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:45 pm
Location: Washington
Contact:

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#234 Post by cdnchris » Tue Sep 15, 2009 2:23 pm


User avatar
Knappen
Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:14 am
Location: Oslo/Paris

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#235 Post by Knappen » Fri Sep 25, 2009 11:56 am

Will this disc play on a region-locked, European Blu-Ray player?

User avatar
Matt
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:58 pm

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#236 Post by Matt » Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:34 pm

Knappen wrote:Will this disc play on a region-locked, European Blu-Ray player?
Though I can't verify this one specifically, Criterion have been region-locking all of their Blu-rays. It will probably be coming in France or the UK from StudioCanal or Optimum very soon.

User avatar
Ben Cheshire
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:01 am

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#237 Post by Ben Cheshire » Sat Oct 03, 2009 8:20 pm

I just got the disc, because I'm going region-free soon, and I tried it on my Region-B locked PS3 and no, it definitely is region A-locked.

User avatar
ShellOilJunior
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:17 am

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#238 Post by ShellOilJunior » Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:23 am

Very pleased with this disc.

Another win for Criterion. 8-)

User avatar
aox
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:02 pm
Location: nYc

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#239 Post by aox » Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:26 am

I finally watched this last night (got my Blu in the mail last week) and it was stunningly gorgeous. I have seen the film many times, but never like this. Makes me sad to think that Criterion won't be doing Contempt. :cry:

User avatar
aox
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:02 pm
Location: nYc

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#240 Post by aox » Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:56 pm

david hare wrote:Don't be too sad Crit isn't doing le Mepris just yet..

While the Pierrot Blu is absolutely stunning - rock solid, and a huge improvement over the also excellent SD STudio canal original - the HD source for Contempt is relatively weak in comparison - not overall but in isolated shots. I don't think it's simply compression, but there's plenty of room for improvement on both color timing, contrast and some quite nasty motion sequences - notably the shot of Bardot and Piccoli running down the grassed hillside to the projection room which is very unstable. Then they get to Palance's sports car which is now orange rather than red. Then the second half of the projection room sequence itself with Palance throwing the cans of film around is a mess, riddled with digital noise. The master is quite obviously an older 2k one, and Studio Canal needs to revisit it
I posted a link today to the Optimum Blu Review in the Contempt thread. It said pretty much the same thing.

User avatar
zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#241 Post by zedz » Tue Oct 13, 2009 3:30 pm

david hare wrote:Don't be too sad Crit isn't doing le Mepris just yet..

While the Pierrot Blu is absolutely stunning - rock solid, and a huge improvement over the also excellent SD STudio canal original - the HD source for Contempt is relatively weak in comparison - not overall but in isolated shots. I don't think it's simply compression, but there's plenty of room for improvement on both color timing, contrast and some quite nasty motion sequences - notably the shot of Bardot and Piccoli running down the grassed hillside to the projection room which is very unstable. Then they get to Palance's sports car which is now orange rather than red. Then the second half of the projection room sequence itself with Palance throwing the cans of film around is a mess, riddled with digital noise. The master is quite obviously an older 2k one, and Studio Canal needs to revisit it
I think this is an excellent cautionary example. I have heard that in many cases existing HD transfers, even for films that looked great on DVD, just don't measure up for Blu, and certainly not for the standards Criterion wants to maintain. So there may well be a very good reason why a highly sought and commerically obvious Criterion title doesn't receive an automatic HD upgrade.

In the instance of Contempt, maybe Criterion saw the available HD transfer and passed on it, if the alternative was starting again from scratch.

User avatar
aox
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:02 pm
Location: nYc

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#242 Post by aox » Tue Oct 13, 2009 3:34 pm

zedz wrote:
david hare wrote: I have heard that in many cases existing HD transfers, even for films that looked great on DVD, just don't measure up for Blu
if the alternative was starting again from scratch.
I am understanding that this is pretty much the case with every HD remaster from this decade: they aren't transferring well directly to Blu and need to be redone.

Could be wrong though.

jaredsap
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2007 1:24 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#243 Post by jaredsap » Tue Oct 13, 2009 7:31 pm

zedz wrote:In the instance of Contempt, maybe Criterion saw the available HD transfer and passed on it, if the alternative was starting again from scratch.
Criterion does not have the rights to release CONTEMPT on Blu. (Hence I was happy to buy the Optimum, however imperfect.) This is discussed in the CONTEMPT thread.

User avatar
tajmahal
Joined: Mon May 11, 2009 11:10 pm

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#244 Post by tajmahal » Tue Dec 22, 2009 8:09 am

A few thoughts after a first viewing of Pierrot le Fou.
Firstly, a pre-conception busted. I was expecting the film to be little more than a series of live-action cartoons. While I can see where certain scenes, isolated, could be viewed as that in a cartoon, the experience as a whole didn't stike me in that way. It is certainly a film that could bear repeated viewing, though I'm not sure it is too much more than the sum of it's parts.

On first viewing, I tend agree to agree with whoever it was who offered the opinion that this film, (and Godard as filmmaker and myth), was reliant on two very engaging performances, and a very talented cinematographer. Godard's stamp is very much there, but I do wonder, at that stage in his career, whether he would have achieved such legendary status had it not been for the handful of very talented and charismatic people that are so much associated with this film, and Godard's early, career-making works.

Again, a first viewing, and a film I will most certainly return to.

On the Criterion dvd, I was slightly disappointed with the overall sharpness, compared to recent viewing of similar and much older prints. Colours were vibrant, but I didn't find myself pausing every few minutes to wonder at the clarity of an old film. I haven't had the benefit of comparing to an earlier dvd edition, so this might well be a wonderful representation.

I found the Gorin Pierrot Primer pretentious and of little value. I would like to nominate his commentary as the most annoying of any I have listened to. God-awful.

The interviews and booklet, on the other hand, were interesting and insightful. As these things should be, a wonderful addition the the feature.

Overall, a really enjoyable film, and one I look forward to revisiting and reassessing.

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#245 Post by domino harvey » Tue Dec 22, 2009 9:52 am

tajmahal wrote:I found the Gorin Pierrot Primer pretentious and of little value. I would like to nominate his commentary as the most annoying of any I have listened to. God-awful.
:shock: He's showing how to appreciate a Godard film on the level it operates on. I doubt you'll ever be able go above polite surface enjoyment of Godard without accepting or at least entertaining such critical approaches

User avatar
tajmahal
Joined: Mon May 11, 2009 11:10 pm

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#246 Post by tajmahal » Tue Dec 22, 2009 4:50 pm

domino harvey wrote:
tajmahal wrote:I found the Gorin Pierrot Primer pretentious and of little value. I would like to nominate his commentary as the most annoying of any I have listened to. God-awful.
:shock: He's showing how to appreciate a Godard film on the level it operates on. I doubt you'll ever be able go above polite surface enjoyment of Godard without accepting or at least entertaining such critical approaches
Nope. It was pretentious, and next to useless as a 'primer'. Your 'polite surface enjoyment' put-down is not unexpected, given your slavish praise of this film, and Godard in general. (If you don't get Godard, you don't get cinema ) I have watched, and enjoyed quite a few Godard films, and watched countless extras, scene specific commentaries etc about many filmmakers, including Godard. Read many good and bad books about cinema and filmmakers. The Gorin 'primer' is the worst example of ego-driven critical theory as a dvd extra I've come across. I'm sure future viewings of Pierrot le Fou will reveal a little more of the director's intentions (how much there is to 'get' is up for debate) but the 'primer', in my opinion, is just plain bad.

User avatar
mfunk9786
Under Chris' Protection
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#247 Post by mfunk9786 » Tue Dec 22, 2009 5:04 pm

LOLZ

User avatar
Noiretirc
Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:04 pm
Location: VanIsle
Contact:

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#248 Post by Noiretirc » Tue Dec 22, 2009 5:30 pm

mfunk9786 wrote:LOLZ
Whenever I do that my posts disappear. Let's see what happens to yours.

(Or mine.)

User avatar
aox
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:02 pm
Location: nYc

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#249 Post by aox » Tue Dec 22, 2009 5:31 pm

Yeah, you should use the emoticon to convey lolz.

User avatar
domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: 421 Pierrot le fou

#250 Post by domino harvey » Tue Dec 22, 2009 5:48 pm

Worrying about discovering any "director's intentions" says it all. LOLZ indeed

Post Reply