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July 23, 2009 By idawson Leave a Comment

Criterion Collection Blow-Out at Barnes and Noble!!!!!

: Criterion Titles

Check out this limited time offer! Usually these disks run in the forty dollar range, so being able to get them at 20 bucks is a fantastic opportunity! I have already indulged and may go back for more ….

Click here for more on the Criterion Collection.

You may be wondering why film fans are clamoring for such a special deal. Criterion DVDs and Blu Rays go beyond the standard issue disks not only in the quality of the digital transfer, but also in the meticulous detail that goes into developing the special features. Not only do the folks at Criterion get noted film scholars and filmmakers to provide commentary and/or essays, but their producers have apparently scoured the world to get any existing information out there in the public domain pertaining to a particular title.

Take my Criterion Blu Ray version of “The Third Man;” Here are just a few of the listed Special Edition Features:

– Two audio commentaries (by Steven Soderbergh and Tony Gilroy) and one by film scholar Dana Polan

– Abridged recording of Graham Greene’s treatment, read by Richard Clarke

– A 2005 documentary on the making of the film

– Joseph Cotten (Holly Martins’) alternate opening voice-over narration for the U.S. version of the film

– Booklet featuring an essay by critic Luc Sante

…. and much much more!

As you can see, if you are a particular fan of a title that Criterion offers, owning one of these disks is like having a master class in that movie. I cannot recommend them enough.

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July 10, 2009 By idawson Leave a Comment

On Location – NYC

Since I live in the greater NYC area, I have a wealth of “On Locations” to report. This first installment is probably one of my favorites from a favorite director of mine.

I already have featured one location from the masterpiece that is Vertigo. The second Hitchcock film I will refer to is “North by Northwest.”
Here is a photo of the corner of 5th Avenue and 42nd Street as it is now (from my cell phone) …

42nd 55th new

… and a few years back when Nat Sherman was there ….

In the film, it was a passing shot pretty early on. There are plenty of other NYC locations that Hitchcock used throughout the filming of NbNW, but for me, a frequent passerby of the area, I felt a nice little connection to the location. In my research it is no doubt a “shout out” to the store. According to Cigar Aficionado, Hitch was a huge fan of cigars.

As for Nat Sherman, it has moved a few hundred feet to a less conspicuous location – along 42nd Street.

Here is a really cool site I discovered that listed many of the location shots from North by Northwest.

I also found this awesome compendium of film locations. Using this guide as a resource, you may even be able to plan a nice trip around a film or two!

July 2, 2009 By idawson 1 Comment

On Location – Paris

This is a close up picture of “Winged Victory” at the Louvre in Paris. However, fans of Audrey Hepburn may remember that this as a famous scene in Stanley Donen’s “Funny Face.” as she is descending the stairs in that lovely red dress. Who could forget?