What's up, collectors! I'm D.J. Martinez III, and this is my channel all about collecting physical media. I make Sale Hauls, Collection Updates, Unboxing Videos, Movie Discussions, Room Tours, and anything else I think of that has to do with my love of collecting.
Use WD-40 to get the sticker off. It wipes away easily after the glue is gone. Just use Simple Green or 409 to clean up remaining solution. You can buff out with a microfiber cloth after that.
Congrats on an awesome find. I love when Criterion does things like this. They used to issue postcards of releases too back in the day. They would put them in random DVD releases. I am really happy for you. Enjoy and keep reading, designing and collecting.
Holy moly this is awesome! I had no idea this even existed! 8:35 Monsters and Madmen artwork by the GOAT: Darwyn Cooke! One of the greatest storytellers to ever live, and the best comic book artist ever, if you ask me.
I have been waiting for them to make an new updated version with added new designs and covers! But if it never happens I might go hunting for this one too!
Green for Danger is one of my favourite ever films. I wish Criterion would make an upgrade for it. Plus a post for me to frame on my wall. I adore the artwork for it.
I'm actually thinking about grabbing another Twilight Time soon because by happenstance I got their Sense & Sensibility release and when a friend asked recently what my favorite transfer in my collection is - I said that one! A transfer so stunning I thought I was seeing new colors watching that a few months ago. Has really made me want to hunt down more Twilight Time!
congrats! my girlfriend got that for me when we first started going out a few years ago. she knows nothing about movies and only heard me once say I like the Criterion label, and surprised me with this gift for our first Christmas together. you will enjoy the book immensely.
Part of what I love about Geekvolution is how it has always feels like turning on a video from 2010-2012. Whether it's intentional or not, it's a comforting thing to have. But as a consequence, it's still so weird to see DJ in a modern RU-vid video set up. The production value you're bringing is really next level. I'm not a major fan of film collecting, but I hope your channel explodes DJ.
Hope you can save up to get your daughter the Wizard of Oz LE! I’ve found that skipping more regular releases and then splurging on the “grail” movies can be worth it.
Regarding the German version of Dragonheart that you bought... here in the UK, the original standard DVD case from years ago looked almost identical to the case for that German version (the case itself, not the slip cover), so unfortunately it's not new artwork at all and there's nothing special about it. Just thought I'd let you know.
'Il Sorpasso' is the best in the boxset, what I love about the genre is that it was calling out toxic male behaviour, but sweetened as comedies - Fran said they are hoping to do another Italian set
Loved 'The Hot Spot'. 'Misunderstood' was pretty good. Didn't like 'Mississippi Mermaid' at all- the soundtrack was really out of place. IMHO Radiance's boxsets are the best, especially 'World Film Noir I', 'Cosa Nostra' and the Italian comedy boxset were all outstanding. I can highly recommend 'The Landlord', 'Bandits of Orgosolo' and 'Tchao Pantin'
My reaction to Radiance so far: Own by yet to watch: A Moment of Romance A Story Written in Water A Woman Kills Black Tight Killers By a Man’s Face Shall You Know Him Married to the Mob Messiah of Evil Bounty Hunter boxset (only watched the first film - 8/10 so far) The Dead Mother The Sting of Death Thieves Like Us The Sunday Woman Yakuza Graveyard Shinobi boxset box set Planet of the Vampires Agitator box set box set The End of Civilization box set Pre ordered: World Noir II Daiei Gothic - Japanese Ghost Stories (boxset) Dogra Magra (LE) Häxan (LE) Loved - all 8.5/10 in no particular order: Bandits of Orgosolo* Tchao Pantin* Il Mattatore (Commedia all'italiana box set) Il Sorpasso (Commedia all'italiana box set)* Il Vedovo (Commedia all'italiana box set) Witness in the City (World Noir I box set)* The Facts of Murder (World Noir I box set) I am Waiting (World Noir I box set) The Day of the Owl (Cosa Nostra box set)* The Case is Closed: Forget It (Cosa Nostra box set)* Elegant Beast The Working Class Goes To Heaven* Miami Blues* I, The Executioner The Hot Spot The Man On The Roof Welcome to the Dollhouse* The Shape of Night (SOLD) The Landlord* *Probably my favourites so far Thought they were OK - Good, but won’t be watching again (7-8/10): Killer’s Mission Big Time Gambling Boss (SOLD) Fill’er up with Super (SOLD) The Iron Prefect (SOLD) Goodbye & Amen (SOLD) Trenque Lauquen (SOLD) The Bride Wore Black (SOLD) Misunderstood (SOLD) She Dies Tomorrow (SOLD) Eighteen Years in Prison (SOLD) Mississippi Mermaid (borderline 6.5-7/10) (SOLD) Didn’t like (5-6.5/10): Sympathy for the Underdog (SOLD) Allosanfan (SOLD) Tony Arzenta (SOLD) Le Combat Dans L’ile (SOLD) Red Sun (SOLD) O.C. and Stiggs (worst film Radiance have released, together with Red Sun?) (SOLD) Visible Secret (SOLD) Non Radiance that I haven’t watched: Man Marked for Death, 20 Years later Non Radiance that were good (8/10): Buster Keaton Rides Again/Helicopter Canada Non Radiance that I didn’t like (6-6.5/10): Arrebato (SOLD) Black God, White Devil (SOLD) Walking the Edge (SOLD)
Great video Dj. I've been picking up quite a few radiance films lately. I picked up and watched yakuza graveyard. I. Also picked up sympathy for the underdog,big time gambling boss, shinobi trilogy and the bounty hunter trilogy so far.
The Hot Spot has one of THE great soundtracks. A score comprised entirely of jazz giant Miles Davis and blues maestro John Lee Hooker improvising throughout the film. Run don’t walk and get that soundtrack. 😉
Radiance has become too niche for me, which wasn’t the initial message from Fran, the CEO. Case in point, during the first 6 months we had The Hot Spot, Miami Blues, Welcome to the Dollhouse, Thieves Like Us, Cutter’s Way, Married to the Mob, and O.C. and Stiggs. A year later, we get The Landlord by the great Hal Ashby. So what’s happened in between? Only niche Asian, Italian, and French films and that trend seems ready to continue into the future. Quality wise, the packaging is superb with a great touch using the OBI strip (something Fran came across on Japanese music CDs). Unfortunately, mastering quality is all over the place as Radiance do next to nothing themselves, instead relying on what they get sent. The Landlord for example uses the Kino Lorber transfer which was never great in the first place and Radiance did nothing to improve on it. Being British I’m pleased that we have a new boutique label, but frustrated that the company made a U-turn towards a niche audience. I was expecting to see classic 70s, 80s, and 90s films that have never received a Blu-ray release in the U.K. It looks like that’s no longer going to happen.
Oh no DJ, what are doing? I'm in Europe and even I can't keep up with the UK boutique labels' output, and now you got me interested in another one! 😱 Totally sold on that Commedia Italiana box set now, plus also noticed Radiance will be bringing 'Häxan' to the UK in a fabulous LE in October, putting that on my wishlist too. Looks like October is gonna be expensive (BFI's 4ks of 'Watership Down' and 'Seven Samurai', Eureka's 'Louis Feuillade Crime Serials' box set, Criterion's Val Lewton double feature and 'Night of the Living Dead' 4k finally coming to the UK, Indicator's Columbia Horror box set and oh yeah their usual bi-annual sale happening then too)! Oh well, goodbye life savings! 🤪 Awesome video as usual, loving your content, keep it up! 👍
JLT is one of my faves. He really shines with Anouk Aimee in A MAN AND A WOMAN (1966). It’s never been available on Blu-ray or Streaming, but if you’re lucky you can get it on DVD at your local library. That’s what I did for my film club and it up scaled nicely on our projector. Your wife will thank me. (Don’t be fooled by links on Amazon Prime, they all connect to the 1986 sequel A MAN AND A WOMAN 20 YEARS LATER which you should not watch first). Other great performances are in Bertolucci’s THE CONFORMIST, Costa-Garvas’ Z, and Kieslowski’s RED.
"Mississippi Mermaid" (1969) is an adaptation of a William Irish novel from 1947. But that's not what's interesting to me. It's that William Irish was a pen name of Cornell Woolrich. I recently saw a 2 film Argentinian adaptation of 3 William Irish short stories ("Never Open That Door"/"If I Should Died Before I Wake"). Seeing that Woolrich's work was adapted in France, as well as Argentina, is fascinating. Plus, it sounds like Radiance put a round of quality supplements with the film.
Thanks for the Radiance unveiling. Like you, I was intrigued by MISUNDERSTOOD when it popped up on the live stream. I'm glad that @donsimpsonshead8809 commented that the film is region AB and not B, so I may pick it up at some point. MISSISSIPPI MERMAID is not top tier Truffaut, but it is still very good and entertaining. Never heard of SUNDAY WOMAN before, so something new for me. For some strange reason, even though, I'm half Italian, on the whole Italian comedies do not work for me. They seem too slight and not really funny, even from the greats like Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren are not really good enough to win me over. The ones I do like are more serious than they are comedies.
Radiance is the type of boutique label that I love!! though I have to imported them and it is quite expensive! But the quality of such stuff is great and beautiful!! I have already some Radiance’s titles and Box Sets and it is worth every penny!
