[wushuliu]

A masterpiece. One of the most original, coolest, trippiest, most philosophical and yet engrossing movies I've ever seen FINALLY on Blu Ray.

https://www.amazon.com/Stalker-Feature-Blu-ray-Alisa-Freyndlikh/dp/B06ZY641YQ

Andrei Tarkovsky s final Soviet feature is a metaphysical journey through an enigmatic postapocalyptic landscape, and a rarefied cinematic experience like no other. A hired guide the Stalker leads a writer and a scientist into the heart of the Zone, the restricted site of a long-ago disaster, where the three men eventually zero in on the Room, a place rumored to fulfill one s most deeply held desires. Adapting a science-fiction novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, Tarkovsky created an immersive world with a wealth of material detail and a sense of organic atmosphere. A religious allegory, a reflection of contemporaneous political anxieties, a meditation on film itself Stalker envelops the viewer by opening up a multitude of possible meanings.

[Tyson]

I just picked my copy up.  I'll be watching it this weekend after my parents leave (they are visiting this week).  Can't wait!  Even with the shitty, shitty DVD that I've owned up till now, Stalker was the movie that vaulted Tarkovsky into my top 2 directors, and actually gave Kubrick a run for his money at the #1 spot.  It's interesting that they often cover the same subjects, but from different sides.  Kubrick the more rationalist/intellectual and Tarkovsky more poetic/spiritual.  Anyway, I'm stoked!

[wushuliu]

I just picked my copy up.  I'll be watching it this weekend after my parents leave (they are visiting this week).  Can't wait!  Even with the shitty, shitty DVD that I've owned up till now, Stalker was the movie that vaulted Tarkovsky into my top 2 directors, and actually gave Kubrick a run for his money at the #1 spot.  It's interesting that they often cover the same subjects, but from different sides.  Kubrick the more rationalist/intellectual and Tarkovsky more poetic/spiritual.  Anyway, I'm stoked!

Awesome. I've been meaning to write a post about how important it is now for film lovers (or music on film/video) to start buying their favorites or what's important to them. I've had a wake up call several times this year with wanting buy movies then finding out they are out of print, even if they were available just a few years ago. We are so hypnotized to watch whatever is recommended to us via streaming that there's no mention of just how finite things are. I looked up Hitchcock Notorious on blu-ray, because you'd think come on, gotta be available. Nope. Out of print. It was just out a few years ago. My girlfriend wanted Truly, Madly, Deeply starring Alan Rickman. Nope. Had to order a DVD from Latvia! Cocoon? One of my favorites from the 80s. Ron Howard, should be easy to find, right? Nope. $80 on ebay. Prisoner box set? Nope. On and on.

And with Netflix and Amazon spending more on original content instead of movie rights, that means fewer and fewer titles will be available.

So I'm going through literally every single listing on Amazon blu-ray to search for titles I want in a permanent library, because contrary to the 'digital forever' promise, you may never find them again. Or have to pay through the nose for them.

[fredgarvin]

I've watched it many times over the decades, beginning with bad subtitled vhs prints on a rented vhs player in the early 80's. It was unobtainium here for many years, I picked up the Kino dvd a few years back. Each viewing provides something new and profound.

[Tyson]

Awesome. I've been meaning to write a post about how important it is now for film lovers (or music on film/video) to start buying their favorites or what's important to them. I've had a wake up call several times this year with wanting buy movies then finding out they are out of print, even if they were available just a few years ago. We are so hypnotized to watch whatever is recommended to us via streaming that there's no mention of just how finite things are. I looked up Hitchcock Notorious on blu-ray, because you'd think come on, gotta be available. Nope. Out of print. It was just out a few years ago. My girlfriend wanted Truly, Madly, Deeply starring Alan Rickman. Nope. Had to order a DVD from Latvia! Cocoon? One of my favorites from the 80s. Ron Howard, should be easy to find, right? Nope. $80 on ebay. Prisoner box set? Nope. On and on.

And with Netflix and Amazon spending more on original content instead of movie rights, that means fewer and fewer titles will be available.

So I'm going through literally every single listing on Amazon blu-ray to search for titles I want in a permanent library, because contrary to the 'digital forever' promise, you may never find them again. Or have to pay through the nose for them.

I'm not so enamored with physical discs (although I have a ton of them).  But I totally agree with spending money to support those things that you value.  Which is why I just subscribed to Filmstruck and paid for a year in advance.