Originally Posted by SpiderBaby (Post 5335011)

Whatever you do, the 2 "must haves" for anybody serious in film that I would recommend, get the Jean Vigo and The Rules of the Game (which this one is coming out next month, could be during the Barnes and Noble 50% off sale.) If serious, learn up on them if you like.

You could get both of these next month during that sale for $40.

This is all you need:

http://criterion-production.s3.amazo...8x490_w128.jpghttp://criterion-production.s3.amazo...8x490_w128.jpg

Originally Posted by jhiggy23 (Post 5379817)

Although I own a good amount of Criterion films, I have yet to see any of the Jean Vigo films and am on the fence about buying the box set during the B and N sale. I know how influential Vigo is, but can anyone please weigh in about whether this would be a good purchase?

Originally Posted by Sukuri (Post 5379922)

I saw L'Atalante a while back, can't for the life of me remember what happened in the film. Wasn't something I would have considered rewatching.

On blu-ray however....

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior (Post 5379942)

Here's your Vigo endorsement.

Originally Posted by jcs913 (Post 5380036)

IMO, I would say confidently that it is the best Criterion release of the year. Once you take into consideration the time period and what you see on the screen, you will see how great his films are. Frankly, I think I enjoyed the supplements more than the films, as they really open the door to Vigo.

Originally Posted by jhiggy23 (Post 5380316)

Well....a spiderbaby bare recommendation isn't necessarily what I'd call persuasive or informative. Plus, he recommends The Rules of the Game, which while considered one of the greatest films of all-time, I find dull and uninteresting.

Stating that it is essential for someone who's "serious" about film doesn't really answer the question. I'm looking for some detail from those who've seen each of the films about what they either liked or disliked about them.

Originally Posted by SHMACKDOJO (Post 5380511)

I have to agree. I recently rented The Rules of the Game and was also underwhelmed. It seemed like a fairly typical comedy of manners with few standout visuals. Not a bad flick, but pretty forgettable by Criterion standards.

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek (Post 5380722)

Only you can decide if the disc is "worth it" ($20) to you. I know you're just asking for more info, but ultimately you will need to watch the films to sort out whether or not any of us have good taste.

Most if not all of the films are available on YouTube or Archive.org - why not take a look?

My two cents on the films anyway:

Originally Posted by SHMACKDOJO (Post 5380511)

I have to agree. I recently rented The Rules of the Game and was also underwhelmed. It seemed like a fairly typical comedy of manners with few standout visuals. Not a bad flick, but pretty forgettable by Criterion standards.

Originally Posted by SHMACKDOJO (Post 5380987)

Does anyone here have experience ordering replacement covers from Criterion? It's been over two weeks for one item (had them ship a replacement yesterday) and about 9 days for the other. How long do their replacement shipments usually take?

Originally Posted by sskclickgeneral (Post 5371522)

I am scared for the upcoming B&N sale. Even though I only plan on picking up Salo, I know I'll end up buying as many as possible. Including:
- Island of Lost Souls
- Modern Times
- Paths of Glory
- The Killing
- Kagemusha
- Wings of Desire
- The Phantom Carriage
- Che
- The Great Dictator
- In the Realm of the Senses
- The Rules of the Game
- Revanche
- The 400 Blows
- A Christmas Tale

The last sale I only intended on getting Antichrist. I ended up getting:
- Antichrist
- Yojimbo/Sanjuro
- Videodrome
- The Seventh Seal
- Seven Samurai
- Les Diaboliques

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby (Post 5380698)

Vigo's films are very playful, Rebellion-like, full of youth, anarchistic, violent (in ideas).

I don't know what kind of recommendation you want, but countless times I have said it is the best release (film-wise) they have put out since blu-ray (maybe even ever if not tied with releases like Berlin Alexanderplatz, etc).

Things you might look forward to:

The cinematography was by Boris Kaufman, the brother of Soviet filmmaker Dziga Vertov. The first project "À propos de Nice" can remind one of silent Soviet films.

Zéro de conduite is a film of youth, rebellion and Anarchy (which Vigo knows alot about).

L'Atalante, his most known film (and for good reason), is a/the great example of early Poetic Realism. I will just take a quote to sum it up (since I can't do any better) "classical, almost violent and always tormented, fevered, overflowing with ideas and with fantasy; truculent; a virulent and even demonical romanticism that still remains humanistic."

I can't recommend anything better.

Edit: I never thought I would push one of these "3 Reasons" vids, but here I go:

Three Reasons: The Complete Jean Vigo - YouTube

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek (Post 5380722)

Only you can decide if the disc is "worth it" ($20) to you. I know you're just asking for more info, but ultimately you will need to watch the films to sort out whether or not any of us have good taste.

Most if not all of the films are available on YouTube or Archive.org - why not take a look?

My two cents on the films anyway:

For some context, I think if you enjoy The 400 Blows, The Human Condition or Italian Neorealist films you'll find this set very worthwhile.

I think if you cross your arms and expect to be wowed by L'Atalante (especially if you're already wary going into it) you'll miss the point. It's the story of a young couple in love with each other but with a less than perfect marriage and situation. These aren't films that have grand stories to tell, they are snapshots from life, both the good and bad parts.

L'Atalante isn't overly melodrama, it isn't schmaltzy, it isn't polished to a fine sheen. It's just a very real-seeming, poetic film about a few people's existence. And since they live on a barge, their existence isn't glamorous but it isn't quite "normal" either -- sort of blue-collar bohemian. There is a mildly surreal quality to it, but more in the sense of a dream than any kind of weirdness.

Zero de conduite is just one of my favorite films, a sort of whimsical precursor to The 400 Blows. But again, much of its charm lies in its observance of the daily ups and downs of life rather than any conventional three-act hero quest plot.

Then, when you step outside the films themselves, consider their context, their contemporaries, how they were 20 years ahead of their time stylistically and what they influenced, it sinks in how significant they are beyond just being lovely humanist portrayals, and how one of the great unanswered questions in film history is "what if Vigo had lived to make more films?". I haven't watched any of the extras on the disc yet, but I'm sure they also say something to that effect.

One caveat: I also love The Rules of the Game.

Originally Posted by jhiggy23 (Post 5381349)

Great, thanks for your help spiderbaby! That's exactly what I was looking for--substantive reasons for why it is such an essential release, as opposed to just a claim to "get it." I also appreciate the fact that you gave a blurb about each film, since although my knowledge of L'Atalante is limited, my knowledge of the other two films is even less. I anticipate picking it up, to go along with Carlos, Orpheus, The Killing, and Three Colors.

Originally Posted by Zen_Amako (Post 5378375)

It would be nice if Amazon would match the B&N sale. That way we wouldn't need to cancel our preorders for titles being released during the sale.