The Criterion Collection

[Thebunk]

Originally Posted by jayj15

Did anyone else find "Le Cercle Rouge" a little disappointing after seeing other Melville films? It just seems like a lesser version of Dassin's "Rififi" to me. It doesn't touch "Le Doulos", "Army of Shadows" or " Le Samourai". It lacks the emotional connection to the characters. I still have to see Bob le Flambuer. Un Flic, and "Le Deuxième Souffle" though.

I loved it all up until the last 10 to 15 mins. Talk about anti-climactic. I have yet to see Rififi (I know) but am well aware of the influence of the major heist scene. I know I have not yet scene the original scene, but the LCR heist scene I loved a lot.

All of that said, it kind of brings up a point I have always thought essential which is just because something was done by someone first, does not mean they executed it the best. An example that comes to mind is how the Dardennes brothers empathetic style is often compared to Bresson's. Full disclosure, I have only see Bresson's Pickpocket but I was very underwhelmed (will be checking our Machete next). So while Bresson's may have created the blueprint, I think the Dardennes's execute this style much better (just my opinion).

[Monty70]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

I agree entirely.

The phrase "cute as a button" comes to mind. The scene of her dancing around the pool table in Vivre sa vie is a favorite of mine.

Nana's dance - YouTube

[Monty70]

Originally Posted by Lutz

[Show spoiler] But also considering the movie ends with Diane killing herself and falling into the pillow and in the middle of the movie they find her dead body face down in the pillow - it seems more than likely to me it is Diane falling into the pillow dead at the start of the movie.

That is how I interpreted that POV shot as well.

[Noetic Hatter]

Originally Posted by Monty70

The phrase "cute as a button" comes to mind. The scene of her dancing around the pool table in Vivre sa vie is a favorite of mine.

Nana's dance - YouTube

You fellers have excellent taste in foreign ladies. Love that pooltable dance in Vivre, too.

I'm just upset I hadn't discovered her before the Pierrot le Fou discs went out of print. At least I can check it out on DVD from the library, so I have seen it. But it would be glorious to own on BD. Such lovely colours.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by R o d

That's 7 movies in 1-2 days. I don't know how you do that. I mean even if it's physically possible, these are deep and important films. I would think that you would want to savor each one for a while. So maybe you mean that these are the ones to pick from and you don't really intend to watch all of them in such a short period of time. I know if it was me, I would probably watch one and think about it for a week. Anyway, enjoy.

Eh I haven't watched anything yet lol.

That plan went out the window

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by joie

A box set alone could hurt sales. For example, I only want one from the Qatsi Trilogy and one from the David Lean set, so I am not buying those sets. I don't mind if they do a set, but they should make the titles available separately.

Although with the Antonioni titles, I can't imagine someone loving one and disliking the others...would you not want them together, yourself?

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by R o d

That's 7 movies in 1-2 days. I don't know how you do that. I mean even if it's physically possible, these are deep and important films. I would think that you would want to savor each one for a while. So maybe you mean that these are the ones to pick from and you don't really intend to watch all of them in such a short period of time. I know if it was me, I would probably watch one and think about it for a week. Anyway, enjoy.

Oh, I don't know. I often watch double-features two or three nights a week, sometimes a triple-feature if they're short (like B-westerns or all three versions of THE MALTESE FALCON), though other times I'll just watch one movie followed by its bonus features and maybe a second time with the commentary. However usually two or three times a year I'll plan a three-day weekend marathon of movies from roughly noon to midnight each day, with titles often chosen thematically (film noir, war films, early widescreen, movies about trains, etc.). It's nice to program your own private film festivals, especially if you can get a few friends to come over and enjoy them as well. Seeing them projected onto a big screen in a home theatre setting makes the difference. I'd never watch that many movies straight through on a regular TV set or a computer.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by iScottie

[Show spoiler]

A bird inside an Egyptian tomb.

In Le Samouraï, Jef Costello owns a bird. He is also living in a figurative tomb made of his own choices, but, since his existentialist nature enables him to carry out his duties in his own style as a rebuke of the fatalism that surroundings and environment impose upon him, the tomb is beautifully decorated. Also, the Egyptian tomb is the type of item that might be found on a table in Rey's home when Jef Costello pays a visit during one pivotal scene.

*clears throat*

Okay, I promise I'll be quiet now.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by joie

A box set alone could hurt sales. For example, I only want one from the Qatsi Trilogy and one from the David Lean set, so I am not buying those sets. I don't mind if they do a set, but they should make the titles available separately.

As long as all three come out I'll be happy. I always wanted to see a decent version of La Notte but didn't have a multi-region player to get one. The last time I saw it was ages ago on TCM.

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by jrmac2000

Babette's Feast, I believe they eat quails en sarcophage in the film.

"Caille en Sarcophage avec Sauce Perigourdine" (quail in puff pastry shell with foie gras and truffle sauce); a salad featuring Belgian chicory and walnuts in a vinaigrette

Wikipedia entry for Babette's Feast

[Member-152329]

Guys I'm doing an essay on Wings of Desire, for an existentialism class. Love the movie.

So my question is, what's up turkey?

[dmarvin]

So...On the Waterfront was a blind buy for me. I just watched it.
All I have to say is...wow.

Oh, and Brando...wow again.

The Academy screws a lot of things up, but at least they got it right with OTW.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by mookoo

Guys I'm doing an essay on Wings of Desire, for an existentialism class. Love the movie.

So my question is, what's up turkey?

Be sure to mention the music video for U2 - "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)", since the band wrote the song for the Wenders film, Faraway, So Close!, a 1993 sequel of sorts to Wings of Desire. The music video included images inspired from both films.
...and this video featured Nastassja Kinski.

U2 ★ Stay ( Faraway so close ! ) - YouTube

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by dmarvin

So...On the Waterfront was a blind buy for me. I just watched it.
All I have to say is...wow.

Oh, and Brando...wow again.

The Academy screws a lot of things up, but at least they got it right with OTW.

+1 Amen!

[jrsl76]

Originally Posted by jrmac2000

Babette's Feast, I believe they eat quails en sarcophage in the film.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's very clever, but so disappointing since we already knew it was coming. I would have preferred that they hinted at something we didn't already know.

[IronWaffle]

Originally Posted by Lutz

[Show spoiler] But also considering the movie ends with Diane killing herself and falling into the pillow and in the middle of the movie they find her dead body face down in the pillow - it seems more than likely to me it is Diane falling into the pillow dead at the start of the movie.

There's also that the character you mention falls asleep at the end of each of her first three (or so) scenes. There's a lot to unpack... or perhaps untangle.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Be sure to mention the music video for U2 - "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)", since the band wrote the song for the Wenders film, Faraway, So Close!, a 1993 sequel of sorts to Wings of Desire. The music video included images inspired from both films.
...and this video featured Nastassja Kinski.

U2 ★ Stay ( Faraway so close ! ) - YouTube

I'm pretty sure Wenders directed the video as well.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I'm pretty sure Wenders directed the video as well.

Yes, indeed. Wim Wenders directed the U2 video.

U2's "Until the End of the World" was also on the soundtrack for the Wim Wenders film of the same name, which really belongs on the Criterion queue. That movie had such a wonderful soundtrack, and I wore that CD out during my college years. I never had a chance to see the film itself, though.

[joie]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

Although with the Antonioni titles, I can't imagine someone loving one and disliking the others...would you not want them together, yourself?

No, because I shelve alphabetically by title and count movies by SKU.

I have to count by SKU, because this site's database entry counts, for example, "Stagecoach" as TWO MOVIES. There is an extra movie in the supplements, but Criterion's "Stagecoach" is ONE MOVIE.

I might buy all three of the Anotonioni's in a set, if that is the only way they're available, if each has a separate UPC. The correct way to do sets, in my opinion, is one UPC for the set (on the box) and a UPC for each movie in the box. "Vengeance Trilogy" is a good example of a set done correctly in that respect. Criterion did the Yojimbo/Sanjuro set correctly, too, and they can be bought separately without buying the set.

I am ready to buy one movie from each of the Lean and Qatsi sets. Why won't Criterion make them available separately?

Having a separate UPC for each movie in a set also makes it easier to sell the duds, if any. I learned that the hard way with the BBS set.

P.S. For a while, "On the Waterfront" was listed as two movies. Someone was counting a documentary in the supplements as the second movie. I edited the database to indicate that it is one movie with three cuts (aspect ratios) and that change was accepted. I can think cynically at times and when I do so, I suspect that someone is just trying to boost their movie count by indicating that one SKU contains two movies when there is nothing on the cover to indicate that it contains two movies. SKUs that contain two movies usually indicate that's the case on the cover; for example, The "Dirty Harry" double feature, "El Mariachi" and "Desperado," ... .

[Spire]

Hmmm, wonder what this is about...


Was in the latest Criterion email.