The Criterion Collection

[theprestige85]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Thanks, Pro-B. I love the guy, but I'm only familiar with his more mainstream work (Casino Royale, Hannibal) and Refn films.

The first two Pusher films will be right up your ally, especially the 2nd one. Also, if you can find it, check out Bleeder. Probably his most sensitive performance and a complete 180 from Pusher! God I love the original Pusher trilogy, that would be a day one purchase for me. Can't believe the German steel book has no English subtitles

[the sordid sentinel]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

watched "wild strawberries" today. great movie, nice video quality all the way.

wild stawberries is now my second favorite bergman movie (seventh seal still the first)

Yeah..those are 2 sweet B/W transfers. My 2 favorite Bergman's as well, and I rank them the same as you.

[the sordid sentinel]

Originally Posted by jayembee

You really should watch the Hannibal TV series sometime.

So looking fwd. to season 2. Really enjoy The Silence of the Lambs and even more so Manhunter, but the Hannibal TV series is poised to surpass them both IMO.

[Oblivion138]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

He is also the driving force for the TV series Hannibal. Great series for Thomas Harris fans.

Not for this Harris fan. Mads is the only good thing about that show.

[smoss469]

Finally found a Tokyo Story cover that's true to the CC Theme.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Oblivion138

Not for this Harris fan. Mads is the only good thing about that show.

The entire character franchise started to go off the rails when they made Hannibal the "hero" of the second movie, and then ended in a calamitous train-wreck when they tried to give him his "hero origin" in Hannibal Rising.
Apart from the Edward Norton "Red Dragon", I'm just assuming NOBODY even remembers what Harris was trying to accomplish in his first two books, even Harris anymore.

[Oblivion138]

Originally Posted by EricJ

The entire character franchise started to go off the rails when they made Hannibal the "hero" of the second movie, and then ended in a calamitous train-wreck when they tried to give him his "hero origin" in Hannibal Rising.
Apart from the Edward Norton "Red Dragon", I'm just assuming NOBODY even remembers what Harris was trying to accomplish in his first two books, even Harris anymore.

Harris was much put-upon by Dino De Laurentiis to create more and more Hannibal Lecter material, so that he (having the film rights to the character) could put it up on the screen. Which is what prompted Harris to write Hannibal (which, though a different kind of book/film, at least carried the signature Harris intelligence and obsession with detail) and eventually Hannibal Rising, which he basically wrote as a movie script, then created the book as a novelization of the film. It is not a proper novel in its own right, and reads more like fan fiction than Harris.

I don't blame Harris himself for any of this. DDL had him over a barrel, and had basically said that he was going to do a "Young Hannibal" movie with or without him. Sure, Harris could have washed his hands of it, but he was between a rock and a hard place, and obviously chose not to just hand his character over to someone else. But after the Hannibal Rising debacle, I think he was able to divorce himself from his creation enough to steer clear of the TV series. Which is a wise move, in my opinion. The series seems to think that Harris fans only care about Lecter, and so they've been very respectful of that character, and Mads has been great in the role. But pretty much everything else about the series is a miss. Not least of all the portrayal of Will Graham as an emo basketcase.

I actually like all three of the Hopkins films, for different reasons. SOTL was genre-defining...Hannibal was a crazy European fantasy...and Red Dragon was a return to the taut procedural, aided by the return of Ted Tally, and the fact that Brett Ratner basically imitates Jonathan Demme from start to finish.

As much as I love Michael Mann, I have really serious problems with the third act of Manhunter. I don't think Mann understood the book.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jayembee

You really should watch the Hannibal TV series sometime.

I've always had reservations about the Hannibal TV series.

The reason why I love Red Dragon/Manhunter and The Silence of the Lambs is because it's fun to watch Hannibal Lector wreak havoc in the outside world by scheming from the confines of his prison cell. I love seeing the character use his diabolical intellect to destroy characters despite his own imprisonment.

When Hannibal Lector is at large in the outside world, though, the entire concept goes bland for me. Thomas Harris's novel, Hannibal, had its interesting moments, but ultimately fell flat for this reason. The Ridley Scott movie was a disaster born of studio compromise and unexplainable bad choices.

Mads Mikkelsen is the only reason why I'm even curious to check out the TV series. I'll have to go looking online someday.

[Scottie]

I just finished watching Costa-Gavras's 1969 film, "Z", which happens to be in The Criterion Collection.

What an absolutely fantastic film. The last hour, in particular, is some of the most satisfying investigative journalism that I've seen on film.

I will admit that I got a little lost at times with all of the players, as well as some of the politics, but it was just great. Wow.

Check it out!

[The Great Owl]

I just finished watching Robert Siodmak's The Killers (1946). What a great film!

Burt Lancaster's camera presence was well-suited to classic film noir, as evidenced by this film, Brute Force, Criss Cross, and Sweet Smell of Success. Ava Gardner is beautifully sly as a femme fatale. Edmond O'Brien is cooler than he is in his usual film noirs, although his sweating over-pressured side surfaces occasionally. Jack Lambert ("Dum Dum") lends the same combination of menace and facepalm-worthy recklessness to his role in this film as he does to his part in Kiss Me Deadly. Albert Dekker is another presence that shines just as much here as he does in Kiss Me Deadly.

I really love the conclusion of this film.

[Show spoiler]"Don't ask a dying man to lie his soul into Hell."
The femme fatale gets what she deserves! Haha.

If I'm snowed out of the office tomorrow, I'll watch the 1964 Don Siegel version.

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I just finished watching Robert Siodmak's The Killers (1946). What a great film!

Burt Lancaster's camera presence was well-suited to classic film noir, as evidenced by this film, Brute Force, Criss Cross, and Sweet Smell of Success. Ava Gardner is beautifully sly as a femme fatale. Edmond O'Brien is cooler than he is in his usual film noirs, although his sweating over-pressured side surfaces occasionally. Jack Lambert ("Dum Dum") lends the same combination of menace and facepalm-worthy recklessness to his role in this film as he does to his part in Kiss Me Deadly. Albert Dekker is another presence that shines just as much here as he does in Kiss Me Deadly.

I really love the conclusion of this film.

[Show spoiler]"Don't ask a dying man to lie his soul into Hell."
The femme fatale gets what she deserves! Haha.

If I'm snowed out of the office tomorrow, I'll watch the 1964 Don Siegel version.

I figured you'd like it. I really enjoyed the remake, Lee Marvin is excellent! (As usual)

[ShellOilJunior]

Remember

[Show spoiler]the dinner scene

from Hannibal? I was at that very house (for a cocktail party) where it was filmed. This was several years after the movie came out. I got to see the guest book and Hopkins' note of thanks and signature.

The house is in Richmond, VA. I haven't seen the film in many years but I recall there being a boat out back. That wasn't behind the actual house as they pieced those together on screen.

[hoytereden]

I apologize if this has already been noted but I just read that Ann Carter passed away on Jan 27th at the age of 77. Her most famous role was that of the lonely little girl Amy in the Val Lewton film Curse of the Cat People. She also has a small part in the Criterion title I Married a Witch. She lost a long battle with cancer.

[bdmartin134]

Great Owl, did you ever do a review on Ivans Childhood…? i recently saw it a few nights back and am interested on your opinion for curiosity sake..
Thanks for Clare2904's response. I've heard about Ballad of a Soldier. Will def look into further.

[Ausjdm]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I just finished watching Costa-Gavras's 1969 film, "Z", which happens to be in The Criterion Collection.

What an absolutely fantastic film. The last hour, in particular, is some of the most satisfying investigative journalism that I've seen on film.

I will admit that I got a little lost at times with all of the players, as well as some of the politics, but it was just great. Wow.

Check it out!

Yes right on sir! Such an underrated movie! I remember seeing it yrs ago it blew me away one of the best political movies I've seen. A must see for all that have not!

[Ausjdm]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Remember

[Show spoiler]the dinner scene

from Hannibal? I was at that very house (for a cocktail party) where it was filmed. This was several years after the movie came out. I got to see the guest book and Hopkins' note of thanks and signature.

The house is in Richmond, VA. I haven't seen the film in many years but I recall there being a boat out back. That wasn't behind the actual house as they pieced those together on screen.

Hey are you from VA? DC here!

I saw Night on Earth today for the first time. Cool small movie. Nice mix of serious and comedy. my fav was the NYC story but I'm originally from there, a total bias moment lol.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Oblivion138

Harris was much put-upon by Dino De Laurentiis to create more and more Hannibal Lecter material, so that he (having the film rights to the character) could put it up on the screen. Which is what prompted Harris to write Hannibal (which, though a different kind of book/film, at least carried the signature Harris intelligence and obsession with detail) and eventually Hannibal Rising, which he basically wrote as a movie script, then created the book as a novelization of the film. It is not a proper novel in its own right, and reads more like fan fiction than Harris.

Yeah, when we had Lechter adopting the franchise-iconic restrainer mask as his "symbol", because of his lifelong fascination with samurai armor from the girl he lost, that's is just so...no, "wrong on so many levels" is too open a cliche'--It's more "No! No, no, look, LOOK at the first movie again, that is not even close to what happens! Where are you even freakin' GETTING this??? "

If it was from another screenwriter, I would assume "Hopkins-centric fan-wank", but coming from the author, that's "Script sellout".
(Like Michael Crichton with the Jurassic sequels, or Gary Wolf with the new Disney-friendly Roger Rabbit books.)

[brandon_260]

Everyone is giving their due respects for Mads in Hannibal, but what about Hugh Dancy? Now that's a performance.

[theprestige85]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

Everyone is giving their due respects for Mads in Hannibal, but what about Hugh Dancy? Now that's a performance.

Who's Hugh Dancy?

[alien2010]

Does anyone know, or speculate, if the May releases will be announced this week?