The Criterion Collection

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by jw007

Yes, A Safe Place is the worst film in the Criterion Collection by unanimous vote.

I Haven't had the privilege of seeing that one yet, but i own the set, so i will watch it soon.

Its hard to tell what is the worst i have seen from the collection, there are few that i don't enjoy but very few that i actually dislike, for me the worse until now has to be Naqoyqatsi, really couldn't wait for that one to finish.

So if you haven't seen A Safe Place what is everyone else worse title so far in the collection?

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

It's not a good film, but, it's still better than A Safe Place, which, unfortunately, I'm going to have to watch again because I decided to watch all my Criterions in Spine order, as much as possible.

My condolences. Maybe the film is more watchable when paired with an alcoholic beverage?

[Scottie]

I am going to have to rewatch the America: Lost and Found set in order to determine whether or not I will be keeping it or not. I am 99.9% sure that I will end up selling it, as I only really enjoy The Last Picture Show.

I don't know. I just cannot connect to the whole nostalgia and road trip-ness.

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I am going to have to rewatch the America: Lost and Found set in order to determine whether or not I will be keeping it or not. I am 99.9% sure that I will end up selling it, as I only really enjoy The Last Picture Show.

I don't know. I just cannot connect to the whole nostalgia and road trip-ness.

They should release The Last Picture Show as a stand alone release. It is the one film from that set that would sell well on its own.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Brad1963

They should release The Last Picture Show as a stand alone release. It is the one film from that set that would sell well on its own.

I would definitely welcome that, but the odds of that happening are nearly non-existent.

I've said it many times in the past, but a Criterion release (or any for that matter) of Paper Moon would make me one of the happiest persons ever.

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I would definitely welcome that, but the odds of that happening are nearly non-existent.

I've said it many times in the past, but a Criterion release (or any for that matter) of Paper Moon would make me one of the happiest persons ever.

I'd go for Paper Moon also. IMO Peter Bogdanovich is very under-appreciated as a filmmaker.

[BobbyMcGee]

Originally Posted by Brad1963

I'd go for Paper Moon also. IMO Peter Bogdanovich is very under-appreciated as a filmmaker.

I REALLY want Targets (1968) on Blu-ray.

[CHEЯNOБLY!]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I've said it many times in the past, but a Criterion release (or any for that matter) of Paper Moon would make me one of the happiest persons ever.

I love Paper Moon...its too bad the O'Neal's are all nutty.

[BobbyMcGee]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I am going to have to rewatch the America: Lost and Found set in order to determine whether or not I will be keeping it or not. I am 99.9% sure that I will end up selling it, as I only really enjoy The Last Picture Show.

I don't know. I just cannot connect to the whole nostalgia and road trip-ness.

I would recommend keeping it.

I love The Last Picture Show and Five Easy Pieces! Box-set is worth it for those two films alone IMO.

Also, please also add Two Lane Black Top, Medium Cool and the upcoming The Shooting / Ride in the Whirlwind to your collection.

Criterion needs to keep adding more American cinema from this time period.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Brad1963

I'd go for Paper Moon also. IMO Peter Bogdanovich is very under-appreciated as a filmmaker.

I've only seen those two films and I enjoyed them both. Isn't he better known for his critical work?

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by BobbyMcGee

I would recommend keeping it.

I love The Last Picture Show and Five Easy Pieces! Box-set is worth it for those two films alone IMO.

Also, please also add Two Lane Black Top, Medium Cool and the upcoming The Shooting / Ride in the Whirlwind to your collection.

Criterion needs to keep adding more American cinema from this time period.

I did not particularly care for Two-Lane Blacktop, although I think the ending is one of the most memorable things I have seen. Medium Cool is good and I will more than likely hang on to it. Also, the Monte Hellman Westerns is a guaranteed buy for me - both films are excellent!

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

My condolences. Maybe the film is more watchable when paired with an alcoholic beverage?

Tried that, and even whilst drunk, it's a terrible film. Maybe I will get drunk on the copious amounts of wine and vodka I have, and read shitty excuses for literature like 50 Shades of Grey, whilst watching A Safe Place. Yes, I'm willing to read 50 shades over watching A Safe place. It's that terrible.

Originally Posted by iScottie

I am going to have to rewatch the America: Lost and Found set in order to determine whether or not I will be keeping it or not. I am 99.9% sure that I will end up selling it, as I only really enjoy The Last Picture Show.

I don't know. I just cannot connect to the whole nostalgia and road trip-ness.

I'm saddened by this. I would love for everyone to love Head, but I know that will never happen, as very few will ever look beyond the superficiality of The Monkees, but, really, The King of Marvin Gardens and Five Easy Pieces are not on the awesome list? I have a hard time believing this.

I do not regret paying full price for this set. I utterly hate A Safe Place, yet the other 6 films more than compensate for it.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

I'm saddened by this. I would love for everyone to love Head, but I know that will never happen, as very few will ever look beyond the superficiality of The Monkees, but, really, The King of Marvin Gardens and Five Easy Pieces are not on the awesome list? I have a hard time believing this.

I do not regret paying full price for this set. I utterly hate A Safe Place, yet the other 6 films more than compensate for it.

I am watching and rewatching all of my Criterions in order to decide if I should keep them or not. Maybe I'll enjoy the America: Lost and Found set more, but it's possible that I will not.

I would probably rank the films in the following order.

Like
The Last Picture Show
Five Easy Pieces

Neutral
Easy Rider
The King of Marvin Gardens
Head

Dislike
Drive, He Said
A Safe Place

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I am watching and rewatching all of my Criterions in order to decide if I should keep them or not. Maybe I'll enjoy the America: Lost and Found set more, but it's possible that I will not.

I would probably rank the films in the following order.

Like
The Last Picture Show
Five Easy Pieces

Neutral
Easy Rider
The King Of Marvin Gardens
Head

Dislike
Drive, He Said
A Safe Place

Drive, He Said, took a few times before I began to enjoy it. I think the BBS set should be called BBS&J, simply because Jack Nicholson is involved in every film, in some shape or form, with the exception of The Last Picture Show.

I readily admit most people will not understand Head unless they do some research on The Monkees and overlook their pop superficiality. That film is basically their career suicide pact. Mind you, I'm 100% biased as a Monkees fan.

[The Great Owl]

I love every film in America Lost and Found: The BBS Story except for A Safe Place and The King of Marvin Gardens.

Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, and The Last Picture Show are all five-star titles in my book.

Head earns a solid four stars, because the music and the visuals are spot-on. The dance sequence where Davy Jones is singing "Daddy's Song" is really amazing.

Drive, He Said is an underrated movie, and I give it four stars because it really puts my head into what the college scene must have been like during the Vietnam years.

The King of Marvin Gardens does not resonate with me, but I'll give it credit for the undeniably impressive acting from all involved. It's a depressing film, but it has its moments.

I don't hate A Safe Place like many others here do, but I do not particularly like it all that much either. I do appreciate the presence of Orson Welles, and I enjoy the visually psychedelic vibe in many sequences. The scene where Tuesday Weld is talking about phone numbers is fun.

Ultimately, I think that all of the above titles have their place in the box set. The three perfect films, the two great films, and the two not-so-great films all flow as one entity that gives me a feel for life in the 1960s and early 1970s.

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I've only seen those two films and I enjoyed them both. Isn't he better known for his critical work?

He made The Last Picture Show, What's Up Doc? and Paper Moon back to back in the early 70's. They were all big commercial and critical hits. He then did Daisy Miller with Cybill Shepherd who he was then in relationship with and it bombed big, then he followed that with At Long Last Love which bombed worse. After that directed Nickelodeon, which also bombed. There was a lull and he made They all Laughed which featured Dorothy Stratten who was murdered after production, the film never had a very wide release. In the mid-80's he had success with Mask but his career never really took off again after that.

He's very knowledgeable about film, when he was younger he became good friends with legends such as Orson Welles and John Ford. The story in the film Irreconcilable Differences with Ryan O' Neal and Shelley Long is "influenced" on his early career and marriage with Polly Platt.

He has other films worth looking at including his first film Targets, Saint Jack and The Thing Called Love. I also think Nickelodeon is worth seeing. His career has had many ups and downs, but he directed some fine films. He would probably be a great person to sit down and talk film with.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Drive, He Said, took a few times before I began to enjoy it. I think the BBS set should be called BBS&J, simply because Jack Nicholson is involved in every film, in some shape or form, with the exception of The Last Picture Show.

I readily admit most people will not understand Head unless they do some research on The Monkees and overlook their pop superficiality. That film is basically their career suicide pact. Mind you, I'm 100% biased as a Monkees fan.

Thanks for the information. I am definitely more interested in watching it now.

I am not exaggerating when I say that Head probably sticks out the most for me from the set because of how cool and trippy it is at times. I also enjoyed the soundtrack, specifically The Porpoise Song.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

I readily admit most people will not understand Head unless they do some research on The Monkees and overlook their pop superficiality. That film is basically their career suicide pact. Mind you, I'm 100% biased as a Monkees fan.

The life of a Monkees fan is a life of hardship and pain and scornful looks. But, while I hate to get too Nietzschean, it makes one stronger.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Thanks for the information. I am definitely more interested in watching it now.

I am not exaggerating when I say that Head probably sticks out the most for me from the set because of how cool and trippy it is at times. I also enjoyed the soundtrack, specifically The Porpoise Song.

This pleases me, as most people tend to think of The Monkees as the pop stars who did Daydream Believer and I'm a Believer. Peter Tork, my favourite Monkee, penned Can You Dig It? and Long Title Do I Have to Do This All Over Again? Mike Nesmith penned Circle Sky, Carole King did Porpoise Song and As We go Along, and Harry Nilsson did Daddy's Song. I enjoy Head, the film, which is why I purchased the set initially. I love how The Monkees deconstruct their own image, yet are still unable to break out of their metaphorical box. They are receiving more love today, but it's still too little. too late/

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Tried that, and even whilst drunk, it's a terrible film. Maybe I will get drunk on the copious amounts of wine and vodka I have, and read shitty excuses for literature like 50 Shades of Grey, whilst watching A Safe Place. Yes, I'm willing to read 50 shades over watching A Safe place. It's that terrible.



I'm saddened by this. I would love for everyone to love Head, but I know that will never happen, as very few will ever look beyond the superficiality of The Monkees, but, really, The King of Marvin Gardens and Five Easy Pieces are not on the awesome list? I have a hard time believing this.

I do not regret paying full price for this set. I utterly hate A Safe Place, yet the other 6 films more than compensate for it.

I love the set but must confess I haven't watched A Safe Place yet. I was a young man when these films came out and saw several of them in the theaters-Easy Rider (several times), The Last Picture Show and Five Easy Pieces. I think the last two hold up well and that ER dates badly, it's very much a film of it's time and I can see how it and Head would be hard to get into unless maybe you lived through that era. Someone mentioned a couple of pages back how the inmates (the young american directors of that era) were running the asylum before the studios wrestled back control from them. A prime example would be Dennis Hopper, fresh from the surprise success of Easy Rider, being given total control (and big bucks) to film his pet project-The Last Movie. Now, I haven't seen A Safe Place but The Last Movie is a real mess and might serve as Exhibit A as to why the Studios took back control. Ironically, it was the last movie that Hopper would direct for quite a few years. He was basically shown the door as far as Hollywood was concerned.