The Criterion Collection

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

You ran a marathon this morning?

...are you being serious?

Totally serious. This morning's race was my 49th race of a marathon or ultramarathon distance since the spring of 2009 when I started running these races.

My finish time sucked (5:20:10), because it was a trail race, and because I was mainly treating it as a maintenance run for me to have the time on my feet for winter training, but I had fun.

I ran a trail marathon last month as well, and here are a couple of photos from that race, just in case y'all want to see what The Great Owl looks like in real life.

[Show spoiler]

(Sorry that I'm not really an owl. That's false advertising. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that people on this here forum don't really look like Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Jennifer Lawrence, etc. either.)


Steering this big ship back into Criterion-related waters, I did limp out of the house a few minutes ago to Barnes & Noble.

Phase One of my November 2015 sale haul is complete...

Mulholland Drive
A Special Day
My Own Private Idaho
3 Women

Later on, I plan to buy The Apu Trilogy, In Cold Blood, and Ikiru. This is going to be a light haul for me compared to past sale hauls, but that's all right. I've already got too many still-unwatched films as it is.

I thought about buying Blue Is the Warmest Color to support Bond girl, Léa Seydoux, but I'll wait around for a while longer to see what the upcoming super-sized edition turns out to be.

[Ray Jackson]

"Totally serious. This morning's race was my 49th race of a marathon or ultramarathon distance since the spring of 2009 when I started running these races.

My finish time sucked (5:20:10), because it was a trail race, and because I was mainly treating it as a maintenance run for me to have the time on my feet for winter training, but I had fun. "

I don't think I can even run a mile without stopping right now.

...and it would appear that I'm quite a bit younger than you.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I don't think I can even run a mile without stopping right now.

...and it would appear that I'm quite a bit younger than you.

Oh, if you want to know my back story, then read my User Review of John Frankenheimer's Seconds.

(Just to keep this Criterion-related, once again)

Speaking of John Frankenheimer, I watched the Kino Lorber Blu-ray of 52 Pick-Up earlier this week, and I loved it.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Amazing to me to see all the negative/lukewarm comments about Ozu around here lately. People are of course welcome and encouraged to like whatever they like, but for me Ozu's brilliance is undeniable and unavoidable.

I don't get it. Ozu's films are absolutely phenomenal IMO.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Glad to hear that Still Walking is being compared well to Yi Yi. I just blind bought it. ...and I loved Yi Yi!

I personally was not a huge fan of Still Walking. I didn't really connect to it, unlike Ozu's films.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Well, for one thing he's not a director who can be dismissed after half of one film or even one film. He doesn't beat you over the head with his style. It (initially) requires some patience to understand what he's after.

I can't wait to read all of the "I don't see what all the fuss is about" comments regarding Pather Panchali. People enter new films w/ expectations - not so much about quality, but about style. When a film plays out differently than they imagined, they are disappointed.

Makes sense that if you're a fan of film in general you would hear a ton of glowing comments about Ozu before you ever see his work, and with a style that's so subtle it makes sense that some people could be underwhelmed.

[Scottie]

Watched Blind Chance tonight.

I LOVE Kieslowski's work, I LOVE the theme of the film (how a mere few seconds can change a person's entire life), and I LOVE the irony that the film presents.

However, I didn't like the presentation of the film. I think a lot of it has to do with me expecting less dialogue and more observation. The thing that bothered me the most, though, was the political aspect running rampant throughout the film.

The film is incredibly creative and unpredictable, but it left me wanting something else entirely.

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Makes sense that if you're a fan of film in general you would hear a ton of glowing comments about Ozu before you ever see his work, and with a style that's so subtle it makes sense that some people could be underwhelmed.

Prior to seeing any of his films, I hadn't heard a bad thing about Ozu.

After watching several of his films, the praise was reaffirmed for me. They're simplistic films, but they're so deep and realistic that you can't help but reflect on life as you read the dialogue and learn about each character.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

Do you love ALL (without ANY exceptions) the critically acclaimed directors?

No, of course not, but my surprise was not based on Ozu's usually unanimous critical acclaim, but rather my own personal acclaim. For me my connection to Ozu's films happened pretty instantly from the first time I saw one of his films.

[the sordid sentinel]

Snagged Ride the Pink Horse, Night and the City, and The Friends of Eddie Coyle. That's it for me as far as this sale goes.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Makes sense that if you're a fan of film in general you would hear a ton of glowing comments about Ozu before you ever see his work, and with a style that's so subtle it makes sense that some people could be underwhelmed.

I didn't see my first Ozu film until this year (sadly). That was Early Spring, and I was pretty blown away by it. Since then I've seen Tokyo Story, and I imported Late Autumn. While I've been very impressed with all of them, I can easily see how they might not be everyone's cup of tea so to speak. The films of his which I've seen are definitely of a particular style.

I'm glad that I have finally started to investigate his work, though. Really, other than Kurosawa and a few Chinese films my knowledge of Asian cinema is pathetically impoverished. That's something I hope to fix over the next few years.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

[Show spoiler]

The Great Owl gives a load of blu-ray gathering couch potatoes a serious complex

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by ravenus

The Great Owl gives a load of blu-ray gathering couch potatoes a serious complex

AND he accused me of not looking like Emma Roberts!

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

AND he accused me of not looking like Emma Roberts!

My avatar is one of the very few here that's accurate.

...I'm not ashamed of that.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Watched Blind Chance tonight.

I LOVE Kieslowski's work, I LOVE the theme of the film (how a mere few seconds can change a person's entire life), and I LOVE the irony that the film presents.

However, I didn't like the presentation of the film. I think a lot of it has to do with me expecting less dialogue and more observation. The thing that bothered me the most, though, was the political aspect running rampant throughout the film.

Have you not seen any of Kieslowski's earlier films? Pretty much everything before The Decalogue has pretty heavy political overtones, which mirrors what was going on in Poland at that time (Camera Buff especially).

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

(Sorry that I'm not really an owl. That's false advertising. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that people on this here forum don't really look like Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Jennifer Lawrence, etc. either.)

<-- This is actually a picture of me. I'm shocked, shocked, to learn that people have been using pictures of others to represent themselves.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Watched Blind Chance tonight.

I LOVE Kieslowski's work, I LOVE the theme of the film (how a mere few seconds can change a person's entire life), and I LOVE the irony that the film presents.

However, I didn't like the presentation of the film. I think a lot of it has to do with me expecting less dialogue and more observation. The thing that bothered me the most, though, was the political aspect running rampant throughout the film.

The film is incredibly creative and unpredictable, but it left me wanting something else entirely.

I understand how you feel, but after a while it stop bothering me, I recommend you check the supplements to see more clearly what was going on in terms of the politics involved, I know it wont help your first viewing, but at least for a future viewing when you know more clearly what to expect of it.



Non Criterion related, I just finished watching this Argentine film called Wild Tales, and it was soo good, it was already released by Sony, but seriously everyone who missed it should watch it, also talking about Argentine, you should probably see The Secret in their Eyes before the remake that is about to be released.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Have you not seen any of Kieslowski's earlier films? Pretty much everything before The Decalogue has pretty heavy political overtones, which mirrors what was going on in Poland at that time (Camera Buff especially).

I haven't, which is probably why my expectations were different.

Originally Posted by pedromvu

I understand how you feel, but after a while it stop bothering me, I recommend you check the supplements to see more clearly what was going on in terms of the politics involved, I know it wont help your first viewing, but at least for a future viewing when you know more clearly what to expect of it.

[jw007]

This isn't a formal review of a film. I've watched Naked many, many times in my life. This is just something I have to get off my chest right now. If anyone wishes to respond, thank you.

I just had a very uncomfortable and awkward night at a friend's house screening the great British film Naked. My friend John and I drove over to our friend Matt's house and his newly engaged fiancé was with him. This is a woman who hasn't been friendly to either John and I over the years, due to her strong Feminist views and general resistance to the male opinion. Well, just imagine screening a film such as Naked, a movie that is HIGHLY MISUNDERSTOOD for being a Misogynist film, in her presence. Don't even ask me how it felt sitting there for over 2 hours while Matt's fiancé "had to endure" a brutally violent film. She did not understand the movie and judged it poorly, not realizing its a very Nietzschean view of human nature. She made my friend and I feel like we caused her "cinematic abuse" by exposing this film to her, as there were many scenes depicting rape and sexual assault against women. She applauded out loud when the main character of Johnny (played by the great David Thewlis) was beat up and kicked around towards the end of the film. I heard her say: "Finally, he had it coming, which he deserved!" I was not pleased one bit at her behavior while watching one of my favorite movies. Let's just put it this way, it wasn't the right movie to screen at our friend's house. It pushed some buttons... and ultimately I'm not so sure she was challenged by what Naked had to offer.

Derek Malcolm wrote in one of the booklet's essays that accompanies the Criterion release: "Is the film Misogynist? No, because it as deeply critical of the men in it as it is of the women, who seem to haunt Johnny but can never satisfy him, any more that he can satisfy himself."

Our friend's new fiance misunderstood Naked deeply, just as Malcolm said in his essay: "Yet there are still people who mistake it. I have heard it said that Johnny is Leigh himself in another guise, that the film's tone is misogynist, and that the occasional parodic elements show the flaws of the director rather than his virtues. But this is to look at the film through dark glasses, unable to see its many subtleties: the sometimes cruel but more often sympathetic comedy of characters who, unlike Johnny, cannot express what they are feeling; the way even those with the smallest parts are so precisely observed, like the weeping young woman who Johnny virtually rapes before he sets out for London."

Furthermore, editor/writer Amy Taubin wrote this about Johnny, played by David Thewlis: "What makes Johnny so fascinating is that he disguises his need for power as honesty. Johnny is on a mission to "free" people from the hopes, illusions and expectations that a hypocritical society foists upon them."

Roger Ebert also wrote in his 4 star review: "This is a painful movie to watch. But it is also exhilarating, as all good movies are, because we are watching the director and actors venturing beyond any conventional idea of what a modern movie can be about. Here there is no plot, no characters to identify with, no hope. But there is care: The filmmakers care enough about these people to observe them very closely, to note how they look and sound and what they feel."

So there we have it, from three different film scholars. My friend John countered Matt's fiancé by saying the film's subject matter was demoralizing for a reason. John and I, Jonathan, are film scholars. John studied film at UCLA as well as Loyola Marymount, while I graduated from PITT in 2002 with a B.A. in Film Studies. We were sitting with two people in a room who weren't well versed in cinema generally speaking, and therefore couldn't understand or interpret Naked clearly and fairly.

Read this amazing article, if you'd like, about how actor David Thewlis has been haunted by "Johnny" ever since he made the film: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/aug/15/mikeleigh

Personally, I regard Naked as one of the greatest films ever made. It is one of my top 10 favorite films in my collection. It is incredibly dark, incredibly bleak with very little redemption and light... but when Matt's fiancé asked me what on earth could I have found positive about this movie, I replied that I was grateful for not being one of these damaged characters in the film.

Johnny is a character searching for the truth in a world of dissimulation, and regardless of what some people might think of that character, I find him to be highly original and though highly flawed, his advanced intuition in reading people makes him highly sincere.

If certain people cannot understand the originality and intention behind the film Naked, I just feel sorry for them.

[mja345]

Fascinating story, jw007. "Naked" is brilliant. I think Mike Leigh's script to that film is one of the best ever written. There are very few films written with that level of skill. That's a movie that I always think about. There will be times when scenes from it pop into my head out of nowhere.

I'm sorry that you showed it to the wrong person. I can imagine that would terribly unpleasant watching that movie with someone who is on a completely different wavelength than than the film's intended audience. "Naked" is certainly not a film to be judged in black and white terms. Like, "Ooh, Johnny's the bad guy and he got beat up at the end. Hooray." That's just the completely wrong approach to take into that movie. I'd imagine your friend's fiance loved the Jeremy G. Smart/Sebastian Hawk character as well. He makes Johnny look like Mr. Rogers.

But I've had experiences where I've watched movies I love with people who completely hated them and it can be jarring. In fact, I was dating a girl and, after a few months, I started introducing her to a lot of films I love. Up until that point, we had been watching a lot of basic fare, the kind of stuff you watch when getting to know someone. But she was smart and funny, so we started watching more adventurous fare. She liked most of it and didn't seem to outright hate any of it. Then, we watched the film "Withnail and I". Something about it inspired outright hate in her. She was actually angry with me for showing it to her. The character of Withnail deeply bothered her. It actually put a strain in our relationship because she kept asking me how I could love the movie and I tried to explain it to her. We stayed together for a little while longer, but our first huge argument was over "Withnail and I".

[jw007]

Originally Posted by mja345

Fascinating story, jw007. "Naked" is brilliant. I think Mike Leigh's script to that film is one of the best ever written. There are very few films written with that level of skill. That's a movie that I always think about. There will be times when scenes from it pop into my head out of nowhere.

I'm sorry that you showed it to the wrong person. I can imagine that would terribly unpleasant watching that movie with someone who is on a completely different wavelength than than the film's intended audience. "Naked" is certainly not a film to be judged in black and white terms. Like, "Ooh, Johnny's the bad guy and he got beat up at the end. Hooray." That's just the completely wrong approach to take into that movie. I'd imagine your friend's fiance loved the Jeremy G. Smart/Sebastian Hawk character as well. He makes Johnny look like Mr. Rogers.

But I've had experiences where I've watched movies I love with people who completely hated them and it can be jarring. In fact, I was dating a girl and, after a few months, I started introducing her to a lot of films I love. Up until that point, we had been watching a lot of basic fare, the kind of stuff you watch when getting to know someone. But she was smart and funny, so we started watching more adventurous fare. She liked most of it and didn't seem to outright hate any of it. Then, we watched the film "Withnail and I". Something about it inspired outright hate in her. She was actually angry with me for showing it to her. The character of Withnail deeply bothered her. It actually put a strain in our relationship because she kept asking me how I could love the movie and I tried to explain it to her. We stayed together for a little while longer, but our first huge argument was over "Withnail and I".

That is a great film, Withnail and I, and I can see it pushing some people's buttons, even those with two dimensional minds. As much as I wish people could see the subtext and depth in certain "advanced" motion pictures (and Naked is certainly not for the faint of heart), the fact that this movie affected everyone earlier tonight while we watched it proves its power. Once you've seen this movie, you'll never forget it. That's the bottom line. Johnny has this original "doomsday philosophy" that he goes around using and informing people in this story, unlike any other character I've seen in any other film. That scene with the night watchman (Peter Wight) is probably one of the greatest sequences in cinema, regarding the conversation and dialogue that was said, and how it evolved... and then the last thing he says is: "Don't waste your life". Brilliant. Absolutely bloody brilliant.

It's interesting how certain movies can move us to the point of inducing anger... I can't remember a list of films that have done that to me, since I've watched so many. Certainly, Naked is not a film that angers me, but from a male perspective I can relate a bit to Thewlis's character... I could imagine the female perspective has a harder time understanding this man's character though for many obvious reasons.

A movie such as Naked is a great litmus test for choosing the right film mates. If you're intelligent and can read through what's on the surface on a first viewing, then hell, you're right for me!