The Criterion Collection

[inderweltsein]

Not exactly related to Criterion, but not exactly unrelated too

Studiocanal's featurette on their restoration of The Third Man that they just made available on YouTube:

YouTube

[diskspinner]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

My wife's mother and two aunts are visiting us from India this month. I wasn't sure if they were keen on Satyajit Ray. I had mentioned him to them before and my mother-in-law seemed vaguely familiar. When they arrived earlier this month, my Late Ray Eclipse set was on the dining room table in plain view, so I bragged about how knowledgeable I am about Indian culture and art. It turns out that my mother-in-law (who is Punjabi and speaks Hindi and two (maybe three) other Indian languages) has actually seen maybe a dozen or so of his films. So, we've been trying to arrange a time to watch Pather Panchali and other Ray films.

We watched The Big City because I thought my wife would take to it. My mother-in-law told me a story about how she saw the film when it was brand new at a theater near her home town. It only played with one daily show time because it is Bengali and not Hindi. That was the first and only time she saw the film - as a 12 year old girl in 1964! Despite it being so long ago, she remembered the precise scene in which

[Show spoiler]the husband finds lipstick in Arati's handbag.

The story must have had a profound effect on her.

Perhaps needless to say, the film is a great depiction of certain western influences on the Indian world and the modernization of Indian society. It is a great story about the empowerment of women in a culture in which roles had been (maybe still are?) clearly defined (diskspinner or ravenus would be able to speak to this point better than me.) Ray was certainly ahead of his time with his film.

A few days back I went to pick up some medicine from Walmart pharmacy and the pharmacist was an Indian from Western Part of India. She identified my origin from my last name. (In India, it is possible to identify which region/state a person is originally from, from the last name, not always, but most of the times.) She started talking about Satyajit Ray (because he is from the same place I am from) and that her husband is a big film fan and Satyajit Ray is one of his favorites.

She also said he is so much of a fan that they named their son Apurba, which is Apu's full name in Apu Trilogy.

It was amusing.

[Marlow27]

Finally, finally got around to watching Sweet Smell of Success, a film so imbedded in film culture that I knew it pretty much back to front on the surface without having watched it. But boy oh boy, what a phenomenal film, stunning in every aspect - the performances, the tight script, the directing doesn't take a backwards step at all and obviously the score and Howe's gorgeous and vibrant cinematography.

A true classic. Great set by Criterion as well, the inner booklet is awesome.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

At this point, I am starting to feel guilty when I look at my un-watched pile.

Whiner. Be grateful it's only a pile.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Whiner. Be grateful it's only a pile.

Yeah, looking at the comparative sizes of our collections, I am probably in pretty good shape, relatively.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Marlow27

Finally, finally got around to watching Sweet Smell of Success, a film so imbedded in film culture that I knew it pretty much back to front on the surface without having watched it. But boy oh boy, what a phenomenal film, stunning in every aspect - the performances, the tight script, the directing doesn't take a backwards step at all and obviously the score and Howe's gorgeous and vibrant cinematography.

A true classic. Great set by Criterion as well, the inner booklet is awesome.

Sweet Smell of Success is still my favorite black-and-white transfer in the Collection.

[senseabove]

Originally Posted by Marlow27

Finally, finally got around to watching Sweet Smell of Success, a film so imbedded in film culture that I knew it pretty much back to front on the surface without having watched it. But boy oh boy, what a phenomenal film, stunning in every aspect - the performances, the tight script, the directing doesn't take a backwards step at all and obviously the score and Howe's gorgeous and vibrant cinematography.

A true classic. Great set by Criterion as well, the inner booklet is awesome.

Sweet Smell has been one of my favorite blind buys. It's become one of those movies I just put on with the commentary while I'm cooking so I can pop back and forth and watch technical aspects while I wait for something to happen in the kitchen. Just top-to-bottom fantastic, and yeah, a great package, too.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

At this point, I am starting to feel guilty when I look at my un-watched pile.

If only mine was just a pile... (I think I have my next 30 years pretty well covered.)

[Tru-way]

Picked up Mulholland DR and La Notte in the last minute, their both blind buys but so far I've liked all my blind buys from Criterion.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by fdm

If only mine was just a pile... (I think I have my next 30 years pretty well covered.)

I'm guessing you have a LOT more than 271 Blu-rays.

Originally Posted by Tru-way

Picked up Mulholland DR and La Notte in the last minute, their both blind buys but so far I've liked all my blind buys from Criterion.

Well, both will thrill.

As to La Notte, do you have L'Avventura and L'Eclisse already? They aren't necessary at all, as La Notte is a fantastic film on its own. But the three fit into a trilogy of sorts. Just curious, really.

But Mulholland Dr. -- it's as good as it gets, as far as this century goes. IMO. I know that's a bold statement. But I first saw it, in the theater, 15 years ago. I think about it all the time. After 15 years. And I barely remember yesterday, usually.

[AaronJ]

I have two marathons to choose from tonight, though I don't know that I will make it through all five pictures either way.

I have an Antonioni marathon planned.

And I have a Catherine Deneuve marathon planned.

Now I have to decide which to choose. Yikes.

[Tru-way]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

As to La Notte, do you have L'Avventura and L'Eclisse already? They aren't necessary at all, as La Notte is a fantastic film on its own. But the three fit into a trilogy of sorts. Just curious, really.

La Notte will be my first introduction to Antonioni, and if I love it I will definitely be picking up L'Avventura and L'Eclisse next sale!

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Mulholland Drive is located at the very bottom of the rabbit hole.

I was intrigued by the films allure and the positive feedback it has received all over the net, definitely warranted a blind buy.

Originally Posted by AaronJ

I have a Catherine Deneuve marathon planned.

I actually finished Repulsion and Belle De Jour last week and needless to say Catherine is stunning! both good films I liked. I loved the cinematography in Repulsion especially!

[Keymaster]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Sweet Smell of Success is still my favorite black-and-white transfer in the Collection.

Great Owl, I have a confession to make, and I tremble before your judgment at the mention of such a sordid truth:

I have never seen Sweet Smell of Success.

It sounds like I need to dust off my shelf and watch it right away. I own too many unwatched Criterion films, and this one's fairly high on my list of priorities. Besides, who doesn't love Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster?

[Ray Jackson]

Last night I watched Short Cuts for the first time.

I've come to the conclusion that Tom Waits may be the greatest living American actor...maybe the greatest actor of all time...period. I honestly can't think of a single film in history that wouldn't have been better with Tom Waits in it.

Gone With The Wind, Citizen Kane, The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Avatar, Point Break, The Terminator...even Top Gun...they all would've been better with Tom Waits.

I'm not even a big fan of the guy's music.

I just think his acting is magical.

It captures something.

...something about the essence of the human condition.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Tru-way

La Notte will be my first introduction to Antonioni, and if I love it I will definitely be picking up L'Avventura and L'Eclisse next sale!

Enjoy!

I actually finished Repulsion and Belle De Jour last week and needless to say Catherine is stunning! both good films I liked. I loved the cinematography in Repulsion especially!

I'm don't know what it says about me that those are two of my favorite films by her. Heh.

Whether you are into "musicals" or not, I would encourage you to seek out The Umbrellas of Cherbourg which, as far as I am concerned, is her best film. It's a spoken musical, in that all the dialogue is sung, but there's no "numbers" or anything.

She also made two other films with Jacques Demy, The Young Girls of Rochefort and Donkey Skin. "Rochefort" is the superior film, and Deneuve is spectacular in it.

And I know what you mean about the filming of Repulsion. To my mind, it's one of the most under-appreciated films of the era. Sure, coming out in the mid-60s it had a lot of competition. People like Godard, Fellini, Rossellini, Truffaut, Bergman, etc. It was a tough time!

But Polanski put together a modern horror film that was so psychological, so beautifully shot but so ugly in its content that it was nearly perfect.

OK, I was going to make a comparison, I decided to delete it. But yes, great films all around.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Last night I watched Short Cuts for the first time.

I've come to the conclusion that Tom Waits may be the greatest living American actor...maybe the greatest actor of all time...period. I honestly can't think of a single film in history that wouldn't have been better with Tom Waits in it.

Gone With The Wind, Citizen Kane, The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Avatar, Point Break, The Terminator...even Top Gun...they all would've been better with Tom Waits.

I'm not even a big fan of the guy's music.

I just think his acting is magical.

It captures something.

...something about the essence of the human condition.

[Show spoiler]

Yes, but did you ENJOY THE MOVIE?!?!

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I thought it was great.

May take a couple more viewings before I can determine whether it's something I consider to be a classic.

...but I liked it a lot.

Rock on. It's a great film.

[diskspinner]

Finished with only 13 titles this time...Like many, my lowest since I seriously started buying criterions (from July 2014).

All $39.99 titles this time, in order of purchase date/time

[Show spoiler]

And I have already watched 8 of these after buying...

A Touch of Zen, Sans Soleil & Repo Man are the only titles I never watched.

[zoodermin]

I picked up 5 criterion films during the B&N sale:

The Kid
Dekalog
Pan's Labyrinth
The Manchurian Candidate
Blood Simple

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I've come to the conclusion that Tom Waits may be the greatest living American actor...maybe the greatest actor of all time...period. I honestly can't think of a single film in history that wouldn't have been better with Tom Waits in it.

I really need to get around to watching my Criterion Blu-ray of Down By Law.

Have you ever seen the Tom Waits video that is synched to footage of the Cookie Monster? It's probably the funniest thing that I've ever seen on the internet.

Tom Waits/Cookie Monster mashup - "God's Away on Business"

[Show spoiler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5X4N2exOsU