The Criterion Collection

[Tom Hiddleston]

Originally Posted by Cinemach

That's a great way to put it, and for me applies to each Malick film I've seen: Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, and Tree of Life. Days of Heaven is certainly a shoulder above the other two (well, three shoulders and a head above Tree, which I didn't like that much), even with one of the most irritating voiceover narrations I've heard though.

That's why I will most likely never buy Days of Heaven. I'd give it a rating of 5/10. If it did not have the little sister narrating I would rate it 9/10.

[colinrgeorge]

Originally Posted by Monty70

My response was not directed to your, or any one post specifically. I just find it amusing that some of my favorite films are rated no better (and even worse) then the crap playing currently in any friendly neighborhood multiplex.

Fair enough.

It's my personal favorites that I rate most highly. While 8 1/2 is a technically masterful and subversive work of art, it doesn't quite strike that emotional chord that makes a film great in my eyes. Although I gave it a 3.5, I'd never suggest that it's "on par" with something like Super 8, which I also gave 3.5/5.

The rating is relative to cinema classics rather than relative to all films in all genres.

[colinrgeorge]

Originally Posted by Fenris

That's why I will most likely never buy Days of Heaven. I'd give it a rating of 5/10. If it did not have the little sister narrating I would rate it 9/10.

I love that narration! The kid's voice is so unique and earnest. I think it gives Days of Heaven an interesting texture.

[Zacherywolf7]

To all who qouted my 8 1/2 thing.
I constantly see 8 1/2 on top 100 lists. I actually dont think I havent seen it on a list. Its personally my favorite the criterion has (just a bit above Rublev and Solaris), and Fellini is hailed as one of the greatest directors, with 8 1/2 being his masterpiece.
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/100-...e-you-die.html
And many more.
Edit: TMA and they shoot pictures also have it very high. 3rd on the british institue directors list and on the Vaticans best film list. Empires top list too. Even the Criterion commentary mentions its very high stature and it has a bunch of imitations (check out the wikipedia page). Ive seen on IMDB many threads saying "how is this the greatest movie ever" and "this is the greatest movie ever"
From Wikipedia
Fellini biographer Hollis Alpert noted that in the months following its release, critical commentary on 8½ proliferated as the film "became an intellectual cud to chew on".[23] Philosopher and social critic Dwight Macdonald, for example, insisted it was "the most brilliant, varied, and entertaining movie since Citizen Kane".[23] In 1987, a group of thirty European intellectuals and filmmakers voted Otto e mezzo the most important European film ever made.[24] It came number three on the 2002 Sight & Sound Director's Poll beaten only by Citizen Kane and The Godfather (Parts 1 and 2). 8½ is a fixture on the Sight & Sound critics' and directors' polls of the top ten films ever made. It ranks number three on the magazine's 2002 Directors' Top Ten Poll and number nine on the Critics' Top Ten Poll.[4] It is ranked as the 4th Best Foreign Language film of all time by the Screen Directory.[25] In 1993, Chicago Sun-Times film reviewer Roger Ebert wrote that "despite the efforts of several other filmmakers to make their own versions of the same story, it remains the definitive film about director's block".[26]

[herzog4life]

Originally Posted by Fenris

That's why I will most likely never buy Days of Heaven. I'd give it a rating of 5/10. If it did not have the little sister narrating I would rate it 9/10.

You might want to create a new rating system if narration can change a film from a 5/10 to a 9/10. Yikes.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by herzog4life

You might want to create a new rating system if narration can change a film from a 5/10 to a 9/10. Yikes.

Tell that to Ridley Scott

[myka22]

Originally Posted by Zacherywolf7

To all who qouted my 8 1/2 thing.

Fair enough, but I still don't think it can definitely be called the most popular and highest rated. Seven Samurai has to be pretty high up there.

[Darkcritic]

All this talk about 8 1/2 has made me think something about it. I own the Criterion but I still don't watch it because I has been told to wait and see more and more Fellini before going ahead. I am kinda of a friend with a film critic who lives here in Mexico and in one conversation we had, he told me to wait and see more Fellini. I have been following his advice but I am still not sure when will that "right" time come . I am just trying to say; do you need to watch his previous films to fully appreciate it?

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Zacherywolf7

To all who qouted my 8 1/2 thing.
I constantly see 8 1/2 on top 100 lists. I actually dont think I havent seen it on a list. Its personally my favorite the criterion has (just a bit above Rublev and Solaris), and Fellini is hailed as one of the greatest directors, with 8 1/2 being his masterpiece.[26]

I don't think anybody needs to be convinced that 8 1/2 is a highly rated Criterion title.

What raised eyebrows was the notion that it is the highest rated and most popular Criterion release.

All things considered those are pretty high bars.

[Zacherywolf7]

Originally Posted by octagon

I don't think anybody needs to be convinced that 8 1/2 is a highly rated Criterion title.

What raised eyebrows was the notion that it is the highest rated and most popular Criterion release.

All things considered those are pretty high bars.

Ahh, looking back I did not mean to put highest. Definitely top 3 though (Seventh Seal and Seve Samurai too)

[Wildcat47]

Originally Posted by BazMoney81

I have slowing been catching up with my as yet unwatched Criterions, and have in the past week seen the following

Black Moon, Bottle Rocket, Hunger, Fat Girl, House, Close-Up, People On Sunday and Antichrist.

As someone who will watch anything, I am really impressed with the films Criterion release, so I may not have heard of some/most of them, but on average I love what I see, most recently People On Sunday. A wonderfull film with beautifull shots of Berlin pre-WW2, which I cannot wait to see again soon.

Really enjoying some of the ratings you guys are sharing too, makes for great discussion, although we all have different opinions on which films we like and those that we don't, I do think though that to truely appreciate film, it needs to be seen more than once All I have left to watch now is Smiles Of A Summer Night, Yi Yi, King Of Marvin Gardens, Beauty & The Beast. So what shall I watch tonight, any thoughts?

King of Marvin Gardens.

[Wildcat47]

Originally Posted by Cinemach

That's a great way to put it, and for me applies to each Malick film I've seen: Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, and Tree of Life. Days of Heaven is certainly a shoulder above the other two (well, three shoulders and a head above Tree, which I didn't like that much), even with one of the most irritating voiceover narrations I've heard though.

After waiting way too long I was able to see Tree of Life last night. Absolutely loved it, kept me thinking about it last night and some today as well. Can't wait to get this one on blu cuz I'm ready to watch it a couple more times right now. I definitely like it more than Days of Heaven.

[Tom Hiddleston]

Originally Posted by herzog4life

You might want to create a new rating system if narration can change a film from a 5/10 to a 9/10. Yikes.

[colinrgeorge]

Originally Posted by Wildcat47

After waiting way too long I was able to see Tree of Life last night. Absolutely loved it, kept me thinking about it last night and some today as well. Can't wait to get this one on blu cuz I'm ready to watch it a couple more times right now. I definitely like it more than Days of Heaven.

I've liked Days of Heaven, Thin Red Line, and Tree of Life all about the same (a lot). Badlands was just okay, and I have yet to see New World.

If I had to give one the edge, I'd go Thin Red Line if only because I think Malick's style clashes in an interesting way with the conventional notion of the war film.

[Tav]

Originally Posted by Zacherywolf7

How can some people see so many criterions but not 8 1/2. Its the highest rated criterion movie and the most popular...

I agree...Out of all the Criterions I have, this one is my most treasured. It stands up to repeated viewings more than any other.

[colinrgeorge]

I just watched Hunger. Honestly, there's not much of a story here. It's well directed, but the structure (or lack thereof) bugged me. I really enjoyed the first half, but at only 96 minutes, about a fifth of that running time is a dialogue between Michael Fassbender and a priest awkwardly sandwiched in the middle of the movie.

It's an interesting conversation, but director Steve McQueen (tee hee) holds one shot for the majority of it. I suppose it's interesting that he wanted to let the performances shine, but it wasn't visually interesting enough to really hold my attention. I ended up listening to most of it while my eyes wandered.

There's only about half an hour of movie left after that scene, and only one significant thing happens. Slowly. 2.5/5

[deakin]

Originally Posted by Wildcat47

After waiting way too long I was able to see Tree of Life last night. Absolutely loved it, kept me thinking about it last night and some today as well. Can't wait to get this one on blu cuz I'm ready to watch it a couple more times right now. I definitely like it more than Days of Heaven.

I saw this last week, and while I really enjoyed it, the last 15 minutes or so of Sean Penn on the beaches of the past? the end of time?, whatever, really turned me off it, I was just waiting for it to end at that point. I felt he was trying to hard to go super artsy. In my opinion it should have ended with the last black screen with the light in the middle and the whisper, follow me. Anyone else feel the same way?

[jtwise]

Whatever happened to the Criterion case replacement program?

[georgec]

A couple random brain farts:

Does anybody know why most of the blu-ray spines are dark and gray? I really like the array of colors and images on the cover art and it would be cool to see that on the spines as well when you put all the cases on your shelf.

Also, any idea why some special features lists are in bullet form and others in paragraph form? I like the bullets - easier to read and separate the information...

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by georgec

Does anybody know why most of the blu-ray spines are dark and gray? I really like the array of colors and images on the cover art and it would be cool to see that on the spines as well when you put all the cases on your shelf.

Black and white films play a part in it. Don't want pink cover art on The Seventh Seal just to be colorful on display.