The Criterion Collection

[JJJ225]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

yeah sure, but spending 75$ on something i cant use for the next half year only to get 10$ for free?

You can use the the $75 in gift cards right away. It's only the $10 you can't use til December 26th. So if you're going to spend $75 anyways...then yes, it makes perfectly good sense to buy the gift cards, use it right away on Criterions, and then you have free money to use in the future.

[Nielsb90]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

yeah sure, but spending 75$ on something i cant use for the next half year only to get 10$ for free?

I think you misunderstand.. The 75 dollars you spend right away on Criterions - and then you have 10 dollars for the next sale.

[jetthead]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

yeah sure, but spending 75$ on something i cant use for the next half year only to get 10$ for free?

It's only the free $10 gift card that is not usable until Dec 26th.

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by Nielsb90

I think you misunderstand.. The 75 dollars you spend right away on Criterions - and then you have 10 dollars for the next sale.

ooops, yeah missed that part. thanks everyone ^^

[format916]

Originally Posted by jw007

He still had a few good movies left in him though, just nothing great such as The Deer Hunter.

i just watched the deer hunter for the first time. its a good movie, and i can see where heavens gate got its inspiration...im just surprised so many people (like my father) love this movie. 'nothing happens' for the first hour.

[RiFiFi1955]

Originally Posted by format916

i just watched the deer hunter for the first time. its a good movie, and i can see where heavens gate got its inspiration...im just surprised so many people (like my father) love this movie. 'nothing happens' for the first hour.

Sure stuff happens, character building, pre serving in Vietnam life, etc. Without showing the before the after would be far less effective.

[format916]

Originally Posted by RiFiFi1955

Sure stuff happens, character building, pre serving in Vietnam life, etc. Without showing the before the after would be far less effective.

its true. i think all that stuff could have happened and the movie have a runtime of 150 minutes. the wedding scene/reception alone needed a few minutes cut.

[Scottie]

We watched Koyaanisqatsi today in my film class and I think I fell in love.

[RandyK]

Originally Posted by iScottie

We watched Koyaanisqatsi today in my film class and I think I fell in love.

Speaking of film classes, I really do love mine. The professor is great and I haven't disliked one film we've watched so far. I have to watch Cleo from 5 to 7 tonight.

Going to sign up for another film class for next semester tomorrow! History of World Cinema.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by RandyK

Speaking of film classes, I really do love mine. The professor is great and I haven't disliked one film we've watched so far. I have to watch Cleo from 5 to 7 tonight.

Going to sign up for another film class for next semester tomorrow! History of World Cinema.

Cléo from 5 to 7 is probably my favorite French New Wave film. I caught it on TCM a few weeks ago and I absolutely adored it.

So far we've watched half a dozen Lumière shorts, A Trip to the Moon (1929), The Gold Rush (1925), The 400 Blows (1959), Sunrise (1927), The Graduate (1967), The intro of The Wizard of Oz (1939), Man with a Movie Camera (1928), A Movie (1958), Mongoloid (1978), and Koyaanisqatsi (1982).

I had seen The Gold Rush and The 400 Blows before so analyzing them with knowledge beforehand helped me grasp the bigger picture. Otherwise, the others were all new to me (Sunrise and The Graduate became two of my favorites of all time) and due to my interest in the Lumière films, I went the extra step and watched 50+ on my own.

We still have to watch excerpts from The Maltese Falcon (more than likely the intro, I've seen it before), Citizen Kane (never seen it), Suspense (never seen it), excerpts from The Birth of a Nation (never seen it), and Rope (I saw this before but I didn't really like it. Hopefully my opinion changes on a rewatch), and The Wrong Man.

It's a cool class and I've befriended my professor. He also shares a passion for Criterion and many other films that I admire. I wish I could take more classes but my school has them scheduled in weird ways, such as at like 8-9 P.M. up north in the city. I'm not doing that so I more than likely won't have any next semester.

[dannyfriar]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Cléo from 5 to 7 is probably my favorite French New Wave film. I caught it on TCM a few weeks ago and I absolutely adored it.

So far we've watched half a dozen Lumière shorts, A Trip to the Moon (1929), The Gold Rush (1925), The 400 Blows (1959), Sunrise (1927), The Graduate (1967), The intro of The Wizard of Oz (1939), Man with a Movie Camera (1928), A Movie (1958), Mongoloid (1978), and Koyaanisqatsi (1982).

I had seen The Gold Rush and The 400 Blows before so analyzing them with knowledge beforehand helped me grasp the bigger picture. Otherwise, the others were all new to me (Sunrise and The Graduate became two of my favorites of all time) and due to my interest in the Lumière films, I went the extra step and watched 50+ on my own.

We still have to watch excerpts from The Maltese Falcon (more than likely the intro, I've seen it before), Citizen Kane (never seen it), Suspense (never seen it), excerpts from The Birth of a Nation (never seen it), and Rope (I saw this before but I didn't really like it. Hopefully my opinion changes on a rewatch), and The Wrong Man.

It's a cool class and I've befriended my professor. He also shares a passion for Criterion and many other films that I admire. I wish I could take more classes but my school has them scheduled in weird ways, such as at like 8-9 P.M. up north in the city. I'm not doing that so I more than likely won't have any next semester.

I love Cleo from 5-7. My former film professor was a bit of French New Wave and African cinmea fan, so We watched everything from Cleo, La Mepris, Touki Bouki and Xala.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by dannyfriar

I love Cleo from 5-7. My former film professor was a bit of French New Wave and African cinmea fan, so We watched everything from Cleo, La Mepris, Touki Bouki and Xala.

Speaking of, I still need to watch my copy of Le Mépris and Xala will be on TCM this week.

[zkirkland]

Originally Posted by Oblivion138

M is definitely an essential film, and Criterion's extras are nice...but I have to ask if you're aware of the German release from Universum. It's undergone further restoration, and makes for a much more satisfying presentation, in my book. And it's Region-free. Even the DVD that houses the extras is Region 0. And it comes in a beautiful Digibook (mostly images), to boot. If you don't own M on BD, the Universum disc is the best one.

I still have my Criterion BD (it was actually the first Criterion BD I ever bought), but the Universum release wins in terms of PQ/AQ, hands down.

I'm aware of it but I'm rather impatient with imports and the arrival time. Last time I imported a Blu Ray it was the Hitchcock set and it arrived a month after ordered.

[bwdowiak]

just like JW.. I, too, watched Heaven's Gate this weekend for the first time. I am still trying to wrap my head around it as there is certainly a lot to marvel at, but it is also a flawed film - a disjointed narrative and the battle sequence near the end being my biggest complaints.

[Show spoiler]I did really like the scene in the roller rink (that one, of course) and the scene where Jim and Ella dance in a suddenly empty roller rink is, quite simply put, beautiful. remarkable, actually.

..and I found the very last scene to be affecting in a way that I can not quite put my finger on - that could be due to the fact that the battle scene that precedes it bordered on awful.

cinematography, set design, costumes, attention to detail.. all top notch. it certainly is a special movie. I have a feeling that the more I think about it, the more I will feel I liked it, but for the moment, it hovers somewhere between, 'interesting, but mostly as a cinematic curiosity' and 'good, but not great.'

[jw007]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

Don't forget that Lucas also directed The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith.

And I for one do not consider that you went overboard in your assessment of Michael Cimino as a world class director on the level with George Lucas.

Okay, just glad you aren't a Star Wars fanboy freak who worships Lucas like a god. Whewww.

Originally Posted by JJJ225

Directing one or two great films does not qualify someone as a truly great director. A truly great director has a breadth of work.

I agree wholeheartedly with that statement.

Originally Posted by octagon

Putting Lucas and Cimino in the same sentence is fine. Provided the words 'world's greatest' aren't in there too

And I'm not knocking Lucas (or Cimino, for that matter). He made two legitimately great movies and his writing, directing and producing were huge parts of that. I'm not going to call him a flash in the pan or minimize his accomplishments but I'm not sure two films - no matter how impressive - put him on a plane with directors with truly impressive bodies of work produced over decades.

Well, if we're talking about "world's greatest phenomenon", I think George Lucas surpasses that achievement for his Star Wars legacy, but I never really saw him as a true director anyway. A true director creates a wide diversity of films (or at least many films of varying themes) as opposed to one kind of movie (or genre) times 6 (although he didn't directed episodes 5 and 6). Cimino might fall into the "world's greatest one (or two) hit wonder director" and that would be a respectable title for him.

So yes, I respect your opinion.

Funny, how the greatest Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back, wasn't even directed by Lucas (but Irvin Kershner).

[jw007]

Originally Posted by format916

i just watched the deer hunter for the first time. its a good movie, and i can see where heavens gate got its inspiration...im just surprised so many people (like my father) love this movie. 'nothing happens' for the first hour.

Originally Posted by RiFiFi1955

Sure stuff happens, character building, pre serving in Vietnam life, etc. Without showing the before the after would be far less effective.

Though I've actually only seen The Deer Hunter once, it strangely reminded me of The Godfather in how it built characters in the beginning. Oddly enough, Heaven's Gate also reminded me of The Godfather with certain musical cues that sounded a bit like Italian music (as crazy as that sounds).

I guess a film like Full Metal Jacket is split into two main sections too, the "before" and "after". So The Deer Hunter can be seen as the "family/domestic stuff" in the first section and then the "war stuff" in the 2nd half.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

just like JW.. I, too, watched Heaven's Gate this weekend for the first time. I am still trying to wrap my head around it as there is certainly a lot to marvel at, but it is also a flawed film - a disjointed narrative and the battle sequence near the end being my biggest complaints.

[Show spoiler]I did really like the scene in the roller rink (that one, of course) and the scene where Jim and Ella dance in a suddenly empty roller rink is, quite simply put, beautiful. remarkable, actually.

..and I found the very last scene to be affecting in a way that I can not quite put my finger on - that could be due to the fact that the battle scene that precedes it bordered on awful.

cinematography, set design, costumes, attention to detail.. all top notch. it certainly is a special movie. I have a feeling that the more I think about it, the more I will feel I liked it, but for the moment, it hovers somewhere between, 'interesting, but mostly as a cinematic curiosity' and 'good, but not great.'

That's a pretty good assessment after seeing this film once, like I did too (this past weekend). I have to agree with you about the terrible/awful battle scene toward the end. It was just too long. I really didn't even see the point of stretching it out so much like that.

No question, the various dance scenes in the film are the highlight for me, especially the very early scene in the first 10-20 minutes of the film. That was absolutely breathtaking.

I think the strength of Kris Kristofferson, Chris Walken and Jeff Bridges' acting is what makes this film so memorable too. These characters the actors play are unforgettable in a strange sort of way. I don't really like Walken's character as he is ambiguous in a way, just like John Hurt's character (who I saw as "weak" but neither good or evil - he existed in the "grey" zone). I think, in the end, as "bad ass" as Walken's character was, he wasn't truly an evil character (compared to the real evil men in the film). There is a certain genuine radiance coming from Kristofferson though that I love. I think its his finest film by far.

The more I think about it, the more I love Heaven's Gate. This film truly grows on you. You need to let it sink in and then you realize just how strong the characters in the film are. I feel like they could have easily existed back in the late 19th century. Easily.

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by jw007

Okay, just glad you aren't a Star Wars fanboy freak who worships Lucas like a god. Whewww.



I agree wholeheartedly with that statement.



Well, if we're talking about "world's greatest phenomenon", I think George Lucas surpasses that achievement for his Star Wars legacy, but I never really saw him as a true director anyway. A true director creates a wide diversity of films (or at least many films of varying themes) as opposed to one kind of movie (or genre) times 6 (although he didn't directed episodes 5 and 6). Cimino might fall into the "world's greatest one (or two) hit wonder director" and that would be a respectable title for him.

So yes, I respect your opinion.

It would depend on what two movies you're including in this statement. Sure, Heaven's Gate is being re-appraised but it doesn't change the fact that it was a monumental flop that destroyed the studio that financed it and pretty much put an end to the new Hollywood movement of the 70s. So to call it a "hit" is inaccurate.

The Deer Hunter is the one film that's regarded as his masterpiece, although even that is being reappraised somewhat to the point where it's not as highly regarded as it once was.

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot was a great little film, although how much of that was Cimino's influence and how much of it was Eastwood's is up for debate.

Cimino is a great example of what could have been if his own hubris had not gotten in the way.

[SilentDawn]

I might actually pick up The Great Dictator tomorrow as well considering that I am using the final speech as a basis for an oral interpretation. I can't wait to see some of my classmate's faces when I mention Charlie Chaplin and The Great Dictator.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by SilentxStatik24

I might actually pick up The Great Dictator tomorrow as well considering that I am using the final speech as a basis for an oral interpretation. I can't wait to see some of my classmate's faces when I mention Charlie Chaplin and The Great Dictator.

It's so gooddddd. All of Chaplin's films are.

Also you can't have The Godfather 1 and The Godfather 2 as one listing in your Top Favorites.