The Criterion Collection

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jw007

I've become an adventurous film viewer and take risks with obscure and films that are less known to mainstream audiences. I feel like I've matured a lot and I won't apologize for this. It's only natural that people mature as they get older and the same thing has happened to me regarding cinema. I do not feel ashamed one bit for stating this.

following this board, you come to know what other posters enjoy... I'd say that you definitely have one of the more obscure-ish tastes.. props to you for that. more adventurous than most.

you should definitely pick up Black Narcissus, though... you will like it!

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jw007

I'm with you on most of this, except for the last part. I believe my tastes are more refined for sure. I have a higher appreciation for certain directors and certain genres now than when I did when I was a teenager. There will always be a spot in my heart for popcorn-variety Hollywood action films but nowadays I find more challenging films to be more attractive in my life. I turn my brain off less and less these days because I no longer find it desirable to do so. I am wiser than my younger years and constantly challenge myself every day. I've become an adventurous film viewer and take risks with obscure and films that are less known to mainstream audiences. I feel like I've matured a lot and I won't apologize for this. It's only natural that people mature as they get older and the same thing has happened to me regarding cinema. I do not feel ashamed one bit for stating this.

You definitely have some keen tastes in cinema. I know what you mean about becoming an adventurous film viewer.

My tastes are more varied now, but I still like to turn my brain off ever so often, and revisit a movie that I've seen dozens of times just to smile at the childhood nostalgia or just to enjoy a popcorn movie experience again. I still love Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as dearly as I did when I saw it at the theater back in sixth grade.

I'd like to say that I don't get into the lowbrow comedies as much as I used to, since I still haven't bothered to upgrade my DVDs of movies like Old School, Office Space, and Eurotrip, but that's not exactly true. I bought National Lampoon's Animal House on Blu-ray recently, and had a blast revisiting that movie.

[bluesilo]

How many of us are picking up Persona today? I've considered paying the Amazon price for it, but I can't justify the 34.99 when I know I'll get it on sale eventually. Anybody get there copy in yet?

[blkhrt]

Originally Posted by bluesilo

How many of us are picking up Persona today? I've considered paying the Amazon price for it, but I can't justify the 34.99 when I know I'll get it on sale eventually. Anybody get there copy in yet?

Mine is out for delivery with UPS, so I should have it sometime this afternoon. I can't wait to revisit it soon.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by bluesilo

How many of us are picking up Persona today? I've considered paying the Amazon price for it, but I can't justify the 34.99 when I know I'll get it on sale eventually. Anybody get there copy in yet?

I'm hoping that Persona will be in my mailbox when I get home, along with The Freshman and The Great Beauty.

I'm going to wait until this weekend to watch Persona, though. It seems a little weighty for my slow caveman intellect, so I want plenty of time to take it all in.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by bluesilo

How many of us are picking up Persona today? I've considered paying the Amazon price for it, but I can't justify the 34.99 when I know I'll get it on sale eventually. Anybody get there copy in yet?

My order arrived this afternoon.

I'm going to watch both Persona and the Liv & Ingmar documentary soon.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by bluesilo

How many of us are picking up Persona today? I've considered paying the Amazon price for it, but I can't justify the 34.99 when I know I'll get it on sale eventually. Anybody get there copy in yet?

Mine is coming today from Family Video ($27 shipped).

I'm interested in reading the reviews from those watching it for the first time. My guess is some will love it and others will want to return it.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

It seems a little weighty for my slow caveman intellect

Mongo just pawn in game of life.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Mongo just pawn in game of life.

Candygram for Mongo!

[jw007]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

following this board, you come to know what other posters enjoy... I'd say that you definitely have one of the more obscure-ish tastes.. props to you for that. more adventurous than most.

you should definitely pick up Black Narcissus, though... you will like it!

At this point, I'm just going to go ahead and blind-buy that one when the next sale hits. I just can't go wrong with Powell/Pressburger. Period. (Martin Scorcese would be proud)

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

You definitely have some keen tastes in cinema. I know what you mean about becoming an adventurous film viewer.

My tastes are more varied now, but I still like to turn my brain off ever so often, and revisit a movie that I've seen dozens of times just to smile at the childhood nostalgia or just to enjoy a popcorn movie experience again. I still love Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as dearly as I did when I saw it at the theater back in sixth grade.

I'd like to say that I don't get into the lowbrow comedies as much as I used to, since I still haven't bothered to upgrade my DVDs of movies like Old School, Office Space, and Eurotrip, but that's not exactly true. I bought National Lampoon's Animal House on Blu-ray recently, and had a blast revisiting that movie.

A funny thing has happened to me... I stopped enjoying Steven Spielberg movies. Yes, crazy that I just stated this but its true. It's either ponderous/difficult watching his "serious" films (Amistad, Lincoln, Schindlers List, Saving Private Ryan, The Color Purple) or just too adolescent/ditzy with his "fun" films (Temple of Doom, Hook, E.T., 1941). Then there are his sci-fi films (with the exception of E.T. which I just cannot watch - don't ask me why) such as Close Encounters, Jurassic Park, A.I., Minority Report and War of the Worlds which I find the most watchable of all his films. Well, actually, even Close Encounters of the Third Kind is starting to become too ponderous for me to watch again now. Yes, its a classic film, yes its his update of B-horror, yes it features Truffaut, but I just don't enjoy watching that movie anymore! Okay, I don't want to open a can of Spielberg worms here (oh, I think I just did), but I just stopped enjoying his movies because mostly the lack of depth and substance in many of his movies.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by jw007

.... but I just stopped enjoying his movies because mostly the lack of depth and substance in many of his movies.

Of course this is your opinion.
Because my opinion is that in some Spielberg movies there may be much more depth and substance than in some pretentious "art films".
It may be given in a simple way, but not simplistic.

(By the way, E.T. is my favourite film of all time!)

[blu-bry]

Originally Posted by jw007

A funny thing has happened to me... I stopped enjoying Steven Spielberg movies. Yes, crazy that I just stated this but its true. It's either ponderous/difficult watching his "serious" films (Amistad, Lincoln, Schindlers List, Saving Private Ryan, The Color Purple) or just too adolescent/ditzy with his "fun" films (Temple of Doom, Hook, E.T., 1941). Then there are his sci-fi films (with the exception of E.T. which I just cannot watch - don't ask me why) such as Close Encounters, Jurassic Park, A.I., Minority Report and War of the Worlds which I find the most watchable of all his films. Well, actually, even Close Encounters of the Third Kind is starting to become too ponderous for me to watch again now. Yes, its a classic film, yes its his update of B-horror, yes it features Truffaut, but I just don't enjoy watching that movie anymore! Okay, I don't want to open a can of Spielberg worms here (oh, I think I just did), but I just stopped enjoying his movies because mostly the lack of depth and substance in many of his movies.

I have had a similar experience with Spielberg's films. They are super special to me when they first arrive on the scene, but over the years they grow thin and I start watching them less and less. On the other hand, certain films like Casablanca and Black Narcissus I have liked, but not loved upon my first viewing, but they have grown to be favorites with subsequent viewings. Now I have to watch them every so often.

[natureboy]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Candygram for Mongo!

Well let's play chess.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

Of course this is your opinion.
Because my opinion is that in some Spielberg movies there may be much more depth and substance than in some pretentious "art films".
It may be given in a simple way, but not simplistic.

(By the way, E.T. is my favourite film of all time!)

being that pretentious is a somewhat banned word around here. (some feel that it is overused and misused) I offer you the friendly challenge of giving an example of an art film that you found pretentious and defending your opinion.

[joie]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

"'nothing" like meaning nothing as good? we'd agree to disagree if that is what you mean; I won't challenge that because everyone is entitled to their opinion, but The Madison scene in Band of Outsiders is, for me, infinitely cooler. And the way Anna Karina moves in the pool hall scene in Vivre sa Vie had to have been an influence on the way Uma Thurman moves in the scene where they go back to her home after Jack Rabbit Slim's. That scene in VSV is absolute perfection.

but if you mean "nothing" as in a literal sense... (which I guess I don't think you mean it that way...) you'd be severely mistaken. that'd be like saying there is nothing in Oasis's music that is reminiscent of the Beatles.



check back a few pages as Godard has been a major topic for a while now... my hunch would be to say, however, that if you didn't like Breathless, you may not be hip to his other stuff. although my theory about people not liking Breathless is that people might be turned off by the jump cuts early in the film and maybe also the long scene in the hotel room.

I should have written, "... nothing quite like ... ."

Yes, Tarantino was influenced by Goddard, but it's a little unfair to call it theft. Many people have learned to write by reading and their reading has influenced their writing. The same sort of learning may occur with movie makers.
It's hard to imagine a movie made by someone who had never seen a movie.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by blu-bry

I have had a similar experience with Spielberg's films. They are super special to me when they first arrive on the scene, but over the years they grow thin and I start watching them less and less. On the other hand, certain films like Casablanca and Black Narcissus I have liked, but not loved upon my first viewing, but they have grown to be favorites with subsequent viewings. Now I have to watch them every so often.

Yes, its always an event or something very special when a new Spielberg movie comes out...but of course this is in my opinion as well...the films don't hold up so well over time (I won't say this for every one of his films though... some I find very intriguing still... such as Munich or Empire of the Sun). Certain directors for me I'll probably never lose interest in (such as Kubrick or Scorcese) but I feel like Spielberg, at times, could have been one of the greatest directors for adolescents and teenagers (as opposed to adults)...or maybe its just Spielberg's fantastic imagination that makes us adults feel like kids again.

Will Spielberg ever make it to the Criterion Collection on DVD or Blu-ray? I doubt it!

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jw007

At this point, I'm just going to go ahead and blind-buy that one when the next sale hits. I just can't go wrong with Powell/Pressburger. Period. (Martin Scorcese would be proud)



A funny thing has happened to me... I stopped enjoying Steven Spielberg movies. Yes, crazy that I just stated this but its true. It's either ponderous/difficult watching his "serious" films (Amistad, Lincoln, Schindlers List, Saving Private Ryan, The Color Purple) or just too adolescent/ditzy with his "fun" films (Temple of Doom, Hook, E.T., 1941). Then there are his sci-fi films (with the exception of E.T. which I just cannot watch - don't ask me why) such as Close Encounters, Jurassic Park, A.I., Minority Report and War of the Worlds which I find the most watchable of all his films. Well, actually, even Close Encounters of the Third Kind is starting to become too ponderous for me to watch again now. Yes, its a classic film, yes its his update of B-horror, yes it features Truffaut, but I just don't enjoy watching that movie anymore! Okay, I don't want to open a can of Spielberg worms here (oh, I think I just did), but I just stopped enjoying his movies because mostly the lack of depth and substance in many of his movies.

Originally Posted by blu-bry

I have had a similar experience with Spielberg's films. They are super special to me when they first arrive on the scene, but over the years they grow thin and I start watching them less and less. On the other hand, certain films like Casablanca and Black Narcissus I have liked, but not loved upon my first viewing, but they have grown to be favorites with subsequent viewings. Now I have to watch them every so often.

I've never liked Spielberg. I remember liking the first few seasons of the TV show Dawson's Creek and thinking "Why the hell does Dawson aspire to be Steven Spielberg? Why can't he admire a filmmaker better than him?" Being that that show goes back 15 years, I guess you can say that I've been no fun just about all my life. (cue Iggy and The Stooges)

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by blu-bry

I have had a similar experience with Spielberg's films. They are super special to me when they first arrive on the scene, but over the years they grow thin and I start watching them less and less. On the other hand, certain films like Casablanca and Black Narcissus I have liked, but not loved upon my first viewing, but they have grown to be favorites with subsequent viewings. Now I have to watch them every so often.

It's funny you say this because the one Spielberg film I really want to see on blu-ray more than any other is one that's rarely mentioned: Duel.

[blu-bry]

Originally Posted by jw007

I feel like Spielberg, at times, could have been one of the greatest directors for adolescents and teenagers (as opposed to adults)...or maybe its just Spielberg's fantastic imagination that makes us adults feel like kids again.

Well put.

[blu-bry]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

It's funny you say this because the one Spielberg film I really want to see on blu-ray more than any other is one that's rarely mentioned: Duel.

If I remember correctly, I think that Duel was a "made for T.V." movie. That may be part of the reason it gets left out of his canon of work. It is an imaginative and eerie film though!