The Criterion Collection

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by RojD

Pandora's Box. Oh, please!

Or some Frank Borzage ("pre-code" implying American releases). France has good all-region transfers of some of his work, tho Crit would do a far better job with the extras.

They've already got Pandoras Box though :/
Pretty sure they mean an early 1930's movie considered racy for its time. So many great possibilities!
Some people have suggested Freaks and I really hope its that. A criterion release of Freaks would be amazing

[hustlermane]

I do love Stanwyck in Baby Face about a woman who literally sleeps her way to the top of a corporation. Pretty crazy film featuring a young John Wayne as one of her early conquests. But I couldn't guess which one Criterion is doing, so many possibilities.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

They've already got Pandoras Box though :/
Pretty sure they mean an early 1930's movie considered racy for its time. So many great possibilities!
Some people have suggested Freaks and I really hope its that. A criterion release of Freaks would be amazing

I'd rather see something a little more obscure like The Story of Temple Drake or Safe in Hell for example or some DeMille like The Sign of the Cross (pre and post code releases) or Madame Satan. Pre-Code was an amazing few years!

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I'd rather see something a little more obscure like The Story of Temple Drake or Safe in Hell for example or some DeMille like The Sign of the Cross (pre and post code releases) or Madame Satan. Pre-Code was an amazing few years!

Safe In Hell would be awesome as would Babyface. Haven't seen those others though.
The pre-code years had some pure gold for sure.

[ShellOilJunior]

Liv Ullmann's eyes are incredible in Persona:

[Show spoiler]

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Liv Ullmann's eyes are incredible in Persona:

[Show spoiler]

The inclusion of Liv & Ingmar on the Persona release really makes it an excellent value.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by AnamorphicWidescreen;9109785

Re: [I

The Talented Mr. Ripley[/I], I liked this when I saw it in the theater. However, after reading the excellent novel by Patricia Highsmith, I've grown to dislike the film. The novel is superbly written & very well done.

[Show spoiler]The film, however, changes a lot of elements around: In the novel, Marge (G. Paltrow in the film) is not engaged to D. Greenleaf, but is instead more of a casual girlfriend, somewhat dowdy (not blonde & cute). So, there is no scene when Marge has an emotional meltdown, thinking that Ripley offed Greenleaf (as in the film); the character in the book doesn't seem to care much that he dissapeared. And, the Cate Blanchett character is completely absent in the novel. Last but not least, the #%^ subtext is not nearly as obvious in the novel. In essence, they changed so much of the story that, IMHO, the whole point of the novel is lost. I wish I had read the novel before seeing the film, instead of the other way around...

That being said, the film had a superb soundtrack, which I own - very well-done; I like the score, as well as the actual songs.

Also, note that Highsmith wrote several more Ripley novels, all of which were excellent (though IMHO none were as good as the first one). In these, Ripley is married & living in France, and has several disturbing adventures. If you're interested in finding out more about the character, my advice would be to read all of the Ripley novels....

Originally Posted by AnamorphicWidescreen

I'm getting OT here, but IMHO the Ripley books are far superior to the films; for one thing, there is no continuity in the movies - they came out years apart & have different actors as Tom Ripley, the tone/vibe is completely different in each film, etc. Granted, I've only seen two of the films (TTMR & Ripley's Game), but just based on these two I was not impressed. There are too many details changed from the books. Note that as far as I know, there are actually five films:

http://www.wordandfilm.com/2011/06/r...99s-anti-hero/

I have not read any of the novels and I won't. I, personally, feel that the opportunity to do that is lost because I will make mental images of Matt Damon as Ripley, Jude Law as Dickie, and so on... I would really like to see Purple Noon, but am wondering how that will play for me being that I kinda already know the story.

Anyway - the parts I have highlighted above... I'm sure that the books are fantastic, but the fact that details were changed from the book is not a valid criticism of any one of the films. The Cate Blanchett character serves a few purposes in the book and is absolutely essential to TTMR when judged on its own merit.

[Show spoiler]#1 - when Ripley assumes Dickie's identity, he then becomes the clean cut, handsome, American living la dolce vita in Italy - everything that Dickie is; everything that Damon's Ripley wants to be. Cate is to Damon's Ripey what Paltrow is to Jude Law's Dickie. #2 - Cate's presence on the boat at the end of the film makes it necessary for him to kill Peter Smith Kinglsey. He is, as the film states (and I don't remember the wording,) trapped in a room where he has secrets or whatever it is... he is searching for happiness and is in a downward spiral. I know that sounds generic and cheap, but again, I don't remember how it is put, but when the windblown door slams shut at the end of the film, it is a perfect last scene, IMO.

So many films are based on adaptation of novels or short stories. What we have here is an extremely popular book, so people will feel inclined to compare. They are completely different works of art, however, and they should be judged on their own. Nobody complains that Vertigo isn't like D'entre les morts because it is likely that fewer people have read it.

[bwdowiak]

saw Jean Luc Godard's Weekend over the weekend (how do you like that? ) I'd say this film probably needs to be seen by more people. It is quite the mindf**k of a film that is as challenging a work of art as Last Year at Marienbad or Persona. I enjoyed the use of all the primary colors (the pop art look to it) and the cinematography and set design was ace.

I also saw Bresson's last film L'Argent which Criterion owns the distribution rights to. It is on Hulu Plus. Just like some of his other great films, nothing is sensationalized. No superfluous displays of emotion. No unnecessary camera movement. Just quiet controlled precision. It is a VERY good movie! I highly recommend it. Anybody else see this one?

[Polaroid]

Such torture! 'A Night To Remember' £12 on Amazon, also from UK so fast deliver... but booklets missing ...

[aes3728]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

saw Jean Luc Godard's Weekend over the weekend (how do you like that? ) I'd say this film probably needs to be seen by more people. It is quite the mindf**k of a film that is as challenging a work of art as Last Year at Marienbad or Persona. I enjoyed the use of all the primary colors (the pop art look to it) and the cinematography and set design was ace.

I also saw Bresson's last film L'Argent which Criterion owns the distribution rights to. It is on Hulu Plus. Just like some of his other great films, nothing is sensationalized. No superfluous displays of emotion. No unnecessary camera movement. Just quiet controlled precision. It is a VERY good movie! I highly recommend it. Anybody else see this one?

Weekend is without a doubt my favorite Godard. As many times as I have seen it, I still don't think I fully understand it. Kent Jones' visual essay does an amazing job going through all of the allusions Godard uses.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by aes3728

Weekend is without a doubt my favorite Godard. As many times as I have seen it, I still don't think I fully understand it. Kent Jones' visual essay does an amazing job going through all of the allusions Godard uses.

I'm looking forward to checking out those supplements. I kind of made the mistake of trying to understand as much as possible on the 1st viewing. I usually do that with a lot of these French films - especially the ones that tons of poetry within the dialogue - the Resnais films and all of the Godards, for example. I maybe should have just tried to take it all in and just plan for subsequent viewings (which will happen anyway given time.) I'd say, though, that I did alright. Only 2 sequences went over my head -

[Show spoiler]whatever it was the 2 odd people were talking about in the middle of the woods and the explanation of the origins of class separation. It came right after the two political speeches while the 2 men eat sandwiches. My mind was spent by the time the 'origins' speech came up.

[hoytereden]

Seance on a Wet Afternoon was on TCM the other night. Excellent film with great performances, especially Kim Stanley. I don't know what it's status is currently as far as who has the rights to it. I could have sworn that it had the Janus Films title at the start. Anyway, it would be right at home in the Collection.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Seance on a Wet Afternoon was on TCM the other night. Excellent film with great performances, especially Kim Stanley. I don't know what it's status is currently as far as who has the rights to it. I could have sworn that it had the Janus Films title at the start. Anyway, it would be right at home in the Collection.

Well, I can say that it was released on DVD by Home Vision Entertainment, which was at one point corporately connected to Criterion. It's not clear what films released under the Home Vision label were owned by Criterion, though at least a couple had been released on LD by Criterion's other original parent company, Voyager, and the Zatoichi films aside, there was one HVE DVD release that ended up in one of the Eclipse sets.

[pro-bassoonist]

Overlord Blu-ray REVIEW



Pro-B

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Overlord Blu-ray REVIEW

[Show spoiler]

Pro-B

Thank you! I am looking forward to upgrading my old Criterion DVD of Overlord. It is such a visually haunting masterwork. The footage of the mechanical devices that were employed on the beaches sends chills down my spine.

[demonknight]

Originally Posted by demonknight

Well, I just sent a list of suggestions to them via email. What do you guys think?
Adaptation. (2002)
Barton Fink (1991)
Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
The Dark Backward (1991)
The Fisher King (1991)
Hi, Mom! (1970), with Greetings (1968) as a bonus feature
The Man Who Wasn't There (2003)
Rumble Fish (1983)

Well, I got a response.

Thanks for your email, and for the suggestions – I'll be sure to pass them along to my colleagues. Some great films there.

Best wishes, and thank you for supporting the Criterion Collection!

Nice to see a personal touch between Criterion and their fans. Just like Synapse. So much better than my experiences with Warner and Lionsgate.

[The Great Owl]

I just finished watching How the West Was Won for the first time, choosing the "SmileBox" Blu-ray disc for this first viewing. My mind is blown.

This also reminded me that I have a still-unwatched western on Criterion Blu-ray. I bought Jubal at the tail end of the last Barnes & Noble sale, but have not yet made my way around to checking it out. I need to move this one up in my stack.

[blkhrt]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I just finished watching How the West Was Won for the first time, choosing the "SmileBox" Blu-ray disc for this first viewing. My mind is blown.

This also reminded me that I have a still-unwatched western on Criterion Blu-ray. I bought Jubal at the tail end of the last Barnes & Noble sale, but have not yet made my way around to checking it out. I need to move this one up in my stack.

Jubal is great. I think you will enjoy it. Actually, Jubal has left me wanting to watch more Westerns, so last night I ordered Shane. Can't wait to watch it after it arrives.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by blkhrt

Jubal is great. I think you will enjoy it. Actually, Jubal has left me wanting to watch more Westerns, so last night I ordered Shane. Can't wait to watch it after it arrives.

Yeah, Jubal and Stagecoach got my wife and I starting to watch Westerns. Great stuff!

[Scottie]

I just finished Gray's Anatomy. It was a very entertaining film, but I don't think it is something that I would watch again.

I need to do a little research about it to figure out how much of it was dramatized or not. One thing is for sure, Spalding Gray is quite the storyteller.