The Criterion Collection

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

Just finished Safe. How is this considered the best film of the 90s? I loved the camera work and Julianne Moore was great but the story was really dull. And the ending, I was expecting a lot more to happen.

It's certainly not a bad film and it definitely creates a feeling of panic as the film progresses, but there is no way that it is the best film of the 1990s.

Honestly, I had not even heard of the film prior to the announcement.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

Comedy always seemes to be overlooked when it comes to critical discussions and awards. And both the US and Uk versions of The Office are amazing examples of good television.

I myself am somewhat guilty of this, but it's more because I'm just more interested in drama than comedy. I enjoy 40s screwball comedies, and some 50s/60s sitcoms, but most modern comedy I find unfunny. The Office is a prime example -- it just doesn't click with me at all.

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

forgot to mention that my family gave me an Amazon Fire TV for Christmas this weekend! Looking forward to loading up my Hulu Plus subscription on the Fire TV and really getting my monies worth out of the subscription on my big screen now!

That's something I need to consider. I've been having issues with Netflix streaming to the TV for quite some time now. I don't have any problems streaming to my laptop, so I'm figuring that the app on the TV isn't working the way it should.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

Thanks. That's what I think is one of the coolest things about the Criterion Collection and this group... the commonality of what have and what we have watched. I know that seems obvious, but it's not always the case in other forums, groups, etc. So yeah, it's cool to see how many films people have in common here that they own, how many they've seen, and how very far behind we all are in watching them!

oh and the few up top that the flash made unreadable (didn't notice until now), are I Married a Witch, Ice Storm, In the Realm of the Senses and It Happened One Night.

I have about 29, if I go by your Criterion link because I can't read some of the spines due to glare, and I'm way behind on viewing my actual copies. I've watched most of the non-watched before in other media formats, but, I'm still going through via spine # order. I'm up to Rosetta. I also currently have 3 titles still in the mail as they shipped from B&N right before Christmas. I also took a break to watch 15 other films I got for Christmas that weren't Criterions.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I myself am somewhat guilty of this, but it's more because I'm just more interested in drama than comedy. I enjoy 40s screwball comedies, and some 50s/60s sitcoms, but most modern comedy I find unfunny. The Office is a prime example -- it just doesn't click with me at all.



That's something I need to consider. I've been having issues with Netflix streaming to the TV for quite some time now. I don't have any problems streaming to my laptop, so I'm figuring that the app on the TV isn't working the way it should.

You could always plug the laptop into the TV if it has an HDMI port, so Netflix will work.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

Just finished Safe. How is this considered the best film of the 90s? I loved the camera work and Julianne Moore was great but the story was really dull. And the ending, I was expecting a lot more to happen.

I saw it at the theater when it first came out, and I, too, was underwhelmed. I didn't think it was bad by any stretch, but I think I had more admiration than affection for it. I haven't seen it since, and I'm curious if my opinion would change if I watch it again now, but it's just not very high on my buy list.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I myself am somewhat guilty of this, but it's more because I'm just more interested in drama than comedy. I enjoy 40s screwball comedies, and some 50s/60s sitcoms, but most modern comedy I find unfunny. The Office is a prime example -- it just doesn't click with me at all.

That's something I need to consider. I've been having issues with Netflix streaming to the TV for quite some time now. I don't have any problems streaming to my laptop, so I'm figuring that the app on the TV isn't working the way it should.

Yeah, I should've taken a better look at the picture before I posted, generally I'm a stickler for those things.

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

You could always plug the laptop into the TV if it has an HDMI port, so Netflix will work.

Funny, I was going to suggest that too. And I'm excited about the Fire TV as I have issues with my blu-ray player sometimes with Netflix and Hulu; really it's more with connectivity to my home network, and the not-so-great wifi adapters they use in the players. On top of that, I have an older PS3, so I just use it for gaming now. So I'm hoping this will be a big improvement, and they just added HBO Go as well!!

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I saw it at the theater when it first came out, and I, too, was underwhelmed. I didn't think it was bad by any stretch, but I think I had more admiration than affection for it. I haven't seen it since, and I'm curious if my opinion would change if I watch it again now, but it's just not very high on my buy list.

I blind bought this last week during the BN 40% sale, hoping I'm not disappointed.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by iScottie

It's certainly not a bad film and it definitely creates a feeling of panic as the film progresses, but there is no way that it is the best film of the 1990s.

Honestly, I had not even heard of the film prior to the announcement.

haven't seen it, but I think I recall that one online publication had it at the top of their list for the 90's... The Village Voice. not that their credibility is damaged or anything, but I'm pretty sure it is the same place where Spoonie Luv tried to put in a personals ad.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

A quick updated picture of Criterion collection, up to 84 titles now (including box sets, etc). The last two sections on the bottom are still unwatched . I'm making my way through them, but when you pick up so many at once during the Criterion and BN sales, it's hard to stay caught up. Also not pictured is Following, which I just realized is still in my blu-ray player.

Very, very nice! You have a collection to be proud of! A quick count showed that we have at least 30 titles in common, and you own several that are on my want list.

I just rearranged my Criterion titles today, but my effort was focused around raising them higher off the floor and hiding them behind my lesser treasures. I have a new Black Lab puppy coming home on January 7 or 8, and past experience has taught me that I'll need to keep all my most prized possessions "puppy-proofed" for the next three years or so. My previous Lab never chewed on anything she wasn't supposed to, but I know she was highly atypical!

[Rich Pure Doom]

Back to the three films in a row topic: Howard Hawks did it twice.

Bringing Up Baby
Only Angels Have Wings
His Girl Friday

To Have And Have Not
The Big Sleep
Red River

What do I win?

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by jmclick

Very, very nice! You have a collection to be proud of! A quick count showed that we have at least 30 titles in common, and you own several that are on my want list.

I just rearranged my Criterion titles today, but my effort was focused around raising them higher off the floor and hiding them behind my lesser treasures. I have a new Black Lab puppy coming home on January 7 or 8, and past experience has taught me that I'll need to keep all my most prized possessions "puppy-proofed" for the next three years or so. My previous Lab never chewed on anything she wasn't supposed to, but I know she was highly atypical!

Thank you, I am pretty proud of my collection. And I actually rearranged the collection for the picture, they are normally all on the top shelve. They actually look nice in a big line.

And good luck with the puppy! 6 months ago we go a rescue fox hound/pointer mix, who is 4 years old. We weren't sure how well she was trained, and pleasantly surprised that she is very well behaved when it comes to chewing and tearing things up... she just finds food if it's on the counter, and likes our couch when we are gone. But all-in-all she leaves our stuff alone.... knock on wood.

[The Great Owl]

I'll join in the three-film fun.

Jacques Tourneur directed three of the finest horror films all in a row...

Cat People
I Walked with a Zombie
The Leopard Man

Fritz Lang nailed three awesome film noirs in a row...

Ministry of Fear
The Woman in the Window
Scarlet Street

(and these three were bookended by other effective noirs from Lang)

[pro-bassoonist]

The Sword of Doom Blu-ray REVIEW



A hell of a film!

Easily one of Tatsuya Nakadai's top five performances

Pro-B

[Cat III]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

Speaking of his filmmaking idiosyncrasies, I have also seen his 'Address Unknown'. If you've ever watched Elem Klimov's 'Come and See', it will leave you feeling much the same way at the end: numb. It is violent, sadistic, and depressing, especially the somewhat infamous animal abuse scenes.

Haven't seen Address Unknown, but just looked it up on IMDb and saw some lunatic raving about how seeing it made her realize her own complicity in the suffering caused by the Korean conflict. Of course this comes from one of those nitwits who has morality turned on its head and thinks the peninsula would be better off if the communists controlled all of it. Nevertheless, I won't be deterred from seeing it. Ki-duk is too interesting to pass up. Also I added Come and See to my Netflix queue. Hadn't heard of it until now. Looks good.

Speaking of avant garde Asian directors, last night I saw Sion Sono's Strange Circus. I loved Love Exposure and Suicide Club, but was unimpressed with Cold Fish. Strange Circus is his strangest yet which is saying a lot. By the end I had the same unclean feeling that I was left with after viewing Greg Araki's Mysterious Skin. Anyone looking for something mind-blowing and totally original--who is also able to endure extreme violence and depravity--should look to Sono.

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

I always thought the Coen Brothers had a great run from the beginning with 'Blood Simple.', 'Raising Arizona', 'Miller's Crossing', and 'Barton Fink'.

The Coens are my favorite directors on the whole. If you toss aside Hudsucker Proxy, they're initial streak is all the more impressive with Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou and The Man Who Wasn't There (maybe their most forgotten great film).

As far as great streaks of directing go, I'll add Hayao Miyazaki to the running. He didn't make a dud until Howl's Moving Castle so that means he made eight films straight that are varying degrees of greatness. (For the record that's The Castle of Cagliostro, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away.)

Another name to consider, Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Delicatessan, City of Lost Children, Alien: Resurrection (I think it's good), Amelie, and A Very Long Engagement.

I was going to say Guillermo Del Toro, but he's got stuff like Mimic and Blade II mucking things up so I'll end with another director that confirms my Asiaphile bona fides, Joon-ho Bong. Memories of Murder, The Host, Mother, and Snowpiercer (haven't seen yet, but reviews are good).

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Rubber Soul/Revolver/Sgt. Pepper

I can play this too. Suffer/No Control/Against the Grain

[lordmorpheus72]

Done with movies for the night... gotta watch my Clemson Tigers play some football! Good luck to all your teams during Bowl season, if you have a team, unless you're a Sooners fan. GO TIGERS!

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

Yeah, I should've taken a better look at the picture before I posted, generally I'm a stickler for those things.



Funny, I was going to suggest that too. And I'm excited about the Fire TV as I have issues with my blu-ray player sometimes with Netflix and Hulu; really it's more with connectivity to my home network, and the not-so-great wifi adapters they use in the players. On top of that, I have an older PS3, so I just use it for gaming now. So I'm hoping this will be a big improvement, and they just added HBO Go as well!!

My blu-ray player is so old, that Netflix is non-existant unless I move to America, and it's only wifi compatible if I buy a dongle that Panasonic no longer makes, so it's now triple the original 100 dollar price. I bought the model that won't support Canadian Netflix, as it depends on you setting up a queue on another device, and the player came out before Netflix moved into Canada. I don't even watch Canadian Netflix most times. No biggie, as I have my desktop hooked up to the TV anyway. My player still works fine, and if a title won't play, I have both my laptop and desktop as backups, plus the cheapass Seiki I bought and hacked to region B/all region playback.

I've been home for the past week and a half as I've been on vacation, and I've been using my laptop as a Blu-ray player with the new TV my parents got for switching to FibreOp (it came the day I came home, so I basically got my own TV for here, as it's set up in the guest room). It's not bad, it's a commercial model LG LED 42" TV. Limited HDMI ports and settings, but there's enough there to get a decent PQ out of it, even if the sound is crap because I'm reliant upon the TV speakers.

[jmclick]

The highly non-prolific Carl Theodor Dreyer didn't too badly with the three feature films he directed between 1928 and 1943, all of which were released individually by the Criterion Collection:

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Vampyr (1932)
Day of Wrath (1943)

(He directed a well-reviewed documentary short between the latter two, but I'm going to overlook it and count it as neither a credit nor a debit.)

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

A quick updated picture of Criterion collection, up to 84 titles now (including box sets, etc). The last two sections on the bottom are still unwatched . I'm making my way through them, but when you pick up so many at once during the Criterion and BN sales, it's hard to stay caught up. Also not pictured is Following, which I just realized is still in my blu-ray player.

Nice collection, not sure how many I got now. I have about a dozen Eclipse sets and I have at least three or four more I really want to get. Love these sets, wonderful movies in them that are overlook by too many

[aes3728]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

Done with movies for the night... gotta watch my Clemson Tigers play some football! Good luck to all your teams during Bowl season, if you have a team, unless you're a Sooners fan. GO TIGERS!

Your Tigers are making a complete joke out of my conference. Clemson is just dismantling the Sooners. To make it Criterion related- Clemson is Godzilla and OU is a building.

[RojD]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

Just finished Safe. How is this considered the best film of the 90s? I loved the camera work and Julianne Moore was great but the story was really dull. And the ending, I was expecting a lot more to happen.

I'm going to guess that Safe is one of those rorschach movies that are a measure of people's personalities. To me, it's one of few experimental films that actually works. I squirmed a little at the beginning, but once I settled into what was happening, I got absorbed into the film, and when it ended, I felt like someone had pulled my chair out from under me. It has stayed with me like very few movies I've seen. I'm sure Haynes had very little budget, and that shows, but what an impact he makes with what he's got. You're right about the camera work, and Julianne Moore carries the film. I couldn't believe it when Criterion announced they were going to release it.

Best film of the 90s? Depends on what you like, I guess. Some would rate Forrest Gump, Titanic and Jurassic Park above it, and there was also a lot of good independent stuff like Greg Araki's work or Larry Clark's or Gus van Sant's. (My Own Private Idaho is a pretty amazing film). But I'd readily put Safe in this category. It's a unique, powerful independent feature that seems real fresh to me, especially with the independent movies of today that get distribution feeling a little stale and predictably local-color focused.