The Criterion Collection

[llj]

Honeymoon Killers--Can't believe it took me this long to get around to this. I'm a sucker for those 60s low budget, technically clunky, yet still beautifully shot East Coast independent films like this. Shirley Stoler is amazing. Despite her stern and frumpy appearance, there is still a vulnerability and prettiness to her that's quite touching, and that's all Stoler herself. Tony Lo Bianco is great as well, but he wisely lets Stoler lead the picture.

Hearing that it took them 4 rounds of electrocution to put down Martha Beck was quite disturbing, even though you cannot feel sorry for what she did to many of her victims. Her will to live certainly seemed strong.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by SkyAntoine

Watched Phoenix last night and it was one of the more enjoyable, shorter films (only 98 mins) I have seen in a while. Very Hitchcockian in the plot, yet subtly addressing the destruction on multiple levels of the Holocaust.

This is a foreign film I will likely recommend to family members who refuse to watch movies with subtitles.
8/10

I thought it was very powerful. It was beautifully shot, the acting was terrific, and the whole package was just all there. I mean, Nina Hoss was so good.

All of this reminds me that I forgot to pre-order this for some reason. Yeesh.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

I thought it was very powerful. It was beautifully shot, the acting was terrific, and the whole package was just all there. I mean, Nina Hoss was so good.

All of this reminds me that I forgot to pre-order this for some reason. Yeesh.

Everyone who likes Phoenix should check out Barbara as well.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Everyone who likes Phoenix should check out Barbara as well.

I know, and I've been meaning to.

There's just so much damn stuff to watch! Ugh.

[joie]

Originally Posted by Dex Robinson

Man, all of us Bobby Darin fans must be getting REAL old if Dee Snider's cover of Mack the Knife is the most famous version .

Originally Posted by Knaldskalle

Was my sarcasm not obvious?

Originally Posted by Knaldskalle

Written by German playwright Bertolt Brecht, it is indeed a famous play (itself based on an older play, Beggar's Banquet). The song "Mack the Knife" ("Mackie Messer" in German) is a classic, covered by dozen, if not hundreds, of artists over the years, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nick Cave, Sting and of course, most famously by Dee Snider (of Twisted Sister fame).

The best and possibly most famous is the duet with Lotte Lenya and Louis Armstrong. It's on UPC 074646064726. She sings solo in German, then in English with Armstrong. Then there are several minutes of session takes with Lenya/Armstrong -- she had a little trouble with the rhythm. The recordings are from the long ago 1950s.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by joie

The best and possibly most famous is the duet with Lotte Kenya and Louis Armstrong. It's on UPC 074646064726. She sings solo in German, then in English with Armstrong. Then there are several minutes of session takes with Lenya/Armstrong -- she had a little trouble with the rhythm. The recordings are from the long ago 1950s.

I guess you mean Lotte Lenya? her song in the film was probably the best, and I see this one also has a famous cover by Nina Simone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec0clERjQ5A

[joie]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

I guess you mean Lotte Lenya? her song in the film was probably the best, and I see this one also has a famous cover by Nina Simone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec0clERjQ5A

Right, Lenya not Kenya. She was married to Kurt Weill and starred in "The Three Penny Opera," which is a Criterion DVD. She may have also been in the stage version of "Cabaret."

Ute Lemper can also sing "Mack the Knife." She is like a hybrid of Lotte Kenya and Edith Piaf.

[t_rav]

Would anybody else love to see Criterion release The Changeling (1980, George C. Scott)? A classic that has sadly been ignored and/or forgotten in high def. This is the best/scariest ghost film ever, all done without any gore or special effects. You can see its influence on almost every ghost movie released after it. It would be deserving of Criterion's excellent PQ, AQ and special features.

Not sure if HBO/Warner still own the rights or not. It's just ridiculous it hasn't been put out on blu in the US.

[bwdowiak]

Last night I watched The American Friend... I enjoyed it and at times thought it was great, but it kinda goes off the rails a bit in the last half hour or so and I don't know what to make of it.

This was only my second Wenders film and I'd want to see more of him as a result as opposed to less. The camera angles and placement are really superb and the HD transfer really does do the cinematography justice.

I'm not exactly confused by anything that happens with the plot but I'm wondering if I missed some subtle detail that would explain the rationale of one of the characters.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by t_rav

Would anybody else love to see Criterion release The Changeling (1980, George C. Scott)? A classic that has sadly been ignored and/or forgotten in high def. This is the best/scariest ghost film ever, all done without any gore or special effects. You can see its influence on almost every ghost movie released after it. It would be deserving of Criterion's excellent PQ, AQ and special features.

Not sure if HBO/Warner still own the rights or not. It's just ridiculous it hasn't been put out on blu in the US.

I would love it!

I still will never forget, even though we're talking about nearly 40 years ago (and I have trouble remembering yesterday, most of the time) the experience of seeing that film with my then best friend Bruce. OMG, we were both so scared.

And that night Bruce slept over, and neither of us got hardly a wink of sleep. Every little creak in the floor or bird that flew by a window, everything scared the hell out of us.

Great film.

[SkyAntoine]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Last night I watched The American Friend... I enjoyed it and at times thought it was great, but it kinda goes off the rails a bit in the last half hour or so and I don't know what to make of it.

This was only my second Wenders film and I'd want to see more of him as a result as opposed to less. The camera angles and placement are really superb and the HD transfer really does do the cinematography justice.

I'm not exactly confused by anything that happens with the plot but I'm wondering if I missed some subtle detail that would explain the rationale of one of the characters.

My biggest issue was bookending it in a short time span between Purple Noon and Talented Mr. Ripley. That isn't exactly fair to critique the Wenders version, but it greatly influenced my reception to the movie. I just could never quite buy into Hopper as Ripley.

However, production-wise it was the best of the three. And, Ganz was incredible!

[bwdowiak]

[Show spoiler] Is he or is he not dying? The ending clearly says that he is/was, but that isn't supported by what comes before... I went along with him agreeing to the 1st murder, but after Ripley tells him that he was set up, why not run as fast as you can in the other direction? The first scenes of the movie tell us that Jonathan didn't trust him to begin with.

Originally Posted by LuckyDragon

I didn't really know what to make of it the first time around either. I thought it was fine but Purple Noon remained my favorite of the Ripley films. It wasn't until the second viewing that I really started loving The American Friend, and now it's my favorite by far, while Purple Noon has gone way down in my estimation due to the ending that derails the whole thing.

You'd have to be more specific regarding the rationale, though.

[CPinheiro]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Last night I watched The American Friend... I enjoyed it and at times thought it was great, but it kinda goes off the rails a bit in the last half hour or so and I don't know what to make of it.

This was only my second Wenders film and I'd want to see more of him as a result as opposed to less. The camera angles and placement are really superb and the HD transfer really does do the cinematography justice.

I'm not exactly confused by anything that happens with the plot but I'm wondering if I missed some subtle detail that would explain the rationale of one of the characters.

Originally Posted by LuckyDragon

I didn't really know what to make of it the first time around either. I thought it was fine but Purple Noon remained my favorite of the Ripley films. It wasn't until the second viewing that I really started loving The American Friend, and now it's my favorite by far, while Purple Noon has gone way down in my estimation due to the ending that derails the whole thing.

You'd have to be more specific regarding the rationale, though.

I love Wenders but usually it takes time till I fully appreciate his movies. First time i watched Alice in the cities, Paris Texas, Wings of Desire and so on I wasnt that impressed. Then a couple of days later I was still thinking about them and by the second watch i was like, "wow". Actually it seems to get better every time.

Same thing happened when I watched The American Friend (I mean, i watched only once and liked it fine but nothing special), so I'm waiting the right mood to watch it again.
Btw, can't wait for the road trilogy.

Also I'd love if Criterion released another box with The State of Things and Lisbon Story, but it seems that Lisbon Story wasnt even in the retrospective so i dont think it has been restored.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

OK, not entirely Criterion-related, but sort of since they came out with -- and I bought and gobbled up -- the Whit Stillman Trilogy.

The entire crew of Last Days of Disco (which I think is simply brilliant) is back together, with Stillman writing and directing as is his wont and Kate Beckinsale and Chloë Sevigny all re-teaming for a Jane Austen adaptation!

Here's a short interview with the three of them, along with a review over at THR: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rev...-review-858759 and here's the trailer: http://www.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LI...b/vi309769497/

Wow, Beckinsale looks to be firing on all cylinders in the trailer. I may have to actually -- gasp! -- venture out to the theater for this one!

I'm really looking forward to it. I'm currently working my way through the Criterion Stillman set and have completely fallen in love with his work again. I can't wait for Love And Friendship (it's this month's Soght And Sound cover feature). It'd be great to see it on Criterion, perhaps with his Amazon pilot on there as a supplement.


Re. The American Friend. I think it's an outright masterpiece, and would even go as far as to say it's my favourite post-War German movie.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by LuckyDragon

Don't know how much of this needs a spoiler warning, so I'll just do the whole thing. There are also spoilers for the book.

[Show spoiler]It wasn't until after the second murder on the train that Tom confessed to Jonathan that he was set up. Tom and Jonathan had built up a friendship between the first and second murders. That's why Tom went back to help Jonathan on the train, and why Jonathan helped Tom with what happens at the mansion later.

And as Tom points out, Jonathan could have turned Minot down. The responsibility ultimately lies with him rather than Tom. Jonathan wasn't going to run away because there was no going back. He was no more innocent than Tom at that point.

As for his illness, it does seem odd to have him drop dead after his initial medical reports were fine and the bad reports were faked, but I'm willing to accept it since he still had leukemia and still could have dropped at any moment. I do think the book had a better ending, though: after Tom and Jonathan drive out and burn the car, they go back to Jonathan's house and are ambushed by more Mafia hoods. Tom kills them but not before Jonathan steps in front of a bullet meant for Tom. Tom drives him to the hospital but he's dead on arrival, and Tom spends the remaining pages wondering if Jonathan intentionally sacrificed himself to save Tom's life.

[Show spoiler]I was really lost by the end, didn't get why Jonathan suddenly decides to leave Tom on the beach and then suddenly dies while driving, I mean I know he was ill but never got the impression that it could happen any day now, I also think it would be better if Tom had more screen time, as I find it hard to understand fully his motivations.

I enjoyed it but upon first viewing I felt it a bit vague and unfocused at times, loved Wings of Desire and Paris, Texas from the first time though.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by LuckyDragon

Not sure what's unclear about Tom's motivations.

[Show spoiler]He got Jonathan involved in the assassination plot because Jonathan insulted Tom by sneering at him and refusing to shake his hand, and Tom went back to help on the train because he had built up a friendship with Jonathan and felt guilty for getting him involved. He flatout tells Jonthan this when they meet in the bar after the train.

Some of the movie seemed unclear to me the first time I watched it, but that had more to do with the filmmakers leaving out exposition from the book, and so much of the dialogue being in heavily-accented foreign languages that weren't subtitled on the DVD, not because any of the motivations seemed vague.

Sorry now that I think about it, motivations might be the wrong word, I understand the plot, but what I meant was that Tom actions didn't felt completely believable to me because the character is not all that well developed in my opinion, I guess by this time in the books his personality should be quite defined, but I was expecting a bit more details in the movie.

I haven't read any of the books

[Dex Robinson]

Originally Posted by Knaldskalle

Was my sarcasm not obvious?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...n+the+internet

[AaronJ]

Not sure if this has been posted or not, but here are Brett Easton Ellis' Top 10 from the Collection. https://www.criterion.com/explore/28...ellis-s-top-10

Interesting, as I wouldn't have thought that we would be so similar.

[812crew]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Not sure if this has been posted or not, but here are Brett Easton Ellis' Top 10 from the Collection. https://www.criterion.com/explore/28...ellis-s-top-10

Interesting, as I wouldn't have thought that we would be so similar.

Great list! Some of my favorite movies! Makes me want to see the Dardenne movie now. (Also, it made me google them. I had no idea they were in their 60's. I always pictured them much younger).

[bwdowiak]

[Show spoiler]I accept it, too, because the film is so damn stylish and I trust Wenders' vision here. I suppose that if he wanted a tidy more conventional ending, he would have went with one.

The book ending you describes sounds good and I could imagine buying into that as well.

Definitely interested to learn more about, and maybe take the blind buy splurge on his trilogy that is forthcoming. Ebert mentions in his TAF review that Kings of the Road is one of the great films of the seventies.

Originally Posted by LuckyDragon

Don't know how much of this needs a spoiler warning, so I'll just do the whole thing. There are also spoilers for the book.

[Show spoiler]It wasn't until after the second murder on the train that Tom confessed to Jonathan that he was set up. Tom and Jonathan had built up a friendship between the first and second murders. That's why Tom went back to help Jonathan on the train, and why Jonathan helped Tom with what happens at the mansion later.

And as Tom points out, Jonathan could have turned Minot down. The responsibility ultimately lies with him rather than Tom. Jonathan wasn't going to run away because there was no going back. He was no more innocent than Tom at that point.

As for his illness, it does seem odd to have him drop dead after his initial medical reports were fine and the bad reports were faked, but I'm willing to accept it since he still had leukemia and still could have dropped at any moment. I do think the book had a better ending, though: after Tom and Jonathan drive out and burn the car, they go back to Jonathan's house and are ambushed by more Mafia hoods. Tom kills them but not before Jonathan steps in front of a bullet meant for Tom. Tom drives him to the hospital but he's dead on arrival, and Tom spends the remaining pages wondering if Jonathan intentionally sacrificed himself to save Tom's life.