The Criterion Collection

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Most of my favorite films are European, however.

Are you sure your name isn't Barry?

[Lordy]

isn't Criterion just about due for another one of their 50% off Flash Sales ??

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by Lordy

isn't Criterion just about due for another one of their 50% off Flash Sales ??

Yes, but I think it won't happen until The Before Trilogy is in stock.

[MifuneFan]

It's usually late Feb. / early March. My guess would be 2/22

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Yes, but I think it won't happen until The Before Trilogy is in stock.

It could be the Friday before the release date. For the last sale they made Boyhood available early for the Flash sale.

[Hoke Moseley]

Anyone else's loyalty points still wonky? Still says I have 449 points with 101 to go until the $50 gift certificate. Hope this is finally fixed before the flash sale.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by Hoke Moseley

Anyone else's loyalty points still wonky? Still says I have 449 points with 101 to go until the $50 gift certificate. Hope this is finally fixed before the flash sale.

Mine are still wonky.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by ravenus

What's a Kurosawa mood? Most of his films are simple to understand, extremely well-executed and entertaining. I can understand people saying they need to be in a certain mood to watch a Godard or Tarkovsky film but not Kurosawa, unless the idea of film as an entertainment is unfamiliar to you

Hard to explain for me..maybe its the warrior-centric/samurai-weighted themes in most of his movies. I'm not a huge fan of samurai movies and emphasis on action-violence-morality tales and perhaps I'm the only one here, but this is the reason I can't get into Kurosawa.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by jw007

Hard to explain for me..maybe its the warrior-centric/samurai-weighted themes in most of his movies. I'm not a huge fan of samurai movies and emphasis on action-violence-morality tales and perhaps I'm the only one here, but this is the reason I can't get into Kurosawa.

The majority of his movies aren't samurai / warrior themed. Even those that are, transcend the typical samurai action genre.

I encourage you to check out

The Bad Sleep Well
The Lower Depths
Ikiru
Drunken Angel
Stray Dog
High and Low
Scandal
One Wonderful Sunday


I think you'll get a deeper impression of his genius than what you have now.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by Hoke Moseley

Anyone else's loyalty points still wonky? Still says I have 449 points with 101 to go until the $50 gift certificate. Hope this is finally fixed before the flash sale.

Mine are still, but if they keep that way I would actually benefit, getting another $50 gift card for just 250 points

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jw007

Hard to explain for me..maybe its the warrior-centric/samurai-weighted themes in most of his movies. I'm not a huge fan of samurai movies and emphasis on action-violence-morality tales and perhaps I'm the only one here, but this is the reason I can't get into Kurosawa.

The samurai films are what he's best known for, but in actually, only about a third of his output is in that genre. My favorite of his films is Drunken Angel, which is in no way a samurai film. Of the ones released by Criterion on Blu-ray, try High and Low or Ikiru.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Ray_Rogers

Cabrillo College, I'm a student, has quite a lot of Criterion titles on DVD in the library. I barely checked out Grand Illusion, The Seventh Seal, and The Third Man. Haven't seen Grand Illusion since my Film History class in 2000, The Seventh Seal I don't remember, and The Third Man is one of my favorite Carol Reed films. They only allow 3 at a time though. Unfortunately no Blu-ray discs.
Lots of OOP titles too.

[Show spoiler]

Well, that triple feature should definitely leave you in a great mood, feeling extra-positive about life!

[Polaroid]

I don't know where I am... has anyone seen the Criterion thread?

[SammyJankis]

Maybe we should resurrect that infamous argument on whether Wes Anderson is an auteur or not.

Those were the days.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by ThisKid

But instead, I could happily take a box-set of Gorillaz videos.

I've been listening to them more often now.
They're great.

I liked Gorillaz just fine, but they're practically a footnote to Damon Albarn's legacy as the leader of one of the best British bands of the 90's. If you haven't checked out Blur, you should get on that quickly!

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

A lot of the stuff they put there doesn't mean they will be released by Criterion, especially if they don't have the C logo on them.

You can check all that was recently added here:
https://www.justwatch.com/us/provider/filmstruck/new

But she does have a phantom page already. That probably has more to do with the MIA Certain Women blu ray release then it does Wendy and Lucy but still, hope!

[mja345]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I been noticing a rather disturbing trend lately among the AaronJ/iscottie meerschaum pipe-smoking, Remy Martin sipping, tweed jacket wearing, Mercedes S Class driving pezzonovante crowd of college-educated big shots who think they're better than the rest of us:

This crazy revisionist history has developed around Showgirls...the idea that it's some sort of tragically misunderstood satirical masterpiece. That Elizabeth Berkley would've been the next Meryl Streep, had not this Kieslowskian gem been so unfairly persecuted by the Paul Blart: Mall Cop-worshiping proletariat. That Paul Verhoeven was the modern-day, cinematic incarnation of Jesus Christ...and we crucified him because we weren't ready for the message. And that Criterion should rectify this historical injustice by giving Showgirls the epic release it so richly deserves.

Well maybe I didn't go to college and maybe it took me three attempts in three years to earn my GED certificate and maybe I do think that Toby Keith is the Frank Sinatra of my generation.

Ray, I know it can be tough to sit down and watch films that you used to use strictly as "inspiration", if you know what I mean, but give it a try. I know it can be hard to compartmentalize. You did it with "Full Body Massage". Give "Showgirls" a shot.

[ElliesDad]

Originally Posted by easydreamer

Yes, they are region free, but two of the documentaries are in PAL, meaning that a Region A player may not be able to play those unless it converts PAL to NTSC.

I can live with that!

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

The 4-disc is a complete waste of money unless you care that much about a CD. Otherwise the 1-disc is the smart buy. Just finally watched mine the other night btw and it looks/sounds phenomenal (though as much as I've always liked the zither score I wonder how the film would have been had it been used more judiciously.)

The 4-disc version seems to be available now only through third-party sellers, which has always made me a little hesitant, and it's in the 80-pound range new. And I frankly prefer the stream-lined version anyway. And glad to hear about the picture and audio quality! Don't mind the zither score...I'm old enough that it adds a touch of nostalgia to the viewing.

Thanks guys!

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Nightcrawler and Knight of Cups as the 'best of' modern challenging cinema? Yikes!

..and I don't mean to catch you in a gotchya moment, but you just changed your signature from a list of modern favorites that contained nothing but American films, didn't you?

The only films that come remotely close to challenging that I can think of in the last 5-6 years are some of the ones on my list like Horse Money, Story of My Death, Hard To Be A God. Not only are these films powered by quite big and non obvious ideas, they are also aesthetically challenging too, something American films are generally not with the exception of perhaps Tree of Life in recent times. There are some quite unusual blocking and framing techniques in all 3 of the films I mentioned.

As for Showgirls, it was never misunderstood. The difference between fans and non-fans is that many of the former are able to appreciate it on camp terms, but the jury is out on whether Verhoeven intended the film to play that way. It depends which interview you read really because he has flip flopped like crazy over the years.

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by billy pilgrim

Agreed. I believe that Dogtooth is his finest. However, that depends on your definition of recent. Any of his is more challenging than most of the derivative mass produced stuff released today. I just have a hard time with lack of inventiveness on the part of most of the film industry anymore. Most are paint by number formulas without cleverness or soul.

Just MHO.

Sure. I think Alps is his most challenging/elusive film. Dogtooth is perhaps the one that works best as a whole. At least Lanthimos' films have novel concepts going for them.