The Criterion Collection

[AgentOrange]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

What a flop that was for us, one of only about four Criterions we haven't cared for.

I actually enjoyed that one, and I believe it was my first Fassbinder. Some of his other offerings... not so much.

As to the recent discussions about which "masters" I have neglected to see. There are probably more than I realize, since I've never really "studied" cinema (actually, I did take 1 class in film analysis as an English language writing elective - but that hardly went into depth for any particular auteur).

I've seen at least 1 film by most of the international masters in the Criterion collection, but as far as foreign cinema goes Criterion is at least 80-90% of my exposure - with the rest being imports from BFI/Arrow/MoC etc. So if there is an international director NOT in the Criterion collection, odds are I might not have seen them. I have seen a solid selection from most of the top French directors, but I know I've never seen a film by Jacques Demy or Claud Chabrol. I honestly have no idea as far as Asian directors. While I've seen an increasing number of films, Kurosowa is still the only director I feel i recognize to the extent I would immediately id one of his films as being a Kurosowa film. He was probably the first non U.S. director where I just had to see *ALL* of his films, and DVD allowed me to do that. Now that I've expanded further with blu-ray over the last 5 years, I feel I can now recognize Goddard or Fassbinder as having their own signature style as well , but I can't say I hold their films in nearly as high regard.

edit: I've probably seen enough Ozu to be able to "blindly" recognize an Ozu film as well.

[ChromeJob]

Originally Posted by LPMA

Mulholland Dr. was my first Lynch film when I was about 16. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.

"Hah, you young pup" Capt J. L. Picard, DUNE

I remember seeing a midnight showing of Eraserhead in San Francisco, and when Elephant Man came out I thought, "Oh, boy ... THAT director ... this could be very innnnteresting." What a fantastic film, deserving of a Criterion Collection 4K restoration (if only for Freddie Francis' cinematography). Still think it's a high point of the last quarter of the 20th filmmaking century, Mel Brooks ought get an honorary Oscar for producing films like that out of his company.

Then Dune was dumped on us, and I thought many things including, "Hmm, sci-fi done like Masterpiece Theatre, I'll bet NO one in the markets 'gets' this one," and "Boy, someone had a tight leash on him, letting only controlled squirts of Lynch'iness trickle into the final cut," and finally, "The film that this could've been so far outstrips what we got or anyone expected, it could be one of the 50 best films never made." I still enjoy the production design, effects (like Dino's Flash Gordon only without the tongue in cheek), narrative technique, but grind my molars at some of the cast's acting. Of course, today it would be made as a two-picture, maybe three-picture series, and make much better sense that way. If they'd mde it like the Potter flicks, Paul could more correctly start out as a boy of 12-14, and finish up as a leader of 16-17. Anyhoo....

Just a heads up, folks, the usual 4-5 title array of Criterions @ Costco has blossomed with nearly a dozen new titles sighted, incl. Ride the Pink Horse, Sullivan's Travels, and ... wait for it ... Seven Samurai.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=10659946

[ChromeJob]

Oh, someone beat me to it while I was drafting. Keep an eye on my Costco post if you like, I try to keep a running tally of what's at Costco...

[grim_tales]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Naked Lunch isn't a David Lynch film, nor is it very good.

Oh yeah its a David Cronenberg film, my bad

[Roninblues]

Originally Posted by octagon

I think you're reading way too much into that post. He wasn't guilt-tripping anybody or putting on any airs...it was a conversation starter (or more accurately a conversation continuer).



That's kind of odd coming as it does only a few posts after you describe the feelings of others as pretentious.

Isn't it?

No, I was offering the only two reasons that I could conceive of for being embarrassed for given reason. I would try to fall in line with the experts and be embarrassed but that isn't me. I will how ever try to contain the urge for any more frivolous posts.

[PaperThinWalls]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

I've been trying to figure out who my greatest blind spot is and I think it must be Elaine May. She's probably the most popular figure within cinephile circles whose work remains a complete mystery to me.

Man, I wish Criterion would release Mikey and Nicky all ready. It's been on Hulu Plus forever.

[thompsonjohn]

Forgive me for possibly going over old ground here, but I was banished from here for a good 5 or 6 months and wanted to clear up a rumor. Did Criterion make some kind of statement definitively saying that they were releasing "Inside Llewyn Davis" sometime this year? Or am I mistaking it for "The Grand Budapest Hotel"? Or are they doing both?!

Thanks for the help in advance.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by thompsonjohn

Forgive me for possibly going over old ground here, but I was banished from here for a good 5 or 6 months and wanted to clear up a rumor. Did Criterion make some kind of statement definitively saying that they were releasing "Inside Llewyn Davis" sometime this year? Or am I mistaking it for "The Grand Budapest Hotel"? Or are they doing both?!

Thanks for the help in advance.

Llewyn Davis appeared to be hinted in the annual new year's drawing. Nothing confirmed (although the hint seemed pretty clear), and that doesn't necessarily mean this year.

[dwk]

Originally Posted by thompsonjohn

Forgive me for possibly going over old ground here, but I was banished from here for a good 5 or 6 months and wanted to clear up a rumor. Did Criterion make some kind of statement definitively saying that they were releasing "Inside Llewyn Davis" sometime this year? Or am I mistaking it for "The Grand Budapest Hotel"? Or are they doing both?!

Thanks for the help in advance.

They'll be releasing The Grand Budapest Hotel sometime (Wes Anderson has is written in his contract that Criterion gets to release his the special editions of this films), but it'll likely be a couple of years.

[thompsonjohn]

Alright, I was just looking to downsize a little and selling some titles I figured I'd end up being again anyway when their Criterion edition comes out.

[WonderWeasel]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions on David Lynch. I think I'm going to start with Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, and The Straight Story. I'm assuming from everyone's comments those are the least... idiosyncratic and esoteric of his films? I'd prefer to start with something a little more mainstream and ease my way into the weird stuff.

[fdm]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Naked Lunch isn't a David Lynch film, nor is it very good.

Hah, you got half of that right anyway.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions on David Lynch. I think I'm going to start with Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, and The Straight Story. I'm assuming from everyone's comments those are the least... idiosyncratic and esoteric of his films? I'd prefer to start with something a little more mainstream and ease my way into the weird stuff.

I wouldn't start with Wild at Heart, it is straightforward narrative from what i remember but has some bizarre characters, i think it is better to watch at least Blue Velvet before that.

[ijustblumyself]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions on David Lynch. I think I'm going to start with Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, and The Straight Story. I'm assuming from everyone's comments those are the least... idiosyncratic and esoteric of his films? I'd prefer to start with something a little more mainstream and ease my way into the weird stuff.

The Straight Story is the best of those three, but it's probably the least representative of Lynch's style (it's definitely there, just much more subtle). I'd start with Blue Velvet.

[WonderWeasel]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

I wouldn't start with Wild at Heart, it is straightforward narrative from what i remember but has some bizarre characters, i think it is better to watch at least Blue Velvet before that.

Thanks for the heads-up, Pedro. I'll be sure to watch Blue Velvet and The Straight Story before I delve any deeper into his catalog.

On another note, I just revisited Days of Heaven for the first time in years. What an absolutely jaw-droppingly gorgeous film. Néstor Almendros's cinematography ranks up there with the work Kubrick and John Alcott did in Barry Lyndon for me. The wide angle golden hour shots are particularly stunning, and the plague of locusts, er, peanut shells, was brilliantly devised and executed.

The use of sound in the film is equally impressive. I love the fly-on-the-wall feeling that the domineering sounds of the steel mill and wheat threshers give you.

[Arch Stanton]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

Thanks for the heads-up, Pedro. I'll be sure to watch Blue Velvet and The Straight Story before I delve any deeper into his catalog.

On another note, I just revisited Days of Heaven for the first time in years. What an absolutely jaw-droppingly gorgeous film. Néstor Almendros's cinematography ranks up there with the work Kubrick and John Alcott did in Barry Lyndon for me. The wide angle golden hour shots are particularly stunning, and the plague of locusts, er, peanut shells, was brilliantly devised and executed.

The use of sound in the film is equally impressive. I love the fly-on-the-wall feeling that the domineering sounds of the steel mill and wheat threshers give you.

Blue Velvet is a good mix between the mainstream and esoteric. Very oddball, lots of dark comedy and black magic, and yet also very reminiscent of something like Rear Window in its mainstream appeal. I'd probably recommend The Elephant Man before The Straight Story, but you might have seen that.

[jhiggy23]

Watched La Vie de Boheme last night. I thought it was an excellent film.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by PaperThinWalls

Man, I wish Criterion would release Mikey and Nicky all ready. It's been on Hulu Plus forever.

I'm amazed that that one particularly has eluded me for this long. I wrote my under-grad thesis on Cassavetes!

[The Great Owl]

I watched my Criterion Blu-ray of Ingmar Bergman's Summer with Monika this morning.

This is a beautiful film in so many ways, especially during the long stretch where Monika and Harry escape to their remote summer spot. The movie strikes me as a nonviolent precursor to Bonnie and Clyde or even Natural Born Killers, because of these scenes where the lovers rebel against the world and go off on their own. Reality ultimately crashes the party, but the film is still wonderful even during its later moments that are painful to watch, especially one where Harriet Andersson looks directly into the camera as a real-life representation of the cinema actresses whom she tries to emulate.

It's interesting to think of the controversy that this film generated at the time. Leave it up to America, of course, to turn the movie into a work of exploitation.

[MTRodaba2468]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

I've never seen a David Lynch film. I saw a couple of episodes of Twin Peaks when I was younger because my mom watched it, but I have yet to watch an actual film of his. Any suggestions?

As you ultimately decided, I'd start off with Blue Velvet.

Originally Posted by LPMA

Mulholland Dr. was my first Lynch film when I was about 16. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.

Honestly, Mulholland Dr. was my first Lynch film as well (I was either 17 or 18 when I watched it). I couldn't really pinpoint what I thought of it, although my feelings did lean more negative than positive. Since then, I've checked out more of Lynch's work, and have gained a MUCH larger appreciation for it (Blue Velvet is where it all clicked for me, and is one of my favorite films; I should also mention that I dig his music as well, The Big Dream in particular). I haven't revisited Mulholland Dr. since my initial viewing, but with the greater understanding (for lack of a better term) of Lynch's work, I'm more inclined to give it another chance, and see if my views have changed.