The Criterion Collection

[cakefactory]

The only Criterion disc I've ever outright disliked was The Big Chill, I don't think I regret any of the others. Then again, I still have many I haven't watched. I didn't like "Easy Rider" at all either, but some of the other films in the set are really great so I wouldn't say it was a bad buy, either.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Knaldskalle

These could be called favorites, depending on what day of the week it is: All That Jazz, Army of Shadows, Beauty and the Beast, Brazil, Complete Jacques Tati, Earrings of Madame de..., Heaven's Gate, La Haine, Harold and Maude, Make Way for Tomorrow, A Man Escaped, The Music Room, My Dinner with Andre, Night of the Hunter, Orpheus, Rosemary's Baby and Vanya on 42nd Street...

There are more that I really like, a bunch of "meh" and a few dislikes (Trilogy of Life, By Brakhage, And Everything's Going Fine for instance).

I don't usually like the "glamor" movies about aristocracy, but I like ones that deal with the ending of aristocracy and the decay that's usually associated with that end. I guess because those types of movies expose their humanity and frailty more than most do (at least when they're good movies).

The Music Room really got to me, a man who's incapable of doing anything other than what he's always been doing. Knowing full well that it can't go on he nevertheless ignores reality and is determined to escape into his music world, just one more time. Watching him walk through those decaying halls was heartbreaking.

The Leopard is in the same vein, but there it's more a case of Burt Lancaster's character not knowing how to deal with the changing times (and figuring he's too old anyways), whereas in the Music Room there's a refusal to acknowledge the changing times (if memory serves me right, it's been a while since I saw either of them). I have only the vaguest recollection of Senso.

La Cienaga struck me more as a scathing expose of the idle rich with a very dark sense of humor, showing the inability of these people to actually do anything, be it fill their empty lives or pick up broken glass. It was brilliantly filmed, by the way.

Thanks for sharing your opinions on those films. It certainly helps me see them a little but differently. Who knows, maybe I'll get around to watching a few of them again.

All That Jazz

Overall I liked this film, but I can't see myself watching this one again. Jessica Lange knocked it out of the park and the ending, in particular, is very memorable.

Army of Shadows

Great film, but over the years, I've found myself growing more and more distant from films dealing with the resistance.

Beauty and the Beast

Very good film and perhaps the best adaptation of the fairy tale, but once was enough for me.

Brazil

I strongly dislike Terry Gilliam's work and this one is no exception.

Complete Jacques Tati

This was perhaps the Criterion release that I was looking forward to the most, but I found it to be a chore to sit through. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Tati's vision, especially in Mon Oncle and Playtime. I was they didn't drag on too much and I was also hoping to laugh, but I found the opposite instead.

Earrings of Madame de...

Good film, but I see very little replay value in it.

Heaven's Gate

I have a hard time believing that the same guy who made The Deer Hunter made this film. This film is certainly grand, but I can see why it nearly destroyed United Artists.

La Haine

Good film, but similar to other films, I see very little replay value in it.

Harold and Maude

Initially, I hated this film, but on a second watch, I really enjoyed it. See above reason of once is enough.

Make Way for Tomorrow

It's hard for me to fully appreciate this film after seeing Ozu's masterpiece. I did find it incredibly heartbreaking, especially the end, but the characters got under my skin quite easily.

A Man Escaped

I found it to be incredibly suspenseful on my initial watch, but a second watch made me neutral towards it.

The Music Room

Already voiced my opinions.

My Dinner with Andre

I loved this film when I saw it on TCM, but I don't think I could bring myself to watch it again, especially in the midst of me growing more distant from Gregory and Shaw over the years.

Night of the Hunter

Love this film and I own the initial release. The listing I had provided was the re-release version that I purchased, received, and ultimately returned.

Orpheus

Good film, but once is enough. I also think Black Orpheus is the better film, but I can see myself gravitating towards this one at times.

Rosemary's Baby

I really wanted to like this film, but I consistently find myself disliking it, regardless of how many times I watch it. It works well as a dark comedy, but I wanted to be terrified and I wasn't.

Vanya on 42nd Street

I like the concept, I like the meaning of the Uncle Vanya play, but I found this film to be incredibly boring.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I still have La Notte in my collection, which I like very much.

The other two just aren't films that I figured to watch multiple times.

I felt the same way about L'Avventura. In fact, I felt rather neutral towards it on my initial watch.

Boy oh boy did that change.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I felt the same way about L'Avventura. In fact, I felt rather neutral towards it on my initial watch.

Boy oh boy did that change.

has anyone seen Antonioni's Il Grido?
I tried to watch it but I fell asleep after half an hour or so. (Maybe I was tired )

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jw007

Alright folks...I've decided to ask everyone here what are your top 5 LEAST FAVORITE blind-buys?

David Lynch's Eraserhead, Robert Altman's Nashville and Henry Jaglom's A Safe Place are the only three Criterion titles in my collection that have left me underwhelmed.

That said, I love having them in my collection, I like them enough to revisit them for multiple viewings, and I might change my mind upon subsequent viewings.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

has anyone seen Antonioni's Il Grido?
I tried to watch it but I fell asleep after half an hour or so. (Maybe I was tired )

I haven't, but I've wanted to.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jw007

Alright folks...I've decided to ask everyone here what are your top 5 LEAST FAVORITE blind-buys?

First off, I don't regret buying a single Criterion release. Even if I ended up not caring much -- or at all -- for the movie, I'm glad I was exposed to something noteworthy that I might never have seen otherwise.

That said, these were the five blind-bought films I cared for the least, all from the laserdisc days:

Salò, or the 129 Days of Sodom
Blood for Dracula
Flesh for Frankenstein
Polyester
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Martin_31

What movie(s) have made you teary or cried your eyes out? Anyone else can answer this question.

Resurrection (Daniel Petrie, 1980)

Just thinking about the ending makes me teary-eyed.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I glad I was exposed to something noteworthy...

....according to the specific opinion of a specific group of people (the people who make the decisions in Criterion).
Probably my opinion here will cause a controversy but I'm mentioning this because i regularly see what I regard as a misconception here.

Criterion releases something so it must be noteworthy, I must love it, I must connect to it, if i don't like it at first it should grow on me or I hope it will after repeated viewings etc. etc. and if it doesn't then I must have a problem.

No offence meant, jayembee.
Just making a disussion here and took the opportunity from your words.
And i don't say that I don't have this "misconception" as i regard it, many times too.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

David Lynch's Eraserhead, Robert Altman's Nashville and Henry Jaglom's A Safe Place are the only three Criterion titles in my collection that have left me underwhelmed.

That said, I love having them in my collection, I like them enough to revisit them for multiple viewings, and I might change my mind upon subsequent viewings.

A Safe Place is soporific.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

A Safe Place is soporific.

A Safe Place has its positive aspects, though. I love the cinematography. I also love the scene with the conversation about phone numbers.

It's not a great film, or even a necessarily good film, but I like certain moments.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

That's interesting.

So you think you've essentially grown into them over the years?

I have read some reviews that say they're pretty slow films.

Is Ray like the Indian Ozu or something?

...that's not a shot at Ozu by the way.

there might be similarities in the types of stories they like to tell. I’ve only seen 2 Ozu films, so someone who has seen more could perhaps comment further.

Pather Panchali is a ‘slow’ film, but then again, so is Days of Heaven or Badlands - two films that bear similarities in their lyrical style of story-telling and cinematography. You have to factor in, however, that PP takes place at turn of the century Bengal and centers around a poor family. It is culture shock, so to say, via film watching.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

A Safe Place has its positive aspects, though. I love the cinematography. I also love the scene with the conversation about phone numbers.

It's not a great film, or even a necessarily good film, but I like certain moments.

It's a complete mess of a film. Films don't need the classical 3 act structure to succeed but they need to be entertaining. Jaglom failed in mimicking a European art film.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

....according to the specific opinion of a specific group of people (the people who make the decisions in Criterion).
Probably my opinion here will cause a controversy but I'm mentioning this because i regularly see what I regard as a misconception here.

Criterion releases something so it must be noteworthy, I must love it, I must connect to it, if i don't like it at first it should grow on me or I hope it will after repeated viewings etc. etc. and if it doesn't then I must have a problem.

No offence meant, jayembee.
Just making a disussion here and took the opportunity from your words.
And i don't say that I don't have this "misconception" as i regard it, many times too.

those are your insecurities.

your last sentence, also, makes no sense... none, whatsoever.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

your last sentence, also, makes no sense... none, whatsoever.

Maybe it's because English is not my native language?
I meant that I also think most of the times that whatever Criterion releases must be a masterpiece, so I'm disappointed when I don't see it and I feel I must see it.

yes, those are my insecurities, but I feel I see it regularly in others too when they say that they didn't like one film and hope to like it in the future and such stuff.
Jayembee said that he didn't like one film, but he was glad he was exposed to something noteworthy.
Is the "noteworthy" part an objective opinion? Because it sounded to me like he said it because it is a Criterion release, so it must be noteworthy.
(I don't even remember what film that was)

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

Maybe it's because English is not my native language?
I meant that I also think most of the times that whatever Criterion releases must be a masterpiece, so I'm disappointed when I don't see it and I feel I must see it.

yes, those are my insecurities, but I feel I see it regularly in others too when they say that they didn't like one film and hope to like it in the future and such stuff.
Jayembee said that he didn't like one film, but he was glad he was exposed to something noteworthy.
Is the "noteworthy" part an objective opinion? Because it sounded to me like he said it because it is a Criterion release, so it must be noteworthy.
(I don't even remember what film that was)

I'm not saying that people never use the word 'hope,' but I can completely understand people saying that they will watch films again w/ the feeling that they will 'click' during a second watch.

you've never watched a film once and thought little of it, only to return to it and be bowled over? I find that hard to believe.

there are films that when the credits roll, you know that you are done with them. and then there are others that should not be so easily dismissed. ...and not because Criterion or Roger Ebert says they're great, but because there might be a lot to process in one watch.

example -

I cannot believe that anyone who sees L'Avventura can feel "done" with it after one watch. the fact that it doesn't follow a conventional narrative arc is pretty jarring. one can watch the entire second half of the film waiting for t's to be crossed and i's to be dotted only to have missed the point by the time the film ends.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by jw007

Alright folks...I've decided to ask everyone here what are your top 5 LEAST FAVORITE blind-buys?

I'm sure many of you have done what I've done...during those holiday 50% off sales, where we were feeling gluttonous and thrifty and "threw in" another Criterion because, well, it was 50% off! We skimmed the back cover of the blu-ray or dvd release and thought to ourselves: "Well, shit, this looks interesting, and I think it might be worth buying."

And then when it came time to watch it, we found out just how much we couldn't relate to or enjoy the movie we bought. But rather try and sell it on Ebay or go to a second hand movie/record store, we tucked it away in guilty fashion amongst our big stack of films and on our shelves and media cabinets and in storage bins, knowing we'll probably never ever again watch it.

So I will start with my top 5 LEAST favorite or regretful Criterion blind-buys:

1. Che
2. George Washington
3. White Dog
4. Life During Wartime
5. Chronicle of a Summer

Others that didn't make the list but came close (despite being from great directors): Red Desert, Pierrot le Fou, World on a Wire, The Last Emperor, La Jetée/Sans Soleil, The Milky Way and Medium Cool. Keep in mind that I'm judging this all on personal overall satisfaction with my purchases and in no way judge any of the films I mentioned to be inferior or bad in any way.

So far, I really don't have any Criterion titles that would qualify for such a list, although if you asked me about my collection in general, I would certainly have trouble narrowing it down to five. My number one pick would have to be Badder Santa ... it's the only title in my collection I've ever given away because I hated it so much and knew that I would never, under any circumstances, watch again.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by jw007

Alright folks...I've decided to ask everyone here what are your top 5 LEAST FAVORITE blind-buys?

[Show spoiler]I'm sure many of you have done what I've done...during those holiday 50% off sales, where we were feeling gluttonous and thrifty and "threw in" another Criterion because, well, it was 50% off! We skimmed the back cover of the blu-ray or dvd release and thought to ourselves: "Well, shit, this looks interesting, and I think it might be worth buying."

And then when it came time to watch it, we found out just how much we couldn't relate to or enjoy the movie we bought. But rather try and sell it on Ebay or go to a second hand movie/record store, we tucked it away in guilty fashion amongst our big stack of films and on our shelves and media cabinets and in storage bins, knowing we'll probably never ever again watch it.

So I will start with my top 5 LEAST favorite or regretful Criterion blind-buys:

1. Che
2. George Washington
3. White Dog
4. Life During Wartime
5. Chronicle of a Summer

Others that didn't make the list but came close (despite being from great directors): Red Desert, Pierrot le Fou, World on a Wire, The Last Emperor, La Jetée/Sans Soleil, The Milky Way and Medium Cool. Keep in mind that I'm judging this all on personal overall satisfaction with my purchases and in no way judge any of the films I mentioned to be inferior or bad in any way

.

So far, I really don't have any Criterion titles that would qualify for such a list, although if you asked me about my collection in general, I would certainly have trouble narrowing it down to five. My number one pick would have to be Badder Santa ... it's the only title in my collection I've ever given away because I hated it so much and knew that I would never, under any circumstances, watch again.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I'm glad I was exposed to something noteworthy that I might never have seen otherwise.

Originally Posted by filmmusic

....according to the specific opinion of a specific group of people (the people who make the decisions in Criterion).
Probably my opinion here will cause a controversy but I'm mentioning this because i regularly see what I regard as a misconception here.

Criterion releases something so it must be noteworthy, I must love it, I must connect to it, if i don't like it at first it should grow on me or I hope it will after repeated viewings etc. etc. and if it doesn't then I must have a problem.

No offence meant, jayembee.
Just making a disussion here and took the opportunity from your words.
And i don't say that I don't have this "misconception" as i regard it, many times too.

First off, no offence taken. For one thing, until you quoted me, I didn't notice that I wrote "I glad" rather than "I'm glad".

Anyway, I don't really agree with what you say here. For one, while "noteworthy" might be taken as according to "the people who make the decisions in Criterion", these aren't films that only Criterion thinks are noteworthy. Salò, for example, is highly regarded in film circles; it is a noteworthy film, whether it's something I like or not. Even if I ultimately didn't like it, I was still glad that I saw it.

As far as my reactions to a film, if my opinion goes against the grain, I don't ever, ever think that it's because I have a problem. I know myself well enough to know that if I don't "get" a film on the first try, that maybe I will later on. Because, you know, sometimes I have an off day. Maybe I'm dwelling on something that has nothing to do with the movie I'm watching, and so my focus is torn. Or maybe I'm just not in the mood for it.

If it's a generally regarded film, I don't believe that I must like it, but I do appreciate the point that I might be missing something. But I also understand myself enough to know whether my reason for not liking a given film might be my own personal viewpoints regarding the subject matter or presentation, and that a re-viewing is unlikely to change my opinion.

But also, my tastes change over time. My first exposure to Bergman, for example, was not a positive one. I saw Cries and Whispers back in 1972, and I didn't like it (well, I did think the cinematography was brilliant, and the acting impeccable) because I didn't really grasp what he was getting at with it. Years later, I tried other Bergman films (largely as Critierion LD blind-buys, to bring this back around to the topic at hand) -- as well as Cries and Whispers again -- and my opinion on Bergman did a 360. I can't even remember why it was that I didn't like Cries and Whispers 40 years ago (the specifics of what I didn't like about it).

[On edit: Did I really say "did a 360"? I really need to preafrood things before I post them.]

I don't really think that Criterion knows better than I do what movies are worth watching, but look at what goes on here in this thread. People asking other people what movies they like or dislike; asking for recommendations. I treat a Criterion release as Criterion recommending that given film to me. And my experience with Criterion over the last 30 years has been such that if they recommend a film to me, there must be something about it that makes it worth looking into.

I don't expect to like everything that Criterion releases, but I respect them enough to give them the benefit of the doubt.

[bwdowiak]

Here’s another one… True story.

I saw La Dolce Vita when I was 20ish. I spent a good portion of the movie waiting and hoping for the Italian actresses to take their clothes off. It was, after all, an Italian movie and anything goes in Europe, right? Even in the 60’s? Although I had started to seek out some highly regarded foreign films, I certainly wasn’t past hoping for that. Especially after one scene after another completely washed over me.

You think I was ‘done’ with La Dolce Vita? Would it have been fair to say, at age 20, that Fellini was not for me? He was not for my 20 year old self, but there’s a darn good chance that La Dolce Vita can still be for the old man I am now.

Hadn’t thought about it when I began to type this, but this was a good example to use… Read about what Roger Ebert had to say about how he looked at La Dolce Vita when he revisited the film later in life and reflected on it as an aging man. Or just read the last two paragraphs if you haven’t seen the movie.

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gr...olce-vita-1960