The Criterion Collection

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Is that intended for me?

Cause what's wrong with not liking a directors films and having an opinion..?

Absolutely nothing. You either like something, or you don't. Everybody has their tastes, and it's totally cool. How boring would life be if we all liked the exact same things?

I, on the other hand, would feel naked without my Scorsese collection, and I don't even have all of his major films yet on Blu (missing Taxi Driver and The Last Temptation of Christ, notably).

I also really liked The Wolf of Wall Street. But, then again, I can identify with the film having come from that world.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by colbyw

Anybody? Figured it was a good question since we were having an Oscar debate on the Criterion forum

It Happened One Night
The Last Emperor
On The Waterfront

I think those are the only three on Blu. I'll have to go back and look at the DVDs. I'm not as familiar with them. Off the top of my head:

The Silence of the Lambs
Hamlet

The sixth will require some thinking.

[colbyw]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

It Happened One Night
The Last Emperor
On The Waterfront

I think those are the only three on Blu. I'll have to go back and look at the DVDs. I'm not as familiar with them. Off the top of my head:

The Silence of the Lambs
Hamlet

The sixth will require some thinking.

Yes. 5 of 6, the 6th is also a dvd release. Would give clue, but would give it away.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by colbyw

Yes. 5 of 6, the 6th is also a dvd release. Would give clue, but would give it away.

Oi I gave you an answer to this and also gave u list of all Oscar films in collection! :P

[Ray Jackson]

Anyone have strong opinions on Pale Flower?

Been on a Criterion film noir flick lately and this seems like an interesting one.

I'd have to pay the full $40 for it, but on a Christmas gift card...so whatever.

It's either Pale Flowers, which I haven't seen, or Persona or Tokyo Story...both of which I've seen, but it's been a few years.

...as always, I'm asking the good people of this thread to make an adult decision for me that I'm incapable of making for myself.

Thank you and god bless.

[Scottie]

Shutter Island is probably Scorsese's worst film, in my opinion.

I've seen it a couple times and each time it gets more and more uninteresting. Furthermore, I think the twist ruins an already mediocre film.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Shutter Island is probably Scorsese's worst film, in my opinion.

I've seen it a couple times and each time it gets more and more uninteresting. Furthermore, I think the twist ruins an already mediocre film.

The twist is a bit meh, I agree, but I think it's a fantastic film. The dream sequences are haunting and the acting is really good. It also has such an unnerving soundtrack. I love it

[colbyw]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Oi I gave you an answer to this and also gave u list of all Oscar films in collection! :P

You gave a link, but it doesn't specify what won Best Picture.

I also agree, that Shutter Island is one of Martin's most uninteresting and overrated films. Only my opinion.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by colbyw

You gave a link, but it doesn't specify what won Best Picture.

I also agree, that Shutter Island is one of Martin's most uninteresting and overrated films. Only my opinion.

Was a joke...

[MeMynonsense]

Originally Posted by colbyw

Yes. 5 of 6, the 6th is also a dvd release. Would give clue, but would give it away.

Couldn't help myself, Rebecca?

[pedromvu]

I can understand someone not loving Scorsese, several years ago I watched almost all of his movies without feeling the need to own any of them, even if I liked several of them.

But lately he has been great, I loved Hugo and The Wolf of Wall Street, but I think his best movie for me has to be After Hours.

[colbyw]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

I can understand someone not loving Scorsese, several years ago I watched almost all of his movies without feeling the need to own any of them, even if I liked several of them.

But lately he has been great, I loved Hugo and The Wolf of Wall Street, but I think his best movie for me has to be After Hours.

My favorite is Mean Streets, but I pretty much love them all

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Shutter Island is probably Scorsese's worst film, in my opinion.

I've seen it a couple times and each time it gets more and more uninteresting. Furthermore, I think the twist ruins an already mediocre film.

It's better in black and white.

Cape Fear will always be my least favorite Scorsese.

[Show spoiler]I haven't seen Color of Money

[octagon]

The Color of Money is very good. The Blu-ray might suck but the movie is very good.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Anyone have strong opinions on Pale Flower?

Been on a Criterion film noir flick lately and this seems like an interesting one.

I'd have to pay the full $40 for it, but on a Christmas gift card...so whatever.

It's either Pale Flowers, which I haven't seen, or Persona or Tokyo Story...both of which I've seen, but it's been a few years.

...as always, I'm asking the good people of this thread to make an adult decision for me that I'm incapable of making for myself.

Thank you and god bless.

Pale Flower is crazy good. Watching it for the second time last week, I thought to myself "THIS is what Le Samourai should have been" - at least to merit the amount of praise that is heaped upon it. Style AND substance. It feels like the other Japanese noirs I've seen, but 10 minutes or so in, I become completely aware that this one is on another level. Probably a top 20 CC title for me.

Wasn't aware until after my 2nd viewing, but Ebert mentions a similarity to Le Samourai in his Great Movies review for PF.

Oh, and the girl is super cute, too.

[octagon]

Yeah, Pale Flower is great. The first time I watched it I had a very strong, very visceral 'omg, best movie ever' reaction and it definitely held up the second time around.

[Zen_Amako]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Anyone have strong opinions on Pale Flower?

I think Pale Flower is pretty great. One of my best blind buys. It isn't as well known as many of the other films in the collection, but I would highly recommend it. It has a great discordant score by Toru Takemitsu, really nice B&W cinematography, and a lot of atmosphere.

[colbyw]

Awesome to hear, I blind bought Pale Flower this yr as well. Haven't watched yet.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Anyone have strong opinions on Pale Flower?

Been on a Criterion film noir flick lately and this seems like an interesting one.

I'd have to pay the full $40 for it, but on a Christmas gift card...so whatever.

It's either Pale Flowers, which I haven't seen, or Persona or Tokyo Story...both of which I've seen, but it's been a few years.

...as always, I'm asking the good people of this thread to make an adult decision for me that I'm incapable of making for myself.

Thank you and god bless.

My strong opinion on Pale Flower is that it is totally awesome.

Here is my User Review that I wrote a while back...

Masahiro Shinoda's 1964 film, Pale Flower, combines the fatalism of American film noir with the alluring alienation of Michelangelo Antonioni films for a stunning end result. When Muraki, played by Ryo Ikebe, returns to yakuza life after his release from prison, he encounters Saeko, a beautiful thrill-seeker played by Mariko Kaga. The ensuing relationship between the experienced, but burned out gangster and the young flower destined to wither as quickly as she blooms sets the stage for an observation of life as a dead end path paved by a series of fleeting diversions.

Muraki, with his body language of deliberate coolness, comes across as a slightly cruder descendent of Marcello Mastroianni and exudes an aesthetic of resigned futility in both himself and those around him. He greets his freedom nonchalantly, with the knowledge that nothing has changed. His former lover, who remained devoted to him during his prison sentence, has wasted her devotion. The yakuza personalities, with their endless gambling by way of hanafuda cards and horse racing, may forge new allies and gain new adversaries, but every option leads to the same ending. Muraki's protective inclinations toward Saeko form the emotional crescendo of this tale, and contemporary viewers may think of Michael Fassbender's similarly daunting protective relationship with his sister, played by Carey Mulligan, in Steve McQueen's Shame.

Saeko, with her fragile beauty, arouses the intrigue of all who cross paths with her, and, indeed, a mere glance into her eyes is worth the price of admission with this high definition presentation of the film. Early in the story, I thought of Saeko as the embodiment of all that seems unattainable in life, because her visage and demeanor conjure comparisons with the beautiful and privileged abandon that is always just beyond the grasp of one's fingertips. As the film progressed, though, I understood that she, in turn, is yearning from an inner emptiness toward a desire that remains out of reach.

When Saeko, to Muraki's chagrin, becomes intrigued by the troubling drug addict, Yoh, played by Takashi Fujiki, a destructive triangle of sorts unfolds. A close-up shot of Yoh standing in the shadows made me think of a similar shot of Max Schreck's vampire in Murnau's Nosferatu, and I'm inclined to think that the similarity is not accidental. This character represents choices that suck the life not only from those who indulge, but from all of those in their circles. The hanafuda gambling sequences are tense in their own right, and, while they may remind modern audiences of the poker scenes in the 2006 Bond film, Casino Royale, their inclusion in this film, marked by superb sound effects, comes across as a chilling death march.

Pale Flower is one of the most visually-entrancing films that I have seen in recent memory, and I quickly decided that it is my favorite yakuza film to date. It's a movie that caters both to my love of film noir and to my love of ethereal cinematography. The avant garde music of Pale Flower is the lifeblood of the film, with its chilling percussion and offbeat jazz approach. A revelation from Shinoda's supplementary interview on this Blu-ray that a recording of tap-dancing shoes was used to represent the sound effects of shuffling hanafuda cards brought a smile to my face.

[Scottie]

I watched Pale Flower three times, I believe, praying that I'd like it but each viewing proved too similar to the previous ones.