The Criterion Collection

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Knaldskalle

Now there's a movie that made me laugh and then feel really bad about it. Brilliant!

Try watching Visitor Q - it's hilarious but it shouldn't be, it's absolutely disgusting, shocking and vile ... but it's just so funny... lol I don't think I've laughed at...

[Show spoiler]necrophilia

- just thought I'd spoil that in case people take offense or find it inappropriate lol

[joie]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I thought you were saying the two films were portmanteaus with each other. You phrased it as if it was a negative trait of the two films. "Stranger Than Paradise isn't..."

Admittedly, I did get a bit confused, but why use such a dumb big word that no one uses?

It may have been clearer with a semicolon instead of a period. Instead of

A and B are something. C isn't.

try

A and B are something; C isn't.

The parallelism makes the predicate nominative, "something," in the second thought, understood, and understood as singular because its subject is (singular), so the form of the verb, "to be," is singular instead of plural.

I didn't mean to dis the portmanteaus. I enjoyed both. The only criticism I could possibly come up with is that the last story in both seems weak in comparison with the previous stories. It could be that Jarmusch did that on purpose to get the audience to think about why the other stories are better.

Someone else has used "portmanteau!"

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by joie

It may have been clearer with a semicolon instead of a period. Instead of

A and B are something. C isn't.

try

A and B are something; C isn't.

The parallelism makes the predicate nominative, "something," in the second thought, understood, and understood as singular because its subject is (singular), so the form of the verb, "to be," is singular instead of plural.

I didn't mean to dis the portmanteaus. I enjoyed both. The only criticism I could possibly come up with is that the last story in both seems weak in comparison with the previous stories. It could be that Jarmusch did that on purpose to get the audience to think about why the other stories are better.

Someone else has used "portmanteau!"

I searched portmanteau in this thread and prior to today, no one has used it.

Thanks for the explanation but mostly you got me on a word that I'm just not all that comfortable with, apparently.

[silverlakephil]

Originally Posted by olivianewtonyawn

I would be all in for Welcome to the Dollhouse (love that movie) and yeah... I would buy Happiness too if it were to be released. Such a disturbing, sad film. Brilliant in a lot of ways with a really amazing performance from Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

His death was so tragic. Such a huge talent, gone. Drugs are evil.

[moviecriticsonline]

Phoenix was good, but not Criterion worthy good. At least in my opinion.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by moviecriticsonline

Phoenix was good, but not Criterion worthy good. At least in my opinion.

What's "Criterion worthy good"? Lena Dunham? Wes Anderson? Lars von Trier?

[tisdivine]

Originally Posted by SkyAntoine

Make Way For Tomorrow is a shorter, non subtitled version of Tokyo Story. While Tokyo Story is my #4 all-time movie, I'll never get any of my friends or family to sit down and watch it. MWFT gets across some of the same themes in a more compact way. I still have MWFT in my top 30.

If you're a sucker for sappy, family dramas like me, then it is a must have.

I cant really say I enjoy sappy family dramas but oddly enough I love Tokyo Story. Every now and then out of 100 films of a genre I tend to not enjoy Ill find one I like. Just had a huge revelation a few days ago with a western, a genre I actually really really dislike but I loved McCabe & Mrs. Miller. So hopefully ill enjoy Make Way For Tomorrow if not it only cost me $20 so Im sure I can resell it.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by iScottie

What's "Criterion worthy good"? Lena Dunham? Wes Anderson? Lars von Trier?

Phoenix is better than all three of those things.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

Strange a lot of his films are not on Blu-ray. Welcome to the Dollhouse is a cult classic... Poor Dawn Wiener.

Given that Wiener Dog is the follow-up to DOLLHOUSE I'm hoping that the pair are released on Blu-ray together.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Phoenix is better than all three of those things.

I'd rank Breaking The Waves ahead of Phoenix, but aside from that I agree.

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by iScottie

What's "Criterion worthy good"? Lars von Trier?

Of course.

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I agree with you assessment of An Autumn Afternoon. I’ve said this before, but its grace and poignancy really sneak up on you towards the end. It is, as it definitely is in Tokyo Story for comparison, very subtle.

I don’t think the merits of Good Morning should be sold short, though, either. It has strong themes as well.

It isn't about whether it has strong themes or not. It just doesn't have the same 'affect' as Ozu's best work.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

I have not seen any Jarmusch film, what is his typical style? I ordered Mystery Train in-store for delivery at home, will receive it tomorrow. So want to know what it will be like...

If you enjoy deadpan humor then you'll love it. It might be my most watched Criterion. The poster hangs on my wall, too.

[malakaheso]

Mystery Train is a lesser Jarmusch in my view. After the Japanese story it's all downhill to me, but it's a decent film, just not one of his best.

J.J is still making good films too, unlike most of his contemporaries like Van Sant. His new film is getting positive reviews, and I quite enjoyed Only Lovers Left Alive.

[MeMynonsense]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I searched portmanteau in this thread and prior to today, no one has used it.

Thanks for the explanation but mostly you got me on a word that I'm just not all that comfortable with, apparently.

It might appear as a “dumb”, archaic or scarcely-used term but “PORTMANTEAU” is frequently associated with films containing small segments that have a common denominator and most often made by different directors.
The stories being connected via a recurring theme, emotion, place or an object. They’re alternatively referred as Omnibus/Anthology films.

If I Had a Million & Dead of Night are two of the most famous examples of pure portmanteau films. (IIRC the former’s Lubitsch directed segment featuring Charles Laughton was also included as an extra in criterion's Design for Living)

Another portmanteau criterion alumnus is Three Cases of Murder.
More famous examples are Paris, je t'aime, New York Stories, Tales of Manhattan and Four Rooms.
How the West Was Won can also be labelled as an epic portmanteau.

In recent years the anthology films helmed by the same director are also sometimes included in the portmanteau sub-genre. So it wouldn’t be technically wrong to loosely call Mystery Train, Night on Earth or even Coffee and Cigarettes as portmanteaus.
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is another hilarious De-Sican comic anthology.
The recently released Wild Tales is another terrific representative of the genre.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by MeMynonsense

It might appear as a “dumb”, archaic or scarcely-used term but “PORTMANTEAU” is frequently associated with films containing small segments that have a common denominator and most often made by different directors.
The stories being connected via a recurring theme, emotion, place or an object. They’re alternatively referred as Omnibus/Anthology films.

If I Had a Million & Dead of Night are two of the most famous examples of pure portmanteau films. (IIRC the former’s Lubitsch directed segment featuring Charles Laughton was also included as an extra in criterion's Design for Living)

Another portmanteau criterion alumnus is Three Cases of Murder.
More famous examples are Paris, je t'aime, New York Stories, Tales of Manhattan and Four Rooms.
How the West Was Won can also be labelled as an epic portmanteau.

In recent years the anthology films helmed by the same director are also sometimes included in the portmanteau sub-genre. So it wouldn’t be technically wrong to loosely call Mystery Train, Night on Earth or even Coffee and Cigarettes as portmanteaus.
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is another hilarious De-Sican comic anthology.
The recently released Wild Tales is another terrific representative of the genre.

When I first saw the word I thought it was a term describing an obsessive fan/stalker of Natalie.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by joie

Someone else has used "portmanteau!"

Was that "someone" me?

By the way, I used that word earlier this evening in a real-life situation at a local coffeehouse when I taught a 49 year old professor friend of mine the word "portmanteau". See? What is written down on this forum sometimes translates to real-world teachings!

Good work Mr. Joie "de Vivre"!

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by iScottie

What's "Criterion worthy good"? Lena Dunham? Wes Anderson? Lars von Trier?

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Phoenix is better than all three of those things.

I'd watch what I say if I was you :O!

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

When I first saw the word I thought it was a term describing an obsessive fan/stalker of Natalie.

When I saw the word I thought for sure I would portmantaneously combust.

Safe to say we all know what it means now. Everyone's favorite portmanteau film?

Gotta say its Kwaidan.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by tisdivine

I cant really say I enjoy sappy family dramas but oddly enough I love Tokyo Story. Every now and then out of 100 films of a genre I tend to not enjoy Ill find one I like. Just had a huge revelation a few days ago with a western, a genre I actually really really dislike but I loved McCabe & Mrs. Miller. So hopefully ill enjoy Make Way For Tomorrow if not it only cost me $20 so Im sure I can resell it.

Which other westerns have you seen because I'm sure I used to say the same thing until I saw The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Stagecoach, and others.

I'm looking forward to McCabe, though. Haven't seen it.