The Criterion Collection

[Doctor Jack]

Watched The Friends of Eddie Coyle and 4 Months, 3Weeks, and 2 Days today. Eddie was a blind buy from the flash sale and damn was it a great 70’s flick. Wouldn’t say it was great, but I absolutely loved it. 4 Month I’ve seen before and actually said I didn’t feel the need to watch it again once it got announced, but I’m glad I did. I think it’s one of the best moves of the past 20 years. Any movie that could make a dinner party sequence with just dinner conversation be that nerve racking is something special.

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by Kyle15

Obligatory hope post for the following titles:

-Lost Highway
-Crash
-The Tenant
-Lolita
-Gummo

I’d literally kill for Lost Highway, but do they ever release movies from the same director a month apart or even in the same year?

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

I’d literally kill for Lost Highway, but do they ever release movies from the same director a month apart or even in the same year?

Preston Sturges’ “The Palm Beach Story” and “Sullivan’s Travels” were released three months apart in 2015.

[senseabove]

We also got McCabe & Mrs Miller, The Player, and the Short Cuts BD upgrade all in the same year.

[professorwho]

I just want War and Peace. And Napoleon (1927) if they can get the restoration the BFI made.

[moviebuff75]

Is War and Peace exciting or dull? Lawrence was exciting. Cleopatra was dull. Just to gauge what I am speaking of.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by professorwho

I just want War and Peace. And Napoleon (1927) if they can get the restoration the BFI made.

I'm not hopeful about Napoleon given Coppola. I'm most likely just going to pick up the Region B version that BFI released instead of waiting for a Criterion release.

[themp3000]

Obligatory monthly hope and dream from yours truly for Elem Klimov’s Come and See in the announcements.

[bonehica]

Originally Posted by themp3000

Obligatory monthly hope and dream from yours truly for Elem Klimov’s Come and See in the announcements.

This and Todd Solondz's Happiness

[koberulz]

Originally Posted by Doctor Jack

Eddie was a blind buy from the flash sale and damn was it a great 70’s flick. Wouldn’t say it was great

Uh....

[Bronson13]

So we pretty much all know Lolita is coming it’s just a matter of when they announce it right?

[CQD84]

In a perfect world, these would be June's titles:

Hedwig and The Angry Inch
Junebug
You Can Count on Me
The Last Picture Show (standalone)
Citizen Ruth

[BamaDullard]

Originally Posted by Bronson13

So we pretty much all know Lolita is coming it’s just a matter of when they announce it right?

[javy]

I just finished the John Cassavetes: Five Films set.

Shadows is a good commentary on racism and interracial relationships in the 1950's. I was quite suprised to learn after watching the film how experimental it was.

I found Faces to be just a little annoying in the beginning, but once it got past the first 15 minutes or so it was excellent. I especially enjoyed all of John Cassel's dialogue. (When I watch the movie agian, I'm quite confident that I won't be so annoyed by all that drunken singing and dancing at the beginning.)

A Woman Under the Influence though, completely relentless. I gotta say, I was getting just a little upset with Falk's character near the end, due to myself being exposed to that sort of domestic violence as a child.

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie is an outstanding crime-drama film. The first time I had seen Gazarra in anything was years ago in the 1975 film Capone, in which he is phenomenal as the notorious mob kingpin (I love that movie). I watched both cuts of the film back to back, starting with the 1976 version, which I do prefer. 1978 version does include a little bit more information about Gazzara's character that isn't in the '76, which is great, but the '76 version, for me, is far superior. Even with that extra info, there's more character development in the 76 and the it just flows better; the 78 feels chopped up.

Then there's Opening Night. What a way to close out this boxset. All I can really think of to say at the moment abou this film is that Rowlands performance is impeccable. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about.

This is my ranking of the films:

1. A Woman Under the Influence 5/5
2. Opening Night 5/5
3. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) 5/5
4. Faces 3.5/5
5. Shadows 3/5

Also, I just purchased Love Streams and I'm really looking forward to it as well.

Non Criterion related but, I can't wait till I catch Gloria on a Twilight Time sale. That film I have seen before. I used to watch it on Cinemax way back in the day when I was about the same age as the boy in the film.

If you haven't seen the films in the John Cassavetes: Five Films box set, and you enjoy relentless gut-churning American dramas, just get it.

[dancerslegs]

Originally Posted by moviebuff75

Is War and Peace exciting or dull? Lawrence was exciting. Cleopatra was dull. Just to gauge what I am speaking of.

If you're as excited by the ideas in Lawrence as you are the action scenes and spectacle, then you'll find War and Peace exciting. This is Tolstoy, not Hollywood.

[AwkwardBoner]

Originally Posted by Bronson13

So we pretty much all know Lolita is coming it’s just a matter of when they announce it right?

No, nothing has hinted towards a release as far as I'm aware. It's just a general consensus that it's the most likely Kubrick film.

[javy]

A few more thoughts on A Woman Under the Influence, I just can't leave it at those couple little sentences and feel the desire to give some clarification.

Regarding the actions of Falk's character which I previously mentioned, this is a man who wanted to do right. He loved his wife, he loved his children. He did all he could do to keep things together. Unfortunately, he had an idea of how things should be, and when those ideas weren't manifested he was totally powerless.

I don't want to give too much away, I was just thinking of my previous post and I felt I made his character sound totally "bad", and he wasn't.

[Egbert Souse]

Originally Posted by AwkwardBoner

No, nothing has hinted towards a release as far as I'm aware. It's just a general consensus that it's the most likely Kubrick film.

I'd actually say Eyes Wide Shut is more likely, even though I think both will end up being worked on. Lolita is a good film, but EWS has more potential for bonus content.

I took a course on film adaptation and we watched EWS and read the original Schnitzler novella (Dream Story). It's actually amusing how well the novella was adapted considering it was moved from 1920s Vienna to 1990s NYC. Just for an example, the costume shop scene is almost identical, down to how the shop owner is dressed.

[Hazel Motes]

My hopes/guesses for Friday:

One From the Heart or The Rain People
Husbands or Minnie & Moskowitz
Viridiana
Voyage of Time
Saraband

[mja345]

Originally Posted by javy

Also, I just purchased Love Streams and I'm really looking forward to it as well.

"Love Streams", "A Woman Under the Influence" and "Husbands" are my three favorite Cassavetes films. "Love Streams" is an incredibly sad film in many ways, particularly in light of Cassavetes' failing health, but one of my all-time favorites.