The Criterion Collection

[zeroman987]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK;5733751

Yep. But many of those boomer parents were so [I

afraid[/I] of turning out a loser that they over-coddled, over-praised, over-protected, and over-indulged their kids to the point where they have no realistic idea (or experience base) about how the world actually works, or how they might fit into it. It's indeed ironic that many boomers remain in jobs and can't retire early because they've raised a generation unable or unwilling to step up with better ideas, or do the hard work required to realize them. It's much easier to just faux-engage via posting, tweeting, friending, or creating yet another meaningless list.

Of course old men always talk like this. We're obliged to. Take it with a grain...

NOTE: The following is not a political post. I don't really subscribe to any political philosophy. I am just enraged by people who don't realize that my generation is not a bunch of do-nothing slackers.

I think this is a really unfair characterization of my generation. I also think that this is a really unfair characterization of the boomer generation. You want entitlement? The boomer generation has consistently and constantly taken and taken. They took from their hard working parents and left them to fend for themselves (see my grandparents). They took from Generation X (would not release their death grip on the management jobs that Generation X would have promoted to, even though Generation X earned it). Now, they are taking from my generation. They still won't give up their jobs and its going to bite them in the behind. (see below)

Guess what? There is going to be a whole generation of unemployable people in their mid-30s. I mean who is going to hire a 35 year old with almost no experience? There is going to be no one to run things.

I am a recent graduate of professional school. I worked all during professional school to gain real world experience. I was working 15 hours a week and going to class 15 hours a week. In my profession, we are expected to spend 3 hours out of class time for every hour in class. I spent about 2 hours out of class for every hour in class - so that is 60 hours a week working. My friend held 2 jobs, a RA position, and tried a whole civil case his last semester. He worked close to 90 hours a week. Frankly, it was hell and it was worse for him. This is not even to mention that the last two years I spent a lot of time sending out applications and going to interviews. Trying to get a job is a job in itself. (Note: My friend and I are both underemployed polishing turds and yet we are thankful we have income coming in. Also we went to a good school and he was at the top of the class and I was close behind).

Where am I now? Where has this hard work gotten me? I am working contract jobs. I can't even get someone to hire for a 50k a year job with no benefits where I work 60-70 hours a week. (which is what I would have to make to pay my rent, my student loans and my other expenses each month). I want you to think about that. I went to school for 7 years in a field which is notorious for being overpaid. I can't get a job that pays 16 bucks an hour.

I have friends who won the interview "lotto" and are banking 160k a year. However, these people hate their jobs. Their firms essentially "own" them. My friend sometimes sleeps at the office - he has no life, no friends and never sees his family. The boomers are the ones that are making decisions like hiring 1 person and making him do the job of 6. They are the ones who have to keep the same guy on for years and years and throw money at him because when they had the chance to train Generation X, they squandered it. Now no one can do their (the boomers) jobs because the people who were supposed to replace them were pushed aside. You wanna know what is wrong with this country economically? The generation that took, took and took and then asked for more. Now, there is nothing left to take, the coffers are empty.

Yet, they are going to pay. They are going to pay because there is not going to be enough money to pay for their retirement. Guess what mom and dad - you better practice saying "Welcome to Wal-Mart" because it is going to be a big part of your vocabulary.

[TJS_Blu]

I missed this (and don't believe it's been mentioned on this forum)...

from criterioncast

Image Entertainment has revealed that they have licensed a select collection of films from The Criterion Collection, to AT&T U-verse TV, meaning that these films, some of the biggest the collection has to offer, will be available on the service’s U-verse Movies collection.

Included are ‘The Seven Samurai,’ ‘The 400 Blows,’ ‘The Seventh Seal,’ ‘Amarcord,’ ‘House,’ ‘For All Mankind,’ ‘The Great Dictator’ and (randomly I might add), Stuart Cooper’s ‘Overlord.’

Each film will be available in HD, leaving ‘Overlord,’ as the only film not available from this list on Blu-ray, which may be a big story as well. Could we be seeing an ‘Overlord’ Blu-ray in the near future?

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by zeroman987

NOTE: The following is not a political post. I don't really subscribe to any political philosophy. I am just enraged by people who don't realize that my generation is not a bunch of do-nothing slackers.

I think this is a really unfair characterization of my generation. I also think that this is a really unfair characterization of the boomer generation. You want entitlement? The boomer generation has consistently and constantly taken and taken. They took from their hard working parents and left them to fend for themselves (see my grandparents). They took from Generation X (would not release their death grip on the management jobs that Generation X would have promoted to, even though Generation X earned it). Now, they are taking from my generation. They still won't give up their jobs and its going to bite them in the behind. (see below)

Glad to see I am not the only one. I have often said the boomers have been the biggest plague to ever hit this Earth and frankly I am not sure if the planet will ever recover from it. In 50 or 75 years I really wish I would be around to read how history will remember the boomers. I am willing to bet it will not be with big smiles.

[Darkcritic]

Just finished seeing The 400 Blows by Francois Truffaut and I am incredibly impressed. I watched a DVD I shelved for months, for some reason, the film didn't caught my attention all that much first. Today I decided it was time to sit down and see it and I was amazed by it. The most surprising aspect of it all is just how mature and whole the film feels. This is the work of a master, not a "debutant", I told myself, but Truffaut totally out did himself. The tale of a lost and unloved young boy is incredibly touching. I felt strongly connected to him especially because I knew that, in some ways, I was seeing Truffaut's life too. All the performances were top-notch but a young Jean-Pierre Leaud completely steals it. The cinematography was composed of many interesting takes and angles that always impress but never call the attention upon themselves. They feel natural and organic. Even though I have never suffered what Antoine did, I too have felt what it is like to be completely overwhelmed by some problems. I will not put myself in the same category but I too feel safe and in home in a film theater. This film is Truffaut's answer to all things cinema and then some. A masterpiece that shall not be overlooked .

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by zeroman987

NOTE: The following is not a political post. I don't really subscribe to any political philosophy. I am just enraged by people who don't realize that my generation is not a bunch of do-nothing slackers.

I think this is a really unfair characterization of my generation. I also think that this is a really unfair characterization of the boomer generation. You want entitlement? The boomer generation has consistently and constantly taken and taken. They took from their hard working parents and left them to fend for themselves (see my grandparents). They took from Generation X (would not release their death grip on the management jobs that Generation X would have promoted to, even though Generation X earned it). Now, they are taking from my generation. They still won't give up their jobs and its going to bite them in the behind. (see below)

Guess what? There is going to be a whole generation of unemployable people in their mid-30s. I mean who is going to hire a 35 year old with almost no experience? There is going to be no one to run things.

I am a recent graduate of professional school. I worked all during professional school to gain real world experience. I was working 15 hours a week and going to class 15 hours a week. In my profession, we are expected to spend 3 hours out of class time for every hour in class. I spent about 2 hours out of class for every hour in class - so that is 60 hours a week working. My friend held 2 jobs, a RA position, and tried a whole civil case his last semester. He worked close to 90 hours a week. Frankly, it was hell and it was worse for him. This is not even to mention that the last two years I spent a lot of time sending out applications and going to interviews. Trying to get a job is a job in itself. (Note: My friend and I are both underemployed polishing turds and yet we are thankful we have income coming in. Also we went to a good school and he was at the top of the class and I was close behind).

Where am I now? Where has this hard work gotten me? I am working contract jobs. I can't even get someone to hire for a 50k a year job with no benefits where I work 60-70 hours a week. (which is what I would have to make to pay my rent, my student loans and my other expenses each month). I want you to think about that. I went to school for 7 years in a field which is notorious for being overpaid. I can't get a job that pays 16 bucks an hour.

I have friends who won the interview "lotto" and are banking 160k a year. However, these people hate their jobs. Their firms essentially "own" them. My friend sometimes sleeps at the office - he has no life, no friends and never sees his family. The boomers are the ones that are making decisions like hiring 1 person and making him do the job of 6. They are the ones who have to keep the same guy on for years and years and throw money at him because when they had the chance to train Generation X, they squandered it. Now no one can do their (the boomers) jobs because the people who were supposed to replace them were pushed aside. You wanna know what is wrong with this country economically? The generation that took, took and took and then asked for more. Now, there is nothing left to take, the coffers are empty.

Yet, they are going to pay. They are going to pay because there is not going to be enough money to pay for their retirement. Guess what mom and dad - you better practice saying "Welcome to Wal-Mart" because it is going to be a big part of your vocabulary.

Except for the last paragraph, I agree with a lot of what you said zeroman, and am glad you posted. Actually, IRL I'm thrilled whenever I encounter anyone south of my age group capable of forming a coherent thought, expressing it well, and showing a little genuine passion...even if manifested as misdirected rage.

Every era and generation has its unique challenges; we're no different in that regard. I was just responding - in kind - to the broadly dismissive remarks BohemianGraham made about "boomers" staying in the workforce only for the money (read: selfish, greedy bastards trying to hold back the younger, more deserving 'good guys'). And now that's outed you enough to say just about the same thing. At least you were more direct about it.

So how does it feel when someone scapegoats an entire generation (or race, or gender, or religion, or whatever) for some imagined social-political-economic slight...some external excuse to blame instead of one's own internal choices for why they are exactly where they are? Feels pretty crappy, huh? It's not fair out there. Never has been. So keep working your arse off at some thankless job until you can find a less thankless one, and an even less thankless one after that. But stop blaming everyone who has survived such trials and did manage to find a better way in this world. If cinema teaches us anything, it's just that...it's never easy for anyone.

Anyway, this is a movie board, and it's not fair to belabour such a sidebar point, so I won't. Just my 2 cents on a disturbingly hypocritical subtext I detected in the recent discussion pro and con Tiny Furniture.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Glad to see I am not the only one. I have often said the boomers have been the biggest plague to ever hit this Earth and frankly I am not sure if the planet will ever recover from it. In 50 or 75 years I really wish I would be around to read how history will remember the boomers. I am willing to bet it will not be with big smiles.

See above.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

Just finished seeing The 400 Blows by Francois Truffaut and I am incredibly impressed. I watched a DVD I shelved for months, for some reason, the film didn't caught my attention all that much first. Today I decided it was time to sit down and see it and I was amazed by it. The most surprising aspect of it all is just how mature and whole the film feels. This is the work of a master, not a "debutant", I told myself, but Truffaut totally out did himself. The tale of a lost and unloved young boy is incredibly touching. I felt strongly connected to him especially because I knew that, in some ways, I was seeing Truffaut's life too. All the performances were top-notch but a young Jean-Pierre Leaud completely steals it. The cinematography was composed of many interesting takes and angles that always impress but never call the attention upon themselves. They feel natural and organic. Even though I have never suffered what Antoine did, I too have felt what it is like to be completely overwhelmed by some problems. I will not put myself in the same category but I too feel safe and in home in a film theater. This film is Truffaut's answer to all things cinema and then some. A masterpiece that shall not be overlooked .

The 400 Blows after that post. Nice timing Darkcritic!

[silentblu]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

Just finished seeing The 400 Blows by Francois Truffaut and I am incredibly impressed. I watched a DVD I shelved for months, for some reason, the film didn't caught my attention all that much first. Today I decided it was time to sit down and see it and I was amazed by it. The most surprising aspect of it all is just how mature and whole the film feels. This is the work of a master, not a "debutant", I told myself, but Truffaut totally out did himself. The tale of a lost and unloved young boy is incredibly touching. I felt strongly connected to him especially because I knew that, in some ways, I was seeing Truffaut's life too. All the performances were top-notch but a young Jean-Pierre Leaud completely steals it. The cinematography was composed of many interesting takes and angles that always impress but never call the attention upon themselves. They feel natural and organic. Even though I have never suffered what Antoine did, I too have felt what it is like to be completely overwhelmed by some problems. I will not put myself in the same category but I too feel safe and in home in a film theater. This film is Truffaut's answer to all things cinema and then some. A masterpiece that shall not be overlooked .

A little overstated. The boy certainly was loved. I guess from the boy's perspective...maybe. More like the tale of a little brat. Maybe that's what Truffaut wanted? I liked the cinematography, art direction and such. Some scenes are really good (e.g. skipping school with the puppet show, gym class). Didn't care about the kid at all.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Except for the last paragraph, I agree with a lot of what you said zeroman, and am glad you posted. Actually, IRL I'm thrilled whenever I encounter anyone south of my age group capable of forming a coherent thought, expressing it well, and showing a little genuine passion...even if manifested as misdirected rage.

Every era and generation has its unique challenges; we're no different in that regard. I was just responding - in kind - to the broadly dismissive remarks BohemianGraham made about "boomers" staying in the workforce only for the money (read: selfish, greedy bastards trying to hold back the younger, more deserving 'good guys'). And now that's outed you enough to say just about the same thing. At least you were more direct about it.

So how does it feel when someone scapegoats an entire generation (or race, or gender, or religion, or whatever) for some imagined social-political-economic slight...some external excuse to blame instead of one's own internal choices for why they are exactly where they are? Feels pretty crappy, huh? It's not fair out there. Never has been. So keep working your arse off at some thankless job until you can find a less thankless one, and an even less thankless one after that. But stop blaming everyone who has survived such trials and did manage to find a better way in this world. If cinema teaches us anything, it's just that...it's never easy for anyone.

Anyway, this is a movie board, and it's not fair to belabour such a sidebar point, so I won't. Just my 2 cents on a disturbingly hypocritical subtext I detected in the recent discussion pro and con Tiny Furniture.

Wow, talk about putting words in my mouth. No where in my posts did I call boomers selfish, greedy bastards trying to hold back the younger good guys. Maybe you weren't hit hard by the recession, but others were. There maybe some "greedy" boomers, but there are others who do need the money. You're making assumptions about not only the younger generation, but your own, based on your own experience.

My mother's a boomer, and I had her read you comments. She's just as "dismissive" of them as me, if not more so in fact, as I do believe she called them "BS" and said you were living in LaLa Land.

I will concede with you that it's time to drop the discussion, but that's all I concede to you.

Originally Posted by silentblu

A little overstated. The boy certainly was loved. I guess from the boy's perspective...maybe. More like the tale of a little brat. Maybe that's what Truffaut wanted? I liked the cinematography, art direction and such. Some scenes are really good (e.g. skipping school with the puppet show, gym class). Didn't care about the kid at all.

Maybe by his "step-father," but not his mother. She saw him as a burden, and slept around. He was a product of said sleeping around. As states, his dad wasn't even his real dad. I don't think he was a brat, he was lashing out at his mother.

[nmycon]

Originally Posted by joie

Anyone know why there are Canadian releases for some Criterions? Are the subtitles in French? Do the bilingual laws of Canada require French and English?

I once ordered L.A. Confidential and when it arrived noticed that the cover was in French and English. It also had a CD, which isn't included on the U.S. version, but I sent it back to Amazon for the U.S. release, because I wasn't sure about what I had been sent.

Canada is region A, too, right?

Canada's laws do require French and English on packaging. I don't think a French audio track is a requirement, but I'm pretty sure all Canadian blu-ray releases have French subs.

I just picked up Videodrome the other day and there's no French anywhere on the box, which is nice. Just english audio and subtitles.

And yes, Region A includes Canada and the US as well as East & Southeast Asia

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by oildude

Thirst for Love (1967) – as the liner notes point out, this film was a contemporary of Suzuki’s Branded to Kill and Oshima’s Sing a Song of Sex. In many of the same ways that the latter film is the most memorable in the Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties set, to me Thirst for Love is the most dark, memorable, and layered film in the Kurahara set. Ruriko Asaoka, who also stars in I Hate But Love, plays a character who, as the story unfolds, we discover is not what she appears. The film is difficult to describe, and while each of the five films in the Kurahara set is unique and enjoyable, Thirst for Love is the most different of them all, with voiceovers, narration, flashbacks, erotic fantasies, and even intertitles to facilitate the telling of the story. It is a horror movie without consciously being a horror movie, or at least I did not realize it until it was over and I sat there a bit stunned by what I had just watched.

So, I hadn't seen Thirst For Love, but I had some time tonight and this post gave me the push to finish the Kurahara set.
WOW! Talk about saving the best for last!
Like you say, it is difficult to describe, but the camera work and editing in this film was exciting and dramatic (even more so than in his other films). Also, the use of sound is fascinating; diegetic sounds suddenly becoming expressionistic as the main character's mental state changes.
Ruriko Asaoka is mesmerising and extraordinarily beautiful.
It's based on a Mishima novel, so I wonder if there are readily available translations of his work...
If anyone else is considering the Kurahara set at the next sale, I definitely recommend it

[zeroman987]

Maybe by his "step-father," but not his mother. She saw him as a burden, and slept around. He was a product of said sleeping around. As states, his dad wasn't even his real dad. I don't think he was a brat, he was lashing out at his mother.

It seemed like the step-father really liked the idea of having a son but always kind of resented the kid because the kid did not belong to the step-father. He was willing to tolerate the situation and ignore the kid's illegitimacy so long as the kid was not a problem. When the son catches the mother with another man, I think it has an affect on him and exacerbates the situation. As the child continues to act out, the father sees that this is going to make him look bad.

[Show spoiler](Your bastard child is acting like... a bastard).

So he does something that, while selfish, is completely in character with what has been established - he wants the kid out. Honestly it seemed like he was just waiting for the day he could leave his wife anyway.

[punisher]

I watched Gojira last night..the Original Japanese version is terrific..I then watched the American version Godzilla King Of Monsters with Raymond Burr, also on the blu ray and i found it so awful to watch..now this was the only one I had ever seen since I was a kid and i loved it, but not after watching the original. If you have this disc and get a chance ,watch them back to back as i did and you will understand. I haven't watched any other supplements yet. Don't expect anything exceptional in the way of audio or video, just a good clean presentation.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by joie

Anyone know why there are Canadian releases for some Criterions? Are the subtitles in French? Do the bilingual laws of Canada require French and English?

I once ordered L.A. Confidential and when it arrived noticed that the cover was in French and English. It also had a CD, which isn't included on the U.S. version, but I sent it back to Amazon for the U.S. release, because I wasn't sure about what I had been sent.

Canada is region A, too, right?

Region A includes North and South America and most of southeast Asia joie.

As for Canadian versions of Criterion titles, during the DVD era we had some parallel Alliance Atlantis clones of Criterion titles specifically for the our market (Chasing Amy, Traffic etc.). But all Criterions sold in Canada now are imports from the U.S., including every Blu-ray to date.

Interesting bit of trivia: on Amazon.ca many Criterion releases are flagged "Not Available in Quebec", presumably because they lack French language tracks or sub-titles...or French stickers on the covers...or perhaps have not been passed by the Quebec Film board. I don't know why exactly, but it is kind of funny seeing whacks of these imported Region A titles excluded from an entire province. For mail-order sales, that makes no sense to me.

BTW, that early Blu-ray + CD Canadian release of L. A. Confidential happens to the most collectible version of this title, precisely because it includes Jerry Goldsmith's outstanding score on CD. A very special special edition.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by nmycon

Canada's laws do require French and English on packaging. I don't think a French audio track is a requirement, but I'm pretty sure all Canadian blu-ray releases have French subs.

I just picked up Videodrome the other day and there's no French anywhere on the box, which is nice. Just english audio and subtitles.

And yes, Region A includes Canada and the US as well as East & Southeast Asia

You beat me to this nmycon. But I thought those language laws applied only to storefront retail sales? I still don't understand how they can - or should - apply to mail order.

[zeroman987]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

So, I hadn't seen Thirst For Love, but I had some time tonight and this post gave me the push to finish the Kurahara set.
WOW! Talk about saving the best for last!
Like you say, it is difficult to describe, but the camera work and editing in this film was exciting and dramatic (even more so than in his other films). Also, the use of sound is fascinating; diegetic sounds suddenly becoming expressionistic as the main character's mental state changes.
Ruriko Asaoka is mesmerising and extraordinarily beautiful.
It's based on a Mishima novel, so I wonder if there are readily available translations of his work...
If anyone else is considering the Kurahara set at the next sale, I definitely recommend it

I can't agree enough with your assessment of Thirst for Love. I bought the set because I liked the Warped Ones/Black Sun. However, after watching all of the films in the set, I found that I liked Thirst for Love the best. I loved it so much that I bought a copy of Confessions of a Mask! (I believe that all of Mishima's books are translated and available in the US). I have to finish another book first (Maggie Cassidy), but it is next in my book list. If you want, I can report back with my thoughts on the book.

[Presence]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

There's so much about Canada we don't know or understand.

Right: the Ocean, Space...and Canada

the final frontiers.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

There's so much about Canada we don't know or understand.

We like to send Canada 'extra' versions/releases..... it keeps them from getting all hopped-up on syrup, and going on the offensive.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

We like to send Canada 'extra' versions/releases..... it keeps them from getting all hopped-up on syrup, and going on the offensive.

Maple syrup is so passé. These days, it's Timmy's in a syringe...or huffing 'well worn' hockey skates.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

I think he might mean stuff like Carlos, where there is a non-Criterion Canadian release in addition to the U.S. Criterion (both being Region A). It's just licensing for different territories in the same region. Seems redundant, but consider the multiple U.S. releases for titles like Dazed & Confused, Traffic, etc.

That's true Joe. The 160 minute 2.40:1 theatrical version of Carlos was available on Blu-ray here via Mongrel Media/Studio Canal several months prior to the Criterion release. Same thing with the Alliance Atlantis version of Antichrist. Off the top though, I can't think of any other parallel non-Criterion Canadian versions on Blu-ray, other than the same alts available in the U.S. (The Third Man, Dazed and Confused, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas etc.)