The Criterion Collection

[rkish]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Slightly OT: Anyone else getting Magical Mystery Tour?

I will likely get it at some point in the near future...I want to see how much Import CDs will be asking for it. Unless I pad an order at Amazon, I'll pay their shipping rates. It is an "OK" film, but the music is great and any chance for The Beatles or The Who music on BD in a 5.1 mix is a gimme for me.

[Yami]

Originally Posted by lim.davidd

recommend a Criterion Blu-Ray must have for me, but I already have and/or ordered these titles;

Yi Yi is fantastic

[venusiansky]

Just picked up The Killing at best buy. Can't wait to watch. I almost grabbed The Last Days of Disco and Dazed and Confused. Reading the back of the case, The Last Days of Disco seems like a story I would be interested in. Is it good? The copy of Dazed and Confused they had looked like it fell into a garbage disposal. I've watched D&C probably 20 times, so no rush. I also grabbed a couple cheap non-Criterions, Spinal Tap and Spaceballs.

The Killing is my first Criterion Blu-ray.

Oh, and Magical Mystery Tour...I'll probably jump on that. My favorite Beatles album.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

It's excellent! The first time I watched it, I didn't pay enough attention to it.. but once I bought the UK release, and gave it proper attention, I was impressed by it and it was one of my (many) favorites of the past year. It's not only well-made, but tells a very simple story that relies mainly on emotions, which is something other films dealing with the same issues rarely achieve. It doesn't set out to make any huge statements, but practically puts them aside, focusing on the human connection instead. Simply put, it's a very relevant film.

Yes indeed CoopFilm. And I think Weekend was a stronger film for finding something so universal in the very specific. Actually, this was an 'oh, what the h3ll choice for me' this weekend...it wasn't high on my list of must-see Criterions, but once I settled in with these characters, I thought it was a fascinating character study, and exceptionally well done.

At one point though, I almost turned on the subtitles...some of the murmured lines were a tough read.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Banned User

So far I've watched all the films and special features except for Brief Encounter.

The set really starts off with a bang with In Which We Serve. Right out of the gate its obvious David Lean has complete control in the editing room and on the set. Eisensteins' influence is easily seen here with the quick cuts and lengthy montages using the set, stock footage and footage shot on real ships all perfectly matched. The narration at the beginning states this film is about a ship and within a few minutes we see the ship built then sunk. The rest of the film is show in flashback sequences and delve into each of the soldiers lives and shows what they are fighting for. Unlike a lot of the propaganda films at the time it still holds up nicely. It is mostly drama with a little action mostly shown in montage.

This was one I admired more than liked Banned User. Actually, the flashbacks annoyed me regardless how well done...they just kept yanking me out of the more urgent current events. I guess I just have this thing about flashbacks in wartime and adventure movies...I prefer seeing character revealed via actions rather than words or pace-sabotaging flashbacks. This was still a very good movie, and I certainly understand why others might like it, but just not my cup of tea dramatically.

Originally Posted by Banned User

This Happy Breed follows a family through 2 decades. From the end of WW1 to the beginning of WW2. None of the war is shown or really spoke about in the movie though Lean shows just enough to give you historical context. The family moves in to a house at the beginning of the film and leaves at the end. Being a play the majority of the film happens in this house. This is another drama with some humor thrown in. It really kept my attention and so far I think I've enjoyed this film the most. Celia Johnson really shines here. What a great actress.

Now we're talking. Even when nothing much seemed to be happening it was charged with compelling subtext. I thought Johnson's work was even more impressive here than in Brief Encounter. This Happy Breed is my favourite Lean film in this set.

Originally Posted by Banned User

Blithe Spirit has some really great witty dialog and some pretty funny moments. Being a comedy though I really expected a lot more humor. Maybe it was my expectations and a second viewing will do the trick. Still its a good movie and Margaret Rutherford really steals the show with her eccentric Madame Arcati character. Its worth a viewing just for her. Many consider this the best film in the set next to Brief Encounter. I had a issue or two with some of the characters reactions to things that happen in the story, but I can't go into detail without spoiling the film.

I think you will find most people would disagree with my take on Blithe Spirit so take my impressions with a grain of salt.

Almost word-for-word my own reaction Banned User. Blithe Spirit was the first film in this set that I watched, and remains my biggest disappointment. I have no idea why they thought this subject would benefit from Technicolor either...somehow that just made the picayune character development even less convincing.

Originally Posted by Banned User

Hope that helps. Personally I think the set is great and look forward to revisiting some of these movies. The book with the set mentions these films and others of Leans' have been restored with money from the Lean foundation so one can hope Criterion will be releasing Great Expectations and Oliver Twist in the near future.

...not to overlook the comprehensive retrospective interviews, particularly with Ronald Neame, which were a candid and fascinating look at this particular period in British filmmaking.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Yes indeed CoopFilm. And I think Weekend was a stronger film for finding something so universal in the very specific. Actually, this was an 'oh, what the h3ll choice for me' this weekend...it wasn't high on my list of must-see Criterions, but once I settled in with these characters, I thought it was a fascinating character study, and exceptionally well done.

At one point though, I almost turned on the subtitles...some of the murmured lines were a tough read.

Glad you liked it. I just received it the other day and viewed it again. Watching the interviews, it was really interesting to me to learn about the misperceptions some people have towards the way such a relationship would work (especially about the sex scenes). I wasn't aware of the false impressions there are about gay relationships, and it made the film seem really pretty essential to me-- the way it breaks down conventions and stereotypes and, as you mentioned, turns into a universal story.

I could barely manage without the subtitles, myself. I really wouldn't blame anyone for having to use them for some scenes where it's really tough to understand the dialogue.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by oildude

The second film I watched this weekend was Topsy-Turvy. This may be one of the most pleasant surprises in the Criterion Collection. I don’t recall it getting any mention or discussion in this thread at all.

[Show spoiler] I had no idea what to expect going into it. I knew that it is directed by Mike Leigh, and told the story of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan’s struggles to recover from a disappointing run of their latest collaboration, Princess Ida, by coming up with something different that could not be said to be a repeat of themes they had done before. Their creation was The Mikado.

I think Topsy-Turvy is one of the most enjoyable and accessible films in the Criterion Collection. It is just plain fun to watch. Mike Leigh wrote the screenplay as well as directing the film, and the dialogue is brilliant. The sets are marvels of late-Victorian Britain, recreating the atmosphere of upper class London homes, restaurants, and theaters with painstaking detail. It was only after watching the film that I realized very little of it (if any) takes place outdoors. The interiors and costuming are rich, the dialogue is clever and filled with wit and humor, the characters from Gilbert and Sullivan to the actors in the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company are all superb.

While showing us a depiction of the workings of a Victorian theater, Topsy-Turvy gives us a tour of life, politics, sex, class, and a society undergoing change in the Victorian era. Historic events of the time are also included at the periphery, to give a global texture to the events portrayed - at one point in the film, news arrives of the loss of General Gordon at Khartoum to the Mahdi forces, and we see how this impacts the characters. Another references Jenny Churchill, who has a young gangly son named Winston (having read William Manchester’s book, The Last Lion, I appreciated this one). Marvels of modern technology are introduced, including a scene involving an early telephone in which characters must literally shout to be heard at the other end, to which Gilbert’s elderly father, who is suspicious of telephones as instruments destined to degrade the written word, observes that “you might as well open the window and yell whatever you have to say”.

Topsy-Turvy is a well done film that races by in its 2-1/2 hr run time. Filled with the spectacle of a costume drama about – well, costume dramas on stage set to music – it is colorful, cleverly written, and marvelously well acted. It has layers woven into the tapestry of its biographical portrayals that take a critical look at British society of another time, much as Naked did with the 1990s. I watched Naked a few months ago, and while I thought the film was quite good and I could see how it gets praised, and I understood the themes being explored, it was not among my favorites. Naked was my first Mike Leigh film. Adding Topsy-Turvy as the second now makes me want to explore his other films. Taken together, the two films have given me an appreciation for how brilliant the man is as a writer and director.

I posted some praise for Topsy-Turvy late last year or early this year oildude, but alas, no traction. I don't understand why either; this is still one of Criterion's finest Blu-ray releases. And not just for its AQ and PQ...the film itself even played better than it originally did. Time has been kind...

BTW, be sure to check out Leigh's short with Broadbent. Wonderful bonus...

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

Glad you liked it. I just received it the other day and viewed it again. Watching the interviews, it was really interesting to me to learn about the misperceptions some people have towards the way such a relationship would work (especially about the sex scenes). I wasn't aware of the false impressions there are about gay relationships, and it made the film seem really pretty essential to me-- the way it breaks down conventions and stereotypes and, as you mentioned, turns into a universal story.

After a very short time, almost immediately actually, Weekend was just about this relationship. Haigh did a fine job getting past all the socio-politico clutter that often accompanies any non-mainstream subject in an attempt to explain its context, instead trusting his audience to work it out for themselves. All of that stuff was still there in the POV of these characters and their behaviour...which somehow made the story even more dramatic...I mean

[Show spoiler]you could sense the internal hurdles these guys had to vault over to make any sense at all of their head-spinning encounter and its unexpected effect over such a brief span of time. And the ending wasn't an easy out

. I thought the performances were uniformly superb. Top notch AQ and PQ as well.

And if it seems like I'm in 'zombie post' mode today, I was actually going back over the thread looking for any discussion or comments about Lonesome, which was the other Criterion Blu-ray I watched this weekend*. Folks here have been anticipating this release for months, and I just couldn't believe so little has been said about it...heck, there isn't even a site review up yet???

My quick take on Lonesome is that this is a must-have Blu-ray for any silent movie fan...not only for the one-of-a-kind, almost experimental titular film, but all the background info on previously unknown (to me) Paul Fejos. This set even includes 2 of his other films, The Last Performance and Broadway. I was so enthralled, I watched the whole durn thing last night. Criterion rediscovery at its finest.

* Criterion's Weekend + TT's High Time + KINO's They Made Me a Fugitive + Olive's Private Hell 36 + Criterion's Lonesome all back-to-back...so top that for eclecticism!

[TJS_Blu]

Look out! Rock's taking over!

No more "Mr. Nice Guy" either!

Good to have your thoughts on Weekend, a title that wasn't a high priority when announced.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by TJS_Blu

Look out! Rock's taking over!

No more "Mr. Nice Guy" either!

Good to have your thoughts on Weekend, a title that wasn't a high priority when announced.

Just catching up TJS_Blu. But seriously, hasn't anyone else seen Lonesome yet?

[P@t_Mtl]

Completed the Alexander Korda set

The Private Life Of Don Juan (1934)

Overall I enjoyed this movie a lot more then I figured I would. Douglas Fairbanks play's a aging Don Juan returning to Seville after many years away. Still up to his old tricks he finaly learn a lesson about life and love by the end of the movie. The movie is pretyt good but the one thing that sort of did not work for me was Fairbanks. He did not seem to fit the role very well. He was also up to his usually stunts of climbing walls and such and he no longer had it in him to do it. The best example I can offer is like watching the direct to video movies of a fat and out of shape Steven Seagall now a days trying to be the guy he was back in the early 90's. It's pretty painfull to see The movie is well made and fun to watch even with this. The DVD is alright nothing amazing but it's clear and very easy to watch.

[RojD]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

I posted some praise for Topsy-Turvy late last year or early this year oildude, but alas, no traction. I don't understand why either; this is still one of Criterion's finest Blu-ray releases. And not just for its AQ and PQ...the film itself even played better than it originally did. Time has been kind...

BTW, be sure to check out Leigh's short with Broadbent. Wonderful bonus...

Oh yeah....I love this film. So much more here than color (tho that's pretty striking), antiques (tho the sets are impressive) and history (tho the complexity of Vic culture informs the whole film). I enjoyed watching the way the two very different men interacted and the way they interacted with the women in their lives. And is there a better dialog in a 1999 movie than the one toward the end of the film between Broadbent and Manville? It was so well done I didn't even know what I was watching 'til the second time through the film. Not to mention all the levels that the ending works on.

Topsy-Turvy doesn't blow you away with snap and flash like Tarantino or Japanese New Wave, but it's one of my most-often revisited Crit blu's. So there are at least two of us who love it.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

I posted some praise for Topsy-Turvy late last year or early this year oildude, but alas, no traction. I don't understand why either; this is still one of Criterion's finest Blu-ray releases. And not just for its AQ and PQ...the film itself even played better than it originally did. Time has been kind...

Guess I missed that, Rock. Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts on the film and to comment. Now that I have finally seen it, after letting it sit unwatched on my shelf for months, it has become one of my favorites. I'd rank it up there with Still Walking and a few others for sheer enjoyment. I rank it among the best films I have seen in terms of its brilliant dialogue and outstanding script, its terrific acting (especially from the two leads), and the way Leigh brings the world of late Victorian Britain, and Gilbert and Sullivan and the Savoy theater, to vivid life.

Originally Posted by RojD

Oh yeah....I love this film. So much more here than color (tho that's pretty striking), antiques (tho the sets are impressive) and history (tho the complexity of Vic culture informs the whole film). I enjoyed watching the way the two very different men interacted and the way they interacted with the women in their lives. And is there a better dialog in a 1999 movie than the one toward the end of the film between Broadbent and Manville? It was so well done I didn't even know what I was watching 'til the second time through the film. Not to mention all the levels that the ending works on.

Topsy-Turvy doesn't blow you away with snap and flash like Tarantino or Japanese New Wave, but it's one of my most-often revisited Crit blu's. So there are at least two of us who love it.

Make that three. Glad to hear from others who highly recommend this film. It really does deserve more attention and discussion here.

This is what I wrote earlier this month after watching it.

[Show spoiler]The second film I watched this weekend was Topsy-Turvy. This may be one of the most pleasant surprises in the Criterion Collection. I don’t recall it getting any mention or discussion in this thread at all. I had no idea what to expect going into it. I knew that it is directed by Mike Leigh, and told the story of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan’s struggles to recover from a disappointing run of their latest collaboration, Princess Ida, by coming up with something different that could not be said to be a repeat of themes they had done before. Their creation was The Mikado.

I think Topsy-Turvy is one of the most enjoyable and accessible films in the Criterion Collection. It is just plain fun to watch. Mike Leigh wrote the screenplay as well as directing the film, and the dialogue is brilliant. The sets are marvels of late-Victorian Britain, recreating the atmosphere of upper class London homes, restaurants, and theaters with painstaking detail. It was only after watching the film that I realized very little of it (if any) takes place outdoors. The interiors and costuming are rich, the dialogue is clever and filled with wit and humor, the characters from Gilbert and Sullivan to the actors in the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company are all superb.

While showing us a depiction of the workings of a Victorian theater, Topsy-Turvy gives us a tour of life, politics, sex, class, and a society undergoing change in the Victorian era. Historic events of the time are also included at the periphery, to give a global texture to the events portrayed - at one point in the film, news arrives of the loss of General Gordon at Khartoum to the Mahdi forces, and we see how this impacts the characters. Another references Jenny Churchill, who has a young gangly son named Winston (having read William Manchester’s book, The Last Lion, I appreciated this one). Marvels of modern technology are introduced, including a scene involving an early telephone in which characters must literally shout to be heard at the other end, to which Gilbert’s elderly father, who is suspicious of telephones as instruments destined to degrade the written word, observes that “you might as well open the window and yell whatever you have to say”.

Topsy-Turvy is a well done film that races by in its 2-1/2 hr run time. Filled with the spectacle of a costume drama about – well, costume dramas on stage set to music – it is colorful, cleverly written, and marvelously well acted. It has layers woven into the tapestry of its biographical portrayals that take a critical look at British society of another time, much as Naked did with the 1990s. I watched Naked a few months ago, and while I thought the film was quite good and I could see how it gets praised, and I understood the themes being explored, it was not among my favorites. Naked was my first Mike Leigh film. Adding Topsy-Turvy as the second now makes me want to explore his other films. Taken together, the two films have given me an appreciation for how brilliant the man is as a writer and director.

[easyblu]

Watched Mikio Naruse's Scattered Clouds on Hulu Plus recently. I would really like to see this on blu-ray. Not only because it was a good movie, but it was also a very beautiful movie. The only color film by Naruse I think.

[*DrStrangelove*]

Has it been mentioned that Criterion is releasing Brazil?

http://criterioncast.com/news/lee-kl...urce=pulsenews

[ShellOilJunior]

This past weekend I watched:

The Turin Horse
Apocalypse Now Redux

Guess which one felt longer?

The Turin Horse is one of the most demanding films I've seen. I'll give it a week or two then revisit. It's probably one of those films that is better on the second viewing. That said, there are some scenes from the film already seared into my consciousness.

[santasangria]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

Has it been mentioned that Criterion is releasing Brazil?

http://criterioncast.com/news/lee-kl...urce=pulsenews

Um, huge?!

[ShellOilJunior]

Sam's Myth ‏@SamsMyth
Just had a totally transcendent viewing of a film I'm working on w @Criterion. Truly my #1 dream assignment.

Sam's Myth ‏@SamsMyth
I first saw this film on a 14" tv in NYU's media library. I've seen it a dozen times since. Tonight was like seeing it for the first time.

My guess:

[Show spoiler]Olympia

[starman15317]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

Has it been mentioned that Criterion is releasing Brazil?

http://criterioncast.com/news/lee-kl...urce=pulsenews

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

My guess:

[Show spoiler]Olympia

Don't make me slap you in joy. I hope it's that.