The Criterion Collection

[exolstice]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Boo. At least you liked two pretty stand out films. A Christmas Tale and Rare Exports should be talked about more in regards to seasonal films.

Loved Rare Exports.

[Simple Lines]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

If you go to Criterion's blu-ray page and change your browser to "no page style" you'll get their blu tally:


Akira Kurosawa - 7
Ingmar Bergman - 6
Charles Chaplin - 4
D. A. Pennebaker - 4
Jean-Luc Godard - 4
Louis Malle - 4
Steven Soderbergh - 4
Wes Anderson - 4
Alfred Hitchcock - 3
Chris Hegedus - 3
Emeric Pressburger - 3
Jean-Pierre Dardenne - 3
Jean-Pierre Melville - 3
Luc Dardenne - 3
Michael Powell - 3

Nicolas Roeg - 3
Roman Polanski - 3
Terrence Malick - 3
Wim Wenders - 3

and many more...

For Firefox users:

1. Press Alt
2. Select View, then change Page Style to No Style

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by exolstice

Loved Rare Exports.

I saw it on Thanksgiving and boy did it ever put me in the Christmas mood. The people I watched it with were a bit befuddled.

[Darkcritic]

Originally Posted by retablo

Yet what an odd 6. We have 2 of his undisputed masterworks - Seventh Seal and Fanny & Alexander; his major comedy that turned out to be his breakthrough film, Smiles of a Summer Night; and 3 arguably lesser works. But no Wild Strawberries, Persona (owned by MGM, just saying), the faith trilogy (Through A Glass Darkly, Winter Light, The Silence), Cries & Whispers, Autumn Sonata... I'm happy to have 6, it's just an odd 6.

Persona would make a great addition to their Bergman. Wild Strawberries is probably the next one of his films. The DVD is listed as OOP now and we know this was coming for quite some time. I think April is a pretty sure bet.

In other news, the same site (Mike's Movie Mayhem, which is pretty reliable from what I have seen) also placed Viridiana as discontinued . Only time will tell but I HOPE this is coming. I hope to see it in the New Year's Hint we will get in two weeks. This would make my year.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by doowopman

So I finally got a chance to watch my Criterion BD of Paris, Texas. Probably one of the most quietly beautiful films I've ever watched. I actually liked this a little better than Wings of Desire. Harry Dean Stanton really laid his heart out for that role.

The landscape photography throughout was ridiculously beautiful and Ry Cooder's score sounded better than ever.

As usual, Criterion did a bang-up job with this release. Stacked with awesome extras (which I'm still going through). And the transfer is really good, IMO.

That Ry Cooder score for Paris, Texas is iconic. I had it on CD long before I ever saw the movie. PT gets lots of positive discussion and recommendations here, but rarely does anyone mention the incredible music. I wonder how many other people have, like me, used the music as their gateway to the film.

[RiFiFi1955]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Ozu boring . You have lost all credibility. Floating Weeds and Tokyo Story are masterpieces. I have watch those movies 8 years ago and still remember them clearly how beautiful and full of emotion they are. I would like to see those movies out soon.

Eureka just released Floating Weeds on Dec. 3rd.

[oildude]

Thinking about Paris, Texas reminds me of another film that could walk along beside Wim Wender’s masterpiece, almost a companion film in many ways, and every bit as good - Bruce Beresford's Tender Mercies. I first saw Tender Mercies while surfing movie channels in the early 1990s; it had just started so I decided to watch. It sucked me right in, much the same way Paris, Texas did when I first saw it. Beautiful cinematography, an outstanding screenplay by Horton Foote, memorable music - an absolutely wonderfully moving little film.

Like Paris, Texas, Tender Mercies is a heartfelt and ruggedly truthful piece of Americana directed by a foreigner. At the time, Bruce Beresford was one of the pioneers of the Australian New Wave whose previous credits included the masterful Breaker Morant. Beresford, like his fellow countryman Peter Weir, was just breaking into the U.S. in the early 1980s and chose to direct Foote's screenplay after it had been repeatedly rejected by others. He felt an immediate familiarity with its rural Texas setting and characters; I once saw an interview with him where he mentions that north Texas reminded him of the Outback in his native Australia and he wanted to bring to the film that same respect and love he felt for the bush country and its inhabitants.

Robert Duvall won his only Best Actor Oscar for his role as Mac Sledge, a washed up, alcoholic country music singer who finds redemption, love, and the strength to endure personal triumphs and tragedies through the love of a widow and her young son. Tess Harper and Wilford Brimley also star. Tender Mercies is what I would call a quiet film, filled with raw emotion that winds its way through music and themes that are universal beyond the lives of the characters, the honky-tonk dance halls, the small towns, and the isolating loneliness of the Great Plains. It feels authentic to its subjects better than just about any film I have ever seen.

I highly recommend this film to anyone who has not seen it. I think Universal holds the rights. I would love to see Criterion get this from them and release it on blu-ray; it just seems to naturally fit in the collection alongside Paris, Texas.

[*DrStrangelove*]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Ozu boring . You have lost all credibility. Floating Weeds and Tokyo Story are masterpieces. I have watch those movies 8 years ago and still remember them clearly how beautiful and full of emotion they are. I would like to see those movies out soon.

I was half joking. I've never actually seen an Ozu film. I always say I'm gonna pick up Late Spring but always end up getting something else.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by oildude

That Ry Cooder score for Paris, Texas is iconic. I had it on CD long before I ever saw the movie. PT gets lots of positive discussion and recommendations here, but rarely does anyone mention the incredible music. I wonder how many other people have, like me, used the music as their gateway to the film.

I did seek out the music from the film after watching it. I think it works so well that it's actually easy to overlook during the film... like just how perfectly the title track fits into that landscape of the first portion of the film...it's impossible to imagine that first scene in your mind without remembering the music over it as well. Very iconic indeed (and thanks for that recommendation, I'd never heard of that film).

[Akijama]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I would LOVE to see more Fellini on blu-ray. La Dolce Vita is at the top of my list once the rights are sorted out.

+1.

La Dolce Vita is an absolute must have! I Vitelloni upgrade would be terrific too. What a great movie!

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Akijama

I Vitelloni upgrade would be terrific too.

It would! I'd love to see it re-released, I saw it 5 or 6 years ago and practically forgot about it until reading that just now.

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

I was half joking. I've never actually seen an Ozu film. I always say I'm gonna pick up Late Spring but always end up getting something else.

I hope you will watch one of his films. I enjoy all of Kurosawa's films. The western viewers kind of ignore Ozu and Mizoguchi, who are great directors, because of their slower paced movies. I recommend Floating weeds as an introductory to Ozu's films. I really enjoy how he pauses in some scenes so audience can appreciate the simplicity of things. I am hoping to see Ugetsu released here in the states soon. UK fans luck out with eureka and bfi.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Ozu boring . You have lost all credibility. Floating Weeds and Tokyo Story are masterpieces. I have watch those movies 8 years ago and still remember them clearly how beautiful and full of emotion they are. I would like to see those movies out soon.

Just watched this over the weekend and it absolutely floored me. I've only seen two of his films (the other being Late Spring), but what I've seen so far has been remarkably impressive.

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Just watched this over the weekend and it absolutely floored me. I've only seen two of his films (the other being Late Spring), but what I've seen so far has been remarkably impressive.

Now I feel like rewatching Float Weeds this weekend. There are many great scenes in that movie, but the one burnt in my memory is when the main character is arguing with his mistress while it is raining.

I have seen almost all of Fellini's movies. I have to say my top 3 are: 8 1/2, La dolce vita, and Amarcord ( in that order). La strada a close fourth

[AgentOrange]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Just watched this over the weekend and it absolutely floored me. I've only seen two of his films (the other being Late Spring), but what I've seen so far has been remarkably impressive.

I have to admit, Late Spring I found extremely boring personally. Although I would still be keen on seeing more Ozu on blu-ray.

I have had the same thing happen with other so-called "master" directors. One of their "essential" films will do nothing at all for me, then I will give them another chance and my mind will be blown.

It happened with Fellini. I viewed 8 1/2 and could barely stand to finish it. Then I watched Nights of Cabiria.

With Bergman I actually watched multiple of his films trying to find one that actually lived up to the reputation. Then i watched Sawdust and Tinsel on TCM knowing nothing about it, and for whatever reason that is the one that is etched in my memory.

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by AgentOrange

I have to admit, Late Spring I found extremely boring personally. Although I would still be keen on seeing more Ozu on blu-ray.

I have had the same thing happen with other so-called "master" directors. One of their "essential" films will do nothing at all for me, then I will give them another chance and my mind will be blown.

It happened with Fellini. I viewed 8 1/2 and could barely stand to finish it. Then I watched Nights of Cabiria.

With Bergman I actually watched multiple of his films trying to find one that actually lived up to the reputation. Then i watched Sawdust and Tinsel on TCM knowing nothing about it, and for whatever reason that is the one that is etched in my memory.

From your preference of movies, I can see you are a realist. Those movies are the least surreal of their repertoire.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Now I feel like rewatching Float Weeds this weekend. There are many great scenes in that movie, but the one burnt in my memory is when the main character is arguing with his mistress while it is raining.

I have seen almost all of Fellini's movies. I have to say my top 3 are: 8 1/2, La dolce vita, and Amarcord ( in that order). La strada a close fourth

Oddly enough, the scene that keeps coming back to me days after watching it is the fishing scene between the father and the son. I'm not even sure why, really. It's just so quiet and peaceful.

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Oddly enough, the scene that keeps coming back to me days after watching it was the fishing scene between the father and the son. I'm not even sure why, really. It's just so quiet and peaceful.

I think that is a great description of his movies. Where most movies I remember the action of a scene, with Ozu it's an object or set piece. I think Wes Anderson tries to do the same thing to ascertain extent.

[ZooTv]

Have there been any new rumors regarding bringing some of David Lynch's films to Criterion (Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway, etc)? Considering importing a set from Germany, but would prefer to wait until a proper U.S. release.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

I think that is a great description of his movies. Where most movies I remember the action of a scene, with Ozu it's an object or set piece. I think Wes Anderson tries to do the same thing to ascertain extent.

Truth.

Going to check out another one of his films this week. Not sure what. I want to save Tokyo Story for a later time.