The Criterion Collection

[The Great Owl]

I just watched my Blu-ray of Andrey Tarkovskiy's Solaris.

I've watched my old Criterion DVD several times, but this was my first time seeing the movie on Blu. The shortcomings of the source material are apparent, but I think that Criterion did a marvelous job with the restoration after what they probably had to work with.

Solaris is one of the most unsettling movies that I have ever seen, and it continues to disrupt my interpretations with each subsequent viewing. The movie begs to question whether we truly know the people around us or simply think that we know the people around us based on the ideas that we form of these people. The police philosophy of everyone being an unreliable witness is brought to surface by way of a science fiction story. The movie is probably all the more vital to our current day and age, with interactions of others on forums and Facebook when we may or may not actually know these people.

Every time I watch Solaris, I'm like the kid in Gary Larson's The Far Side who asks, "May I be excused, Professor? My brain is full."
(That's a compliment to the movie.)

[ElliesDad]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I happened to watch my Blu-rays of The Tree of Life and Ridley Scott's Blade Runner over the past two weeks. When I watched Rutger Hauer's character musing about how, upon his death, all his memories would disappear "like tears in the rain", I thought about The Tree of Life. Malick's movie, for me, drives home a point that, in a way, each person creates a complete universe in his or her psyche. When an individual person dies, therefore, an entire universe is destroyed.

What a lovely and quite remarkable thought! Don't think I've heard it expressed quite that way before. The Rutger Hauer scene has always been one of the most affecting and memorable scenes out there...

Originally Posted by IronWaffle

Thanks for this thoughtful post. Almost everything you cite is among what has drawn me back to this film.

[Show spoiler]
While the depiction of childhood has little parallel to my own, there is an indelible truth in its portrayal. I believe it, recognize it and despite the differences I relate to it.

Elements of the father echo my own father, but more in circumstance than in behavior. Once again, the verisimilitude of the performance, production design and the synthesis of Malick's vision and execution by his team allowed me to intuitively relate to something somewhat alien to me.

The only place he lost me was in the ending, which has left me cold each time. It could be that my own religious upbringing and perspectives are a barrier. This doesn't detract from the film, though, rather drawing me back to it as I chip away at that barrier.

I suspect this film is one that will continue to evolve in my eyes as the years pass.

The power of Malik! There are only a limited number of films that have the poetic depth worthy of that kind of compliment!

[Jr7936]

just got the german deluxe release of pina without the subs, does anyone know if it will most likely be the same transfer as the criterion release

[Monty70]

Originally Posted by cinemach

lynch is certainly one of the most important directors alive right now, especially in terms of american directors.

+1

[Monty70]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Just watched The Killing. What a great film!

I love film-noirs even more after seeing this.

Glad you enjoyed it, now see Kiss Me Deadly. (if you haven't already)

KMD is probably my favorite noir. Criterion gave the film a worthy blu-ray release that should be in any noir fan's HD library.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Monty70

Glad you enjoyed it, now see Kiss Me Deadly. (if you haven't already)

KMD is probably my favorite noir. Criterion gave the film a worthy blu-ray release that should be in any noir fan's HD library.

Not yet! I do own it though and I pulled it out from my collection to watch a few minutes ago.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I happened to watch my Blu-rays of The Tree of Life and Ridley Scott's Blade Runner over the past two weeks.

When I watched Rutger Hauer's character musing about how, upon his death, all his memories would disappear "like tears in the rain", I thought about The Tree of Life. Malick's movie, for me, drives home a point that, in a way, each person creates a complete universe in his or her psyche. When an individual person dies, therefore, an entire universe is destroyed.

The "tears in the rain scene" is one of my favorite Scenes of all time. I have a profound reaction each and every time, in those brief moments I feel the fragility of life and the expanse of the universe. Maaaaannn

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by housedog

After the announced March titles, is there any idea when the next wave of films will be released

April. Those will be announced next week.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Not yet! I do own it though and I pulled it out from my collection to watch a few minutes ago.

I'm glad you're actually watching them---it's promoting some rare actual discussion about films they've already released.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I saw Flight at the theater on the encouragement of several friends, and on the recommendations of several critics whom I hold in esteem. I found Flight to be a pleasing, but pedestrian movie that played out like an after-school special. The ending seemed quite contrived. The movie also had the most obtrusively heavy-handed use of a music soundtrack that I have ever seen, even for a Robert Zemekis flick.

Denzel Washington is a great actor, but I prefer his fun throwaway action movies where he has settled into a present-day Harrison Ford or Chuck Norris.

Flight has an ending which rivals the idiocy of Guinevere's. A decent flick stumbles into irrelevance in it's last ten minutes.

[paul000]

Originally Posted by Cinemach

Lynch is certainly one of the most important directors alive right now, especially in terms of American directors. I don't really know how you could dispute that. His influence has been palpable and he's had worldwide acclaim. Come on, we know better than to bring box office as the sole arbiter of this.

Agreed.

[wcrouse]

Originally Posted by the sordid sentinel

Need a little help from those who received the corrected Thee Colors White disc. I mailed mine in December and it was received at the Criterion HQ on 12/20. I have yet to receive my replacement. Does the process take this long? I e-mailed Mulvaney last Fri. about this, but no response so far. Is he usually slow about answering help questions?

I can only relate my own experience. On Dec. 13 I mailed in my Carlos disk two, and on Dec. 21 I received the corrected Second Printing in the mail. I found this pretty amazing. Never got a response to my accompanying email, but last week I received a ten dollar certificate from Criterion for my trouble. Your exchange probably got caught in the holiday week / new year downtime at their offices.

[paul000]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I saw Flight at the theater on the encouragement of several friends, and on the recommendations of several critics whom I hold in esteem. I found Flight to be a pleasing, but pedestrian movie that played out like an after-school special. The ending seemed quite contrived. The movie also had the most obtrusively heavy-handed use of a music soundtrack that I have ever seen, even for a Robert Zemekis flick.

Denzel Washington is a great actor, but I prefer his fun throwaway action movies where he has settled into a present-day Harrison Ford or Chuck Norris.

This one actually surprised me because I was certain it would be even shittier. I saw this and Argo (not necessarily by preference) over one weekend and Flight was the more interesting film in my opinion. This is going to derail the thread even more, but Argo's pacing and the way it couldn't decide whether to be a comedy or have something meaningful to say that was sitting right THERE ruined it for me.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by paul000

This one actually surprised me because I was certain it would be even shittier. I saw this and Argo (not necessarily by preference) over one weekend and Flight was the more interesting film in my opinion. This is going to derail the thread even more, but Argo's pacing and the way it couldn't decide whether to be a comedy or have something meaningful to say that was sitting right THERE ruined it for me.

I see your thread derail and I'll raise you...

I have read incredibly glowing reviews of Argo, and several friends have enthusiastically recommended the movie.
For the life of me, though, I just cannot get excited about Argo at all. I am not feeling the need to see this movie in the slightest.

I have the utmost respect for Ben Affleck as a film director, because I thoroughly enjoyed Gone Baby Gone and The Town. I am also intrigued about the true story from which Argo is based.
When it comes to seeing Argo at the theater or renting/purchasing it on Blu, though, I'm just...not feeling it.

[buffetfroid]

Originally Posted by joie

A Panorama of American Film Noir, with an introduction by James Naremore, translated from the French of Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton by Paul Hammond -- City Lights Books, ISBN 9780872864122.

Naremore's own More Than Night is one of my favorites.

[brandon_260]

What's wrong with the Three Colors White disc? I just bought the set but haven't watched my copies yet.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Monty70

Glad you enjoyed it, now see Kiss Me Deadly. (if you haven't already)

KMD is probably my favorite noir. Criterion gave the film a worthy blu-ray release that should be in any noir fan's HD library.

Stuff like The Asphalt Jungle and Out of the Past grabbed me almost from the first scenes. When I first saw Kiss Me Deadly however many years ago I thought 'yeah, okay, that was pretty decent' but that was about it. Even after the first BD viewing I didn't really warm up to it.

It's really started to grow on me though. It's still not one of my favorite noir (though that's nothing to be ashamed of given some of the stuff it's up against) but there's definitely a lot more there than I initially thought.

It's also now very solidly in that almost 'comfort food' zone of films I can just sink into when I'm not really sure what I want to watch.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by octagon

Stuff like The Asphalt Jungle and Out of the Past grabbed me almost from the first scenes. When I first saw Kiss Me Deadly however many years ago I thought 'yeah, okay, that was pretty decent' but that was about it. Even after the first BD viewing I didn't really warm up to it.

It's really started to grow on me though. It's still not one of my favorite noir (though that's nothing to be ashamed of given some of the stuff it's up against) but there's definitely a lot more there than I initially thought.

It's also now very solidly in that almost 'comfort food' zone of films I can just sink into when I'm not really sure what I want to watch.

Interesting way to describe pretty much all of Aldrich's films. The reason he is one of my favorite directors, in fact, because he could effortlessly cross genres from one film to the next, and do it extremely well.......noir, thriller, psychological horror, westerns, dramas, war, action, comedy. Amazingly talented director.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by dag

oildude, I frequently enjoy your comments on this board. If you're ever in Toronto, PM me. I'll buy you a beer, and we can talk about movies.

Ha ha. Will do, mate. Although I am not sure when I will make it up your way.

I have made many trips to Canada, but all of them have been in Alberta and BC. Maybe one day I will get to the east. I want to see Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes.

I have seen many incredible pictures of the Maritime Provinces over the years, and once looked into attending grad school in Halifax. It has been a dream of mine to visit Nova Scotia, maybe BG will buy me a beer too if I make it up that way.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by octagon

Stuff like The Asphalt Jungle and Out of the Past grabbed me almost from the first scenes. When I first saw Kiss Me Deadly however many years ago I thought 'yeah, okay, that was pretty decent' but that was about it. Even after the first BD viewing I didn't really warm up to it.

It's really started to grow on me though. It's still not one of my favorite noir (though that's nothing to be ashamed of given some of the stuff it's up against) but there's definitely a lot more there than I initially thought.

It's also now very solidly in that almost 'comfort food' zone of films I can just sink into when I'm not really sure what I want to watch.

Yeah, considering it's a B-Noir, it's terrific fun. It doesn't stack up against Double Indemnity, In a Lonely Place or even Lady from Shanghai, but then again, what can?