The Criterion Collection

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by The Bronx Bull

Question for folks: I *love* the new Badlands cover, which is released next week, but I've never seen the movie. The first glaring detail I noticed upon research was that its directed by Terrence Malick. The only movie I've seen of his is The Thin Red Line, and I have to say, I didn't like it very much - at least the style of it. I disliked it in the same manner that I dislike all Wes Anderson movies.

Will I like Badlands?

One thing not often mentioned about Badlands is the humor. Usually don't associate Malick with that word but some of the dialogue and narration will make you smile or even laugh. It's absurd humor but it fits the characters.

[RiFiFi1955]

Originally Posted by The Bronx Bull

Question for folks: I *love* the new Badlands cover, which is released next week, but I've never seen the movie. The first glaring detail I noticed upon research was that its directed by Terrence Malick. The only movie I've seen of his is The Thin Red Line, and I have to say, I didn't like it very much - at least the style of it. I disliked it in the same manner that I dislike all Wes Anderson movies.

Will I like Badlands?

I personally love Badlands but I would recommend checking it out if you can instead of blind buying. Like the other user said it is Malicks most mainstream but it is still Malick. If you had said you loved The Thin Red Line I would have said don't even hesitate and pick it up. You may really like it though so I definitely recommend checking it out one way or another.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by The Bronx Bull

Question for folks: I *love* the new Badlands cover, which is released next week, but I've never seen the movie. The first glaring detail I noticed upon research was that its directed by Terrence Malick. The only movie I've seen of his is The Thin Red Line, and I have to say, I didn't like it very much - at least the style of it. I disliked it in the same manner that I dislike all Wes Anderson movies.

Will I like Badlands?

Maybe.

It's his most straight-forward narrative. It has a sense of humor to it that is absent in the rest of his pictures. It does take use of voiceover, but it's not used in the same way that is found in his post-Days of Heaven work.

It's my least favorite Malick.

[brandon_260]

Originally Posted by The Bronx Bull

Question for folks: I *love* the new Badlands cover, which is released next week, but I've never seen the movie. The first glaring detail I noticed upon research was that its directed by Terrence Malick. The only movie I've seen of his is The Thin Red Line, and I have to say, I didn't like it very much - at least the style of it. I disliked it in the same manner that I dislike all Wes Anderson movies.

Will I like Badlands?

How do you dislike The Thin Red Line and Wes Anderson films in the same manner? I don't see any parallels at all.

[The Bronx Bull]

They're just too.... "out there" for me, and I consider them to be similar in that regard. I watched Thin Red Line twice: once with my WWII Pacific veteran grandfather, who said it was the worst movie he's ever seen, and once alone, where I didn't quite comprehend the film, albeit the second watching. I get that it was supposed to be "poetic" and all, but it just didn't do it for me.

As for Wes Anderson, as far as I know, you either love him or you hate him. I watched "Life Aquatic" at a friends house with a bunch of people and didn't laugh once. I also saw Royal Tennenbaums, and really found nothing redeeming about it. It just seems to me like these movies appeal to a different crowd, which I don't seem to be a part of.

Which is fine, though, we all have different tastes. Being that most people these days refuse to watch any film older than 1990 and anything not in color, I consider myself at least somewhat experienced in that I've watched a countless amount of Criterions, and enjoy almost all of them.

[ParticleDan]

I just received Pina from Criterion's Flash Sale. I've never seen it before, so I guess you could say I just bought it on a Wim.

[octagon]

:rimshot:

[Abdrewes]

Bronx Bull, I see you have an open mind as you've seen it twice. Id put in my two cents, but other writers have expressed its virtues more eloquently than i ever could so, I suggest reading this essay on Thin Red Line:

http://www.criterion.com/current/pos...de-of-paradise

And also, if you don't mind something more long winded:
http://www.jonathanrosenbaum.com/?p=6509

[RiFiFi1955]

Originally Posted by The Bronx Bull

As for Wes Anderson, as far as I know, you either love him or you hate him. I watched "Life Aquatic" at a friends house with a bunch of people and didn't laugh once. I also saw Royal Tennenbaums, and really found nothing redeeming about it. It just seems to me like these movies appeal to a different crowd, which I don't seem to be a part of.

I am not a part of the crowd either so I know where you are coming from. We all have different tastes but I think humor can be one of the most subjective qualities of all.

[brandon_260]

I watched the first two episodes of the Fanny and Alexander miniseries today. I would love to be able to sit and watch the whole things from start to finish, but I've got such a terrible attention, unless I'm watching in the cinema and have no access to anything that can distract me. I feel watching it this way will let me digest the film better though. I only got started on Bergman's filmography mid-February, but of the seven films I've watched, I have a feeling I've found another director I can put up there with Malick, Cronenberg, 60's Godard, and PTA as an all-time favorite (side note: that list is far too reliant on English language directors.)

I think I'm going to throw on The Blob to finish the night.

[RandyK]

So the Frys sale is still going? Anyone have a link to the info so I can show to an employee just in case they don't know what's going on? I can't find anything on their website.

[The Great Owl]

I just finished watching Wings of Desire, and am really glad that I upgraded this one. Another Criterion Blu-ray home run.

Nick Cave's performance of "From Here to Eternity", and the performance by Crime And The City Solution are both worth the price of admission on their own, but this movie also happens to be such a wonderful story.

I love the sheer joy that Peter Falk puts into his performance. It's such a cinematic ray of sunshine.
The library scenes are amazing, as care the scenes with the elderly man reminiscing as he walks through the cityscape.

I do not find this film boring at all. Far from it.

I'm now going to chase this down by watching Amelie.

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

I watched the first two episodes of the Fanny and Alexander miniseries today. I would love to be able to sit and watch the whole things from start to finish, but I've got such a terrible attention, unless I'm watching in the cinema and have no access to anything that can distract me. I feel watching it this way will let me digest the film better though. I only got started on Bergman's filmography mid-February, but of the seven films I've watched, I have a feeling I've found another director I can put up there with Malick, Cronenberg, 60's Godard, and PTA as an all-time favorite (side note: that list is far too reliant on English language directors.)

I think I'm going to throw on The Blob to finish the night.

Bergman is one of the great international directors. Any other Bergman film you plan to watch after Fanny and Alexander?

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I just finished watching Wings of Desire, and am really glad that I upgraded this one. Another Criterion Blu-ray home run.

Nick Cave's performance of "From Here to Eternity", and the performance by Crime And The City Solution are both worth the price of admission on their own, but this movie also happens to be such a wonderful story.

I love the sheer joy that Peter Falk puts into his performance. It's such a cinematic ray of sunshine.
The library scenes are amazing, as care the scenes with the elderly man reminiscing as he walks through the cityscape.

I do not find this film boring at all. Far from it.

I'm now going to chase this down by watching Amelie.

Nick Cave is another underrated musician. Murder Ballads is awesome. He just released his new album not to long ago. His film scores, scripts and songs are also great, for example The Proposition

[rkish]

Originally Posted by retablo

Wenders is a very lyrical director... in similar ways to Terrence Malick IMO. His films are, in a way. more like poems than straight plot-to-plot narratives. They take the time to see the beauty all around, and let the characters see this beauty, too. Check out Beyond the Clouds, the film he made with Antonioni. There's a shot in that film with characters sitting on swings at a beach, with the wind just blowing sand across the surface... it has nothing to do with plot, but it's a beautiful moment.

All this talk of Wenders makes me want The American Friend and Million Dollar Hotel on blu.

Agreed on The American Friend! I rented it from Netflix a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I hope it is included in the alluded to Wenders boxset.

Wings of Desire is an acquired taste and it took a couple of viewings for me to really appreciate it. Paris Texas really hit a chord with me and few films have affected me that much, especially on just one viewing.

I've never seen Million Dollar Hotel...without spoiling it, what can you tell me about it?

[joie]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Nick Cave's performance of "From Here to Eternity", ... .

Sacrilege! it's From HER to Eternity!

"I hear her footsteps ... ." -- Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.

Add: He's singing the role of a guy living next door to a girl. He can hear what she's doing in her apartment. It might be frustrating, like putting polar bears next to seals, which I once saw done at Fleishacker Zoo.

[AgentOrange]

Originally Posted by RiFiFi1955

I am not a part of the crowd either so I know where you are coming from. We all have different tastes but I think humor can be one of the most subjective qualities of all.

I've always loved Rushmore and Royal Tenenbaums. They are just a "different" type of humor. Never the laugh out loud variety, but they always put a smile on my face watching them (moreso Rushmore with humor, with Tenenbaums I get multiple layers beyond just "quirky humor" - though Tenenbaums is also by far my favorite of his work).

Moonrise Kingdom was "OK" as well. I've only seen it in theaters once, haven't yet gone for repeat viewings on blu-ray but I'm pretty sure it will stay well behind Rushmore and Tenenbaums for me.

The rest of his films do nothing for me at all. Bottle Rocket is excellent for a debut, my understanding is he basically did that fresh out of college? It's actually pretty amazing in those circumstances vs. apples to apples comparisons. However watching it now bores me out of my mind, other than the "low budget indy" aspect of it - I just wouldn't really care to rewatch it again (saw it recently and it was PAINFUL just to get through it again). Djarjeeling Limited was probably my least favorite, even worse than his first film. I think there was a turning point after Royal Tenenbaums, and I can see why "hipsters" now disparage what he does. They just aren't cool anymore. Additionally it seems like his films all have the same "vibe" to them - if that makes any sense. His style is sort of tired because he basically repeats it in every single film he does.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by joie

Sacrilege! it's From HER to Eternity!

"I hear her footsteps ... ." -- Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.

Add: He's singing the role of a guy living next door to a girl. He can hear what she's doing in her apartment. It might be frustrating, like putting polar bears next to seals, which I once saw done at Fleishacker Zoo.

Argh. The perils of posting from an iPhone. Good catch!

Nick Cave has always been pretty amazing. His work on the John Hillcoat movies really is something else.

I also have a soft spot for his song with Kylie Minogue.

I need to shake the dust off my old copy of the soundtrack to Until the End of the World, also directed by Wenders. I never saw the movie, but I love the soundtrack.

[*PREACHER*]

Originally Posted by Randyman94

So the Frys sale is still going? Anyone have a link to the info so I can show to an employee just in case they don't know what's going on? I can't find anything on their website.

I'd like to know this as well...I have The Blob and Ministry of Fear in my cart, but want verification that it's still going to take the 50% off of one at checkout. Anyone?

[brandon_260]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Bergman is one of the great international directors. Any other Bergman film you plan to watch after Fanny and Alexander?

I'd really like to tackle the television version of Scenes from a Marriage. Any recommendations on where to go next? My favorite Bergman films are The Silence and Persona.