The Criterion Collection

[pro-bassoonist]

The Devil's Backbone Blu-ray REVIEW

[RandyK]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

The Devil's Backbone Blu-ray REVIEW

[Show spoiler]

Nice review Pro-B but I have to point one mistake. The bolded part of this passage:

[Show spoiler]While trying to find out exactly what happened to Santi, Carlos frequently irritates Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega, Novo, Open Your Eyes), who works and lives in the orphanage together with his fiancee Conchita (Irene Visedom, The Lost Steps). Jacinto and a few of his friends plan to steal the gold which the headmistress, Carmen (Marisa Paredes, All About My Mother, The Skin I Live In), and her husband, Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi, Cronos, Men With Guns), have collected to help the Republican cause.

Dr. Casares is not Carmen's husband. It was said that her husband had died and left her the orphanage.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by Randyman94

Nice review Pro-B but I have to point one mistake.

Thank you for the note, Randy. You are correct

Pro-B

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Whatever credence I have as a lifelong painter/sketch artist, there is really no commonality in the visual approach. The cinematographic component is the very first thing I notice in films too.

One of the things that struck me yesterday when I was watching The Double Life of Veronique was that the low-key conversation that Weronika was having with her lover early in the film made me think of the hotel room sequence with Butch and Fabienne in Pulp Fiction. The scenes have similar tone and the visuals are alike, although it's probably due just as much to the way that the characters carry themselves than it is to specific color choices. Of course, I already knew from previous reads that Tarantino warmed up to the performance of Irene Jacob in the movie and wanted her for the Fabienne role, so I was geared to compare the two films in my mind.

When I'm reviewing movies, I'm fond of comparing the respective movie to other movies that I was reminded of while watching that movie. In my Skyfall review, for instance, I wrote that the character foils of James Bond and Silva reminded me of the character foil between the policeman and the criminal in Akira Kurosawa's Stray Dog, where one character adheres to his values despite the circumstances while the other character allows circumstances to shape his value system. I have know clue whatsoever if the filmmakers of Skyfall had even heard of Stray Dog, but my viewer response to Skyfall was that it reminded me of Stray Dog.

I admittedly made a misstep in my review of The Double Life of Veronique by implying that the Pulp Fiction influence was a concrete fact instead of simply comparing the similarities between the films according to my own perceptions. No harm, no foul, although I'm still convinced that The Double Life of Veronique was a notable influence on Pulp Fiction.

Anyway, if anyone is dissatisfied with my review, then let me know, and I won't charge you for my next review.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

The Devil's Backbone Blu-ray REVIEW

[Show spoiler]

Thank you!

I would love to see Victor Erice's The Spirit of the Beehive upgraded to Blu-ray someday. Your review got me thinking about it.

[Abdrewes]

Owl, I hope you didn't miss this post:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...ostcount=78815

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Owl, I hope you didn't miss this post:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...ostcount=78815

I got a good chuckle out of that earlier. Hey, those scenes do look alike.

Don't get me started on the obvious influence of The Double Life of Veronique on Seth Gordon's 2013 film, Identity Thief. This story of Jason Bateman slowly realizing, after a series of strange events, that he has a double in the form of Melissa McCarthy, is a loose interpretation of the Kieslowski film, but the common threads are readily apparent if you watch the films back to back.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I got a good chuckle out of that earlier. Hey, those scenes do look alike.

Don't get me started on the obvious influence of The Double Life of Veronique on Seth Gordon's 2013 film, Identity Thief. This story of Jason Bateman slowly realizing, after a series of strange events, that he has a double in the form of Melissa McCarthy, is a loose interpretation of the Kieslowski film, but the common threads are readily apparent if you watch the films back to back.

A while back blurayfangirl mentioned that she read Femme Fatale as DePalma's Double Life of Veronique

I think she may be on to something.

[Namuhana]

I hope to get to Barnes & Noble tomorrow to pick up The Devil's Backbone while it's still half off. I have it pre-ordered on Amazon, but I hate having to wait until, at the earliest, next Friday to get it in the mail (I kinda want it right now, haha; and $20 is still a great deal). I've used gift cards on my pre-order, so I'm technically getting it for free, but I could use that money on some other pre-orders, too (From Up on Poppy Hill, and the Rossellini/Bergman box set, which I luckily pre-ordered when it was $55.99, and now have it down to $35.97 because of gift cards). Good idea?

And are there any pictures of inside the booklet for The Devil's Backbone? I'd love to see that.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

A while back blurayfangirl mentioned that she read Femme Fatale as DePalma's Double Life of Veronique

I think she may be on to something.

No matter how hard Brian De Palma tries, he won't be in the parking lot, let alone the ballpark of Krzysztof Kieslowski.

[Xtempo]

sorta of Criterion related I found Brazil OST at a goodwill. It seems to be from the studio cut because it in the booklet it talks about the love conquers all happy ending.

I got and can upload pictures if anybody wants them.

[DkKic]

I could use some help picking out a few more movies to buy. Pick 5 from the list or The Samurai Trilogy and 3 others. Thanks!!!

The Samurai Trilogy
Band of Outsiders
The Red Shoes
Wild Strawberries
Crumb
Cul-de-sac
Summer with Monika
Mystery Train
Something Wild
The Phantom Carriage
Hunger

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by DkKic

I could use some help picking out a few more movies to buy. Pick 5 from the list or The Samurai Trilogy and 3 others. Thanks!!!

The Samurai Trilogy
Band of Outsiders
The Red Shoes
Wild Strawberries
Crumb
Cul-de-sac
Summer with Monika
Mystery Train
Something Wild
The Phantom Carriage
Hunger

I admittedly have not seen The Red Shoes, but I've thoroughly enjoyed the two Powell/Pressburger films that I've seen, and I love the visual style in their movies.
I also admittedly have not seen Summer with Monika, but I love the Ingmar Bergman movies that I have seen, and Summer with Monika has one of the best covers in the Collection.

I've seen the other three, and they're all spot-on amazing.

[DkKic]

Yeah I have recently watched Black Narcissus and TLADOCB and loved them both so I was definatly leaning toward The Red Shoes

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by Namuhana

I hope to get to Barnes & Noble tomorrow to pick up The Devil's Backbone while it's still half off.

In the event they don't have it on the shelf (July 30th street), you can always order from B&N.com (I know abt coups & picking your copy). I pre-ordered and

[Show spoiler]got mine yesterday

.

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by DkKic

Yeah I have recently watched Black Narcissus and TLADOCB and loved them both so I was definatly leaning toward The Red Shoes

I'll second Great Owl's recommendations, and note that THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE and MYSTERY TRAIN would be great first alternates to any of them. The only one I haven't seen (and don't already own) on your list is HUNGER.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by DkKic

I could use some help picking out a few more movies to buy. Pick 5 from the list or The Samurai Trilogy and 3 others. Thanks!!!

The Samurai Trilogy
Band of Outsiders
The Red Shoes
Wild Strawberries
Crumb
Cul-de-sac
Summer with Monika
Mystery Train
Something Wild
The Phantom Carriage
Hunger

These.

[deepbreathsanddeath]

Really pleased with the review for The Devil's Backbone. As an owner of the UK blu-ray, I can't tell you how much better the criterion release looks just from the screenshots. The UK blu-ray was pretty much just an upscale with nicer colours. The criterion release looks "different" somehow. In the best way possible. Boy, what a difference a proper restoration can make.

[The Bronx Bull]

I just got done with Paris, Texas... and man, just when I think I've got the movie pegged for an ending with closure,

[Show spoiler]Travis leaves Houston alone, leaving his wife and son behind.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, but this ones going to be weighing on me for the next few days.

[ccg1978]

Just watched Traffic. Superb flick. Amazing acting. This is a Criterion that needs to be talked about more.