The Criterion Collection

[danmovie]

What do think is the likelihood of these current Criterions getting a Blu-ray upgrade?

A Canterbury Tale (1944)
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)
Green for Danger (1946)
Hobson’s Choice (1954)
Night Train to Munich (1940)

These last three particularly concern me because they were released recently in the new cover design. Moreover, Hobson’s Choice and Night Train to Munich was released in February of 2009 and June of 2010, respectively, after Criterion began selling Blu-rays.

[thiago.cido]

Originally Posted by danmovie

What do think is the likelihood of these current Criterions getting a Blu-ray upgrade?

A Canterbury Tale (1944)
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)
Green for Danger (1946)
Hobson’s Choice (1954)
Night Train to Munich (1940)

These last three particularly concern me because they were released recently in the new cover design. Moreover, Hobson’s Choice and Night Train to Munich was released in February of 2009 and June of 2010, respectively, after Criterion began selling Blu-rays.

Mabuse is going to have a BD in England soon, by Masters of Cinema! https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-T...Blu-ray/44016/

[Jamnperry]

Originally Posted by danmovie

I'll chime in with another vote for Letter Never Sent.

It does an astonishing job combining artistic beauty with uncompromising realism. There are many shots, beginning with the first extended shot of the four geologists waving to the departing plane, that are extremely enjoyable and very unique. Sometimes unorthodox camera work can come off as gimicky, but the quality of cinematography combined with excellent storytelling and characters make this film truly enveloping.

Does anyone have any suggestions of other films for someone who enjoyed this film so much?

I agree totally about Letter Never Sent. Just jaw dropping how they got those shots. I believe the fire had to be real and floating down a raging river on a block of ice? Amazing considering the age of the film.

[lemonski]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

i didnt like the grey at all. "the way back" was a better survival movie in my opinion...did anyone notice that the wolfs did change size through movie? sometimes they looked like dogs and other times they had 3 times the size ...

You get the same things come up all the time in discussions about The Grey...this wasn't realistic, wolves aren't like that, they should have done this, etc., which is to miss the point completely. As someone very succintly posted at the time: this is not a film about wolves or plane crashes - it's about a man who loses the will to live and regains it.

Anyway, The Grey was my number #2 movie behind The Tree of Life that year.

Which has nothing at all to do with Criterion, other than Letter Never Sent is a good companion piece.

[JJJ225]

If you think the cinematography of Letter Never Sent is amazing, you MUST see Kalatozov's The Cranes Are Flying. One of the few times that a film literally made my jaw drop.

Unfortunately, not on Blu Ray (yet).

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by JJJ225

If you think the cinematography of Letter Never Sent is amazing, you MUST see Kalatozov's The Cranes Are Flying. Of the few times that a film literally made my jaw drop.

Unfortunately, not on Blu Ray (yet).

Some of the greatest cinematography ever. Dat black and white contrast.

[Scottie]

I just rewatched Antichrist for the second time. It still lives up to being as great, if not better, on this watch. I can't even fathom what was going through Lars' mind when he was writing this.

My question to you folks is, do you think he wrote this film as a criticism of how women are "evil"? Everything in the film seems to be centered around that bizarre notion. I understand this is his first entry in the "Depression" trilogy, which is closely related to his own dealings with it, so it's possible that maybe he had a significant other that caused him great emotional harm, leading him to right this.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jayembee

The only problem is that I have to use the TV's speakers instead of my receiver. But many of the films I watch don't require more than two channels.

there is definitely a way to run the audio to your receiver so that your tv will pump the sound through your HT set up. I just set up a second HT at my home (not much of one, really, being that it's just a 2.0 set up, but that's beside the point.) anyway, I had a 15 year old receiver that is analog only and I'm using a brand new Samsung Smart TV. you can buy a little box that will convert analog to digital and you're on your way. I don't know if that's the problem, but if it is, shoot me a private msg and I'll be glad to help you out.

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I just rewatched Antichrist for the second time. It still lives up to being as great, if not better, on this watch. I can't even fathom what was going through Lars' mind when he was writing this.

My question to you folks is, do you think he wrote this film as a criticism of how women are "evil"? Everything in the film seems to be centered around that bizarre notion. I understand this is his first entry in the "Depression" trilogy, which is closely related to his own dealings with it, so it's possible that maybe he had a significant other that caused him great emotional harm, leading him to right this.

While it wasn't the most frightening movie, it was certainly one of the most disturbing that I have ever seen. The opening vignette is absolutely heart-breaking, and then the creepy and odd moments just come one after the other.

[EPlay]

I really like Charlotte Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe, but I have always been too scared to see "Antichrist". It just sounds too disturbing/unsettling. Just seeing certain phrases on imdb tells me it's not for me.

I hate when actors I like do something I "can't" see.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by lemonski

You get the same things come up all the time in discussions about The Grey...this wasn't realistic, wolves aren't like that, they should have done this, etc., which is to miss the point completely. As someone very succintly posted at the time: this is not a film about wolves or plane crashes - it's about a man who loses the will to live and regains it.

Anyway, The Grey was my number #2 movie behind The Tree of Life that year.

Which has nothing at all to do with Criterion, other than Letter Never Sent is a good companion piece.

Well said. The wolves are metaphorical in The Grey.


Back on Criterion topics...well, back on Criterion topics by a couple degrees of separation...
My copy of Melville's Two Men in Manhattan arrived today in the mail. Looking forward to taking it for a spin this week.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by EPlay

I really like Charlotte Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe, but I have always been too scared to see "Antichrist". It just sounds too disturbing/unsettling. Just seeing certain phrases on imdb tells me it's not for me.

I hate when actors I like do something I "can't" see.

Why can't you see it?

It's definitely creepy at some parts, but not in a "boo" kind of way. More in an unsettling atmosphere kind of way.

It's one of my favorites in the Collection.

[pro-bassoonist]

Faces Blu-ray REVIEW

[EPlay]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Why can't you see it?

It's definitely creepy at some parts, but not in a "boo" kind of way. More in an unsettling atmosphere kind of way.

It's one of my favorites in the Collection.

I don't do "unsettling" very well, especially when words like

[Show spoiler]genital and animal mutilation

are used about the film.

I'm a scaredy-girl that way.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by EPlay

I'm a scaredy-girl that way.

Liz, you just revealed a big secret - and instantly made a lot of new friends on the site

Pro-B

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by EPlay

I don't do "unsettling" very well, especially when words like

[Show spoiler]genital and animal mutilation

are used about the film.

I'm a scaredy-girl that way.

It still creeps me out to some extent, especially when

[Show spoiler]the fox startles Willem Dafoe's character and yells "chaos reigns" in a really deep voice.

Other than that, I wasn't very grossed out when

[Show spoiler]Charlotte Gainsbourg's character cuts her clitoris. I turned around from it on the first watch, but I watched it today (and knowing that it was fake), was unaffected.

I think it's a really unique story, which is why I tend to always recommend it to people. Whether people love or hate Lars, there's no denying he's a great visionary director.

[Hypnosifl]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I just rewatched Antichrist for the second time. It still lives up to being as great, if not better, on this watch. I can't even fathom what was going through Lars' mind when he was writing this.

My question to you folks is, do you think he wrote this film as a criticism of how women are "evil"? Everything in the film seems to be centered around that bizarre notion. I understand this is his first entry in the "Depression" trilogy, which is closely related to his own dealings with it, so it's possible that maybe he had a significant other that caused him great emotional harm, leading him to right this.

I don't think he believes that personally, in one of the special features (or was it the commentary? I'm not sure) there was a clip of him saying that he didn't believe women were more evil than men, and he added that he also didn't believe men were more evil than women. I guess it's possible he thinks when women do behave in "evil" ways there is some tendency towards a different "style" of evil than when men behave in evil ways, one more connected to "nature" or the unconscious or something, but I kind of doubt he would even go that far...I think it's more likely that he mainly just included this because it was meant be part of the character's psychosis that she feared she was evil and constructed this fantasy of why that was (remember the pyramid of fears with "ME" at the top)...that kind of self-hatred and feeling of being cosmically cursed and "wrong" could be potentially be something drawn from his personal experiences with depression and anxiety.

[smoss469]

Just finished Breathless, the jump cuts really take some getting used to, especially at the start when they're more frequent. Not sure how I feel about the movie yet, it hasn't really sunk in, it was very... odd. The main characters seemed almost bi-polar at times. That said, Jean Seberg was absolutely gorgeous in it. It was the first film I'd ever seen her in. I don't know if it was the B&W photography, or the fact that her short her just seemed so perfect but she really kept my attention from beginning to end; it's a shame she died so young.

[spanky87]

Originally Posted by smoss469

Just finished Breathless, the jump cuts really take some getting used to, especially at the start when they're more frequent. Not sure how I feel about the movie yet, it hasn't really sunk in, it was very... odd. The main characters seemed almost bi-polar at times. That said, Jean Seberg was absolutely gorgeous in it. It was the first film I'd ever seen her in. I don't know if it was the B&W photography, or the fact that her short her just seemed so perfect but she really kept my attention from beginning to end; it's a shame she died so young.

I really like Jean Seberg but her acting isn't always the best. At least she's very easy on the eyes though. The best performance I've seen from her is Lilith. She really stepped up her game to play a challenging role. I enjoyed her in In the French Style as well. And she looks absolutely gorgeous in that film.

I really like Bonjour Tristesse, but her performance is kind of bad at parts.

She really deserves the photo album book treatment like other classic film actresses have already received.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Hypnosifl

I don't think he believes that personally, in one of the special features (or was it the commentary? I'm not sure) there was a clip of him saying that he didn't believe women were more evil than men, and he added that he also didn't believe men were more evil than women. I guess it's possible he thinks when women do behave in "evil" ways there is some tendency towards a different "style" of evil than when men behave in evil ways, one more connected to "nature" or the unconscious or something, but I kind of doubt he would even go that far...I think it's more likely that he mainly just included this because it was meant be part of the character's psychosis that she feared she was evil and constructed this fantasy of why that was (remember the pyramid of fears with "ME" at the top)...that kind of self-hatred and feeling of being cosmically cursed and "wrong" could be potentially be something drawn from his personal experiences with depression and anxiety.

Thanks for your insight and clarifications. It's greatly appreciated.

I was sort of thinking that, as well. Honestly, this is one of the hardest films for me to interpret because so many different things can mean something else.

Do you think that some otherworldly force was present in the woods of Eden, leading her to behave the way she does? The reason I'm saying this is because of not only The Three Beggars, but because she was talking to "Him" about the nature being "Satan's Playground" (I think it was a different form of terminology she used, though). I personally think it could be a combo of some otherworldly force and her own self-destructive psychosis brought on by her isolation from her husband and her grief from her son's death.