The Criterion Collection

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Meek12345

Will it be nearly impossible for Criterion to get the license of The Fountain from Warner? I have noticed on previous posts that people in general feel that Warner will not cooperate wirh Criterion.

Not just a general feel. Warner Bros. doesn't want to license any of their titles out to anyone. They are happy to license titles from other studios to include in their sets -- like Dr. Strangelove from Columbia that they included in their Kubrick DVD set, or Mad Max from MGM/UA for their set of that trilogy -- but they don't like licensing their properties out to anyone else. Otherwise, I've no doubt that CBS/Paramount would've included Fire Walk With Me in their Twin Peaks Gold Box set.

Well, there's one exception that I can think of: they own the Lorimar TV catalog, and licensed Max Headroom out to Shout! Factory.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by smoss469

Queue lynch mob in 3, 2, 1...

Either Breathless or Seconds.

In this thread, Lynch mob doesn't mean what you think it means.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by baheidstu

Wow, is there anything you DO like?

Add me to the list of people nominating A Safe Place. I hate the films of Henry Jaglom. About the only thing I liked was seeing the late, lovely Gwen Welles in something other than Nashville, though she seems like she was completely stoned the whole time, particularly during her speech about dirty old men. I suppose the good thing is it doesn't take up any extra disc space if you consider it to be a supplement on the Drive He Said disc.

Just being honest.

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by oildude

In this thread, Lynch mob doesn't mean what you think it means.

Capitalization is the key difference!

[jw007]

Originally Posted by The Bronx Bull

Damn! If we were talking "Best in the collection," these titles might do it for me!

Seconds - watched a few weeks ago and was blown away.
Breathless - not my absolute favorite, but there's no denying it's a great film.
Brazil - one of the best releases in the collection - an excellent commentary on our modern society, too.
The Thin Red Line - having watched this around 2000 as a 12-ish year old, I thought it was boring; recently re-discovered Malick, and this film, as well as Tree of Life, are easily my two favorites of his. I think The Thin Red Line is his masterpiece.
Stagecoach - I own the blu, but have not yet watched it. Looking forward to it!

I am glad to see you're actually a fan of Brazil. That film is an acquired taste in my opinion. The commentary is amazing though, and this Criterion edition has so many jam packed features. If one could buy this for $15 or 20 during a sale, that is a great deal. And The Thin Red Line is one of my favorite movies in the collection hands down. Seconds is the most amazing film I've seen in recent years. What a helluva find!

[jw007]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Those who hate it DON'T have three words running in their heads before viewing: "Japanese TV commercial".
Anyone with at least the most rudimentary Simpsons grounding will know what these words mean, and be duly warned (can you do any less?).
Anyone else will just be at sea for the rest of the movie Hence the frequency for it to show up on "This Criterion sucks!" threads.

Unless you mean the 1986 US movie with William Katt and George Wendt, which also makes good Halloween viewing.

Well, I will be thinking of "Japanese TV Commercial" going into watching this film tonight. I expect this film to make no sense and be a visual feast.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The worst Criterion that I currently own is A Safe Place, because it is included in the America Lost and Found box set, but even that movie has some interesting aspects that make it a worthy inclusion to the set.

Originally Posted by baheidstu

Add me to the list of people nominating A Safe Place. I hate the films of Henry Jaglom.

I know I showed my disapproval for A Safe Place too. To celebrate the occasion, I have posted my old avatar of Orson Welles! ABDrewes, doesn't this just bring back memories?! Ha ha ha.

[Meek12345]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Not just a general feel. Warner Bros. doesn't want to license any of their titles out to anyone. They are happy to license titles from other studios to include in their sets -- like Dr. Strangelove from Columbia that they included in their Kubrick DVD set, or Mad Max from MGM/UA for their set of that trilogy -- but they don't like licensing their properties out to anyone else. Otherwise, I've no doubt that CBS/Paramount would've included Fire Walk With Me in their Twin Peaks Gold Box set.

Well, there's one exception that I can think of: they own the Lorimar TV catalog, and licensed Max Headroom out to Shout! Factory.

Thank you for the thorough reply jayembee! I will continue to hope for a miracle with The Fountain or that Warner will change it's stance on licensing.

I want to add Short Cuts to the least favorite Criterion discussion. I normally like or at least find Robert Altman's films interesting, but not this one. There are so many unlikeable characters without reedeming qualities.

SPOILERS?!At least Lily Tomlin's character checked on the boy after she ran him over. However, the Jack Lemmon character and his friends actions were repulsive. They went fishing with a dead body in the water for a whole weekend and did not report it to the police. They didn't want their fishing trip to be ruined I guessIt was impossible for me to have sympathy for his character after that point.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by iScottie

My least favorite Criterions (from what I've seen).

• 3:10 To Yuma (The remake is infinitely better.)
  
• 8½ (I honestly appreciate it more with each subsequent watch, but it will take another watch to truly win me over.)
  
• America Lost And Found: The BBS Story (I only like Five Easy Pieces And The Last Picture Show.)
• Black Moon (Part of me softly likes it, despite how bizarre and stupid it may seem.)
• Brazil (Now this is a film that I REALLY disliked. I don't see why everybody raves about it.)
• Design For Living (I'll need to rewatch this film, but I think I went into it with too high of expectations and it ultimately fell a little short for me. I don't hate it, I'm just uncomfortably neutral towards it.)
• Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (I should have known that I would dislike it prior to seeing it because I hate anything "drug trippy" in movies. This film also put me to sleep, so there's strike two against it.)
• Gomorrah (This is another film that I need to rewatch in order to appreciate it. I went into it expecting a Godfather-esque film, but instead I received over two hours of dialogue. I enjoyed the beginning of Part 1 and the ending of Part 3, but everything in between I could have done without - despite that being the meat and potatoes of the film.)
• Harold And Maude (I can see what the message of the film was and I can respect that, but this film just didn't do it for me.)
• Island Of Lost Souls (I'm pretty sure the sets agitated me more than the entire film. With that being said, this was just too silly for my likings.)
• Life Is Sweet (Reflecting on this film, I guess it isn't AS BAD as I originally made it out to be. However, this film not only started to put me to sleep, but it almost made me throw up at one point, so I think that's a good idea of why I dislike it.)
• Pale Flower (I guess I should probably rewatch this film, but it goes back to that old saying of "don't judge a book by its cover". I felt very cold and reserved throughout the entire film - as I should - but I didn't really like the pacing nor how the entire thing played out.)
  
• People On Sunday (Hands down my least favorite silent film. I do appreciate silent films whether they are slapsticks or not, but this one was a never-ending bore.)
  
• Rosetta (It was like watching the same five minutes on repeat for almost two hours. Also, there is no likability or relatability to Rosetta's character.)
  
• Safety Last! (Scott went into yet another film with high expectations and fell flat on his face. I noticed that I had to force myself to laugh to not feel AS let down as I was. Maybe this is a film that will benefit from a rewatch where I know what I'm going into to.)
  
• The Seventh Seal (Too many high expectations going in and too many complex ideas thrown my way to grasp in one watch. I need to rewatch this one, but I was let down on the initial viewing.)
  
• Shock Corridor (I loved The Naked Kiss, but this one put me to sleep. I pretty much figured the plot out, as well, from the first five to ten minutes.)
  
• Sweet Smell Of Success (I didn't dislike this film, but I think I was expecting a more faster-paced film-noir. A repeat viewing will definitely help with appreciating this film more.)
  
• The Third Man (Now here is a film that I was let down by. The ratings and reviews for this film are stellar and many refer to it as "the best film-noir". I went into it expecting just that and while I did enjoy the brilliant camerawork, the plot dragged on and on for a good hour or so before getting exciting. I also disliked the whole amusement park ending, as well. It's not as bad as I'm making it out to be, but after shoveling out X amount of dollars to get a brand new and sealed copy of this OOP film, I wasn't expecting to dislike it.)
• Tokyo Drifter (I appreciate it because I truly believe it helped inspire Tarantino for some of his later films, but this film was too much style and not enough substance, in my opinion.)
  
• Wings Of Desire (One of the only films that I can recall where I was sitting and counting the minutes until it was over. This is hands down one of the most boring films that I have ever seen. I REALLY loved the first half hour or so, but after a while, not only did I lose track of what was going on, but I found the entire thing to be repetitious. There is no denying Wim Wenders' directing abilities, but I was extremely let down by the pacing of this film.)
  

[14728]

Next year's Spinal Tap's 30th anniversary. If Criterion got the rights, I'd like to see the following:
Disc 1 (BD): 4 hour extended Cut
Disc 2 (BD): Theatrical version + Spinal tap Concert
Disc 3 (BD): Bonus Disc
Discs 4 & 5 (DVD): 4 Hour extended cut
Disc 6 (DVD): Theatrical Version
Disc 7 (DVD): Spinal Tap Concert
Disc 8 (DVD): Bonus Disc
Disc 9 (CD): Spinal Tap Soundtrack
Discs 10 & 11: Spinal Tap Concert
In other words, this would go up to 11... discs

[MTRodaba2468]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Not just a general feel. Warner Bros. doesn't want to license any of their titles out to anyone. They are happy to license titles from other studios to include in their sets -- like Dr. Strangelove from Columbia that they included in their Kubrick DVD set, or Mad Max from MGM/UA for their set of that trilogy -- but they don't like licensing their properties out to anyone else. Otherwise, I've no doubt that CBS/Paramount would've included Fire Walk With Me in their Twin Peaks Gold Box set.

Well, there's one exception that I can think of: they own the Lorimar TV catalog, and licensed Max Headroom out to Shout! Factory.

For what it's worth, it's been rumored that the eventual Twin Peaks Blu-Ray set WILL include Fire Walk With Me...

Also, new clue:


EDIT: Didn't realize the clue had already been posted. Just saw it today...

[KKelvin]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Not just a general feel. Warner Bros. doesn't want to license any of their titles out to anyone. They are happy to license titles from other studios to include in their sets -- like Dr. Strangelove from Columbia that they included in their Kubrick DVD set, or Mad Max from MGM/UA for their set of that trilogy -- but they don't like licensing their properties out to anyone else. Otherwise, I've no doubt that CBS/Paramount would've included Fire Walk With Me in their Twin Peaks Gold Box set.

Well, there's one exception that I can think of: they own the Lorimar TV catalog, and licensed Max Headroom out to Shout! Factory.

Aren't you guys forgetting Badlands? Criterion licensed that one from WB.

[MTRodaba2468]

Originally Posted by KKelvin

Aren't you guys forgetting Badlands? Criterion licensed that one from WB.

That was generally considered to be a one-time exception. That doesn't mean the floodgates are now open.

[KKelvin]

Okay. I would much rather see Criterion release Pi than The Fountain, anyway

[Rizor]

These are my least favorite Criterions of the ones I've seen:

Least favorites:

3 Women - Maybe I just didn't get it, but found it a bore.
Head - Just not for me.
Easy Rider - Not my scene I guess.
A Christmas Tale - Essentially a French version of The Royal Tennenbaums, but without any charm or feeling. It's hard to really like a movie where every character treats their siblings, children, and/or spouse with irrational hatred or complete apathy.
Gimme Shelter - I'm a fan of The Stones, but found this documentary to be too meandering for my tastes.
The Man Who Fell to Earth - Interesting at times, but too alien for me.
Sullivan's Travels - I know this one gets a lot of love, but it never rang true with me. Probably needs another viewing.
White Material - I had relatively high expectations for this. Instead I found the characters impenetrable despite some great performances.

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by MTRodaba2468

That was generally considered to be a one-time exception. That doesn't mean the floodgates are now open.

Criterion actually stated during their Wexner Center chat last year that they struck a deal for a couple of films and that one was a pre-code film.
Still no word as to what any of the other titles were though :\

[Dumbhuman]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I see some recent discussion about the Antonioni film Red Desert on the board here... In general, there seems to be a lot of love for Antonioni on this thread. Red Desert is his best reviewed film on Rotten Tomatoes. I haven't seen the film, but yesterday I did watch many of the '3 reasons' clips that Criterion does and this one stuck out for me. If someone can speak in general terms, what is it about this one that people aren't warming up to?

I need to revisit L'Avventura some time now that my level of film appreciation has matured over the years, but when I saw it, I felt that it was THAT film that was the poster child for boring classic cinema.

Anyway... curious about Red Desert, mostly.

In general I would expect that if you were bored with L'Avventura you'll likely be just as bored with Red Desert as well, but this time in color (albeit a somewhat muted palette). It's another meditative meandering into upper-middle class ennui which values tone above plot.

For my taste, L'Avventura is the much more compelling film of the two, but as with any opinion, I'm sure there are those who feel exactly the opposite.

[smoss469]

How do you guys figure out who owns the rights to what film? I know IMDB lists distribution rights but I don't always think it's accurate. Is there another source to quickly find out who has them?

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by smoss469

How do you guys figure out who owns the rights to what film? I know IMDB lists distribution rights but I don't always think it's accurate. Is there another source to quickly find out who has them?

I use IMDB / Wiki

[jayj15]

Originally Posted by iScottie

My least favorite Criterions (from what I've seen).
[*]The Third Man (Now here is a film that I was let down by. The ratings and reviews for this film are stellar and many refer to it as "the best film-noir". I went into it expecting just that and while I did enjoy the brilliant camerawork, the plot dragged on and on for a good hour or so before getting exciting. I also disliked the whole amusement park ending, as well. It's not as bad as I'm making it out to be, but after shoveling out X amount of dollars to get a brand new and sealed copy of this OOP film, I wasn't expecting to dislike it.)

No one's fault but your own. You could of rented it, or got the Studiocanal version for cheap. Spending $150 plus on a blind buy? What do you mean by "amusement park ending"? Did you not like the ferris wheel scene or something? I hope you'll grow to like it, it is a great film.