The Criterion Collection

[natureboy]

Originally Posted by TylerScruggs

This Wes Anderson hate makes me uncomfortable.

The fact that you gave Robocop 2014 a 3.5 out of 5 makes me uncomfortable.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by natureboy

The fact that you gave Robocop 2014 a 3.5 out of 5 makes me uncomfortable.

It's actually not bad in my opinion, so it will depend on how you rate movies but i don't see why it is bad that he gave it a 3.5

[Schryver]

Originally Posted by natureboy

The fact that you gave Robocop 2014 a 3.5 out of 5 makes me uncomfortable.

My friend liked Robocop quite a bit but I had just watched the original a few days before (he's never seen it). Needless to say I was far less impressed with the new one than he was. Cost $0 with moviecash though so can't complain.

On-topic, I am definitely seeing The Great Beauty in the theater tomorrow night

[natureboy]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

It's actually not bad in my opinion, so it will depend on how you rate movies but i don't see why it is bad that he gave it a 3.5

To paraphrase Clarence Boddicker: "remakes leave."

[SilentDawn]

Originally Posted by smoss469

Slightly off topic, anyone else pumped that The Grand Budapest Hotel opens Friday?

I'm extremely excited for it, even though it probably won't come to my town for a couple weeks after Friday.

[Kolm14]

I got a cracked case and some of the paper covers were ripped and dented in my order. Does anyone know the email I can use to contact someone at Criterion to talk about this?

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by Kolm14

I got a cracked case and some of the paper covers were ripped and dented in my order. Does anyone know the email I can use to contact someone at Criterion to talk about this?

http://www.criterion.com/order_support

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by Clare2904

http://www.criterion.com/order_support

4. Can my order be shipped outside the United States?

We only ship our DVDs in the United States and to English-speaking Canada. Our free-shipping offer is good only on orders shipped in the U.S.

My last order from Criterion direct was in October when I was based in Ontario. Going off the above, from their Order Support they won't ship my recent order to Quebec ?

[Scottie]

I just finished The Red Shoes and I really, really, really liked it.

I honestly did not expect to like it because I had seen some of the introduction and nothing really stuck out for me. Plus, the only other Powell / Pressburger film that I had seen was Black Narcissus, and I was not particularly fond of it.

That being said, this film was excellent. It reminded me a lot of one of my all time favorite films, All About Eve (1950), especially with the theater atmosphere and the relationships formed and the tragedies unfolded.

EDIT: I left out that The Red Shoes dance sequence features some of the most beautiful directing I've seen in quite a while.

[bdmartin134]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

Not sure I have seen any that I hate yet, but there are couple so far that I have watched and may not buy. Belle de jour and Persona were both in that category(although, I want to watch Persona again after the great review by Pro-B and give a second thought to purchasing it). And I wished I had wacthed Salo before I purchased as well... to date, I have only made it through the first hour of the movie.

I agree with Belle de jour for sure. I read a lot about it, especially Ebert's praise, but I was just turned off completely. I totally understood the premise and the surreality of it, but the dude Marcel was just horrendous.. With the clarity of the Criterion blu, you can see the dirt in his long finger nails. I dunno, kinda rambling, but this film is one I would not mind selling back. Been there, seen it, don't care for it.

[Ausjdm]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

Here's my haul... spent a little more than I wanted, but hey, it was a good deal.

[Show spoiler]

Let me know what you think of I am Curious sir. I've been interested in that set.

[TJS_Blu]

For the hell of it, Cesar Awards announced

Best Picture nominees
9 Month Stretch: Catherine Bozorgan (producer), Albert Dupontel (director)
Stranger by the Lake: Sylvie Pialat (producer), Alain Guiraudie (director)
Jimmy P.: Pascal Caucheteux (producer), Grégoire Sorlat (producer), Arnaud Desplechin (director)
The Past: Alexandre Mallet-Guy (producer), Asghar Farhadi (director)
Venus in Fur: Robert Benmussa (producer), Alain Sarde (producer), Roman Polanski (director)
Blue Is the Warmest Color: Abdellatif Kechiche (producer, director), Vincent Maraval (producer), Brahim Chioua (producer)

Winner: Me, Myself and Mum: Edouard Weil (producer), Cyril Colbeau-Justin (producer), Jean-Baptiste Dupont (producer), Guillaume Gallienne (director)

This film walked away with a ton of hardware, best actor, screenplay, editing, etc.

Best Foreign Film

nominees:
Blancanieves: Pablo Berger
Blue Jasmine: Woody Allen
Dead Man Talking: Patrick Ridremont
Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino
The Great Beauty: Paolo Sorrentino
Gravity: Alfonso Cuarón

Winner:The Broken Circle Breakdown: Felix Van Groeningen

0 for 2, Criterion

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I just finished The Red Shoes and I really, really, really liked it.

I honestly did not expect to like it because I had seen some of the introduction and nothing really stuck out for me. Plus, the only other Powell / Pressburger film that I had seen was Black Narcissus, and I was not particularly fond of it.

That being said, this film was excellent. It reminded me a lot of one of my all time favorite films, All About Eve (1950), especially with the theater atmosphere and the relationships formed and the tragedies unfolded.

EDIT: I left out that The Red Shoes dance sequence features some of the most beautiful directing I've seen in quite a while.

One of my favorite scenes is when

[Show spoiler]Julian and Vicky are arguing over tempo of the ballet. The camera cuts to Lermontov with a big grin on his face. Great scene!

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

One of my favorite scenes is when

[Show spoiler]Julian and Vicky are arguing over tempo of the ballet. The camera cuts to Lermontov with a big grin on his face. Great scene!

Oh absolutely. The acting was very top notch.

I would have to say my favorite things were the actual dance scene and the ambiguous ending. I love ambiguity when it is done right, and The Red Shoes is certainly done right.

[hoytereden]

Good news:
My order of The Night of the Hunter arrived.

Bad news:
The part for my tv didn't.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Oh absolutely. The acting was very top notch.

I would have to say my favorite things were the actual dance scene and the ambiguous ending. I love ambiguity when it is done right, and The Red Shoes is certainly done right.

The ballet is incredible. You don't even to have to be remotely interested in ballet or dance at all. If you look at it simply as someone being really really good at what they do it's still amazing. You can see the determination on Moira Shearer's face when she dances, too.

One of my favorite Criterion blu-rays along with Black Narcissus. The past two years my brother (doesn't have a blu-ray player at home) has visited from CA he's requested to watch the Black Narcissus. Both terrific films.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

The ballet is incredible. You don't even to have to be remotely interested in ballet or dance at all. If you look at it simply as someone being really really good at what they do it's still amazing. You can see the determination on Moira Shearer's face when she dances, too.

One of my favorite Criterion blu-rays along with Black Narcissus. The past two years my brother (doesn't have a blu-ray player at home) has visited from CA he's requested to watch the Black Narcissus. Both terrific films.

I agree with everything you've said. I am not a fan of ballet or dabbling in a theater for the most part, but I find myself really intrigued by it in films.

All About Eve and The Red Shoes both seemed like two films I would not like, but I have been very surprised by both and I am happy to call them both two of the best films I have seen.

I really need to revisit Black Narcissus because I remember it looking beautiful, but I didn't find myself really into the story so much. Hopefully that will change!

[Feiereisel]

With regard to Breathless, the first time I saw it (five years ago, maybe, I can't pinpoint it--let's say long enough ago for a dog you had to not be alive anymore) I disliked it pretty intensely. I thought it was pretentious and aloof and all of the complaints generally--and not unfairly--leveled at it and Godard.

But as I've revisited it subsequently, outside of the film survey context, I've found it much more enjoyable. It was very pleasurable to find my own way through the picture, especially as I've become more interested in cinematic form and how it shades the way we connect with or experience narrative. So the jump cuts and formal play to me are what make the film essential and fascinating.

I'm a huge Soderbergh fan for this reason, too, though I'd call him more rigorous than radical.

I don't know. For a while I could very easily articulate what turned me off about Breathless, and now, a few viewings later, I can't quite do that anymore. It was something I thought I had cold but then sort of realized I didn't. Anyway, my two cents. Or one cent, depending on how you assess my mental state.

[smoss469]

It was a nice productive (ha) evening.

Watched The Lady Vanishes for the first time on Blu-ray. I've seen it numerous times on DVD but never the CC release. I watched it and then the included movie Crook's Tour. I had never seen it but really enjoyed it. It was very much in the vein of some of the great Hitchcock "wrong man" movies.

I wish they'd include more bonus movies with their releases.

Afterwards I watched Hopscotch. I had never seen it but I was really impressed. I love a good spy movie and I love a good comedy. It delivered on both accounts! I'm really happy I snatched it up to qualify for free shipping on an order. I'd love to see it get a BD upgrade but until then the DVD release will more than do. If you haven't checked it out, I'd highly recommend it. (Another great Walter Mathau performance) One of the better DVD's I've seen this year.

[jw007]

I just borrowed 3 Criterion films from the library:

Night Train to Munich
The Night Porter
Mon oncle Antoine

Anyone have any thoughts on these? I'm going to watch them this week.