The Criterion Collection

[salad]

I need an upgrade of 'A Place In The Sun' so that I'll have the titles mentioned in "The Right Profile" on blu-ray.

'Zeroville' is an interesting Steve Erickson novel where the primary character draws inspiration from 'A Place In The Sun' and Dreyer's 'The Passion of Joan of Arc' (also awaiting a blu-ray upgrade from the Criterion Collection.)

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by salad

I need a upgrade of 'A Place In The Sun' so that I'll have the titles mentioned in "The Right Profile" on blu-ray.

That one is in the works according to George Stevens, Jr.

[Dumbhuman]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Still Walking was a very beautiful and moving film. The film follows a family as they reunite for approximately 24 hours on the anniversary of one of their relatives' deaths and it is quite evident from the beginning that there is a strain between everyone to a certain degree.

I think the family drama is the most realistic and honest type of film and I have truly been moved by every single one of them that I've seen.

If you're a fan of Tokyo Story or another of Ozu's other films, then I'm sure you will like this film, and I am sure, the rest of the Kore-eda catalogue (that I will hopefully check out more of soon).

Don't be so sure about Ozu appreciation automatically translating to appreciating the rest of Kore-eda's films. Still Walking is really the closest he's come to doing a pure Ozu style film in every respect, even though he's shown elements of Ozu's style of cinematography from his first narrative. His subject matter is generally a little bit "edgier" for lack of a better word. Suicide/depression/grievance, death/remembrance/letting go, survivor's guilt/terrorism, child abandoment/homelessness, and sexual fetishization/isolation are some of the themes he's focused films on in the past. He always explores his themes masterfully though with a depth that communicates a desire to understand/empathize rather than sensationalize/exploit.

Personally I find Still Walking and I Wish to be Kore-eda's least interesting works, though I still enjoyed them for what they were. Like Father, Like Son was a refreshing return to a more engaging concept for me and I'm anxiously awaiting a US Blu-ray release (or an import that doesn't have burned-in subtitles). I would much rather see Maboroshi no Hikari on Blu-ray first though since its cinematography is utterly gorgeous in a very subtle way and it's in my top ten favorite films, but I completely understand that it probably won't appeal quite as much to most people given how meditative and understated it is.

[orbital]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

That one is in the works according to George Stevens, Jr.

Thanks for the info! Do you also happen to know a time frame concerning the release date?

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Dumbhuman

Don't be so sure about Ozu appreciation automatically translating to appreciating the rest of Kore-eda's films. Still Walking is really the closest he's come to doing a pure Ozu style film in every respect, even though he's shown elements of Ozu's style of cinematography from his first narrative. His subject matter is generally a little bit "edgier" for lack of a better word. Suicide/depression/grievance, death/remembrance/letting go, survivor's guilt/terrorism, child abandoment/homelessness, and sexual fetishization/isolation are some of the themes he's focused films on in the past. He always explores his themes masterfully though with a depth that communicates a desire to understand/empathize rather than sensationalize/exploit.

Personally I find Still Walking and I Wish to be Kore-eda's least interesting works, though I still enjoyed them for what they were. Like Father, Like Son was a refreshing return to a more engaging concept for me and I'm anxiously awaiting a US Blu-ray release (or an import that doesn't have burned-in subtitles). I would much rather see Maboroshi no Hikari on Blu-ray first though since its cinematography is utterly gorgeous in a very subtle way and it's in my top ten favorite films, but I completely understand that it probably won't appeal quite as much to most people given how meditative and understated it is.

Thank you for shedding a little bit more light on Kore-eda's catalogue for me. I know he's a well-respected filmmaker, which is probably my main interest in seeing more of his catalogue than anything else.

RE: Like Father, Like Son - It was playing at an art house theater in the city several months ago, but I missed out on seeing it due to its one-week limited run. I'm sure Criterion will put it out, it's just a matter of when.

[Meek12345]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

A Hard Day's Night Blu-ray REVIEW



The new 4K restoration is outstanding

Pro-B

p.s. I am very sorry for the delay. A powerful rainstorm left us without internet access during the last 48 hours . All is back to normal now and there will be more reviews in the next 24 hours.

Thanks for the review Pro-B! What will the packaging be like for A Hard Day's Night? Will it be a digipak or one of the new clear 3 disc cases? I have never seen this film, but I'm interested in this release. So, I will be watching it on TCM tonight at 7.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by Meek12345

Thanks for the review Pro-B! What will the packaging be like for A Hard Day's Night? Will it be a digipak or one of the new clear 3 disc cases? I have never seen this film, but I'm interested in this release. So, I will be watching it on TCM tonight at 7.

Hello Meek12345,

Unfortunately, I do not have the packaging yet to answer your question, but when the market version arrives I will make sure to take some pictures for you (and the rest of the guys) and will post them here and in the individual thread. (I will include them in the review as well).

By the way, here's the trailer for the 2014 rerelease/4K restoration from Janus, which is also included on the Blu-ray.

A HARD DAY'S NIGHT U.S. Re-release Trailer - YouTube

Pro-B

[aes3728]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

A Hard Day's Night Blu-ray REVIEW



The new 4K restoration is outstanding

Pro-B

p.s. I am very sorry for the delay. A powerful rainstorm left us without internet access during the last 48 hours . All is back to normal now and there will be more reviews in the next 24 hours.

I have a question for the forum. I've never seen this film, but based on the trailer it is my most anticipated release thus far. Should I purchase this edition and enjoy it the day of release, or wait til July 4th weekend and go see it at the Alamo Drafthouse to experience it on the big screen?

[The Great Owl]

I finally took Yasujiro Ozu's Late Spring for a spin, after having bought it during a December sale. I just finished watching the film, and am now listening to the commentary track as I post.

I've only seen two Ozu films so far, Late Spring and Tokyo Story, but I love this director's pared-down approach to capturing emotional moments on film. Filmmakers who depend on heavy-handed visual and music cues for such moments could learn a lot from these two Ozu titles.

I also believe that present-day society could benefit from advice that Mr. Somiya (Chishu Ryu) gives to his daughter, Noriko (Setsuko Hara), during one of my favorite sequences in Late Spring.
"Happiness isn't something you wait around for. It's something you create yourself."
"Happiness comes only through effort."

After having heard of Ozu's works many times over the years, I was expecting both Tokyo Story and Late Spring to be painstakingly intricate and "homeworky." Instead, I am pleasantly surprised at how enjoyably simple these films are. These films strike me as the cinematic equivalent of sitting on the porch and eating an apple while the sun goes down. They both have an inviting lived-in feel to them that allows me to relate to them on a universal level. A knowledge of postwar Japanese history and a knowledge of Japanese culture helps, but the main attraction of the Ozu films for me are found in the ease by which he depicts emotions and values held by every society on Earth.

I personally relate to Late Spring even more than I related to Tokyo Story, although I cannot quite put my finger on the reason. I suppose that Late Spring caters to my own lifelong apprehension of the inevitability of change.

I'm rambling, and I'm not quite up to the task of getting into the writing mode to piece together a User Review of Late Spring, but I think that this film is pretty amazing.

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by aes3728

I have a question for the forum. I've never seen this film, but based on the trailer it is my most anticipated release thus far. Should I purchase this edition and enjoy it the day of release, or wait til July 4th weekend and go see it at the Alamo Drafthouse to experience it on the big screen?

If I had the opportunity to see this film on the big screen, I would take it. I would then purchase the blu-ray the next day at the Barnes and Noble half price sale.

[Scottie]

A Hard Day's Night will be on TCM tonight at 8 P.M.!

[Page14]

Originally Posted by iScottie

A Hard Day's Night will be on TCM tonight at 8 P.M.!

Thank you for the heads up.

Just so there isn't any confusion, that's 8 P.M. EST. (It's too good of a film to take a chance on missing out on, for those interested).

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Page14

Thank you for the heads up.

Just so there isn't any confusion, that's 8 P.M. EST. (It's too good of a film to take a chance on missing out on, for those interested).

Yes, EST.

[hoytereden]

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I watched John Huston's The Misfits last night. For Montgomery Clift fans, this 1961 movie is a buzzkill of sorts after watching his work in the new Criterion title, Red River. The sheer star power in this movie makes it a great viewing, though, even most of the cast had seen better times.

I thought about Dino Risi's Il Sorpasso several times while I was watching The Misfits. Il Sorpasso is the better movie, and it's a more buoyant affair in general terms, but it also has a forlorn undertone that conjures comparisons with the Huston film.

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

The Misfits was made a few years after Clift's road accident. I haven't seen The Misfits in several years but I remember Clift not looking the same.

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Yes, his appearance is not quite the same as it was during the earlier films. Montgomery Clift's face also looks different in his previous film, Elia Kazan's Wild River, which is one of my favorite hidden treasures on Blu-ray so far.

The Misfits was the final film for both Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. Clift acted in a few more films before his untimely death.

I think that it's a great film, but it's not exactly a cheery film. As I wrote in the main dedicated thread...
The best way that I can describe The Misfits is to say that the experience of watching it is almost like hanging out with a crowd of argumentative drunk people while you are sober.

Originally Posted by hustlermane

I think The Misfits is a wonderful film, a really dream-like and elegiacal movie that for me is pretty special. It's hard to divorce it of course from the horrible personal lives of its three principal actors, however.

I think The Misfits is one of the saddest films ever made. Not just the subject matter of the film itself but also the sad arcs the lives of the three stars took. Clark Gable dies of a heart attack soon after film is completed; many say due to the physical stresses of making this film. Montgomery Clift is coming apart at the seams mentally and physically. After this he was virtually done with films. If not for the fact that loyal friend Elizabeth Taylor wanted him to co-star with her in Reflections in a Golden Eye and he made the below average film The Defector to show he was still employable. He died before he was able to make the film with Taylor. Marilyn Monroe famously quips something to the effect of she's amazed that there's someone (Clift) more messed-up than she is and, of course, Marilyn's instability is well documented and here she's working with her childhood father figure in Gable and, at the same time, in front of her husband Arthur Miller when their marriage is shot.
Add to all this that it was directed by John Huston not known for his coddling of difficult talent and you have a real circus behind the scenes. This is one of those films where the story behind the film is probably as, or more interesting than the film itself. I believe there was a documentary made of it that was released on dvd but I'm not sure. For me, it's hard to watch this film without thinking about the facts behind the screen while trying to concentrate on the story being shown on it.
Just a Criterion tie-in: Montgomery Clift stars in De Sica's Indiscretion of an American Wife. I've only seen the badly cut US version. What's anyone's opinion of the original-Terminal Station?

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by iScottie

A Hard Day's Night will be on TCM tonight at 8 P.M.!

The theme tonight is: The British Invasion so in addition to the Beatles there are also films with The Dave Clark Five, The Animals, Herman's Hermits, etc.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by orbital

Thanks for the info! Do you also happen to know a time frame concerning the release date?

Nope. I've just seen it mentioned on a few different forums on the net.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I finally took Yasujiro Ozu's Late Spring for a spin, after having bought it during a December sale. I just finished watching the film, and am now listening to the commentary track as I post.

[Show spoiler]I've only seen two Ozu films so far, Late Spring and Tokyo Story, but I love this director's pared-down approach to capturing emotional moments on film. Filmmakers who depend on heavy-handed visual and music cues for such moments could learn a lot from these two Ozu titles.

I also believe that present-day society could benefit from advice that Mr. Somiya (Chishu Ryu) gives to his daughter, Noriko (Setsuko Hara), during one of my favorite sequences in Late Spring.
"Happiness isn't something you wait around for. It's something you create yourself."
"Happiness comes only through effort."

After having heard of Ozu's works many times over the years, I was expecting both Tokyo Story and Late Spring to be painstakingly intricate and "homeworky." Instead, I am pleasantly surprised at how enjoyably simple these films are. These films strike me as the cinematic equivalent of sitting on the porch and eating an apple while the sun goes down. They both have an inviting lived-in feel to them that allows me to relate to them on a universal level. A knowledge of postwar Japanese history and a knowledge of Japanese culture helps, but the main attraction of the Ozu films for me are found in the ease by which he depicts emotions and values held by every society on Earth.

I personally relate to Late Spring even more than I related to Tokyo Story, although I cannot quite put my finger on the reason. I suppose that Late Spring caters to my own lifelong apprehension of the inevitability of change.

I'm rambling, and I'm not quite up to the task of getting into the writing mode to piece together a User Review of Late Spring, but I think that this film is pretty amazing.

I can also recommend it's reworking-Late Autumn. A bit lighter in tone with Setsuko Hara as the parent. It's included in the Eclipse Late Ozu set.

[FestinaLente]

Originally Posted by Page14

Thank you for the heads up.

Just so there isn't any confusion, that's 8 P.M. EST. (It's too good of a film to take a chance on missing out on, for those interested).

A great resource that I rely on almost daily is the Watch TCM site. You can access it through your cable or satellite provider for free and it posts (almost) every movie aired on TCM for 7 days following the original air date. So you can watch them at your leisure on demand. Check it out.

Just watched Laura for the first time last night through it and LOVED it. What a great one.

http://www.tcm.com/watchtcm/movies/

[Page14]

Originally Posted by FestinaLente

A great resource that I rely on almost daily is the Watch TCM site. You can access it through your cable or satellite provider for free and it posts (almost) every movie aired on TCM for 7 days following the original air date. So you can watch them at your leisure on demand. Check it out.

Just watched Laura for the first time last night through it and LOVED it. What a great one.

http://www.tcm.com/watchtcm/movies/

Thank you very much! What a great website! Good timing too, as I recently lost all of my DVR capabilities and am in the process of figuring out if I'm going to pursue DVR services again or try something else (... like the website you posted or HULU or whatever).

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by FestinaLente

Just watched Laura for the first time last night through it and LOVED it. What a great one.

Laura was my favorite Blu-ray release of 2013. Such a wonderful film.