The Criterion Collection

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by koberulz

Which part of the women essentially being inanimate objects which are creeped over by the protagonists, leading to a rape saving someone's life and the film still not giving much of a shit about her, preferring to focus on how awfully unfair it is to our two male characters that there are consequences for rape, makes it a "women's film"?

“It's not what a movie is about, it's how it is about it.”

-Roger Ebert

[tatterdemalion]

Originally Posted by Vigojean

(1) it’s the greatest “women’s film” by a male director, better than Sirk, Ophuls, and Fassbinder, (2) the screenplay is razor-sharp and near-perfect, (3) the direction and performances are superb, (4) the “silent movie” sequence made every director green with envy, (5) it’s one of cinema’s greatest melodramas.

I like you Vigojean but you've been making some broad, hyperbole types of statements. Bergman did women's films; Persona probably being his best; Mizoguchi did women's films and Antonioni, Kore-eda Hirokazu did Our Little Sister, Kon Ichikawa did The Makioka Sisters. You'd have to watch every "women's film" ever made in the world to justify that statement.

It's a great women's film for you and what you've seen, but none of us can ever say what the greatest of anything is, only what we as individuals have personally experienced as the greatest.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by ukulelemonster

Does Criterion have the rights to this? Toby Dammit is my favorite Fellini film.

Toby Dammit is included in the Fellini Box Set

[Vigojean]

Originally Posted by tatterdemalion

I like you Vigojean but you've been making some broad, hyperbole types of statements. Bergman did women's films; Persona probably being his best; Mizoguchi did women's films and Antonioni, Kore-eda Hirokazu did Our Little Sister, Kon Ichikawa did The Makioka Sisters. You'd have to watch every "women's film" ever made in the world to justify that statement.

It's a great women's film for you and what you've seen, but none of us can ever say what the greatest of anything is, only what we as individuals have personally experienced as the greatest.

It’s just my opinion obviously. I think The Passion of Joan of Arc is the greatest movie ever made, but obviously not everyone agrees.

[Warm Gun]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Toby Dammit is included in the Fellini Box Set

Such a shame they treated it as a special feature, giving it the same low bitrate as all the other special features, a measy 11 mbps. It has ugly compression artifacts. Yet, Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember, which seems to be a documentary about the actor, which Fellini didn't direct, gets its own disc with a 28 mbps encode and uncompressed audio. Okay, Criterion, makes sense.

[SuperFlyHighGuy]

Originally Posted by Vigojean

It’s just my opinion obviously. I think The Passion of Joan of Arc is the greatest movie ever made, but obviously not everyone agrees.

I'd agree it's an astounding and unforgettable film but I think many people would have a hard time saying that cinema basically "peaked" in 1928.

[tatterdemalion]

Originally Posted by Vigojean

It’s just my opinion obviously. I think The Passion of Joan of Arc is the greatest movie ever made, but obviously not everyone agrees.

I understand. I forget to use the IMHO myself and have friends call me smug. I am smug, darn it!

Passion of Joan of Arc is also a top 5 favorite film for me. When I first saw it on TCM back in the early 2000's I was blown away. There's very few movies with scenes that make me shake with deep emotions,

[Show spoiler]the swing set scene from Kurosawa's Ikiru, the transformation of Bowman at the end of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey,

and the totality of feelings at the end of this film. All three give me a type of epiphany,

[Vigojean]

Originally Posted by SuperFlyHighGuy

I'd agree it's an astounding and unforgettable film but I think many people would have a hard time saying that cinema basically "peaked" in 1928.

That’s definitely a bad way of looking at it lol. Technically, there are more impressive movies, and I wouldn’t say movies peaked in 1928. It’s just that, near the end of the silent era, a Danish filmmaker made what I would consider to be cinema’s best argument for its legitimacy as an art form. I’d never say theatre and painting “peaked” after Hamlet and the Sistine Chapel—they just stand out above others in their fields.

[SuperFlyHighGuy]

Originally Posted by Vigojean

That’s definitely a bad way of looking at it lol. Technically, there are more impressive movies, and I wouldn’t say movies peaked in 1928. It’s just that, near the end of the silent era, a Danish filmmaker made what I would consider to be cinema’s best argument for its legitimacy as an art form. I’d never say theatre and painting “peaked” after Hamlet and the Sistine Chapel—they just stand out above others in their fields.

Yeah it's too literal but I think it's good to keep in mind when trying to make a value judgement like "greatest film made". It's certainly up there, I'd probably declare it the greatest silent film made (as I'm being hypocritical). I love Citizen Kane -almost obsessively - so I remind myself that I while I could say it's the GOAT (and boldly have in my younger days), there's been so many films made since 1941 that I just shouldn't get hung up on that. I love ranking and categorizing...which reminds me I need to update my personal top-20 list.

But anyway, yeah Dreyer was a definitely one of the masters and Day of Wrath is one of my favorite films. It's "beyond genre" while still hitting all the notes of European art/period drama/horror film for me.

[Scottie]

Janus update

#2028 (404 page) -- Europa Europa

#2029 - SENNAN ASBESTOS DISASTER (2016, Kazuo Hara)
https://www.janusfilms.com/films/2029

#2030 - A DEDICATED LIFE (1994, Kazuo Hara)
https://www.janusfilms.com/films/2030

#2031 - THE EMPEROR’S NAKED ARMY MARCHES ON (1997, Kazuo Hara)
https://www.janusfilms.com/films/2031

#2032 - EXTREME PRIVATE EROS: LOVE SONG 1974 (1974, Kazuo Hara)
https://www.janusfilms.com/films/2032

#2033 - GOODBYE CP (1972, Kazuo Hara)
https://www.janusfilms.com/films/2033

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Mothravka

I would personally prefer if they released some other Spanish films.

I'd be a very happy puppy if they released Fina Torres's Mécaniques célestes.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by TV2693

'Spirits of The Dead' from 1969. Why isn't this in print from a boutique label?

Originally Posted by ukulelemonster

Does Criterion have the rights to this? Toby Dammit is my favorite Fellini film.

Who knows?

It was an Arrow Academy title (UK only), but that edition is OOP.

And it was released on DVD 20 years ago by Home Vision, which at the time had a connection to Criterion.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by SuperFlyHighGuy

I love Citizen Kane -almost obsessively - so I remind myself that I while I could say it's the GOAT (and boldly have in my younger days), there's been so many films made since 1941 that I just shouldn't get hung up on that.

Isaac Asimov had said on a number of occasions that he always felt sad when people would tell him they thought the short story "Nightfall" was the best thing he ever wrote. He appreciated their saying so, but it was a relatively early story in his career (1941, at which point he'd been selling short stories for two years), and it made him a tad depressed to think that he hadn't gotten any better after that.

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by Scottie

Janus update

#2028 (404 page) -- Europa Europa

#2029 - SENNAN ASBESTOS DISASTER (2016, Kazuo Hara)
https://www.janusfilms.com/films/2029

#2030 - A DEDICATED LIFE (1994, Kazuo Hara)
https://www.janusfilms.com/films/2030

#2031 - THE EMPEROR’S NAKED ARMY MARCHES ON (1997, Kazuo Hara)
https://www.janusfilms.com/films/2031

#2032 - EXTREME PRIVATE EROS: LOVE SONG 1974 (1974, Kazuo Hara)
https://www.janusfilms.com/films/2032

#2033 - GOODBYE CP (1972, Kazuo Hara)
https://www.janusfilms.com/films/2033

Is this any indication that Europa Europa may not be in print much longer?

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

Is this any indication that Europa Europa may not be in print much longer?

no

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by misterlibby

Yeah, they gotta get back to the Almodovar catalog. There are no bad choices, Criterion, just get something on the schedule!

I'm thinking they are going to end up releasing a box set of his films.

[Member-682067]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Toby Dammit is included in the Fellini Box Set

That almost makes me want to swallow hard and get the Fellini Box Set. Almost....

[Member-682067]

Originally Posted by Vigojean

(1) it’s the greatest “women’s film” by a male director, better than Sirk, Ophuls, and Fassbinder, (2) the screenplay is razor-sharp and near-perfect, (3) the direction and performances are superb, (4) the “silent movie” sequence made every director green with envy, (5) it’s one of cinema’s greatest melodramas.

Sirk, Ophuls, and Fassbinder: All three would be cool candidates for the next comprehensive box set from CC.

[ukulelemonster]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

Such a shame they treated it as a special feature, giving it the same low bitrate as all the other special features, a measy 11 mbps. It has ugly compression artifacts. Yet, Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember, which seems to be a documentary about the actor, which Fellini didn't direct, gets its own disc with a 28 mbps encode and uncompressed audio. Okay, Criterion, makes sense.

Sigh... that’s a bit disappointing to hear. Guess I’ll keep my fingers crossed for another release. I appreciate the honest input, though.

Fortunately I’m pretty patient. I have other films I need/want that I can focus on obtaining for the time being.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by TV2693

That almost makes me want to swallow hard and get the Fellini Box Set. Almost....

It is I think OOP now, but the Arrow blu of Spirits of the Dead which had Toby Dammit as part of a triptych with other Poe inspired films was region free. For many years this used to be in the 5-7 quid range.