The Criterion Collection

[Freeza]

Originally Posted by wilky61

By now I'm used to getting lambasted for my distaste with Fellini so you can join the parade if you like, but I despised La Strada, didn't much care for Nights of Cabiria, and found 8 1/2 lukewarm but not really something I'd care to revisit/buy. I will probably rewatch 8 1/2 again at some point and give it another chance, but I don't think I will care to watch any other Fellini film again; he is by now my least favorite director.

Those three, I think you can chalk up to my personal preference, but I'm more interested to see if anyone else finds Amarcord to be as universally repulsive as I.

Wow. La Strada and Nights Of Cabiria are two of my favorites, with La Strada possibly being in my top 10 if I had one. Not slighting you with that, I'm just surprised.

[wilky61]

Originally Posted by Freeza

Wow. La Strada and Nights Of Cabiria are two of my favorites, with La Strada possibly being in my top 10 if I had one. Not slighting you with that, I'm just surprised.

Trust me, the feeling is mutual. Every time I sit down to watch another top-100-alltime Fellini film, I think to myself "This is gonna be the film where I finally see the genius in the man that everybody else sees." But it just doesn't work out that way for me. I end up surprised, disappointed, and confused.

[Zacherywolf7]

Originally Posted by wilky61

Trust me, the feeling is mutual. Every time I sit down to watch another top-100-alltime Fellini film, I think to myself "This is gonna be the film where I finally see the genius in the man that everybody else sees." But it just doesn't work out that way for me. I end up surprised, disappointed, and confused.

Why don't you like them?

[Arkadin]

identification of a woman pre-order only $21 on amazon.us right now for anyone interested.

[Crimson King]

I hope if Mr. Arkadin make it to blu-ray it will also contain the 2 Spanish versions as well, for a total of ALL 5 cuts of the film, then it would truely be "The Complete Mr. Arkadin"

Over the last few days I have watched ALL 3 films on the CC so-called complete set, still have to listen to the 3 radio programs, I think this film is on par w/ Citizen Kane!

even though it's on DVD's, the $14.50 + tax I payed for it during the BN sale was a stael IMO for such a great package, I hopefully will get to reading the included novel next week.

[wilky61]

Originally Posted by Zacherywolf7

Why don't you like them?

Amarcord, as I said a few posts up, I didn't find the farting/urinating/pelvic thrusting gags humorous at all.

8 1/2, I'm not quite sure. I watched it more than three years ago. I just don't think I 'got' it.

La Strada/Nights of Cabiria, there is something about Guilietta Masina's face that offends me. I just can't stand to watch the facial expressions she makes. Sorry, I just find her terribly annoying. Here is an example of what I mean:

‪Fellini-La Strada-Gelsomina&Il Matto‬‏ - YouTube

[Kyle15]

Eh, I haven't seen Amarcord, but what you describe doesn't sound very repulsive. However, that actress makes some interesting faces for sure. Didn't watch all the way through, but her expressions look pretty splendid to me.

Note: I'm not defending the film or Fellini.

[Tom Hiddleston]

Originally Posted by capnnarcolepsy

I don't think I've seen anyone post this before, but I just took a gander at Criterion's "contact us" section and thought this was pretty funny:

To report a technical problem with your DVD or Blu-ray disc; for television, public performance, and nontheatrical sales;
for queries, threats, or bribes related to our future release schedule;
for praise and/or criticism of our releases or the state of the film world in general;
to report that a DVD booklet has been mauled by a dog or baby;
for clarification of the information on our FAQ page;
to whinge about region encoding;
or for any and all Criterion-related anecdotes or curiosities, please e-mail Jon Mulvaney at mulvaney@criterion.com (he lives for this stuff!).

Aaaaaaaand, that's awesome.

I particularly like that part. I'd bribe someone for a blu ray release of Naked Lunch. I saw it when I was a kid and really enjoyed it. It's available on netflix streaming so I'm rewatching it. I'm watching The Magician right now, hopefully it will not crap out on me like The Seventh Seal did. I like The Magician better than The Seventh Seal, the characters are better imo. Except for Antonius Block. Max von Sydow is excellent.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by wilky61

La Strada/Nights of Cabiria, there is something about Guilietta Masina's face that offends me. I just can't stand to watch the facial expressions she makes.

Hunh. I find her face delightfully expressive.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by r0pe

I just finished watching High and Low. What a great film, I really enjoyed it. I'm definitely going to watch the supplements tomorrow.

[Show spoiler]One question for the pink smoke. Was it pink in the original showing or is it some kind of special restoration done by Criterion?

I saw a Janus Films 35mm print projected about 10 years ago, and the

[Show spoiler]pink smoke

was there too, I'd assume it was original, I can't imagine Criterion of all places making such a change.

I should add, though, that when I saw it in the theater, that shot had to be printed onto color film, much like the color shots in "Schindler's List" with similar pink tints (which I assume are an homage to Kurosawa). In both cases, the color film stock used for those shots made the black and white photography look more brown, and did not match the tint of the shots before and after. On video this seems to have been corrected, again in both cases.

[VanDammage]

So has anybody heard any upcoming news on World on a Wire? I missed the 35mm print come through my town at the Pacific cinematheque Im hoping for a blu-ray release maybe December? Always interesting to see movies that when released were ahead of their time!

[g.schweet]

Yesterday, I watched my dvr recording of Carlos Saura's Peppermint Frappé, which played last Sunday on TCM, and it had a Janus Films logo at the beginning.
Is this a fairly new acquisition (No Janus distro listing on IMDB) or just one they just been sitting on (which I'm thinking, because it was an interesting film, but really only a curiosity for Saura and Buñuel fans) ?
Anyone else happen to catch this?

[trombone dixie]

Originally Posted by BillyJack

D&C is an awseome package, there were TWO D&C posters in the box when I bought it, I'm gonna frame one of them!

I see you have a like for Down By Law, no love for Stranger Than Paradise? (both are great films IMO):

I really dig Stranger Than Paradise. I don't really know why I don't have it on my list.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by wilky61

... but I'm more interested to see if anyone else finds Amarcord to be as universally repulsive as I.

Amarcord was a blind-buy for me and I'm very glad I got it. I thought it was a wonderful and (mostly) sweet film about childhood and growing up and the blurred line between memory and fantasy.
I also think the blu-ray package and artwork are as good as the best from Criterion.
Sorry you didn't like it, but I would highly recommend it to others who have seen and liked other Fellini films. I'm keen to see his other films come into the collection and think it's a real shame Criterion couldn't get La Dolce Vita.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by wilky61

Just tried to watch Amarcord, but I ended up turning it off after 40 minutes, disgusted. I don't think I've ever before watched such a crass, immature, and repulsive film. The fart gags and pelvic thrusts held no comedic value at all for me. I am shocked that this movie (or any of the three other Fellini films that I've seen) is appraised so highly.

I enjoyed Amarcord quite a bit and while it has its share of low-brow humor, it is done in the spirit of 14-year old boy juvenile laughs. In fact, the whole story takes a humorous and nostalgic look at the absurdity of provincial Italian life where adults try their best to be seen as relevant in contemporary Fascist society. And kids, like kids everywhere, get big laughs out of farts, gags, big boobs, and trying to make your best mates crack up. I still do, so count me in for 14-year old boy humor.

However, if your definition for using the word repulsive applies to Amarcord, then perhaps you should dive into Salo in a few months. That will give you a whole new metric for use of adjectives.

My impression is you blind buy Criterions that may not have universal appeal without screening them first - you can youtube or find other sites with lots of clips of Amarcord or just about any other Fellini film for that matter if you don't have movie downloads.

[Freeza]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Hunh. I find her face delightfully expressive.

This.

[g.schweet]

What the heck happened with that announced blu release of La Dolce Vita from E1? I'm guessing there isn't even a viable HD transfer since no one has tackled it elsewhere in the world.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by wilky61

Just tried to watch Amarcord, but I ended up turning it off after 40 minutes, disgusted. I don't think I've ever before watched such a crass, immature, and repulsive film. The fart gags and pelvic thrusts held no comedic value at all for me. I am shocked that this movie (or any of the three other Fellini films that I've seen) is appraised so highly.

Can I just ask, what's with your use of the word "repulsive"?
I get that Fellini is not to everyone's taste and you're not a fan of the fart jokes, etc, but I think "repulsive" should be reserved for films such as The Human Centipede.
[Full disclosure: I've not seen The Human Centipede and I never will.]

[oildude]

Originally Posted by wilky61

La Strada/Nights of Cabiria, there is something about Guilietta Masina's face that offends me. I just can't stand to watch the facial expressions she makes. Sorry, I just find her terribly annoying.

Her facial expressions do not bother me in the least. I have never seen the film, and do not understand Italian, but I watched the clip you posted and saw an actress portraying sadness and tears. I think she did a great job of it. Now, if you want to see really annoying facial expressions, try Mila Jovovich in that Joan of Arc movie she made in the 90s (the Messenger). Just sayin'.

Everyone has different tastes, so thanks for sharing what you think about Criterion films. That is why we are all here, or most of us anyway, when not discussing packaging and when is the next B&N sale.

[tenia]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

[Full disclosure: I've not seen The Human Centipede and I never will.]

You should, because you would find that there is not a lot of things repulsive in the movie itself. I thought it would be worse than a Saw sequel. Turned out it's an old B horror movie, closer to something like The house of the Devil.