The Criterion Collection

[Criterion Collector]

I thought there would be some disagreement regarding The Times of Harvey Milk. I suppose my thinking that someone else would have released it seems unrealistic to most others.

I was thinking that maybe Universal themselves would have picked it up...maybe do a bundle with Milk...maybe not. I was just thinking out loud, and studios do LOVE to cash in on hot movie trends.

If that would have been the case, it most certainly would not have received the treatment it did from Criterion though. It probably would have ended up on a DVD as a bonus feature.

Fun topic none-the-less.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Thanks to those who voted for Best/Worst Criterion covers of 2011. The results will be posted once the other polls have been conducted.

Next Poll:

Vote for what you think were the BEST/WORST *new* spines issued by Criterion in 2011.

[No registration req'd. Choose from the drop downs and click submit!]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...o3Z3c6MQ#gid=0

[Show spoiler][I realize the last new spine of 2011 to come out will be DESIGN FOR LIVING but we may as well get the ball rolling now]

I voted for:

Best - The Great Dictator
What were they thinking - Senso

If I expanded it to top 5:

Best - The Great Dictator, Island of Lost Souls, 12 Angry Men, The Times of Harvey Milk, Carlos

Worst - Senso, Life During Wartime, Leon Morin Priest, The Music Room, Zazie dans le Metro

[RodneyOz]

Originally Posted by Criterion Collector

I thought there would be some disagreement regarding The Times of Harvey Milk. I suppose my thinking that someone else would have released it seems unrealistic to most others.

I was thinking that maybe Universal themselves would have picked it up...maybe do a bundle with Milk...maybe not. I was just thinking out loud, and studios do LOVE to cash in on hot movie trends.

If that would have been the case, it most certainly would not have received the treatment it did from Criterion though. It probably would have ended up on a DVD as a bonus feature.

Fun topic none-the-less.

I'm not sure of the processes involved in the rights moving around, but actually The Times of Harvey Milk WAS released by another company - the film (and many of the extras on the Criterion) were originally put out by New Yorker Video on DVD a few years ago. With their demise (and prior to their current sorta-resurrection) the DVD went OOP. I'm wondering whether it was felt by Universal that there wasn't a sufficient market for their purposes due to the prior release - whereas Criterion went "We'll release it and people will notice it and buy it because it's on our label and that will bring it to people's attention. And we'll do it in Blu-Ray, too, so it's not just a relabelling."

Which seems to have worked for them, whereas a low key release from Universal (or bundling it with 'Milk') would have likely just been a blip.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by rock, stone

There isn't a lot of love for Times of Harvey Milk on this board (likely due to subject matter) but I have to disagree. I don't know how many companies are clamoring to release 25 year old documentaries on blu ray.

Would I enjoy the Documentary, if I don't know anything about his life?

On your thoughts on 'Melancholia', as much as I loved it, I completely agree about the wedding being longer than it should have been. About 40 minutes in, it becomes very easy to lose interest. It did become too much 'there's something wrong...there's something wrong'..etc, etc. Luckily the second part picked up a lot of my interest.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

Would I enjoy the Documentary, if I don't know anything about his life?

On your thoughts on 'Melancholia', as much as I loved it, I completely agree about the wedding being longer than it should have been. About 40 minutes in, it becomes very easy to lose interest. It did become too much 'there's something wrong...there's something wrong'..etc, etc. Luckily the second part picked up a lot of my interest.

Most rational people would probably like that documentary, I definitely do. Milk was an early openly gay elected politician. Guess that fact might offend a few people for silly, petty reasons.

[Tom Hiddleston]

Best: The Phantom Carriage. Carlos came in 2nd.

Worst: The Times of Harvey Milk.

No I'm not homophobic, I just don't like documentaries that much.

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

Would I enjoy the Documentary, if I don't know anything about his life?

On your thoughts on 'Melancholia', as much as I loved it, I completely agree about the wedding being longer than it should have been. About 40 minutes in, it becomes very easy to lose interest. It did become too much 'there's something wrong...there's something wrong'..etc, etc. Luckily the second part picked up a lot of my interest.

I think you would enjoy the documentary even more if you don't know what happens. The documentary is even structured in a way that it doesn't give away the details. As a film, it is exceptionally well made.

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by Tom Hiddleston

Best: The Phantom Carriage. Carlos came in 2nd.

Worst: The Times of Harvey Milk.

No I'm not homophobic, I just don't like documentaries that much.

That's okay, I once met a guy would didn't like silents, and another who didn't like B&W.

[ImportFanatic]

Originally Posted by Tom Hiddleston

Worst: The Times of Harvey Milk.

No I'm not homophobic, I just don't like documentaries that much.

You shouldn't even have to defend your decision. You don't like it for whatever reason it is.

[Tom Hiddleston]

Originally Posted by ImportFanatic

You shouldn't even have to defend your decision. You don't like it for whatever reason it is.

You're right I should not have to, but the time I said I didn't want to see it it some moron immediately thought that I am homophobic, and didn't bother to ask why I didn't want to see it, so I decided to clarify this time.

[exolstice]

Originally Posted by ImportFanatic

You shouldn't even have to defend your decision. You don't like it for whatever reason it is.

All decisions need to be defended. Also, this is a discussion board. If nobody defended their points of view or opinions with some sort of reasoning it would make for some very boring and very pointless discussion.

[Criterion Collector]

Originally Posted by rock, stone

There is some brilliant stuff in Melancholia, but in the end I wanted to like it more than I did. The first ten minutes or so are extraordinary and I love the richness of the "stills" and the soaring score that gives way to the tiny absurd pleasure of the driveway scene.

However the wedding goes on for too long and can't stop adding more "reasons" for Dunst's condition. I can see how these would have made sense in a writer's room, but in the finished movie it becomes repetitive and obvious. The movie starts to fall apart when it tries to be too literal.

[Show spoiler]By the time we get to the knowing the number of beans, it has lost its sense of mystery and we are left with a straightforward math problem of why things suck and characters are acting the way they are.

I still really want to love it; the parts that are evocative are worth the price of admission. It would be a much better movie if it lost 15 minutes in the middle.

I am really interested in seeing Melancholia based on my enjoyment of Antichrist. I have high hopes for this film, and I think it would be nice to see in the Criterion Collection along side Antichrist, The Element of Crime, and Europa.

I have not yet watched any other LVT, but I have added Manderlay, and The Boss of It All to my instant cue on Netflix, and for those interested, Antichrist as streaming as well.

I am hoping I find more of his work enjoyable...off to watch Manderlay.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by rock, stone

I think you would enjoy the documentary even more if you don't know what happens. The documentary is even structured in a way that it doesn't give away the details. As a film, it is exceptionally well made.

Oh that's good. So I can go into it without knowing anything and still follow it...I definitely want to see it now.

[TheDot]

Just to chip in on the Harvey Milk documentary comments, it's actually one of the finest documentaries I've ever had the pleasure of viewing.

Been a while since I watched Milk, I remember enjoying it, but the documentary was such a powerful and fitting picture of a man whose life and work should be admired and the tragedy of his murder mourned.

[Oblivion138]

I was going to go with Sweet Smell of Success for the best, but ended up going with The Great Dictator. This is probably intellectual dishonesty, as I think Sweet Smell of Success was the better release...but it was my hope that enough votes for The Great Dictator might hasten the release of more Chaplin on Criterion BD.

[Tom Hiddleston]

Originally Posted by TheDot

Just to chip in on the Harvey Milk documentary comments, it's actually one of the finest documentaries I've ever had the pleasure of viewing.

Been a while since I watched Milk, I remember enjoying it, but the documentary was such a powerful and fitting picture of a man whose life and work should be admired and the tragedy of his murder mourned.

I agree. I'll probably watch it again when I have some time and see if I change my mind about wanting to own it. It was extremely well done.

[Beta Man]

I thought "The Times of Harvey Milk" was a very entertaining documentary..... I actually watched "Milk" prior to seeing it, and didn't care too much for the latter. I don't really care for Sean Penn though, so that could have skewed my opinion.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

Would I enjoy the Documentary [ The Times of Harvey Milk ], if I don't know anything about his life?

I thought it was fascinating CoopFilm, including many of the expanded/sidebar interviews in the special features. For one thing, its sense of time, place, and social context was uncanny. Documentaries often get some of those elements right, but rarely all of them, which resulted in a more convincingly 'immersive' experience. At times it was very funny too...watching it was anything but a slog.

And weirdly, despite its documentary style, I thought it was more dramatic than its fictional counterpart. I'd watch this again, but can't say the same for Milk.

[ParticleDan]

Originally Posted by Oblivion138

I was going to go with Sweet Smell of Success for the best, but ended up going with The Great Dictator. This is probably intellectual dishonesty, as I think Sweet Smell of Success was the better release...but it was my hope that enough votes for The Great Dictator might hasten the release of more Chaplin on Criterion BD.

Is there reason to believe that Criterion will be looking at the results of this survey?

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

I thought "The Times of Harvey Milk" was a very entertaining documentary..... I actually watched "Milk" prior to seeing it, and didn't care too much for the latter. I don't really care for Sean Penn though, so that could have skewed my opinion.

I usually like Sean Penn as an actor, but I do think his role as Harvey Milk was badly overrated. Definitely didn't deserve Best Actor for that. Mickey Rourke deserved it and even Sean Penn admitted as much.