The Criterion Collection

[Boob-Ray]

Gosh this a thread monster!!!!

I'm on the edge about getting the The Great Dictator. Since there are almost never any threads on Criterions, I just wanted to ask if this film is worth a purchase. I already picked up The Gold Rush - I'm just not sure about this one. Anyone care to share their thoughts?

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Boob-Ray

Gosh this a thread monster!!!!

I'm on the edge about getting the The Great Dictator. Since there are almost never any threads on Criterions, I just wanted to ask if this film is worth a purchase. I already picked up The Gold Rush - I'm just not sure about this one. Anyone care to share their thoughts?

The Great Dictator is a wonderful movie which is many time not well understood by most people. It's a political satire and one of the best ever made as well, it does get a bit preachy for some at the end but the message in it is great. I would recommend you see it.

[Boob-Ray]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

The Great Dictator is a wonderful movie which is many time not well understood by most people. It's a political satire and one of the best ever made as well, it does get a bit preachy for some at the end but the message in it is great. I would recommend you see it.

Thanks! I've seen some of it on TCM. Not much though. My preference is for the early silents...but seeing this is Chaplin and Oscar-caliber and Criterion...and on sale I'm thinking I should snag one. How rewatchable is it?

[Hendershot737]

Originally Posted by Boob-Ray

Thanks! I've seen some of it on TCM. Not much though. My preference is for the early silents...but seeing this is Chaplin and Oscar-caliber and Criterion...and on sale I'm thinking I should snag one. How rewatchable is it?

Depends on how well you like Chaplin. I've just jumped on the Chaplin bandwagon and can see myself definitely watching his movies again as well as playing it for friends. So, to me, yes, most of his movies are definitely rewatchable...but like most movies, it just depends on you

[Boob-Ray]

Originally Posted by Hendershot737

Depends on how well you like Chaplin. I've just jumped on the Chaplin bandwagon and can see myself definitely watching his movies again as well as playing it for friends. So, to me, yes, most of his movies are definitely rewatchable...but like most movies, it just depends on you

Thanks - I'm relatively new to Chaplin as well. I realize it's a stretch to ask if one should get a movie or not -- but it's hard to do research on Criterions here. It's just one big python thread. But I put just as much stock in crowd wisdom than I do official reviews -- which are just one person's opinion.

[Darkcritic]

I just got around $250 of Best Buy gift cards and plan to spend them on Criterion on my next trip . I can only get films that are available in store so I already checked in the site which films they have around the place I am visiting. I want to get some films (Prefer not to spend it all on Criterion, there are games to buy !) but have not decided which ones to get as there are many titles I am interested in. Here are the ones I want to get and would like to hear your opinion :

- Anatomy of a Murder
- Night of the Hunter
- 3 Women
- The Last Temptation of Christ
- Pale Flower
- Sweet Smell of Success

I am almost sure about the first two but all the other four are up to debate. I am really curious about 3 Women, though. I am also open to suggestions but I wish to keep it only on titles I can get at Best Buy in-store .

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

I just got around $250 of Best Buy gift cards and plan to spend them on Criterion on my next trip . I can only get films that are available in store so I already checked in the site which films they have around the place I am visiting. I want to get some films (Prefer not to spend it all on Criterion, there are games to buy !) but have not decided which ones to get as there are many titles I am interested in. Here are the ones I want to get and would like to hear your opinion :

- Anatomy of a Murder
- Night of the Hunter
- Pale Flower
- Sweet Smell of Success

I am almost sure about the first two but all the other four are up to debate. I am really curious about 3 Women, though. I am also open to suggestions but I wish to keep it only on titles I can get at Best Buy in-store .

I honestly couldn't get into 3 Women and I still haven't watched Last Temptation (have the book on my to-read list though)

Your first two choices are two of my favourites and are my to choices, with SSoS coung in 3rd, and Pale Flower 4th. All 4 are highly rewatchable.

[Boob-Ray]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

I just got around $250 of Best Buy gift cards and plan to spend them on Criterion on my next trip . I can only get films that are available in store so I already checked in the site which films they have around the place I am visiting. I want to get some films (Prefer not to spend it all on Criterion, there are games to buy !) but have not decided which ones to get as there are many titles I am interested in. Here are the ones I want to get and would like to hear your opinion :

- Anatomy of a Murder
- Night of the Hunter
- 3 Women
- The Last Temptation of Christ
- Pale Flower
- Sweet Smell of Success

I am almost sure about the first two but all the other four are up to debate. I am really curious about 3 Women, though. I am also open to suggestions but I wish to keep it only on titles I can get at Best Buy in-store .

I only own "Hunter" and "Success." Both were fantastic. For as many movies as I've bought over the years -- and many Criterions -- I seldom finish a movie in one sitting. For whatever reason (I get side-tracked, I start it too late in the evening) I usually watch movies in shifts.

Those two I sat the whole way through. Loved 'em.

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

I just got around $250 of Best Buy gift cards and plan to spend them on Criterion on my next trip . I can only get films that are available in store so I already checked in the site which films they have around the place I am visiting. I want to get some films (Prefer not to spend it all on Criterion, there are games to buy !) but have not decided which ones to get as there are many titles I am interested in. Here are the ones I want to get and would like to hear your opinion :

- Anatomy of a Murder
- Night of the Hunter
- 3 Women
- The Last Temptation of Christ
- Pale Flower
- Sweet Smell of Success

I am almost sure about the first two but all the other four are up to debate. I am really curious about 3 Women, though. I am also open to suggestions but I wish to keep it only on titles I can get at Best Buy in-store .

I thing your safest choices are Anatomy of a Murder & Sweet Smell of Success . Both great films.

Not sure if you like Japanese films, but Pale Flower comes highly recommended.

Night of the Hunter is more expressionistic, dreamlike fairy tale. Great movie, but not for everyone.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

- Anatomy of a Murder
- Night of the Hunter
- 3 Women
- The Last Temptation of Christ
- Pale Flower
- Sweet Smell of Success

I haven't watched TLToC or 3 Women yet but you absolutely cannot go wrong with any of the others.

I would say Sweet Smell of Success is the 'must buy' in that list. They're all excellent but the other three each have one or more 'well, if you like that sort of thing' elements whereas SSoS gets a slight edge in that it hits all of the notes perfectly all the way through the films.

But again, you can't go wrong with any of them.

[Yami]

Night of the Hunter is one of my favourite films. Highly recommended

[DeyoreW]

A Criterion Collector for over ten years now, I have just about all the blu-rays and many of the DVDs.

After having a child recently and trying to "child proof" the house a bit, I got the bug to weed through my criterions and pull out the "adult films" and put in a box out of sight. There are so many films I haven't gotten around to watch though.

I wonder if we could compile a quick list of all criterion films with a very "adult" them or scene. I am talking rape scenes, gratuitous nudity and sex, excessive violence and language.

A start would be:
Salo
Antichrist
In the realm of the Senses

I am not looking for a lot of commentary or reasoning just a list of films I would not want to come home and see the wife and kids accidentally putting in.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by DeyoreW

I would not want to come home and see the wife and kids accidentally putting in.

Is that really a concern? How old are the children (or the wife for that matter )

I would just devote a small closet to all of my media, and leave nothing but children's movies on a small shelf.

I 'lock' my entire media room, kid movies included (not really lock, as it's just a hook-and-eye latch on a pocket door towards the top where my kids can't reach it)

When my kids get older, and start taking chairs to reach higher etc... It'll be pad-lock time....

My wife hasn't seen "Antichrist" (maybe I've watched it with her, I don't remember though) but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't go pick it out, and pop it in when the kids are there.... she does possess a little common sense and motherly instinct after-all.

[jacobb1313]

Originally Posted by DeyoreW

A Criterion Collector for over ten years now, I have just about all the blu-rays and many of the DVDs.

After having a child recently and trying to "child proof" the house a bit, I got the bug to weed through my criterions and pull out the "adult films" and put in a box out of sight. There are so many films I haven't gotten around to watch though.

I wonder if we could compile a quick list of all criterion films with a very "adult" them or scene. I am talking rape scenes, gratuitous nudity and sex, excessive violence and language.

A start would be:
Salo
Antichrist
In the realm of the Senses

I am not looking for a lot of commentary or reasoning just a list of films I would not want to come home and see the wife and kids accidentally putting in.

I've had to do something similar. I'll only speak to ones I've seen.

Revanche (Sex/Nudity)
Videodrome (The whole shebang)
Belle de Jour (Themes/Sex)
Kuroneko (Rape/Themes)
Gomorrah (Violence)
Nearly all Shohei Imamura Films
Onibaba (Sex/Nudity)
Brand Upon the Brain! (Nudity/Themes)
Mishima (Sex/Nudity/Themes)
Man Who Fell to Earth (Sex/Nudity/Themes)
Nearly all Seijun Suzuki Films
Straw Dogs (Rape/Violence)
Maitresse (Sex/Themes)
Man Bites Dog (Rape/Sex/Violence/Themes)
Blood For Dracula (Sex/Gore)
Flesh For Frankenstein (Sex/Gore)

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by DeyoreW

A Criterion Collector for over ten years now, I have just about all the blu-rays and many of the DVDs.

After having a child recently and trying to "child proof" the house a bit, I got the bug to weed through my criterions and pull out the "adult films" and put in a box out of sight. There are so many films I haven't gotten around to watch though.

I wonder if we could compile a quick list of all criterion films with a very "adult" them or scene. I am talking rape scenes, gratuitous nudity and sex, excessive violence and language.

A start would be:
Salo
Antichrist
In the realm of the Senses

I am not looking for a lot of commentary or reasoning just a list of films I would not want to come home and see the wife and kids accidentally putting in.

Drive, He Said has quite a bit of full frontal male nudity
Belle de jour is a bit iffy
Branded to Kill one might argue is super weird for kids (I would have loved it as a kid though)
Carlos (You should sit down with your kids and watch it, depending on how old they are, my mother made me read and watch Roots at 11, so we could discuss it so what do I know?)
Fear and Loathing might be iffy
Gomorrah (watch and discuss)
La Haine (watch it with them and discuss)
hunger (unsettling from what I hear)
Kes (no child should see the end, I can;t handle it as an adult)
repulsion's iffy
naked's iffy
shallow grave's iffy
something wild's iffy
traffic's iffy
videodrome


I don't know how you parent or how old your kids are. All those films would have been accessible to me by age 10.

[fkbrun]

Originally Posted by DeyoreW

I am not looking for a lot of commentary or reasoning just a list of films I would not want to come home and see the wife and kids accidentally putting in.

Fat girl. Lots of nudity, sex AND violence. The ending left me like this

[colinrgeorge]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

I just got around $250 of Best Buy gift cards and plan to spend them on Criterion on my next trip . I can only get films that are available in store so I already checked in the site which films they have around the place I am visiting. I want to get some films (Prefer not to spend it all on Criterion, there are games to buy !) but have not decided which ones to get as there are many titles I am interested in. Here are the ones I want to get and would like to hear your opinion :

- Anatomy of a Murder
- Night of the Hunter
- 3 Women
- The Last Temptation of Christ
- Pale Flower
- Sweet Smell of Success

I am almost sure about the first two but all the other four are up to debate. I am really curious about 3 Women, though. I am also open to suggestions but I wish to keep it only on titles I can get at Best Buy in-store .

I loved 3 Women. I definitely recommend you pick that up if you're a fan of David Lynch-ian drama.

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by Simple Lines

So what's definite in the future from CC?

Apu Trilogy
Badlands
The Blob
Breaking the Waves
On the Waterfront
Pasolini Trilogy

...what else?

The Qatsi trilogy. At least, the director mentioned it a while ago, and you could supposedly read it on that piece of paper that was posted by Criterion some time ago.

[colinrgeorge]

Originally Posted by KubrickFan

The Qatsi trilogy. At least, the director mentioned it a while ago, and you could supposedly read it on that piece of paper that was posted by Criterion some time ago.

Bah, I've had my hopes up about a Criterion edition of Koyaanisqatsi forever, but have found no recent evidence to suggest they're working on it.

[JHas]

Originally Posted by colinrgeorge

I loved 3 Women. I definitely recommend you pick that up if you're a fan of David Lynch-ian drama.

I would second this. Great Altman film that I knew nothing about prior to blind buying the Criterion during the last B&N sale. It's got a creepy/strangenss to it but doesn't have the full blown "naked midget talking backwards on a unicorn," imagery that a Lynch film would have.