The Criterion Collection

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Anyone pick-up Rosetta on Tuesday?

I received it a week ago and immediately watched it. Really liked it.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

Awesome, thanks. And Happy early birthday.

I too have recently watched The Samurai Trilogy. I just finished the second one tonight. I really enjoyed it. This was the first film I have seen starring Toshiro Mifune that wasn't directed by Kurosawa. After seeing the first two parts I kind of wish this was Sanjuro's backstory. Im looking forward to finishing the trilogy tonight.

You've never watched Shogun, 1941, Hell in the Pacific, Grand Prix, or Midway?

Those are all English language films Toshiro had a part in.

Toshiro is awesome. And You can always pretend it's Sanjuro's backstory, even if it isn't. It's all open to interpretation.

Thanks for the b-day wishes. I'm turning 27, only 3 more years until I'm untrustworthy.

[Darkcritic]

I don't really think the problem is more of films "more/less deserving" in Criterion than it is for films that are in "more/less NEED" from them. Take Mario Peixoto's Limite for example. The film could be or not "desired" by some people but the fact that it remains un-released on any English-friendly territory and that it is a VERY hard-to-get film makes it a more fitting release, at least in my eyes . Not saying things like Mulholland Dr. shouldn't be released but it is a film that is in way less need of a release. Criterion is at the top of their own game when they release films that have NEVER been released or seen before because they are the only ones who can (Even more because they actually HAVE the rights for films such as Limite).

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Banned User

I've always been partial to Arsenic and Old Lace. That film always cracks me up. It would be nice to see some of his films in HD. He seems to be ignored a lot.

Arsenic and Old Lace is easily my favorite Capra but it doesn't seem like a particularly good fit.

If it weren't for Sony's reluctance to release stuff on their own I'd probably just shrug and say 'eh, the studio can do this one'. So I guess in this case it would be more like 'eh, they can let Image or Mill Creek do those'.

[Yami]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

I don't really think the problem is more of films "more/less deserving" in Criterion than it is for films that are in "more/less NEED" from them. Take Mario Peixoto's Limite for example. The film could be or not "desired" by some people but the fact that it remains un-released on any English-friendly territory and that it is a VERY hard-to-get film makes it a more fitting release, at least in my eyes . Not saying things like Mulholland Dr. shouldn't be released but it is a film that is in way less need of a release. Criterion is at the top of their own game when they release films that have NEVER been released or seen before because they are the only ones who can (Even more because they actually HAVE the rights for films such as Limite).

I couldn't agree more with this.

[billzfan]

Ordered Lat Year at Marienbad as a blind buy. ::crossing my fingers::

[octagon]

Originally Posted by jacobb1313

Heaven's Gate contributed to the implosion of the modernist Hollywood auteurist system. I may not like it, but I didn't like half the films I watched in Film School, either. Sometimes deconstructing a disaster is as important to an art form as deconstructing a masterpiece. Certainly more fun.

There's definitely something to be said for this. Every time somebody posts the mock Ishtar or Gigli covers I think 'you know, if they did this the right way...'.

There are a couple potential problems, though...

They're not teaching a film class and they're not doing it on some university's dime. All the resources they devote to a potentially fun but ultimately pointless goof on/deconstruction of Heaven's Gate or Ishtar or Gigli are resources they're not devoting to something, you know, good.

The supplements list for Heaven's Gate doesn't suggest they're going the deconstruction route anyway. Aside from the historian talking about the actual Johnson County War it looks like everybody else involved in the supplements was involved in the film. That doesn't rule out an objective examination of what went right and what didn't but it doesn't seem like that's the approach they're stressing.

[Show spoiler](caveat: I've never seen Heaven's Gate so I'm not necessarily signing onto the notion that it's a disaster at all let alone Ishtar bad. wait a minute, I've actually never seen Ishtar either...eh, doesn't matter, the points all still stand)

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

Awesome, thanks. And Happy early birthday.

I too have recently watched The Samurai Trilogy. I just finished the second one tonight. I really enjoyed it. This was the first film I have seen starring Toshiro Mifune that wasn't directed by Kurosawa. After seeing the first two parts I kind of wish this was Sanjuro's backstory. Im looking forward to finishing the trilogy tonight.

Funny you say that since Kurosawa used Mifunes image and gracefulness from this movie when he made Yojimbo. Ateast according to a film essay on Criterions site

The kind of superswordsman Mifune plays here (Samurai Trilogy) became an indelible part of his image, inspiring even Kurosawa to tweak it in Yojimbo (1961).

So you could kind of say in a way it is his backstory. And it fits perfectly I think. It goes without saying at the start of Yojimbo that the character is fully developed into a confident and able Samurai ( Or Ronin considering he has no master).

Originally Posted by billzfan

Ordered Lat Year at Marienbad as a blind buy. ::crossing my fingers::

Haunting, beautiful and mysterious Film with a utterly confusing and perplexing Storyline. A Ethereal and almost spiritual experience IMO.
I'm always interested in hearing one's response to seeing it. Absolutely unique film.

[Halation]

I consider Marienbad a self-consciously empty puzzle - a game that terminates as soon as you realize that there's nothing beyond the game. It weaves together tropes and references artfully, but it doesn't necessarily sum up to anything very mysterious or profound.

[billzfan]

Originally Posted by Halation

I consider Marienbad a self-consciously empty puzzle - a game that terminates as soon as you realize that there's nothing beyond the game. It weaves together tropes and references artfully, but it doesn't necessarily sum up to anything very mysterious or profound.

That's a common criticism of 2001 and I consider that film one of the greatest ever.

[GoBlu08]

It would be nice if Criterion could put Kurosawas Ran out

[communichaoz]

Originally Posted by GoBlu08

It would be nice if Criterion could put Kurosawas Ran out

First Hidden Fortress!

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by GoBlu08

It would be nice if Criterion could put Kurosawas Ran out

Not gonna happen, they lost it to Studio Canal.

[Snicket]

Does Criterion release sales numbers? I would like to see their top 100 selling blus, it would be interesting.

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by Halation

I consider Marienbad a self-consciously empty puzzle - a game that terminates as soon as you realize that there's nothing beyond the game. It weaves together tropes and references artfully, but it doesn't necessarily sum up to anything very mysterious or profound.

The film is exactly what the makers intended. Open to interpretation.
Its more of a dream to me or the characters are dead and reliving multiple lives in that hotel. Or maybe its the hotel that is haunted. Either way there is little doubting the films technical beauty IMO.

[Halation]

Originally Posted by billzfan

That's a common criticism of 2001 and I consider that film one of the greatest ever.

The distinction I would make here is that 2001's images reach the sort of profundity that Marienbad's themes strive for. I find attempts to interpret and articulate the meaning of Kubrick's film as futile at best and boring at worst, but the actual experience of seeing it is sublime. The outer space that is the setting reinforces this, as it is at once majestic and incomprehensible.

Marienbad, on the other hand, is a game of mirrors - obsessed with interpretation, toying with the devices of cinema in order to toy with the audience. These games and interpretations point reflexively toward our own relation to the film: the film knows we will try to interpret it, knows that this is part of the game of watching a high modernist art film, and is assuring us that no matter how we try we'll never get to the bottom of it. We'll argue ourselves around in circles, but the film's secrets are ultimately unavailable to us.

I think the film is fine, but nothing transcendent.

[prior]

Spoiler warnings would be nice.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

Awesome, thanks. And Happy early birthday.

I too have recently watched The Samurai Trilogy. I just finished the second one tonight. I really enjoyed it. This was the first film I have seen starring Toshiro Mifune that wasn't directed by Kurosawa. After seeing the first two parts I kind of wish this was Sanjuro's backstory. Im looking forward to finishing the trilogy tonight.

Will be seeing it tomorrow, the day as been reserve for that only. Will be fun to see it in one viewing and it's also been a while since I've watch the three movies. If you would like to see something else with Mifune where he's not in a Kurosawa movie and is great in it, Shogun. I do not know wat is the overall reputation of this series but it's been a favorite of mine since it was first on TV back in 1980. Mifune as very good as Toranaga. The character of Toranaga is based on the historical Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by GoBlu08

It would be nice if Criterion could put Kurosawas Ran out

Sadly it's not going to happen. However you could still pick up the Studio Canal release. It does have a bad reputation but it's not really a deserved one. It's also debatable if Criterion could have done a better job with what was the source. It's a improvement over the DVD if not a "ultra amazing one". I did decided to keep my DVD from Criterion however instead of selling it.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Darkcritic

I don't really think the problem is more of films "more/less deserving" in Criterion than it is for films that are in "more/less NEED" from them. Take Mario Peixoto's Limite for example. The film could be or not "desired" by some people but the fact that it remains un-released on any English-friendly territory and that it is a VERY hard-to-get film makes it a more fitting release, at least in my eyes . Not saying things like Mulholland Dr. shouldn't be released but it is a film that is in way less need of a release. Criterion is at the top of their own game when they release films that have NEVER been released or seen before because they are the only ones who can (Even more because they actually HAVE the rights for films such as Limite).

I think this is what Criterion should always go for. I understand why they will go for the more mainstream releases from time to time but in general I like them when they release things that WB, Sony, Paramount....alouette will just never care to release.