The Criterion Collection

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by octagon

I don't know if I'd agree with that. Obviously I don't know how you would define pretty barren - or well-adapted, for that matter - but I can think of a lot of pretty good to very good book-to-film adaptations.

Your sci-fi point is better taken though. For every Andromeda Strain there seems to be ten Starship Troopers.

Starship Troopers is a great example, I don't hate the movie per say but so much is different from the great Heinlein book

[andsoitgoes]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

I find that Fantasy and/or Children's books fare far worse to be honest. Also, you're also viewing them from a North American/Hollywood perspective. Other parts of tge world, or TV do far better adaptations.

Neverwhere is one that comes to mind. Along with a fair few Pratchett series also get the same treatment. And game of thrones, which while technically am American series seems so incredibly British. Every time they make a movie of a book series, I am always disappointed it wasn't done as a TV series. I truly wonder how much better Harry Potter could have been if it was stretched out properly as a 10 - 13 episode series. As well, I have no issue with Game of Thrones being split, they actually fill the gaps versus meandering like a lot of split movies. Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hobbit (SERIOUSLY, 3 movies for a book the size of a postage stamp?). Hell, can you imagine LOTR made into a series? I might have actually enjoyed it, versus the garbage that they produced. Even though I disliked the book series, god how boring and plodding, they completely decimated some of the most interesting parts. And the pony, the damn pony!!

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Very good idea. My second viewing of all new Criterion is always with the commentaries, it give's me new look into each movie. I am a fan of cinema but no expert, never really study in it and haven't read many books compared to others in this thread. The commentaries always let me take in the story and the movie from another angle

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I usually watch the commentary track during my second viewing as well.

I find that the commentaries sometimes help me understand certain plot points and themes if I am unable to grasp them with my caveman intellect. I also enjoy knowing more about some of the historical context of certain films (the nuclear testing concerns that were a background to Godzilla, for instance, or the historical specifics about Vichy France that are referenced in Army of Shadows).

Yes. I know some people didn't love the Yojimbo/Sanjuro commentaries, They were my first (criterion that is) and it took a film that quickly jumped to the top of my best movies list and solidified it that much more. My movie collection may not be huge, but when considering that most have commentaries, I feel it doubles them.

Originally Posted by *PREACHER*

Thanks BG with the whole talk of B&N going OOB sadly I've been considering nabbing them while I can...also glanced at The Complete Jean Vigo which also looks right up my alley.

Hah, funny you mention that. I put that order in just a few days back, it looks incredibly compelling. For the price, why not snag it??

Originally Posted by *PREACHER*

For anyone that's been on the fence over getting Chungking Express Amazon has it for 17.99. Probably my fav blind buy for 2012. Thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the film.

I believe the film is now OOP through Criterion!

http://www.amazon.com/Chungking-Expr...=criterion+blu

Oooh, it is OOP! I wonder how much the price will jump? I don't normally "hoard", but OOP criterion films almost always soar, will this? I know there's another active release, that didn't seem to hurt The Third Man which goes for what, almost $200?

On another topic, I finally finished Kagemusha yesterday.... I love Kurosawa, but I'm really not sure about it. It was the first movie of his that felt like it went on and on and on and on and on. While Ran wasn't my favorite movie of his, I found it immensely more watchable. But the more I say this, the more I honestly believe that I don't like Kurosawa nearly as much without Mifune or Shimura. Any of his movies that I've felt iffy about are ones without at least one of them. Hell, Red Beard is one of my favorites, a lot of that was do to the awesomeness of Mifune. I guess Nakadai just isn't enough for me.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by andsoitgoes

Neverwhere is one that comes to mind. Along with a fair few Pratchett series also get the same treatment. And game of thrones, which while technically am American series seems so incredibly British. Every time they make a movie of a book series, I am always disappointed it wasn't done as a TV series. I truly wonder how much better Harry Potter could have been if it was stretched out properly as a 10 - 13 episode series. As well, I have no issue with Game of Thrones being split, they actually fill the gaps versus meandering like a lot of split movies. Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hobbit (SERIOUSLY, 3 movies for a book the size of a postage stamp?). Hell, can you imagine LOTR made into a series? I might have actually enjoyed it, versus the garbage that they produced. Even though I disliked the book series, god how boring and plodding, they completely decimated some of the most interesting parts. And the pony, the damn pony!!

Some of the worst offenders of Children's adaptations I can think of happen to be books I still read and enjoy to death as an adult:

A Wrinkle In Time (supposedly a proper adaptation with a real budget is in the works, but the Disney MFT version is horrific, while on the other hand, they did such a fantastic job with Bridge to Terebithia)
The Dark is Rising (bravo, adapt the second book in a 5 book series! Eccleston and McShane were good, but the book is so much better)
The Black Cauldron (I do enjoy this one, but really, Disney totally screwed this one up too. The Black Cauldron is the name of the second novel, and they simplified stuff too much. Also, Fflewddur Fflam was a king damnit, and YOUNG! He wasn't some batty old man! He also could fight, although he was a bit cowardly! They didn't even pronounce his name right. Also, Gurgi was more of an apeman, rather than a talking dog thing that sounded like Donald Duck. Someone seriously needs to do a proper adaptation of the books)
Harriet the Spy (Louise Fitzhugh is so much more smarmy in novel form, and all her other novels are great too. They work better as adult satire on kids)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (I own both the Mel Stuart and the Tim Burton films, but they both leave me disappointed when you read the actual novel)

There are others I can list, but I read them as an adult, although they are children's/Young Adult novels. I just find in many cases, they dumb the films down too much from the books and treat the audience like they're completely stupid. Why do kids movies have to to rely on tweeness and dumb jokes? Authors obviously think more highly of their audience than film makers do.

I agree that TV miniseries often do a better job than some of the Hollywood films, and I do enjoy Tolkien, but agree with you that stretching the Hobbit to 3 films is totally milking it, as Jackson is in many cases, completely changing the story. I do enjoy it for some mindless fun though.

I haven't watched GoT yet, but I finally started reading the novels at my mother's insistence! I read the first book in a little over 3 days. I'm actually going to finish this post to continue on with book 2, which I started at lunch. I'll watch the show after I finish the novels.

I

[Scottie]

Thanks for posting about the sale items.

I ordered The Organizer and The Complete Jean Vigo

[mrjohnnyb]

Long ago, I used to be an Oscar buff. While it no longer saps all of my attention, I am always interested in what the Academy perceives as the year's best foreign films. Here are the nominees:

Amour (Michael Haneke, Austria)
Kon-Tiki (Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg, Norway)
No (Pablo Larrain, Chile)
A Royal Affair (Nikolaj Arcel, Denmark)
War Witch (Kim Nguyen, Canada)

Has anybody on this thread seen any of these films as I have not?

[brandon_260]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

Long ago, I used to be an Oscar buff. While it no longer saps all of my attention, I am always interested in what the Academy perceives as the year's best foreign films. Here are the nominees:

Amour (Michael Haneke, Austria)
Kon-Tiki (Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg, Norway)
No (Pablo Larrain, Chile)
A Royal Affair (Nikolaj Arcel, Denmark)
War Witch (Kim Nguyen, Canada)

Has anybody on this thread seen any of these films as I have not?

Amour is fantastic. Probably my favorite Haneke. I'm very interested in War Witch and No. Shame Sister didn't make it into the nominees, one of the best and most underseen films of the year.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

Long ago, I used to be an Oscar buff. While it no longer saps all of my attention, I am always interested in what the Academy perceives as the year's best foreign films. Here are the nominees:

Amour (Michael Haneke, Austria)
Kon-Tiki (Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg, Norway)
No (Pablo Larrain, Chile)
A Royal Affair (Nikolaj Arcel, Denmark)
War Witch (Kim Nguyen, Canada)

Has anybody on this thread seen any of these films as I have not?

I haven't even seen any of the US films yet

[Cinemach]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Come on, Criterion. Now is your chance to announce Hiroshima, Mon Amour.

Or at least resuscitate the Hulu+ sale on their site, and put this and Leon Morin, Priest on it.

Originally Posted by *PREACHER*

Thanks BG with the whole talk of B&N going OOB sadly I've been considering nabbing them while I can...also glanced at The Complete Jean Vigo which also looks right up my alley.

Jean Vigo is an essential purchase. As one of Criterion's best-ever packages I'd jump on top of that one if you can.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

Long ago, I used to be an Oscar buff. While it no longer saps all of my attention, I am always interested in what the Academy perceives as the year's best foreign films. Here are the nominees:

Amour (Michael Haneke, Austria)
Kon-Tiki (Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg, Norway)
No (Pablo Larrain, Chile)
A Royal Affair (Nikolaj Arcel, Denmark)
War Witch (Kim Nguyen, Canada)

Has anybody on this thread seen any of these films as I have not?

I have not seen any of these, but I'd love to see the Haneke film.

Years ago, I saw Caché at an indie theater here in Atlanta, and loved it. One scene drew the most dramatic audience reaction that I have experienced during a film. (If you've seen the movie, then you know exactly the scene to which I'm referring.) It's one of my favorites in my DVD collection right now.
...and I just now found out through this website that a region-free version exists via Amazon UK. Hmmmm. Next paycheck, perhaps...

Time of the Wolf is another solid Haneke film. I also saw The White Ribbon in the theater a couple years ago, but that one did not reverberate with me as much, because it seemed too forced in a way.

[*PREACHER*]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Thanks for posting about the sale items.

I ordered The Organizer and The Complete Jean Vigo

You are very welcome!

[*PREACHER*]

Originally Posted by Cinemach

Or at least resuscitate the Hulu+ sale on their site, and put this and Leon Morin, Priest on it.



Jean Vigo is an essential purchase. As one of Criterion's best-ever packages I'd jump on top of that one if you can.

Thanks...I'll be ordering that one along with The Organizer & Rosetta...scratch three titles off my list!!!

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by octagon

I haven't even seen any of the US films yet

I'm probably the only one who doesn't care about a single one of them.

[andsoitgoes]

Originally Posted by Cinemach

Or at least resuscitate the Hulu+ sale on their site, and put this and Leon Morin, Priest on it.



Jean Vigo is an essential purchase. As one of Criterion's best-ever packages I'd jump on top of that one if you can.

Glad to hear how vital Jean Vigo is, I'm excited about it arriving

What is this Hulu + sale?

[TJS_Blu]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

.
...and I just now found out through this website that a region-free version exists via Amazon UK. Hmmmm. Next paycheck, perhaps...

It's a great disc. Cheap too.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by TJS_Blu

It's a great disc. Cheap too.

+1 to both

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

I liked Starship Troopers! Although I've never read the book...

I freaking hated that movie but like Pat said, not necessarily because it was terrible, it just had precious little to do with the book. It was quite jarring.

I've actually been meaning to give it another look at some point because you're far from the first person to say 'I dunno, I liked it'.

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by octagon

I freaking hated that movie but like Pat said, not necessarily because it was terrible, it just had precious little to do with the book. It was quite jarring.

I've actually been meaning to give it another look at some point because you're far from the first person to say 'I dunno, I liked it'.

The book is pretty right wing, while the movie is a sly satire of the book's fascist leanings, staring the cast of a 90210 spinoff (none of whom appear to be in on the joke).

I think the movie is a lot of fun, on both a satiric and popcorn shoot em up level.

[dag]

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

Amour (Michael Haneke, Austria)
Kon-Tiki (Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg, Norway)
No (Pablo Larrain, Chile)
A Royal Affair (Nikolaj Arcel, Denmark)
War Witch (Kim Nguyen, Canada)

Has anybody on this thread seen any of these films as I have not?

I saw A Royal Affair last September. I would describe it as a pretty conventional costume drama, detailing a period of relative liberalisation in Denmark as the Danish queen is involved with the country's chief minister, who is a student of the Enlightenment.

I'm actually debating whether to see Amour, as it opens here on January 11.

[andsoitgoes]

Originally Posted by rock, stone

The book is pretty right wing, while the movie is a sly satire of the book's fascist leanings, staring the cast of a 90210 spinoff (none of whom appear to be in on the joke).

I think the movie is a lot of fun, on both a satiric and popcorn shoot em up level.

Neil Patrick Harris made the movie and sure as heck was. He was brilliant in the movie.

[jayputter]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

I haven't watched GoT yet, but I finally started reading the novels at my mother's insistence! I read the first book in a little over 3 days. I'm actually going to finish this post to continue on with book 2, which I started at lunch. I'll watch the show after I finish the novels.

I

I watched season one of game of thrones and absolutely loved it. I read all five of the novels, and i hate to say it but they made me lose all interest in the show. The show is great, but it doesn't hold a candle to the books. I just love the level of depth to the history he creates. It could be that I'm just too far ahead of the plot to appreciate the show anymore, but now the show just falls flat for me. I can't argue with anyone who loves it and finds it incredible, it just doesn't compare with the version i see in my head. I suppose that's the danger with any adaptation, regardless of it's quality.