The Criterion Collection

[blkhrt]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

I, also, watched Antichrist tonight, for the second time, because a friend wanted to watch a "horror" and didn't have the extra half an hour to spend on Rosemary's Baby. Much less rewarding this time around. I found the moments that really kept me on edge the first time around were either really dull without the element of surprise or cringe worthy. Not necessarily a poor film, I really appreciate Lars von Trier's twisted vision here, but the film doesn't hold up well upon second viewing. I definitely pondered different things this time around.

I have to disagree here. I think Antichrist gets more interesting on repeat viewings. There are a lot of different ways to view the film. I mentioned this somewhere on this thread a while ago, but I think the movie can be read as a response to criticisms levied against Von Trier's treatment of women. I think that in this movie Von Trier is making the argument that such a reading of his films amounts to a misunderstanding of his work.

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Aaahh, Twin Peaks, it starts off very strong, in fact the Pilot is the most intriguing stretch of TV I have ever seen, but then it steadily goes downhill. It's hard to say what's worse Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me or Twin Peaks Season 2?

I think the second season of Twin Peaks is actually pretty great. Is it the same as the first season? Absolutely not, but Lynch is doing something very different in the second season, and there are lots of things going on that tie back to what happens in the first few episodes of season one. And come on, can anyone think of a greater closing shot for a series than the last scene in season two? It gives me chills just thinking about it.

[Show spoiler]

Twin Peaks tv series - Last scene - YouTube

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by blkhrt

I have to disagree here. I think Antichrist gets more interesting on repeat viewings. There are a lot of different ways to view the film. I mentioned this somewhere on this thread a while ago, but I think the movie can be read as a response to criticisms levied against Von Trier's treatment of women. I think that in this movie Von Trier is making the argument that such a reading of his films amounts to a misunderstanding of his work.

I posted my thoughts on the film yesterday in Post #62726
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...ostcount=62726

I would appreciate it if you could give me a look and see if it goes in the right direction

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by Page14

I bet those theater seats weren't easy to come by. Many years ago, I moonlighted as a movie projectionist in a very small theater ... 9 rows of seats in all. I wish I would have had a reason to buy the seats when it went out of business ... but I didn't. I did manage to bring home a few theater posters from that time ... but don't have the wall space to hang them. Some day! Very cool that you were able to get a poster of Crumb!

[Show spoiler](That last sentence is my way of keeping this post somewhat OT. )

Thanks for the comments! The seats in the main section I lucked into when an old downtown theatre was being torn down back when I was in college. Most of its seats (which were much newer) had already been removed to use in other theatres being built, but the last few rows in the side section were these old seats from the 20s or 30s. The manager said that if I could haul them away I could have them. They then sat for 30 years in my parents' garage until I constructed my basement theatre five years ago (which until then was just an empty open-studded room I watched movies in). The seats along the right edge, on the other hand, are from a nearby town an hour's drive away that I just learned about last summer. They were still a bargain at $25 apiece!

I spend lots of time in that basement theatre, with Blu-rays from Criterion, Olive, Kino, and Twilight Time making up a majority of my screenings. Criterion's releases, especially, make it less annoying that there are no artcinemas or revival houses in convenient driving distance, as all I need to do is go downstairs. The poster for CRUMB, incidentally, came from our local multiplex, which just happened to have a short-lived monthly artfilm series while CRUMB was in release. Needless to say, very few people attended, but I got to keep the one-sheet, little-realizing I'd have my own copy of the movie with quality rivaling the 35mm screening.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by metaridley

Does anyone else here think Fallen Angels is better than Chungking Express? Of the two, Criterion picked the wrong film to add to their catalog.

I think both films are fantastic--I'd even say they're his two best films...but I don't think it matters which one Criterion chose, because we're lucky enough to have gotten excellent blu-ray releases of both.

Originally Posted by Page14

Is there no love for the movie Crumb in here? I found it to be VERY interesting. I was mesmerized throughout the entire film. And I found Robert Crumb's family to be just as interesting as the man himself. I still need to go through the audio commentaries ... hope to get through one of them today.

I felt the same way about it--fascinating documentary, it was. I personally found much of it very disturbing, it definitely leaves an impression.

Originally Posted by iScottie

Hmm...tempted in ordering Pina and The Qatsi Trilogy

The prices seem pretty high, though. Getting two $40 titles together makes them about $22-ish each, and getting two $50 titles together makes them about $30-ish each. I really want Pina too...but I'd rather it be lower than $30.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Aaahh, Twin Peaks, it starts off very strong, in fact the Pilot is the most intriguing stretch of TV I have ever seen, but then it steadily goes downhill. It's hard to say what's worse Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me or Twin Peaks Season 2?

FWWM is infinitely worse... if only due to the fact that they seemed to scrap all the clues the show spent 16 episodes intricately laying out. Where does the blood on Leo's blue shirt come from? He's not even wearing it in the film, and its one of the major clues in season 1. Not to mention the events of that night as Jacques explains them are completely different in the film. Lynch and Engels messed up big time writing the film, and should've just written a sequel instead.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Page14

Thanks a lot for the replies. I don't know if I've ever seen the film discussed in here ... not recently anyway (... at least not in my recent memory ... hehe). Glad to know that others like it too. I just finished going through it a second time while listening to the 2006 Zwigoff/Ebert commentary. I have to admit that I dozed off in my easy chair a couple times (oops), but even with that, I enjoyed what I heard of the commentary very much.

Like you say, Blu-Velvet, it might not lend itself to frequent viewing (although that might depend on the viewer ... like anything else), but it sure is worthwhile seeing at least once ... to me anyway.

I'm not aware of Ghost World. I'll have to make a mental note of it, in case I ever come across it. I'm very aware of American Movie though ... another film that might not lend itself to many multiple viewings, but it's a fun one to see (IMHO).

Also Blu-Velvet ... I absolutely love your theater. WOW!!! That's a dream setting to me ... that I would love to see in my own house some day. I guess I need to work on buying a house first though.

Please see Ghost World! It's one of the best films of the 2000's and a very moving post-High School/pre-adulthood story. After seeing it, I bought the DVD because I couldn't wait two, three years for it to hit blu ray.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by retablo

FWWM is infinitely worse... if only due to the fact that they seemed to scrap all the clues the show spent 16 episodes intricately laying out. Where does the blood on Leo's blue shirt come from? He's not even wearing it in the film, and its one of the major clues in season 1. Not to mention the events of that night as Jacques explains them are completely different in the film. Lynch and Engels messed up big time writing the film, and should've just written a sequel instead.

That very well may be, as I haven't seen Twin Peaks S2 in years. But, yes FWWM is a mess with very little redeeming artistry (if any).

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Please see Ghost World! It's one of the best films of the 2000's and a very moving post-High School/pre-adulthood story. After seeing it, I bought the DVD because I couldn't wait two, three years for it to hit blu ray.

I hadn't seen it spoken of that highly...I've been planning on reading the graphic novel for a while now, I should give the film a look.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by Blu-Velvet

CRUMB is one of my favorite documentaries of all time, and as you say, it is truly mesmerizing. It's fascinating, funny, sad, and more. It's also very intense to sit through and very memorable, so it may not lend itself to frequent viewing like some other films do, such as the equally fascinating and sad but far more humorous AMERICAN MOVIE (which really should be on Blu-ray). Although I bought Criterion's Blu-ray of CRUMB, I actually haven't seen the film since it played theatrically. I do have the original one-sheet up on the wall in my basement theatre, however! It's really time to sit down and watch it again. I'd also love to see a Blu-ray release of GHOST WORLD.

[Show spoiler]

That's a fantastic set-up!
How long did it take you to get that finished?

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

The prices seem pretty high, though. Getting two $40 titles together makes them about $22-ish each, and getting two $50 titles together makes them about $30-ish each. I really want Pina too...but I'd rather it be lower than $30.

Well I got Qatsi for $56 and Pina for $17, so I'm pretty content.

Also I'm almost halfway through 3 Women but I stopped to take a dinner break. I really like it so far.

[KrugerIndustrial]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Well I got Qatsi for $56 and Pina for $17, so I'm pretty content.

Also I'm almost halfway through 3 Women but I stopped to take a dinner break. I really like it so far.

You're in for a treat! The second half is completely different.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

I hadn't seen it spoken of that highly...I've been planning on reading the graphic novel for a while now, I should give the film a look.

Disclaimer: it's a little quirky...not Wes quirky but more like cultured and off beat. The characters are much more informed by real life than a Wes Anderson film, too. I think general audiences were a bit put off by the matter of fact nature of some of the plot developments and it's sense of dry humor.

[IronWaffle]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Disclaimer: it's a little quirky...not Wes quirky but more like cultured and off beat. The characters are much more informed by real life than a Wes Anderson film, too. I think general audiences were a bit put off by the matter of fact nature of some of the plot developments and it's sense of dry humor.

It is quirky but not cutesy quirky or winky or twee. Dry is a good word. Very good little movie.

Edit: "food" word? Either the iPad is messing with me or over the last few weeks I've become a typo maniac.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Disclaimer: it's a little quirky...not Wes quirky but more like cultured and off beat. The characters are much more informed by real life than a Wes Anderson film, too. I think general audiences were a bit put off by the matter of fact nature of some of the plot developments and it's sense of dry humor.

Originally Posted by IronWaffle

It is quirky but not cutesy quirky or winky or twee. Dry is a food word. Very good little movie.

That's good--considering I'm not a fan of his work, so I'll more than likely see this eventually. I hate the word 'quirky' because it's been associated with exactly that type of film you guys seem to be saying this isn't.

[Page14]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Please see Ghost World! It's one of the best films of the 2000's and a very moving post-High School/pre-adulthood story. After seeing it, I bought the DVD because I couldn't wait two, three years for it to hit blu ray.

With that kind of recommendation, I'll be sure to watch for it ... either on cable or better yet, when/if it comes out on bluray! Thanks for the tip. If it takes too long, I'll go for the DVD too.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iScottie

12 Angry Men and The Double Life Of Veronique are very safe choices. I recently saw both of them a week or two weeks ago and they've easily made their way into my top 10 films of all time.

+1. Veronique is worth owning just for the special features.

[Page14]

Originally Posted by Blu-Velvet

Thanks for the comments! The seats in the main section I lucked into when an old downtown theatre was being torn down back when I was in college. Most of its seats (which were much newer) had already been removed to use in other theatres being built, but the last few rows in the side section were these old seats from the 20s or 30s. The manager said that if I could haul them away I could have them. They then sat for 30 years in my parents' garage until I constructed my basement theatre five years ago (which until then was just an empty open-studded room I watched movies in). The seats along the right edge, on the other hand, are from a nearby town an hour's drive away that I just learned about last summer. They were still a bargain at $25 apiece!

I spend lots of time in that basement theatre, with Blu-rays from Criterion, Olive, Kino, and Twilight Time making up a majority of my screenings. Criterion's releases, especially, make it less annoying that there are no artcinemas or revival houses in convenient driving distance, as all I need to do is go downstairs. The poster for CRUMB, incidentally, came from our local multiplex, which just happened to have a short-lived monthly artfilm series while CRUMB was in release. Needless to say, very few people attended, but I got to keep the one-sheet, little-realizing I'd have my own copy of the movie with quality rivaling the 35mm screening.

Thanks for sharing the theater's background story with us. Great story and very cool! I also love the 2 small projection room windows in the back. Nice touch! Is that a real projector I see back there? (Just curious).

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Disclaimer: it's a little quirky...not Wes quirky but more like cultured and off beat. The characters are much more informed by real life than a Wes Anderson film, too. I think general audiences were a bit put off by the matter of fact nature of some of the plot developments and it's sense of dry humor.

I am not a fan of the Wes Anderson films at all, but I am a huge fan of Ghost World. The off-the-wall observations in Ghost World work toward the overall integrity of the story, because the movie is primarily about the people who do not fit in with the rest of society and who live in a "ghost world" of sorts where their way of life causes them to be ignored, as if they were living in an empty vacuum. Ghost World utilizes comedic sequences to point the finger at both the masses who seem to follow vapid rituals just to fit in and the loners who pay the ultimate price for the sake of their individualism.

[spanky87]

Originally Posted by retablo

FWWM is infinitely worse... if only due to the fact that they seemed to scrap all the clues the show spent 16 episodes intricately laying out. Where does the blood on Leo's blue shirt come from? He's not even wearing it in the film, and its one of the major clues in season 1. Not to mention the events of that night as Jacques explains them are completely different in the film. Lynch and Engels messed up big time writing the film, and should've just written a sequel instead.

FWWM is one of the biggest disappointments in cinema history for me. Story was all over the place, and the tone was waaay off and not in line with the rest of the series. Sad to see so many characters missing, Kyle MacLachlan with nothing to do, and the terrible re-casting. Big time wasted potential.

Also, after you get over that bumpy middle portion of season 2, it's a lot of fun.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I am not a fan of the Wes Anderson films at all, but I am a huge fan of Ghost World. The off-the-wall observations in Ghost World work toward the overall integrity of the story, because the movie is primarily about the people who do not fit in with the rest of society and who live in a "ghost world" of sorts where their way of life causes them to be ignored, as if they were living in an empty vacuum. Ghost World utilizes comedic sequences to point the finger at both the masses who seem to follow vapid rituals just to fit in and the loners who pay the ultimate price for the sake of their individualism.

Being in that "in-between stage" myself also makes it resonate deeply.

I especially like it that Zwigoff isn't such a wallpaper nut. I really like Tenenbaums, but placing dark brown wallpaper to match the skin of black characters is just flat out racist, I think?