The Criterion Collection

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I'll probably go see Oblivion on Monday, since I have the day off for Confederate Memorial Day. (I'm not joking. Being a state government employee in the southeastern U.S. is a trip.)

People keep saying that Oblivion is a boring film, but I'm inclined to think that, if I was not bored at all during To the Wonder, I will find Oblivion quite engaging.

I wasn't bored in the slightest. If you can handle Malick, Oblivion is a Zach Snyder movie.

[The Great Owl]

I'm on a roll right now with posting about To the Wonder, but I want to add another thought.

Terrence Malick's To the Wonder would make a fine double-feature with the Criterion of Wim Wenders's Paris, Texas.

This crossed my mind a few times while I was in the theater watching the Malick film. Like Paris, Texas, To the Wonder excels at depicting the awkward aspects of human interactions that most films glaze over, whether the awkwardness is comical or tense. The dialogue is minimal in To the Wonder, and it even plays like a silent film of sorts, but the film has that lingering air of characters questioning whether they are saying the right thing or whether or now they should have said something at all.

Paris, Texas and To the Wonder are both brilliant in showcasing the wide open spaces of America, where the vastness can strangely work like a prison cell where the lack of borders to bounce our thoughts back to us can seem like a wall in itself.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Snicket

I wasn't bored in the slightest. If you can handle Malick, Oblivion is a Zach Snyder movie.

I've got to disagree with you in principle: Malick films have so much going on, it's not a matter of "handling them" but rather being able to catch everything. His recent films are as densely layered as anything around. (Basically, not all "slow" films are created equal)

From what I've seen of Kosinski (Tron: L), he has the visual touch but nothing resembling visual smarts. I hope he proves me wrong with Oblivion (I doubt it).

[SpiderBaby]

Finally after waiting for it, watched The Lords of Salem and it didn't disappoint.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

Finally after waiting for it, watched The Lords of Salem and it didn't disappoint.

Endorsing a Rob Zombie film on the CC Forum?

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

Finally after waiting for it, watched The Lords of Salem and it didn't disappoint.

I'm intrigued.

I thought that The Devil's Rejects was an effective film, because it depicted truly feral characters who disturbed me more than those in most horror films.

I thought, however, that Rob Zombie's Halloween remake was one of the worst films that I have ever seen in my life, and I never even bothered with his sequel. In retrospect, I understand that both of these films suffered studio intervention that short-changed Rob Zombie's vision, so I suppose that I'll give him a pass.

I'll probably rent this one at some point.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I've got to disagree with you in principle: Malick films have so much going on, it's not a matter of "handling them" but rather being able to catch everything. His recent films are as densely layered as anything around. (Basically, not all "slow" films are created equal)

From what I've seen of Kosinski (Tron: L), he has the visual touch but nothing resembling visual smarts. I hope he proves me wrong with Oblivion (I doubt it).

Oblivion is a no-brainer for me, because...
- M83 handles the score.
- Olga Kurylenko stars in the film.
- This movie has drawn repeated comparisons to The Omega Man.
- The special effects just look cool.
- I can see it for six dollars at a pre-noon matinee.

This will be a triple-feature Olga Kurylenko weekend, it seems, because I'm almost wrapping up my sequential revisits of the Bond films via Blu-ray, and will probably be watching Quantum of Solace later in the weekend.
Yeah, I know.

I have to admit that I am tempted to see Malick's To the Wonder on the big screen again, and I may just do that later on.

I will say that one's appreciation of To the Wonder will depend on whether or not one will enjoy watching the camera follow Olga Kurylenko down sidewalks, across fields, through hallways, and into random buildings. I myself shall respond with a resounding, "Yes."

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Endorsing a Rob Zombie film on the CC Forum?

Maybe because it was great and I don't see the difference between that and endorsing Malick.

[The Great Owl]

My trip to see To the Wonder was my first trip to a movie theater in 2013.

I am reminded of why I enjoy watching movies at home. Although there were less than ten of us in the theater watching To the Wonder, an elderly couple kept talking in almost normal tones here and there through the movie. There was also a sawbeast seated a couple rows in front of me who snacked on two large buckets of popcorn during the film.

For the most part, though, it was an awesome experience.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

Maybe because it was great and I don't see the difference between that and endorsing Malick.

He's garnered quite the following, that's for sure. I was planning on seeing this, do you reccomend a matinee (which I usually do for B-Movies, blockbusters, etc.) or a full priced evening ticket?

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

He's garnered quite the following, that's for sure. I was planning on seeing this, do you reccomend a matinee (which I usually do for B-Movies, blockbusters, etc.) or a full priced evening ticket?

Depends.

If someone loves films like the Coffin Joe Brazilian horror films (the color sequences), Possession, Czech new wave horror films, filmmakers like Ken Russell, Fulci, Argento, Polanski, Kubrick, even Georges Melies, they will find something in this to like. Crazy sequences, like a late 60s-mid 70s pop art visual foreign horror film.

Best example, the weird dream sequences in his Halloween 2, this film is filled with them. Alot of people will not like it, won't pick up influences or think the flashing images and scenes are disgusting but I couldn't care less because I very much enjoyed the film. Zombie is improving film by film as his last 2 has to be my favorite, as a visual filmmaker (like Malick ) he has got it down.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

Depends.

If someone loves films like the Coffin Joe Brazilian horror films, Possession, Czech new wave horror films, filmmakers like Ken Russell, Fulci, Argento, Polanski, Kubrick, even Georges Melies, they will find something in this to like. Crazy sequences, like a late 60s-mid 70s pop art visual foreign horror film.

Best example, the weird dream sequences in his Halloween 2, this film is filled with them. Alot of people will not like it, won't pick up influences or think the flashing images and scenes are disgusting but I couldn't care less because I very much enjoyed the film. Zombie is improving film by film as his last 2 has to be my favorite, as a visual filmmaker (like Malick ) he has got it down.

You just whet my appetite: it sounds like the kind of atmospheric horror I like. If I end up liking 'Lords', I'll be sure to check Halloween 2 out.

[COLD_COBRA_]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

My trip to see To the Wonder was my first trip to a movie theater in 2013.

I am reminded of why I enjoy watching movies at home. Although there were less than ten of us in the theater watching To the Wonder, an elderly couple kept talking in almost normal tones here and there through the movie. There was also a sawbeast seated a couple rows in front of me who snacked on two large buckets of popcorn during the film.

For the most part, though, it was an awesome experience.

a sawbeast? that's new to me. Based on the context, I can only image that to be an obese man making loud eating noises... With a $7 coke one seat over, his technique is to no doubt double fist two hand fulls of popcorn, and put them up to his mouth as if it were a wood chipper.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by COLD_COBRA_

a sawbeast? that's new to me. Based on the context, I can only image that to be an obese man making loud eating noises... With a $7 coke one seat over, his technique is to no doubt double fist two hand fulls of popcorn, and put them up to his mouth as if it were a wood chipper.

That's about right, except that this sawbeast was not overweight. He was of normal weight, but he kept sawing down popcorn through the whole flick.

The sawbeast was not too obtrusive, thankfully. The elderly couple who talked in normal conversational tones almost constantly was an irritation, but I focused on the movie and eventually tuned them out.

[The Great Owl]

StudioCanal is releasing To the Wonder on Blu-ray in the UK on June 17. I wonder who will release it here. If Criterion were to pick up this film, then that would be greaaaaat (using my best Office Space voice).

[COLD_COBRA_]

Originally Posted by Ray_Rogers

FINALLY purchased my first official The Criterion Collection Blu-ray. Only because The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was originally developed by Paramount but released through Criterion. BUT STILL, the first one in the correct clear Scanavo case.

THE GAME #427

I was going to buy The Man Who Knew too Much but it wasn't a rebuy and didn't have enough dosh. Was only $19.99 at Costco so that's a fairly reasonable price for Criterion.

This year I'm taking part in a sale for Criterion. I'd buy quite a lot of titles on my wishlist.

Cool. Didn't know Costco had Criterion's. I'll be by one tomorrow. Saturday at a Costco? There will be yoga pants walking around, too bad the boots are gone from the local talent til fall.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Ray_Rogers

FINALLY purchased my first official The Criterion Collection Blu-ray. Only because The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was originally developed by Paramount but released through Criterion. BUT STILL, the first one in the correct clear Scanavo case.

THE GAME #427

Enjoy! The Game is a fun movie, and it looks beautiful on Blu-ray.

I'm in the minority, but The Game is my favorite David Fincher film.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Enjoy! The Game is a fun movie, and it looks beautiful on Blu-ray.

I'm in the minority, but The Game is my favorite David Fincher film.

Have you heard both audio tracks Owl? And if so, which do you prefer?

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Have you heard both audio tracks Owl? And if so, which do you prefer?

I've only heard one audio track, the one that defaulted when I inserted the Blu-ray. I do not have an elaborate surround sound system, so audio presentation is generally secondary to me, but I do readily notice the best audiophile Blu-rays (Skyfall, etc.).

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Oblivion is a no-brainer for me, because...
- This movie has drawn repeated comparisons to The Omega Man.
- The special effects just look cool.

Really?....So, someone actually DIDN'T compare Oblivion to "The Tom Cruise version of Battlefield: Earth (Kirstie Alley and Isaac Hayes get their turns next!)", then?

Well, that's a change of pace. I'm guessing the second of the two reasons was more in play than the first.