The Criterion Collection

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by iScottie

If you folks have any questions or comments about why I like or dislike a certain film, do not hesitate to ask.
[*]Dislikes: films that I do not enjoy. The acting, storyline, relatability, style, or some other element fell really short for me and I do not see myself watching them again. [/LIST]
Dislikes: 8 1/2, Black Moon, Brazil, Design For Living, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Harold And Maude, M, Pale Flower, People On Sunday, Rosetta, The Seventh Seal, Shock Corridor, The Third Man

There are some films in your dislike category, I consider classics: 8 1/2, The Seventh Seal and The Third Man.

I know that 8 1/2 and The Seventh Seal are difficult to grasp the first go around, but with multiple viewings you start to appreciate them (like great literature).

The Third Man is a great movie. I am kind of biased by the fact that I think that Joseph Cotten is an awesome actor (I liked him in Citizen Kane also). To me the greatest part to the movie is the cinematography of Robert Krasker. It is the bible in how you can manipulate light and shadow to make some amazing images. And not to forget to mention, Anton Karas music. I did not know about the zither until I watched this movie.

Why do you dislike these movies, specifically?

[Sherlock_Jr]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Dislikes: 8 1/2, Black Moon, Brazil, Design For Living, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Harold And Maude, M, Pale Flower, People On Sunday, Rosetta, The Seventh Seal, Shock Corridor, The Third Man

This is just...

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Sherlock_Jr

This is just...

I know, I know

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I know, I know

I'm more about Pale Flower than any of those others

[Fellini912]

It is very courageous to post your least favorite criterions. I commend iscottie for being honest.

Sometimes I see posts recommending blind buys of some movies that are more cultish than great.

My least favorite criterion is The Rules of the Game, Repulsion and Lola Montes.
There, I said it.

[Hawkguy]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

It is very courageous to post your least favorite criterions. I commend iscottie for being honest.

Sometimes I see posts recommending blind buys of some movies that are more cultish than great.

My least favorite criterion is The Rules of the Game, Repulsion and Lola Montes.
There, I said it.

That's true...it's sometimes a surprising reaction, but of course we can't all like the same thing...which is great. I can easily say that I'm also not a fan of 8-1/2, but I love Repulsion.

[ElliesDad]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

It is very courageous to post your least favorite criterions. I commend iscottie for being honest.

Sometimes I see posts recommending blind buys of some movies that are more cultish than great.

My least favorite criterion is The Rules of the Game, Repulsion and Lola Montes.
There, I said it.

Very courageous, even with the caveates (any aspirations towards legal training, iscottie?)! It's a little like kicking puppies at the Westminster dog show...nothing hath greater fury than an aesthetically called-out Criterion fan.

Interesting scanning the list though and realizing just how widely divergent a range of tastes that Criterion accomodates. Remarkable thats there's as much respect and equanimity on the thread as there is.

[ZooTv]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Dislikes: 8 1/2, M, Pale Flower, The Third Man

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

That's true...it's sometimes a surprising reaction, but of course we can't all like the same thing...which is great. I can easily say that I'm also not a fan of 8-1/2, but I love Repulsion.

True, it is easier to be polite and always agree.

My strategy in deciding to buy a product on amazon is to take the highest graded review and weigh it with the lowest graded review.

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

Very courageous, even with the caveates (any aspirations towards legal training, iscottie?)! It's a little like kicking puppies at the Westminster dog show...nothing hath greater fury than an aesthetically called-out Criterion fan.

Interesting scanning the list though and realizing just how widely divergent a range of tastes that Criterion accomodates. Remarkable thats there's as much respect and equanimity on the thread as there is.

Great post. You are very insightful, iscottie has posted in the past that he is studying criminology.

Now, I would entreat you to kick some criterion "puppies" of your own.

Disclaimer: I do not and have never participated in animal cruelty, this is all in figurative speech.

[vader4]

Dislikes: 8 1/2, Black Moon, Brazil, Design For Living, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Harold And Maude, M, Pale Flower, People On Sunday, Rosetta, The Seventh Seal, Shock Corridor, The Third Man

This list makes me sad. 8 1/2 and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas are some of my all time favorite movies. A lot of other great ones on there too in fact there's only one I actually dislike which is Black Moon. Enh, to each his own I suppose.

I only really dislike two movies in the collection that I've seen and those are Black Moon and House. I also think Rosemary's Baby and Breathless are overrated which would be sacrilege to some.

[joie]

I disliked 7th Seal so much that I sold it! I'm with Dave Kehr: "It survives today only as an unusually pure example of a typical 50s art-film strategy: the attempt to make the most modern and most popular of art forms acceptable to the intelligentsia by forcing it into an arcane, antique mold."

This is not heresy in Bergman's church. What did Bergman himself have to say about it?

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Why do you dislike these movies, specifically?

8 1/2 was just a bizarre film, in my opinion. I commend the director for what he was trying to do, especially because the film is based on his own writers block, but overall, it was very boring. Towards the end of the film it bounced so much around that I wasn't sure what was going on.

The Seventh Seal was okay, but definitely not a film I would watch again. It had a lot of deep concepts, I feel, but too much to grasp on one viewing. I'm sure I would appreciate it a bit more on a second viewing, but from what I saw the first time around, it wasn't anything as good as people made it out to be.

The Third Man was the film that I was looking forward to the most. I love film-noirs and I thought the concept sounded great. The only good part, in my opinion, was the latter bit. It was a very slow paced film.

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

I'm more about Pale Flower than any of those others

I guess my dislike for Pale Flower is partially due to my dislike for Asian cinema. Parts of the film were okay, but as a whole, it didn't really do it for me.

I want to clarify that I'm not totally against Asian cinema, but from the bulk of the films that I've seen thus far, none of them really won me over. The one I actually liked the most was Hard Boiled

Originally Posted by Fellini912

It is very courageous to post your least favorite criterions. I commend iscottie for being honest.

Sometimes I see posts recommending blind buys of some movies that are more cultish than great.

My least favorite criterion is The Rules of the Game, Repulsion and Lola Montes.
There, I said it.

Thank you, Fellini. I too see that often, but I don't mind voicing my opinions about certain films. Hey, we can't like them all!

Regarding your dislikes, I really liked Repulsion. It's a very dark film. But too each his own. I want to watch Lola Montes, but I often overlook it in my collection. I think I will check it out sometime this week (should I remember).

I hope to dig through the Pierre Etaix collection tomorrow and the rest of the week.

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

Very courageous, even with the caveates (any aspirations towards legal training, iscottie?)! It's a little like kicking puppies at the Westminster dog show...nothing hath greater fury than an aesthetically called-out Criterion fan.

Interesting scanning the list though and realizing just how widely divergent a range of tastes that Criterion accomodates. Remarkable thats there's as much respect and equanimity on the thread as there is.

I'm studying Criminology, as I would like to do Criminal Profiling or some other similar line of work. I'm sort of on the fence about what direction I'm going with my life, but who knows.

I agree about The Criterion Collection. It definitely has some of the most diverse films and genres.

[ElliesDad]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Great post. You are very insightful, iscottie has posted in the past that he is studying criminology.

Now, I would entreat you to kick some criterion "puppies" of your own.

Disclaimer: I do not and have never participated in animal cruelty, this is all in figurative speech.

Can't pass up that invitation! Later, after I satisfy a few real-life demands and expectations...

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Dislikes: 8 1/2, Black Moon, Brazil, Design For Living, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Harold And Maude, M, Pale Flower, People On Sunday, Rosetta, The Seventh Seal, Shock Corridor, The Third Man

I wasn't a huge fan of Black Moon either, and normally I love the weird stuff. I just couldn't get into it. I haven't seen People on Sunday, and I don't own Shock Corridor (liked it though), or The Third Man (I'm kinda neutral to it, I think I'll enjoy it more after I read the Greene novel).

Everything else on your list, I own. There are some I like more than others. I know everyone is upset about 8 1/2 and The Seventh Seal, but Design for Living is the one that upsets me most. I blind bought it based on Fredric March and Gary Cooper (Cooper in a comedy and as a romantic lead? Not as a folksy sort a la Sergeant York or in a Western?), and I really enjoyed it, even thought it's apparently nothing like the Coward play.

I do agree that The Seventh Seal might need a few repeat viewings for some. I enjoyed it first view, and was surprised by it, as I always avoided Bergman due to all the parodies of him. I actually found the film to be quite humourous, and have been a Bergman fan ever since, which is why it's killing me to not be able to get Wild Strawberries in June. However, I need a mice-free domicile, and a reliable vehicle that's not going to fall apart on me, nor require a booster pack every time I have to start it in colder weather.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

I completely agree with your comment. Le Silence de la Mer is a great blu ray. I enjoyed it more than Le Deuxième Souffle. MoC releases high quality blu rays, some region free.

rkish has many MoC and BFI blu rays and has recommended in getting a region 2 blu ray player in the past. There are some movies that will not be released here in states.

Also BFI has some fantastic blu rays. I highly recommend L'Age D'Or BFI blu ray.

Yep, I've also recommended the Masters of Cinema discs. I've also got a bunch from Studio Canal, BFI and Artificial Eye.
Speaking of Artificial Eye, the latest line-up from them has made me very happy: Atom Egoyan's Exotica! They're also releasing his Calendar, The Adjuster and Speaking Parts.
You'll also see they're releasing Olivier Assayas' Après mai and three films from Satyajit Ray.

[Fellini912]

Originally Posted by joie

I disliked 7th Seal so much that I sold it! I'm with Dave Kehr: "It survives today only as an unusually pure example of a typical 50s art-film strategy: the attempt to make the most modern and most popular of art forms acceptable to the intelligentsia by forcing it into an arcane, antique mold."

This is not heresy in Bergman's church. What did Bergman himself have to say about it?

It might not be Bergman's greatest film (Persona or The "God" trilogy), but to ignore the "modern" existential questions is a plain myopic critical view. The ideas of faith or the search of truth will always be current. Also, this movie was made during the Cold War. I find Mr. Kehr critique very superficial


Like any great novel, one revisits the novel or artwork for its ideas. I do not read Dostoevsky just for its 19th century zsarist perspective, I read it because of the great existential questions brought forth by the author.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by obscurelabel

There is a chance, but who knows how business arrangements will work out? StudioCanal decided to do something different with their releases and didn't renew the rights with Criterion, but that could change -- I don't know if the current arrangement is working out as they hoped. The Tati releases were OOP on DVD, then Criterion got them back, then Play Time was announced as going OOP again, now Criterion says they have renewed all of their Tatis.

Since Criterion is working with MGM now, I wouldn't be shocked if some of the old Orion releases came back as Criterions at some point (Sid and Nancy, Silence of the Lambs, Spinal Tap).

I can't afford to buy This is Spinal Tap for the 3rd freaking time. As much as I love the film, and the fact that Michael McKean has lowered himself to respond to several of my tweets, I really can't justify buying it again. Yeah, the DVD was only 3 bucks brand new on clearance the first time, and the BD was 15, but I've being trying (unsucessfully) to avoid double dipping. I've technically triple dipped on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire already. Make sure when you go buy films, no matter how excited you are for them, to check and make sure that they're the widescreen special edition DVD kids, and not the vanilla full-screen version. That way, you don't have to wait 2 years to buy the 2-disc widescreen special edition version at full price in a boutique as the local department stores don't carry it, only to turn around to buy the BD copy of it a year and a half later. GoF is the only film I've ever triple dipped on.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

Selective repression failing....!!! Arrrgggggh!!

give in...

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

It might not be Bergman's greatest film (Persona or The "God" trilogy), but to ignore the "modern" existential questions is a plain myopic critical view. The ideas of faith or the search of truth will always be current. Also, this movie was made during the Cold War. I find Mr. Kehr critique very superficial


Like any great novel, one revisits the novel or artwork for its ideas. I do not read Dostoevsky just for its 19th century zsarist perspective, I read it because of the great existential questions brought forth by the author.

I'm right there with you in Considering Persona and the "God trilogy" his best. However, there's something to be said of his earlier, "lighter" films. Summer Interlude (priced resonably) is a gorgeous piece of work.

What did you make of Rosenbaum's semi take down of Bergman about ten years ago?
http://www-nc.nytimes.com/2007/08/04...nted=all&_r=6&

Personally, I like my existentialism Michael Mann Style (ala Heat & Miami Vice). Oh wait, scratch that...Antonioni Style.