The Criterion Collection

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by iScottie

No. I'm not ready to part with the Criterions I don't like yet.

So, collect dust it will.

Hopefully I am not disappointed by the film.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by zoodermin

Hey people, I want your opinions on The Wages of Fear. I've been hearing a lot of great stuff about it and since its half off I'm on the fence to buy it. Thanks!

My advice is to buy The Wages of Fear, watch it, and spend the rest of your summer laughing about how much better this film is than any big-budget adventure film that comes out in 2013.

In short, I cannot recommend The Wages of Fear enough. It takes a bit to get started, but you're going to be hooked once those trucks get rolling, and you're going to be on the edge of your seat for the remainder of the film.

Now, I believe that Sweet Smell of Success is almost as good as The Wages of Fear. Almost as good as in one third of a percentage point almost as good. They're both masterful films, but The Wages of Fear wins by the hair on its chin.

[mrjohnnyb]

I know it's not a Criterion, but one of the films that I purchased for a mere $10.79 during the recent B&N 40% blu ray sale was Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon. It was a blind buy, so I just watched it for the first time two nights ago. I was completely blown away. What an incredible film! The reason I bring it up is that it reminded me of a film that is talked about often on this blog: Picnic at Hanging Rock. Both films have a mystery at its core, but it really serves as a MacGuffin. Both films are really about the reactions that other characters have regarding the mystery.

For those of you who have not seen it, try to!

[nametag]

Originally Posted by James78

I agree. I think Secrets and Lies would have been a better choice for the Criterion collection, but there you are!

Agreed. Life is Sweet has some great scenes, but some characters (especially Nicola/Jane Harrocks) are really over the top for me, and don't come off as realistically as I think they're supposed to. High Hopes suffers from this as well, and they're both my least favourite Leigh films.

Would LOVE a Secrets and Lies release though, I'm slightly surprised it hasn't got one yet considering it's probably his most famous film from the 80s or 90s.

Own Naked, but still not seen it. Another Year and All or Nothing are also great / much better than Life is Sweet.

[brake]

Last night from Amazon, purchased:

On the Waterfront
Three Colors: Blue, White, Red
Sweet Smell of Success
The Kid with a Bike
Rosetta

All blind buys except Rosetta and The Kid with a Bike. Love the Dardenne Brothers' films. I'll be getting La Promesse from B&N too. I sincerely hope their other films are released on Blu-ray at some stage soon.

I wanted The Game, but forgot. Hoping to pick it up from B&N.

My wish list from B&N:

The Game
Close-Up
Fanny and Alexander
Tiny Furniture
Hunger
La Promesse

All blind except Hunger and La Promesse.

There's about another 15 - 20 that I want, but I'll hold off.


Can anyone suggest any other titles along the lines of:

Revanche
Hunger
La Promesse
Rosetta
The Kid with a Bike
Michael Haneke's films

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I just finished Life Is Sweet. What a drag...

I'm not sure if we're supposed to find these characters humorous or what, but they got annoying quite easily, especially that Nicola. Hell, she ruined most of the movie for me.

I have zero inclination to buy Life is Sweet. From what I've heard, this movie is condemned to the losers' table in the Criterion lunch cafeteria. Along with the Wes Anderson movies, Tiny Furniture, and a few others.

I guess that I should actually see Life is Sweet and Tiny Furniture before condemning them to the losers' table, but, then again, I might not bother.

Ever so often, Wes Anderson's first two films are allowed to sit at the cheerleaders' table, but some popular football captain always eventually beats them up and reminds them how inferior they are.

[UNCMT9]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

My advice is to buy The Wages of Fear, watch it, and spend the rest of your summer laughing about how much better this film is than any big-budget adventure film that comes out in 2013.

In short, I cannot recommend The Wages of Fear enough. It takes a bit to get started, but you're going to be hooked once those trucks get rolling, and you're going to be on the edge of your seat for the remainder of the film.

Now, I believe that Sweet Smell of Success is almost as good as The Wages of Fear. Almost as good as in one third of a percentage point almost as good. They're both masterful films, but The Wages of Fear wins by the hair on its chin.

The

[Show spoiler]ending hit me like a punch in the gut. It's like Clouzot said "take that and stick it!!"

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by UNCMT9

The

[Show spoiler]ending hit me like a punch in the gut. It's like Clouzot said "take that and stick it!!"

[Show spoiler]Viewer: "Life can't really be that bad."
Clouzot: "Yes, yes it really can be. Mwahahahahahaha."

[octagon]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

I'll admit, I do like Another Year. It's just that I wish we'd gotten more films like Naked, because I find that film close to perfect.

It's hard to believe they were directed by the same guy and it's really hard to believe they were written by the same guy.

I like Another Year just fine but yeah, Naked is exponentially better.

[Abdrewes]

Regarding Life is Sweet, is the female character in question over the top like Sally Hawkins in Happy go Lucky, like Sweetie in the Jane Campion film?

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by octagon

It's hard to believe they were directed by the same guy and it's really hard to believe they were written by the same guy.

I like Another Year just fine but yeah, Naked is exponentially better.

They are so vastly different, so I won't even try to contrast them. All I know is that they both made my top 20's of their respective years...

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

I know it's not a Criterion, but one of the films that I purchased for a mere $10.79 during the recent B&N 40% blu ray sale was Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon. It was a blind buy, so I just watched it for the first time two nights ago. I was completely blown away. What an incredible film! The reason I bring it up is that it reminded me of a film that is talked about often on this blog: Picnic at Hanging Rock. Both films have a mystery at its core, but it really serves as a MacGuffin. Both films are really about the reactions that other characters have regarding the mystery.

For those of you who have not seen it, try to!

I saw The White Ribbon at the theater when it was released here in Atlanta. I did not warm up to it quite as much as I loved Caché (Hidden), but I still thought that it was a beautiful and enigmatic work of cinema art.

If you liked The White Ribbon, then I highly recommend Clouzot's Le Corbeau. Sadly, Le Corbeau is only available on Criterion DVD at the moment, but it's worth checking out nonetheless.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by UNCMT9

The

[Show spoiler]ending hit me like a punch in the gut. It's like Clouzot said "take that and stick it!!"

[Show spoiler]Maybe I've just been jaded by decades of cheap horror movie stingers but that actually seemed a little manipulative to me. When that sequence started my immediate reaction was 'oh come on, you've gotta be kidding'.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I saw The White Ribbon at the theater when it was released here in Atlanta. I did not warm up to it quite as much as I loved Caché (Hidden), but I still thought that it was a beautiful and enigmatic work of cinema art.

If you liked The White Ribbon, then I highly recommend Clouzot's Le Corbeau. Sadly, Le Corbeau is only available on Criterion DVD at the moment, but it's worth checking out nonetheless.

I thought it couldn't be done, but you successfully unearthed a commonality between Cluzout and Haneke. Bravo, you didn't even need to play the"six degrees of separation" game.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I thought it couldn't be done, but you successfully unearthed a commonality between Cluzout and Haneke. Bravo, you didn't even need to play the"six degrees of separation" game.

Can you imagine sitting at a dinner table with Clouzot and Haneke. I know that I can be a bleak introverted guy sometimes, but I have a feeling that I'd be the cool outgoing positive participant in that particular conversation. Compared to those two, I'm probably like that annoying waiter with all the "flair" in Mike Judge's Office Space.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Can you imagine sitting at a dinner table with Clouzot and Haneke. I know that I can be a bleak introverted guy sometimes, but I have a feeling that I'd be the cool outgoing positive participant in that particular conversation. Compared to those two, I'm probably like that annoying waiter with all the "flair" in Mike Judge's Office Space.

I'm sure if Bret Ratner joined them, he would have been murdered after the second shrimp cocktail

[UNCMT9]

Originally Posted by octagon

[Show spoiler]Maybe I've just been jaded by decades of cheap horror movie stingers but that actually seemed a little manipulative to me. When that sequence started my immediate reaction was 'oh come on, you've gotta be kidding'.

When

[Show spoiler]he started driving, I knew it was inevitable.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I'm sure if Bret Ratner joined them, he would have been murdered after the second shrimp cocktail

That would be a rather fascinating dinner.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by UNCMT9

When

[Show spoiler]he started driving, I knew it was inevitable.

I'm with you UNC, when all the pieces lined up

[Show spoiler]my heart sank. I probably let out a big Darth Vader Noo!

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by UNCMT9

When

[Show spoiler]he started driving, I knew it was inevitable.

[Show spoiler]When he received the money, I already had the "This will not end well." vibe going through my mind.

Yves Montand would go on to play Jansen in Melville's Le Cercle Rouge. Such a brilliant actor.