Darn, my library only has the shorter version of The Tin Drum. How much of a loss is it to view that version instead of the extended one on the Criterion disc?
Basically, I'm wondering if viewing the shorter version will give me a good enough sense of the longer version, or if they're different enough that I would have to view the extended version to make a decision on whether to get the BD or not.
Darn, my library only has the shorter version of The Tin Drum. How much of a loss is it to view that version instead of the extended one on the Criterion disc?
Basically, I'm wondering if viewing the shorter version will give me a good enough sense of the longer version, or if they're different enough that I would have to view the extended version to make a decision on whether to get the BD or not.
The shorter version is the director's cut. The new one is what Criterion is calling the "complete cut." In the extras of the old DVD, the director says that he made certain cuts to remain faithful to the novel. If I remember correctly, the old DVD has some or all of the cuts as extras. There is a UK Blu-ray with both cuts.
The shorter version is the director's cut. The new one is what Criterion is calling the "complete cut." In the extras of the old DVD, the director says that he made certain cuts to remain faithful to the novel. If I remember correctly, the old DVD has some or all of the cuts as extras. There is a UK Blu-ray with both cuts.
Interesting, thanks. It sounds like some of the cuts also remove certain racy material, though not necessarily out of 'censorship'.
So, we had our first 'dud' from Criterion last night.
It's not a terrible film, but we did have problems with it and we wouldn't watch it ever again, so I'll probably put it up on Ebay later.
The movie was Something Wild.
And we didn't hate it, but found The Manic Pixie Dream Girl character pretty awful, and the movie to be super lacking in consequences. It really romanticizes some crappy behaviour.
We've had 25 successes before this one miss, so those are terrific odds - I'm certainly not complaining.
And Daniels and Liotta were fantastic (the second half of the movie was much more enjoyable than the first, once Liotta comes into the picture)
Love the film! Here are my thoughts:
[Show spoiler]
Quote:
Writing effectively about a film over a quarter of a century old poses many challenges, and Lord knows I'm not the one to transcend them. Belonging to a later generation, It's tempting to fall back on established critical consensus while topically discussing the film's intrinsic links to social and political movements. Fortunately, the core ideals of Jonathan Demme's film have not yet lost their relevance.
One week removed from my final Spring exams, the summer full-time work season has just begun. After a week of long, grueling hours in the blistering sun, hauling land-surveying equipment and hammering wooden stakes into the West Texas desert soil, it is evident my body has not yet adjusted the demands of the job. Leaving me both physically exhausted and filled with ennui. Thus, revisiting Jonathan Demme's mid-1980's masterwork after a routine work day, I found a degree of commonality with the gawky, soft spoken hero, Charles Driggs (Jeff Daniels). Though, I am not a paper pushing banker, his nervous temperament in the initial sequences where his seemingly ordinary existence is derailed by a free thinking, bohemian "belle noiseuse," (played by the very likeable Melanie Griffith) was instantly recognizable as pure wish-fullfillment. Charlie has little in the way of intrusive mannerisms or dangerous streaks as an early retort,"I channel my rebellion into the mainstream," lands with a comic thud.
After some very herky-jerky driving, the couple stop at a motel, she quickly seduces and hand-cuffs him to the bed-railng, enabling Lulu to force on him a telephone conversation with his boss. He has evidently never been late to work and now must tell his boss that he will not be coming in. Afterwards, the couple dine at an expensive restaurant. Lulu initiates a "dine-and-dash" leaving Charlie distraught and pierced by the judging eyes of the customers and employees. The cumulative effect of these scenes suggest a farce like Planes, Trains and Automobiles. We suspect Lulu (mirroring John Candy) will eventually loosen the tight grip she has on her wacky facade and reveal the damaged individual inside, but no, Johnathan Demme respects the integrity of his characters too much as he circumvents the expected romantic comedy tropes and fulfills the promise of the bold title. After buying a new blue suit, Lulu symbolically unlocks the handcuffs Charlie has been wearing since the motel: "I'm setting you free."
It is soon revealed that Lulu has "kidnapped" Charlie to serve as her date to the ten year class of '76 reunion. Amidst all the bicentennial bric-a-brack, hats, American Flags & red, white and blue balloons, Demme suggests a vision of suburban life just as far reaching, but never quite as nihilistic as the one shown in David Lynch's Blue Velvet. Though there is a direct similarity in that both films feature a psychotic antagonist that our awakened hero struggles against, tonally, they are very different films. David Lynch film unearths the the corrosive underbelly of everyday suburban existence from the American psyche, while Demme comfortably underplays it, choosing to highlight the details of the ordinariness of Lulu's classmates. The fact that they are so anonymous, well-mannered & harmless manages to be more frightening than the presence of Frank Booth's deranged cronies.
One of the many small miracles of Something Wild is that it manages to be a bold, socially conscious film without shoving it in our faces like the similarly themed films about class awakening like Fight Club and American Beauuty (both 1999). Not unlike the best of Demme's films, a reliable emotional hook is favored over topical speechifying and histrionics. The same way his 1998 film, Beloved (a radically different film in tone), is more about the human experience of slavery as opposed to it's politics, Something Wild is more about coloring Charlie's transformation into a more relaxed individual than speechifying about the lecherous Wall Street world which he occupies.
Something Wild is a film of simple closeups, two-shots and establishing shots, it is quite assured. In an underplayed stroke of visual mastery, the late scenes where a much more confident Charlie is waiting for the slightest opening to rescue Lulu from Ray, effectively mirror the earlier ones of his social discomfort in the upscale restaurant. When he changes his bloodied shirt at a convenience store in front of other customers and casually converses with the cashier, we sense a changed person.
Furthermore, the bold use of colors do not constitute an affectless quirk (a la Wes Anderson), but rather reveal the film's modus operandi. Taj Fujimoto's cinematography is deceptively traditional- establishing shots, two-shots and close-ups-, but when paired with bold use of color, it provides a perfect counterpoint to the personal narrative of a square guy tapping into the danger within: bright colors trapped within a simple frame. Only in the later scenes of triumph, the contrast between Charlie's plainness and his swirling surroundings is finally subdued. The violent bathroom showdown between Charlie and Ray, constitutes another deceptively subtle employment of color as the national colors are on full display. The tight camera work rarely allows all three colors to coexist in the same image, but Craig McKay's rapid fire editing unites them through montage that recalls Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Red & White: the blood stains on Charlie and Ray's white tee shirts, Charlie's white shorts and the plain walls. Blue: Ray's blue Jeans, the blue towels, the wave patterns on the wall and Lulu's light blue shirt.
Something Wild gives the appearance of a document of a bygone era, but unlike another film that dared to cover much of the same ground, Oliver Stone's Wall Street (which was released one year later), it manages to carve its own trans-temporal identity apart from the topical social musings. Sure, the soundtrack is comprised of distinctly 1980's artists: Talking Head's frontman David Byrne; experimental artists, John Cale and Laurie Anderson; New Wave and Post-Punk artists, The Feelies, UB40, Fine Young Cannibals and New Order; but, the film eschews easy categorization: it is more than just an effective genre-hopping excursion into 1986. The film has thematic weight and a clear moral conscience as it notes the tight grip corporate America has on our necks and the necessity for companionship in increasingly impersonal times. As Charlie asides, "it's better to be a live dog than a dead lion."
Quote:
Originally Posted by iScottie
While it was definitely a fun film, I didn't really enjoy it either.
I love it too. May not be one of the best in the collection, but it really is too much fun to pass up... and I love the shift in tone late in the film, it's just so unexpected and pulled off well instead of off-putting.
I was lucky to catch Repo Man on a cable channel here (Comcast On Demand actually) and after watching the film, I realized that I probably wouldn't care to watch it more than a couple of times. Sometimes its good to rent or try before you buy so you know for sure this is a Criterion film that you're going to want to watch again.
The best part of Repo Man for me was the soundtrack. All those fantastic punk bands, especially The Plugz. More than anything, the soundtrack makes it rewatchable. The Plugz vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Humberto "Tito" Larriva, went on to form one of my favorite bands, Tito and Tarantula. T&T are long overdue for a new album.
In between The Plugz and T&T, Tito formed The Cruzados, a short lived but thoroughly excellent group that has several memorable songs, including the haunting "Flor de Mal" which I have heard in several films.
"Likeable Melanie Griffith" Right away, we are on two very different pages :P
"Socially conscious?" Like how Lulu and Charlie steal food, money, a car etc and have no consequences? (And not from rich people either, from little dinners and a liquor store)
His leaving his job isn't a decision made because he's realized it's 'evil' or for any moral reason.
I love it too. May not be one of the best in the collection, but it really is too much fun to pass up... and I love the shift in tone late in the film, it's just so unexpected and pulled off well instead of off-putting.
Watch Beloved to see the best example of his firm grip over tone: it's has bizarre performances, it's infused with horror genre imagery, it uses a pretty daring form of nonlinear narrative; yet it is a deeply moving film and one which you'll be trying to "figure out" (as far as why those pretty overt devices were used) for weeks after. I promise you this: it's not an easy film to shrug off.
"Socially conscious?" Like how Lulu and Charlie steal food, money, a car etc and have no consequences? (And not from rich people either, from little dinners and a liquor store)
The entire film is about loosening up, breaking free from the social norms that bring us down. It is about Charlie separating himself from the herd, in a way. So yes I stand behind those words.
"It's better to be a live dog than a dead lion."
Sorry you weren't a fan of Griffith, I thought she was incredible in the film.
What a great review! I saw SOMETHNG WILD when it first came out and it immediately became and remains one of my favorite films of the 80s. It vividly depicts the exhilaration and the dangers of breaking from safe, everyday routine with the feeling that anything might happen, and who knows what it will be! The sudden shift from light, carefree and often wild comedy to intense and dangerous drama is a pretty strong parable for the way many people lead their lives. Daniels is amazing, very relatable both then and now, and Griffith gives one of her very best performances, a peculiar blend of appealing, vulnerable, naughty, and downright dangerous. (Probably should watch it again soon!)
Watch Beloved to see the best example of his firm grip over tone: it's has bizarre performances, it's infused with horror genre imagery, it uses a pretty daring form of nonlinear narrative; yet it is a deeply moving film and one which you'll be trying to "figure out" (as far as why those pretty overt devices were used) for weeks after. I promise you this: it's not an easy film to shrug off.
Ah, I haven't seen it. I've seen the completely unrelated recent, terrible film called Beloved...clearly it was the wrong one to see.
Antonioni's best! Criterion's DVD is great but I'm anxiously anticipating their Blu-ray edition. Sure wish I could see it in 35mm! Every single shot is like an image in an art gallery exhibition of outstanding black-and-white photography.
What a great review! I saw SOMETHNG WILD when it first came out and it immediately became and remains one of my favorite films of the 80s. It vividly depicts the exhilaration and the dangers of breaking from safe, everyday routine with the feeling that anything might happen, and who knows what it will be! The sudden shift from light, carefree and often wild comedy to intense and dangerous drama is a pretty strong parable for the way many people lead their lives. Daniels is amazing, very relatable both then and now, and Griffith gives one of her very best performances, a peculiar blend of appealing, vulnerable, naughty, and downright dangerous. (Probably should watch it again soon!)
Even though the film makes drastic tonal shifts, you feel like you are in very good hands. That more subtle aspect doesnt get enough recognition. The film could have devolved into cheap farce, but luckily doesn't. Demme's fine touch with actors only helps matters too.
The entire film is about loosening up, breaking free from the social norms that bring us down. It is about Charlie separating himself from the herd, in a way. So yes I stand behind those words.
"It's better to be a live dog than a dead lion."
Sorry you weren't a fan of Griffith, I thought she was incredible in the film.
Quote:
Main Entry: social conscience (n)
Definition: an attitude of sensitivity toward and sense of responsibility regarding injustice and problems in society
'Loosening up' and dropping out isn't that - it's the most selfish choice you can make (living as a parasite off others).
(Obviously Griffith is a personal taste thing, but regardless of who was playing the character, the 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl' type is problematic at best)
Watched 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her this morning. I thought the themes about gender politics were really interesting but it got kinda bloated by the commentary about consumer culture IMO. Probably my least favorite Godard I've seen but still worth watching.
Any thoughts on blind-buying Shoah? I'm thinking about it when the 50% off sale comes... I think the subject matter makes it almost essential viewing, plus at 9 hours it'd be great to be able to watch at my own pace (aka free of a rental period). Anybody who flat-out hates it, and why please?
'Loosening up' and dropping out isn't that - it's the most selfish choice you can make (living as a parasite off others).
(Obviously Griffith is a personal taste thing, but regardless of who was playing the character, the 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl' type is problematic at best)
Again, Im fine with the actions they take, so it literally robs nothing for me in that regard. We'll just chalk it up to a difference in taste. Sorry it rubbed you so wrong
We don't have to label her as a MPDG I've always kind of disliked that particular Nathan Rabin coinage. It's very limiting.
Again, Im fine with the actions they take, so it literally robs nothing for me in that regard. We'll just chalk it up to a difference in taste. Sorry it rubbed you so wrong
I'm not telling you the actions are either right or wrong, or that you had to like them or not - I'm telling you the term 'socially conscious' doesn't apply.
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I really wish I could attend that screening. It would rank as the greatest theater going experience I have ever had.
I've always kind of disliked that particular Nathan Rabin coinage. It's very limiting.
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