The Criterion Collection

[JJJ225]

If you liked Greenberg, you should love Frances Ha, which is a far superior film in my opinion.

[Dragun]

Originally Posted by JJJ225

If you liked Greenberg, you should love Frances Ha, which is a far superior film in my opinion.

I preferred Greenberg, which I thought was braver for being about a rather unlikeable (though, in a way, sympathetic) character. Frances Ha was good, but it didn't really do anything I hadn't seen before.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by Dragun

I preferred Greenberg, which I thought was braver for being about a rather unlikeable (though, in a way, sympathetic) character. Frances Ha was good, but it didn't really do anything I hadn't seen before.

Great Avatar; I just watched the film.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by CHEЯNOБLY!

I don't know how Emmanuelle Seigner can touch him without wanting to vomit.

I quite enjoyed her sex scene in The 9th Gate. I guess she's a she-devil or demonic counterpart to Roman Polanski (who is the devil to many).

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

He's an incredible filmmaker and I'll continue to see his films until he dies.

Ditto. I can't get enough of Polanski. I still wish The Pianist would get a Blu-ray release. That film is one of the most moving and realistic films I ever saw.

Originally Posted by JJJ225

If you liked Greenberg, you should love Frances Ha, which is a far superior film in my opinion.

Frances HA is pure genius. I am so looking forward to buying the Criterion edition later this Autumn. I wonder what Woody Allen thought of that film?

[Dragun]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Great Avatar; I just watched the film.

Thanks! I'm a huge fan of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. It's a remarkable look at the title character's accomplishments, adventures, losses, and longings. It has its wistful moments, but the film, much like Wynne-Candy, takes them in stride. I'm sure the film will be even more resonant the older I get.

On a filmmaking/structural level too it feels fresh. Terrific film.

[jw007]

And oh, speaking of directors with moral problems, Woody Allen also apparently raped/sexually abused Mia Farrow's adopted 7 year old daughter named Dylan. Woody Allen makes great films just like Polanski. I don't condone either man, but I don't demonize either as well. Their movies are legendary and are part of American history.

[Kevin Ridge]

Originally Posted by Dragun

Thanks! I'm a huge fan of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. It's a remarkable look at the title character's accomplishments, adventures, losses, and longings. It has its wistful moments, but the film, much like Wynne-Candy, takes them in stride. I'm sure the film will be even more resonant the older I get.

On a filmmaking/structural level too it feels fresh. Terrific film.

Clive Candy character in that avatar reminds me so much of Pat Roach as the henchmen who fights Indiana Jones during the plane scene in the Last Crusade.

[andsoitgoes]

Originally Posted by jw007

Also, I was told earlier tonight that in South Carolina and New Hampshire, a 13 year old female could get married. And in Argentina, Spain, Japan, Niger, Comoros and Burkina Faso the age of consent for sex is 13 years old for females. In Angola, the age is 12 years old for females.

These comments are foolish to me. Just because it is "legal" doesn't mean it's right in any way, shape or form. This isn't Burkina Faso. As for the age 13 laws, have a daughter and at age 13, just think about having her marry someone, or have sex with someone. Particularly someone who is 2.5 times older than her and could easily be her father.

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

The original charge did involve 'rape by use of drugs', he got it down with a plea bargain, and had five of the charges dropped.

And if you think it's OK for a 40something to give a 13 year old champagne and drugs and then sleep with her, willing or not, then your moral compass is set somewhere different to mine. But, regardless, you're ignoring the victims claims that the act was non-consensual and accepting the accused's claims for some reason, but even if she has been lying all these years, Polanski still knew she was thirteen, so still chose to break that law knowingly.

On top of that, one of the key people in the documentary has since recanted his story, saying he lied.

You and I, kid, are going to be great friends. There's a movie quote there, I just don't know what it is.

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

Not saying it was right and I agree that giving drugs and alcohol to a thirteen year old (and then sleeping them) is wrong as its still taking advantage.
Forgot anything about plea bargins though as its been a while since I'd seen it...
My main point though is that none of us actually knows what happened and that it seems ridiculous to completely crucify him without knowing any of the facts, especially when the victim states they want it dropped.
I don't know who's telling the truth in the case and refuse to pass judgement on either party.
I may have to re watch it myself to refresh my memory on some of the details to actually form a better opinion.

Which person has stated he lied though?

He slept with a 13 year old girl, wage was not even close to being old enough to have been able to properly address the situation.

She's at an age where it is possible that she might not go to jail if she killed someone, you're telling me there's anything okay about that?

Originally Posted by 14728

I still don't want to watch his films, because every time you buy one of his films, you're supporting a man who gave alcohol and drugs to a middle schooler, and then they had sex. I do NOT want to support any man like that.

Yup. Same reason I haven't introduced my kids to Powder because, well, ew.

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

Well sure, but if a restaurant opens in your neighbourhood and you know it's run by a rapist of minors who fled his country to avoid going to jail, you start eating there?

I have to thank you for saving me the pain of typing all this out, you and I seem to share a similar value structure.

Originally Posted by joie

Plea bargains happen because the prosecution doubts that it can prove the stiffer charge. Bear that in mind if you're ever arrested, charged and offered a plea bargain.

Not that this makes any logical sense in context, plea bargains are often provided to people in high profile situations. Celebs have pull, and are given chance after chance. Pleas are common in those situations for many reasons, but the biggest seems to relate directly with their industry pull, and I'm not even bringing in all of the Hollywood bigwigs who came to his defense.


Right now, the situation is abundantly clear for me, a parent of 2 daughters who are 4 years away from the age of this girl. They still play with dolls and little pet shop toys. Sure, they'll grow up in the next 4 years, but enough to have a sexual relationship with a man the age of their father? Dear lord no!

I don't care if SHE was the one who seduced him, he was the adult and he should have had enough control over his desires to stop him, even with her permission (something which there have been conflicting stories about her mother's involvement in this whole brouhaha) even with all factors, what he did was horrific, wrong and disgusting.

He should be a registered sex offender and SHOULD have spent a hell of a long time in prison.

Instead, he's been roaming free for over 3 decades. If he was worried about the issues with the judge, he should have appealed. So the justice system might have ruined his plea deal, does it make it okay that he ran? You live and work somewhere, you suck it up and take the punishment you deserve.

If anyone here is okay with that and thinks they can justify his films, that's great for you, but he's still a sex offender that ran away to avoid being PROPERLY punished. Sorry, I think most plea deals for high profile people are nothing but embarrassing jokes that show how much pull money and connections can help a person avoid a serious jail term.

I think we all have our feelings about this, and I know I didn't need to go into this again, but I really think he got away with a disgusting act that should have gotten him a significant jail sentence and a place on the sex offender list.

[CHEЯNOБLY!]

Just finished watching The Squid and the Whale. I thought it was decent...had some funny moments and interesting characters. I still prefer Greenberg so far. Idk, all the characters in Squid were a**holes, and I disliked all of them. I guess Greenberg was a jerk too, but I liked him for some reason, and he was

[Show spoiler]mentally ill

...at least he didn't have kids to screw up.

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by jw007

And oh, speaking of directors with moral problems, Woody Allen also apparently raped/sexually abused Mia Farrow's adopted 7 year old daughter named Dylan. Woody Allen makes great films just like Polanski. I don't condone either man, but I don't demonize either as well. Their movies are legendary and are part of American history.

Apparently? Or were those charges completely dropped and never spoken of again?

[jw007]

Originally Posted by rock, stone

Apparently? Or were those charges completely dropped and never spoken of again?

I didn't mean to write "apparently", but it just came out. Regardless, a lot of men have serious problems and that is sort of part of the human condition. Nobody is a saint. It's up to the one above to judge everyone ultimately, not any human judge.

andsoitgoes: This is all very heavy-handed material. Let's move on now.

Funny how Scarlett Johansson (seen to the left) is loved very much by Woody Allen. Alright, sorry, enough paparazzi talk.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

but I'm enjoying the experience of watching Le Samourai with no English subtitles more than I expected.

Of course, I've always known that I can watch the Criterion DVD without the subtitles, but it's strangely never occurred to me to do so. It's funny how our minds work when we are accustomed to habits.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Dragun

Thanks! I'm a huge fan of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. It's a remarkable look at the title character's accomplishments, adventures, losses, and longings. It has its wistful moments, but the film, much like Wynne-Candy, takes them in stride. I'm sure the film will be even more resonant the older I get.

On a filmmaking/structural level too it feels fresh. Terrific film.

I'm 41, and, when I saw The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp for the first time a couple of months ago, it made me think of the social dynamics at my 10-year and 20-year high school reunions. The movie has that oddly comforting vibe about how friendships and even rivalries can settle into precious and priceless associations that come along with the mere sight of familiar faces that we see over the decades.

EDIT: My review of the movie (linked to the left under my avatar or found in the User Reviews for the movie) mentions the reunions. I am too lazy to link it directly here with my iPhone, though.

[octagon]

Hey, nobody's perfect? Who are we to judge?

Seriously???

Let's be honest here. Those of us (and I'm absolutely not using the royal we here, I'm including myself) who are willing to overlook little peccadiloes like rape simply because we like somebody's art are the ones on shaky ethical ground. Granted, the people who light into guys like Polanski often come off as sanctimonious douchebags but the fact is, they have a point.

We're not willing to let bygones be bygones because of some grand philosophical beliefs.

We just like their stuff.

[deepbreathsanddeath]

Originally Posted by octagon

Hey, nobody's perfect? Who are we to judge?

Seriously???

Let's be honest here. Those of us (and I'm absolutely not using the royal we here, I'm including myself) who are willing to overlook little peccadiloes like rape simply because we like somebody's art are the ones on shaky ethical ground. Granted, the people who light into guys like Polanski often come off as sanctimonious douchebags but the fact is, they have a point.

We're not willing to let bygones be bygones because of some grand philosophical beliefs.

We just like their stuff.

Exactly. And I feel I made a valid point a few pages back that wasn't really addressed in this argument where I pointed out that if you won't watch a Polanski movie because of what he did, then how can you justify watching any movie starring someone who acted in a Polanski movie since the controversy or watching any movie that used a crew member that worked on a Polanski movie since the controversy or even a STUDIO who has worked with him since then.

They're all people who've supported the man despite knowing what he did whether it was for the pleasure of working with him or just for the money it doesn't really matter. The point is that if it would disgust you to watch something of his because you feel that you'd be supporting him, do you have some kind of moral loophole for supporting those who do directly support him or do you do what it seems you have to if that's your moral stance and avoid anything anyone who's been involved with him has worked on? Because that would really limit what you can see.

You'd also have to dedicate a lot of time to researching whether or not a lighting guy who worked on one of his movies is working on another one you like.

As octagon said, anyone who doesn't feel they can support a Polanski picture for moral reasons does indeed have a point and I respect that, but if that really is how you feel, singling out Roman Polanski alone just so you can see any other movie you like just kinda comes off as a half assed principle.

It would kinda be like having someone sexually abuse a minor, then happily make friends with practically anyone who will happily be friends or work with the abuser despite knowing what they did.

It would just go on and on and on. With someone as big as Polanski, there wouldn't be many actors, actresses, studios or crew members you could support.

It bums me out what he did but if you think about it too much, it'll just wind up ruining your enjoyment for basically any movie because let's face it, I doubt Roman Polanski is the only major league player in cinema to of done something that bad if not worse. There would be others who just haven't been caught.

Who's to say you're not unknowingly supporting other paedophile's? Does it make it okay because you don't know? Who's to say. It's all so draining to even think about. That's why I just have to separate the art from the artist. It'll drive you mad if you're too passionate on the subject.

[Hypnosifl]

Originally Posted by jw007

And oh, speaking of directors with moral problems, Woody Allen also apparently raped/sexually abused Mia Farrow's adopted 7 year old daughter named Dylan. Woody Allen makes great films just like Polanski. I don't condone either man, but I don't demonize either as well. Their movies are legendary and are part of American history.

This one is more ambiguous I think, Mia Farrow charged him with this during a custody battle but there were never any criminal charges, and the daughter has never commented on the accusation (nor has the son who Farrow also accused Allen of molesting). In Polanski's case he doesn't deny having had sex with the girl or having given her drugs, his only defenses are that he didn't realize her age (age of consent at the time was 16, and she was a few weeks away from being 14, so I suppose it's possible) and that she was more of an active participant than her own account of the night suggests. So there's no real question he's guilty, it's just a question of the severity of his guilt, and I'd be more inclined to believe her account of the night than his (though of course there's no way to be too confident either way).

[pro-bassoonist]

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold Blu-ray REVIEW

[Lutz]

I always had a laugh when locally they were screening the CARNAGE trailer it had as the selling point:

Academy Award winner Kate Winslet.
Academy Award winner Jodie Foster.
Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz.
Academy Award nominee John C Reilly.

But no mention at all in the entire trailer of the five time nominated one time winning director Roman Polanski!

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by blkhrt

Speaking of which, Janus confirmed today that Criterion will be releasing La Grande Bellazza.

Unbelievable film!

It describes modern Italy with surgical precision.

TRAILER
https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=11937



Pro-B

[KrugerIndustrial]

I'm so happy The Spy Who Came in from the Cold got a great looking transfer! Can't wait to revisit.