The Criterion Collection

[Meek12345]

SpiderBaby, I appreciate your reply to my post. I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I haven't seen any films by King Hu. I keep hearing great things about Touch of Zen and Come Drink with Me though. Hopefully, I will get lucky and they will be on tv soon.

I would love for Criterion to release more non-Japanese Asian films. Although, I'm looking forward to the Zatoichi release and own a few Kurosawa films. Someone pointed out earlier on this board that Criterion has only one Korean film, Secret Sunshine. I think there are only a few Chinese titles (Chungking Express, In the Mood for Love, etc.)

I'm not complaining about the current titles, but wonder if they will diversify a little bit more in the future. Criterion has released cult classics and B movies before, so I won't give up all hope for a 5 Deadly Venoms release.

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by jw007

ABD: I like your ideas for recutting that film. I think, in the hands of a more dynamic director, this could be an amazing film. Imagine if you gave this footage to Tarkovsky or Kubrick and see how they could re-imagine/re-edit this into a masterpiece? It's funny because I hardly know much about the Czech film industry or "Czech new wave" and the only prominent Czech director I knew before Vlacil was Milos Forman. Let's just put it this way... it might just take one film for me to be completely turned off by one country's film industry/history. Marketa Lazarova might be one of the few Criterions I bought that I now regret purchasing as its going to be collecting dust on my shelf for a while.

Blu-V: Yes, I can handle Lang for sure. I think watching this film makes me want to watch more Tarkovsky again as well.

Marketa doesn't need recutting, its perfect the way it is.
A lot of it did seem very confusing but after watching all the extras and interviews a lot more of it made sense. I think its one of those films that just requires repeated viewings honestly.

I also find it amusing that a lot of the same people I see here who didn't connect with it are also some of the same who praised 2001, which to me had the most dull characters out of any highly regarded films I've seen. I actually had the exact same problems with that that many of you seem to have with this one. Too cold and I also don't care about any of the characters in it.
Both however are visual masterpieces but I found myself much more drawn into Marketa and find some of the sequences in it much more poetic and emotionally resonating.
The scene where

[Show spoiler]Marketa is raped while another of the characters reads a poem over the images

was (to me at least) one of the most stunning moments I've ever seen in a film.
Marketa is like a poem that needs to be experienced and re read over and over to pick up on all the symbols and meanings and its one I definitely intend to do so with.
But to each their own I guess

[Infernal King]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Ashes of Time? I think you mean As Tears Go By. I'm actually quite fond of that one.

Oops, you're right, I was thinking of the one Wong Kar-wai film I haven't seen!

[jw007]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

Marketa doesn't need recutting, its perfect the way it is.
A lot of it did seem very confusing but after watching all the extras and interviews a lot more of it made sense. I think its one of those films that just requires repeated viewings honestly.

I also find it amusing that a lot of the same people I see here who didn't connect with it are also some of the same who praised 2001, which to me had the most dull characters out of any highly regarded films I've seen. I actually had the exact same problems with that that many of you seem to have with this one. Too cold and I also don't care about any of the characters in it.
Both however are visual masterpieces but I found myself much more drawn into Marketa and find some of the sequences in it much more poetic and emotionally resonating.
The scene where

[Show spoiler]Marketa is raped while another of the characters reads a poem over the images

was (to me at least) one of the most stunning moments I've ever seen in a film.
Marketa is like a poem that needs to be experienced and re read over and over to pick up on all the symbols and meanings and its one I definitely intend to do so with.
But to each their own I guess

Ya, to each their own. I just could never see myself "growing to like" this movie even if I'm forced to watch this on a loop for a week straight while my eyeballs are forced open (like something out of Clockwork Orange). I'd rather die than have to go through the torture of enduring that. 2001: A Space Odyssey might have dull characters but thats not the point anyway. It's got plenty of subtext that many other films don't have.

Speaking of subtext, I just finished watching North Face and I was underwhelmed by it. It could have been so much better. There was no depth to it. No subtext. No tension. And this is supposedly one "of the greatest mountain climbing films ever made"? Ha! What a joke. I'll take Touching the Void any day. Hell, even K2 was more effective despite the cliches.

Okay, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Marketa Lazarova has an insane amount of subtext, but I guess I didn't "get it".

I should be sleeping. This posting makes no sense.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Meek12345

Someone pointed out earlier on this board that Criterion has only one Korean film, Secret Sunshine. I think there are only a few Chinese titles (Chungking Express, In the Mood for Love, etc.)

There's only one other Chinese film from Criterion: Edward Yang's Yi Yi. Well, unless you want to count The Last Emperor as a Chinese film. Criterion seems to do so, and technically, I suppose it is, but...

Oh, and if you want to count them, there are the long OOP DVDs (and LDs) of John Woo's The Killer and Hard Boiled. And the LD of Supercop.

Me, I'd love for Criterion to work with John Woo to put together a definitive, restored Director's Cut of Bullet in the Head. I don't think the film has ever officially had any US distribution. All the DVDs (and LD) are HK imports, and every one of them that I've seen is much less than optimal: either not-very-good source prints and/or edited-down versions.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

I also find it amusing that a lot of the same people I see here who didn't connect with it are also some of the same who praised 2001, which to me had the most dull characters out of any highly regarded films I've seen. I actually had the exact same problems with that that many of you seem to have with this one. Too cold and I also don't care about any of the characters in it.

I can't speak to Marketa, as I haven't yet seen it, but the characters in 2001 are supposed to be that way. The idea is that humanity has come to a stop, evolutionarily speaking, and needs a jump-start by whatever mysterious patron race it is that sent the monoliths.

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I can't speak to Marketa, as I haven't yet seen it, but the characters in 2001 are supposed to be that way. The idea is that humanity has come to a stop, evolutionarily speaking, and needs a jump-start by whatever mysterious patron race it is that sent the monoliths.

I still really can't get into it. I usually get to the first half of the Hal story and turn it off.
I can do it if its in the a theater but in my home I just can't at all.

As far as Marketa there's plenty of religious subtext throughout it both christian and pagan. I still haven't done much reading into it and haven't gotten around to rewatching but the imagery certainly isn't just there to look pretty.

[mdonovan]

Originally Posted by jw007

I saw Seconds for the first time a few nights ago and still I am so dumbfounded at how good this film was. Randolph was superb! He really was able to convey that sense of dread and doom... wish he had played the younger version too. This film was shocking at the time because you never would expect to see Rock Hudson act in a movie like this. Anyway, yes, such a good movie. I'm going to add my review to the "user reviews" section soon for that film. Owl has a review there so far.

Convinced ... I am definitely ordering this.

[spanky87]

Ouch on the Marketa criticisms. I just did a blind buy last week as it looked to cool to pass up at $20 and I'm an impulse criterion buyer. I'll probably get to it in the first week of November.

[14728]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

i like criterions digipacks

I like them, too.The way the book comes out always reminds me of a digibook.

[14728]

My brother told me that the Beach Boys were so scared of the film Seconds, that they never watched another film in theaters until E.T. If I watch it, will I be too scared to watch criterion films (Until they release a mainstream, early 80s movie, like Tootsie)?

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by Gate

Where can we see the HK cut?

the hong kong bluray release avaible at yesasia & DDDhouse


someone said a few posts before that criterion would have a problem with releasing movies with a gay theme, man wearing dresses etc...

did you all watch HBO TV shows in the last few years? (true blood , banshee) there is so much gay stuff and nobody seems to bother or turn the show of becouse of that.

and there are many gay actors in classic movies(like rock hudson in tarnished angels), and its no problem at all for everyone. so i dont think weekend doesnt get mentioned that much becouse of the "gay" theme.

[blkhrt]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

i hope you will watch the HK cut and not the weinstein US cut (that is missing 22minutes of the movie)

To be clear, Weinstein suggested recutting the film, but it was Wong Kar Wai who actually did the changes.

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by jayembee

One of my favorite movie comments comes from a fellow named Rob Larsen back in the days of Usenet posting, who said of those two movies:

That about sums it up. While BTK was hard to follow at times, they wrapped most of it up at the very end. Maybe I missed it but

[Show spoiler]who was keeping Misako? I wouldn't assume it was his contact with the organization because they still seemed to be keeping/torturing her after #1 killed his handler.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by 14728

My brother told me that the Beach Boys were so scared of the film Seconds, that they never watched another film in theaters until E.T. If I watch it, will I be too scared to watch criterion films (Until they release a mainstream, early 80s movie, like Tootsie)?

Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys went to see Seconds at the theater upon its release, while he was recording The Beach Boys album, Smile, and his experience seeing that movie greatly unsettled him to the point of depression. He did not return to a movie theater until the early 1980s, when he saw E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

Of course, I cannot help wondering if Brian Wilson's mental troubles and drug indulgences at the time were the primary contributing factor to his reaction.

Second is quite a freakout, though.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Blu-Velvet

Glad to see that I wasn't the only one less than enthralled by MARKETA LAZAROVA, despite its impressive visuals. Still, it was worth seeing once. It rather made me want to watch Fritz Lang's NIEBELUNGEN films again, which I vastly preferred.

I want to see Die Nibelungen.

My appreciation of Fritz Lang's work has skyrocketed now that I am able to watch the films in high definition. His utilization of shadows and framing is well-suited for watching the films on Blu-ray. The Criterion releases of M and Ministry of Fear are both near-flawless, and the Twilight Time Blu-ray of The Big Heat is one of my favorites in my collection. I just received the Kino Blu-ray of Scarlet Street in the mail a few days ago, and am looking forward to revisiting it and seeing how the improved transfer comes across.

I've been waiting for the price of Metropolis to drop, but I'll probably pick it up over Christmas at a Barnes & Noble sale. I was fortunate to see the Complete Restoration on the big screen a few years back, and the Kino DVD got a lot of play after that.

[Ausjdm]

Originally Posted by FaceInTheLeaves

Criterion need to do something about the lack of Almodovar in their catalogue. He's conspicuous by his absence.

Maybe his films are too "gay" for the Criterion demographic. Apparently nobody bothered with Weekend, apart from Lena Dunham (goddess), even though it's one of the best films Criterion has released in years.

I think early Almodovar would scare the poor darlings to death. "Wait a minute! That man's kissing another man and... good god... is that a dress he's wearing? THIS ISN'T ART, IT'S A VISION OF HELL!!!!" etc.

I've said it afew times on here Almodòvar is a genius regardless of "gay/straight" he makes great movies everyone should watch some of them. I have 6 of his movies I guess the studios will never let his work out. the boxes say Sony/canal/miramax so I guess we can only dream lol.

Criterion did put my private Idaho good movie but wouldn't that be called a "gay movie?"

Whoa what's with the Marketa Lazarova dissing? I haven't seen it yet but I bought it blind due to all the love and rankings of it on here back during July B&N sale..?!

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by sc1957

I loved Marketa Lazarova, so I disagree with this. If you want ponderous and grueling, try The Turin Horse, or Last Year at Marienbad, or Andrei Rubilev.... Just my opinion.

Yes, Marketa can be confusing the first time through. But even then, then visuals are great.

My favorite story from the supplements... the cast went to a costume ball, still dressed in the costumes they'd worn (and hadn't cleaned) for weeks.

Funny thing is I love those films you listed...even if Turin Horse is maybe a quarter of an hour too long. I also find those films simply more visually spectacular!

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by The Narrator

Two more phantom pages!

Lawrence Kasdan
Sydney Pollack

That pretty much confirms what we already speculated.

Too bad those phantom pages weren't added on the day of announcements because then we're guaranteed to have it for that particular month.

[JJJ225]

Last night I watched Rosemary's Baby for this first time. It's absolutely magnificent. I don't know why I waited so long to watch it. I haven't gone through the booklet yet, but I definitely would like to do some reading on the film. To me, I thought the film was primarily about the fear of the loss of God in society, particulary through the view of someone moving from a rural area to an urban center. I was thinking after I watched the movie that there are so few "urban horror" movies. Most true horror films take place in the country or the suburbs. But for this film, the urban setting is essential I think.