The Criterion Collection

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by JJJ225

I resent the idea that the people who like this movie are unfamiliar with the films that inspired it.

I'm with you JJJ! After reading that closing statement, I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth. :eyeroll:

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by JJJ225

I resent the idea that the people who like this movie are unfamiliar with the films that inspired it.

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

The review suggests if you like the movie it's because you don't know the films that inspired it. Not that people could enjoy it in its own right.

Originally Posted by CHEЯNOБLY!

Yeah, the review is pretty lame IMO...there any many reasons why someone might enjoy the film. I have seen many of the new wave films he mentions, and I thought it was enjoyable.

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I'm with you JJJ! Reading that closing assumption really left a bitter taste in my mouth. :eyeroll:

Wow, I am really not sure why people are making those assumptions . The reviewer mentioned that the film was inspired by the classic/earlier films the French New Wave. However, there is never any reference/correlation to the assumptions made above.

I don't believe Pro-B is a fan of the film but at no point does he dismiss the people who might enjoy it. He only states that among those who have watched prior works of the "French New Wave" some might believe that it has been done better (prior films).

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Wow, I am really not sure why people are making those assumptions . The reviewer mentioned that the film was inspired by the classic/earlier films the French New Wave. However, there is never any reference/correlation to the assumptions made above.

I don't believe Pro-B is a fan of the film but at no point does he dismiss the people who might enjoy it. He only states that among those who have watched prior works of the "French New Wave" some might believe that it has been done better (prior films).

"it will likely appeal to viewers who are unfamiliar with the different films that have inspired it"

That assertion strikes me as a tad condescending.

[Icemouth]

called it, B&N went and randomly cancelled 6 items in two different orders after two weeks for no reason, even though every single one still says ships within 24 hours on the page

can't wait to see them **** me out of the Zatoichi one

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Wow, I am really not sure why people are making those assumptions . The reviewer mentioned that the film was inspired by the classic/earlier films the French New Wave. However, there is never any reference/correlation to the assumptions made above.

I don't believe Pro-B is a fan of the film but at no point does he dismiss the people who might enjoy it. He only states that among those who have watched prior works of the French New Wage some might believe that it has been done better (the film).

On one hand, it will likely appeal to viewers who are unfamiliar with the different films that have inspired it and can easily relate to many of the challenges and situations its main protagonist faces. These viewers will discover something new and fresh.

I dunno, that sounds an awful lot like 'well, I suppose people who don't know any better might like this'.

He might not have meant it that way but...

[ParticleDan]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

"it will likely appeal to viewers who are unfamiliar with the different films that have inspired it"

That assertion strikes me as a tad condescending.

This is from the same "reviewer" who said of Heaven's Gate, "Those who have spoken against Heaven's Gate or outright dismissed it as a grandiose failure must have their heads checked. Or admit that they are idiots."

So I'm not sure why anyone's surprised. I've repeatedly advocated for a more competent reviewer to handle the Criterion titles. Hell, let The Great Owl do the reviews!

[toddly6666]

How New Wavey is Jules & Jim - can the movie be enjoyed for entertainment purposes or is a slog like 400 Blows? Regarding Truffaut, I've enjoyed Fahrenheit 451 and The Last Metro, but did not like 400 Blows.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

"it will likely appeal to viewers who are unfamiliar with the different films that have inspired it"

That assertion strikes me as a tad condescending.

This can only be the case if you only quote half of that sentence, as you do. The rest is..."and can easily relate to many of the challenges and situations its main protagonist faces." The former goes with the latter.

I think that at this point it is pretty clear that the film isn't universally liked, and most of the issues some people have described can be traced back to similar reasons.

Have a wonderful week

Pro-B

[octagon]

Originally Posted by ParticleDan

This is from the same "reviewer" who said of Heaven's Gate, "Those who have spoken against Heaven's Gate or outright dismissed it as a grandiose failure must have their heads checked. Or admit that they are idiots."

So I'm not sure why anyone's surprised. I've repeatedly advocated for a more competent reviewer to handle the Criterion titles. Hell, let The Great Owl do the reviews!

Eh, his reviews are fine. They're thorough and consistent. As for editorial content, who cares. If I've seen the film I know what I think of it. If I haven't seen the film I tend to avoid possible spoilers [cough]Walkabout[/cough] by skipping the film discussion anyway.

[jw007]

Well, I am slightly disappointed the reviewer gave this 3 stars out of 5 for a movie and suggested a rental before a purchase, but I can also see how this is justified being that its a fairly new film and cannot quite be coined a "contemporary classic" just yet.

[The Great Owl]

Today was a rainy Sunday all day, so I made lemonade out of lemons.

City Lights
The Seven Year Itch
The Apartment

I posted my five-star review of City Lights here earlier, and I'm glad to read that others have been enjoying it today.

I might have to make some adjustments to my all-time top 25 to make room for Billy Wilder's The Apartment, though. Wow. Just wow.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by ParticleDan

This is from the same "reviewer" who said of Heaven's Gate, "Those who have spoken against Heaven's Gate or outright dismissed it as a grandiose failure must have their heads checked. Or admit that they are idiots."

So I'm not sure why anyone's surprised. I've repeatedly advocated for a more competent reviewer to handle the Criterion titles. Hell, let The Great Owl do the reviews!

It's Pro-B's opinion and he gives amazing reviews, don't know what you are talking about. We are all individuals with different opinions. If you don't agree with a review, so what - that's a reminder that another person does not think the same as you. And any negative reviews certainly haven't stopped you from buying up every single Criterion Blu-ray.

Every movie should have negative reviews and positive reviews anyway even for our favorite films. It makes us think more. I think the majority of New Wave films are garbage and are classified as so to hide the filmmaker's inability to tell a story or have decent dialogue. But so what? People love New Wave films and some people hate New Wave films. It doesn't mean anything.

Who gives a rat's ass if someone says a film is classic or not. If you like the film, buy it. If not, then don't buy it.

[CHEЯNOБLY!]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

This can only be the case if you only quote half of that sentence, as you do.

Nope. Still feels a tad condescending.

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

I think that at this point it is pretty clear that the film isn't universally liked, and most of the issues some people have described can be traced back to similar reasons.

...was there ever a film that was universally liked?

[Wizard-of-Wars]

Originally Posted by The Bronx Bull

Since we're mid-B&N sale this month, I decided to put together a list of what I feel are the five best Criterion blu-ray packages. In the past, I've used others' lists to influence my own purchases, including some of the entries below; as such, I thought I would pass my list onto others.

*The film itself is not the only criteria here, it's the package as a whole.
**OOP entries are excluded

Almost made the cut: On the Waterfront, Brazil, City Lights, Paris Texas, and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.

5) The Killing
Some may not know this early Kubrick, but it's a crime caper that no one should miss. Time-lapse films like Pulp Fiction draw inspiration here, as Kubrick effectively tells the story of a heist from multiple perspectives. What's unique here is that they're robbing a horse racing track, and each man is assigned a duty. Criterion presents a great transfer here for such an old film, and they even include an earlier Kubrick - Killer's Kiss. Two films for the price of one, along with a great set of additional features. This is an excellent package, and I'm a huge fan of the clown mask cover art.

4) Fanny and Alexander
This film was an easy blind-buy for me, as the story sounded quite magical and, well, it's a Bergman. The film follows the ups and downs of an eccentric Swedish family over time in period-influenced Uppsula. I was extremely impressed with the thorough package, which includes not only the film, but the 5-hour television version as well (which I have yet to watch). Special features are abundant here, as is a fabulous booklet showcasing some essays about the film. The amount of enjoyment packed into just one blu-ray case is near maximized here, and this film is certainly one you're bound to re-watch. As others have mentioned, it's a GREAT Christmas film that deals with family and coziness.

3) Seven Samurai
Another superb package, and perhaps the poster child of the Criterion Collection in general, Kurosawa's most popular film is given the deluxe digi-pack treatment. Seven unique samurai are collected and hired to defend a village from bandits; however, this isn't any ordinary action film. First lauded for their original DVD transfer, Criterion then one upped themselves and completely restored the print yet again for the blu-ray release. A top notch package - including a very gorgeous black/white spine, a detailed book on the film, and an abundance of documentaries make this one of the very best packages available for any film, let alone a masterpiece from 1954.

2) The Thin Red Line
Malick's The Thin Red Line is one of those films I didn't enjoy after a first viewing, but I ended up purchasing the Criterion blu-ray several years later for a re-watch. This is a gut-wrenching war epic that focuses on the psychological aspect of war during the Guadalcanal campaign of 1943, and the toll that death and violence takes on the mind. Simply put, the transfer of this film is the best looking blu-ray (IMO) that I own. The sound, the visuals, the cover artwork - Criterion packed a huge punch when releasing this package, and it's a crown jewel of the collection. Also, this film jumped into my list of favorite films of all time after a second screening.

1) Dazed and Confused
This package has it all. A fabulous transfer of a nostalgic film, a handsome packed-to-the-brim booklet, a unique digi-book cover with clever gaps for the characters faces, and they even included a film poster. From the second the company logos come up with Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" lingering in the background, followed by the vibrant image of a GTO Judge circling a school parking lot, you know you're in for a treat. The film depicts the last day of high school in 1976 for a colorful cast of characters (Matthew McConaughey is excellent here), and is reminiscent of the 'good old days.' This is an excellent Criterion treatment, and I hope they do the same with American Graffiti!

Enjoyed the hell out of your reviews and depth! Perhaps you can make a guide like this for more Criterions!! It would be greatly helpful when choosing which criterion to get next :-D

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by CHEЯNOБLY!

Nope. Still feels a tad condescending

Would you like a hug to make you feel better?

Your review of Girls is pretty condescending too. So what makes it wrong for Pro-B to be "mean" to fans of a particular film yet makes it okay for you to be "mean" to fans of a particular film (or tv show)?

People get passionate in their reviews - it's nothing new.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by ParticleDan

So I'm not sure why anyone's surprised. I've repeatedly advocated for a more competent reviewer to handle the Criterion titles. Hell, let The Great Owl do the reviews!

Hogwash. Pro-B has one of the widest and most experienced tastes in cinema I have come across (to be frank I find his reviews in general more balanced than say Roger Ebert's), and from what I gather his area of specialization is Euro cinema. Also, he has a great understanding of how a film, especially film of a certain vintage or shot under specific conditions, can look on digital HD medium and explains his opinions in a clear non-technobabble manner. TGO is an excellent user reviewer no doubt for which many people including me respect him, but to suggest him as a ready replacement for Dr. Svet is plainly ridiculous.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Frances Ha Blu-ray REVIEW

Pro-B

Thanks for the review, Pro-B!

I have not seen Frances Ha yet, because it does not quite seem like my personal cup of tea, but I like the idea of The Criterion Collection releasing a new film along these lines that attracts contemporary audiences who can either enjoy the movie on its own terms or delve deeper into the Collection to find other films that served as influences. A "gateway drug" film, perhaps.

[hustlermane]

Absolutely no disrespect meant toward Pro-B (and for the record, I agree with him on Frances Ha and in fact more often than not with movies in general it seems), but I would have thought that people primarily looked at these reviews more for PQ/AQ/supplementary evaluations? Especially in this case, seeing as the people who are upset at the review clearly already have their own views as to the film. There are a lot of places on the internet you can get film criticism, but not near as many for reliable reviews on the quality of the releases themselves - he's clearly said the release itself is excellent which I would have thought is what fans of the film wanted to hear. That he gave his own value judgement on the film itself I really don't think is an issue here. That said, I think he's a great reviewer of films also, and I certainly don't think he was being condescending here...

[Beta Man]

The best part of film reviews, is that you can read multiple ones for entertainment purposes, and make decisions on what to watch/purchase on your own...... you know.... like a grown-up.


EDIT:

LYMI Pro-B.

[spanky87]

Pro B gave Frances Ha 3 stars. Big deal. I love the film but he made some good points to back up his opinion. I wouldn't get too carried away with this anyways. I'd personally give the film 4.5 stars for the performances and style and because I just enjoyed the hell out of it. But it's not like this is an important and dense piece of cinema like Baumbach's previous work so who cares if someone gave a fluffy film 3 stars. Not saying it has zero substance or anything, but this is as close to fluff that Baumbach's resume gets. And 3 stars doesn't equal a thumbs down last time I checked.

Keep up the good work Pro B. You're an asset to this site and have exposed us to many great films.