The Criterion Collection

[SimBelm]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

No, I haven't seen that one. Ive basically only seen all his sixties stuff and a handful of films afterwards. Let's just say the two Godard releases put out by Olive turned me off big time. A film that favors dry ideas without a shred of emotion is no film at all

Out of the two Olive's I've only seen Keep Your Right Up which ranks just below midway on my scale of his work. Although personally I derived a lot of emotion from it, particularly the inability to communicate with nature, to stay grounded, and the scenes with his mortality being discussed on the tape player. The reason I can enjoy some of Godard's later works without always being engrossed in their ideas is because I think they're full of emotion. I can't be bored in this particular strand of his work because I'm free to associate and float on, what feels like to me, his emotions, anxieties, thoughts, and dreams. I can understand why people perceive this work like you do, but I find him to be one of the most personal filmmakers I've ever seen, especially in his later works. First Name: Carmen is my favourite 80s Godard, it deals with a story that was rife throughout his 60s work (the story of Carmen), it's beautiful, sensual, and personal. I recommend giving it a shot sometime as it's available in HD on VOD.

[Infernal King]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

I will definitely check out The Counselor. Right now I am enjoying my guilty pleasure Robocop 4k remaster (all of Verhoeven's scifi films are my guilty pleasure).

You should not associate guilt with pleasure, especially when it comes to a great film like RoboCop.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by SimBelm

Out of the two Olive's I've only seen Keep Your Right Up which ranks just below midway on my scale of his work. Although personally I derived a lot of emotion from it, particularly the inability to communicate with nature, to stay grounded, and the scenes with his mortality being discussed on the tape player. The reason I can enjoy some of Godard's later works without always being engrossed in their ideas is because I think they're full of emotion. I can't be bored in this particular strand of his work because I'm free to associate and float on, what feels like to me, his emotions, anxieties, thoughts, and dreams. I can understand why people perceive this work like you do, but I find him to be one of the most personal filmmakers I've ever seen, especially in his later works. First Name: Carmen is my favourite 80s Godard, it deals with a story that was rife throughout his 60s work (the story of Carmen), it's beautiful, sensual, and personal. I recommend giving it a shot sometime as it's available in HD on VOD.

I'll eventually give Carmen a shot!

I understand what you mean about becoming absorbed in his films via the free associations, but I'm always there trying to put the pieces together, and it lends to a dry viewing experience. Now, 2 or 3 things is nothing if not elliptical and deceptive, but if you take it into the context of late 60's paranoia, it makes sense and the emotions do end up registering, especially with images like this that manage to be sensual and thought provoking:

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Fellini912

Right now I am enjoying my guilty pleasure Robocop 4k remaster (all of Verhoeven's scifi films are my guilty pleasure).

I watched this 4K remaster of Robocop last night. This new transfer is a thing of beauty, and I think that it looks great.

This is my favorite Verhoeven film by a long mile. I have to be in a specific mood to watch it, but it's a great film for a laugh, and I've enjoyed it since its release back when I was in high school. I was so used to seeing Ronny Cox's mild-mannered protagonist in Deliverance that it was a trip to see him play a villain. He's my favorite character in the movie just for the sheer over-the-top glory of his scenes.

I love the sheer sense of metal and weight conveyed in Robocop during the scenes with Robocop himself and with the ED-209 robot. Michael Bay should have revisited this flick before making his Transformers movies, because his inability to convey the same effect in those movies is a glaring weak spot.

[SimBelm]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I'll eventually give Carmen a shot!

I understand what you mean about becoming absorbed in his films via the free associations, but I'm always there trying to put the pieces together, and it lends to a dry viewing experience. Now, 2 or 3 things is nothing if not elliptical and deceptive, but if you take it into the context of late 60's paranoia, it makes sense and the emotions do end up registering, especially with images like this that manage to be sensual and thought provoking:

Yeah I have felt that lost in the rubble feeling before and in that way it can be a dry experience, but I always feel like he is directing purely by instinct and that he expresses himself completely cinematically, and I can always appreciate that at the very least (as well as the lucious imagery which is available in all of his 80s-today work). I agree that his films work best when being sensual and sincerely thought provoking for the viewer, one of the loveliest feelings is when his work clicks that way, I believe it does in all of my favourites of his. I hope Carmen may for you. That screenshot looks perfect.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by SimBelm

Yeah I have felt that lost in the rubble feeling before and in that way it can be a dry experience, but I always feel like he is directing purely by instinct and that he expresses himself completely cinematically, and I can always appreciate that at the very least (as well as the lucious imagery which is available in all of his 80s-today work). I agree that his films work best when being sensual and sincerely thought provoking for the viewer, one of the loveliest feelings is when his work clicks that way, I believe it does in all of my favourites of his. I hope Carmen may for you. That screenshot looks perfect.

It's the deepest use of coffee in all of cinema

[JoeBuck]

All this Coen Brothers talk and no love for Millers Crossing?
I just rewatched this recently and its definitely in my top 3 now. That Danny boy shoot out is just perfect. The Big Lebowski and Barton Fink are probably the next best. Didn't care for the Hudsucker Proxy either and is easily my least favorite of theirs.

And in terms of Godard, you should give A Woman Is a Woman a shot, its really fun and Karina is unbelievably beautiful in it. Probably his most accessible film next to Band Of Outsiders. Our arthouse theater is doing a retrospective of his work next month and I'm looking really forward to catching those and Contempt.

[Dick Laurent 97]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

I thought this would be a good way for Criterion Collection Fanatics, and the casual blu-ray fan alike, to track releases, specs, and rumors of Criterion Collection Blu-rays.

http://www.reddit.com/r/criterion/

^Just saying.

[Dick Laurent 97]

Has anyone heard any rumors about Lost Highway? Someone mentioned it somewhere and it smarked my interest.

[Ausjdm]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

All this Coen Brothers talk and no love for Millers Crossing?
I just rewatched this recently and its definitely in my top 3 now. That Danny boy shoot out is just perfect. The Big Lebowski and Barton Fink are probably the next best. Didn't care for the Hudsucker Proxy either and is easily my least favorite of theirs.

And in terms of Godard, you should give A Woman Is a Woman a shot, its really fun and Karina is unbelievably beautiful in it. Probably his most accessible film next to Band Of Outsiders. Our arthouse theater is doing a retrospective of his work next month and I'm looking really forward to catching those and Contempt.

Millers crossing is a great Coen's film! Very underrated I just saw it for the first time this summer. My only issue with Coen movies for me they're hit or miss no middle ground. Blood Simple is another one people should see!

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Ausjdm

Millers crossing is a great Coen's film! Very underrated I just saw it for the first time this summer. My only issue with Coen movies for me they're hit or miss no middle ground. Blood Simple is another one people should see!

I saw Miller's Crossing at a dollar theater a few months after its release, so I do not remember a lot. I guess that it's another Coen Brothers film that I should revisit from an adult perspective.

[SidneyFalco]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Despite my muted reaction to Nashville, I'll definitely be blind-buying The Long Goodbye when it hits Blu-ray around here. It looks right up my alley.

You haven't seen The Long Goodbye?? You're in for a treat. My favorite film about Los Angeles.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by SidneyFalco

You haven't seen The Long Goodbye?? You're in for a treat. My favorite film about Los Angeles.

I'm waiting until The Long Goodbye comes out on Blu-ray, although I may dive in before then. Of all the Altman films that I have not seen, this one looks miles above the rest.

By the way, props to you for your avatar and your nickname. That's probably my favorite Criterion transfer of a black-and-white film.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I watched this 4K remaster of Robocop last night. This new transfer is a thing of beauty, and I think that it looks great.

This is my favorite Verhoeven film by a long mile......

Mine is Soldier of Orange. This is the Verhoeven I want in the Criterion Collection, and soon. Sadly, it is not on blu-ray yet.

[Dick Laurent 97]

Originally Posted by oildude

Mine is Soldier of Orange. This is the Verhoeven I want in the Criterion Collection, and soon. Sadly, it is not on blu-ray yet.

Mine is Starship Troopers by a long shot, but Soldier of Orange deserves to go in.

[dorothyv]

I might as well list my favorite Verhoeven film (since no one else has mentioned it yet): The Fourth Man.

Turkish Delight, Soldier of Orange, and Robocop aren't far behind, though. I have been meaning to get a hold of a copy of Flesh & Blood as well. It is the only Pre-Robocop film of his that I haven't seen yet. (Thankfully, I purchased the Verhoeven Anchor Bay dvd boxset - along with Spetters - before it went oop).

[Spire]

Just watched On The Waterfront. Very good. Better than I expected.

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by Ausjdm

Millers crossing is a great Coen's film! Very underrated I just saw it for the first time this summer. My only issue with Coen movies for me they're hit or miss no middle ground. Blood Simple is another one people should see!

I still really need to see Blood Simple, been on my list for a while.
I can understand what you're saying about the Coens films, a couple of my friends feel the same way.
Just that most of the ones I've seen have been hits

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Infernal King

The Big Lebowski is as close to "if you don't like this movie, you're objectively wrong" as it's possible to get, I think.

Or just sober.

(I know that stoners, searching desperately for that little fifteen seconds of lost cultural "unity" from cult film to cult film, can't quite draw a decent dividing line between comedy that laughs with them and comedy that laughs at them, but if you genuinely think the Coens were in the "With" category, that's some seriously low self-esteem...
The Coens basically treated stoners on exactly the same level as they treated professional bowlers: As quirky zoo animals for their latest comic anthropological treatise.)

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Or just sober.

(I know that stoners, searching desperately for that little fifteen seconds of lost cultural "unity" from cult film to cult film, can't quite draw a decent dividing line between comedy that laughs with them and comedy that laughs at them, but if you genuinely think the Coens were in the "With" category, that's some seriously low self-esteem...
The Coens basically treated stoners on exactly the same level as they treated professional bowlers: As quirky zoo animals for their latest comic anthropological treatise.)

Yeah that must be it