The Criterion Collection

[ShellOilJunior]

The last Criterion film I can remember hating was A Safe Place which has no place in the collection, imo. It's terrible.

[natureboy]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Agreed.

I won't name any specific movie (*cough* Robert Altman's Nashville *cough* *ahem*), but I'm also sure that each of us is underwhelmed by a movie that is widely acclaimed.

*cough*
Nashville
*cough*

(Okay, it's not a bad movie, but it is my least favorite of the Criterion Blu-rays in my collection.)

I'm like that with about every other Altman flick. Especially Gosford Park. Woof.

[pedromvu]

The blubeaver review of The Freshman is up and seems to be another fantastic release just like Safety Last!

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by natureboy

I'm like that with about every other Altman flick. Especially Gosford Park. Woof.

I had high hopes for Gosford Park. I really enjoyed Rules of the Game and was hoping for something similar, however I was let down. The movie is marketed as a "whodunit" but sadly the movie is about 90% character development, 5% mystery and 5% here, let me just tell you who did it so we can roll the credits.

I'm still on the fence with Seconds and The Spy Who Came In From the Cold and the one I was disappointed with was Mafioso.

[GenPion]

Originally Posted by Cinemach

That's the key thing in the film that I think some here maybe were missing or overlooked: the relationship between Jules and Jim is the paramount one in the film, even if Catherine is the orbital catalyst for the narrative. This is one of the best films about friendship that I've ever seen, particularly male friendship, and I see that and memory as the major themes of the film (notice the use of freeze frames). What strikes me the most when watching Jules et Jim is not only its style, which is as radical as Truffaut got in this regard, but the maturity with which at age 29 Truffaut coaxed the material.

I just wanted to comment on what you wrote about Jules and Jim. This is an absolutely correct way of looking at this film. It is one of my favorites from Truffaut. Truly a beautiful and intelligent film. It does have a lot to say about friendship in a way that many films do not try and articulate.

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by Thebunk

So I watched High and Low last night and it instantly became my favorite Kurasowa (I have only have seen 7 Samurai which I love, along with Rashoman which I hated).

Do you mind elaborating on this? Hate is such a strong word, and I can't imagine anyone feeling that way about Rashomon.

[smoss469]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Stray Dog is my second favorite Akira Kurosawa film behind Seven Samurai, and it is set in postwar Japan. Stray Dog is probably the closest that Kurosawa came to traditional American film noir, and it is justifiably ranked along with American film noirs on many lists.

I picked this up in the flash sale, can't wait to give it a shot!

[natureboy]

Originally Posted by smoss469

I had high hopes for Gosford Park. I really enjoyed Rules of the Game and was hoping for something similar, however I was let down. The movie is marketed as a "whodunit" but sadly the movie is about 90% character development, 5% mystery and 5% here, let me just tell you who did it so we can roll the credits.

I thought it was 95% = all of the cast talking at the same time and I can't understand what the F is going on (I realize this is one of Altman's trademarks but it was to an extreme in this one it seemed).

[lordmorpheus72]

A little of topic, but I Was at BN today and saw the Studio Canal BD of Akira Kurosawa's Ran marked at 30% off. I didn't grab it, but there may be some of you who may be interested, so I thought I'd share.

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by smoss469

I can't wrap my head around the love Breathless gets. I found it boring, a chore to watch and filled with horrible editing (the jump cuts are atrocious). I thought the only enjoyable parts were the Paris scenery and the beautiful Jean Seberg.

I consider it the worst blind buy I've ever made, regardless of any medium or product type.

Literally could not say better how i did feel about that movie.
out of my over 900 blurays the only 3 movies i really hated ! are breathless , un femme marie (godard again) and Katyn

[Scottie]

The only Criterions that I genuinely cannot stand and would never want to see again are America Lost and Found (I love Five Easy Pieces and The Last Picture Show, though), Brazil, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Harold and Maude, Life is Sweet, and Seconds.

Hell, I can even see myself going back and seeing such things as Pale Flower, Rosetta, Safety Last!, Tokyo Drifter, and Videodrome, just to name a few (and I disliked those, just not as strongly).

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by natureboy

I thought it was 95% = all of the cast talking at the same time and I can't understand what the F is going on (I realize this is one of Altman's trademarks but it was to an extreme in this one it seemed).

Worse than that, it was everyone talking at the same time with British accents! I saw Gosford Park in the theater and my date and I both walked out scratching our heads. I resolved at the time to watch it on DVD with English subtitles turned on, but I haven't yet.

[lordmorpheus72]

Here's my haul... spent a little more than I wanted, but hey, it was a good deal.

[Show spoiler]

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by natureboy

I'm like that with about every other Altman flick. Especially Gosford Park. Woof.

Philistine.

[natureboy]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Philistine.

Are you one of those Altman apologists who likes Popeye?

[natureboy]

Originally Posted by smoss469

I'm still on the fence with Seconds

I hope you end up falling on the "like" side.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by smoss469

and the one I was disappointed with was Mafioso.

I watched Mafioso on Netflix, and I can't say I was impressed. Until close to the end. Like a surprising number of films I've seen on Netflix, it seemed to come together in the last 20 minutes, and I ended up really liking it.

The only Criterion releases (LD, DVD, or BD) I've seen that I wasn't happy with are Salò, Blood for Dracula, Flesh for Frankenstein, Armageddon, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Carnival of Souls, and (I suppose the next two should be other entries in my list of films that are generally well-liked that I was underwhelmed by) Robocop and The Red Shoes. In the latter case, as I've said before, it's my thorough disinterest in ballet that does it in for me. Oh, and Grey Gardens.

[natureboy]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Blood for Dracula, Flesh for Frankenstein

Two of my all-time favorites.

I have an Andy Warhol's Dracula one-sheet framed in my house!

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by natureboy

Are you one of those Altman apologists who likes Popeye?

Yes and no.

I did like Popeye, but I don't consider myself an Altman apologist for the simple reason that I don't think there's anything to apologize for.

At any rate, I especially like Gosford Park. I made a point of ordering a copy of the Canadian Blu-ray release of it just the other month, in fact.

[blu-bry]

Originally Posted by iScottie

The only Criterions that I genuinely cannot stand and would never want to see again are America Lost and Found (I love Five Easy Pieces and The Last Picture Show, though), Brazil, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Harold and Maude, Life is Sweet, and Seconds.

Hell, I can even see myself going back and seeing such things as Pale Flower, Rosetta, Safety Last!, Tokyo Drifter, and Videodrome, just to name a few (and I disliked those, just not as strongly).

I am completely with you on those two! Both overrated dogs in my opinion.
I disagree on Safety Last! I got some real laughs through parts of that one.