The Criterion Collection

[jw007]

Can anyone speculate which Criterions are going to go out of print next? I'm hoping none do, but that wouldn't be realistic.

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Is the John Cassavetes: 5 Films worth buying?

YES.
Especially if you're looking for films with great performances as Faces, A Woman Under The Influence and Opening Night are practically master classes in acting (and film making in general, really).
On top of that its loaded with incredible extras and a pretty thick book with great interviews and essays.
This box set is essential as far as I'm concerned and worth every penny.

And in regards to Westerns, give Vera Cruz, The Professionals and The Big Country a go. The first two both have Burt Lancaster and are stupendously entertaining and the third has Gregory Peck with a wonderful scope and story to it. Winchester 73 also has a really great dark tone that a lot of people attribute to Anthony Mann's background with film noir.

Also, the spaghetti westerns have a totally different tone than the american ones that you might like more. A couple great non-Leone ones are The Big Gundown (which has a phenomenal blu ray release from Grindhouse), The Great Silence, and Day Of Anger.
Personally, my favorite western of all time is Once Upon a Time In The West. It's really hard to dislike that film.
Definitely give some of them a chance!

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by brandon_260

I don't really like saying this, but it seemed like you kind of missed part of the point. The importance is not on the landmark events, but instead the little everyday things that make up life.

I too was going to post something similar to this.

Originally Posted by brandon_260

Maybe it's because you're not (North) American, but almost everybody will be able to find some thread to latch onto that somehow connects to their own experience of either growing up or parenthood. It's too bad you didn't like the film or found it "overhyped," but it seems your reasoning is misplaced.

I don't think nationality has anything to do with it myself, especially given the widespread cultural influence that the US had over the UK (perhaps in particular) coming out of the 90s and thru the 2000s. Tying in to the first point, concerning the little moments taking precedence over the bigger picture, childhood is pretty much a universal happenstance, extreme situations excepted.

I'm yet to read a compelling counter-argument made against the film, with most complaints reading like a list of nitpicks. "Overhyped", alongside "overrated" stands as one of my most irksome complaints, that has nothing to do with the film itself.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by Meek12345

On a different note, I am still unable to put my thoughts on Jeanne Dielman into words for a post on this forum. That film is still rattling around in my brain and defies explanation.

It's a great film. I saw it theatrically last Winter (having seen it numerous times before) and now hold it to be one of the key theatrical experiences of my life. The temporality of the thing is really exemplified when seen that way, with the opportunity to pause the film taken away!

[blujazz]

What are the chances of Norte: The End of History being released on Criterion… let alone in blu-ray in the US?

[SimBelm]

Originally Posted by blujazz

What are the chances of Norte: The End of History being released on Criterion… let alone in blu-ray in the US?

Cinema Guild are distributing it in the US. I think it's likely they'll release it on Blu-ray.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by JJJ225

You hated it so much you wished it was twice as long!

I loved it. I guess you can say it doesn't delve into certain issues as much as you'd have liked it to, but I don't think it's beneficial complaining what a movie is not. I found it to be a deceptively simple story about growing up, that is amazingly engaging and touching at the same time. I get what you're saying about some of the linear jumps, but it'd not only necessary, but super appropriate in some way, especially when viewed from a child's perspective.

I gave reasons why it didn't have much time to develop the sub stories, and important parts of his life, if it had a longer runtime it would have had time to breath and focus on those key sections that felt rushed.

Originally Posted by brandon_260

I don't really like saying this, but it seemed like you kind of missed part of the point. The importance is not on the landmark events, but instead the little everyday things that make up life. Maybe it's because you're not (North) American, but almost everybody will be able to find some thread to latch onto that somehow connects to their own experience of either growing up or parenthood. It's too bad you didn't like the film or found it "overhyped," but it seems your reasoning is misplaced.

I think you are right on some level, growing up in US is a lot different to UK sow as harder to connect with his life.

It was ok, it just had a few flaws which let down for me, maybe I will revisit and see if it's better on another viewing, but I've seen much better coming of age stories :-)

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

I too was going to post something similar to this.



I don't think nationality has anything to do with it myself, especially given the widespread cultural influence that the US had over the UK (perhaps in particular) coming out of the 90s and thru the 2000s. Tying in to the first point, concerning the little moments taking precedence over the bigger picture, childhood is pretty much a universal happenstance, extreme situations excepted.

I'm yet to read a compelling counter-argument made against the film, with most complaints reading like a list of nitpicks. "Overhyped", alongside "overrated" stands as one of my most irksome complaints, that has nothing to do with the film itself.

It has been overhyped, if they had just used a normal actor and different person for each segment it wouldn't have been as amazing or special, they played on this idea to film same actor over 12 years and as cool as it was, for me it was just a way to hide the flaws.

The acting was really forced by a lot of the actors and just didn't come across as natural or real, and I found a few of them very annoying.

As I said it was nice seeing this child grow up before your eyes in this film, but it did need more runtime to develop further, it just happened to quick and I understand how life can flash by but no, that's not an excuse really.

It just didn't work for me and there's re much better coming of age films out there that were and are successful.

Originally Posted by iScottie

I just realized that the new "The Vanishing" cover is of a face and not some random dots. Whoops.

I did post this during announcement several times lol

[Clare2904]

Wow, no Paths of Glory love on this thread

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by Clare2904

Wow, no Paths of Glory love on this thread

i loved it.
kubrick is amazing. and the shots on the battlefield.. beyond awesome!
and criterions transfer is perfect !
i talkt about the movie a while ago in the UK thread. and nobody did care as well.

i liked this one much more than the killers kiss / the killing bluray. not saying that one wasnt a great movie.


wish some "uncut" copy of lolita would show up some day. with scenes nobody knows about... ;(
and of course a kubrick recut of eyes wide shut, made of a script a cleaning lady found somewhere in a closet....

[Clare2904]

It is beyond words. I watched last night and was raging at that ***t of a General

Speaking of the transfer, at first I thought it was my region free player so I switched, but at the start the white name titles "glowed" the white spreadout into the black background. The early scenes were grainy too.

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by Clare2904

It is beyond words. I watched last night and was raging at that ***t of a General

Speaking of the transfer, at first I thought it was my region free player so I switched, but at the start the white name titles "glowed" the white spreadout into the black background. The early scenes were grainy too.

some of the scenes probably did look more grainy becouse he used "zoom" for them. that blows the grain up if its done after the scene was already shot.
you will see similar scenes in "to kill a mockingbird"

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by Clare2904

Wow, no Paths of Glory love on this thread

Hands down my favorite Kubrick film and a fantastic release from Criterion.

[Herry Dunston]

Speaking of, Paths of Glory is my next future purchase of the B&N July sale.

[Mansinthe]

Originally Posted by Herry Dunston

Speaking of, Paths of Glory is my next future purchase of the B&N July sale.

you could still get it this sale

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Clare2904

Wow, no Paths of Glory love on this thread

I almost mentioned Kirk Douglas yesterday during the 'masterful performances' conversation. It's a fantastic film.

And on top of everything else it even had George Macready.

You can't beat that.

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by Mansinthe

some of the scenes probably did look more grainy becouse he used "zoom" for them. that blows the grain up if its done after the scene was already shot.
you will see similar scenes in "to kill a mockingbird"

Thanks for the explanation

I need to watch again with the audio commentary, hopefully without putting my foot through the TV when I see that ***t General.

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

Hands down my favorite Kubrick film and a fantastic release from Criterion.

100% agree.

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by Herry Dunston

Speaking of, Paths of Glory is my next future purchase of the B&N July sale.

Go buy it NOW. If the store is not open, wait outside. Don't fight about coupons, at $40 it is a bargain!

[Clare2904]

Originally Posted by octagon

I almost mentioned Kirk Douglas yesterday during the 'masterful performances' conversation. It's a fantastic film.

And on top of everything else it even had George Macready.

You can't beat that.

This and Ace In The Hole are marvels from Kirk

George