The Criterion Collection

[ultlife2013]

Originally Posted by BTTF_

Not what I'm saying.



It's like Christmas...you can grow up to realize that it wasn't what you always thought it to be when you were younger, you don't love it any less...but you certainly feel odd when you realize that it is "different."



(I'm stretching for a metaphor lol)

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

What's everybody's opinion on French-Vietnamese Director Tran Anh Hung? I never really paid attention to his films other the beautifully filmed The Scent of Green Papaya? There's already a Kino-Lorber release of this film, but I feel it would be a perfect fit for a Criterion release.

I love Tran's films. Well, his first three (The Scent of Green Papaya, Cyclo, and The Vertical Ray of the Sun). I haven't seen his more recent two yet...which aren't really all that recent.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by silverlakephil

I quite agree, it seems to be off everybody's radar though. Checking wikipedia, he did a couple short films prior to Green Papaya. They would make fine extras if Criterion ever releases any of his films.

The short films are quite good. They are included as extras on a French double DVD of The Scent of Green Papaya and Cyclo, which I'm guessing is probably long OOP.

[SammyJankis]

Just finished watching An Angel at My Table. My oh my, I was not expecting this to be Campion's best work. An entirely absorbing film that's filled with beauty and a humanistic touch that is just overwhelming. The final frame left me with a sense of happiness and appreciation; happiness for where it's left off and an appreciation for it's broad depiction of one person's view of the world. Kerry Fox was perfect for Campion's eye. There's a warmth and vulnerability within Fox's demeanor and expressions (just a simple look was enough to move me), and it's only accentuated with Campion's compositions.

I really hope this gets an upgrade - preferably with the mini-series cut as well. It's been a long time since I've immediately been this taken with a film.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by BTTF_

That sort of tarnishes my views on Criterion then. If they are only grabbing at films that they have access too, rather then the ones that they feel are "worthy" enough...If part of the "criterion" for getting into the collection is convenience-- then bullocks. Although you are making perfect sense that is extremely upsetting to me. This new realization has put me in an odd mood.

IOW, you were the fans we have now, who think that Criterion is the Santa Claus film professor who can pull any classic film out of their magic bag to Make You Smarter, and now you found out they're subject to the same restrictive licensing games as any other studio....They just have a better pick of films from the Janus catalog, is all.

Don't get depressed, be happy about it--It's called growing up. Maybe now "What films can I discover by blind buying?" now seems to be all a lie, and there never was "magic" to buying Criterions just because they were Criterions.
But once you realize that they still put some effort into what they can license, IF they can license it, it'll help you stay out of that bounceback cynicism pit at the other end.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I am FINALLY done with the Stan Brakhage set.

If watching A Hollis Frampton Odyssey and both volumes of By Brakhage over the past month or so has taught me anything, it is that for the most part, I really, really, really dislike the avant-garde and experimental film genres. I do enjoy the works of David Lynch and I think Man with a Movie Camera is a neat little film, but for the most part, the genre is definitely not for me.

There were a couple of short films that I did find fascinating, despite how hard they were to watch from a graphic perspective (the birth of Brakhage's daughter and Brakhage's recording of autopsies), but overall I found more of the films to be losers than winners. I mean...there were 50-something films in the Brakhage set and about 95% of them were the same exact thing...random, flashy colors repeating over and over and over and over and over again for what seemed like forever.

So in other words, it was an experience something like this:

YouTube

I had this reaction while I was watching The New World. An ass-endurance test of epic self-flagellation. I passed.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by oildude

So in other words, it was an experience something like this:

[Show spoiler]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2APtvDMIEo

I had this reaction while I was watching The New World. An ass-endurance test of epic self-flagellation. I passed.

Something like that haha

[jw007]

The New World, an epic film of immense proportions that is sheer poetry and only select souls can understand and appreciate.

[infeario]

I've been hearing rumors that Dr. Strangelove might be getting a Criterion release... does anyone know anything about it? I've been debating wether to wait it out or to get a copy of the 45th Anniversary Edition thats been out for a while. Does anyone know anything about it?

[ijustblumyself]

Originally Posted by jw007

The New World, an epic film of immense proportions that is sheer poetry and only select souls can understand and appreciate.

The New World is beautiful.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by BTTF_

That sort of tarnishes my views on Criterion then. If they are only grabbing at films that they have access too, rather then the ones that they feel are "worthy" enough...If part of the "criterion" for getting into the collection is convenience-- then bullocks. Although you are making perfect sense that is extremely upsetting to me. This new realization has put me in an odd mood.

Isn't it "bollocks" ?

Maybe one of our UK posters can help out.

[Sinthetic]

Yep, it's bollocks. I've got a pair myself so my reliability is high.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by infeario

I've been hearing rumors that Dr. Strangelove might be getting a Criterion release... does anyone know anything about it? I've been debating wether to wait it out or to get a copy of the 45th Anniversary Edition thats been out for a while. Does anyone know anything about it?

Haven't heard the rumor myself. But I wouldn't say it's beyond the realm of possibility. (a) They released it on laserdisc (with some of the most amusing extras they've ever released for a title), and (b) Sony has become license-friendly over the past few years.

[ShellOilJunior]

It's a dream to have the Marx Brothers on blu-ray in the collection:

[Show spoiler]

[welcometothepartypal]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

It's a dream to have the Marx Brothers on blu-ray in the collection:

[Show spoiler]

Yes, that would be a dream. My 3 and 5 year olds love that peanuts scene.

Can someone out there explain to me something? I just watched INSIGNIFICANCE, and usually I let movies like that sit with me and try to figure them out. Elephino what the heck I just watched. Some people just love this movie so I thought i'd give it a shot. At this point I don't think I liked it, unless someone tells me I should like it and why. LOL

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by welcometothepartypal

Yes, that would be a dream. My 3 and 5 year olds love that peanuts scene.

Can someone out there explain to me something? I just watched INSIGNIFICANCE, and usually I let movies like that sit with me and try to figure them out. Elephino what the heck I just watched. Some people just love this movie so I thought i'd give it a shot. At this point I don't think I liked it, unless someone tells me I should like it and why. LOL

I appreciated the philosophical musings. When Marilyn was talking to Einstein about the theory of relativity, that was my favorite part. I thought that a lot of the movie, though, was kind of avant-garde randomness. Wasn't my favorite Criterion, but I can appreciate why some folks would like it.
If it means anything, I still want to see Walkabout after seeing Insignificance, my first (and only) Roeg film.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

It's a dream to have the Marx Brothers on blu-ray in the collection

Well, they released A Night at the Opera on laserdisc...

The problem is over half of the Marx Brothers films are owned by Warner. The five Paramount films -- currently owned by Universal -- wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility.

For the record, their for-all-intents-and-purposes last movie, Love Happy is available on Blu-ray from Olive Films. That's the only one of their films on Blu-ray that I'm aware of.

Their actual last film, Irwin Allen's The Story of Mankind was never even released on commercial DVD, though it's available on DVD-R from the Warner Archive Collection.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by welcometothepartypal

Can someone out there explain to me something? I just watched INSIGNIFICANCE, and usually I let movies like that sit with me and try to figure them out. Elephino what the heck I just watched. Some people just love this movie so I thought i'd give it a shot. At this point I don't think I liked it, unless someone tells me I should like it and why. LOL

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I appreciated the philosophical musings. When Marilyn was talking to Einstein about the theory of relativity, that was my favorite part. I thought that a lot of the movie, though, was kind of avant-garde randomness. Wasn't my favorite Criterion, but I can appreciate why some folks would like it.
If it means anything, I still want to see Walkabout after seeing Insignificance, my first (and only) Roeg film.

That was my second favorite part. My favorite part was the exchange between Einstein and The Indian Elevator Operator.

Anyway, I wouldn't characterize it as "avant-garde randomness". What it's about is what today we'd call the "cult of celebrity". And about the dichotomy between famous people's public image and what they actually are in private.

It's one of my favorite films of the 80s.

[Tin Drum]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Just finished watching An Angel at My Table. My oh my, I was not expecting this to be Campion's best work. An entirely absorbing film that's filled with beauty and a humanistic touch that is just overwhelming. The final frame left me with a sense of happiness and appreciation; happiness for where it's left off and an appreciation for it's broad depiction of one person's view of the world. Kerry Fox was perfect for Campion's eye. There's a warmth and vulnerability within Fox's demeanor and expressions (just a simple look was enough to move me), and it's only accentuated with Campion's compositions.

I really hope this gets an upgrade - preferably with the mini-series cut as well. It's been a long time since I've immediately been this taken with a film.

I've been saying that for years. A truly magnificent film.

[welcometothepartypal]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I appreciated the philosophical musings. When Marilyn was talking to Einstein about the theory of relativity, that was my favorite part. I thought that a lot of the movie, though, was kind of avant-garde randomness. Wasn't my favorite Criterion, but I can appreciate why some folks would like it.
If it means anything, I still want to see Walkabout after seeing Insignificance, my first (and only) Roeg film.

Thanks for your response, I agree that was a fun scene. WALKABOUT was great IMO. I definitely liked it a lot more.