The Criterion Collection

[BohemianGraham]

As for film festivals, my friend in Toronto seems to enjoy TIFF, but hasn't gone the past few years because no one else wanted to go with him. I would have, but I live several provinces away. I would have loved to have seen The Imitation Game

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by obscurelabel

re: Mr. Arkadin ...

The reconstructed version is very well done, the editing is excellent. It's interesting that there are some shots in it that are not in either of the other two versions. Some of the footage is in noticeably rough shape but that's to be expected considering the film's history. The only thing I didn't like about it was

[Show spoiler] Welles as Arkadin tells the familiar "scorpion and the frog" story, but later on tells another, similar parable ... it doesn't add anything new, just rehashes the first story. I think they should have left the second story out.

Be sure to check out the footage of Welles directing the other actors, it is fascinating and priceless. Watch it and you'll find out

[Show spoiler]why the movie was completely post-dubbed, the rattling of the camera almost drowns out all the live dialogue.

cool, thanks for replying. also to Shell for replying, as well.

it seems like this is going to be quite a fascinating release. I'll have to read all of your posts again when I get my hands on the disc as I think now the 4 or 5 ppl who have replied have referred to the 3 cuts by like 6 diff names.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Isn't the 11th a stat holiday of some sorts in America? I know it's a stat here, because it's Remembrance Day.

[Show spoiler]"I will come to a time in my backwards trip when November eleventh, accidentally my birthday, was a sacred day called Armistice Day. When I was a boy, and when Dwayne Hoover was a boy, all the people of all the nations which had fought in the First World War were silent during the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of Armistice Day, which was the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
It was during that minute in nineteen hundred and eighteen, that millions upon millions of human beings stopped butchering one another. I have talked to old men who were on battlefields during that minute. They have told me in one way or another that the sudden silence was the Voice of God. So we still have among us some men who can remember when God spoke clearly to mankind.
Armistice Day has become Veterans' Day. Armistice Day was sacred. Veterans' Day is not.
So I will throw Veterans' Day over my shoulder. Armistice Day I will keep. I don't want to throw away any sacred things." - Kurt Vonnegut

Yes, November 11 is Veterans Day here in the U.S.

This year, it's also the day that the latest Stephen King novel will be published. I have that day off of work because of my government job, so I'm going to hit a store first thing in the morning, pick up the novel, and see if I can finish it before day's end. The Criterion sale will have to wait. Everything stops in my world whenever a new Stephen King book comes out.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Blu-Velvet

I actually find the closing speech in THE GREAT DICTATOR to be its weak point, as is the closing speech in MONSIEUR VERDOUX, although both are wonderful films. My favorite Chaplin talkie is LIMELIGHT, followed a bit by THE GREAT DICTATOR and MONSIEUR VERDOUX, both of those slightly below the semi-talkie/semi-silent MODERN TIMES. I don't really mind A KING IN NEW YORK, but it's a bit too heavy-handed and contrived, and I'd put it at the bottom of all the Chaplin features. A COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG is by no means a great film, but remains entertaining and is much better than its critical reputation. Mediocre Chaplin is still way better than average Hollywood fare then or now.

That said, my all-time favorite Chaplins are THE KID, THE GOLD RUSH, and CITY LIGHTS, pretty much tied for first, or trading places depending upon which I've seen most recently. Then, of course, there are the Mutual shorts, especially the last five mini-masterpieces that easily rank with any of his features and above many and with certain reservations look mostly spectacular on the new Flicker Alley Blu-ray collection!

I never thought of it that way regarding the final speech in The Great Dictator. Perhaps it was Chaplin trying to preach and use his power and means as leverage to get his word out to the world. I see nothing wrong with that if its a film he controlled fully. There are times when fact goes beyond fiction and in some ways he was trying to change the world or outcome of WW2 with that film, and that in my opinion isn't weak but pretty damn great, or if not great at least pretty damn ambitious.

[pro-bassoonist]

Volker Schlöndorff - DVD Picks - YouTube

[BohemianGraham]

Weird, around here, very few things are open. Usually only essential services (Timmy Ho's apparently is one, and veterans and forces members in uniform get free coffee and other things, depending on where you are), and online stores based outside of here are open. Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec are the only places that don't consider it a Stat. NS, it's not a stat, but falls under its own legeslation: http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/remembrc.htm

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Weird, around here, very few things are open. Usually only essential services (Timmy Ho's apparently is one, and veterans and forces members in uniform get free coffee and other things, depending on where you are), and online stores based outside of here are open. Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec are the only places that don't consider it a Stat. NS, it's not a stat, but falls under its own legeslation: http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/remembrc.htm

A lot of places around here are closed. I'm pretty sure that the Walmart a half mile down my street will be open, though, because they usually have Veterans Day sales. That's not generally my shopping place of choice for books, but they'll have the Stephen King novel in stock.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Whats the best Charlie Chaplin film for a newbie - never seen his stuff and have avoided as I'm not big on the comedy side and the silliness - but feel like I'm missing out on an important part of cinema and would like to give it a try - even if I watch on netflix or wherever lol

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the five released so far by Criterion. My favorite Chaplin film is perhaps The Gold Rush (the original 1925 version), but I think City Lights would be my choice as an intro film for a Chaplin newbie.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Volker Schlöndorff - DVD Picks - YouTube

I loved watching this guy, Volker Schlöndorff! He's really not greedy at all and seems really humble and just a nice guy. His mannerisms and personality definitely remind me of my relatives in southern Germany in Bavaria as I was just there over this summer for the first time. I have a feeling he has a lot of Criterions in his collection as the two he picked were released very recently in 2014, so he probably wanted these latest for his own collection.

Quite a good one! Although he had that creepy German laugh about that "Ministry of Orgasm" part. Heh heh heh

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I presume that the Tati set is a Day 1 buy for you?

By the way, if you have not seen the two Monte Hellman westerns before, you are going to be in for a treat!

Yes. I applied my $50.00 "loyalty" credit from Criterion to use on the Tati set. It will cost me $49.96. I'm also getting La Dolce Vita before then, in fact it is in the mail now.

I've never seen the Hellman films all the way through. I'm looking forward to them very much.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Isn't the 11th a stat holiday of some sorts in America? I know it's a stat here, because it's Remembrance Day.

[Show spoiler]"I will come to a time in my backwards trip when November eleventh, accidentally my birthday, was a sacred day called Armistice Day. When I was a boy, and when Dwayne Hoover was a boy, all the people of all the nations which had fought in the First World War were silent during the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of Armistice Day, which was the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
It was during that minute in nineteen hundred and eighteen, that millions upon millions of human beings stopped butchering one another. I have talked to old men who were on battlefields during that minute. They have told me in one way or another that the sudden silence was the Voice of God. So we still have among us some men who can remember when God spoke clearly to mankind.
Armistice Day has become Veterans' Day. Armistice Day was sacred. Veterans' Day is not.
So I will throw Veterans' Day over my shoulder. Armistice Day I will keep. I don't want to throw away any sacred things." - Kurt Vonnegut

What timing. I've been reading that novel today.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

What timing. I've been reading that novel today.

Did you update Good Reads? I think we're friends on Good Reads, if we are, I'm sorry for so much spam because I read so much.

Also, any day is a good day for Vonnegut

[jshaide]

Update about the BN sale.

11/11-12/1.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by jshaide

Update about the BN sale.

11/11-12/1.

Damn, now I have to play the stupid Canada Customs game with 13 Criterion releases, rather than 3, as I was anticipating the sale coinciding with my mother's trip. She comes back the day before, the 10th. Was hoping to save the GST and shipping by reserving everything at the Portsmouth, NH store.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Was hoping to save the GST and shipping by reserving everything at the Portsmouth, NH store.

Ah! That's my local store. Well, technically, it's in Newington, not Portsmouth; but what's a few hundred feet among friends?

[kuro_sawa]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Damn, now I have to play the stupid Canada Customs game with 13 Criterion releases, rather than 3, as I was anticipating the sale coinciding with my mother's trip. She comes back the day before, the 10th. Was hoping to save the GST and shipping by reserving everything at the Portsmouth, NH store.

There is only one logical thing to do - tell your mom to reschedule that trip!

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Did you update Good Reads? I think we're friends on Good Reads, if we are, I'm sorry for so much spam because I read so much.

Also, any day is a good day for Vonnegut

It's always a good day for Vonnegut.

What's a Stat Holiday? I'm unfamiliar with the term.

[BohemianGraham]

Barnes and Noble Classify it as Portsmouth. I've bought quite a few Criterions from there via proxy, and a few on my own trips. This past September during the B2G1 sale I had me mam pick up:

Picnic at Hanging Rock
Tokyo Story
The Life of Oharu
Babette's Feast
The Devil's Backbone
The Big City

Oh and the 3D Tardis mug that every good Whovian should own.

I suppose ordering online will at least guarantee me the tiles moreso than going online and reserving for in-store pickup.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

It's always a good day for Vonnegut.

What's a Stat Holiday? I'm unfamiliar with the term.

Stat is short for Statuatory Holiday: http://www.statutoryholidays.com/

And agree with the Vonnegut statement. I was very happy when Benedict Cumberbatch read the letter he wrote to the Drake High School in North Dakota's Board of Education when they burned Slaughterhouse-Five, back in the summer at the Hay Festival. I think I was the only one who was more excited about the Vonnegut portion, rather than the Cumberbatch portion.

Originally Posted by kuro_sawa

There is only one logical thing to do - tell your mom to reschedule that trip!

Not gonna happen, as my dad can't just change his vacation. Disappointing, but, I can still afford the shipping and 5% GST. I was just hoping to avoid it. #firstworldproblems

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

oooooh nice selection have fun

Thanks. I plan to have a good weekend. Trust me. I'm going to go with Godard first, and see where the rest leaves me.