The Criterion Collection

[neo78956]

Originally Posted by CassavetesGodard

Yes! Yes! Get after Wes "Look at me make a statement with the way I dress and make my characters dress too, so I have to be cool, but I know I'm not because I got stuffed into lockers in High School" Anderson!

Or Chris "I made The Dark Knight so I got a bunch of nerds going back into my Filmography trying to make it look like masterpiece after masterpiece, when I know for a fact they wouldn't know who I am if I didn't even make a Batman" Nolan.


Okay, I do like some Nolan films, but he isn't the most important Hollywood director working today like millions of comic book fans would think.

I wouldn't say Nolan is THE most important active director, and I don't think he made The Dark Knight for ego reasons. But make no mistake, Nolan is certainly one of the best working directors out there, and consistently offers up excellent films. I wouldn't say they are all masterpieces by any stretch. I'd only place Memento and The Dark Knight in that category, but his films are inspiring a new generation of filmmakers, and that counts as important to me.

As far as important contemporary directors go, you have

Christopher Nolan
Quentin Tarantino
Peter Jackson
Guillermo del Toro
Jason Reitman
Paul Thomas Anderson
Ethan and Joel Coen
David Fincher
The Pixar staff
Darren Aronofsky
Kathryn Bigelow

I was going to group Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, Michael Mann, Ridley Scott, Terrence Malick, and James Cameron in there, but I don't think I'd call them contemporary directors in the same vein as the ones I just mentioned. They're definitely in the pantheon of great working directors, but not really contemporary or in the same generation as the other list.

[SpiderBaby]

Since for some reason Hollywood filmmakers came up, I thought I would talk about my fav Hollywood filmmaker and my fav film of his.

Paul Thomas Anderson and Punch-Drunk Love

Influences of Tati, Godard, Night of the Hunter, and much more.

Every reason why I love this film is here:

http://www.a2pcinema.com/archive/PDL/influences.htm

[Beta Man]

I can't leave you guys alone for a minute

Originally Posted by CassavetesGodard

Yes it sucks, even though it's been like that for years. Stop being a Thin Red Line homer with it's bad photoshop design. Breathless packaging is one of the best in the collection, and alot of people will agree.

Pot...... meet Kettle

[neo78956]

Originally Posted by CassavetesGodard

Since for some reason Hollywood filmmakers came up, I thought I would talk about my fav Hollywood filmmaker and my fav film of his.

Paul Thomas Anderson and Punch-Drunk Love

Influences of Tati, Godard, Night of the Hunter, and much more.

Every reason why I love this film is here:

http://www.a2pcinema.com/archive/PDL/influences.htm

Interesting that you picked Punch Drunk Love. I'm afraid I have to be on the bandwagon and say that There Will Be Blood is far and away my favorite P.T. Anderson film, and the best American film of the last decade, IMO.

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by neo78956

Interesting that you picked Punch Drunk Love. I'm afraid I have to be on the bandwagon and say that There Will Be Blood is far and away my favorite P.T. Anderson film, and the best American film of the last decade, IMO.

I love PDL because I love french filmmaking and PDL is loaded with influences. But I did go to the movies to see TWBB a couple times when it came out. I love PTA films, just PDL is my fav.

[Sukuri]

Hey anyone in Canada still looking for The Third Man?

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by CassavetesGodard

Yes it sucks, even though it's been like that for years. Stop being a Thin Red Line homer with it's bad photoshop design. Breathless packaging is one of the best in the collection, and alot of people will agree.

The fact that it's been like that for years is irrelevant; it doesn't make it good. I'm not saying The Thin Red Line has the best cover in the collection, but simply the best for September. My reason for saying so is completely valid--it expresses the main theme of the film, which I cannot recall another cover doing.

"A lot of people" may agree that it's one of the best packaging jobs in the collection, but a lot of people will also disagree about that statement, as well as agree that the cover art is weak. At the end of the day, it's about what appeals to you. Personally, I think it's not that great, just as I think Godard is an overrated director (albeit a highly important one).

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

I can't leave you guys alone for a minute

Pot...... meet Kettle

Baxter, you know I don't speak Spanish. English please.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Sukuri

Hey anyone in Canada still looking for The Third Man?

I would say that's a little steep, but for 8 positive ratings, I guess you're paying for the peace of mind


EDIT:

And I wouldn't say anything is set in stone until I see the Cover-Art pictured on Criterion's website.........

[ChadFL]

Ok, so I got By Brakhage today and am pleasantly surprised at the packaging. It was in perfect condition and the packaging looks and feels better than I expected. I still like the clear plastic cases more, but I guess I'll give this digipak thing a chance.

[Volume11]

Originally Posted by retablo

They offer inspiration and influence, sincehardly anything made these days will, in 50 years, qualify as art like some a lot of the films in the Criterion Collection. Obviously, art is subjective, but I'd much rather see the next generation of filmmakers influenced by Godard (as Tarantino was), Truffaut, Bergman, et al, than... well, who? Nolan? Wes Anderson? Uwe Boll? No thanks.

How about Ryan Fleck and Anna Bodin for starters? There are plenty of amazing, young, and inspirational filmmakers currently working outside of the norms of Hollywood...

[italy12]

Originally Posted by kndy

Hehe...don't get me started...

I love "Playtime"!!!!

The first thing that I found surprising is the attention to detail as the unbelievable set Tati’s company had created was just fantastic. The buildings look modern, the set looks like a major section of Paris with all the people, buildings and vehicles. And sure enough, “Playtime” is a film that utilizes everything on screen to show how modern technology has literally chanted the landscape. Some who embrace the changes and convenience of modernization and some who feel they are left behind and are literally lost.

What makes this film work outside of its incredible set is that Tati is a perfectionist. He literally directs each person in the film. Everyone has an import part to play. May it be how characters have this choreographed walk as they go off in several directions to characters at a restaurant as we see people dancing on the dance floor, each person dancing differently. While servants are trying to get the food out and you see visual gags as one servant clearly has their eyes on something inside the club, while another is attentive to the female patrons and those who are desperately trying to get their food out. It may seem chaotic, but Tati knows what he wanted to get onscreen and succeeds.

“Playtime” features absolutely beautiful cinematography as we see bungalows on the work floor which work almost like a maze. We see buildings that appear to be metallic and the lighting automatically synchronizing when they turn on. We see vehicles move almost in sync with other vehicles.

We see people throughout the city in similar routines at work, we see people promoting the latest in modern technology ala the late 60’s and what is most amazing is that there is hardly any dialogue. It’s like you are given an upfront look at how life is in the city and seeing how various people react to each other.

The film plays out quite interesting as the first half is dedicated to various characters such as M. Hulot who has a business meeting but ends up getting lost in all the modern settings. Barbara is a tourist who has accompanied several American women to Paris and finds the city to be quite breathtaking. We see Monsieur Hulot getting lost in offices from buildings that look alike.

But then the second half of the film focuses on a nightclub known as The Royal Garden that is opening and yet not ready. We see how the builders and the restaurant staff prepare for their major night despite the nightclub not yet ready. Where the first half was quite visual, the second half focuses more intimately on the people of the nightclub and the film becomes more gag-driven but yet with so many people in the film, Tati did a wonderful job in making sure each character had some part in the film and contributed in some fun or hilarious way.

A visual film without dialogue may seem boring and monotonous but fortunately Jacques Tati included a good number of gags to make the whole 124 minutes a bit lively. I did feel the film went a little long and that scenes could have been cut but with Jacques Tati putting all his energy into this film, I understand how difficult it was for him to even cut any scene out. But I do feel that the film could have been much shorter but then again, I would have been curious to see Tati’s original, longer cut.

I’ve heard that the film is a statement by Tati of how much society has changed along with the city he has loved. The modernization with the use of electronics in buildings and restaurants and just making sure he has enough gags to make the audience laugh. If only Tati can see how much has changed today, that would definitely be an entertaining script.

A film that showcases beauty in various ways. This is absolute a film that was the highlight of Jacques Tati’s career and despite how this film may have done in the box office, anyone watching now and seeing what the director was able to accomplish with no discernible plot and very little dialogue is fantastic. And again, the visuals are just fantastic. I was really blown away with how beautiful and intricate of a film “Playtime” truly is.

And the Criterion Blu-ray release is simply....fantastic!

That's it!! I'm popping that one in right now!! Thanks for the post!

-Dave

[JediFonger]

man fell to earth is going OOP. is it worth getting?

[ccfixx]

Originally Posted by JediFonger

man fell to earth is going OOP. is it worth getting?

I do, but I don't buy movies just because they're going out of print.

CC

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

The fact that it's been like that for years is irrelevant; it doesn't make it good. I'm not saying The Thin Red Line has the best cover in the collection, but simply the best for September. My reason for saying so is completely valid--it expresses the main theme of the film, which I cannot recall another cover doing.

"A lot of people" may agree that it's one of the best packaging jobs in the collection, but a lot of people will also disagree about that statement, as well as agree that the cover art is weak. At the end of the day, it's about what appeals to you. Personally, I think it's not that great, just as I think Godard is an overrated director (albeit a highly important one).

I'm just quoting this to continue on this discussion. No need to reply.

Now, I just wanted to say, while I still don't like the Thin Red Line cover (I am hoping it's not done yet), the guy who did this, Neil Kellerhouse, has done some great Criterion covers that I love like "Dillinger is Dead", "Paris, Texas", and "Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara". Just thought that needed to be said.

[BasicGreatGuy]

I just got done watching the "Playtime" trailer on the Criterion site. While watching, I noticed the odd audio distortion / clicking noise. The full movie on Youtube has the same odd noise. Is this odd noise part of the movie, in regards to the statement of the movie? Is it akin to the distorted voices in Chaplin's "City Lights" ?

[Knapsack]

Originally Posted by BasicGreatGuy

Is it akin to the distorted voices in Chaplin's "City Girl" ?

Ahah, did you mean City Lights?

[BasicGreatGuy]

Originally Posted by Knapsack

Ahah, did you mean City Lights?

Yes, I did. lol Thanks for correcting my typo. lol

[JediFonger]

unless it's for profit

although... i did that for the Third Man... and now kind of regret selling it ='(. i do like that movie.

Originally Posted by ccfixx

I do, but I don't buy movies just because they're going out of print.

CC

[capnnarcolepsy]

Now, I just wanted to say, while I still don't like the Thin Red Line cover (I am hoping it's not done yet), the guy who did this, Neil Kellerhouse, has done some great Criterion covers that I love like "Dillinger is Dead", "Paris, Texas", and "Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara". Just thought that needed to be said.

I completely agree about this guys work. From looking at his site, although he does use similar ideas for many things, I enjoyed seeing that he branches out and does all sorts of movies and other such work. I was unfamiliar with the "Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara" set but immediately wanted to buy it based on asthetic alone. Have any of you guys seen it? obviously, the movies are the most important part of any of it, but the overall look of that set seems incredible.


and, just to throw my two cents in, I think the "thin red line" cover, sans bluray-ness, is pretty decent, as i do with "breathless". Both have a simplicity to them that feels like there is much more to them, which is excellent to go along with a good movie as well as catching the eye of would be buyers.