The Criterion Collection

[octagon]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

So, I assume you believe all Criterion films that had already a US Bluray out are a waste?

Couldn't he make that judgment on a case-by-case basis rather than making some sweeping generalization?

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

So, I assume you believe all Criterion films that had already a US Bluray out are a waste?

Not at all. I've double-dipped on plenty of films that Criterion have released that I already own in inferior editions*. It's just that the existing Tree Of Life Blu-ray is a technical marvel, the transfer couldn't be bested.



*It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World being a recent example. If TOL got the IAMMMMW treatment (second cut, decent extras) then it wouldn't be a pointless release.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by jlk5844

Watched Persona this morning. Was really looking forward to this after all of the love here. I was delightfully surprised in the beginning to see such a strange, moody montage with mesmerizing images and the score overall was creepy and unnerving. I knew right away this was going to be different than Bergman's previous films. And sure enough, as I discovered, it was his most artsy and confusing film, that I've seen anyway. There were some fantastic moments and simply amazing cinematography, lots of close ups with stark black and dark gray subjects against bright white backgrounds, such as on the cover of the Criterion Blu-ray. I was reminded of the opening of Under the Skin actually, particularly in regards to that opening eerie sequence of Persona. The acting by Bibi Andersson is terrific.

That said, I have to admit, coming fresh off my first viewing, I didn't enjoy most of the film. I'm sure it all means something, but I just found it frustrating. It was so challenging and difficult to read (not the subtitles, the film's meaning) that I gave up and wanted it to end at a point. It didn't always hold my attention, there were periods of not much happening that slowed it down.

Now, it is acclaimed, and this kind of film requires multiple viewings and analysis, so I'll be sure to grant it that before declaring my final word on whether or not I believe it to be a good film. Did anyone else have a similar experience?

I was fairly indifferent to it when I saw it in college about 15 years ago. It's grown on me. Watch the video essay on the disc as it has some good insight that may help you appreciate and understand it more.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Despite no Jazz in All that Jazz I still want it :P

It's one of the year's best, absolutely fantastic release.

[joie]

"Tree of Life" may be pretentious storytelling. The voiceovers are telling.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by joie

"Tree of Life" may be pretentious storytelling. The voiceovers are telling.

Whats wrong with the voice overs and why would it make it pretentious? What about Days of Heaven is that pretentious? What about other films that rely on voice overs? Is A Clockwork Orange pretentious?

[c0bbz]

Latest newsletter clue points to a release of Carol Reed's Odd Man Out

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by joie

"Tree of Life" may be pretentious storytelling. The voiceovers are telling.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Whats wrong with the voice overs and why would it make it pretentious? What about Days of Heaven is that pretentious? What about other films that rely on voice overs?

this time... I am just a spectator


I love the girl's narration in DoH, btw...

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by c0bbz

Latest newsletter clue points to a release of Carol Reed's Odd Man Out

Just saw this. Amazing news. I wonder if they could get The Fallen Idol back for an upgrade?

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

this time... I am just a spectator


I love the girl's narration in DoH, btw...

Hah it is a very beautiful narration ^^

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

Just saw this. Amazing news. I wonder if they could get The Fallen Idol back for an upgrade?

gosh I hope not. that film contains more "twooth" than I can handle!

[Scottie]

As others have pointed out, October 2014's newsletter clue seems to be hinting at Carol Reed's 1947 film-noir, Odd Man Out.

[mallomar]

Originally Posted by octagon

Many people see subtitles and/or a long run time and/or funny, hard-to-pronounce names and think 'pretentious art house crap'. Many people think 2001 and The Godfather are 'overrated'. Many people think this childhood favorite or that is a 'criminally underrated masterpiece'.

I suppose one could look at things like that and think 'well, where there's smoke there's gotta be fire' but wouldn't it be at least as reasonable to conclude that many people throw around words like overrated and underrated and sublime and exquisite and pretentious with little or no thought to what those words actually mean?

Point well taken. But I think it is not fair to say that all adjectives that are used loosely by the ill-informed should simply be off limits.

When I say pretentious, I think I mean an unseemly attempt to seize at unearned profundity. I once had a writing teacher who said that novice writers often grab at magic words like sun, moon, ocean, light, etc., when they want to make readers feel something without doing the hard work of making them feel it. When I watch these latter-day Malicks, all I can feel is how desperately he wants me to think certain things about him: that he is brilliant, profound, life-affirming, inspired, etc. I feel manipulated: either I contort my own inner experience of his images unreasonably so that I can hit the ground running at 100 sentimental miles an hour and choke up over the image of a kid playing in a sprinkler, or I just don't get it, do I? And in his case, as distinct from the case of other artists I might drop the p word on, this manipulation is doubly embarrassing because the sensibility underlying it feels so overlapped with that of commercial photography and advertising.

Okay, more than you wanted to know probably. But if the problem is what do I MEAN by pretentious, that's my first best shot.

Also, do I get extra credit for a) not finding subtitles or long run times problematic; b) not finding movies with hard-to-pronounce titles arthouse crap; and c) loving the Godfather and 2001? (Even if my childhood favorites are, in fact, criminally underrated masterpieces.)

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by iScottie

As others have pointed out, October 2014's newsletter clue seems to be hinting at Carol Reed's 1947 film-noir, Odd Man Out.

[Show spoiler]

I am overjoyed that Criterion is releasing another classic-era film noir that I have wanted for a long time.

Although it's too bad that my hopes for a Criterion release of Sam Raimi's For Love of the Game, starring Kevin Costner, have been dashed again for yet another month.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

Just saw this. Amazing news. I wonder if they could get The Fallen Idol back for an upgrade?

I'd prefer it to Odd Man Out.

[joie]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Whats wrong with the voice overs and why would it make it pretentious? What about Days of Heaven is that pretentious? What about other films that rely on voice overs? Is A Clockwork Orange pretentious?

Voiceover narration is a Malick stock-in-trade, I know. But even with written fiction an audience is sophisticated enough to discover a story without narration, through the characters' interactions, for example. Voiceover in film or reliance on a narrator in written fiction may be a poor storyteller's -- someone pretending to tell a story -- crutch.

add: pretentious in the sense of pretending to tell a story

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by mallomar

Point well taken. But I think it is not fair to say that all adjectives that are used loosely by the ill-informed should simply be off limits.

When I say pretentious, I think I mean an unseemly attempt to seize at unearned profundity. I once had a writing teacher who said that novice writers often grab at magic words like sun, moon, ocean, light, etc., when they want to make readers feel something without doing the hard work of making them feel it. When I watch these latter-day Malicks, all I can feel is how desperately he wants me to think certain things about him: that he is brilliant, profound, life-affirming, inspired, etc. I feel manipulated: either I contort my own inner experience of his images unreasonably so that I can hit the ground running at 100 sentimental miles an hour and choke up over the image of a kid playing in a sprinkler, or I just don't get it, do I? And in his case, as distinct from the case of other artists I might drop the p word on, this manipulation is doubly embarrassing because the sensibility underlying it feels so overlapped with that of commercial photography and advertising.

Okay, more than you wanted to know probably. But if the problem is what do I MEAN by pretentious, that's my first best shot.

Also, do I get extra credit for a) not finding subtitles or long run times problematic; b) not finding movies with hard-to-pronounce titles arthouse crap; and c) loving the Godfather and 2001? (Even if my childhood favorites are, in fact, criminally underrated masterpieces.)

or Brad Pitt staring at a baby's foot.

this is a great post. don't know what else to say other than that I agree 1000%

the first pic is Anne Geddes. the second... well you know

[joie]

Originally Posted by iScottie

As others have pointed out, October 2014's newsletter clue seems to be hinting at Carol Reed's 1947 film-noir, Odd Man Out.

Isn't the "odd man" the catcher? Wearing his hat backward, like he's catching and not up to bat? He's even wearing catcher's padding.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by joie

Isn't the "odd man" the catcher? Wearing his hat backward, like he's catching and not up to bat? He's even wearing catcher's padding.

Huh? He is catching