The Criterion Collection

[Agent_DVD]

Just was re-organizing my collection and wondered was the recent Time Bandit the only lenticular release?

[Spanish Scott]

Is My Winnipeg worth a blind buy? I've never seen Maddin, so I would be coming in completely blind with almost no expectations. What little I've ready about the film though has definitely piqued my interest.

[pro-bassoonist]

An Autumn Afternoon Blu-ray REVIEW





Pro-B

[monorail91]

Originally Posted by iScottie

For what it's worth, I wasn't a particularly big fan of The Sword of Doom either. In fact, I've yet to be impressed by any samurai films other than the ones that Kurosawa made.

What about House?

[monorail91]

Whatta day... saw Selma (ehh), The Virgin Spring (first time - didn't realize it was the inspiration for The Last House on the Left til certain plot events. Overall, really liked it though I don't know if I'd see it again), and one of my favorites from the 1980s A Room with a View!

[WonderWeasel]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The Hays Code definitely had an effect on the screen adaptation of The Big Sleep. The references to the pornography book business and a homosexual relationship in the novel are buried and only referenced in vague ways in the film. More importantly, the outcome changes in the movie, because the Code would not condone a screenplay about certain characters that get away with murder and with being accessories to murder.

The general aura of seediness is present and accounted for in the Howard Hawks film, thankfully, just as these things are present in a lot of classic-era film noir movies without being overtly acknowledged.

It's the exact same way with 'The Maltese Falcon'. Joel Cairo's character is identified as homosexual in the book, but this is never made clear in the film; it is only implied with Peter Lorre's effeminate, smarmy take on the character.

There's also a sly one-liner about a cop's boyfriend, and Bogart referring to Elisha Cook Jr.'s character as a "gunsel", which is apparently little-used, old-timey slang for a young homosexual.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I just finished watching Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye.

Since I recently read the Raymond Chandler source novel, I was taken aback by the changes to the story, but I settled into a groove once I figured out Altman's intent of comparing Marlowe's older values with 1970s post-hippie culture. Elliott Gould is no Humphrey Bogart, but he does effectively convey the notion of Marlowe as an outsider.

Eeerrrrrr.....close:
The key is in why a cheesy 30's "Hooray for Hollywood" plays over the end credits--Back in the Nixon/Ford mid-70's, before the VCR was invented, we didn't know our old movies, and people mostly associated "old Hollywood" with B/W Humphrey Bogart detectives on the local-station late show.
With the updated associations to Chandler, Altman was trying to compare the Marlowe detective to his usual examinations of 70's LA, and trying to show the disparity between "old Hollywood" detectives and the soulless-hedonistic 70's Hollywood.
(Chinatown tried to do the similar deconstructionist thing, but stayed in period.)

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

Having said that, I do unironically love Altman's Popeye.

Popeye isn't bad-bad, and rather cute for what it is, if you can just sort of ignore Altman-- He seems to be the only one on the crew who doesn't have his own clear idea of what the movie's supposed to be about.
The actors are imitating the Fleischer cartoon characters, Jules Pfeiffer is homaging the comic strip, and Harry Nilsson....okay, two people on the crew.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Part of the joy of watching classic-era film noir flicks is picking out the various ways that sex, aberrant activities, and such are referenced without being specifically mentioned. Cigarettes were often used as sexual innuendo, the act of lovemaking was often symbolized by visual markers (doors blowing open in the wind and such), and characters met their just fates in odd ways.

I usually wince a little bit when I see contemporary remakes of noir classics that use explicit and visceral scenes to convey the same point.

Think about how it's more fun posting on an online forum where language and politics are strictly moderated, because people have to use creative ways to convey certain lewd or controversial subject matter. I'm often bored when browsing web forums where anything goes, because there's no real spark of originality in the interactions. Classic-era film noir movies that were strictly governed by the Hays Code draw their strengths from the same mindset.

I've had this discussion many times over the decades. I've had it concerning the Hays Code, concerning the Comics Code Authority, etc. And while I do see what you're saying, and sometimes you're absolutely proven correct, I disagree that industry-imposed codes help the art form in the end.

The Comics industry was more or less devastated by the CCA. When books like the O'Neill/Adams "Green Arrow" came out and set forth the beginning of the Bronze Age, Comics became an entirely different industry.

And great films were obviously made -- year after year after year -- during the time that the Hays Code was relevant. But, a film such as Mulholland Dr. or Blue Is The Warmest Color or The Deer Hunter or Apocalypse Now or Fight Club or so many others could never have been made.

That would be a terrible, horrible loss.

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Would you recommend it to people who are newish or not a HUGE fan of samurai films?

I started the Zatoichi set and have loved it though!

Harakiri (seppuku), Kill!, Three Outlaw Samurai, Sword of the Beast, Goyokin, Samurai Rebellion, Yojimbo/Sanjuro double bill, the Samurai trilogy, Seven Samurai (if you look in the crowd when the peasants go to recruit samurai, for a second or two you will see Nakadai as an extra.)

Also, what is up with the icon change, Polaroid?

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

Harakiri (seppuku), Kill!, Three Outlaw Samurai, Sword of the Beast, Goyokin, Samurai Rebellion, Yojimbo/Sanjuro double bill, the Samurai trilogy

Yeah not seen any of them, other than Zatoichi the only film I have seen that features samurai themes is Kill Bill (which I love lol).

I have got Throne of Blood (more for the Macbeth story) but not watched yet!

-

I got a bit bored of the other and felt my old image and signature was annoying, so I thought a fresh new look lol - plus i LOOOOVE antichrist (I made the icon myself).

Made the posters as a companion piece to Nymphomaniac

[ShellOilJunior]

I finished Richard Adams' Watership Down last night. I placed my pre-order for the blu-ray this morning. Very excited for this release!

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Yeha not seen any of them, other than Zatoichi the only film I have seen that features samurai themes is Kill Bill (which I love lol).

I have got Throne of Blood (more for the Macbeth story) but not watched yet!

-

I got a bit bored of the other and felt people were getting annoyed with me, so I thought a fresh new look lol - plus i LOOOOVE antichrist (I made the icon myself).

Wow you are Johnny on the spot. I liked your icon, by the way. Also, anything by Hideo Gosha, Kurosawa, and Masaki Kobayashi will be generally good.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

Wow you are Johnny on the spot. I liked your icon, by the way. Also, anything by Hideo Gosha, Kurosawa, and Masaki Kobayashi will be generally good.

I really want to get into the samurai genre, I'm not sure what it is that puts me off - I love the culture, costumes etc so no idea why I'm so worried about it. I am probably over thinking it and should just watch them :P

[Buscemi]

It looks like Pickup on South Street might be happening later this year. A 4k restoration was screened at a Utah arthouse convention called Arthouse Now (think Cinemacon for arthouse theatres) last night.

[nondiatonic]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I have not seen 3 Women yet. It's a candidate for a later Barnes & Noble sale or something of the sort.

I'll probably give Nashville another chance in the not-too-distant future, but it's probably tied with Lynch's Eraserhead as my least favorite Criterion title in my collection. I mean, I get why both films are highly acclaimed, and I love how Criterion makes a case for both of them, but I'll be revisiting them less often than I revisit the other titles on my shelf.

The Long Goodbye is a fun bit of randomness, though. I'm surprised that I even warmed up to it at all, since I consider Chandler's novel to be one of my favorite reads in recent memory, but I got into it once I settled into the vibe.

I'm pleased to know that you liked The Long Goodbye and didn't write Altman off solely on your distaste for Nashville. I could easily recommend a large portion of his filmography (as he has created multiple masterpieces), but I think you should give Short Cuts a try. It resembles Nashville in style more than any of his other films, but I like it much better. It would be a good way to see that style of ensemble movie at its pinnacle.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Would you recommend it to people who are newish or not a HUGE fan of samurai films?

I started the Zatoichi set and have loved it though!

The Hidden Fortress would make a great intro. It's a fun adventure story with a very familiar structure.

Harakiri isn't a great intro. It's very accessible and engaging but it's like The Searchers: a lot of the meat has to do with the way it turns the attitudes in more traditional stories on their heads. You can enjoy The Searchers if you're not familiar with westerns in general but you can get a lot more out of it if you are.

edit: oh, and give Shogun a look. The book and the mini-series both turned a lot of people onto traditional Japanese culture back in the...wow...mid-seventies/early eighties.

[silverlakephil]

Originally Posted by Spanish Scott

Is My Winnipeg worth a blind buy? I've never seen Maddin, so I would be coming in completely blind with almost no expectations. What little I've ready about the film though has definitely piqued my interest.

There's some scenes on Youtube. What I saw was pretty hilarious. I'd probably enjoy it once, but I'm not sure it would have replay value.

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I really want to get into the samurai genre, I'm not sure what it is that puts me off - I love the culture, costumes etc so no idea why I'm so worried about it. I am probably over thinking it and should just watch them :P

I have had a few genres like that also. Took me years to explore them because I kept rationalizing not watching.

The way I see samurai movies is as a bit more honorable western. There is honor and loyalty in them I have a hard time seeing in westerns or western action movies, really. They seem more concerned with reputation and some sort of payback or unfinished business.

Speaking of another thing I have been putting off... Finally watched Charulata after buying it in July. I thought it was going to be something totally different but it was so much better than I thought. Just the camera work alone is amazing. The scenes in the garden are just visual delights, especially when Charu starts swinging on her swing. It made me a bit naucious.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Spanish Scott

Is My Winnipeg worth a blind buy? I've never seen Maddin, so I would be coming in completely blind with almost no expectations. What little I've ready about the film though has definitely piqued my interest.

this film is probably on the Criterion short list of films that are an extreme acquired taste. with that being said... blind buy? no way. you might like it, but you might REALLY NOT LIKE IT!!

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Buscemi

It looks like Pickup on South Street might be happening later this year. A 4k restoration was screened at a Utah arthouse convention called Arthouse Now (think Cinemacon for arthouse theatres) last night.

not to poop on anybody's optimism, but restorations, cinema revivals, or foreign releases do not seem to have any bearing on imminent domestic blu-ray releases... at least from what I have observed in recent history.