The Criterion Collection

[lordmorpheus72]

Last night we were able to see The Theory of Everything. I really do think this would be a great companion piece for Criterion to release. I enjoyed the film quite a lot, and the acting was superb. Eddie Redmayne was simply incredible... I can't imagine how hard it must have been to play Hawking in the later years, when he was confined to his wheelchair.

I was able to see an early viewing of Whipslah this morning. I won't spoil anything, or go into a deep review, except to say that I reallu loved this film. Growing up in band, playing an instrument, I had a few crazy directors, and knew some who were even worse, some like J.K. Simmons' character. I've had batons thrown in class, though never at me... It was an intense movie and worthy of the nomination. I give it "Two thumbs up."

Speaking of... I've been watching Life Itself this afternoon and I can't count the number of times I've teared up, and then laughed out loud. It is such a touching film and an amazing tribute to Roger Ebert. I love this film. It is one I will own once released... but for now I have a copy on my TiVo.

And bringing this back to Criterion, my wife and started Rififi after lunch but wasn't able to finish it. The wife was tired and wanted to take a nap, and didn't want to miss it... which is pretty great. So far we have both really enjoyed it and I hope to finished later tongiht before the game.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by Blu-Velvet

It's Kino rather than Criterion, but THE BLUE ANGEL would certainly qualify for the latter, along with at least half or more of the films starring Emil Jannings, who made a specialty of the degradation/fall-from-prestige & power genre. On Criterion but unfortunately DVD-only, for example, there's THE LAST COMMAND. Another Criterion DVD, but not Jannings, would be BICYCLE THIEVES.

The Blue Angel is available from Masters Of Cinema in the UK, in an excellent edition. Bicycle Thieves is also available here on Blu-ray, from Arrow (I'm only pointing this out because Polaroid is in the UK).

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by jmclick

There's an incredible film coming in April from Twilight Time that might intrigue you ... Truffaut's The Story of Adele H (1975), based on the life of writer Victor Hugo's daughter. Isabelle Adjani is heartbreaking in the title role and not only gave the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 1975 (although she lost the Oscar to Louise Fletcher), but one of the greatest performances by an actress ever.

I've always thought that Adele H was a bit of a glaring omission from the Criterion catalogue. It's probably my favourite of Truffaut's later work, and the multiple versions of the film seemed like the perfect opportunity for a Criterion special edition ala Brazil or Arkadin. At least it's coming from Twilight Time tho (and it'd be great if one of the European boutique labels picked it up too).

[jlk5844]

I watched Knife in the Water for the first time yesterday, having recorded it on my dvr off of TCM. Polanski hasn't failed me yet. What a great movie this is. The plot is very simple, it's basically just two men and a woman in a boat, not much happens. And yet it is so compelling, my attention was held. The black & white cinematography is gorgeous, as is Jolanta Umecka. It has a quiet and subtle tension, and it hardly erupts into contrived drama. The film has a natural calm about it, like the water they sail on. If I can offer any criticism, I would say though I appreciate the lack of forced dramatic instances to build the masculine tension, I would say for much of the film it really isn't there, it's too subtle for much of it. It's almost to the point where if I had seen this on a whim without knowledge of the plot I might've been a little taken aback by the key climax. I'm sure this minor flaw that I had will wear off the more I watch it. The film does a commendable job with its minimalist approach, telling the story visually and allowing the viewer to fill in the holes and think and determine for themselves the meaning behind some choices. Some might call this minor Polanski given he made Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, and The Pianist (still haven't seen Pianist, very much want to), but at the moment I like Knife in the Water better than those first two. Highly recommended, and now I really want Criterion to upgrade this to Blu-ray as soon as possible. Into the wishlist it goes.

Can anyone comment on the significance of the title? I feel there must be some symbolism to the knife, though it could be an object thrown in to ramp up some slight suspense (I know I thought something violent might come about because of it, but not in the way it happened in the movie).

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

I've always thought that Adele H was a bit of a glaring omission from the Criterion catalogue. It's probably my favourite of Truffaut's later work, and the multiple versions of the film seemed like the perfect opportunity for a Criterion special edition ala Brazil or Arkadin. At least it's coming from Twilight Time tho (and it'd be great if one of the European boutique labels picked it up too).

On the subject of Truffant...

I watched the Twilight Time Blu-ray of The Bride Wore Black last weekend, and I give it an enthusiastic thumbs up. Here's my two cents that I wrote in the dedicated thread...

The Bride Wore Black is quite wonderful in so many ways, and it's my new favorite Francois Truffaut work. The film was a major influence on Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies, but I find it to be vastly superior. This Truffaut work is more relatable in my eyes, because, although Jeanne Moreau's Julie stalks her victims and infiltrates her way into their lives with a chilling coldness, the crudely awkward execution of the murders is a testament to the fact that she's only human and not the cinematic superhero that Uma Thurman's character often appears to be in the Tarantino films.

As Moreau's Julie hunts down the five men who are responsible for the death of her husband, she utilizes revenge methods in the style of The Count of Monte Cristo by using each victim's character traits against them. The Bride Wore Black ventures into dark territory by observing the ways that each of the men project their fantasies of women into real life interactions, but the cruelest aspect of the story lies in the fact that none of these people truly deserve their fates. Even during its most tragic moments, though, the film has a cool air of Hitchcock-esque levity that keeps it from becoming a sinister dirge.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

Last night we were able to see The Theory of Everything. I really do think this would be a great companion piece for Criterion to release. I enjoyed the film quite a lot, and the acting was superb. Eddie Redmayne was simply incredible... I can't imagine how hard it must have been to play Hawking in the later years, when he was confined to his wheelchair.

I was able to see an early viewing of Whipslah this morning. I won't spoil anything, or go into a deep review, except to say that I reallu loved this film. Growing up in band, playing an instrument, I had a few crazy directors, and knew some who were even worse, some like J.K. Simmons' character. I've had batons thrown in class, though never at me... It was an intense movie and worthy of the nomination. I give it "Two thumbs up."

Speaking of... I've been watching Life Itself this afternoon and I can't count the number of times I've teared up, and then laughed out loud. It is such a touching film and an amazing tribute to Roger Ebert. I love this film. It is one I will own once released... but for now I have a copy on my TiVo.

And bringing this back to Criterion, my wife and started Rififi after lunch but wasn't able to finish it. The wife was tired and wanted to take a nap, and didn't want to miss it... which is pretty great. So far we have both really enjoyed it and I hope to finished later tongiht before the game.

Life Itself is a phenomenal documentary. I'm pretty shocked it didn't get an Oscar nom. Very well made.

[ZeTi]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

Can you guys recommend the best Criterion blu-ray as a starting point for samurai films? For whatever reason, I've never felt the desire to buy Seven Samurai, which I'm sure is where I should probably start.

Start with HARAKIRI, 3 OUTLAW SAMURAI and SWORD OF DOOM. Of course, SEVEN SAMURAI is great, but (and i think this gonna get me some heat) i don't particular enjoy Kurosawas work. Also get the Boxset "Rebel Samurai: Sixties Swordplay Classics" and of course the ZATOICHI Set.

Non-Criterion but there is a US DVD for GOYOKIN, probably my favorite Samurai Flick ever.

[lordmorpheus72]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Life Itself is a phenomenal documentary. I'm pretty shocked it didn't get an Oscar nom. Very well made.

yeah, I looked for it in the Doc category, and just couldn't believe it wasn't there.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by jlk5844

I watched Knife in the Water for the first time yesterday, having recorded it on my dvr off of TCM. Polanski hasn't failed me yet. What a great movie this is. The plot is very simple, it's basically just two men and a woman in a boat, not much happens. And yet it is so compelling, my attention was held. The black & white cinematography is gorgeous, as is Jolanta Umecka. It has a quiet and subtle tension, and it hardly erupts into contrived drama. The film has a natural calm about it, like the water they sail on. If I can offer any criticism, I would say though I appreciate the lack of forced dramatic instances to build the masculine tension, I would say for much of the film it really isn't there, it's too subtle for much of it. It's almost to the point where if I had seen this on a whim without knowledge of the plot I might've been a little taken aback by the key climax. I'm sure this minor flaw that I had will wear off the more I watch it. The film does a commendable job with its minimalist approach, telling the story visually and allowing the viewer to fill in the holes and think and determine for themselves the meaning behind some choices. Some might call this minor Polanski given he made Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown, and The Pianist (still haven't seen Pianist, very much want to), but at the moment I like Knife in the Water better than those first two. Highly recommended, and now I really want Criterion to upgrade this to Blu-ray as soon as possible. Into the wishlist it goes.

Can anyone comment on the significance of the title? I feel there must be some symbolism to the knife, though it could be an object thrown in to ramp up some slight suspense (I know I thought something violent might come about because of it, but not in the way it happened in the movie).

I watched the film for the first time last month, and was also bowled over by it. As far as the significance of the title is concerned, my thought was

[Show spoiler]that just as the knife in the water is probably lost forever, so is the trust between the married couple. At the end of the film, they are in a vehicle that is idling, motionless, just as the sailboat was when the wind died down or the anchor was dropped.

Although I recorded it on to DVD-R, so that I can watch it again, I also want a blu-ray upgrade from Criterion so that I can ponder the bonus features. Intriguing film!

[ShellOilJunior]

I think I'm finally over a bad cold I caught Wednesday. Much of this weekend I spent drinking water, coconut water (Harmless Harvest makes the best!) and eating lots of soup. I finished Caldwell's Tobacco Road and read Gene Tierney of all people played Ellie May in John Ford's film adaptation. Caldwell describes Ellie May as ugly in the face with a hair-lip. This may be the only time you see the word ugly any place near Gene Tierney. From what I gather Ford's film is much much different than the novel.

Today I recovered enough strength to go the cinema and see Two Days, One Night. I went expecting a great film and was not disappointed at all. In customary Dardenne fashion it's a slice of working class life with modesty and restraint. They never tell you how to feel but they give you something to think about.

Oh, yeah, Marion Cotillard is not too bad either.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I think I'm finally over a bad cold I caught Wednesday. Much of this weekend I spent drinking water, coconut water (Harmless Harvest makes the best!) and eating lots of soup. I finished Caldwell's Tobacco Road and read Gene Tierney of all people played Ellie May in John Ford's film adaptation. Caldwell describes Ellie May as ugly in the face with a hair-lip. This may be the only time you see the word ugly any place near Gene Tierney. From what I gather Ford's film is much much different than the novel.

Well, Charlize Theron did play Aileen Wuornos.

Today I recovered enough strength to go the cinema and see Two Days, One Night. I went expecting a great film and was not disappointed at all. In customary Dardenne fashion it's a slice of working class life with modesty and restraint. They never tell you how to feel but they give you something to think about.

Oh, yeah, Marion Cotillard is not too bad either.

Glad to hear you're feeling better.

I really want to see Two Days, One Night ... I just so rarely get to the theater anymore.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by jmclick

There's an incredible film coming in April from Twilight Time that might intrigue you ... Truffaut's The Story of Adele H (1975), based on the life of writer Victor Hugo's daughter. Isabelle Adjani is heartbreaking in the title role and not only gave the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in 1975 (although she lost the Oscar to Louise Fletcher), but one of the greatest performances by an actress ever.

Better than her performance in Possession!?

I can't wait to check this out, I adore her.

I was amazed to discover she is in Herzog's Nosferatu which I'm excited to check out. But Her performance in Possession was mind blowing.

On subject of Possession, EVERYONE must see this masterpiece of horror, one of my favourites! (don't judge film based on the awful trailer)

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

On the subject of Truffant...

I watched the Twilight Time Blu-ray of The Bride Wore Black last weekend, and I give it an enthusiastic thumbs up. Here's my two cents that I wrote in the dedicated thread...

The Bride Wore Black is a film that I'm surprised I don't like more. I love Moreau, I love Truffaut, but it's never clicked for me. I'm always keen to give it another chance tho.

I'd import the TT disc, but they're pricey to get over here and a customs magnet, and I have a feeling that one of the UK distributors will pick it up at some point.

[Deep]

I was also quite indifferent to The Bride Wore Black. I am a Truffaut fan myself but something about this movie just didn't click for me.

[Show spoiler]It never made sense why one of the 5 guys would just randomly shoot someone. It was never clear how the Moreau character managed to track them down (given that they met secretly and dispersed immediately after the shooting). Moreau seemed a little old for the part - definitely not convincing as a femme fatale luring men to their deaths. The pacing was quite relaxed and anything but Hitchcockian. The Moreau character being able to get into the male prison holding her final victim was a little too convenient.

I definitely enjoyed Kill Bill much more

-D

[octagon]

I've only seen TBWB once and was kind of cool toward it too. That was several years ago though. I'd like to give it another look someday if a more reasonably priced (ie more in lines with a 'eh, yeah, what the hell' type purchase) BD shows up somewhere in region B.

[blu-bry]

Originally Posted by Blu-Velvet

Actually, I'd recommend YOJIMBO first (preferably in the double-feature with SANJURO). It was probably the first samurai film I saw back in college (on a 16mm pan & scan print) and bears up well under numerous revisits. It was also remade as the western FISTFUL OF DOLLARS with Clint Eastwood and 1930s gangster noir LAST MAN STANDING with Bruce Willis, so the story has obvious appeal beyond the samurai genre.

As already mentioned, SEVEN SAMURAI is great, of course, as are HARA-KIRI, THRONE OF BLOOD, HIDDEN FORTRESS, and others. The SAMURAI TRILOGY is also very good, much more low-key and philosophical than most. Then there's GATE OF HELL for its early and vivid use of color. Once you get hooked on the genre you can work your way through the Zatoichi set.

I agree with every single word of this post, except for the fact that I haven't seen GATE OF HELL.

[jacobsever]

Criterion posted this on instagram. Two Days, One Night to be released by Criterion?

Artificial Eye did the release for the UK, and nothing is announced for the US yet.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by jacobsever

[Show spoiler]

Criterion posted this on instagram. Two Days, One Night to be released by Criterion?

Artificial Eye did the release for the UK, and nothing is announced for the US yet.

I just came here to post this. It pretty much confirms the release.

Also, I notice that Criterion posted this to Instagram recently. It seems likely that we'll see The Lady Eve in the future, too.

Original timing card with a nitrate dupe negative of THE LADY EVE.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Deep

I was also quite indifferent to The Bride Wore Black. I am a Truffaut fan myself but something about this movie just didn't click for me.

[Show spoiler]It never made sense why one of the 5 guys would just randomly shoot someone. It was never clear how the Moreau character managed to track them down (given that they met secretly and dispersed immediately after the shooting). Moreau seemed a little old for the part - definitely not convincing as a femme fatale luring men to their deaths. The pacing was quite relaxed and anything but Hitchcockian. The Moreau character being able to get into the male prison holding her final victim was a little too convenient.

I definitely enjoyed Kill Bill much more

-D

[Roninblues]

Originally Posted by SlickDamian

I've been collecting Criterion blu-rays for years and consider myself a serious film fan, even if I don't get a chance to watch as many as I'd like. However, I don't own any samurai films in my Criterion collection, and I feel that this is the one area where my collection is lacking. Can you guys recommend the best Criterion blu-ray as a starting point for samurai films? For whatever reason, I've never felt the desire to buy Seven Samurai, which I'm sure is where I should probably start.

http://www.animeigo.com/products/samurai