The Criterion Collection

[SammyJankis]

Those show was doing good until it hit bottom when Big Hero 6 won and never recovered.

Don't mind Redmayne. The film itself isn't much, but I can't fault that performance.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I chose to watch my Scorpion Releasing Blu-ray of Screamers (Something Waits in the Dark) last night. I was totally detached from the Oscar vibe, to say the least.

It Happened One Night is a tremendous Criterion release, and I love every minute of it.

Of the 2015 Academy Award Best Picture Nominees, American Sniper is the only one that I have seen so far. It's one of Clint Eastwood's better directorial efforts in recent memory, and it stands well alongside his other anti-war films/hero mythology deconstruction films from years past, but it was nowhere near my favorite film of 2014.

I have not yet seen Birdman, Boyhood, The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, Selma, Whiplash, or The Grand Budapest Hotel, and, truth be told, I probably won't bother anytime soon, because I'm simply not feeling it. I may pick up Birdman from a Redbox rental booth at some point, but, then again, it might join Argo and The Artist as another Best Picture that passed me by.

I wasn't fussy about American Diaper, as I tend to Call it, because it just didn't appeal to me and Chris Kyle was a pathological liar and a bit of a despicable human being.

I had watched IHON before, back when I decided to watch every single Best Picture winner. It was one of my favourite winners. It gets even better upon rewatch, which is almost impossible since it was near perfection to begin with.

I'm not too upset about Redmayne winning, but Cumberbatch was a better Hawking 10 years prior. Also, David Oyelowo and Ralph Fiennes should have been nominated for best actor, and Imelda Staunton was clearly the best supporting actress winner this year. Alas, Pride was kinda ignored. I really enjoyed that one quite a bit. Will be watching Mr. Turner soon as that was kinda snubbed too.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

I wasn't fussy about American Diaper, as I tend to Call it, because it just didn't appeal to me and Chris Kyle was a pathological liar and a bit of a despicable human being.

I saw American Sniper without having read the Chris Kyle autobiography (and having no intention to do so), and I simply approached the movie on its own terms.

It's basically a Clint Eastwood cowboy hero mythology film that happens to take place in Iraq instead of in the old west. Eastwood, despite his reputation as someone with black-and-white politics, has always been pretty adept at making films that explore the gray areas where most of life resides. I don't really think of the film as being about Kyle as much as it is about "the Legend" mythology that shows the psychological impact of violence. It's a flawed movie that can be sluggish in pace during the homeland family life scenes and such, but the scenes that take place in Iraq are solid good Eastwood moments.

As far as Eastwood films go, though, it does not hold a candle to Play Misty for Me, The Eiger Sanction, or The Outlaw Josey Wales.

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

I had watched IHON before, back when I decided to watch every single Best Picture winner. It was one of my favourite winners. It gets even better upon rewatch, which is almost impossible since it was near perfection to begin with.

Just for fun...

My Top Five Favorite Best Picture Winners...

Gone with the Wind
Rebecca
Casablanca
On the Waterfront
The Apartment

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I saw American Sniper without having read the Chris Kyle autobiography (and having no intention to do so), and I simply approached the movie on its own terms.

It's basically a Clint Eastwood cowboy hero mythology film that happens to take place in Iraq instead of in the old west. Eastwood, despite his reputation as someone with black-and-white politics, has always been pretty adept at making films that explore the gray areas where most of life resides. I don't really think of the film as being about Kyle as much as it is about "the Legend" mythology that shows the psychological impact of violence. It's a flawed movie that can be sluggish in pace during the homeland family life scenes and such, but the scenes that take place in Iraq are solid good Eastwood moments.

As far as Eastwood films go, though, it does not hold a candle to Play Misty for Me, The Eiger Sanction, or The Outlaw Josey Wales.




Just for fun...

My Top Five Favorite Best Picture Winners...

Gone with the Wind
Rebecca
Casablanca
On the Waterfront
The Apartment

Mine in no particular order:
Rebecca
All about Eve
The apartment
It happened one Night
In the heat of the night

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

To be honest I found Tree of Life to be a much more wondrous and realistic look at growing up and being a boy.

I can't believe that I gave this post a thumbs up... I'd have never imagined it 6 months ago when I hadn't revisited The Tree of Life and was SOOOO looking forward to Boyhood.

but I had the same thought last night after seeing Boyhood for the first time. didn't hate it with the fervor that Rich Pure Doom did, but I only give it a very, very mild recommendation. film the exact same story over the course of 6 months and you have a rather inconsequential film. actually, you'd probably have better acting, because Linklater could not have guessed that the kid he got stuck with would have no acting chops.

[Scottie]

My Top 5 favorites (in no particular order)

All About Eve
In the Heat of the Night
It Happened One Night
No Country for Old Men
On the Waterfront

[Bing147]

Since people are posting top 5 winners...

1. Casablanca
2. The Godfather Part II
3. No Country For Old Men
4. The Godfather
5. Amadeus

If I didn't separate the Godfathers, then All Quiet on the Western Front would be next. (after that is some combination of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Annie Hall, It Happened One Night, Rebecca)

[bwdowiak]

The Best Years of Our Lives
The Deer Hunter
On The Waterfront
Casablanca
The Apartment

[filmmusic]

Schindler's List
Amadeus
Titanic
Braveheart
The Sound of Music

[The_Iceflash]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

Schindler's List
Amadeus
Titanic
Braveheart
The Sound of Music

I would love to see a Titanic Criterion Release. Although, its Blu-ray is on the level of a Criterion Release being jammed packed with bonus features, documentaries, plus a flawless transfer.

[format916]

i tell everyone to watch tree of life instead of boyhood. not that tree of life is the best film ever made, but its what i thought boyhood would be.

[format916]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Did Julianne Moore deserve the oscar for Still Alice? I haven't seen it but when I saw trailer it didn't exactly stand out for me - will check it out though!

the only other film besides still alice to make me cry the entire time was rabbit hole with nicole kidman. still alice is very well done, but not a perfect movie. but yes, julianne moore deserved it over marion cotillard for two days one night.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by format916

the only other film besides still alice to make me cry the entire time was rabbit hole with nicole kidman. still alice is very well done, but not a perfect movie. but yes, julianne moore deserved it over marion cotillard for two days one night.

Ah right - I loved Rabbit Hole, need to see again, it's not a huge film but it was good, come to think of it the trailer for Still Alice has the same sort feel to it (from what I remember)..

[Ausjdm]

Best picture winners:
Schindler's List
Lawrence of Arabia
Casablanca
Godfather 1&2
Annie Hall

(Also greats: no country for old men, best yrs of our lives, it happened one night, all about eve, deer hunter, 12 years a slave)

Worst best picture winners:
Shakespeare in love (beat private Ryan and thin red line?!)
Crash (just because it sucks could be a lifetime miniseries lol)
The artist (any movie that stopped The Tree of Life should be cursed at)
Dancing with Wolves (beat Goodfellas no no no!)
Kramer vs Kramer (beat all that jazz and apocalypse now and Alien. This is getting silly wtf)
How green was my valley(beat citizen Kane and Maltese falcon ughhh...)
Lastly, Forrest Gump (beat pulp fiction, and shawshank redemption. TNT wouldn't exist if shawshank wasn't made! Oh damn you academy you ruin everything lol)

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Ausjdm

Best picture winners:
Schindler's List
Lawrence of Arabia
Casablanca
Godfather 1&2
Annie Hall

(Also greats: no country for old men, best yrs of our lives, it happened one night, all about eve, deer hunter, 12 years a slave)

Worst best picture winners:
Shakespeare in love (beat private Ryan and thin red line?!)
Crash (just because it sucks could be a lifetime miniseries lol)
The artist (any movie that stopped The Tree of Life should be cursed at)
Dancing with Wolves (beat Goodfellas no no no!)
Kramer vs Kramer (beat all that jazz and apocalypse now and Alien. This is getting silly wtf)
How green was my valley(beat citizen Kane and Maltese falcon ughhh...)
Lastly, Forrest Gump (beat pulp fiction, and shawshank redemption. TNT wouldn't exist if shawshank wasn't made! Oh damn you academy you ruin everything lol)

I still can't understand how Hugo beat The Tree of Life cinematography lol I'm not being biased as I did enjoy parts of Hugo (more the story) but the cinematography wasn't amazing, The tree of Life was breathtaking.

[JoeBuck]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

I still can't understand how Hugo beat The Tree of Life cinematography lol I'm not being biased as I did enjoy parts of Hugo (more the story) but the cinematography wasn't amazing, The tree of Life was breathtaking.

Did you see it in 3D? Because it was easily the best 3D cinematography that has yet to be produced.

[pedromvu]

My best best picture winners (based on the film itself, doesn't matter if they beat a more deserving one)

Schindler's List
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Sound of Music
All About Eve
Casablanca

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

Did you see it in 3D? Because it was easily the best 3D cinematography that has yet to be produced.

No just 2D - maybe that's why but surely a film should be good 2D as well, rather than limiting itself, guess Godard doesn't care about that either lol

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Ausjdm

Worst best picture winners:
Shakespeare in love (beat private Ryan and thin red line?!)
Crash (just because it sucks could be a lifetime miniseries lol)
The artist (any movie that stopped The Tree of Life should be cursed at)
Dancing with Wolves (beat Goodfellas no no no!)
Kramer vs Kramer (beat all that jazz and apocalypse now and Alien. This is getting silly wtf)
How green was my valley(beat citizen Kane and Maltese falcon ughhh...)
Lastly, Forrest Gump (beat pulp fiction, and shawshank redemption. TNT wouldn't exist if shawshank wasn't made! Oh damn you academy you ruin everything lol)

Shakespeare in Love was not a bad little movie, but it did not deserve to beat out The Thin Red Line or Saving Private Ryan.

Crash (2005) goes into my top five list of worst movies that I have ever seen.

Dances with Wolves is a decent movie, but it has been forever tainted in my eyes by a skit, "Dirty Dancing with Wolves", from the early 1990s television comedy, In Living Color.

Kramer vs. Kramer is no Apocalypse Now and it is no Breaking Away (which I've watched three times since I bought the Twilight Time Blu-ray last month!). It does, however, have that scene with JoBeth Williams that made quite a wonderful mark on my childhood psyche.

How Green is My Valley is a wonderful, wonderful movie. It is not as good as The Maltese Falcon or Citizen Kane, but, on its own terms, it was highly deserving of the Best Picture honor.

At the risk of ridicule from my fellow Criterion fans, I'm going to come out and say that I have always liked Forrest Gump. In fact, it would make just as much sense for Criterion to release Forrest Gump as it did for Criterion to release Tootsie and The Big Chill. Now, I think that The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, and the criminally underrated Quiz Show were all more deserving Best Picture hopefuls, but I do like Forrest Gump.

I never saw The Artist, although I love the idea of Bérénice Bejo (A Knight's Tale) receiving big recognition. The Artist struck me as too gimmicky (Hey everybody! It's a silent movie in modern day!), and I wanted The Tree of Life to win.

[Shrunkenhead]

What's with all the hate for Crash? Yeah, Cronenberg adapting JG Ballard, what a bunch of hacks.