The Criterion Collection

[LPMA]

Originally Posted by MTRodaba2468

Honestly, Mulholland Dr. was my first Lynch film as well (I was either 17 or 18 when I watched it). I couldn't really pinpoint what I thought of it, although my feelings did lean more negative than positive. Since then, I've checked out more of Lynch's work, and have gained a MUCH larger appreciation for it (Blue Velvet is where it all clicked for me, and is one of my favorite films; I should also mention that I dig his music as well, The Big Dream in particular). I haven't revisited Mulholland Dr. since my initial viewing, but with the greater understanding (for lack of a better term) of Lynch's work, I'm more inclined to give it another chance, and see if my views have changed.

I had pretty much decided I hated it when I left that theater, but it stayed with me and I couldn't get it out of my head. It prompted me to read up about it and it pretty much became one of my favorite films upon second viewing.

[aes3728]

Originally Posted by dwk

They'll be releasing The Grand Budapest Hotel sometime (Wes Anderson has is written in his contract that Criterion gets to release his the special editions of this films), but it'll likely be a couple of years.

I've always heard this but taken it as rumor. Do you have proof that it is explicitly written in his contracts? Pictures of it or an interview where a party confirms? I've just always thought it to be a good working relationship, not a guarantee.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions on David Lynch. I think I'm going to start with Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, and The Straight Story. I'm assuming from everyone's comments those are the least... idiosyncratic and esoteric of his films? I'd prefer to start with something a little more mainstream and ease my way into the weird stuff.

The Straight Story is the most mainstream of his films. It's rather shocking in the fact that it's so non-weird, and yet still has the odd little touches that make you think, "Yep, this is a David Lynch film".

Blue Velvet is definitely more typical Lynch, not just in the weird cast of characters and situations, but it better represents his ideas of the duality of suburban/rural life.

[jcs913]

I finally got to my copy of Limelight yesterday and can give it a very high recommendation. I am a big Chaplin fan and had the Park Circus release and this is head and shoulders above that. If you are a fan, do not hesitate to pick it up and retire that PC release..

Also, the short, A Night in the Show is not only hysterical, but looks fantastic too..

[AaronJ]

I'm at 198 Blu-Rays right now, so I've been trying to decide on what will be #200. I decided that it would be a Criterion, and it would be something big, and something I had never seen before.

So, now I'm trying to decide between Carlos and Che. Both sound fascinating. Both are reviewed extremely well. Both are loaded with tons of extras.

*sigh*

Decisions. Decisions.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

I'm at 198 Blu-Rays right now, so I've been trying to decide on what will be #200. I decided that it would be a Criterion, and it would be something big, and something I had never seen before.

So, now I'm trying to decide between Carlos and Che. Both sound fascinating. Both are reviewed extremely well. Both are loaded with tons of extras.

*sigh*

Decisions. Decisions.

Both are good choices and both are excellent packages, loaded with extras. While I like Che and think it was really well-done, I would go with Carlos. I personally think it is a far better film. To me, it was better focused and had a more compelling narrative structure over it's run time.

[octagon]

Put me down for Carlos by a mile.

I can appreciate the sort of operatic approach to Che but it didn't really resonate with me all that well.

Carlos completely hooked me from the start though.

[gr451]

Could anyone comment on Revanche (2008) ? Found a copy at good price and wondered if it's worth a blind-buy

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by gr451

Could anyone comment on Revanche (2008) ? Found a copy at good price and wondered if it's worth a blind-buy

One of the best films of the century. Buy it.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by iScottie

One of the best films of the century. Buy it.

I don't rate it quite as high as others, but it's a phenomenal film and worth owning for sure.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Both are good choices and both are excellent packages, loaded with extras. While I like Che and think it was really well-done, I would go with Carlos. I personally think it is a far better film. To me, it was better focused and had a more compelling narrative structure over it's run time.

Originally Posted by octagon

Put me down for Carlos by a mile.

I can appreciate the sort of operatic approach to Che but it didn't really resonate with me all that well.

Carlos completely hooked me from the start though.

Thanks guys. That's the way I was slightly leaning anyways ... I think I'll go with that one.

But I need to buy Pitch Perfect first, in order to make Carlos my #200. LOL

EDIT: OK done. You know, the two films are so similar. They'll make a great double feature!

[CriterionBlues]

Watching Renoir's The River and am blown away by the beauty of the images. I had first seen this about 10-15 years ago on a standard DVD, and this is like a practically different movie. Out of many of the upgrades I've seen, this one is among the best to benefit from the format.

[pedromvu]

Just watched Two more Ozu films back to back, Equinox Flower and Late Autumn, both great films, probably enjoyed Equinox Flower a bit more, but i think they are still a bit below any of the Noriko Trilogy or An Autumn Afternoon, for the most part they are very similar and of the same quality, it is just that they lack some of the emotional weight especially in their final moments in my opinion, but they compensate with humor, all in all i can't see why Criterion relegated these to Eclipse set, i think they would fit nicely with the other Ozu spines, also it seems The End of Summer is also well regarded, will have to watch that next time i have Hulu.

What i found odd while watching them in quick succession is that aside from the actors which seem to always be from the same group in Ozu films, the locations are also exactly the same, i think some of them also appear on An Autumn Afternoon, for films being filmed years apart i am guessing they are actual locations and not sets or maybe he liked to replicate the exact same sets? seems a bit odd.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by gr451

Could anyone comment on Revanche (2008) ? Found a copy at good price and wondered if it's worth a blind-buy

Revanche is one of the best films of the 2000s. It combines film noir, foreign dramas, crime thrillers, and even erotic cinema into an innovative and fascinating tale.

[gr451]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Revanche is one of the best films of the 2000s. It combines film noir, foreign dramas, crime thrillers, and even erotic cinema into an innovative and fascinating tale.

Sold! Another title for this week's deliveries

The 39 Steps
Branded to Kill
The Confession
Le Havre
The Phantom Carriage
Le Silence de la Mer
Wings of Desire
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Yi Yi

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by gr451

Could anyone comment on Revanche (2008) ? Found a copy at good price and wondered if it's worth a blind-buy

My review of the film, taken from my blog

In the story, Alex (Johannes Krisch) is an ex-con turned bouncer in a brothel that wants to make some quick money so that he can pay off his prostitute girlfriend's debts and elope with her. To this end he comes up with the idea of robbing the minimum-security bank in his father's village. But this being a story with darker thrusts, things are never as simple as that. In the course of making off in the getaway car, a stray gunshot from local policeman Robert (Andreas Lust) causes the death of his girlfriend. A shattered Alex abandons the vehicle in the woods and hides out in his father's house, passing his time between fervidly performing the farm chores for his ailing father and grieving in his room. To his chagrin, he then discovers that his father's nearest neighbors are Robert and his wife.
In the course of bringing us to this point, the script separately charts Alex's and Robert's individual threads, making us appreciate them as fully-fleshed characters before springing the conflict - Alex's troubled relation with his stubbornly independent father, and Robert's loving but childless household situation. In the aftermath of the killing we see both Alex's anguish at his girlfriend's death and Robert's guilt over having accidentally shot the girl. The further events in the film explore Alex's thirst for revenge on the man that killed his girlfriend and how it is resolved.

The film's austerity of mood bears a passing resemblance to Jean-Pierre Melville's crime dramas like Le Samourai or Le Circle Rouge. But those films were entirely male-dominated; here the woman characters are also important and there's an upfront sexuality to the extent of betraying an obvious commercial interest (after all, art-house crime films have better market value when they feature naked women and sex). Again and again we have scenes occurring at the village lake and it serves as more than a backdrop - the image of a placid surface over hidden dark depths serves as an apt metaphor for the inner turmoil of the characters in the story.

In a film like this performances are paramount, and the actors give us splendidly understated turns. Visuals and sound are captured in an exacting, atmospheric manner, and technically the film is first class. The main flaw is in that the script tries too hard to draw a neat "c'est la vie" circle and does not feel like an organic evolution of the character interplay. Even the stately (some would say sluggish) pace is unable to hide the strings of contrivance. But Revanche still remains interesting enough to recommend as a watch to people that like a solidly executed quiet crime drama.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by ravenus

My review of the film, taken from my blog

Beautiful review.

I really need to see this.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

I'm at 198 Blu-Rays right now, so I've been trying to decide on what will be #200. I decided that it would be a Criterion, and it would be something big, and something I had never seen before.

So, now I'm trying to decide between Carlos and Che. Both sound fascinating. Both are reviewed extremely well. Both are loaded with tons of extras.

*sigh*

Decisions. Decisions.

Carlos.

Nothing wrong with Che, it has fantastic performances and makes for an intense viewing, but in my quest to cull Criterions I will likely never watch again, I sold Che and kept Carlos.

[WonderWeasel]

Originally Posted by jayembee

The Straight Story is the most mainstream of his films. It's rather shocking in the fact that it's so non-weird, and yet still has the odd little touches that make you think, "Yep, this is a David Lynch film".

Blue Velvet is definitely more typical Lynch, not just in the weird cast of characters and situations, but it better represents his ideas of the duality of suburban/rural life.

Everything that I've read, good and bad, about Blue Velvet has mentioned something about how ridiculously over-the-top Dennis Hopper's performance is, so I watched a couple of clips. Now while I don't agree with his stance on phyiscally punishing women who don't have his bourbon ready for him, I do agree with his position on Heineken. I've always thought it was a rather skunky-tasting beer.

Seriously though, are there many people who seem more at home with a ridiculous plot/character than Dennis Hopper? He's the only reason I'll watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and a big part of the reason I like Robert Altman's O.C. and Stiggs. Now I'm not sure whether I want to watch Blue Velvet or The Straight Story first.

[Show spoiler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRP2L8V89VM

[gr451]

If anyone has the plastic case for Last Year at Marienbad and willing to sell (with or without discs) please PM me.