The Criterion Collection

[CriterionBlues]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Just received a copy of The River in the mail that I won from filmo70's giveaway. I've never seen the film, so I'm very excited to check it out

It is quite a film, but I know a number of people that hate it. The River has to be understood in its proper context. Renoir had flamed out in America and it was a bold risk to film in India, and he absolutely had to shoot it from an English ex-pat perspective. The fact that Renoir injected a lot of India into what was essentially a post-colonial film helped pave the way for filmmakers like Satyajit Rat. In my opinion, the film is best when it tries to illuminate the mysterious India.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by jmclick

The opposite is true of another Criterion release that was later remade here in the US. George Sluizer's original 1988 version of The Vanishing is absolutely phenomenal in every department, while the 1993 remake is lackluster at best, and (in my case, since I have blocked most of it out) completely forgettable.

Damnit!!!!

I actually came pretty close to buying The Vanishing instead of Insomnia.

...but the bitter taste of the Jeff Bridges/Kiefer Sutherland version made me go the other way.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Is there any other film you could even remotely compare it to?

Not sure. It really is out there and hard to compare. Was there ever a Scooby Doo episode where it's like everyone drops acid, enters a haunted house, and finds themselves in a crazy Japanese music video with buckets of blood, disembodied heads, a psycho cat, man-eating furniture, lots of groovy colors, and schoolgirls in short skirts? That might come close.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by oildude

Not sure. It really is out there and hard to compare. Was there ever a Scooby Doo episode where it's like everyone gets stoned, enters a haunted house, and finds themselves in a crazy Japanese music video with buckets of blood, disembodied heads, a psycho cat, man-eating furniture, lots of groovy colors, and schoolgirls in short skirts? That might come close.

Spongebob Square Pants on Mushrooms and PCP?

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by oildude

Not sure. It really is out there and hard to compare. Was there ever a Scooby Doo episode where it's like everyone gets stoned, enters a haunted house, and finds themselves in a crazy Japanese music video with buckets of blood, disembodied heads, a psycho cat, man-eating furniture, lots of groovy colors, and schoolgirls in short skirts? That might come close.

Easily the best description of the film I've seen yet. Though still not crazy enough to explain this movie.

[Ray Jackson]

I still haven't taken the wrapping off of the cases for World on a Wire and Friends of Eddie Coyle, just in case anyone wants to try to talk me off the ledge before it's too late?

...and yes, I have OCD.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by oildude

Not sure. It really is out there and hard to compare. Was there ever a Scooby Doo episode where it's like everyone drops acid, enters a haunted house, and finds themselves in a crazy Japanese music video with buckets of blood, disembodied heads, a psycho cat, man-eating furniture, lots of groovy colors, and schoolgirls in short skirts? That might come close.

Sounds a little like Head, actually

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by Banned User

Easily the best description of the film I've seen yet. Though still not crazy enough to explain this movie.

It's a good description of what happens in HAUSU, but it also helps to know (as per the bonus features) that most of the film was inspired from ideas suggested by the director's 11-year-old daughter, after he asked her what kinds of things SHE might find scary. Besides the wild 70s-80s experimental, TV commercial, and music-video style, there's also a substantial number of homages to earlier Japanese cinema and classic Japanese ghost stories that make it a lot of fun, not to mention some potentially disturbing psychological subtext. It's not really a film for anyone hoping to be scared (though they might be shocked in a different sort of way), but it certainly has plenty of material to talk about and think about later!

[WonderWeasel]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

whoa, what? don't mean to have a negative post for two Bergman films in a row because I actually enjoyed this one...

but,

[Show spoiler]she's kind of a tramp and he's left as a single dad at the end of the film...

how is that an homage to femininity?

I've never understood the "feminist" interpretation of it, either. To me, Monika

[Show spoiler]comes off as selfish when the prospect of adulthood comes along. She becomes frightened by the idea of losing her youth, projects her insecurities about dealing with maturity onto Harry, then runs away.

Her "youthful indiscretions" are also what I found so relatable about the film. I think most people have been in relationships, especially as young adults, with people who have very similar personality traits to Monika.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

I completely disagree here. The Magician is a light-hearted whimsical affair...

Where's a Max von Sydow 'not sure if serious' meme when you really need one.

Eh, this is close enough...

[Show spoiler]

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by ccfixx

I completely disagree here. The Magician is a light-hearted whimsical affair from Bergman and certainly one of the easier films for someone to watch, I think. It's not so heavy-handed as some of his other films have a reputation for being.



I think Bergman had a great sense of humor (a sick sense of humor) that comes through in all of his films, and I think once you can tap into that aspect of his films you'll be able to enjoy them in a whole new way.

Yes, but... The first time I saw THE MAGICIAN in college, I'd seen only a few other Bergman titles, major ones like THE SEVENTH SEAL, WILD STRAWBERRIES, and maybe THE VIRGIN SPRING, and SAWDUST AND TINSEL. At that time I saw THE MAGICIAN as just a moderately interesting and not especially involving film. A few decades later after having seen almost his entire output and having recently revisited THE SEVENTH SEAL, SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT, and SUMMER INTERLUDE, watching the MAGICIAN was suddenly a revelation -- I had never before realized that it was actually a comedy! I certainly never remembered it as being particularly funny or even satiric. It helps to have several other Bergmans under your belt before expecting to get full enjoyment out of THE MAGICIAN. A good introduction to the major themes Bergman would explore in most of his later films is SUMMER INTERLUDE, then maybe WILD STRAWBERRIES and THE SEVENTH SEAL. After those, THE MAGICIAN should make more sense and not seem like just another gloomy character study (plenty of which would come later). SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT, on the other hand, starts out like a typical dark Bergman semi-satire and soon turns into sort of a Swedish Ernst Lubitsch sex comedy, with implications Lubitsch was rarely able to get away with in Hollywood, even before the Production Code.

[soarinsteven]

Nice to see all the Bergman discussion. So far my haul this month has been exclusively Bergman Autumn Sonata, Cries and Whispers, Persona, and Summer Interlude.

Revisited Jules and Jim yesterday. I've always been taken by the charm of the characters, the rapid pacing of the storytelling not to mention the wonderful camera work and score, but this viewing which was my first in many years moved me emotionally like never before. Perhaps inspired by the two dudes in love with the same woman theme I popped in Y Tu Mamá También.

Both films share a sense of such joy, warmth, spontaneity, great character chemistry, but also a deep feeling of melancholy which once it seeps its way into both films it never quite disappears as they make their way to their sadly inevitable conclusions.

First time watching my blu-ray copies of both, and Criterion delivered their A game on both. Superb picture quality, and a wealth of extras.

[q0rra]

Clouds of Sils Maria coming to Criterion: https://twitter.com/ifcfilms/status/620570409268838400

[Namuhana]

Originally Posted by q0rra

Clouds of Sils Maria coming to Criterion: https://twitter.com/ifcfilms/status/620570409268838400

Well, we all knew it would happen eventually, but it's good to see a confirmation.

[myka22]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I still haven't taken the wrapping off of the cases for World on a Wire and Friends of Eddie Coyle, just in case anyone wants to try to talk me off the ledge before it's too late?

...and yes, I have OCD.

I love World on a Wire. However, I remember the first 20-30 minutes being pretty slow and weird. After that point it keeps up a pretty steady pace and gets really interesting. It is also super long, I think it is a better experience to watch the two halves over two nights instead of trying to power through the entire thing.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by Namuhana

Well, we all knew it would happen eventually, but it's good to see a confirmation.

I didn't. I've got the UK blu on order.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by myka22

I love World on a Wire. However, I remember the first 20-30 minutes being pretty slow and weird. After that point it keeps up a pretty steady pace and gets really interesting. It is also super long, I think it is a better experience to watch the two halves over two nights instead of trying to power through the entire thing.

You're avatar is simply fantastic.

...did you catch the fights last weekend?

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I didn't. I've got the UK blu on order.

Ugh. I don't have the US version on order, but I am irritated by this whole thing.

[myka22]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

You're avatar is simply fantastic.

...did you catch the fights last weekend?

Yeah I just caught the top two fights, which were quite spectacular. I used to be a die hard fan who would watch every single fight on every card, but I have lost some enthusiasm over the last couple years. I don't post much on here but I have gotten a lot of compliments on my avatar. The overlap between Shogun fans and Criterion fans is a lot larger than I ever imagined.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by myka22

Yeah I just caught the top two fights, which were quite spectacular. I used to be a die hard fan who would watch every single fight on every card, but I have lost some enthusiasm over the last couple years. I don't post much on here but I have gotten a lot of compliments on my avatar. The overlap between Shogun fans and Criterion fans is a lot larger than I ever imagined.

What is dead may never die.