The Criterion Collection

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

his point and my point is that there is more out there than David Lynch. he is not cinema Jesus. he is a fine director - one of the best of his generation. Paul Thomas Anderson is great as well. I adore both Mulholland Drive and There Will Be Blood.

@adamhope: Lost Highway a bona fide classic? Maybe in Europe, but here it was met with mixed reviews and is regarded as a cult film at best.

..and I don’t give a crap about making points about which films “deserve the Criterion treatment.” I never said that, so please don’t put words in my mouth, folks. I said “deserving of a blu-ray release (by anyone)”

EDIT: Lynch can be respected on a very high level. In fact, many of his movies have grown in critical stature. There is a VERY LARGE population of people, however, who are pining for releases of second and third tier titles by the relatively more popular directors. These people have never seen a single film by Bunuel, Ozu, Bergman, Fellini, Antonioni, etc. Those are the people to whom I am speaking.

Yes, and? It's not like his films dominate the CC, so the fact that there is "more out there" really has nothing to do with anything in this context. 2 films in the CC is hardly preferential treatment over other filmmakers. It's just a silly comment.

But I could say "there's more out there than Wes Anderson," a filmmaker who's done arguably LESS than Lynch, yet how many of his films are in the CC?

[pedromvu]

I don't think Hard Eight is anything near his masterpieces, but i think it is a perfect candidate for Criterion because they tend to release Famous directors early stuff, like Following from Nolan, which i don't think is that great either, or some of the early Hitchcocks, i guess sometimes that is all they can get because the other films are too popular or already have great releases.

[Scottie]

Hard Eight is my favorite PTA and I would be happy to see it released by Criterion.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

his point and my point is that there is more out there than David Lynch. he is not cinema Jesus. he is a fine director - one of the best of his generation. Paul Thomas Anderson is great as well. I adore both Mulholland Drive and There Will Be Blood.

Of course there's more to cinema than David Lynch, but I still don't see your point. So what if Criterion releases more of his films, so what if people are excited about them, why does it matter to you?

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

@adamhope: Lost Highway a bona fide classic? Maybe in Europe, but here it was met with mixed reviews and is regarded as a cult film at best.

Obviously it's different in different places, but yeah, over here Lost Highway is one of his best-loved movies. It was the first of his films that I remember being aware of too, such was the promotion push. And to clarify, I said "canonical classic", as in it's a mainstay of discourse and personal top tens, that sort of thing.

I always find it difficult to imagine how obscurely Mulholland Dr. and Inland Empire treated outside of Europe too. I saw MD in my local multiplex! It's crazy to think that that hasn't reached Blu-ray in the US yet.

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

There is a VERY LARGE population of people, however, who are pining for releases of second and third tier titles by the relatively more popular directors.

It's all relative isn't it? One man's obscure is another's "second tier". In many quarters a film like Ace In The Hole would be considered lower-tier Wilder, for example. There's still plenty of value in "second-tier" PTA and Lynch, and as fans of those movies I'd like nothing more than to see them on the receiving end of a nice Blu-ray edition.

Besides, it's win-win: Criterion release a title loads of people want = Criterion sells loads of copies of a film = Criterion reinvests the money in to more obscure films.

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

These people have never seen a single film by Bunuel, Ozu, Bergman, Fellini, Antonioni, etc. Those are the people to whom I am speaking.

Ignoring that all of those filmmakers are gateway filmmakers anyway, what does it matter to us what other people see or don't see? As long as there are enough people that *are* interested in interesting cinema to keep cinematic endeavours afloat I don't particularly care what other people do.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Yes, and? It's not like his films dominate the CC, so the fact that there is "more out there" really has nothing to do with anything in this context. 2 films in the CC is hardly preferential treatment over other filmmakers. It's just a silly comment.

But I could say "there's more out there than Wes Anderson," a filmmaker who's done arguably LESS than Lynch, yet how many of his films are in the CC?

I give up.

You're not addressing anything I actually said... no idea what point I made that you are trying to counter point.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by PowellPressburger

Boogie Nights
Magnolia
Punch Drunk Love
Inherent Vice
There Will Be Blood
Hard Eight
The Master

I love all of his work, with everything bar Hard Eight a five-star film for me (that would be a four-starrer).

The Master
There Will Be Blood
Boogie Nights
Inherent Vice
Magnolia
Punch Drunk Love
Hard Eight

[LateReg]

I've seen a lot of people underwhelmed with the Mulholland Drive artwork. When I first glanced at it, I was underwhelmed too. But then I blew up the image a bit and looked closely and I think it's actually really great and bold and a lot of details to take in. You have their iconic faces out of focus at the top, the intersecting David Lynch/Mulholland Drive name and title like floating, dreamlike street signs, and then a shot of HOLLYWOOD from behind so its like an evil reflection with the city in the distance. I like it a lot.

[prior]

The notion that you're only a true film aficionado if you know and like to watch Antonioni, Buñuel or Bergman is pretty elistist. The criterion collection is the best reason to discover films like that but if you prefer to stick to more mainstream or accessible films, why not?

I think it's better people watch whatever they like at a specific moment in their life rather than working off some best-of list only to keep revisiting films 4 times they still don't get or like and start to question their expertise.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

Of course there's more to cinema than David Lynch, but I still don't see your point. So what if Criterion releases more of his films, so what if people are excited about them, why does it matter to you?

You are and have been one of my most respected posters here, Adam, but right now, you are having a conversation with yourself. Much like Bates, you're counterpointing to things I never said.

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

I always find it difficult to imagine how obscurely Mulholland Dr. and Inland Empire treated outside of Europe too. I saw MD in my local multiplex! It's crazy to think that that hasn't reached Blu-ray in the US yet.

We all saw Mulholland Drive here at the local multiplex, too. ...and that only enhances my point that there is more to life than what is spoon fed to you.

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

Ignoring that all of those filmmakers are gateway filmmakers anyway, what does it matter to us what other people see or don't see? As long as there are enough people that *are* interested in interesting cinema to keep cinematic endeavours afloat I don't particularly care what other people do.

Ozu is a gateway filmmaker? Bunuel? Gateways to what?

I don't care what people do, watch, or buy either. That's really kind of a catch-all, cliche thing to say, isn't it?

[lordmorpheus72]

So after the recent sales, my collection looks like this now. Everything unwatched is after the Eclipse "Shochiku" set. Warning, big picture behind the spoiler tag.

[Show spoiler]

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by prior

The notion that you're only a true film aficionado if you know and like to watch Antonioni, Buñuel or Bergman is pretty elistist. The criterion collection is the best reason to discover films like that but if you prefer to stick to more mainstream or accessible films, why not?

Somehow agree, but then you don't get to complain for Criterion releasing too much Antonioni or Bergman , those are the usual Criterion films even if they sometimes release some genre or more mainstream films.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by prior

The notion that you're only a true film aficionado if you know and like to watch Antonioni, Buñuel or Bergman is pretty elistist. .

never said anything that remotely resembles this.

[MifuneFan]

C'mon guys, can't we all just get a thong?

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by lordmorpheus72

So after the recent sales, my collection looks like this now. Everything unwatched is after the Eclipse "Shochiku" set. Warning, big picture behind the spoiler tag.

[Show spoiler]

Very nice! I need to.get some shelves like that.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

C'mon guys, can't we all just get a thong?

Please, we can barely wedge ourselves into Criterion's hipster-cut t-shirts.

[Arch Stanton]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Hard Eight is my favorite PTA and I would be happy to see it released by Criterion.

Mine too.

[Disturbed Blu 1]

Question: What's the chance that Criterion will re-release all the Blu-ray/DVD combo packs as Blu-ray only? I have a few of them and am looking at some more, but I hate how they look on my shelf.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Disturbed Blu 1

Question: What's the chance that Criterion will re-release all the Blu-ray/DVD combo packs as Blu-ray only? I have a few of them and am looking at some more, but I hate how they look on my shelf.

When inventory runs low for one, they have been re-releasing it with a BD-only release.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I'm buying one of everything for Polaroid.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

[Show spoiler]