The Criterion Collection

[kuro_sawa]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

unless they do a new 4K scan ..

Since Blind Chance got a 4K scan, I think it would be inexcusable for Three Colors (the crown jewel of the director) not to get one too.

I'm with you in spirit, as that would be a big old Easter basket for me! Hopefully there is a party that is in a financial position to do that and is willing, I won't hold my breath but it would be nice. The sad thing is this master has been used by everyone in all territories in the last few years, is widely distributed, and other than the topic at hand looks terrific. The most aggravating thing about the issue at this point is that some people claim it doesn't exist.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I have become a fan of Sirk after Seeing ATHA and Written on the Wind. – so much so, that I’ll buy just about anything that will be released on Blu-ray that was directed by him. I have yet to crack, however, how it is that he was so subversive. I know that it is a widely held critical analysis shared by many film scholars. I happen to feel (granted only 2 films in,) that he just happened to make colorful, stylish, really good, soapy dramas. I haven’t sensed that anything in the two films I have seen by him is submliminal.

One of the Sirk films I most admire is also one of his most subversive ... There's Always Tomorrow, which unfortunately is not yet available on blu-ray. Without giving away the plot, I'll just say that in an era when the typical middle-class American family was often depicted as a perfect little domestic cocoon full of warmth and love, Sirk mischievously rips away the veil and shows how empty and isolated an individual can feel in the midst of a comfortable, "normal" existence. His subtle skewering of the "American Dream" is both pointed and poignant. You owe it to yourself to seek this one out; it's available on DVD in the "Barbara Stanwyck Collection" from Universal. Also in that set is Sirk's All I Desire, another film that expertly dissects middle-class conventions.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

On the Sirk subject, I hope Magnificent Obsesssion and Written in the wind get upgraded soon!
I love him too and this kind of films!
A Sirk boxset, would be a dream come true!

bwdowiak, if you're region free you can also check this:
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-T...Blu-ray/77751/

thanks, filmmusic! yes, I am region free and I've had my eye on that title for a while.. very much looking forward to it. just waiting for a good price.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jmclick

One of the Sirk films I most admire is also one of his most subversive ... There's Always Tomorrow, which unfortunately is not yet available on blu-ray. Without giving away the plot, I'll just say that in an era when the typical middle-class American family was often depicted as a perfect little domestic cocoon full of warmth and love, Sirk mischievously rips away the veil and shows how empty and isolated an individual can feel in the midst of a comfortable, "normal" existence. His subtle skewering of the "American Dream" is both pointed and poignant. You owe it to yourself to seek this one out; it's available on DVD in the "Barbara Stanwyck Collection" from Universal. Also in that set is Sirk's All I Desire, another film that expertly dissects middle-class conventions.

I've heard good things about this one, too. It seems that, for most, it'd probably rank right behind the 3 or 4 that seem to get mentioned all the time. Here's hoping that we get a Blu-ray release.

[kuro_sawa]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

thanks, filmmusic! yes, I am region free and I've had my eye on that title for a while.. very much looking forward to it. just waiting for a good price.

I can second that recommendation for The Tarnished Angels. Great, great film that looks gorgeous on blu ray. The MoC features are 5 star, especially the Martin commentary. I love the cast in this one.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

Two Days, One Night Review

Cannot wait. It's on par with Boyhood as the best film of 2014 for me.

[bwdowiak]

I finished Tokyo Story last night. I own a copy of the 2013 dual format DVDs that I got for free. I made some crappy cover art that would make Polaroid keel over in laughter and put it in a brand new DVD case.

I had seen it before, but it was at a time when my knowledge of Ozu was probably limited to only this title. Being that it has been on many critic's short lists of the "greatest" films of all-time, the film had a lot to live up to. I didn't dislike it the first time, but I had a difficult time seeing what so many loved about it.

Happy to say that I really enjoyed it this second time around. Setsuko Hara's character is so damn sweet that I want to transport back to the fictional world of 1953 Tokyo and ask her out for sake. There are some wonderful scenes and an overwhelming feeling of gentleness that makes me look forward to more of Ozu's work. It is a simple story, but the characters and their motives are so richly written.

I think I'll eventually end up choosing another Ozu as my favorite, but I regard this film highly.

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

thanks, filmmusic! yes, I am region free and I've had my eye on that title for a while.. very much looking forward to it. just waiting for a good price.

You should regularly check the Eureka facebook.
At times they do some flash sales.
I remember this particular Bluray for 4 or 5 pounds I think.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by filmmusic

You should regularly check the Eureka facebook.
At times they do some flash sales.
I remember this particular Bluray for 4 or 5 pounds I think.

really?! I don't do facebook. makes me angry. I check the MoC thread sometimes, but it seems that a lot of their recent sales have been through AmazonUK

[filmmusic]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

really?! I don't do facebook. makes me angry. I check the MoC thread sometimes, but it seems that a lot of their recent sales have been through AmazonUK

Yes, this is what I meant.
They announced at facebook the sales that were done through AmazonUK.
Ok, if you check the relevant thread here, i assume they would mention the sales there too..

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I finished Tokyo Story last night. I own a copy of the 2013 dual format DVDs that I got for free. I made some crappy cover art that would make Polaroid keel over in laughter and put it in a brand new DVD case.

I had seen it before, but it was at a time when my knowledge of Ozu was probably limited to only this title. Being that it has been on many critic's short lists of the "greatest" films of all-time, the film had a lot to live up to. I didn't dislike it the first time, but I had a difficult time seeing what so many loved about it.

Happy to say that I really enjoyed it this second time around. Setsuko Hara's character is so damn sweet that I want to transport back to the fictional world of 1953 Tokyo and ask her out for sake. There are some wonderful scenes and an overwhelming feeling of gentleness that makes me look forward to more of Ozu's work. It is a simple story, but the characters and their motives are so richly written.

I think I'll eventually end up choosing another Ozu as my favorite, but I regard this film highly.

Late Spring is my favorite, and if you've already connected with Setsuko Hara, it might end up as yours as well.

Some probably consider this blasphemy, but I also really enjoy Yoji Yamada's remake of Tokyo Story called Tokyo Family. It's available on a reasonably priced HK blu with English Subs.

Tokyo Family

[littleprince32]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I have become a fan of Sirk after Seeing ATHA and Written on the Wind. – so much so, that I’ll buy just about anything that will be released on Blu-ray that was directed by him. I have yet to crack, however, how it is that he was so subversive. I know that it is a widely held critical analysis shared by many film scholars. I happen to feel (granted only 2 films in,) that he just happened to make colorful, stylish, really good, soapy dramas. I haven’t sensed that anything in the two films I have seen by him is submliminal.

I haven't seen anyone respond to this, so I'll give it a go. ATHA and Ali: Fear Eats the Soul were the first (and best) two films taught in my Intro to Critical Film Studies or w/e the class was called. It was a while ago, but I think I remember enough to give you the gist of it. There's a lot of "reading between the lines" with Sirk. Entire dissertations have been written on the television in ATHA.

The easiest example for me to explain his subversiveness would be the ending. If I could use one phrase to describe the ending I'd use this: total b******t. And not in the sense of 'bad,' more like it's a complete fantasy. Hollywood has always demanded happy endings and on first glance that's exactly what it is. The 'boy' and 'girl' have reunited, put their issues behind them, and are ready to start their lives together and live happily ever after. There's even a cute little deer! What a picture-perfect life they'll have, right? Wrong.

None of the obstacles to their relationship have been solved. Well, they were solved to her friends' and family's satisfaction when they broke up, but now they are back together. Just because he fell off a cliff her kids are going magically accept him? Will her friends? And frankly, Ron is kind of a douche. Maybe that's a strong word, but this is a man who basically forces her to choose between him and her children. And about that fall, how bad is Ron injured? The doctor is vague but says it will take a lot of time and work. Responsibilities that will surely be laid at Cary's feet. And who's going to pay for medical bills and cost-of-life expenses while he's recuperating? My guess would be Cary's inheritance from her dead husband. So now she's stuck with a guy who may or may not be able to take care of himself, who may or may not bankrupt her, and who definitely will cause a major divide between her and her community. And that cute little deer? I read on another forum that the deer was the commentator's "favorite metaphor for sex" in movies. When we first see the deer, halfway through the film, the camera and deer are outside the house, free to roam. In the final scene, the camera and Cary are trapped in the house. The deer, however, is outside. If it is a metaphor for their sex life, it's not a good omen.

So yeah, if you were just half-watching, or had it on as background, and just glanced at the ending it would seem like another typical Hollywood ending, but if you look a little closer it's obvious that everything is not as it seems.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by littleprince32

I haven't seen anyone respond to this, so I'll give it a go. ATHA and Ali: Fear Eats the Soul were the first (and best) two films taught in my Intro to Critical Film Studies or w/e the class was called. It was a while ago, but I think I remember enough to give you the gist of it. There's a lot of "reading between the lines" with Sirk. Entire dissertations have been written on the television in ATHA.

The easiest example for me to explain his subversiveness would be the ending. If I could use one phrase to describe the ending I'd use this: total b******t. And not in the sense of 'bad,' more like it's a complete fantasy. Hollywood has always demanded happy endings and on first glance that's exactly what it is. The 'boy' and 'girl' have reunited, put their issues behind them, and are ready to start their lives together and live happily ever after. There's even a cute little deer! What a picture-perfect life they'll have, right? Wrong.

None of the obstacles to their relationship have been solved. Well, they were solved to her friends' and family's satisfaction when they broke up, but now they are back together. Just because he fell off a cliff her kids are going magically accept him? Will her friends? And frankly, Ron is kind of a douche. Maybe that's a strong word, but this is a man who basically forces her to choose between him and her children. And about that fall, how bad is Ron injured? The doctor is vague but says it will take a lot of time and work. Responsibilities that will surely be laid at Cary's feet. And who's going to pay for medical bills and cost-of-life expenses while he's recuperating? My guess would be Cary's inheritance from her dead husband. So now she's stuck with a guy who may or may not be able to take care of himself, who may or may not bankrupt her, and who definitely will cause a major divide between her and her community. And that cute little deer? I read on another forum that the deer was the commentator's "favorite metaphor for sex" in movies. When we first see the deer, halfway through the film, the camera and deer are outside the house, free to roam. In the final scene, the camera and Cary are trapped in the house. The deer, however, is outside. If it is a metaphor for their sex life, it's not a good omen.

So yeah, if you were just half-watching, or had it on as background, and just glanced at the ending it would seem like another typical Hollywood ending, but if you look a little closer it's obvious that everything is not as it seems.

I thought that since you mentioned the TV early in your post, that you would make a point about that. I had forgotten about it and don’t exactly remember the circumstances of the scenes in which it makes its appearances. I do remember, though, that some characters (her kids, I think) seem to be pushing that TV on her. Now that I think about it, the ubiquity of that darn TV had to be intentional! Sirk was probably trying to say something with it.

I’m not entirely convinced otherwise, as a lot of happy endings fall apart under analysis. Popular cinema is full of contrivances just so that there is a climactic moment from which to come down. Thanks for your post, though, as it is a good read. I’ll be keeping all my senses alert on future viewings of Sirk’s films.

[SkyAntoine]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I finished Tokyo Story last night. I own a copy of the 2013 dual format DVDs that I got for free. I made some crappy cover art that would make Polaroid keel over in laughter and put it in a brand new DVD case.

I had seen it before, but it was at a time when my knowledge of Ozu was probably limited to only this title. Being that it has been on many critic's short lists of the "greatest" films of all-time, the film had a lot to live up to. I didn't dislike it the first time, but I had a difficult time seeing what so many loved about it.

Happy to say that I really enjoyed it this second time around. Setsuko Hara's character is so damn sweet that I want to transport back to the fictional world of 1953 Tokyo and ask her out for sake. There are some wonderful scenes and an overwhelming feeling of gentleness that makes me look forward to more of Ozu's work. It is a simple story, but the characters and their motives are so richly written.

I think I'll eventually end up choosing another Ozu as my favorite, but I regard this film highly.

I watched it this weekend for the first time. As I finished I thought it was great, but maybe not one of the greatest. However, I have found myself thinking about it all week. Especially how I interact with my children and wondering how my relationship with my kids will be as I'm winding things up.

Then, I went to the other end of the thought provoking spectrum and watched one of my wife's selections last night: Neighbors. I felt completely cheated that I could have spent that 2 hours watching another Criterion release.

[littleprince32]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I thought that since you mentioned the TV early in your post, that you would make a point about that. I had forgotten about it and don’t exactly remember the circumstances of the scenes in which it makes its appearances. I do remember, though, that some characters (her kids, I think) seem to be pushing that TV on her. Now that I think about it, the ubiquity of that darn TV had to be intentional! Sirk was probably trying to say something with it.

I’m not entirely convinced otherwise, as a lot of happy endings fall apart under analysis. Popular cinema is full of contrivances just so that there is a climactic moment from which to come down. Thanks for your post, though, as it is a good read. I’ll be keeping all my senses alert on future viewings of Sirk’s films.

Ah yes, that darn TV. It's appearance is foreshadowed by the first major convo between Cary and her daughter. The daughter is all "I'm so smart and progressive and we live in such progressive times! You (Cary) should be out there living your life and not walled up in your dead husband's casket like the Egyptians used to do." (Another scene brilliantly staged by Sirk. A lot of reviewers focus on his use of color to express his characters' emotions, but I really love his framing here. The mother and daughter never come close to being in the same frame until the end.) But of course walling her up in her dead husband's casket is EXACTLY what the daughter and son want. They want her to marry her husband's clone and live in the same house and have the same friends that Cary had when her husband was alive. Of course, they get to leave and move on with their lives however they see fit. And to assauge their guilt, they get their mother a television. Or rather, they force it on her. So they can imagine she's happy cleaning an empty house and staring at a screen. If the kids had their way Cary would sit in front of that TV all day and night, slowly withering away. The shot of Cary almost literally "walled in" (entombed, almost) by the TV screen is one of American cinema's most famous shots.

I agree that most happy endings fall apart under scrutiny, the difference is Sirk's was meant to fall apart by design. There are a hundred ways he undercuts the story leading up to the ending that tell me that Sirk wanted his film to be read with a critical eye, not simply passively enjoyed. But, he was so darn good at filmmaking that even as passive entertainment ATHA is still better than most. And for me at least, it takes time for certain movies to... reveal themselves, for lack of a better phrase. I didn't feel like I understood what the hell my teacher was talking about until I rewatched ATHA and Ali after college.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by SkyAntoine

I watched it this weekend for the first time. As I finished I thought it was great, but maybe not one of the greatest. However, I have found myself thinking about it all week. Especially how I interact with my children and wondering how my relationship with my kids will be as I'm winding things up.

Then, I went to the other end of the thought provoking spectrum and watched one of my wife's selections last night: Neighbors. I felt completely cheated that I could have spent that 2 hours watching another Criterion release.

Ebert’s review for his “Great Movies” column is a fantastic read. For someone like myself, who is just being introduced to Ozu, I think it can be a good resource for pointing out some of his stylistic trademarks. Give it a look:

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gr...kyo-story-1953

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by littleprince32

Ah yes, that darn TV.

[Show spoiler]It's appearance is foreshadowed by the first major convo between Cary and her daughter. The daughter is all "I'm so smart and progressive and we live in such progressive times! You (Cary) should be out there living your life and not walled up in your dead husband's casket like the Egyptians used to do." (Another scene brilliantly staged by Sirk. A lot of reviewers focus on his use of color to express his characters' emotions, but I really love his framing here. The mother and daughter never come close to being in the same frame until the end.) But of course walling her up in her dead husband's casket is EXACTLY what the daughter and son want. They want her to marry her husband's clone and live in the same house and have the same friends that Cary had when her husband was alive. Of course, they get to leave and move on with their lives however they see fit. And to assauge their guilt, they get their mother a television. Or rather, they force it on her. So they can imagine she's happy cleaning an empty house and staring at a screen. If the kids had their way Cary would sit in front of that TV all day and night, slowly withering away. The shot of Cary almost literally "walled in" (entombed, almost) by the TV screen is one of American cinema's most famous shots.

I agree that most happy endings fall apart under scrutiny, the difference is Sirk's was meant to fall apart by design. There are a hundred ways he undercuts the story leading up to the ending that tell me that Sirk wanted his film to be read with a critical eye, not simply passively enjoyed. But, he was so darn good at filmmaking that even as passive entertainment ATHA is still better than most. And for me at least, it takes time for certain movies to... reveal themselves, for lack of a better phrase. I didn't feel like I understood what the hell my teacher was talking about until I rewatched ATHA and Ali after college.

good stuff.

[Namuhana]

I watched Vampyr last night and thought it was pretty great. I hadn't seen a Dreyer film before (even my love of Vivre sa vie hasn't convinced me yet to watch The Passion of Joan of Arc). Vampyr was moody, creepy, earthy, and a little scary. It's a pretty rapid 73 minutes, with only the slow parts being those where Allan Gray reads about vampires. Dreyer treated the film kind of like a silent film, which I'm kind of meh about. The book readings would have been perfect as a voice-over, but I can understand if there was some trepidation to do that. Still, it's a pretty good movie. It would be cool to see it in high-definition, but that would probably be an extensive and lengthy restoration. I hope to comb through the bonus materials sometime before it goes back to the library.

[Ray Jackson]

Watched Walkabout last night after a blind buy and was somewhat underwhelmed by it.

...perhaps my expectations were too high.

Definitely liked it, but wasn't blown away.

Aside from some really beautiful sunset/sunrise shots, I didn't think the film looked that great. There were actually a few scenes where I wondered if they were shooting in 16mm.

Certainly a film worth seeing, but not sure it was a good blind buy.

...at least not for me.

[diskspinner]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Watched Walkabout last night after a blind buy and was somewhat underwhelmed by it.

...perhaps my expectations were too high.

Definitely liked it, but wasn't blown away.

Aside from some really beautiful sunset/sunrise shots, I didn't think the film looked that great. There were actually a few scenes where I wondered if they were shooting in 16mm.

Certainly a film worth seeing, but not sure it was a good blind buy.

...at least not for me.

Told ya...

Originally Posted by diskspinner

I have watched both only once...I liked Vengeace more...but Walkabout is more universally acclaimed and watched

just kidding