The Criterion Collection

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by 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.

Vampyre is like watching someones nightmare. Great movie. The film has a long history of cuts with many scenes being forced cut from the german release and then after a bad reception it was cut some more. Both the french and german negatives are lost and what remains (print copies) was incomplete or damaged. So there are doubts that a Bluray release would be worth the effort.

Here's a great read for those interested:
http://english.carlthdreyer.dk/Films...storation.aspx


The Passion of Joan of Arc is simply a amazing film. Like Murnau's Sunrise it always amazes me how effective a silent movie can be.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Banned User

Vampyre is like watching someones nightmare.

I tend to be fairly skeptical of a lot of the 'A inspired B' talk but it's hard to watch Vampyr without thinking of the drug/dream sequence in Rosemary's Baby.

One shot in particular (from the perspective of the person being carried) simply can't be coincidence.

[llj]

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.

Tokyo Story probably isn't my favourite Ozu, but I have no problem with its high standing. It's easily one of Ozu's most accessible films--although I personally think all his stuff are accessible with the right mindset. But the themes in Tokyo Story are less grounded in cultural mores than some of Ozu's other films, so I can see why any person from around the world could easily understand it.

Its simplicity of plot and theme is actually its greatest appeal, rather than a detriment. I think people go into Tokyo Story expecting something more sophisticated and complex in terms of plot, because anything with the tag 'Greatest' brings up grandiose images and impressions in people. Although I should add that while the plot is simple, the way it is handled of course is quite sophisticated.

Tokyo Story was also one of the most internationally marketed Ozu films in its time. Most of Ozu's films back in the 50s and 60s never played outside of Japan, but Tokyo Story was one of the few that made it into various international film festivals. So for many non-Japanese film critics, Tokyo Story was their first, and for a long time, ONLY exposure to Ozu. So that is one major factor as to why it is valued more than other Ozu.

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by octagon

I tend to be fairly skeptical of a lot of the 'A inspired B' talk but it's hard to watch Vampyr without thinking of the drug/dream sequence in Rosemary's Baby.

One shot in particular (from the perspective of the person being carried) simply can't be coincidence.

Have to check that out. Its very likely Dreyer did influence Polanski.

From the book :Roman Polanski: The Pocket Essential Guide the author makes other connections. "The Film ( The Fearless Vampire Killers) opens with a loose pastiche of the opening of Carl Dreyers Vampyr. Also the Professor Abronsius is similar to the doctor in Dreyer's vampyre."

Never seen the film so its hard to say if the author is reaching or not.



Did find this list of Polanski's favorite films: https://mubi.com/lists/roman-polanskis-favourite-films

Love this Quote (considering I just purchased the movie)

Polanski on Odd Man Out: “I still consider it as one of the best movies I’ve ever seen and a film which made me want to pursue this career more than anything else… I always dreamt of doing things of this sort or that style. To a certain extent I must say that I somehow perpetuate the ideas of that movie in what I do.”

[nondiatonic]

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.

I'm honestly pretty surprised by this reaction. Although I shouldn't be seeing as how others have mentioned their distaste for this film.

I remember it was one of those films that I enjoyed the first time, but I didn't realize the immense genius of it while watching it. However, it would repeatedly creep into my thoughts, so I knew I needed to show it to a fellow film buff of mine. The second time I watched it, the magnificence was palpable.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Watched Valerie and Her Week of Wonders last night. Does anyone actually like this film? Possible Spoilers below:

[Show spoiler]This film was an utter mess of symbolism, half assed ideas, and really uncomfortable teen girl nude scenes. The nudity was exploitative to me in the sense that it didn't serve any purpose whatsoever to the film. I didn't see any deep symbolism regarding her "sexual awakening" as I have read other places. The editing is amateur. There is so much weird, random nonsense happening that none of it is significant nor meaningful. This is the "cult film" style of filmmaking. Throw as much stuff as you can into a pot and stir, maybe something will stick. DO NOT BLIND BUY THIS FILM!

[Will G]

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.

I would best describe Walkabout as the imprisonment of modern day society & the nostalgic yearning for the freedoms of our ancestral past. This might be an acquired taste. For me it's one of the most powerful stories fathomable.

[D2Girls]

Hey again, guys. So I ended up getting Persona, Yojimbo + Sanjuro, and Umberto D, today.

This is what I've got left to get (crossed out ones I've got)

Persona
Solaris
Umberto D
Rififi
Yojimbo
Throne of Blood
Tokyo Story
Ugetsu
Life of Oharu
Seven Samurai

I'm getting pretty close to acquiring everything I initially set out to get, so any suggestions on what to grab next? (that isn't on my list yet) To clarify: I'm looking for 'world cinema' so, movies that are in another language, shot outside of north america, deal with cultures that are foreign, etc.

I'd like to watch more French movies, or maybe something German or Italian or Spanish. Anything goes, as long as its not Hollywood.

Oh, also, should I get The Fisher King, or The Thin Red Line?

[llj]

Originally Posted by D2Girls

I'm getting pretty close to acquiring everything I initially set out to get, so any suggestions on what to grab next? (that isn't on my list yet) To clarify: I'm looking for 'world cinema' so, movies that are in another language, shot outside of north america, deal with cultures that are foreign, etc.

Well, Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project would be the obvious answer here.

But there are just so many to choose from, especially from Criterion. I wouldn't even know where to begin on recommendations. I usually start with what genres are preferred and work from there.

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by D2Girls

Hey again, guys. So I ended up getting Persona, Yojimbo + Sanjuro, and Umberto D, today.

This is what I've got left to get (crossed out ones I've got)

Persona
Solaris
Umberto D
Rififi
Yojimbo
Throne of Blood
Tokyo Story
Ugetsu
Life of Oharu
Seven Samurai

I'm getting pretty close to acquiring everything I initially set out to get, so any suggestions on what to grab next? (that isn't on my list yet) To clarify: I'm looking for 'world cinema' so, movies that are in another language, shot outside of north america, deal with cultures that are foreign, etc.

I'd like to watch more French movies, or maybe something German or Italian or Spanish. Anything goes, as long as its not Hollywood.

Oh, also, should I get The Fisher King, or The Thin Red Line?

I would say Ugetsu, the only negative is not on blu-ray. It does have a great "book" that goes with it. That or Tokyo Story.

Also, The Thin Red Line is awesome.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Will G

I would best describe Walkabout as the imprisonment of modern day society & the nostalgic yearning for the freedoms of our ancestral past. This might be an acquired taste. For me it's one of the most powerful stories fathomable.

I get what you're saying about the story and I agree with you.

I just think that a film that's that relies more on visuals and less on dialogue needs to look great and be beautifully photographed. And while there are some beautiful shots in Walkabout, I was not terribly impressed with the cinematography on the whole.

The message and the themes certainly resonate with me though.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by hariseldon

Very much a personal journey film. I've told Ray my deep feeling for this movie and it sounds like it mirrors yours. Maybe just the stage of life I was at when I first saw it, but it's still a powerful movie. It's why recommending your favorite movie to someone just doesn't work all that well.

It reminds me a bit of the Richard Gere line about Opera in "Pretty Woman"

I appreciated your thoughts on this film and I can certainly understand why people would be drawn to it.

It just didn't get under my skin the way Picnic At Hanging Rock did.

...certainly a film worth seeing though.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by 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.

I recently watched Joan of Arc on cable for the first time and was completely BLOWN AWAY by it.

...I mean mind freaking bottled.

And I've never been a fan of silent films.

Arguably the most powerful use of music in the history of cinema.

And the

[Show spoiler]death scene at the stake...my god. It was pretty graphic, even by today's standards. It's almost shocking that they could get away with that in the 1920s.

[Kaiju]

What does everyone think of Something Wild? Watched it last night and instantly loved it. I wouldn't mind more films like this from Criterion... if anyone knows of any, please recommend.

[diskspinner]

Originally Posted by D2Girls

Hey again, guys. So I ended up getting Persona, Yojimbo + Sanjuro, and Umberto D, today.

This is what I've got left to get (crossed out ones I've got)

Persona
Solaris
Umberto D
Rififi
Yojimbo
Throne of Blood
Tokyo Story
Ugetsu
Life of Oharu
Seven Samurai

I'm getting pretty close to acquiring everything I initially set out to get, so any suggestions on what to grab next? (that isn't on my list yet) To clarify: I'm looking for 'world cinema' so, movies that are in another language, shot outside of north america, deal with cultures that are foreign, etc.

I'd like to watch more French movies, or maybe something German or Italian or Spanish. Anything goes, as long as its not Hollywood.

Oh, also, should I get The Fisher King, or The Thin Red Line?

Have you watched Renoir's The River? It deals deeply with Indian (more specifically Bengali) culture.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by D2Girls

Hey again, guys. So I ended up getting Persona, Yojimbo + Sanjuro, and Umberto D, today.

This is what I've got left to get (crossed out ones I've got)

Persona
Solaris
Umberto D
Rififi
Yojimbo
Throne of Blood
Tokyo Story
Ugetsu
Life of Oharu
Seven Samurai

I'm getting pretty close to acquiring everything I initially set out to get, so any suggestions on what to grab next? (that isn't on my list yet) To clarify: I'm looking for 'world cinema' so, movies that are in another language, shot outside of north america, deal with cultures that are foreign, etc.

I'd like to watch more French movies, or maybe something German or Italian or Spanish. Anything goes, as long as its not Hollywood.

Oh, also, should I get The Fisher King, or The Thin Red Line?

Ugetsu is like The Sixth Sense of Japanese film, only better and more critically acclaimed.

And if you like Terrence Malick then The Thin Red Line is required viewing.

...I mean freaking MANDATORY.

[repulsed]

Very excited to find this
on demand on Comcast
I'm starting it right now!

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by DenOfEarth

Does Criterion have any plans for Rabid by David Cronenberg? i want that.

I've been told Rabid and Shivers are both with Lionsgate in the US, which basically means no chance for anyone else to release them. The Arrow Video releases in the UK are very much worth importing.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by D2Girls

Hey again, guys. So I ended up getting Persona, Yojimbo + Sanjuro, and Umberto D, today.

This is what I've got left to get (crossed out ones I've got)

Persona
Solaris
Umberto D
Rififi
Yojimbo
Throne of Blood
Tokyo Story
Ugetsu
Life of Oharu
Seven Samurai

I'm getting pretty close to acquiring everything I initially set out to get, so any suggestions on what to grab next? (that isn't on my list yet) To clarify: I'm looking for 'world cinema' so, movies that are in another language, shot outside of north america, deal with cultures that are foreign, etc.

I'd like to watch more French movies, or maybe something German or Italian or Spanish. Anything goes, as long as its not Hollywood.

Oh, also, should I get The Fisher King, or The Thin Red Line?

The Thin Red Line, and it's not even close.

To answer your first question, Au Revoir Les Enfantes and Army of Shadows (French), The Great Beauty (Italian), Everlasting Moments (Swedish), Ivan's Childhood or Letter Never Sent (Russian). And El Norte (a British-American film in Spanish about Guatemalans trying to make it to America).

[DenOfEarth]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

I've been told Rabid and Shivers are both with Lionsgate in the US, which basically means no chance for anyone else to release them. The Arrow Video releases in the UK are very much worth importing.

Damn, looks like im gonna have to get Arrow's BDs then.