The Criterion Collection

[CriterionBlues]

Originally Posted by 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.

I like the movie, don't love it. I just think the second half is too much of a tonal shift from the first half. That said, Ray Liotta was amazing and deserved to break out from this role.

[waxHead]

Originally Posted by D2Girls

...

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

Thin Red Line, 'nuff said.

Originally Posted by repulsed

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

(Elevator to the Gallows)

Recorded this off TCM during last Friday's Summer of Darkness film noir day. Haven't watched it yet, but based on the scores and comments, I can't wait


Random channel-change to TCM yesterday night (prior to watching Side Street) lead to lots of love for Les Blank films. Anyone here have the Criterion set? My fiancee and I loved the two we watched yesterday evening (Spend It All and Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers), we were talking about them again tonight. The people Blank found were really incredible, the music and pacing were fantastic -- clearly a lot of time, effort and love went into his films. I'm probably going to pick the set up tomorrow from B&N, but wanted to get thoughts on it from other users since there's no review here.

[KubrickKurasawa]

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 know it's not a CC but La Grande Illusion. (1937) (StudioCanal Collection)

Ugetsu is dark but fantastic just like Life of Oharu. I think I prefer High and Low, Ikiru, and The Hidden Fortress over Throne of Blood.

Just some idea's.

[waxHead]

Originally Posted by KubrickKurasawa

I know it's not a CC but La Grande Illusion. (1937) (StudioCanal Collection)

Ugetsu is dark but fantastic just like Life of Oharu. I think I prefer High and Low, Ikiru, and The Hidden Fortress over Throne of Blood.

Just some idea's.

Fantastic, fantastic suggestion! Words can't describe how much I love that film

[Iamspartacus]

Not sure why but Something Wild reminds me a lot of After Hours. Era, tone, IDK

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

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.

Criterion's Voices of Light music that accompanies their DVD is amazing. However, I tried syncing up that music to the Eureka restored print, and the cuts of the film are not identical. Which could be Criterion's reason for not having released it yet, if they want to include that musical piece. If I'm feeling daring, maybe I'll re-cut the Eureka edition to match the Criterion.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by kuro_sawa

We still have people arguing for it having never seen the film or disc at hand.

You guys are so insistant on screaming your same points over and over again, you aren't reading the posts you are responding to.

Again, my points only ever were:

1) that the poster could not claim to remember the exact positioning of a title in a screening they saw 20 years ago.

2) The universal consensus is NOT that the blu ray looks like 'trash' as the poster claimed.

There might well be a framing issue. That would in NO WAY play in to the two points I was making and stand by.

[Ray Jackson]

Just want to say that I've decided to throw caution to the wind and take the wrapping off of Three Colors and watch it tonight.

If anything happens to me, I've left instructions in a safety deposit box located inside the Bank of Butterfield International, an offshore bank located in the Cayman Islands. In addition, my attorney Floyd Bigsby can be reached at the law offices of Bigsby, Baxter and BenJarvus Green-Ellis in the city of Port Charles, New York.

This life is but a dream...a dream within a dream.

Therefor if I go first, I'll meet you there.

...on the other side of the dark waters.

...RJ out.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Just want to say that I've decided to throw caution to the wind and take the wrapping off of Three Colors and watch it tonight.

If anything happens to me, I've left instructions in a safety deposit box located inside the Bank of Butterfield International, an offshore bank located in the Cayman Islands. In addition, my attorney Floyd Bigsby, can reached at the law offices of Bigsby, Baxter and BenJarvus in the city of Port Charles, New York.

I tried the best I could to be a decent person and to live a decent life, with no regrets. This life is but a dream...a dream within a dream.

Therefor, if I go first, I'll meet you there.

...on the other side of the dark waters.

...RJ out.

I hope you survive the experience!

[nondiatonic]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Just want to say that I've decided to throw caution to the wind and take the wrapping off of Three Colors and watch it tonight.

[...]

These three films are indescribable individually and life changing as a whole.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Kaiju

What does everyone think of Something Wild? Watched it last night and instantly loved it.

I watched Something Wild for the first time a few weeks back, and I absolutely loved it. Here's what I posted in this thread after I saw it...


Something Wild is a marvelous movie, and this afternoon's viewing was my first time seeing it after decades of being intrigued. I first found out about this film many years ago by way of the soundtrack, which includes New Order, UB40, Big Audio Dynamite, David Byrne, Fine Young Cannibals, Oingo Boingo, X, The Go-Betweens, Timbuk 3, and, most importantly, a performance by one of the most underrated bands of the 1980s, The Feelies. Now that I've had an opportunity to see the film at long last, I get the feeling that this was a solid lead-in for the unpredictable features from the likes of Quentin Tarantino that would become popular a few years later. The soundtrack is mainly heard in short bites, but it inserts a unique energy into the storyline to make it shine uniquely as a 1980s neo-noir of sorts.

I wonder if the screenwriter, E. Max Frye, had seen Dino Risi's Il Sorpasso before writing up Something Wild. There are so many parallels between these two movies, and they both hit the ground running by introducing a reluctant and uptight character who gets drawn into a gloriously eventful road trip.

I love road trip movies in general, because of the way that the locations add a flair to the storyline, and Something Wild is a highlight in this regard.

[monorail91]

Originally Posted by 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!

Aww I love it! Agree that it's not the best Blind Buy though.

The dreamlike aspects almost remind me of Mulholland Drive -

[Show spoiler]elements being repeated, sometimes directly contradicting each other, but still fitting together in an emotional/moody cohesion if not a narrative one

.

The

[Show spoiler]nudity is uncomfortable, especially knowing that she was 13 (?) at the time it was filmed. The scene where the priest is after her is tremendously effective in how scary it is

.

I think the music is terrific though, adore the finale, and every time I watch it I notice something new. One of my favorite new CC discoveries in a while.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by 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.

I've only had about four duds in the collection for me, and that's one of them.

[Kaiju]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

I've only had about four duds in the collection for me, and that's one of them.

[diskspinner]

Originally Posted by 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.

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

I've only had about four duds in the collection for me, and that's one of them.

So name the other 3 duds, kaiju wants them...

[Kaiju]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

So name the other 3 duds, kaiju wants them...

Wow.

I mean... maybe...

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

So name the other 3 duds, kaiju wants them...

Riot in Cell Block 11
World on a Wire

One is a movie that I can appreciate is great, I just can't watch - The Great Dictator. Every time it gets 'too real' I stop enjoying the film. Most of it is funny and clever.

Those are the four that I've been meaning to get rid of.

[ajnejedi]

Originally Posted by 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!

I watched this on Hulu as I was trying to decide whether or not I wanted to blind buy it...there were things I enjoyed about it, but overall I agree. It seemed like a hodgepodge of poorly thought out ideas that could have worked far better if they were drawn out a little. I liked the fantasy-esque aspect of it, and have a Czech heritage, so I'll likely check it out again...but not until I get through everything else I need to see...

[D2Girls]

question, but what's different about next month's release of throne of blood as opposed to the 2013 version? I really need to know, if this new version is a downgrade in any way, and the 2013 version is going out of print, I should definitely pick it up... though I'll say flat out right now I don't care about the loss of the dvd, if that's the only difference I think I'll wait for the new release.

[oildude]

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?

You cannot go wrong by working off this list a bit at a time each sale.