The Criterion Collection

[CriterionBlues]

Phew!

We have finally published the first episode of CRITERION CLOSE-UP:

Episode 1. Broadcast News & Film Through Media

I won't keep posting links, but thought I'd post the first one for people to subscribe. It is not searchable through iTunes yet, but we anticipate that being completed within a week or so.

Next week is My Life as a Dog. Then we'll focus on the new release announcements, then Day for Night, Hiroshima Mon Amour, and quite a few more. The schedule is packed for a few months.

It is a lot of work to put one of these up, so we can finally breath now. Again, phew!

[Polaroid]

Films in collection with best opening sequences/scenes go go go!

(In no particular order, although Antichrist for me, is top of the list!)

1. Antichrist
   
2. The Thin Red Line
   
3. Persona
   
4. Last Year Marienbad
   
5. The Great Beauty
   

[hoytereden]

Is there any other film genre that's as analyzed or over-analyzed as much as Noir? I sometimes feel like we rely too much on someone else's definition or their list of what is or isn't noir. Just enjoy the film and decide for yourself.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Films in collection with best opening sequences go go go!

Kiss Me Deadly

[SammyJankis]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Films in collection with best opening sequences/scenes go go go!

8 1/2 or Hiroshima, Mon Amour.

[silverlakephil]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Films in collection with best opening sequences/scenes go go go!

Hard Day's Night
Thief
Brazil
Eraserhead
Wings of Desire

[WinterLand]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Films in collection with best opening sequences/scenes go go go!
[/B]

Ivan the terrible-part I (dvd only though got now sadly ).

[sjconstable]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Is there any other film genre that's as analyzed or over-analyzed as much as Noir? I sometimes feel like we rely too much on someone else's definition or their list of what is or isn't noir. Just enjoy the film and decide for yourself.

Cyberpunk.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Bandit Tajomaru

Has a film that has been released in the Eclipse series ever been rereleased as part of the Criterion series?

Not so far.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Kiss Me Deadly

That is such a tremendous opening sequence. Good call. Another film in the collection with a great opening sequence is "The King of Marvin Gardens". Definitely an uneven film that didn't completely work for me, but Nicholson's opening monologue is a hell of a way to start.

[D2Girls]

whats film noir?

[Yami]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Films in collection with best opening sequences/scenes go go go!

La Dolce Vita for films in the collection. My other favourites would be:

Touch of Evil
Vertigo
2001: A Space Odyssey
Once Upon a Time in the West
Apocalypse Now
Manhattan
Lost Chapter of Snow: Passion
Werckmeister Harmonies
There Will Be Blood
Up

[nondiatonic]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Films in collection with best opening sequences/scenes go go go!

(In no particular order, although Antichrist for me, is top of the list!)

1. Antichrist
   
2. The Thin Red Line
   
3. Persona
   
4. Last Year Marienbad
   
5. The Great Beauty
   

Solaris
Taste of Cherry

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Films in collection with best opening sequences/scenes go go go![/B]

Heaven Can Wait
Night and the City
Rebecca ("Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again ...")

and as The Great Owl indicated, Kiss Me, Deadly, which not only has one of the best opening sequences, but also ties for my favorite opening credit sequence, along with Robert Altman's Nashville.

[yhzmr]

Originally Posted by D2Girls

whats film noir?

I'm no authority on the subject but they are basically crime pictures that were produced during the decade following WWII. Some say it began with The Maltese Falcon in 1941 and ended with Touch of Evil in 1958.
Certain elements that define the genre include a cynical anti-hero type, the femme fatale, B&W photography used to create an atmospheric effect, snappy dialogue, and usually some murder event or theft.
Several books have been written on the subject if you desire to delve deeper into it.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Taxi Driver is in my all-time top ten.

...but Taxi Driver is not neo-noir.

Taxi Driver has much more in common with ronin films like Yojimbo, imo.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Yami

La Dolce Vita for films in the collection. My other favourites would be:

Touch of Evil
Vertigo
2001: A Space Odyssey
Once Upon a Time in the West
Apocalypse Now
Manhattan
Lost Chapter of Snow: Passion
Werckmeister Harmonies
There Will Be Blood
Up

Ebert once said if a viewer can get by the first 10 minutes then he/she will finish the film. It's been so long since I've seen that film and would love to revisit it. It has some visuals I'll never forget.

[PipesDonatello]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Films in collection with best opening sequences/scenes go go go!

1.) The Royal Tenenbaums
2.) Thief
3.) Blow Out
4.) Brazil
5.) Sid And Nancy

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by D2Girls

whats film noir?

It's a French term that is translated as "black film."

[SlickDamian]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

Films in collection with best opening sequences/scenes go go go!

(In no particular order, although Antichrist for me, is top of the list!)

1. Antichrist
   
2. The Thin Red Line
   
3. Persona
   
4. Last Year Marienbad
   
5. The Great Beauty
   

Paris, Texas