The Criterion Collection

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I can see how Jules and Jim and the 400 Blows were innovative and influential films for that time period.

But I find them both to be fairly dull and pedestrian compared to early new-wave films like Hiroshima Mon Amour and Vivre Sa Vie.

I couldn't agree more.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

in order of sympathy , I feel for Jules, then Jim, and even Catherine, but third, of course.

Catharine is evil.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I can see how Jules and Jim and the 400 Blows were innovative and influential films for that time period.

But I find them both to be fairly dull and pedestrian compared to early new-wave films like Hiroshima Mon Amour and Vivre Sa Vie.

there's a Mexican restaurant that is walking distance from my office. I tried it once about 6 months ago and thought it was pretty disgusting. you know how you can taste the cooking oils and the other food that was cooked on the same uncleaned griddle? well, anyway, people at my office have been swearing by this place and telling me that it is better than another place that I happen to like that is a short drive away from here. well today I decided to give it another try and the difference was like day and night. quite tasty.

my first experience w/ Hiroshma Mon Amour was, metaphorically speaking, like that first trip to the Mexican restaurant by my office - so pretentiously full of itself that I swore myself off of steak tacos... err, umm.. Alain Resnais.

I haven't given it another go yet. maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, but for now, HMA tasted like some ill-prepared Mexican food. I figuratively (how's that for a variation on "literally"? ) wanted to vomit.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

there's a Mexican restaurant that is walking distance from my office. I tried it once about 6 months ago and thought it was pretty disgusting. you know how you can taste the cooking oils and the other food that was cooked on the same uncleaned griddle? well, anyway, people at my office have been swearing by this place and telling me that it is better than another place that I happen to like that is a short drive away from here. well today I decided to give it another try and the difference was like day and night. quite tasty.

my first experience w/ Hiroshma Mon Amour was, metaphorically speaking, like that first trip to the Mexican restaurant by my office - so pretentiously full of itself that I swore myself off of steak tacos... err, umm.. Alain Resnais.

I haven't given it another go yet. maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, but for now, HMA tasted like some ill-prepared Mexican food. I figuratively (how's that for a variation on "literally"? ) wanted to vomit.

Some people like Taco Bell more than authentic Mexican food.

I don't see anything wrong with it.

...as long as you don't have a problem with diarrhea.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Catharine is evil.

the best performances in the history of cinema are ones that make us feel this type of strong emotion towards a character.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Some people like Taco Bell more than authentic Mexican food.

I don't see anything wrong with it.

...as long as you don't have a problem with diarrhea.

touché! nicely done.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I can see how Jules and Jim and the 400 Blows were innovative and influential films for that time period.

But I find them both to be fairly dull and pedestrian compared to early new-wave films like Hiroshima Mon Amour and Vivre Sa Vie.

I agree.

I have tremendous respect for Truffaut and Godard for what they did for cinema, but I am not a particularly big fan of either of them. For Truffaut, I like The 400 Blows and Day for Night, while for Godard, I only like Breathless and Vivre Sa Vie (though I do not like the latter enough to own it).

Give me La Jetée, Cléo from 5 to 7, or anything from Jacques Demy and Alain Resnais and I am a happy camper.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I agree.

I have tremendous respect for Truffaut and Godard for what they did for cinema, but I am not a particularly big fan of either of them. For Truffaut, I like The 400 Blows and Day for Night, while for Godard, I only like Breathless and Vivre Sa Vie (though I do not like the latter enough to own it).

Give me La Jetée, Cléo from 5 to 7, or anything from Jacques Demy and Alain Resnais and I am a happy camper.

I like Cléo from 5 to 7, but grew impatient w/ Vagabond fairly early on. Talk about a lead character for whom I found no sympathy.

I like the Demy that I've seen, but have only seen 2.

My understanding with Resnais is that his films only got more enigmatic, but not quite to the same level of critical approval.

[junyab]

Has there been any hints about possible Criterion editions of Rabid or Shivers?!?!

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I like Cléo from 5 to 7, but grew impatient w/ Vagabond fairly early on. Talk about a lead character for whom I found no sympathy.

I like the Demy that I've seen, but have only seen 2.

My understanding with Resnais is that his films only got more enigmatic, but not quite to the same level of critical approval.

I believe that both Last Year at Marienbad and Je t'aime Je t'aime are both fairly well thought of by critics. I haven't seen the latter in quite a while, and that makes me sad. But Marienbad is pure genius.

But yes. Enigmatic is a perfect word to assign to both.

[pedromvu]

With all this talk about the new wave, here is what I think:

I love Truffaut 400 Blows, Jules & Jim and The Soft Skin.

Also Godards Breathless, A Woman is a Woman, Band of Outsiders, Vivre Sa Vie.

Demy The Young Girls of Rochefort and Bay of Angels.

Varda Cleo from 5 to 7.

Chabrol Le Beau Serge.

Resnais Last Year on Marienbad.

Also Chronicle of a Summer.

All with different styles, and different levels of 'challenging', and if you ask me I really can't fault one for not being more like the others, they all have something special for me, which reminds me I really need to see Hiroshima mon amour next.

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by the sordid sentinel

Lorre is amazing in that film. The breakdown at the end is always riveting.

Correction Lorre is amazing period. Its a shame he doesn't seem to get as much respect as many other actors in his era.

Would love to see Criterion release some more of his titles. Like Josef von Sternberg's Crime and Punishment, Hitchcocks Secret Agent, Maybe a double set with The Hands of Orlac & Mad Love ( both similar themes). All Through the Night with Lorre, Humphrey Bogart& Conrad Veidt ( who is severely underrepresented in the collection). Maybe release Lorre's directorial debut Der Verlorene. Which has striking similarities to Laughton's as it was his only directional effort and IMO a great film.

I'd even take a Mr Moto boxset. A very popular vehicle for him in the 30's

Thank You, Mr. Moto
Mr. Moto's Gamble
Mr. Moto Takes a Chance
Mysterious Mr. Moto
Mr. Moto's Last Warning
Mr. Moto in Danger Island
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation

Always been a big fan of him. Still waiting on Warner's Arsenic and Old Lace, one of my favorites, and John Hustons Beat the Devil

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

I believe that both Last Year at Marienbad and Je t'aime Je t'aime are both fairly well thought of by critics. I haven't seen the latter in quite a while, and that makes me sad. But Marienbad is pure genius.

But yes. Enigmatic is a perfect word to assign to both.

well, yeah, I was counting Marienbad. kinda familiar w/ Je t'aime Je t'aime, but apparently not enough.

there are style consistencies with Marienbad and Hiroshima that made me go back and re-evaluate Marienbad. I loved it the first time. Sold my copy after the second watch. enigmatic and mind puzzles (or however one would like to call them) are fine. I love films like 3 Women and Mulholland Drive, but I think Marienbad ultimately leads you nowhere. I'm fairly confident I know what it is about, but there are too many false detours in the film that, to me, aren't worth thinking about or analyzing.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

well, yeah, I was counting Marienbad. kinda familiar w/ Je t'aime Je t'aime, but apparently not enough.

there are style consistencies with Marienbad and Hiroshima that made me go back and re-evaluate Marienbad. I loved it the first time. Sold my copy after the second watch. enigmatic and mind puzzles (or however one would like to call them) are fine. I love films like 3 Women and Mulholland Drive, but I think Marienbad ultimately leads you nowhere. I'm fairly confident I know what it is about, but there are too many false detours in the film that, to me, aren't worth thinking about or analyzing.

Yeah. It seems to me that at the time Resnais was fascinated with the concepts of memory and linearity. I haven't, sadly, seen enough of his later work to really comment on what he was going for then. But I found the investigations of how we remember, what we remember, in what order and structure do we remember, and all the rest fascinating.

I will say this though: Almost no matter how one feels about the actual film, Hiroshima is one my all-time favorite releases from Criterion. It's just loaded with terrifically interesting items. It's almost worth having even if you don't like the movie!

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Catharine is evil.

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

the best performances in the history of cinema are ones that make us feel this type of strong emotion towards a character.

I don't know if I get more upset with her behavior or of those two saps who empower her.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I don't know if I get more upset with her behavior or of those two saps who empower her.

The thing about her is that once you see the film, and no matter how you feel about it, you will never forget her! Talk about a memorable character.

[adamhopelies]

I like the New Wave a fair bit. This is how I'd rank the main players.

Godard at the top.
Rivette
Varda
Rohmer
Resnais
Truffaut
Demy
Chris Marker
Chabrol

I like all of the filmmakers a great deal. Even "lesser" figures like Truffaut and Demy (according to my ranking) still made numerous five star movies, and truth be told, Marker and Chabrol aside I don't think any of them made a film I'd give less than four stars to. As I've said before, the animosity shown toward Jules et Jim in this thread is bizarre to me; I'd place it in the top tier of his work alongside The Soft Skin, The 400 Blows and Day For Night.

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Yeah. It seems to me that at the time Resnais was fascinated with the concepts of memory and linearity. I haven't, sadly, seen enough of his later work to really comment on what he was going for then. But I found the investigations of how we remember, what we remember, in what order and structure do we remember, and all the rest fascinating.

I will say this though: Almost no matter how one feels about the actual film, Hiroshima is one my all-time favorite releases from Criterion. It's just loaded with terrifically interesting items. It's almost worth having even if you don't like the movie!

Resnais' Muriel forms an intrinsic part of an early trilogy of meditations on space, time and memory alongside Hiroshima mon amour and Last Year At Marienbad. I like Resnais' work very much in general, esp from Hiroshima thru, Je t'aime je t'aime. His final film, Life Of Riley, has recently been released on Blu-ray here in the UK and is very much a worthy capper to a remarkable career.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

Resnais' Muriel forms an intrinsic part of an early trilogy of meditations on space, time and memory alongside Hiroshima mon amour and Last Year At Marienbad. I like Resnais' work very much in general, esp from Hiroshima thru, Je t'aime je t'aime. His final film, Life Of Riley, has recently been released on Blu-ray here in the UK and is very much a worthy capper to a remarkable career.

I most definitely need to see more of his work. I've been thinking that for a while now.

[billzfan]

I currently have the German David Lynch blu Ray set that includes Mulholland Drive. The transfer is solid, it has some decent extras, and it had HD audio. Don't see anything new except for the booklet and a new 4K transfer. Anyone else thinking the same? I love Lynch but I hate double dipping, lol.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by billzfan

I currently have the German David Lynch blu Ray set that includes Mulholland Drive. The transfer is solid, it has some decent extras, and it had HD audio. Don't see anything new except for the booklet and a new 4K transfer. Anyone else thinking the same? I love Lynch but I hate double dipping, lol.

I guess it depends on how much difference the new transfer makes, so wait for the reviews and screenshots. I mostly won't be upgrading from my Studio Canal UK blu-ray. This release is mainly relevant for region A locked audiences...and spine number collectors