The Criterion Collection

[SkyAntoine]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I've been hearing a lot of lukewarm things about The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant--both publicly and privately.



Anyone here think it's a masterpiece?



Or great or brilliant or classic or other things of that nature?



...where the real Fassbinder junkies at?!

I'll finish it up tonight. It is picking up a little in the middle. I love everything about the way Fassbinder shoots it...I just wish the dialogue was more interesting. Like maybe if the two chicks were debating Star Wars.

[diskspinner]

Originally Posted by iScottie

My favorite Criterions tend to be my favorite films, so here my "Top 10."

01. L'Avventura (I got it in B&N July sale, but did not watch yet...need to make 2.5 hours of 'do not disturb me' time asap)
02. La Dolce Vita (For some reason, as of now, I am not able appreciate Fellini yet, I have watched a couple of his movies, but did not like them enough to own anything by him )
03. The Double Life of Véronique (Watched it, Liked it, why the hell it is not in my buy list yet?...I will add this.)
04. Fanny and Alexander (Now this is something I decided to get this sale, I did not watch it yet...but I am slowly warming up to Bergman...I watched Seventh Seal, Persona & Wild Strawberries...but do not own any Bergman)
05. The Great Beauty (Watched it few days back, did not like it overall)
06. In the Mood for Love (Got it last sale as a blind buy and I like it quite a lot)
07. Modern Times (My favorite Chaplin too)
08. The Qatsi Trilogy (Koyaanisqatsi) (It was on my list to buy for sometime but I removed it, will borrow a copy of Koyaanisqatsi and give it a try)
09. The Third Man (Love it...Love it...Love it...I guess I need to settle for the new 4K version, because criterion is OOP/expensive)
10. Y Tu Mamá También (Have & watched...one of my favorite criterion too)

Great List...Thanks for sharing...I added my comments/thoughts...

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by SkyAntoine

I'll finish it up tonight. It is picking up a little in the middle. I love everything about the way Fassbinder shoots it...I just wish the dialogue was more interesting. Like maybe if the two chicks were debating Star Wars.

"I just wish the dialogue was more interesting. Like maybe if the two chicks were debating Star Wars."

That'd be so tight.

...maybe throw a little kissing into the mix.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Ray - what'd you think about Yi Yi when all was said and done?

My initial reaction was...good flick, but didn't exactly blow my skirt up.

I was waiting to post any thoughts on it until watching it at least one or two more times. Feels like the kind of movie that might take multiple viewings to fully come into focus.

What are your thoughts about it?

...what do you love about it?

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by diskspinner

What's your name? Ray?

Actually my perception of your taste is that you won't be overwhelmed with his movies. He made simple, dramatic, humane movies with great messages, he did not make pretentious or artful movies that does not go anywhere plot-wise but do a lot of things style-wise (that's what you like, right? ;-) )

But you should try him, start with The Big City...you 'may' (not necessary) need to be open to see/accept a very different culture to like Apu movies.

This is not a warning to anybody else...Just talking to my friend Ray J...

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Lutz

I love it.

I saw it first in my early twenties and it was one of those great, god they can make movies this way, moments.

I like you.

[Gusto-Guus]

Anyone know when members will be getting another round of coupons? Wanna pick up Gomorrah before the sale ends. Saw it once years ago and keep thinking back on it.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by yellowfirst

Off topic, Has anyone gotten any responses lately from Jon Mulvaney in regards to defective discs? I emailed him last week since I want to ship mine to them and hoping they still have replacement discs available. So far I have not heard anything from him. Thank in advance.

Maybe that's because he's not real? lol

It's a generic customer service "name" but I figured someone would get back to you by now.

[Gusto-Guus]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Maybe that's because he's not real? lol

It's a generic customer service "name" but I figured someone would get back to you by now.

True, it takes a while. I had my disc of "For All Mankind" replaced back in the spring and it took around a month to complete the whole process.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Maybe that's because he's not real? lol

It's a generic customer service "name" but I figured someone would get back to you by now.

The truth is that nobody knows for sure if he really exists or not.

I for one have my doubts.

...but I used to smoke a lot of weed.

[The Great Owl]

I just finished watching my Criterion Blu-ray of Mulholland Drive.

After my first viewing of Mulholland Drive back in 2003 or so, by way of the DVD, I just sort of sat still for a good couple of minutes, and then paced around. "WTF did I just watch?"

I subsequently developed a better handle on the film, but I also appreciate that this is a journey movie instead of a destination movie. I'm not sure if it's a great movie, or even a good movie, but I love how Mulholland Drive pulls the rug out from under the viewer in a way that few films in cinema history have managed to do. It sure enough pulled the rug out from under me the first time around, at least.

After revisiting Mulholland Drive just now, I'm in the mood to shake the dust off of my Blu-ray of Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard. Although my preference are strong for the Wilder film out of the two, I agree with the booklet discussion that these films are kindred spirits.

I still think that Naomi Watts was at her absolute best in this movie. Ann Miller, who plays Coco, had quite an interesting career during the 1930a and 1940s. Billy Ray Cyrus is finally in the Collection, God bless him.

The Blu-ray transfer looks all good to me. It seems to me that the "reality" scenes are more clear and sharp than the other scenes, but this may just be my mind at work.

I'm enjoying the interviews right now.

[Ray Jackson]

On the Criterion webpage under the "Scary Movies" section of the Themes, the top still image to to the left of the heading "Scary Movies" looks like a blurred face in the middle of a forest or something.

It's very disturbing.

...does anyone know what movie it's from?

[deepbreathsanddeath]

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I just finished watching my Criterion Blu-ray of Mulholland Drive.

After my first viewing of Mulholland Drive back in 2003 or so, by way of the DVD, I just sort of sat still for a good couple of minutes, and then paced around. "WTF did I just watch?"

I subsequently developed a better handle on the film, but I also appreciate that this is a journey movie instead of a destination movie. I'm not sure if it's a great movie, or even a good movie, but I love how Mulholland Drive pulls the rug out from under the viewer in a way that few films in cinema history have managed to do. It sure enough pulled the rug out from under me the first time around, at least.

After revisiting Mulholland Drive just now, I'm in the mood to shake the dust off of my Blu-ray of Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard. Although my preference are strong for the Wilder film out of the two, I agree with the booklet discussion that these films are kindred spirits.

I still think that Naomi Watts was at her absolute best in this movie. Ann Miller, who plays Coco, had quite an interesting career during the 1930a and 1940s. Billy Ray Cyrus is finally in the Collection, God bless him.

The Blu-ray transfer looks all good to me. It seems to me that the "reality" scenes are more clear and sharp than the other scenes, but this may just be my mind at work.

I'm enjoying the interviews right now.

It's not your mind at work. Those scenes were shot like a year and a half later and Lynch probably intentionally chose to not use the hazy effect which renders the rest of the film soft. It isn't just the "reality" sequences that look sharp and clear, Lynch did some re-shoots to edit into the film elsewhere too.

Check out the sequence with the old couple in the car laughing. Looks much sharper and clearer. It wasn't part of the original pilot version and was shot later along with the last 30 minutes of the film.

[Gusto-Guus]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

On the Criterion webpage under the "Scary Movies" section of the Themes, the top still image to to the left of the heading "Scary Movies" looks like a blurred face in the middle of a forest or something.

It's very disturbing.

...does anyone know what movie it's from?

House, I think.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I just finished watching my Criterion Blu-ray of Mulholland Drive.

After my first viewing of Mulholland Drive back in 2003 or so, by way of the DVD, I just sort of sat still for a good couple of minutes, and then paced around. "WTF did I just watch?"

I subsequently developed a better handle on the film, but I also appreciate that this is a journey movie instead of a destination movie. I'm not sure if it's a great movie, or even a good movie, but I love how Mulholland Drive pulls the rug out from under the viewer in a way that few films in cinema history have managed to do. It sure enough pulled the rug out from under me the first time around, at least.

After revisiting Mulholland Drive just now, I'm in the mood to shake the dust off of my Blu-ray of Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard. Although my preference are strong for the Wilder film out of the two, I agree with the booklet discussion that these films are kindred spirits.

I still think that Naomi Watts was at her absolute best in this movie. Ann Miller, who plays Coco, had quite an interesting career during the 1930a and 1940s. Billy Ray Cyrus is finally in the Collection, God bless him.

The Blu-ray transfer looks all good to me. It seems to me that the "reality" scenes are more clear and sharp than the other scenes, but this may just be my mind at work.

I'm enjoying the interviews right now.

Justin Theroux has some pretty interesting comments in the extras about how the last thing you want to do with a Lynch film is try to make sense of some of the finer details. You just have to surrender to the fact that many things in Lynch films simply make no sense in any logical way. This is particularly true for "Mulholland Drive" and "Lost Highway". They're essentially trying to create a mood, a sense of dread. I'd compare many Lynch films to puzzles where the pieces don't all ultimately fit together, but the process of putting the pieces together is impossible to forget.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Gusto-Guus

House, I think.

I don't think it's House.

Here's the photo:

[jw007]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I just finished watching my Criterion Blu-ray of Mulholland Drive. The Blu-ray transfer looks all good to me.

Fantastic to hear this! As soon as I'm done finally watching the Les Blank box set, I'm going to watch this one finally again.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by iScottie

My slipbox has a small cut in the top corner. Only downfall for ordering online.

Mine had a box cutter slice down the whole spine. Another Amazon return.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

The truth is that nobody knows for sure if he really exists or not.

I for one have my doubts.

...but I used to smoke a lot of weed.

He's not real. That's a fact. Maybe once upon a time in 1984 there was a Jon Mulvaney who worked there, but now it's just a pseudonym for customer service. I know first hand from Peter Becker and when I went to the offices, there was no Mulvaney there.

[pro-bassoonist]

Downhill Racer Blu-ray REVIEW



This film was way ahead of its time.

Very nice release. (If you do not know what the film is about, do not read reviews, including this one, just see it unprepared).



Pro-B