The Criterion Collection

[oildude]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Is there a more unlikeable character in any Criterion film than this guy?

[octagon]

I love George Macready. Gilda, The Big Clock, Paths of Glory, Seven Days in May...he's the perfect embodiment of that whole 'there are no small parts, only small players' thing that really great character actors need.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by octagon

I love George Macready. Gilda, The Big Clock, Paths of Glory, Seven Days in May...he's the perfect embodiment of that whole 'there are no small parts, only small players' thing that really great character actors need.

I'm still immersing myself in the Gilda Blu-ray. Actually, I haven't had much time this week, due to the obtrusive mundanities of real life, but I've gone through the film with and without the commentary track, and I plan to go through the rest of the extras in a few minutes.

George Macready was the best possible actor to play Ballin.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I'm still immersing myself in the Gilda Blu-ray. Actually, I haven't had much time this week, due to the obtrusive mundanities of real life, but I've gone through the film with and without the commentary track, and I plan to go through the rest of the extras in a few minutes.

George Macready was the best possible actor to play Ballin.

Arg! I'm so mad at myself. When I ordered Gilda, I paired it with Paris Belongs to Us, to get free shipping. The downside is it won't ship until March 8. Then, as it turns out I ended up ordering I Knew Her Well anyways, which ships this month!

Hearing all these great things about the Gilda package is killing me.

[WonderWeasel]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I think TCM Underground showed it twice and that was it. Fascinating film with non-stop Carey start to finish. It's one of my "Damn, I should have recorded that!" titles. I don't know who controls the rights to it but it definitely would fit nicely in the Collection alongside some of the other cult classics like The Honeymoon Killers, Carnival of Souls, etc. You're right about the current DVD and it's pricing-$25 and, to add insult to injury, it's a MOD!

I can't find much on who has control of the rights for it, but I read something that said his son is the one who gave TCM permission to air it, so maybe the rights are with his family? Whatever the case may be, I hope it gets a more legitimate release that I won't mind spending the money on someday.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

I can't find much on who has control of the rights for it, but I read something that said his son is the one who gave TCM permission to air it, so maybe the rights are with his family? Whatever the case may be, I hope it gets a more legitimate release that I won't mind spending the money on someday.

I remember his son doing a promo spot on TCM for it leading up to it's first showing so that's probably the case. It was pretty neat hearing him talk about his father and his passion for making the film and his frustration with getting it financed.

[WonderWeasel]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I remember his son doing a promo spot on TCM for it leading up to it's first showing so that's probably the case. It was pretty neat hearing him talk about his father and his passion for making the film and his frustration with getting it financed.

You wouldn't happen to know of any biographies on Carey, would you? I've looked around, but all I can find is an article from some old magazine with unverified sources.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

You wouldn't happen to know of any biographies on Carey, would you? I've looked around, but all I can find is an article from some old magazine with unverified sources.

I don't know other than the usual Wikipedia and IMDB. If half the stories of his antics are true it'd make a hell of a book. My favorite is that Tarantino wanted him for Reservoir Dogs but was put off by his behavior and instead gave the role to Lawrence Tierney. Now, when Tierney is the safer choice, what does that say about Carey? I mean Tierney is the guy that freaked out the cast and crew of Seinfeld with a knife that cost him a recurring role on the series.

[theater dreamer]

Sorry if I'm a bit late in responding to these, but I had knee surgery yesterday morning. Had a Cyclops lesion and a huge bone spur removed. I'm looking forward to walking again.

Originally Posted by I KEEL YOU

Well, you could order the film that heavily influenced Taxi Driver to a point where Taxi Driver wouldn't have been possible without it:



I've seen it get bashed some pages back, but I think it's a magnificent movie.

I will add this to my to-watch list. Thank you.

Originally Posted by stevieray44

Not much one could say about this film that hasn't already been said. Personally, I've never tried to make sense of the ending; it never really seemed that important to me if some parts of the movie happened/didn't happen.

[Show spoiler]I know there are many out there who claim the whole film was in Travis' head, or even parts of the film were.

I just watch it and revel in it every time, one of my favorite movies ever. I don't really go in for ranking things, but if I did, it would probably be in my top 5 films. (It also blows my mind that Marty made this film after Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, 1974, of all films for this to have followed!)

Whenever I watch a film the first time, I typically try to suspend my critical thinking, and just enjoy what is being presented at face value. I take in the cinematography and the music, the whole ambiance, really.... the characters themselves, the dialogue, etc. It's always seemed natural to me, because it would be too easy to start breaking down a film's narrative, and trying to make sense of it, because in doing so I would miss the collaborative artistic effort that is being put forth. It's not always easy to do (and I would imagine most people do not do this), as there are some elements that just jump out, and demand further analysis. I basically make a mental note, and move on. It's in subsequent viewings of the film as a whole, or in specific scenes where I will really try to break it down. Then there is the rare film where, upon subsequent viewings, I will circle back to just watching it, and try to enjoy it as if I am seeing it the first time. Taxi Driver is one such film. Watching the great films by Scorsese is like reading the very best poetry. Martin Scorsese is a visual poet, and while his poetry is violent, it is simultaneously beautiful. It's a good thing that long ago, when I was deciding upon my academic path that I didn't choose to make movies, because if I had, a couple viewings of Taxi Driver would have doomed me. I have always been a perfectionist (partially a side effect of ADD), and the knowledge that I could never truly approach the genius of Ozu, Kurosawa, Fellini, Bergman...or a Martin Scorsese, well, I couldn't be satisfied releasing work that wasn't on their level.

Originally Posted by hoytereden

Something else I love about this film (besides Cybill, of course! ) is the score. Bernard Herrmann's last is also one of his finest IMO. It's as haunting and memorable as the film is.

Yes yes yes!!! This times 100!

The scene towards the very end where Travis Bickle

[Show spoiler]is laying back on the sofa in Iris' room as the police enter, Herrmann's score sends chills down my spine--literally. The tension is palpable. The cops are waiting to see what Bickle is going to do next. He holds a gun in his right hand, and instead of doing anything to provoke them, he raises his left hand to his head, simulating several gun shots, ending with this wicked half-smile on his face as he lays his head back . And as Scorsese switches to an overhead shot, slowly showing the carnage, Herrmann's score slowly crescendos up and draws down, ever so slightly, with a harp mimicking the crescendo and decrescendo, the timpani reinforcing the sheer gravity of the moment. The dissonant horns. I mean, there are few scenes in movie history I can think of that are more violent, more bloody. But it's absolutely riveting filmmaking. It's the perfect marriage of two masters working together to create a moment that is permanently etched in the viewer's memory.

While I ultimately respect anybody's right to their own opinion, whenever I see somebody say that Taxi Driver doesn't raise to the level of other masterworks from Coppola, Wells, or even other works from Scorsese himself (Raging Bull or Goodfellas), all I can do is shake my head.

[theater dreamer]

By the way, Ray, did you ever resolve the menu issue with Taxi Driver (the original release. I've tried everything, and no matter what I do, the menu freezes up on me. I've turned the player off, unplugged it, and after about five minutes, I plug the Blu-ray player back in, turn the player on, pop the disc in, and whenever I try to select one of the extras, it freezes up. I can watch the film by pressing play, but the scene selection window, the extras, etc, all freeze the player. It's maddening.

I know it's not my player (Sony Blu-ray BDP-S185). I've never had this issue with any of the 400 + Blu-ray discs I've played on it thus far.

So frustrating. It's a Sony disc, and a Sony player, and they won't play nice. I want to watch Scorsese's interview.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I remember his son doing a promo spot on TCM for it leading up to it's first showing so that's probably the case. It was pretty neat hearing him talk about his father and his passion for making the film and his frustration with getting it financed.

I recorded the promo spot with his son, Romeo Carey, and transferred it to a DVD-R disc, but when the film itself aired, my satellite went out for a while due to weather conditions. So the promo is now an "extra" feature on my disc of "Private Screenings: Child Stars".

[WonderWeasel]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

I don't know other than the usual Wikipedia and IMDB. If half the stories of his antics are true it'd make a hell of a book. My favorite is that Tarantino wanted him for Reservoir Dogs but was put off by his behavior and instead gave the role to Lawrence Tierney. Now, when Tierney is the safer choice, what does that say about Carey? I mean Tierney is the guy that freaked out the cast and crew of Seinfeld with a knife that cost him a recurring role on the series.

I'm not sure if it's true, but there's a story about an interaction between him, a handgun, and Francis Ford Coppola. In quite possibly one of the worst pranks ever perpetrated, Carey (allegedly) pulled a gun on Francis Ford Coppola and fired without telling the director there were blanks in it. I can see why a director wouldn't want him around LOL.

[Arch Stanton]

Just watched The Vanishing. I don't think it's considerably better than the remake (although the ending is), but it feels considerably more authentic and believable. The remake's OK but it is very Hollywood and I found it quite hard to take Jeff Bridges seriously in that part, whereas Donnadieu just felt incredibly real and utterly creepy.

I guess it was shot on pretty much entirely natural light? I loved the stock they shot on as well; was like watching 24 polaroid frames per second, very pure and high contrast. Lack of lighting probably comes into play there as well because it has a very natural, documentary kind of look too.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

While I ultimately respect anybody's right to their own opinion, whenever I see somebody say that Taxi Driver doesn't raise to the level of other masterworks from Coppola, Wells, or even other works from Scorsese himself (Raging Bull or Goodfellas), all I can do is shake my head.

Who is saying this though? It's universally regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, pretty much everywhere.

[CPinheiro]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

Wow, the day after your post we get this:

Man Facing Southeast

This is the movie I was also thinking would be great to get on blu-ray, Kino is better than nothing

Fantastic news!!! Thank you for letting me know, this has always been one of my most wanted on blu-ray! (and actually I always thought Criterion would release it sooner or later)

[hoytereden]

The discussion about Timothy Carey prompts me to ask:

"Who is your favorite character actor?"
I probably could list a couple of dozen easily but I have two that are always there at the top- one well known and the other more obscure

Ward Bond-the guy was in lots of films but is probably best known for being a close friend of John Wayne and John Ford and his appearances in their films. He's in Criterion titles My Darling Clementine, Young Mr. Lincoln, and as the grumpy bus driver in It Happened One Night.

The obscure one is Joe Sawyer (aka Joseph Sauers). Also in a lot of films, especially in the '30s when he was usually cast as a gang member as he was in The Petrified Forest. As far as Criterion titles-He's in Kubrick's The Killing as Mike the bartender.

[Ray Jackson]

I was out at Barnes and Noble today and I had a chance to examine the case presentation for Gilda up close and personal.

I was surprised by the pink-colored spine.

...I was taken aback by the pink spine.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

The discussion about Timothy Carey prompts me to ask:

"Who is your favorite character actor?"
I probably could list a couple of dozen easily but I have two that are always there at the top- one well known and the other more obscure

Ward Bond-the guy was in lots of films but is probably best known for being a close friend of John Wayne and John Ford and his appearances in their films. He's in Criterion titles My Darling Clementine, Young Mr. Lincoln, and as the grumpy bus driver in It Happened One Night.

The obscure one is Joe Sawyer (aka Joseph Sauers). Also in a lot of films, especially in the '30s when he was usually cast as a gang member as he was in The Petrified Forest. As far as Criterion titles-He's in Kubrick's The Killing as Mike the bartender.

Very cool to discover another Ward Bond fan. I have posted several times during my time on this forum that I like just about any movie with Ward Bond, and that his presence in the cast immediately improves the film and makes it blind-buy worthy if I have never seen it. One of my favorite character actors of all time. Fort Apache is one of the great westerns, thanks in no small part to the talents of Bond. The fact that he is in many John Ford films is how I discovered him.

I have a lot of character actor favorites. Quite a few crossed the boundary into substantial roles in some films, but most spent large parts of their careers as minor or secondary characters or co-stars. The result of this is that they appeared in a whole lot of movies. Off the top of my head are:

Harry Dean Stanton
Richard Farnsworth
Wilford Brimley
Vic McLaglen (also a John Ford regular, often with Ward Bond, but really came to my attention for his role in The Quiet Man)
George Macready
William Demarest (one of the Preston Sturges players)
Thelma Ritter (one of the best)
Gloria Grahame
A lot of the classic noir actresses, in addition to Gloria, like Rhonda Fleming, Jane Greer, Jean Wallace, etc
Same thing for the male actors in noir, many of whom played small parts in many films - Dan Duryea, Richard Conte, etc
Lee J. Cobb
George Sanders
George Kennedy
Karl Malden
Eli Wallach
John Carradine
Walter Brennan
Strother Martin
Van Heflin
Arthur O'Connell
Charles Lane
Jack Palance
Ben Johnson
Woody Strode
Warren Oates
Dennis Hopper
Peter Lorre
Ian Holm
Earl Holliman
Lee Van Cleef (spent most of his career in small parts and minor roles)
Steve Buscemi
Harvey Keitel
Ron Perlman
Pete Postlewaithe
Stellan Skarsgard
Angela Lansbury
Samuel Fuller
Sam Elliot

[oildude]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I was out at Barnes and Noble today and I had a chance to examine the case presentation for Gilda up close and personal.

I was surprised by the pink-colored spine.

...I was taken aback by the pink spine.

[Show spoiler]IMG]https://45.media.tumblr.com/ee410f2ce9763daee74a4a421c9f302a/tumblr_mo0cg7Lgmb1qhuaqno1_500.gif[/IMG]

I thought posting selfies in this thread is considered bad form.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by Rich Pure Doom

Who is saying this though? It's universally regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, pretty much everywhere.

They're out there. If I recall, there were one or two in the discussion of the Taxi Driver Blu-ray release on this forum. There have also been a few topics on imdb stating the film is overrated, etc. Imdb certainly is no bastion of critical commentary, but there will always be people lacking in taste, or appreciation of true greatness.

When films like Fast and Furious 100, Tyler Perry's I Can Totally Make a Crap Movie All By Myself, and the latest Michael Bay wank-fest make millions, well, you can't account for taste.