The Criterion Collection

[oildude]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I watched about ten minutes of it before starting to mumble to myself, "Wait...are they gonna sing like this the entire time? Wait...is this a musical?"

At that point I must admit that I turned it off.

May attempt to revisit at some point toward the end of my free two-week trial.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is one of the best titles in the Criterion Collection and one of the greatest films ever made. It is an opera more than it is a musical, with gorgeous set design and cinematography bursting with brilliant color. It has a haunting score that is so sublime it makes the soul ache that anything so perfect cannot last forever, and ranks among the finest ever created by the incomparable Michel Legrand. It has some of the most gut wrenchingly beautiful moments in all of cinema. It has Catherine Deneuve at her loveliest in one of her most memorable roles.....

.....And you turned it off after ten minutes because they were singing.

You are not allowed to show yourself here again until you finish it.

[callahan09]

Originally Posted by oildude

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is one of the best titles in the Criterion Collection and one of the greatest films ever made. It is an opera more than it is a musical, with gorgeous set design and cinematography bursting with brilliant color. It has some of the most gut wrenchingly beautiful moments in all of cinema. It has Catherine Deneuve at her loveliest in one of her most memorable roles.....

And you turned it off after ten minutes because they were singing.

You are not allowed to show yourself here again until you finish it.

I almost never like musicals, but that movie was fantastic and forced me to buy the Demy boxed set. I really need to watch more of it! Still haven't seen any of the others yet

[Scottie]

As much as I enjoy all of the films in the Demy box set, I would have no problem parting ways with it if The Umbrellas of Cherbourg got itself a standalone release.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by callahan09

I almost never like musicals, but that movie was fantastic and forced me to buy the Demy boxed set. I really need to watch more of it! Still haven't seen any of the others yet

The Young Girls of Rochefort is almost as good as The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. It has such fantastic energy and wonderful music you can't help but love it. I am a big fan of Gene Kelly, and to have him in the same film as Catherine Deneuve and her sister Francois Dorleac is like a slice of movie nerd heaven.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by oildude

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is one of the best titles in the Criterion Collection and one of the greatest films ever made. It is an opera more than it is a musical, with gorgeous set design and cinematography bursting with brilliant color. It has a haunting score that is so sublime it makes the soul ache for more and ranks among the finest ever created by the incomparable Michel Legrand. It has some of the most gut wrenchingly beautiful moments in all of cinema. It has Catherine Deneuve at her loveliest in one of her most memorable roles.....

And you turned it off after ten minutes because they were singing.

You are not allowed to show yourself here again until you finish it.

You're not the boss of me.

Ray Jackson ain't afraid of no man.

Now if you'll excuse me...I have to go watch Bloodsport in order to cleanse myself of all this talk about musicals.

[theater dreamer]

After watching Brooklyn tonight, I have to agree with those who spoke in such glowing terms. Wonderful film. Saoirse Ronan is an absolute treasure. She shows incredible depth for a young woman. I see multiple Academy Awards for her in the future.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by oildude

The Young Girls of Rochefort is almost as good as The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. It has such fantastic energy and wonderful music you can't help but love it. I am a big fan of Gene Kelly, and to have him in the same film as Catherine Deneuve and her sister Francois Dorleac is like a slice of movie nerd heaven.

Such a great movie. The sets and color in the film is out of this world.

[Ray Jackson]

You know who disliked The Umbrellas of Cherbourg?

....Bosley Crowther.

[Knaldskalle]

I really liked Lola, it's a splendid movie, but neither Young Girls of Rochefort nor Umbrellas of Cherbourg did anything for me at all.

[pedromvu]

After watching the MoC release of The Last Command, I can't wait to get my hands on the other two silent's in the Criterion boxset, is it really OOP because of rights?

The transfer is not amazing or anything, but not sure there are sources for it to look better.

Actually anything else by Josef Von Sternberg would be appreciated, silent or the Dietrich films, I have only seen 2 of his movies and they are both excellent, wonder why there is so little in blu-ray.

[pedromvu]

Oh also watched El Sur (The South), that one is supposed to get a proper release in the future right?

It was pretty damn good, I thought it was better than Spirit of the Beehive, if I had to compare it to other films I would say it is similar to The Long Day Closes so those who disliked that approach with caution, such a shame this was originally going to be a longer story, I guess Victor Erice Career never went anywhere since apparently everything else he has done beside these two are shorts.

[tisdivine]

Finally got around to watching Wim Wenders Wrong Move tonight and I have say I loved it. I have no idea why but I did. I really really did. The scene where the group is walking up the mountain road and talking and it's just one long continuous shot about absolutely nothing. That was when I pulled myself out of my head, looked around the room for the first time in like 50 minutes and was like this should be boring but I'm so enthralled. I can't look away from the TV screen. And the ending I freakin loved that ending.

[Show spoiler]So why am I here while they are all there?

Paraphrasing of course lol

That means I loved Alice In The Cities & Wrong Move two out of three makes me no longer nervous about picking up this set. Plus I know Kings of the Road gets tons of praise around here.

Can't purchase anymore this sale but will defiantly be picking up the set at the next B&N sale or CC sale. Which ever happens first.

[tisdivine]

I also watched Story of the Last Chrysanthemum tonight and just wasn't feeling it. I kept thinking of things to do so I could take a break about every 30 minutes. I had to power through because I'm not renewing my Hulu when it expires on 8/2. If that wasn't happening I probably wouldn't even have finished it. I will say I am really not a fan of kabuki. This film isn't a kabuki film but it deals with a kabuki actor and his life on and off the stage. I respect it as an art form but I mute it on my tv.

I loved both of Mizoguchi's other films I've seen Sansho The Bailiff & The Life of Oharu. I bought both of the CC blu's and have watched them multiple times. I'm actually a huge fan of Japanese cinema. I love Godzilla, Lady Snowblood, Kwaidan, anything Kurosawa, Kuroneko, Vengence Is Mine, anything Ozu, Pale Flower, anything Suzuki, Harakiri is literally in my top 5 of all time, any Joe Shishido etc etc. I think I made my point lol if it involves samurai or yakuza count me in.

Maybe it just seemed slow because I was coming off a high that was The Wrong Move or maybe I just couldn't relate.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I watched about ten minutes of it before starting to mumble to myself, "Wait...are they gonna sing like this the entire time? Wait...is this a musical?"

At that point I must admit that I turned it off.

May attempt to revisit at some point toward the end of my free two-week trial.

I wasn't too keen on the singing either...and I love musicals. As colorful as it was, I also found it a bit too sentimental and arch for my taste. Lola and Bay of Angels, on the other hand, are knock outs. I love their nastiness and noir elements.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

After watching the MoC release of The Last Command, I can't wait to get my hands on the other two silent's in the Criterion boxset, is it really OOP because of rights?

The transfer is not amazing or anything, but not sure there are sources for it to look better.

Actually anything else by Josef Von Sternberg would be appreciated, silent or the Dietrich films, I have only seen 2 of his movies and they are both excellent, wonder why there is so little in blu-ray.

The von Sternberg boxset is a box of masterpieces!
Three of my favourite silent films ever. The Last Command blew me away the first time I saw it, but Docks of New York is my favourite of the three.
I've re-watched all of them with the alternate scores.
I'm holding back on the Masters of Cinema release of The Last Command because I'd happily upgrade my Criterion DVDs to Blu-ray in the future if possible...

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I watched about ten minutes of it before starting to mumble to myself, "Wait...are they gonna sing like this the entire time? Wait...is this a musical?"

At that point I must admit that I turned it off.

May attempt to revisit at some point toward the end of my free two-week trial.

That was my exact reaction when I saw Umbellas years ago. I should probably give it another chance. I recall it being beautiful.

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

After watching the MoC release of The Last Command, I can't wait to get my hands on the other two silent's in the Criterion boxset, is it really OOP because of rights?

The transfer is not amazing or anything, but not sure there are sources for it to look better.

Actually anything else by Josef Von Sternberg would be appreciated, silent or the Dietrich films, I have only seen 2 of his movies and they are both excellent, wonder why there is so little in blu-ray.

I would love to see an upgrade of Scarlet Empress! And while they're at it, Criterion should indeed throw in some more of the Sternberg/Dietrich movies (The Blue Angel and Shanghai Express would be perfect). They could call the set "Three Sound Films by Josef von Sternberg".

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

Oh also watched El Sur (The South), that one is supposed to get a proper release in the future right?

It was pretty damn good, I thought it was better than Spirit of the Beehive, if I had to compare it to other films I would say it is similar to The Long Day Closes so those who disliked that approach with caution, such a shame this was originally going to be a longer story, I guess Victor Erice Career never went anywhere since apparently everything else he has done beside these two are shorts.

Erice has always had trouble securing funding for feature length films. Last I heard he had 'given up'. I hope that's not true because he is a great talent, but he isn't getting any younger.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I wasn't too keen on the singing either...and I love musicals. As colorful as it was, I also found it a bit too sentimental and arch for my taste. Lola and Bay of Angels, on the other hand, are knock outs. I love their nastiness and noir elements.

I tried to make it all the way through Umbrellas last night and just couldn't do it. It's a lovely film to look at, but musicals just aren't my thing. I watched Godard's Weekend instead, which is much more my style when it comes to French films from the 60s.

All I can say about that one is Godard is insane man.

He is literally insane.

...Garcon has lost his freaking mind.

It still amazes me that there was a time when films like that actually got made.

[theater dreamer]

Anybody?

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

I don't recall ever getting an answer to this question when I asked it, but how has The Last Metro come, typically? I know that there is an option to get it with the Scanavo and standard case insert now. But did The Last Metro ever come in the Digipack we're used to? Or did it go from the really old school one I have directly to the plastic case? The one mine came in isn't bad; a few minor dings in the corners, but passable. But being the perfectionist I am when it comes to the quality of my packaging, I'll probably get replacements. If the kind of Digipack that comes with On The Waterfront, A Hard Day's Night, etc is an option, I'd drop money to get it.