The Criterion Collection

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by iScottie

What are your thoughts on La Notte?

I think that La Notte is the weakest of Antonioni's "Alienation Trilogy", but that it is still an outstanding five-star film. My glowing review of it from a couple of years ago still stands. I love Antonioni's use of architecture to symbolize human relationships.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I think that La Notte is the weakest of Antonioni's "Alienation Trilogy", but that it is still an outstanding five-star film. My glowing review of it from a couple of years ago still stands. I love Antonioni's use of architecture to symbolize human relationships.

I'll read your review shortly.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by iScottie

What are your thoughts on La Notte?

I re-watched it last night and I didn't like it as much as I recall liking it on my initial viewing.

I found it to be the weakest of Antonioni's trilogy. I think a lot of my criticism, as usual, has to do with my connection to the characters. Whereas the other two films in the trilogy have more ambiguity surrounding the loneliness and alienation of the protagonist, this one seemed more direct. Also, I had much more difficulty caring for their loneliness or the things they said to one another in their conversations than in the other two films.

I like how the film deals with external façades and fame dictating and ruining a person's life. I have a hard time believing that

[Show spoiler]Giovanni loves Lidia

by the end of the film.

[Show spoiler]Giovanni

, in my opinion, went from

[Show spoiler]loving his life to his status

while

[Show spoiler]Lidia

continued to

[Show spoiler]love Giovanni throughout, realizing as her friend is on his deathbed that she should have been with him from the beginning. Nevertheless, she never stooped low to cheat on her husband unlike what he did to her.

I'd rank it #2 after L'Avventura. It managed to hold my interest well, although I didn't exactly walk away with a terribly high opinion of it. I'm quite a fan of Jeanne Moreau, so that could be why I liked it to the extent that I did.

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by iScottie

What are your thoughts on La Notte?

I re-watched it last night and I didn't like it as much as I recall liking it on my initial viewing.

I found it to be the weakest of Antonioni's trilogy. I think a lot of my criticism, as usual, has to do with my connection to the characters. Whereas the other two films in the trilogy have more ambiguity surrounding the loneliness and alienation of the protagonist, this one seemed more direct. Also, I had much more difficulty caring for their loneliness or the things they said to one another in their conversations than in the other two films.

I like how the film deals with external façades and fame dictating and ruining a person's life. I have a hard time believing that

[Show spoiler]Giovanni loves Lidia

by the end of the film.

[Show spoiler]Giovanni

, in my opinion, went from

[Show spoiler]loving his life to his status

while

[Show spoiler]Lidia

continued to

[Show spoiler]love Giovanni throughout, realizing as her friend is on his deathbed that she should have been with him from the beginning. Nevertheless, she never stooped low to cheat on her husband unlike what he did to her.

Well, I seem to be Mr. Opposite in this thread. I found La Notte to be the most emotionally involving of the trilogy. Both L'Avventura and L'Eclisse managed to briefly lose me at one point or another (despite the presence of the beautiful Monica Vitti), while La Notte had me fully engaged from start to finish.

I've only seen all of them once, though, and revisits might change my opinion.

[Quake1028]

Great couple of months coming up for me, personally. I want 4 in September, 1 in October and 3 in November.

[78deluxe]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Plenty.

Jeanne Dielman
The Concrete Jungle
Libeled Lady
Andrei Rublev
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Le Samouraï
Paper Moon
What's Up, Doc?
Hamlet
Shanghai Express

Criterion announcing any of these films on Monday would make me happier than a singing telegram nurse showing up at my front door when I'm sick...
]

Apparently you have better taste than the powers that be at Criterion right now do.

[Nailwraps]

Originally Posted by belcherman

Don't hold your breath. The mouse is a hoarder.

They don't seem to have a problem about sublicensing their Touchstone/Hollywood library to Mill Creek and Criterion and their ABC Studios selections to Lionsgate.

[soarinsteven]

So elated that Criterion is releasing Punch-Drunk Love and The Squid and the Whale, and that PDL cover is gorgeous.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by Nailwraps

They don't seem to have a problem about sublicensing their Touchstone/Hollywood library to Mill Creek and Criterion and their ABC Studios selections to Lionsgate.

I'm still waiting for them to let loose the floodgates for their ABC properties. Prizzi's Honor would top my list, but there are many others.

[SammyJankis]

Just finished The Earings of Madame De. What an absolute treat. The fluid and elaborate camerawork (you can clearly see the influence this had on PTA), the irony of the central dilemma and its resolution, and the way it makes fate increasingly tragic. I avoided picking up the blu after the negative response towards the release (watched this on TCM), but now I feel I have to bite during the next sale.

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by belcherman

Prizzi's Honor would top my list, but there are many others.

Hear, hear!

Has there ever been an anamorphic DVD of that? I've never found any.

[BagheeraMcGee]

Originally Posted by belcherman

I'm still waiting for them to let loose the floodgates for their ABC properties. Prizzi's Honor would top my list, but there are many others.

Silkwood is another ABC property, no? In addition to Prizzi's Honor, that would be another title I'd be very interested in getting if/when it's released.

[bwdowiak]

Not directly related but since we're getting some unexpected (to me, that is) Brando, I'll use that as my hook for posting here.

There is a screening of The Missouri Breaks at one of the local colleges here. I found out today that they regularly screen 35 mm prints of some pretty eclectic films.

Anyway, the brief write-up talks about how time has been kind to the film and it has undergone a bit of a re-evaluation. I generally like films sold to me that way as they somehow feel like discovering a hidden gem that not many are on board with. (yet)

Can anyone recommend it? Any spoiler free thoughts?

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by Quake1028

Great couple of months coming up for me, personally. I want 4 in September, 1 in October and 3 in November.

This year has been great for Criterion. October is the only month where I won't be getting something, but every other month so far has had something I like.

[nitin]

Originally Posted by Knaldskalle

Well, I seem to be Mr. Opposite in this thread. I found La Notte to be the most emotionally involving of the trilogy. Both L'Avventura and L'Eclisse managed to briefly lose me at one point or another (despite the presence of the beautiful Monica Vitti), while La Notte had me fully engaged from start to finish.

I've only seen all of them once, though, and revisits might change my opinion.

Same here La Notte, L'Avventura and L'Eclisse a distant third although I am planning to rewatch that soon.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Not directly related but since we're getting some unexpected (to me, that is) Brando, I'll use that as my hook for posting here.

There is a screening of The Missouri Breaks at one of the local colleges here. I found out today that they regularly screen 35 mm prints of some pretty eclectic films.

Anyway, the brief write-up talks about how time has been kind to the film and it has undergone a bit of a re-evaluation. I generally like films sold to me that way as they somehow feel like discovering a hidden gem that not many are on board with. (yet)

Can anyone recommend it? Any spoiler free thoughts?

I have the Kino release and I can recommend it. It's a quirky 1970s anti-western. Nicholson and Brando both give interesting performances. I'm sorry to be so vague, but I'm trying to avoid spoilers here. But yeah, I can recommend it.

[theater dreamer]

Michael, as I've said before, you have exquisite taste, and the breadth of your classic film knowledge never ceases to amaze me. I only wish that I'd discovered my own love for the classics earlier in life; yet, I find inspiration in the realization that there's never been a better time to immerse oneself in movies. We're blessed to have so many distributors who are passionate about these great works. Criterion, BFI, Eureka, Twilight Time, Arrow, Kino Lorber, Olive Films, Warner Brothers' Archive Collection...they give people who love movies a myriad of choices. And the technology available to restorative artists make these films look and sound better than they ever have.

You know, I was going to ask everybody for their opinions on The Bitter Tea of General Yen. TCM is airing it on September 3rd, and I've got a reminder set on my cell phone to set it for record in a few days (my guide only goes out two weeks). So, that's when I'm planning on doing my Barbara Stanwyck marathon, the weekend of the 4th. I'll have four new films to watch saved on the DVR, and I'm placing an order with FOX Connect tonight; Titanic will be one of my purchases. I'll watch two or three films on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. That should serve as a nice introduction to Snatwyck's oeuvre. However, if you had just one other film of hers to recommend, what might that be? I've decided to start buying some DVDs again for the films I don't think will be receiving upgrades in the near future. I have a few places nearby that sell DVD and blu-rays used, so if I can pick up a few in really nice condition, and hold on to them until the films receive blu-ray releases, that will give me the best of both worlds without breaking the bank.

Originally Posted by jmclick

Yes, although my top movie love will always be Gene Tierney, Barbara Stanwyck runs a close second. Of Stanwyck's 87 films and TV movies, I have all but six of them in my library (I'm missing Broadway Nights, her silent debut, which no longer exists; Mexicali Rose; Red Salute; The Plough and the Stars; Variety Girl; and The Letters), and I've managed over the years to collect most of her television work, too, including a copy of the unaired pilot to the proposed TV series Calhoun: County Agent.

Stanwyck was truly a chameleon. I can't think of any other actress of her generation who could be so hysterically funny (The Lady Eve), so diabolically evil (Double Indemnity), so heartbreakingly sentimental (Remember the Night), so wantonly sexy (Baby Face), so breathtakingly cynical (Meet John Doe), or so quietly decent (My Reputation). She knew instinctively when to take a scene over the top (her denunciation of her father's church in The Miracle Woman), and when to scale it back effectively (her quiet admission to Clifton Webb in Titanic that one of their children is "not your son."). Her filmography is studded with memorable moments to treasure, and I can honestly say that although some of the scripts she tackled were pretty much garbage (Illicit, and Escape to Burma come to mind), that she elevated them through her artistry and made them watchable.

I would love to see more Stanwyck in the Criterion Collection: Capra's The Bitter Tea of General Yen would be a good choice, as would Remember the Night (TCM's blu-ray seems to be OOP now, although the DVD is still available), and of course we deserve an upgrade of The Lady Eve. Hopefully, we won't be kept waiting too much longer ...

Thank you, but, you know, as much as I'd like to see the films I listed released right away, I really can't complain about the choices Criterion have been making. There are so many movies deserving inclusion in the Collection, and there's no way they could satisfy everybody as quickly as we'd like.

When I want to say something like, "how could Jeanne Dielman not get an upgrade?", I see them announce Dekalog. Hmm. You know what? I can wait a little longer. Because they're releasing a lot of great things I haven't seen of, or heard of, before. And that only further expands my exposure to great films.

And, considering some of the things going on in this world, complaining that a movie I want to buy hasn't been upgraded to the best available quality...seems pretty petty by way of comparison. So, I'll be happy with what we've been given, and wait patiently for the other dominoes to fall.

Originally Posted by 78deluxe

Apparently you have better taste than the powers that be at Criterion right now do.

[ThisKid]

OK, good news about my Naked Lunch case. I contacted Jon Mulvaney via e-mail about if he can send a replacement case and cover. And of course, he said yes. I love it when Customer Service is so generous with its help. Thank you Criterion.

[theater dreamer]

Just a FYI, FOX Connect is still running their 30% off promotion. Sign up for their club, and they'll send an e-mail to you with a one-time 30% code. Most of the movies on their site are covered (the Star Wars and James Bond box sets were exceptions, last I checked). Free shipping over $25, and there was no sales tax. All the club requires is an e-mail address.

I picked up:
Manhattan
Titanic (1953)
There's no Business Like Show Business
The Misfits
How to Marry a Millionaire

for $45.46. That's about $9 per blu-ray.

[The Great Owl]

There's a thread in the main forum asking people to list their top 10 favorite horror movies on Blu-ray.

I don't think that I'm out of line by including the upcoming Criterion Blu-ray of Cat People, since I love that movie, and since it's a shoe-in that this edition will best any current home video release.

I'm really pumped about this particular release.