The Criterion Collection

[ShellOilJunior]

Some Kiarostami news. This is from an interview with the late director's son Ahmad.

http://www.pardolive.ch/it/pardo/par...iarostami.html

Are you also thinking about the preservation of his movies?

Yes, most of all we want his movies to be more available, there are some of them, like Zire darakhatan zeyton (Under the Olive Tree) for example, that are impossible to find online or on dvd. Then we are thinking about the restoration of his whole opera, even the short films he made for children at the beginning of his career. There’s one, for example, Rangha (Colours), I showed it to my daughter that is six years old and she asked me «Dad, where are the colours?», because it’s completely grey. So, we hope to give back colours to his legacy.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by 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.

Bill, thank you so much for the kind words. I am admittedly very passionate about classic films, and if I am able to communicate that enthusiasm and to inspire others to see some deserving titles they will enjoy, then that makes me very happy indeed.

If you've never seen the 1953 Titanic, you have a treat in store. It's a soap opera, but beautifully done, and Stanwyck won the Motion Picture Exhibitor's Laurel Award for her performance. Her outpouring of tears near the end of the film wasn't faked; she admitted that as the cameras started to roll, she started sobbing, and couldn't stop. Interestingly, the film won a single Oscar, for its story and screenplay ... one of the few categories in which James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster was not even nominated.

A word also about The Bitter Tea of General Yen ... this was the first film shown at Radio City Music Hall when it opened in 1933. It was a failure at the worldwide box office, primarily because it was banned in Britain and other countries due to its theme of miscegenation. It's beautifully photographed by Capra's favorite cameraman, Joseph Walker; the director referred to it as "Art with a capital 'A'", but it's more than just a museum piece. Stanwyck and Nils Asther give wonderful performances, and there are scenes to treasure, including a striking dream sequence.

As far as recommending another Stanwyck title, it's extremely difficult to pick just one. Personally, I love Remember the Night, a long-neglected gem that has recently developed a dedicated fan base thanks to Robert Osborne and TCM. Stanwyck's role is a plum: she's funny and flippant in some scenes, and dramatic and touching in others. I consider it to be among her finest performances, and in fact, the entire cast, including Fred MacMurray, Beulah Bondi, Elizabeth Patterson, and Sterling Holloway are at the top of their game. Just try to get through Willard Robertson's scenes as a defense lawyer without cracking a smile ... it's simply not possible.

Other options I think you'd enjoy would be Stanwyck's excellent work in two Douglas Sirk soap operas, All I Desire and There's Always Tomorrow; these low-key melodramas are included in Universal's Stanwyck box set, which also contains her effective performance in The Lady Gambles. Her Oscar-nominated turns in Stella Dallas, Ball of Fire, Double Indemnity and Sorry, Wrong Number are all must-sees, but so are her turns as a young widow finding love again in My Reputation and her fiesty performance as a stripper in Lady of Burlesque (at the age of 36, she could still do the splits ... can you imagine any of Hollywood's other grande dames doing a bump-and-grind onscreen and at that age?!). Whatever choice you finally make, I bet you come away wanting more of Stanwyck. She's like that ... every surprise you uncover leaves you wondering what else she had up her sleeve. Enjoy!

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by jmclick

Other options I think you'd enjoy would be Stanwyck's excellent work in two Douglas Sirk soap operas, All I Desire and There's Always Tomorrow; these low-key melodramas are included in Universal's Stanwyck box set, which also contains her effective performance in The Lady Gambles. Her Oscar-nominated turns in Stella Dallas, Ball of Fire, Double Indemnity and Sorry, Wrong Number are all must-sees, but so are her turns as a young widow finding love again in My Reputation and her fiesty performance as a stripper in Lady of Burlesque (at the age of 36, she could still do the splits ... can you imagine any of Hollywood's other grande dames doing a bump-and-grind onscreen and at that age?!).

Hey, you forgot Samuel Fuller's Forty Guns! A classic!

[Banned User]

Originally Posted by 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.

I share your enthusiasm. Wish Criterion would get all the Val Lewton movies.

[nitin]

Originally Posted by jmclick

Bill, thank you so much for the kind words. I am admittedly very passionate about classic films, and if I am able to communicate that enthusiasm and to inspire others to see some deserving titles they will enjoy, then that makes me very happy indeed.

If you've never seen the 1953 Titanic, you have a treat in store. It's a soap opera, but beautifully done, and Stanwyck won the Motion Picture Exhibitor's Laurel Award for her performance. Her outpouring of tears near the end of the film wasn't faked; she admitted that as the cameras started to roll, she started sobbing, and couldn't stop. Interestingly, the film won a single Oscar, for its story and screenplay ... one of the few categories in which James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster was not even nominated.

A word also about The Bitter Tea of General Yen ... this was the first film shown at Radio City Music Hall when it opened in 1933. It was a failure at the worldwide box office, primarily because it was banned in Britain and other countries due to its theme of miscegenation. It's beautifully photographed by Capra's favorite cameraman, Joseph Walker; the director referred to it as "Art with a capital 'A'", but it's more than just a museum piece. Stanwyck and Nils Asther give wonderful performances, and there are scenes to treasure, including a striking dream sequence.

As far as recommending another Stanwyck title, it's extremely difficult to pick just one. Personally, I love Remember the Night, a long-neglected gem that has recently developed a dedicated fan base thanks to Robert Osborne and TCM. Stanwyck's role is a plum: she's funny and flippant in some scenes, and dramatic and touching in others. I consider it to be among her finest performances, and in fact, the entire cast, including Fred MacMurray, Beulah Bondi, Elizabeth Patterson, and Sterling Holloway are at the top of their game. Just try to get through Willard Robertson's scenes as a defense lawyer without cracking a smile ... it's simply not possible.

Other options I think you'd enjoy would be Stanwyck's excellent work in two Douglas Sirk soap operas, All I Desire and There's Always Tomorrow; these low-key melodramas are included in Universal's Stanwyck box set, which also contains her effective performance in The Lady Gambles. Her Oscar-nominated turns in Stella Dallas, Ball of Fire, Double Indemnity and Sorry, Wrong Number are all must-sees, but so are her turns as a young widow finding love again in My Reputation and her fiesty performance as a stripper in Lady of Burlesque (at the age of 36, she could still do the splits ... can you imagine any of Hollywood's other grande dames doing a bump-and-grind onscreen and at that age?!). Whatever choice you finally make, I bet you come away wanting more of Stanwyck. She's like that ... every surprise you uncover leaves you wondering what else she had up her sleeve. Enjoy!

Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis and Jeanne Moreau are the holy trinity of film actresses IMHO. Gong Li and Naomi Watts following. But the first two are in SO many good films though.

[adamhopelies]

Arthur Hiller died today. Weirdly I just watched The In-Laws last night, following the Criterion UK release of it on Monday.

[P@t_Mtl]

Very happy, was browsing Amazon.ca and saw that Mr. Deeds Goes To Town will be release in October in Blu-ray, can't ever have enough Capra for me

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Very happy, was browsing Amazon.ca and saw that Mr. Deeds Goes To Town will be release in October in Blu-ray, can't ever have enough Capra for me

Great news. This is the third straight year Sony has released a Capra. I hope they keep it coming. They still have some good ones in their catalog.

October is looking like a very good month for me.

[Scottie]

Janus Films
Page Liked · 22 hrs · Edited ·

Coming Soon

[RojD]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Tampopo!

But when are we going to get more Kore-eda?

[theater dreamer]

What a great, well-thought-out response. Thank you, my friend. I've got Double Indemnity, and watched it the night before last. Barbara was so good as Phyllis Dietrichson, I wanted to kill her husband. Her performance was so wonderfully nuanced; when

[Show spoiler]she shoots Neff, and confesses that she can't finish him off because she loves him, there's not a hint at melodrama. She was fragile, and sinister, and completely believable in the moment. That scene was so powerful, and I was completely caught off guard when he shot her. I can only imagine how that played to audiences in 1944.

There are a great many films to choose from in her career, many of which immediately interest me, when first looking at the narrative, cast and crew. Once I've seen some more of her work, I'll go through all her films with a fine-tooth comb, and start working my way through them. It's a testament to her talent that she was so good for so long, in so many different kinds of films. I've always felt that comedy was the toughest genre to pull off. If you can be really good in front of the camera as a comedic actor/actress, there's a very good chance you've got what it takes to do dramatic work, too. Great comedians have to develop impeccable timing.

I've been trying to find Remember the Night, but it doesn't seem to be available anywhere via streaming. I'll check out the Movie Trading Company this weekend to see if I can get my hands on a DVD. If not, I might just order it from Amazon or Ebay. I think I'll go with this lineup, then:

The Lady Eve
The Man With a Cloak
The Bitter Tea of General Yen
Remember the Night
Clash by Night
Titanic

I think The Lady Eve makes for a perfect way to start off the weekend (if I can wait that long). It might take me the weekend, and the better part of Monday to make it through six films, but I think this selection would make for a good introduction to her work beyond Double Imdemnity. I am also going to try and find There's Always Tomorrow. Yours is not the first recommendation I've seen for this movie. I'd love to see her and Fred MacMurray together again, with a different dynamic. Barbara, Fred and Joan Bennett make for a great cast, and I really need to start checking out Douglas Sirk's work as a director. I tried to pick up All That Heaven Allows, the film he did immediately after There's Always Tomorrow, but Barnes and Noble were sold out of it. It will be in my Flash sale order, for sure.

Originally Posted by jmclick

Bill, thank you so much for the kind words. I am admittedly very passionate about classic films, and if I am able to communicate that enthusiasm and to inspire others to see some deserving titles they will enjoy, then that makes me very happy indeed.

If you've never seen the 1953 Titanic, you have a treat in store. It's a soap opera, but beautifully done, and Stanwyck won the Motion Picture Exhibitor's Laurel Award for her performance. Her outpouring of tears near the end of the film wasn't faked; she admitted that as the cameras started to roll, she started sobbing, and couldn't stop. Interestingly, the film won a single Oscar, for its story and screenplay ... one of the few categories in which James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster was not even nominated.

A word also about The Bitter Tea of General Yen ... this was the first film shown at Radio City Music Hall when it opened in 1933. It was a failure at the worldwide box office, primarily because it was banned in Britain and other countries due to its theme of miscegenation. It's beautifully photographed by Capra's favorite cameraman, Joseph Walker; the director referred to it as "Art with a capital 'A'", but it's more than just a museum piece. Stanwyck and Nils Asther give wonderful performances, and there are scenes to treasure, including a striking dream sequence.

As far as recommending another Stanwyck title, it's extremely difficult to pick just one. Personally, I love Remember the Night, a long-neglected gem that has recently developed a dedicated fan base thanks to Robert Osborne and TCM. Stanwyck's role is a plum: she's funny and flippant in some scenes, and dramatic and touching in others. I consider it to be among her finest performances, and in fact, the entire cast, including Fred MacMurray, Beulah Bondi, Elizabeth Patterson, and Sterling Holloway are at the top of their game. Just try to get through Willard Robertson's scenes as a defense lawyer without cracking a smile ... it's simply not possible.

Other options I think you'd enjoy would be Stanwyck's excellent work in two Douglas Sirk soap operas, All I Desire and There's Always Tomorrow; these low-key melodramas are included in Universal's Stanwyck box set, which also contains her effective performance in The Lady Gambles. Her Oscar-nominated turns in Stella Dallas, Ball of Fire, Double Indemnity and Sorry, Wrong Number are all must-sees, but so are her turns as a young widow finding love again in My Reputation and her fiesty performance as a stripper in Lady of Burlesque (at the age of 36, she could still do the splits ... can you imagine any of Hollywood's other grande dames doing a bump-and-grind onscreen and at that age?!). Whatever choice you finally make, I bet you come away wanting more of Stanwyck. She's like that ... every surprise you uncover leaves you wondering what else she had up her sleeve. Enjoy!

I saw that this morning, before logging off for bed. I immediately pre-ordered it. I love that Capra's filmography is getting the attention it deserves.

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Very happy, was browsing Amazon.ca and saw that Mr. Deeds Goes To Town will be release in October in Blu-ray, can't ever have enough Capra for me

[Vinyl]

As for titanic movies I do enjoy A Night To Remember. It's both entertaining and accurate in what we know of the events.

[Arch Stanton]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

As for titanic movies I do enjoy A Night To Remember. It's both entertaining and accurate in what we know of the events.

By far the best Titanic movie. The titular Titanic (Stanwyck) is quite good too, if a bit schmaltzy.

[mrjohnnyb]

Originally Posted by Arch Stanton

By far the best Titanic movie. The titular Titanic (Stanwyck) is quite good too, if a bit schmaltzy.

I don't understand the lack of love for James Cameron's Titanic. If nothing else, it's an incredible, technical achievement.

[jshaide]

I did mention Tampopo a few weeks back when I found it on a coming soon at the repertory theater near my house. It's being released as a Janus Films presentation.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

I don't understand the lack of love for James Cameron's Titanic. If nothing else, it's an incredible, technical achievement.

I worked in a cd store during those years and had to hear that soundtrack 3.5 million times against my will. I can't imagine ever watching that movie.

Maybe on mute with the subtitles on?

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

I don't understand the lack of love for James Cameron's Titanic. If nothing else, it's an incredible, technical achievement.

I think it's excellent. In terms of accuracy, A Night to Remember is the best, but Cameron's versions is the closest I've felt to being on thst ship, and really does a great job of showing the class distinctions on the ship, among other feats. The 1953 version is okay. It's a bit too melodramatic for my tastes, but I still watch it nearly every year.

I also enjoy the German propaganda film, at least from a technical standpoint. Kino will hopefully be announcing for BD early next year.

[Arch Stanton]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

I don't understand the lack of love for James Cameron's Titanic. If nothing else, it's an incredible, technical achievement.

Oh for sure. You can also tell that Cameron's super passionate about the whole thing too with recreating the period and the specific details of the ship etc.

Just far too Hollywood for my liking.

[JohnCarpenterFan]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

I don't understand the lack of love for James Cameron's Titanic. If nothing else, it's an incredible, technical achievement.

Steven Spielberg Explains Commercial Backlash - YouTube

When it was new all I heard was praise, but then in the early-mid 2000's it was treated like Twilight is now and got nothing but shit online. Now the consensus is more favorable.

[ShellOilJunior]

Just updated my Criterion spreadsheet.

New graphs:

[Show spoiler]