The Criterion Collection

[easydreamer]

Originally Posted by ckt

I'd like to start Wenders' Road Trilogy. Does this need to be watched in order? Thanks.

The films in the trilogy are not connected each other, so could be seen in any order. Still, I found the 1st one to be the best in the trilogy, so I would suggest watching it first.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by ckt

I'd like to start Wenders' Road Trilogy. Does this need to be watched in order? Thanks.

I recommend watching Alice in the Cities first.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by llj

Another theory is that being 400 pounds scratches a fetish or attract other fat people looking for an equivalent and you can draw those people in easier if you stand out on a dating site. But when you look more 'normal' you're just like everyone else.

Hard to judge a book by its cover, just like judging someone's personality by a picture on a dating profile, but I see where you're going with that. Oddly enough, I was more popular when I was 275 lb than when I was 195 lb back in the day. I guess drinking beer, eating pizzas and cheesesteaks does have its rewards after all (or maybe it makes me a big lovable fat bear girls could hug, unlike the more "normal", healthy guy I am now).

[ArnoldLayne56]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Films like Only Angels Have Wings and To Have and Have Not are few and far between these days. These are films with a strong, masculine lead that is unapologetic and charismatic.

IMO the first one is pretty good, the second we just watched a couple nights ago -> disappointing, a bit limp. (Not to your point, just my overall rating.)

cheers

[MeMynonsense]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Films like Only Angels Have Wings and To Have and Have Not are few and far between these days. These are films with a strong, masculine lead that is unapologetic and charismatic.

True! I think Twentieth Century makes a great companion piece to To Have and Have Not. Another theatrical farce starring Carole Lombard with John Barrymore performing the duties of a pompous, obsessive yet undeniably hysterical theatre impresario. The Broadway vs Hollywood jabs are alone worth the indulgence + it’s Hawks + it’s Columbia - therefore it shouldn’t be out of criterion’s domain. Don’t know many who could resist a screwball comedy set aboard a train

[dancerslegs]

Not a fan of Only Angels Have Wings either. For a Hawks film, it's pretty lifeless.

As for The Crying Game, Davidson (both herself and her character) is a transwoman, not a guy. So if you're going to make transphobic comments about her and her anatomy, at least get her gender right.

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by dancerslegs

Not a fan of Only Angels Have Wings either. For a Hawks film, it's pretty lifeless.

As for The Crying Game, Davidson (both herself and her character) is a transwoman, not a guy. So if you're going to make transphobic comments about her and her anatomy, at least get her gender right.

The character may be trans but Jaye Davidson is not. He may have been androgynous in appearance at the time of the Crying Game but he identifies as a gay man and looks much more masculine in appearance these days.

[dancerslegs]

Originally Posted by baheidstu

The character may be trans but Jaye Davidson is not. He may have been androgynous in appearance at the time of the Crying Game but he identifies as a gay man and looks much more masculine in appearance these days.

My bad. I thought at one time Davidson did identify as trans. Once again, I'm out of the loop.

[SammyJankis]

Moonlight and Wong Kar-wai - YouTube

Worth watching. Hope we get more Wong soon.

[nitin]

Originally Posted by MeMynonsense

True! I think Twentieth Century makes a great companion piece to To Have and Have Not. Another theatrical farce starring Carole Lombard with John Barrymore performing the duties of a pompous, obsessive yet undeniably hysterical theatre impresario. The Broadway vs Hollywood jabs are alone worth the indulgence + it’s Hawks + it’s Columbia - therefore it shouldn’t be out of criterion’s domain. Don’t know many who could resist a screwball comedy set aboard a train

And it has a 4K restoration too. Surely not far away.

[Ray Jackson]

Does anyone here think that Dekalog is slightly overrated?

I hesitate to even use that word, as so many of the people take it as this terrible insult. But let me be clear, I like Dekalog...I think it's a very good collection of films, or television episodes or whatever. But after two viewings, I have yet to be blown away by it the way I was expecting to be after hearing about how great it was for so many years.

Of the ten episodes, only 1 and 6 really got to me that much. I know that episode 5 is widely revered and regarded by some as the crown jewel of the project, but I just don't see it. I mean it's good, but does it really make some sort of uniquely brilliant statement about capital punishment?

Personally I think all three films in the Three Colors Trilogy are significantly better than any of the individual episodes of Dekalog.

Am I alone in thinking this?

Is there no one out there who will stand with me?

...or must I once again walk the road of contrarian solitude to the bitter end?

[Show spoiler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRvCvsRp5ho

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Does anyone here think that Dekalog is slightly overrated?

I'm sure someone here does. But it ain't me.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Does anyone here think that Dekalog is slightly overrated?

I hesitate to even use that word, as so many of the people take it as this terrible insult. But let me be clear, I like Dekalog...I think it's a very good collection of films, or television episodes or whatever. But after two viewings, I have yet to be blown away by it the way I was expecting to be after hearing about how great it was for so many years.

Of the ten episodes, only 1 and 6 really got to me that much. I know that episode 5 is widely revered and regarded by some as the crown jewel of the project, but I just don't see it. I mean it's good, but does it really make some sort of uniquely brilliant statement about capital punishment?

Personally I think all three films in the Three Colors Trilogy are significantly better than any of the individual episodes of Dekalog.

Am I alone in thinking this?

Is there no one out there who will stand with me?

...or must I once again walk the road of contrarian solitude to the bitter end?

[Show spoiler]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRvCvsRp5ho

I wouldn't call it overrated, but perhaps overstated. When a piece of art is exaggerated enough, people have to believe it must be good if its so popular. I'm not saying pop culture or popular forms of art aren't all great, but I think it all comes down to subjective opinion. A person might love a film that another person would find to be average, and when enough people review a film to be a masterpiece, then apparently it must be such a thing. But is it? Is it peer pressure or group conformity that because 40 critics gave it 4 stars and 3 critics gave it 2 stars, that automatically, the 40 critics are to be trusted more? This is an ethical dilemma.

With that said, I think Dekalog is excellent cinema, but I wasn't blown away like I'm blown away by the films of Stanley Kubrick.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Does anyone here think that Dekalog is slightly overrated?

I think it's brilliant. Then again, the sensation about human nature and experience is so aligned with how I see the world, I guess it's not surprising that I would feel that way.

[AaronJ]

So, as I was on "vacation" again, and finished some busy work around the house, I realized that the flash sale could happen at any time, and I was not prepared. So, now I have a list of potentials and a $250 gift certificate. Unfortunately, my list is 22 films long.

Narrowing things down is going to be a difficult process.

[castor]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Does anyone here think that Dekalog is slightly overrated?

Dekalog is very good, but I think the Three Colors Trilogy is much better.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by castor

Dekalog is very good, but I think the Three Colors Trilogy is much better.

The Double life of Veronique is even better

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

The Double life of Veronique is even better

Kieslowski was a genius, and one of the great filmmakers of the 20th century.

Can we leave it at that?

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Does anyone here think that Dekalog is slightly overrated?

I hesitate to even use that word, as so many of the people take it as this terrible insult. But let me be clear, I like Dekalog...I think it's a very good collection of films, or television episodes or whatever. But after two viewings, I have yet to be blown away by it the way I was expecting to be after hearing about how great it was for so many years.

Of the ten episodes, only 1 and 6 really got to me that much. I know that episode 5 is widely revered and regarded by some as the crown jewel of the project, but I just don't see it. I mean it's good, but does it really make some sort of uniquely brilliant statement about capital punishment?

Personally I think all three films in the Three Colors Trilogy are significantly better than any of the individual episodes of Dekalog.

Am I alone in thinking this?

Is there no one out there who will stand with me?

...or must I once again walk the road of contrarian solitude to the bitter end?

Wouldn't call it overrated because although I also think 1 and 6 are the best, there is enough other great episodes there, and collectively they work perfectly.

[pedromvu]

Probably not the most popular opinion, but anybody else agrees with Svet review of Blood Simple?

I recently rewatched it, and while I think a lot of the Coen's works are good, I never felt the urge to own any of their films.

I think that may have changed with Blood Simple, the new restoration simply makes it look like a totally new film, except for the quality of some of the dialog which is odd because the sound effects quality is very very good.

So yeah right now I can't think of any better Coen's film even though it was their first one, maybe Barton Fink would be my close second.