The Criterion Collection

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by iScottie

I am aware that they released those films and more, like Silence of the Lambs.

However, the amount of "big" releases were minimal compared to now. Also, exactly just how much of a hot seller were these films?

Just showing that they've always been interested in doing it. If it's more now it's probably more likely due to studios releasing less things themselves these days and being more willing to license out more things, rather than an increased desire on Criterion's part.

[mja345]

The funniest thing I've seen from Tarantino is that he recently named "Pretty Maids All in a Row", Roger Vadim's ultra-campy early 70s sex comedy, as one of his top 10 favorite films. It's a fun little movie for sure, but how someone who's seen as many films as Tarantino could decide it's one of his top 10 favorite films of all-time is beyond me. I just imagine him screening it at his home one night, coked up out of his mind, and just going, "Whooooo! Pretty Maids All in a Row! Yeah! Top 10, baby! Top 10!"

I imagine he was in the same state that he was in when he was on Conan about 10 years ago. He was so coked up that he must have done the Tony Montana move of simply burying his face in a pile of blow.

[Sommerswerd]

Originally Posted by WonderWeasel

I just saw this posted in one of the FB Criterion film groups, and thought it might be of some use to the thread (my apologies if it has been posted before).

Mosfilm has put a bunch of their films on YouTube to watch for free:

http://www.openculture.com/2017/03/w...sawa-more.html

https://www.youtube.com/user/mosfilm

Thanks for sharing this awesome news.

[The Great Owl]

I've watched the Kino Lorber Blu-ray of Road House (1948) three times over the past two days. I'm addicted to this film.

Criterion already has a great Richard Widmark noir on Blu-ray, Night and the City.

I'm really hoping that Criterion will upgrade Pickup on South Street to Blu-ray soon. This is one of the biggest noir elephants still in the forest, and I'd love to replace my old Criterion DVD.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Day 6 of the Quentin Tarantino discussion.

http://www.vulture.com/2015/08/how-q...t-follows.html

I think more than anything, QT was just having fun w/ this.. and he said that it was a movie he liked, so there's that.

anyway, I thought it was interesting. and I think It Follows is better than anything QT has ever done that isn't named Pulp Fiction.

Can we name another living film director who has derailed this thread (6 days and counting) as much as Quentin Tarantino in the 8+ years this thread has been in existence? I can't.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by jw007

Can we name another living film director who has derailed this thread (6 days and counting) as much as Quentin Tarantino in the 8+ years this thread has been in existence? I can't.

I think I've partially blocked out weeks upon weeks of Lena Dunham discussion from back in the day.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

I think I've partially blocked out weeks upon weeks of Lena Dunham discussion from back in the day.

At least she's "in the collection".

And "out of her mind".

[jw007]

I wonder if we'll see another Dunham movie in the collection. I have my doubts!

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

Day 6 of the Quentin Tarantino discussion.

http://www.vulture.com/2015/08/how-q...t-follows.html

I think more than anything, QT was just having fun w/ this.. and he said that it was a movie he liked, so there's that.

anyway, I thought it was interesting. and I think It Follows is better than anything QT has ever done that isn't named Pulp Fiction.

Wow so many vastly different opinions going on here. I thought It Follows was a fun throwback but nothing more and definitely doesn't come close to anything Tarantino has done except Death Proof.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by jw007

i wonder if we'll see another dunham movie in the collection. I have my doubts!

Girls: The Complete Series.

I mean, as far as Dunham is concerned, Criterion did have the chance to release her film based on Sundance Selects (or was it IFC?) putting out the movie and it being available to them. She's at a point now where I think a film she directs will be put out by a bigger studio. Her celebrity is very different than it was when TINY FURNITURE came out.

[llj]

Criterion was actually correct in gambling that Dunham would become a "big thing" and was a "relevant" voice to watch. But it's her own fault for messing up the goodwill she gained these past 2 years.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by mja345

The funniest thing I've seen from Tarantino is that he recently named "Pretty Maids All in a Row", Roger Vadim's ultra-campy early 70s sex comedy, as one of his top 10 favorite films. It's a fun little movie for sure, but how someone who's seen as many films as Tarantino could decide it's one of his top 10 favorite films of all-time is beyond me. I just imagine him screening it at his home one night, coked up out of his mind, and just going, "Whooooo! Pretty Maids All in a Row! Yeah! Top 10, baby! Top 10!"

I imagine he was in the same state that he was in when he was on Conan about 10 years ago. He was so coked up that he must have done the Tony Montana move of simply burying his face in a pile of blow.

I'm all for roasting unique or odd choices as favorite films, and QT has had his share, but I have to say this: the more films you watch, the more subjectivity creeps into your favorite/best film lists. It's only natural as you tend to zero in and spend more time on genres and film movements you love. In QT's case it's 70's genre films.

I don't think a thirty year old Tarantino puts the film on his top ten, but to me it kind of makes sense that a 50 year old Tarantino does.

But more to your point, Criterion should make him put his money where his mouth is and have him record a commentary for the Criterion release of Pretty Maids all in a Row.

[caiman]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I'm all for roasting unique or odd choices as favorite films, and QT has had his share, but I have to say this: the more films you watch, the more subjectivity creeps into your favorite/best film lists. It's only natural as you tend to zero in and spend more time on genres and film movements you love. In QT's case it's 70's genre films.

This is very true. Ironically, it's the very reason QT is no longer in my top ten favorite directors like he was when I was in high school. In fact he's probably not in my top 50 anymore.

[jw007]

Someone should create a meme for directors who are "too big" for Criterion.

[jw007]

Here, I'll start the trend now.

[llj]

Terminator 1 with unmolested colors would be nice.

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by llj

I still haven't seen True Romance yet. I should get around to it.

The film critic Kim Morgan recently wrote a nice appreciation for True Romance that got me wanting to bump the film up on my "to see" pile.

http://thenewbev.com/blog/2017/01/true-romance/

I'm a big fan of Jackie Brown like many in here because it actually feels like something written by and for adults. A lot of QT's films, as well made as they are, have a tendency to fall into the trap of becoming adolescent film geek masturbation. And while I have no problem with adolescent point of views as a rule, I think sometimes any sense of nuance flies out the window when QT falls too much in love with his own shit.

Seeing as this IS the Criterion thread, you should watch True Romance in conjunction with Badlands. It seems to have served as the inspiration for True Romance and the Carl Orff piece "Gassenhauer" is used in both films.

Originally Posted by mja345

The funniest thing I've seen from Tarantino is that he recently named "Pretty Maids All in a Row", Roger Vadim's ultra-campy early 70s sex comedy, as one of his top 10 favorite films. It's a fun little movie for sure, but how someone who's seen as many films as Tarantino could decide it's one of his top 10 favorite films of all-time is beyond me. I just imagine him screening it at his home one night, coked up out of his mind, and just going, "Whooooo! Pretty Maids All in a Row! Yeah! Top 10, baby! Top 10!"

I imagine he was in the same state that he was in when he was on Conan about 10 years ago. He was so coked up that he must have done the Tony Montana move of simply burying his face in a pile of blow.

Honestly, is there any cult or semi-cult movie out there that Tarantino hasn't branded a favourite? His list of favoured spaghetti westerns seems to consist of just about every major film of that genre ever made. I suppose it's good exposure for films to have them cited by Tarantino as a "favourite" but I honestly don't think he's very discriminating in what he deems those to be.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by jw007

Here, I'll start the trend now.

I'll take a Criterion for The Abyss anytime!

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I'm all for roasting unique or odd choices as favorite films, and QT has had his share, but I have to say this: the more films you watch, the more subjectivity creeps into your favorite/best film lists. It's only natural as you tend to zero in and spend more time on genres and film movements you love. In QT's case it's 70's genre films.

I don't think a thirty year old Tarantino puts the film on his top ten, but to me it kind of makes sense that a 50 year old Tarantino does.

But more to your point, Criterion should make him put his money where his mouth is and have him record a commentary for the Criterion release of Pretty Maids all in a Row.

I think that increased subjectivity is a by-product of seeing certain formulas too many times. Even a film was the first or the “best” of its kind, that formula has been worn thin by all the copy cats. So, one might feel inclined to say (and there’s probably a better example) that Layer Cake is a better crime film than The Godfather.

I don’t disagree with what you have said outside of the “zeroing in” part… I think that it is the uniqueness of certain films that gravitates us to them and not so much that we are dialing in to what we really like.

I don’t know if Forty Guns is an all-time classic, but I’ve seen Lord knows how many film noirs, so I feel inclined to say that I like it better than Pickup on South Street.

[llj]

Originally Posted by baheidstu

Seeing as this IS the Criterion thread, you should watch True Romance in conjunction with Badlands. It seems to have served as the inspiration for True Romance and the Carl Orff piece "Gassenhauer" is used in both films.

I have already seen Badlands (love it); I guess another viewing along with True Romance can't hurt. I definitely can see some connection already based on the concepts of both films.