The Criterion Collection

[MifuneFan]

Kill it with fire

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by billy pilgrim

I think both Neon Demon and Only God Forgives are stunning films. Glad to hear someone else enjoyed them as much as I did, as the majority of reviews have been so overwhelmingly negative.

Personally, I think they're both much better than Drive, and find them to be almost on par with his best early work, Pusher II and Valhalla Rising.

However, the only people I find that share my taste in films are a few other crazy cult film lovers scattered on the internet.

Neon Demon was one of my fave films that year! Woo!

[UncleBuckWild]

Originally Posted by 20th Century Boy

[Show spoiler]This scene needs the criterion treatment:

If Criterion doesn't budge, someone should probably contact Scorsese's film foundation.

This great piece of cinematic brilliance needs to be saved from Universal's evil clutches!

We demand:

• No less than a 4K restoration

• Dolby Atmos soundtrack

• Interviews with cast and crew

• Very fancy packaging, a Lenticular slipcover would be most excellent

• Kelly Le Brock Poster

[mja345]

Originally Posted by 20th Century Boy

As huge Wilder fan with every single other movie of his my collection I am curious about this one. Never seen it, never heard much (good) about it. I def want the chance to judge for myself.

It's a dark comedy, very cynical, with a great performance by Matthau. I want someone to put it out to rescue it from VHS hell. I saw it on cable a couple times years back and really enjoyed it. I think a lot of critics shit on it because they were comparing to Wilder's early work, but it's a good comedy on its own terms.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by Arch Stanton

Really? I think Refn's films are very dumb ones - The Neon Demon and Only God Forgives feature some absolutely groanworthy attempts at symbolism that are unbelievably obvious and heavyhanded.

He styles his films well and has his little neon niche down to a tee. Some of them are fairly enjoyable for what they are I guess, but he's pretty vacuous.

I liked Refn's visit to the Criterion closet where he says, "Alex Cox, we miss you. Start making movies again." Uh, Nic, Cox has been making movies lately. Not very good ones, but making them.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by billy pilgrim

I think both Neon Demon and Only God Forgives are stunning films. Glad to hear someone else enjoyed them as much as I did, as the majority of reviews have been so overwhelmingly negative.

Personally, I think they're both much better than Drive, and find them to be almost on par with his best early work, Pusher II and Valhalla Rising.

However, the only people I find that share my taste in films are a few other crazy cult film lovers scattered on the internet.

Count me in as well. Only God Forgives is a masterpiece and The Neon Demon is great if not quite a masterpiece IMO. It's third act stumbles a bit. I do love Drive more though as its one of my top 20 favorite films.

Only God Forgives and Neon Demon definitely have their admirers.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by tisdivine

Not entirely Criterion related except...

I'm curious what everyones thoughts are on Nicolas Winding Refn? By sheer accident I watched the Neon Demon and Only God Forgives on Amazon back to back. His movies are so vivid and colorful and kind of challenging for deeper non-obvious meanings. Seems like Criterion would be a great fit for them.

After reading the comments in Amazon I was left wondering am I the only person on the planet who actually liked these movies or does Amazon's comments just attract people who want everything to be a Hallmark movie spoon fed to them in a pretty package.

Next up Bronson and a rewatch of Drive (didnt care for it the first time I watched it a few years ago).

Yeah I think it's a case of just a lot of people not understanding Refn's style. Only God Forgives has a very unsettling tone throughout that I hadn't felt since The Shining. It was brilliant. I saw it twice in one day at the theater. I understood Only God Forgives with no problem just strictly with it's style.

[iap738]

Has anyone ever experienced playback issues with their copy of The Lady Vanishes? I've tried playing it twice recently and it simply won't load at all. I've only gotten as far as the black screen with the Criterion 'C' logo. I'm wondering if I'd be able to contact Criterion for a replacement?

[senseabove]

Originally Posted by iap738

Has anyone ever experienced playback issues with their copy of The Lady Vanishes? I've tried playing it twice recently and it simply won't load at all. I've only gotten as far as the black screen with the Criterion 'C' logo. I'm wondering if I'd be able to contact Criterion for a replacement?

Just watched it the other night on a Sony BDP and it played fine for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[llj]

Originally Posted by MassiveMovieBuff

Yeah I think it's a case of just a lot of people not understanding Refn's style. Only God Forgives has a very unsettling tone throughout that I hadn't felt since The Shining. It was brilliant. I saw it twice in one day at the theater. I understood Only God Forgives with no problem just strictly with it's style.

Heh, all these enthusiastic Refn readings are starting to remind me of when the twentysomething film students of 10-15 years ago were feting Richard Kelly and overpraising Donnie Darko...

FWIW, I actually kinda liked Richard Kelly's non-Donnie Darko films...I am a BOX fan

[iap738]

Originally Posted by senseabove

Just watched it the other night on a Sony BDP and it played fine for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the response. I'm using a Sony player too. Very strange.

[llj]

Oh, I rented/borrowed Wim Wenders's Road Trilogy and watched Alice in the Cities yesterday. Excellent movie, readable as a "proto--Paris,Texas". Looking forward to watching the other 2 in the set. I'm always on the lookout for good road movies, and it seems Wenders always does road movies RIGHT.

Will need to eventually buy this set.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by iap738

thanks for the response. I'm using a sony player too. Very strange.

bdp-s3700?

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by llj

Heh, all these enthusiastic Refn readings are starting to remind me of when the twentysomething film students of 10-15 years ago were feting Richard Kelly and overpraising Donnie Darko...

FWIW, I actually kinda liked Richard Kelly's non-Donnie Darko films...I am a BOX fan

I bet if you polled everyone here, most of us would be big fans of BOX....

[Mose Harper]

Originally Posted by tisdivine

Not entirely Criterion related except...

I'm curious what everyones thoughts are on Nicolas Winding Refn? By sheer accident I watched the Neon Demon and Only God Forgives on Amazon back to back. His movies are so vivid and colorful and kind of challenging for deeper non-obvious meanings. Seems like Criterion would be a great fit for them.

After reading the comments in Amazon I was left wondering am I the only person on the planet who actually liked these movies or does Amazon's comments just attract people who want everything to be a Hallmark movie spoon fed to them in a pretty package.

Next up Bronson and a rewatch of Drive (didnt care for it the first time I watched it a few years ago).

Refn put out a coffee table book in 2015 called The Act Of Seeing.
It's a pretentious title that obfuscates what the book is - which is a (fairly well) curated collection of exploitation posters that he got in a lot.
I can't remember if he bought them or saved them from being trashed- but they are all mostly 42nd street/Grindhouse variety.

Here's the thing about Refn- he clearly has an affection for exploitation/B/Grindhouse fare, and that's what his films are.
They are glossy as hell, and the Cliff Martinez scores give them a very distinctive character, but at their core they are B movies.

They are crafted with some pretension and their slick and glossy nature invites people to read into them more than they actually contain, but what the hell...go for it. I once jokingly wrote up a pretentious film critic defense of Superman III and how it was actually Richard Lester's subversive indictment of 200 years of race relations in America. Some people took it seriously.

FWIW I enjoyed both Drive and Neon Demon, but I don't really see much more below their stunningly attractive surfaces.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by iap738

Has anyone ever experienced playback issues with their copy of The Lady Vanishes? I've tried playing it twice recently and it simply won't load at all. I've only gotten as far as the black screen with the Criterion 'C' logo. I'm wondering if I'd be able to contact Criterion for a replacement?

Just watched my copy a week ago on my PS3 with no problems.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by llj

Heh, all these enthusiastic Refn readings are starting to remind me of when the twentysomething film students of 10-15 years ago were feting Richard Kelly and overpraising Donnie Darko...

FWIW, I actually kinda liked Richard Kelly's non-Donnie Darko films...I am a BOX fan

I've heard BOX is pretty good. Count me in as a huge Donnie Darko fan though. I wasn't all that impressed my first viewing and now it's one of my favorite films.

Who knows where Refn will be 10-15 years from now but I'm loving his work for the time being.

[atlantajoseph]

Uh oh, please don't tell me it's fashionable to hate on Donnie Darko.

The world is already surreal enough, thankyouverymuch.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Mose Harper

Here's the thing about Refn- he clearly has an affection for exploitation/B/Grindhouse fare, and that's what his films are.
They are glossy as hell, and the Cliff Martinez scores give them a very distinctive character, but at their core they are B movies.

That's almost exactly what I thought when I saw Drive - a simple B-grade action/revenge flick with all the fun bled out of it

[Snicket]

I saw Personal Shopper tonight. If this makes its way to Criterion (which is likely) you are all in for a treat! I'll have more thoughts later but think of it like a French David Fincher film.