The Criterion Collection

[Scottie]

Monterey Pop opens at the IFC Theater in NYC next Wednesday and there's a Q&A with D.A. Pennebaker after the screening.

https://www.facebook.com/events/113853495878441/

[jw007]

I finally unwrapped my Criterion of The Manchurian Candidate and watched it for the first time two nights ago.

It was the first time I had opened and viewed a new Criterion release of mine in months.

Suffice to say, I was a bit underwhelmed by the difficult and mysterious film that this is. I think Errol Morris said it best in the interview within the supplements when he called a lot of the dialogue "weird". It was a bit ponderous to watch this film, and I realized there were many unlikeable characters as well, esp. Angela Lansbury's character.

At the same time, this film is quite visionary,

[Show spoiler]as women (whether its Janet Leigh or Angela Lansbury) are in control of the brainwashing techniques used in the story.

Also, in today's political climate, this film is more timely than ever, as many people are being and have been brainwashed by their leaders.

Overall, its not a film I would consider by any means a "thriller", and its not a film I will ever come to love, but I'm glad I was finally able to watch this film.

[Hoke Moseley]

The Manchurian Candidate isn't a thriller? It's probably the preeminent political thriller.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by Fabs

So I got Ugetsu today and it's a digipak, however this site and DVDbeaver both says it is a plastic blu-ray case.

Same book as the dvd version?

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by Hoke Moseley

The Manchurian Candidate isn't a thriller? It's probably the preeminent political thriller.

That and Seven Days to May. The Manchurian Candidate is one of all-time favorites.

[atlantajoseph]

Any thoughts on the probability of Criterion releasing Inland Empire and/or Lost Highway with this renewed focus on DL? Or perhaps another distributor?

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by atlantajoseph

Any thoughts on the probability of Criterion releasing Inland Empire and/or Lost Highway with this renewed focus on DL? Or perhaps another distributor?

I'm thinking it could be high and I'm really hoping its high.

[repulsed]

Originally Posted by Fabs

So I got Ugetsu today and it's a digipak, however this site and DVDbeaver both says it is a plastic blu-ray case.

that's unfortunate. I was so glad when I looked and saw that it wasn't gonna be a digipack.

will they release it again in a standard case? anyone know if that is likely at all?

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by jw007

I finally unwrapped my Criterion of The Manchurian Candidate and watched it for the first time two nights ago.

It was the first time I had opened and viewed a new Criterion release of mine in months.

Suffice to say, I was a bit underwhelmed by the difficult and mysterious film that this is. I think Errol Morris said it best in the interview within the supplements when he called a lot of the dialogue "weird". It was a bit ponderous to watch this film, and I realized there were many unlikeable characters as well, esp. Angela Lansbury's character.

At the same time, this film is quite visionary,

[Show spoiler]as women (whether its Janet Leigh or Angela Lansbury) are in control of the brainwashing techniques used in the story.

Also, in today's political climate, this film is more timely than ever, as many people are being and have been brainwashed by their leaders.

Overall, its not a film I would consider by any means a "thriller", and its not a film I will ever come to love, but I'm glad I was finally able to watch this film.

It may not have the fast pace of something from the 90s, but it's most definitely a thriller.

[Scottie]

I don't know what else to call The Manchurian Candidate except a thriller.

[jw007]

I think its obvious to call The Manchurian Candidate a thriller, but that's too easy, lazy and simplistic.

It's far more than just a thriller. It's truly a psychological drama.

Errol Morris said: "I suppose the argument can be made that this movie is a thriller, but the movie seems far far too perverse to be thought of as a thriller. It's a perverted family story at its heart, which makes it really, really great! The American family gone awry... deeply awry!"

Okay, I can accept that too, but I'm calling this out as a drama more so than a thriller. Sure, there are some thrilling moments here and I might be part of a minuscule minority, but that's just my opinion.

[MifuneFan]

It's absolutely a thriller, and specifically a Political/Psychological Thriller.

[MifuneFan]

New phantom

Atom Egoyan

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

New phantom

Atom Egoyan

I'm sure everyone is hoping for a release of The Sweet Hereafter, a film that's hype I never understood.

It would be nice to see Exotica get a domestic release, though.

[jedidarrick]

Originally Posted by MassiveMovieBuff

I'm thinking it could be high and I'm really hoping its high.

I wonder what a 4k restoration of Inland Empire, which was shot on digital video, would look like.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

New phantom

Atom Egoyan

I enjoyed Chloe at the theater, but I still haven't got around to purchasing the existing Blu-ray. I would get around to it pretty quickly if Criterion were to release it, I guess.

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by jedidarrick

I wonder what a 4k restoration of Inland Empire, which was shot on digital video, would look like.

That's a great question but I thought Collateral looked great not even remastered in 4K and that was shot on digital video as well even though it was also shot on film.

[Scottie]

David Lynch: The Art Life was incredibly underwhelming.

Lynch is incredibly fascinating and he has some fascinating stories to tell about his life while growing up. I was really, really impressed with the story

[Show spoiler]about the naked woman he saw walking down the street,

something I feel has found its way into his body of work.

I was hoping we'd get an overview of his life growing up and what led him to get into film, specifically focusing on how his life experiences influenced his work. However, the documentary is mainly about his life growing up cut with footage of him painting and sculpting in the modern day. It takes 67 minutes before one of his short films

[Show spoiler](The Alphabet)

is even mentioned. And his early filmmaking roots are then quickly breezed over in the next 20 minutes (ending with his reflections on

[Show spoiler]Eraserhead).

The documentary is interesting because of who it's about, sure, but it's ultimately not what I was hoping for.

[tisdivine]

Im going to be picking up Judex at the July sale. Ive seen it and I love it and I also love Eyes Without A Face. I noticed Arrow released Spotlight on A Murderer. Has anyone here seen it? Since I like Franju's other films am I a shoe-in to like this one.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by jw007

I finally unwrapped my Criterion of The Manchurian Candidate and watched it for the first time two nights ago.

[Show spoiler]It was the first time I had opened and viewed a new Criterion release of mine in months.

Suffice to say, I was a bit underwhelmed by the difficult and mysterious film that this is. I think Errol Morris said it best in the interview within the supplements when he called a lot of the dialogue "weird". It was a bit ponderous to watch this film, and I realized there were many unlikeable characters as well, esp. Angela Lansbury's character.

At the same time, this film is quite visionary,

[Show spoiler]as women (whether its Janet Leigh or Angela Lansbury) are in control of the brainwashing techniques used in the story.

Also, in today's political climate, this film is more timely than ever, as many people are being and have been brainwashed by their leaders.

Overall, its not a film I would consider by any means a "thriller", and its not a film I will ever come to love, but I'm glad I was finally able to watch this film.

My first reaction to the original Manchurian Candidate was lukewarm--I found it rather slow and tedious at first. Over the years and after some rewatches, I came to appreciate it on the merits of its noir-like style and premise. It's now one of my favorites.

I think there are enough thrills to call it a thriller. The ending has definite tension, but there is a certain threat that builds as the movie progresses and it becomes apparent that

[Show spoiler]Shaw is a time bomb waiting to go off. It takes a while for it to gain traction, but I think it's there, especially once the brainwashing becomes known (by both the audience and characters).

I find most political thrillers stuffy and droll by nature, but I'd say MC has more suspense than most others. But it certainly has elements of psychological thrillers and films noir. Maybe even a little bit of speculative fiction. It's not easy to classify the film in any of these subgenres, but for my own personal convenience I do have it shelved next to Seven Days in May and All the President's Men.

I read the MC novel recently. Very much the same story and the movie adapts it quite closely. But I gotta say, I hated its prose. It reads like a textbook--way too journalistic and passive. This is one of those odd cases where I felt the movie was better.