The Criterion Collection

[MifuneFan]

It's a shame Titus got such a lackluster BD release. A new 4K scan would do wonders.

[bwdowiak]

not going to sound very smart here, but Shakespeare and many of the adaptations lose me with the language. are there any out there that don't use the Shakespearean language that you guys would recommend?

[billy pilgrim]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

It's a shame Titus got such a lackluster BD release. A new 4K scan world do wonders.

Total agreement with this! One of my favorite Shakespeare films. Such a visual feast, and then to get that horrible Twilight Time transfer.

Would some (uh, Criterion?) label give this film the respect it deserves, please?

[dancerslegs]

The Trial is an awesome film.

As for Shakespeare in the Collection, Chimes at Midnight, Othello, Throne of Blood, and Olivier's Hamlet are all superb.

Olivier's Richard III is perhaps his quintessential Shakespearean role, but I find the film lacking in other respects. His Henry V is more interesting viewed as a piece of period propaganda and as a debut film (it was Sir Larry's first directorial outing) than it is as an adaptation of the Bard.

[Ray Jackson]

Anyone here seen Tokyo Drifter?

Thinking about it as a blind buy.

I've seen Branded to Kill and although I liked it, I thought it was a little too goofy and over the top.

Can someone who's seen both compare the two?

Is Tokyo Drifter similar to Branded to Kill or a little more serious in tone?

Which one is better?

Thank you.

...Viva El Salvador.

[Fat Phil]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

I'm all in on these scrumptious period pieces (Barry Lyndon, Days of Heaven, Tess) being rescued by Criterion.

What are the chances of getting Dangerous Liaisons and Amadeus? Both with WB, who has shown a willingness to work with Criterion...

Please let it happen!

The current Dangerous Liaisons blu-ray is pretty good so I don't think Criterion needs to tackle that one just yet . Amadeus definitely needs some love and attention though. The current blu looks awful (and only contains the Director's Cut) so definitely a prime candidate for the Criterion treatment

[mja345]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Anyone here seen Tokyo Drifter?

Thinking about it as a blind buy.

I've seen Branded to Kill and although I liked it, I thought it was a little too goofy and over the top.

Can someone who's seen both compare the two?

Is Tokyo Drifter similar to Branded to Kill or a little more serious in tone?

Which one is better?

Thank you.

...Viva El Salvador.

"Tokyo Drifter" is very goofy as well, although slightly more straightforward than "Branded to Kill". I love both, but they're almost spoofs of Yakuza films. "Youth of the Beast" is a much more traditional Yakuza film, but with some of Suzuki's wacky sensibility.

[Ruemorgue10]

Garbbed the following so far:

Sid and Nancy
The Player
McCabe and Mrs. Miller
Heaven's Gate
The American Friend

Still waiting for my local B&N to restock Barry Lyndon and Fire Walk with Me.

[senseabove]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Anyone here seen Tokyo Drifter?

Thinking about it as a blind buy.

I've seen Branded to Kill and although I liked it, I thought it was a little too goofy and over the top.

Can someone who's seen both compare the two?

Is Tokyo Drifter similar to Branded to Kill or a little more serious in tone?

Which one is better?

Thank you.

...Viva El Salvador.

I'm a big fan of Branded (and Suzuki in general) and was meh on Drifter, but those two seem to be "Love one, meh the other" for most folks who like Suzuki, and I really need to give Drifter another go. I don't think it could legitimately be called "more serious," but Drifter is certainly less "over the top." The Suzuki touch in that one comes out in—well, not more "subtle" ways, but it comes out more in set design and color usage than framing or narrative structure (which isn't to say Drifter makes sense).

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by mja345

"Tokyo Drifter" is very goofy as well, although slightly more straightforward than "Branded to Kill". I love both, but they're almost spoofs of Yakuza films. "Youth of the Beast" is a much more traditional Yakuza film, but with some of Suzuki's wacky sensibility.

Originally Posted by senseabove

I'm a big fan of Branded (and Suzuki in general) and was meh on Drifter, but those two seem to be "Love one, meh the other" for most folks who like Suzuki, and I really need to give Drifter another go. I don't think it could legitimately be called "more serious," but Drifter is certainly less "over the top." The Suzuki touch in that one comes out in—well, not more "subtle" ways, but it comes out more in set design and color usage than framing or narrative structure (which isn't to say Drifter makes sense).

Nicolas Winding Refn listed Tokyo Drifter as his favorite Criterion film.

...that should tell you something.

[Show spoiler]

[senseabove]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Nicolas Winding Refn listed Tokyo Drifter as his favorite Criterion film.

...that should tell you something.

...

[Show spoiler]

Maybe that's why I didn't like it as much. It was already tainted by the association before I even knew of it.

[llj]

Tokyo Drifter has singing from the main character. That tells you all you need to know about how serious it is.

It's a great looking movie with awesome color design but I prefer Branded to Kill.

Also, Jo Shishido is a MUCH better actor than Tetsuya "Deer in headlights" Watari.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Nicolas Winding Refn listed Tokyo Drifter as his favorite Criterion film.

...that should tell you something.

[Show spoiler]

It does tell me something. It tells my that I need to see it!

EDIT: Oh, and on an unrelated note, we were briefly talking about the Romanian fillm 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days in another thread. As far as I can tell the only way to procure this, worldwide, is in a 4 film box set from Artificial Eye -- one of the films which I already own (Blue is the Warmest Color). One, does anyone know anything about this set and the quality/extras of the other films? Two, does anyone think that 4 Weeks would be a good addition to the Collection? I think it's an amazing film, though oppressively depressing.

Does anyone think that this could happen?

[Knaldskalle]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

not going to sound very smart here, but Shakespeare and many of the adaptations lose me with the language. are there any out there that don't use the Shakespearean language that you guys would recommend?

I don't remember any Shakespearean adaptations that modernize (or dramatically alter) the language, it seems to be* the one constant.

And you're not the only one who has issues with the language, I do too. Although I do have the excuse that English is a second (third, fourth, fifth...) language of mine. I can read Shakespeare and mostly decode it, but when spoken it's sometimes a little too fast for me to grasp it all. Subtitles help.

At least Chaucer does seem to get modernized when made into films, I tried reading Canterbury Tales and got nowhere.

*or not to be?

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by Knaldskalle

I don't remember any Shakespearean adaptations that modernize (or dramatically alter) the language, it seems to be* the one constant.

And you're not the only one who has issues with the language, I do too. Although I do have the excuse that English is a second (third, fourth, fifth...) language of mine. I can read Shakespeare and mostly decode it, but when spoken it's sometimes a little too fast for me to grasp it all. Subtitles help.

At least Chaucer does seem to get modernized when made into films, I tried reading Canterbury Tales and got nowhere.

*or not to be?

I remember this teeny-bopper movie back when I was a teeny-bopper called O, which I thought was great at the time.

I kinda know what it means to be a "Shakespearean tragedy" and that would be a phrase I'd tie to a great, great film in the CC, A Brighter Summer Day.

I went to a good high school in Chicago, but somehow my ignorance at the time, unwillingness to process the dialogue for what it was, and ability to get by being a really good student otherwise put me behind.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Knaldskalle

I don't remember any Shakespearean adaptations that modernize (or dramatically alter) the language, it seems to be* the one constant.

And you're not the only one who has issues with the language, I do too. Although I do have the excuse that English is a second (third, fourth, fifth...) language of mine. I can read Shakespeare and mostly decode it, but when spoken it's sometimes a little too fast for me to grasp it all. Subtitles help.

At least Chaucer does seem to get modernized when made into films, I tried reading Canterbury Tales and got nowhere.

*or not to be?

Well, there are a number of films -- of vastly differing quality, of course -- that are essentially modern adaptations of The Bard. The most famous are films like Ran (King Lear), 10 Things I Hate About You (The Taming of the Shrew), Lion King (Hamlet), etc.

[SeanJoyce]

My Own Private Idaho

[Doctor Jack]

Has Band of Outsiders gone OOP? It’s unavailble at B&N and Amazon.

[Feiereisel]

Originally Posted by Doctor Jack

Has Band of Outsiders gone OOP? It’s unavailble at B&N and Amazon.

Doesn't seem so. Might just be out of stock in both places. It's still available on Criterion's website.

[Sommerswerd]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

It does tell me something. It tells my that I need to see it!

EDIT: Oh, and on an unrelated note, we were briefly talking about the Romanian fillm 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days in another thread. As far as I can tell the only way to procure this, worldwide, is in a 4 film box set from Artificial Eye -- one of the films which I already own (Blue is the Warmest Color). One, does anyone know anything about this set and the quality/extras of the other films? Two, does anyone think that 4 Weeks would be a good addition to the Collection? I think it's an amazing film, though oppressively depressing.

Does anyone think that this could happen?

4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days was rumored to be release by Criterion a couple of years back: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=269889