The Criterion Collection

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by 20th Century Boy

Since we're all talking about great directors, is it just me or is more often that not when directors finally get to do their dream project, it turns out to be one of their weaker efforts?

I have a few different theories, because I don't think there's just one answer, but...
1 - a big one is that over the years, likely they failed to make the film once or twice, and the more it seems like the film will never happen, the more willing to compromise some directors will be over certain aspects.
2 - cumulative, death-by-a-thousand cuts, if they keep tweaking and tweaking for too long, or over-think some aspects, they might lose whatever was magic about the idea
3 - many ideas have a shelf life, and if you develop something starting in 1975, it is hard to believe it would be still be relevant when you finally make it in 1998.
4 - the project has existed for so long as an abstract hypothetical that by the time they make it, the director is no longer connected to the core idea that drove them to make the movie, their connection has shifted to the abstract version of the movie which they have been imagining. This can make decisions less intuitive and instinctual than when the idea was fresher in their mind.

Which also reminds me, anyone think CC will put out Gilliam's Don Quixote film?

For some reason, I never thought about it until just now, but I wonder if the Quixote film getting finished will translate to "Lost in La Mancha" getting released in some capacity on Blu. (Not sure what kind of cameras it was shot with, quite possibly it wouldn't be worth it.)

[mja345]

Probably one of the most insane dream projects is Barry Levinson's "Toys". It's hard to believe that was what Levinson was marinating on for a decade plus.

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I must confess I don't hold neo-realism and its offspring as a high water mark for cinema as many do. By nature they are rarely great aesthetic experiences or ones with a firm foot in genre. So compounding that with the fact that the brothers never push beyond their wheelhouse makes me feel rather lukewarm towards them.

There has been some effort put behind the idea that the Dardennes are closer to Bresson than the Neo-realists, but I don't buy it. Their work is rooted firmly in the social. Bresson's concerns were often more wordly and his compositions were far more precise.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by malakaheso

There has been some effort put behind the idea that the Dardennes are closer to Bresson than the Neo-realists, but I don't buy it. Their work is rooted firmly in the social. Bresson's concerns were often more wordly and his compositions were far more precise.

That theory is new to me and I can't get behind it at all. Bresson famously referred to his actors as "models" (hence the more precise camera). The camera has an opposite relationship in the Dardennes' work: it's a slave to the actors.

[BagheeraMcGee]

Originally Posted by 20th Century Boy

In that case I'm surprised they haven't released their own DNR EE disc yet. Isn't most of Stone on HD now? I think Alexander alone has three releases. Oof.

I may just spring for the DVD. I'm really interested in the film.

I think that the only remaining Stone films not to be on Blu are The Hand and Talk Radio. I frankly couldn't care less about The Hand, but Talk Radio is certainly worthy enough to merit a special edition by some boutique. It's not a film I see Universal releasing on their own, but who knows? Maybe they will.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by BagheeraMcGee

I think that the only remaining Stone films not to be on Blu are The Hand and Talk Radio. I frankly couldn't care less about The Hand, but Talk Radio is certainly worthy enough to merit a special edition by some boutique. It's not a film I see Universal releasing on their own, but who knows? Maybe they will.

An Indicator disc with a Stone commentary and maybe an interview with Bogosian would be a dream release. Hell, they could squeeze in "Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll" as an extra and kill two birds with one stone, as that film has never been released on DVD.

[20th Century Boy]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

I have a few different theories, because I don't think there's just one answer, but...
1 - a big one is that over the years, likely they failed to make the film once or twice, and the more it seems like the film will never happen, the more willing to compromise some directors will be over certain aspects.
2 - cumulative, death-by-a-thousand cuts, if they keep tweaking and tweaking for too long, or over-think some aspects, they might lose whatever was magic about the idea
3 - many ideas have a shelf life, and if you develop something starting in 1975, it is hard to believe it would be still be relevant when you finally make it in 1998.
4 - the project has existed for so long as an abstract hypothetical that by the time they make it, the director is no longer connected to the core idea that drove them to make the movie, their connection has shifted to the abstract version of the movie which they have been imagining. This can make decisions less intuitive and instinctual than when the idea was fresher in their mind.



For some reason, I never thought about it until just now, but I wonder if the Quixote film getting finished will translate to "Lost in La Mancha" getting released in some capacity on Blu. (Not sure what kind of cameras it was shot with, quite possibly it wouldn't be worth it.)

Probably all the above.

I'm hoping Gilliam's Quixote film is as great as I think it should be. I'm hoping CC will release it to much fanfare. And I'm def hoping Lost in La Mancha will be an extra, be it SD or HD. (I remember seeing it on VHS! )

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by BagheeraMcGee

I think that the only remaining Stone films not to be on Blu are The Hand and Talk Radio. I frankly couldn't care less about The Hand, but Talk Radio is certainly worthy enough to merit a special edition by some boutique. It's not a film I see Universal releasing on their own, but who knows? Maybe they will.

Other than some docs, that's correct, but a bunch of his movies have never been released in their theatrical cuts in HD ("Heaven and Earth" never even made it to DVD, to my knowledge, and "Seizure" is only available in a shortened PG cut).

[20th Century Boy]

Originally Posted by BagheeraMcGee

, but Talk Radio is certainly worthy enough to merit a special edition by some boutique. It's not a film I see Universal releasing on their own, but who knows? Maybe they will.

Looks like it's time to lobby boutique labels via e-mail. But if it's Universal, wouldn't it be CC who has the best chance at it?

[thatguamguy]

If you're gonna push Criterion, just go whole-hog and ask for an Eric Bogosian set, I know that Richard Linklater has wanted Criterion to release "suburbia" for years.

[mja345]

Originally Posted by 20th Century Boy

Looks like it's time to lobby boutique labels via e-mail. But if it's Universal, wouldn't it be CC who has the best chance at it?

Shout Factory has been churning out Universal titles recently, so that's a strong possibility. I'd also keep an eye on Indicator in the UK, who just dropped the announcement of the Universal trio of "Charley Varrick", "Blue Collar", and "The Border". I predict Indicator will put it out sometime next year because "Talk Radio" is exactly the kind of film they seem to release.

[20th Century Boy]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

If you're gonna push Criterion, just go whole-hog and ask for an Eric Bogosian set, I know that Richard Linklater has wanted Criterion to release "suburbia" for years.

I'd rather push for the Corman produced Suburbia.

[Smegma]

Originally Posted by 20th Century Boy

I'd rather push for the Corman produced Suburbia.

Absolutely. Suburbia (1983) by Penelope Spheeris is WAY better.

[Reddington]

For anyone interested who is region-free, I can heartily recommend the Studio Canal BD release of Carol Reed's The Man Between.

It's often referred to as a companion piece to The Third Man, given the post-war setting (Berlin this time), and a shadowy protagonist profiteering from the aftermath of the conflict. I've also seen it referred to as a sort of poor relation to its illustrious predecessor, which I think does it a great disservice. Reed's direction is equally assured, and the B&W cinematography is similarly evocative - with some excellent location work in Berlin, and many superb shots featuring noir-ish lighting and camera angles. While not as unique and memorable as Anton Karas' score for The Third Man, John Addison's soundtrack is extremely good, and complements the mood and tempo of the film perfectly (Addison is perhaps best-known for replacing Bernard Herrmann on Hitchcock's Torn Curtain, after a disagreement between the two titans brought about the dissolution of their long and successful partnership).

The acting is uniformly excellent: James Mason is as commanding and effortless as usual, ably supported by Claire Bloom and the (gorgeous) Hildegard Knef.

Such a good film, and one that would be right at home in the Criterion Collection.

As a footnote, I also watched Night Train to Munich and Odd Man Out in a sort of Carol Reed mini-marathon. Also hugely enjoyable films. Just one of my absolute favourite directors.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

If you're gonna push Criterion, just go whole-hog and ask for an Eric Bogosian set, I know that Richard Linklater has wanted Criterion to release "suburbia" for years.

Richard Linklater's 1996 film SubUrbia is sort of a hidden gem I feel. It's almost like an alternate, albeit darker version of Dazed and Confused meets Slacker outside a 24 hour convenience store.

This movie was never even released on DVD, much less blu-ray! What's up with that!?

[BagheeraMcGee]

Originally Posted by mja345

An Indicator disc with a Stone commentary and maybe an interview with Bogosian would be a dream release. Hell, they could squeeze in "Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll" as an extra and kill two birds with one stone, as that film has never been released on DVD.

I'm really rooting for Indicator to get this as well, because you know they're going to stuff it full of special features. I've never seen "Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll", but I've heard great things about it, and that would indeed be an awesome extra.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by CinemaScope

Absolute rubbish. Tom Jones is quite brilliant. Director Tony Richardson decided to make a period film in a cinéma vérité, almost documentary like style, jump cuts, handheld camera on a lot of shots, all unknown at the time for this kind of film (& I don't think anyone has tried it since), of course it's like a cartoon version of a very long book, but beautifully done with a lot of standout scenes (the meal), they certainly got it at the time, it was a world-wide hit & won Oscars for best film, best director, best adapted screenplay & best music score.

Sorry to rile you up but some of the comic sequences with the speeded up harpsichord music automatically makes me think of those old Benny Hill closing skits. I happen to like Tom Jones (and Benny Hill!)

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by 20th Century Boy

True story bro! If only the relationship between Firth and Rush was as compelling as Morita and Macchio.

The Karate Kid (1984) > The King's Speech.

Getting back to Criterion for a second, what are the chances of them getting the rights back for The Killer and Hard Boiled?

[TajSamKojiJesam]

Originally Posted by bigbadwoppet

Kubrick, on the other hand, took a picaresque novel and turned it into his most boring film. Revisionists have tried to make it into his unappreciated masterpiece but the original reviews were right:nobody liked it.

It's not true that nobody liked it; the critical response was actually mixed and the movie did have its admirers. Also, the film's themes and subject matter were misunderstood upon release like with many other Kubrick movies. It's enough to take a look at Pauline Kael's ridiculous review of the movie to see this. It seems that people saw the slow pace, narration and stiff camera movements as flaws and didn't even stop to consider why the film is shaped the way it is.

[ThisKid]

I will mention it here.

I don't like The Karate Kid.

I find it mediocre.

I actually like the remake with Jayden Smith.

Not perfect, but still something actually quite good.