The Criterion Collection

[English Patient]

Originally Posted by jw007

On another note, I bought The Tree of Life today on Criterion! I discovered that one of my 3 local Barnes & Nobles removed their media section last month and put all the videos/cds and vinyl in the corner of the store. I found a lot of movies out of order and it hasn't been organized or taken care of from what I see. What a sad and sorry state physical media has become in retail outlets. Anyway, it was going to be 1 of 3 purchases but I discovered my B&N membership expired last week which made me quite frustrated since I hardly used it. I didn't want to buy a new membership for $25 so instead of buying Dead Man, The Virgin Suicides, and The Tree of Life, I just bought the latter.

I too just picked up Tree of Life during the B&N half-price sale. Great deal, and a very nice edition, with a lot of good extras. I'd always liked and admired the movie, but it was far down on the list of my favorites. However, this edition made me like it somewhat more, because it made me more fully appreciate its craftsmanship, and its use of music and practical effects. It would have been great to have some sort of scholarly commentary on the movie, though, since a lot of the imagery in the movie can be puzzling.

Sad to say, but if I hadn't had a B&N gift card, I probably would've got this movie from Amazon. I want to support B&N, but often it just can't compete on price. A B&N membership doesn't seem to offer many benefits.

[Ray Jackson]

Last night I watched Code Unknown for the first time.

Not quite sure what to make of this one.

Is this really a great picture with a profoundly enigmatic story?

Or a pretentious art film masquerading as something deeper and more meaningful than it really is?

...I’m not sure.

[Martin_31]

I've been whittling down my unwatched pile, so I decided to watch Jan Troell's The Emigrants. Not a good choice to watch a 3+ hour film in the night. I finished it this morning, the film is absolutely beautiful and tragic. Max von Sydow and Liv Ullman give amazing performances. Tonight I'll watch The New Land. After watching it, does anyone have recommendations about colonial/settler/immigrant films in the US? I'm eyeing Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven. Or films about rural life? Another one I'm looking at is Ermanno Olmi's The Tree of Wooden Clogs.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Last night I watched Code Unknown for the first time.

Not quite sure what to make of this one.

Is this really a great picture with a profoundly enigmatic story?

Or a pretentious art film masquerading as something deeper and more meaningful than it really is?

...I’m not sure.

On the subject of Haneke, you should pick up The Piano Teacher before the B&N sale ends. I’d like to hear your opinion if that one.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Scottie

On the subject of Haneke, you should pick up The Piano Teacher before the B&N sale ends. I’d like to hear your opinion if that one.

You’re a very sick man Scottie.

...it’s almost as though you have no conscience.

[Show spoiler]

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

You’re a very sick man Scottie.

...it’s almost as though you have no conscience.

[Show spoiler]

You need to watch The Seventh Continent.

Get back to me

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Martin_31

I've been whittling down my unwatched pile, so I decided to watch Jan Troell's The Emigrants. Not a good choice to watch a 3+ hour film in the night. I finished it this morning, the film is absolutely beautiful and tragic. Max von Sydow and Liv Ullman give amazing performances. Tonight I'll watch The New Land. After watching it, does anyone have recommendations about colonial/settler/immigrant films in the US? I'm eyeing Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven. Or films about rural life? Another one I'm looking at is Ermanno Olmi's The Tree of Wooden Clogs.

Days of Heaven is extraordinary...one of my favorite pictures of all time.

Can’t recommend it enough.

But it’s Terrence Malick.

...100% pure, uncut Malick.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by Polaroid

You need to watch The Seventh Continent.

Get back to me

This thread is littered with psychopaths.

...some really disturbed people.

[Polaroid]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

This thread is littered with psychopaths.

...some really disturbed people.

The ending made me struggle to breath... seriously, check it out .

[RockyIII]

Watching bonus features from Sisters. Disturbingly fascinating ��

[jw007]

Originally Posted by English Patient

I too just picked up Tree of Life during the B&N half-price sale. Great deal, and a very nice edition, with a lot of good extras. I'd always liked and admired the movie, but it was far down on the list of my favorites. However, this edition made me like it somewhat more, because it made me more fully appreciate its craftsmanship, and its use of music and practical effects. It would have been great to have some sort of scholarly commentary on the movie, though, since a lot of the imagery in the movie can be puzzling.

Sad to say, but if I hadn't had a B&N gift card, I probably would've got this movie from Amazon. I want to support B&N, but often it just can't compete on price. A B&N membership doesn't seem to offer many benefits.

I recall a B&N membership used to cost $50 a year (or maybe I'm totally delusional), so the fact they lowered it to $25 shows how desperate they are to get returning customers. The only thing I like about B&N is that they have brick and mortar stores unlike Amazon (and that also excludes those Amazon lockers where you can pick up your merchandise). I was able to walk in there, buy a sparkling water, sit down on a comfy padded armchair, skim a few pages of a book, walk over and browse the Criterions, talk to some friends, peruse the magazine section, maybe fall in love with a random woman, etc. As big as Amazon is, they lack the social factor and real life (offline) opportunities that B&N stores offer.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to finally watching the extended cut of that movie finally!

[Namuhana]

Originally Posted by jw007

I recall a B&N membership used to cost $50 a year (or maybe I'm totally delusional), so the fact they lowered it to $25 shows how desperate they are to get returning customers.

As far as I know, it's always been $25 per year. Maybe you're remembering the $50 worth of coupons for signing up?

[MifuneFan]

Guess he was delusional

[jw007]

Oh by the way, RIP Ricky Jay (House of Games, Homicide, Boogie Nights).

[GeoffOliver]

Last night my brother put on his copy of Criterion's Salo, or 120 Days of Sodom of all movies. I can tolerate just about anything the scripted screen has to offer, and while the film was an extremely uncomfortable watch, I definitely wanted to give it a chance because it clearly had something to say (also I enjoy batshit crazy movies). Sadly, my brother's friend was there and made us turn it off halfway through because he used to live in Salo, Italy and very drunkenly claimed the film was literally Satanic and that watching it was dangerous (he had never seen it before). -_- I think my brother's wife wants to throw it away now. Just a bizarre story, but now I'm definitely curious enough to want to finish the film.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Last night I watched Code Unknown for the first time.

Not quite sure what to make of this one.

Is this really a great picture with a profoundly enigmatic story?

Or a pretentious art film masquerading as something deeper and more meaningful than it really is?

...I’m not sure.

I think it's brilliant. Then again, with Binoche starring and Haneke directing, that's not really much of a stretch.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

I think it's brilliant. Then again, with Binoche starring and Haneke directing, that's not really much of a stretch.

Why do you think it’s brilliant Aaron?

And don’t say the pool scene with Juliette Binoche.

...okay that part is pretty great.

[malakaheso]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Last night I watched Code Unknown for the first time.

Not quite sure what to make of this one.

Is this really a great picture with a profoundly enigmatic story?

Or a pretentious art film masquerading as something deeper and more meaningful than it really is?

...I’m not sure.

You are not sure because there is something almost too easy about Haneke. He comes from a long line of anti-bourgeois-while-still-remaining-bourgeois European artists that offer quite dated social critiques that are only challenging to those who are not familiar with their intellectual origins or their long history. The White Ribbon, for example, is a simplistic sub-Freudian view of history.

Haneke is predictable and so is Lanthimos, and I seriously doubt they'll be remembered when the dust clears

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Why do you think it’s brilliant Aaron?

And don’t say the pool scene with Juliette Binoche.

...okay that part is pretty great.

Well, as I said, to start with both Binoche and Haneke do fantastic jobs. Beyond that, it's very provocative intellectually, there's so much to think about as it progresses. I really enjoy the long shots. Heck that first sequence is so engaging.

But yeah, I think the reason I like it so much is because it provides so much to think about and consider.

[Kyle15]

Originally Posted by malakaheso

You are not sure because there is something almost too easy about Haneke. He comes from a long line of anti-bourgeois-while-still-remaining-bourgeois European artists that offer quite dated social critiques that are only challenging to those who are not familiar with their intellectual origins or their long history. The White Ribbon, for example, is a simplistic sub-Freudian view of history.

Haneke is predictable and so is Lanthimos, and I seriously doubt they'll be remembered when the dust clears

You sound like the music guy screaming at the trumpet player. Do I need to post a gif of him again?